2013/2014 NGK Racing Series. Rd 2, ‘Normality’

McGinley’s woes however paled in comparison to those suffered by Jonathan Mullan. Having blown a valve during qualifying, the heavily modified #48 Honda Integra Type R would miss the first race entirely while engine issues were sorted and would start from the back of the grid for race two. The VTEC issues that struck early at Yas seemed long gone as Mullan carved his way through the field (despite one cylinder being down on power), and began putting serious pressure of the fellow Lap57 Racing-prepared Hondas of Abdulla Al-Hamani (#57) and reigning Class 2 champion Rupesh Channake (#35). The likeable Irishman’s hard charge would come to a premature end on lap seven however, the Honda crawling onto pitroad with a puncture. A tough weekend, but signs of the Honda’s pace had at least been shown.

A solid opening run from Al-Hamani meanwhile – in which he kept his Lap57 teammate very honest in race two for class victory – came to an end when the Emirati suddenly fell off the time screens on lap 10. He joined fellow UAE representative Abdulhamid Al Awadhi on the bench, the #22 Pectrum Motorsport Honda Civic having managed just one lap in the second race before retiring (though ninth overall in race one at least put Al Awadhi on the board). A solid run in race one however brought Al-Hamani second in-class in the #57 Honda after a spectacular late race surge to overtake Class 2 rival (and Renault Clio Cup standings leader) Alexandros Annivas. Once again, the rookies had given the regulars a run for their money.

Annivas meanwhile – who wore a commemorative Sean Edwards sticker on both his helmet and windscreen throughout the event – was far too busy coaxing what life he could from tyres that were already one race weekend old, the Gulf Petrochem/Mouhritsa Racing man having already competed with them in Abu Dhabi. Following a take-no-prisoners dice with Al-Hamani in the opening encounter (during which the #41 Clio would leap ahead through the twisting back section only to lose track position to the #57 Honda down the high speed main straight), the former Renault Clio Cup champion had plenty on his plate battling against 2013/2014 rookie Simon Dennis. A proven race winner on the Clio Cup circuit in the UK, both the #32 Renault Clio Cup car and Dennis were in the hunt for class victory from the get-go. Hoping to better an already impressive second in-Clio class first time out, the Brit took his fight with Annivas right to the pitwall before finally making a move stick on lap seven. The gap remained at the half-second mark, and victory seemed assured for Dennis until a last lap do-or-die move from Annivas stole Clio class victory on the final lap.

Round two of the 2013/2014 NGK Racing Series in the bag. Normality doesn’t always mean less interesting.

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