Strong field line up for the season opener at Yas Marina Circuit
Dubai, UAE, 1 November, 2015: The 2015-2016 NGK Racing Series got off the a positive start at Yas Marina Circuit on Friday, with a strong field lining up on the grid and delivering a good show at the seven-star venue in Abu Dhabi.
Race 1 was an all Ferrari affair at the front as Leon Price in the Dragon Racing Ferrari powered to a comfortable win, leading home fellow Ferrari driver Thani Hanna, with Dubai schoolboy Tom Bale chasing hard to claim third place in his Radical and with it doing enough to take top honours in the Radical Class ahead of Leo Ardolino and Catalin Voicu.
Behind them multiple UAE champion Costas Papantonis won Class 1 in his GulfPetrochem SEAT, with Petr Valek second in his BMW.
Constantino Annivas topped the Clio Cup standings ahead of Will Morrison and his brother Alex Annivas in the sister GulfPetrochem car. Grogory Pain pipped Mike Scott to top spot in Class 6, the pair driving Toyota TRDs.
In Race 2, Price did not line up on the grid, and Bale made a good start to get the holeshot and romped to a 35 seconds victory over Hanna, Bale setting the fastest lap of the day in the process.
Ardolino was third overall with Voicu chasing hard to finish fourth.
Papantonis did the double as he claimed Class 1 victory. While behind him it was much of the same in the Clio Class as the Annivas brothers, Constantinos and Alex, finished first and third respectively with Morrison again splitting the pair in second. Pain and Scott again topped the Class 6 standings.
Race day two of the NGK Race Series takes place at Dubai Autodrome on 13 November