Harris Irfan: 09/10 Driver's Diary 4

picture courtesy of Phil and Em McGovern @ crankandpiston.com

04 February 2010

Read the race report here with a video here.

By Harris Irfan

Though not a fan of the ubiquitous banker-bling Rolex watch, I was recently drawn to a television advert, slicing evocative shots of prototype racers at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, prompting me to reflect on how far we have come regionally. Maybe one day Rolex and others will be interspersing dawn cityscapes of the Sheikh Zayed Road with a battle-scarred DXB Racing LMP1 winning “Dubai Arba’ Wa Ashroon Sa’a”.

I’m especially proud of being part of a motorsport scene here in the UAE from which locally based talent was not only able to compete head on against high quality drivers and teams from around the world, but beat them in the recent Dubai 24 Hours.

Camaraderie

And what really puts the icing on the cake, reminding me we are living through a golden age of motorsport in this country, is the camaraderie and genuine club mentality we still have in the paddock on national race days, even when our race face is on.

And so to race day. I’m pleased to qualify on the row behind Khalid bin Hadher, one of the most aggressive and talented drivers in the UAE, making his debut in GTA in a Porsche Cup car run by Alex Renner Motors (ARM). I’m banking on him getting a good start, and he doesn’t disappoint.

As the safety car peels off into the pits and the red lights blank out, his reaction time is Usain Bolt-like, and I’m right with him. We both get the jump on the Cup car in front of him, but then their horsepower advantages leave me trailing into turn 1. Happily, I’ve outdragged the Gulfsport Ginetta (on pole in class), and DXB Racing’s gorgeous Aston Martin AMV8 to my right has not made the best start, so I have the GTB class as we peel into turn 1.

Denby's on a mission

GTB class leader Paul Denby in the ARM-run Khaleeji Motorsport Porsche GT3 has qualified last on the grid due to suspension and ABS problems in qualifying, but the generous loan of a set of Moton dampers from Frederic Gaillard, the driver of the DXB Aston, means that he’s in business. Quite what that business is, we’re not sure. He and ARM have set the car up as a best guess, so he’ll be feeling his way tentatively round the circuit for a while before he can really hit the straps.

Yeah right. He’s on a mission. He gets a jump on most of the back of the grid, squeezing inside the GTA class Renault Megane Trophy against the wall, then back to the centre to block off the number 13 Ginetta and the AUH Racing Aston. By the time he gets to turn 1, he’s despatched Frederic’s DXB Aston who must be ruing the magnanimous loan to his rival.

Meanwhile back in the cobalt blue number 99 Porsche – into the first braking zone, the impressively liveried Abu Dhabi Falcon Racing Cup cars in front of me brake as if they have spotted a camera on a red traffic light, and I stamp on the brakes sooner than I was anticipating.

My GT3 stands on its nose and the Gulfsport Ginetta, piloted by 21 year old Robert Cregan, catches me on the brakes. In the ensuing melee of the left-right flick-flack of turns 17 and 18, with Cup cars on cold tyres making themselves alarmingly big as they teeter from apex to apex in front of us, I get held up and Robert expertly and calmly picks his way through the pack and gets a clean entry onto the back straight.

For a brief moment, I glance across to see him glide across the rumble strips and enter the back straight with the class lead in hand. I imagine one hand is conducting Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana as he picks off his opponents one by one, whilst simultaneously wondering what’s for lunch. Mmm, chicken and mushroom pie.

Dumb-ass

Come on, fool. Stop thinking dumb-ass thoughts and get back in this. As the Cup cars deploy their full legion of stallions on the back straight and the Ginetta follows in hot pursuit, I concentrate on keeping the Ginetta in sight. Incredibly, Paul Denby is now sitting inches off my bumper. Game very much on.

This looks to be a repeat of the scrap we had in NRD3. With the suspension and brake issues he’s been having, Paul is finding understeer in the faster corners and a long brake pedal with no feel. However, his brake fault has paradoxically allowed him a faster entry into the off-camber turn 1 as well as the bowl at turn 14, both of which come at the end of high speed straights, forcing him to trail brake heavily to get the car turned in to the apex and gaining yards on me.

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Fraser Martin says

Re: Harris Irfan: 09/10 Driver’s Diary 4
Brilliant story, Harris - I was with you every second of the race! It was a tough call on the Pit Stop penalty, but the clocks don't lie and under 90 seconds is under 90 seconds, even if it is only by a smidgeon. If it is any consolation, and it won't be, another competitor got away in 90.3 seconds, which is the closest I've seen it all season so far. Keep up the good work - it is refreshing to hear from someone who doesn't have someone or something else to blame, and I'll donate to your cause because it is not only worthy, but you deserve it for being a true sportsman! Reply

05 February 2010

Harris Irfan says

Re: Harris Irfan: 09/10 Driver’s Diary 4
Only just saw this comment. Your comments are much appreciated, Fraser. Be gentle on me at NRD6! Reply

01 March 2010

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