As the weather cools down, the action heats up and the lights come on at the Yas Marina F1 Circuit when a combined 3,000 bhp of high-revving, tyre shredding, slicks and wings sports racing cars leave the grid on Friday evening for the first round of the Gulf Radical Cup.

Following Kimi Raikkonen’s popular victory in Texas last weekend, Finish compatriot and experienced Radical racer Jani Hjerppe will be highly motivated to win on the same circuit that will host the final F1 showdown in exactly one month.

However, he may not have it all his own way as there are some quick competitors signed up who will also be eyeing that top step of the famous Yas podium. British drivers Jeff Curtis and James Edmeades who will be sharing the Number 4 car, and Ian Roberts in the Number 7 car will be trying their hardest to stop Hjerppe from taking the large trophies.

Russia is well represented by Sergey Shalunov in the number 33 car, Amir Feyzullin in the number 15, Konstantin Tatulov in the number 35, and Mikhail Stepanov in the number 83.

Just to complete the international lineup Australian racer Ben Freer makes his debut in the number 27, South African single seater specialist Sean Simpson will also make his debut in the number 26 and Dragos Dumitrascu will be representing Romania in the number 25.

Also making their race debut are the UK’s Fran Cush and Neil Clark in the number 55. Terry Fleet and Wesley Fongenie will be sharing the number 12 and Sam North and Hugh Smith will be driving the number 16.

The Gulf Radical Cup (www.gulfradicalcup.com) which was first run at the Dubai Autodrome in 2006 is a single manufacturer series featuring the 226bhp / 240kph Radical SR3 running on Hankook slick racing tyres. The event allows for two drivers to share a car with a mandatory pit stop halfway through their two 45 minute races to change driver. This same format of Radical endurance racing takes place in Europe, the Americas, Australasia, the Middle East and Asia enabling Radical’s customers to transfer their race experience around the world. The Gulf Radical Cup event is open to Race License Holders and is organised by GulfSport Racing who provide full support services to Radical customers in the UAE.