The 2022/23 Gulf Radical Cup got underway this weekend at the Dubai Autodrome. Still a few weeks away from the lovely temperate climate of the UAE winter, it was 40 degrees in the sun, so for sure would be a test of driver and machine.

As always, one of the major attractions of the Gulf Radical Cup is the massive amount of testing time available, if needed. So many drivers spent Thursday and Friday circulating the very challenging National circuit with Ian Loggie coming out on top after the official Practice session, Friday afternoon.

Again showing a varied GRC grid, there was reigning British GT Champion Ian Loggie lining up on the same grid as drivers taking part in their first ever motor race. With 50% of the drivers living in Dubai and the rest of grid having flown in from the UK, Kuwait, Singapore and Denmark to.

So, into Sprint race qualifying, all eyes were on Loggie and Bukhantsov, who has just completed a very successful rookie season in the ultra competitive European LeMans series, in his LMP3 car. But with some very experienced racers like Amir Feyzulin, Johnny Khazzoum, Usmaan Mughal and Mohammed Alkazemi, it was for sure not going to be easy for anyone. Also returning for his second season was young Swiss driver Jacapo Mazza, who has shown great pace in testing.

After the 20 minute session had ended it was Ian Loggie on the pole with a 1:24.050, Bukhantsov in 2nd with a 1:24.274, and Jacopo Mazza in 3rd with a 1:23.883. The field was very close however, with only 1.5 seconds covering first 9 drivers.

With a short gap, it was straight into Sprint Race 1. A clean start meant all cars were safely through turn 1, Loggie emerged in the lead, with a blistering opening lap, putting him 2 seconds clear at the end of lap 1. Bukhantsov was second with Mazza on his tail.

But going into the Club Link there was contact as Francis spun around, and Monie unable to avoid him. Unfortunately for Monie he sustained damage to the front of his car, limping back to the pits, where the team called time, given the damage. However Francis was able to continue.

In the end it was Loggie across the line first, with Bukhanstov taking second ahead of Mazza. Fastest lap went to Loggie also giving him the triple (Pole, Win and Fastest Lap), not a bad start to the season.

In the hottest part of the day, the cars lined up for Sprint Race 2. Again it was Loggie nosing ahead into Turn 1, but with Mazza close behind him and on the dusty part of the track, he nudged into Loggie spinning him around. Loggie was able to continue but Mazza sustained suspension damage taking him out of the race. As other cars took avoiding action of the spinning Loggie it allowed Bukhanstov to take the lead closely followed by Johnny Khazzoum.

But Loggie was back up and running again, with no damage, and fighting to get back to the pack. And so he did on lap 8, making a move on Bukhanstov into the club link, both cars ran off the track avoiding each other, but it was Loggie who got his nose ahead before the turn so decided to hang on to the position. This would later be hotly contested in the stewards room.

Unfortunately their tangling was not enough for Khazzoum to take advantage, but a solid drive none the less to take third, behind Bukhanstov in 2nd and another win for Loggie. The stewards reviewed the footage, but no further action was taken and Loggie retained the win.

So a new day and another qualifying on Sunday morning, this time for the 45 minute enduro race.

Bukhantsov has set the early pace with a blistering 1:23.965, with most watching on thinking that was enough to claim his first pole of the season. However, the white and pink SR3 XX of Ian Loggie rolled back out of the pits to have another shot a pole. That is exactly what he did, reacting to the pacy lap of Bukhanstov with a 1:23.668, amazing. Then just to prove a point, he did another one, well 1/1000 of a second slower at 1:23.669! In the short 15 minute session its always tough to get a clear lap, and with track limit infringements and some drivers being viewed to have inadvertently impeded some, penalties were handed out. Notability Mazza who put in a time for P3, but was demoted to P6 for impeding AlKazami who was on a last minute charge. AlKaazami also had his best lap removed for a track limit infringement, dropping him down the order. With the times so tight again, any penalty means a lot.

At the start of the Enduro race it was a flying start Amir Feyzulin to out brake the front row drivers and run round turn 1 to take the lead. Behind him James Edmeades had run into Loggie, then tripping up with Bukhanstov, causing damage to Loggie’s suspension, taking him out of the race.

Alkazemi had mad a flyer from 10th on the grid up to 4th, with Mughal ahead on him and Edmaedes in 2nd chasing Feyzulin. But it soon became apparent that Edmaedes also had an issue from the collision, slowing down and eventually pull out of the race. Meanwhile Mazza was on a charge from 5th and working his way to the front, impressively taking the lead before the pit stops.

With a decent stop from Mazza, he was back out in the lead, ahead of Feyzulin and Mughal.

However, despite Mughal chasing down Feyzulin it became apparent that he had a 10 second penalty to be applied for speeding in the pitlane, promoting Mughal to second on the time sheets. Bukhantsov was doing his best to stay on terms with Mughal, and managing to get inside 10 seconds of Feyzulin to pull him up to third, given the time penalty.

So in the end a solid drive from Mazza to claim his first win of the year, including fastest lap, second to Mughal and third to Bukhantsov.

Just a short, two week gap now until round 2, back at the Dubai Autodrome on the International Circuit.

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