Chou to complete full season in GRC

Next driver to confirm their entry to the Gulf Radical Cup is Jimmy Chou.

Chou took part in the GRC at the end of last season coming 4th in his debut race, and has been keeping himself in tune over the summer season in Europe racing and testing in LMP4, completing 4 events so far in his rookie year.

He will use the winter season in the UAE to prepare for a full assault on the 2024 season in the Europe. Chou is coached by James Winslow, who coached the last two GRC Champions.

Jimmy Chou commented:

“Im happy to come and spend the winter in the UAE. Ill learn a lot from my coach over the winter season driving my SR3 XX in preparation for the next year. The Radical is the closest thing to LMP racing but at a much lower budget.”

Chou is expected to be out on track at the first pre-season test at YAS on the 10th of October.

National Award and LMP3 Test coming this season

The Gulf Radical Cup debuted in the UAE in 2006, and has continued to grow every year since then. Attracting local talent, and from further a field, but more so over recent years.

So it only seems right to recognise those two demographics racing in the GRC. This season sees the launch of the Gulf Radical Cup ‘National Class Award’. This is a class/award that allows drivers holding national level licences (not only UAE), to score points on a separate tally to compete for the title at the end of the year. Not only will they be recognised as the GRC National Class Champion they will also be awarded the coveted prize to take a funded drive in the latest Radical SR3 XXR in the UK in the 2024 season.

This prize had been reserved for overall Champion in previous years, but this year sees the reintroduction of an old partnership with Team Virage, thus making way for this new award. Virage is one of Europes top LMP teams, and 2023/24 champion will be offered a test in a Virage LMP3 Car in Spain. Spending the first of two  days at the Virage Academy facility in their state of the art simulator, then taking to the track the following day.

Julien Gerbi  - Virage Team Manager commented:

“We’re really happy to see the development of the Gulf Radical Cup in the Emirates. This series allowed many drivers to race at a competitive level in fantastic conditions during the winter and, with the experience of GulfSport Racing, has become a great platform for many drivers willing to pursue a career racing LMP in Europe. We’ll follow closely the series to see which talent will come out, and are looking forward getting the 2023/2024 champion behind the wheel of one of our cars next year!”

The season kicks off in October at Yas, and its going to be exciting to see who shows early pace and their intentions to take one of these fantastic prizes.

GulfSport Director Martin Hope commented:

“We have had a great relationship with Virage over the years, and recently Gulf Radical Cup drivers have come from far and wide, and with varying experience, but more and more are looking to progress to LMP3/4. However,  we also recognise the commitment of our National level drivers. Both these rewards are perfectly placed for our ambitious international drivers and local, national talent.”

Previous and current GRC drivers, like Alex Buhkantsov, Jacopo Mazza, James Sweetnam, George King and Amir Feyzulin have all raced in LPM3 or 4 while keeping their eye in with Radical Racing in the GRC.

Drivers score points at all 21 races, but only the highest 18 count towards the final tally. This allows for a ‘problematic’ race weekend to be dropped, or even if life gets in the way of racing and an event has to be missed.

To know more about opportunities to get on track with Team Virage get in touch.

Fuhrmeister back for more GRC action!

The next driver to confirm for the 2023/24 Gulf Radical Cup is Zig Fuhrmeister.

Incredibly he flys to all the rounds from Australia. Zig has raced Radicals for a few years, but last season was his first in the GRC. It takes days to drive across Australia from round to round, so actaully flying to race in the UAE where your SR3 awaits you is not actaully a bad option.

He explained why he is back:

“We raced in the GRC last season, and had a great time. The grid is very competitive, but the racing atmosphere is fantastic. We received great support from the series organisers and for these reasons we are making the effort to comeback this season for more. Oh yer, the sun and fantastic tracks also help. Can’t wait..!”

Zig will be on track this week with a two day test while on his way through the UAE. With Dragon test days every week now for the whole season and a host of Dubai Autodrome trackdays there is never a week when you can’t get on track in your Radical.

We look forward to seeing Zig back out on track this season!

Geshev Returns to GRC

The next driver to take to the grid for the 2023/24 Gulf Radical Cup is Alim Geshev.

Alim made his debut into the world of Motorsport last year in the Gulf Radical Cup. After having spent the first half of the season testing, getting up to speed, he got started at Yas Round 5, and incredibly placed on the podium by the end of the season.

He commented:

“I am truly honoured to have my first full racing season and to be able to compete with experienced and truly agile racers in the Gulf Radical Cup. It is a huge challenge for me but at the same time it’s a stepping stone towards unlocking a new potential and skillset of mine. This summer I had my UK Radical Cup event at Silverstone, and I got a lot of positive emotions, along with a very insightful experience. I hope in this coming season all the standings will demonstrate an exciting and fair racing and we will give our fans and supporters a great show. “If in doubt, flat out”!”

Alim will be taking to the track in the next week to start his testing program, giving him the best chance of keeping his toe on the podium, we expect to see him there on a regular basis.

Monie Enters GRC

The next entry we welcome to the Gulf Radical Cup grid is French driver; Julien Monie. This will be Juliens third season racing, but this time will be behind the wheel on the ex Alex Khateeb SR3 XX.

Julien said:

“Im very happy to back racing in the Gulf Radical Cup, I’ve tested the XX that ill be racing this summer at Donnington Park, so I hope to get behind the wheel of it ASAP in the UAE and start getting dialled in for the season ahead.”

With more entries coming and an imminent announcements regarding the new control tyre for the coming season stay tuned…

The early entry offer is now closed, but you can still make a saving on entry fee’s by completing your season entry before the season starts.

Feyzulin back on the grid!

With the list growing, the next driver to confirm their entry into the 2022/23 Gulf Radical Cup is Amir Feyzulin.

Amir is the longest running driver racing in the GRC, closing last season with a fantastic win ahead of current champion Bukhantsov, taking third over all in the series. Taking delivery of his new SR3 XX last season, Amir really found his feet and was regularly at the top on the time sheets and getting on the podium - certainly a serious contender this season.

Amir Commented:

“I am very excited to make another season entry into the Gulf Radical Cup. Every year I come back for more, it’s a very competitive grid of drivers, but you get a lot of track time, so it’s really possible to improve. I hope to build on the success of last season and take more race wins!”

Amir has been keeping his racing eye in, he took part in the UK Radical Cup UK last weekend at Silverstone, with fellow GRC competitor Alim Geshev. Both performed amazingly, and even got the chance to explore the amazing GP circuit in the wet.

Holme signs up for GRC

The next driver to confirm their entry into the Gulf Radical Cup is newcomer to the series, and from the UK, Mark Holme.

Mark has raced various series in the UK, but this will be his first venture into the world of Radical Racing.

The ‘Viking Self Storage’ sponsored car will certainly stand out in its yellow and black Livery, and Mark plans to start testing in October.

Mark commented:

“After a number of years competing in the UK/European FunCup Endurance championships as well as competing in many historic events I must say I am very much looking forward to my first season in a Radical SR3 and the learning curve that wings and slicks demand – also looking forward to some sun !! – can’t wait “

Mark has been doing his homework with some UK testing before coming to the UAE in October, where official testing kicks off at Yas Marina Circuit.

We welcome Mark to the Gulf Radical Cup.

The ‘Early Entry Offer’ ends on the 31st of July, so make sure you get your entry in and do not miss.

Bukhantsov Signs for GRC

The next driver to confirm their entry to the 2023/24 Gulf Radical Cup is the reigning champion - Alex Bukhantsov.

Running the coveted number ‘1’ plate, he will be working hard to defend his title, but with other drivers also spending time testing and racing in the summer season, Alex will have to keep his level high.

Alex commented:

"Im excited to come and race another season in the Gulf Radical Cup. It was a close battle to take the title last year, so I’m looking forward to running the number 1 plate. Its great training for my LMP racing, so works well for me. Looking forward to the season ahead."

It’s exciting to see drivers of Alex’s caliber use the GRC as a winter training ground. Only two years ago, Alex start his racing endeavours in the GRC, but has progressed fast to stand on the podium in multiple LMP3 races in Europe.

Stay tuned for more driver announcements coming over the next few weeks.

First Driver Confirmed

Entries were opened just over a week ago for the 2023/24 Gulf Radical Cup, and drivers are already taking advantage of the Early Entry Offer. The first 5 places that secure a free set of tyres have already been taken, so over the coming weeks details of each driver signed up will be announced.

First out of the blocks for this season is GRC regular, Johnny Khazzoum. Its very exciting to have Johnny racing again in the GRC, and more exciting this season as we will see him out in his new 2023 SR3 XXR, currently in transit from the UK, Johnny will be using his new Fusion5 sponsored XXR to hopefully make his way to the top of the podium this season.

Johnny commented:

"I am excited to announce my participation in the upcoming Gulf Radical Cup this year. Having witnessed the greatness of the championship in the previous years, I am eager to embrace the challenges and competition that lie ahead. The growing commitment from fellow racers has elevated the championship's intensity, with everyone displaying unwavering focus, dedication, and attention. As I prepare for this year's race, I am determined to engage in a fair fight, giving my all to contend for the title. Let the race begin!"

For more details on the season or to enter - Click Here

2023/24 Gulf Radical Cup Entries Open

Competitors are now able to submit their entries for the 2023/24 Gulf Radical Cup

As in previous years, organiser GulfSport Racing (Radical UAE) are offering an Early Entry Offer, this ultimately saves just over 20% on race fees compared to entering on a race by race basis. In addition to this the first 5 confirmed entries will also be rewarded with a free set of tyres to be used at the first event.

GRC Series Co-ordinator Fred Jacobs - “We had another great season last year, and this one is approaching fast. Racing was very competitive and we are pleased to see some drivers move onwards and upwards in the motorsport ladder. But, I’m really looking forward to welcoming back our regular drivers and some new faces to the grid.”

Dan Redpath - Radical Motorsport UK Chief Commercial Officer said:

“It is great to see the Gulf Radical Cup flourishing in its 18th year and testament to GulfSport Racing’s dedication and hard work.  GulfSport Racing were awarded our Dealer of the Year title in 2022 and are a privilege to have as part of the official Radical Motorsport dealer network.  It’s also great to see a number of GulfSport customers ordering the new SR3 XXR and I will be personally attending the first round at Yas Marina and look forward to watching some close and exciting racing.”

One by one, until the season commences new driver announcements will be made, so keep a close eye on the official Gulf Radical Cup Instagram page @gulfradicalcup.

We hope to see four of the new Radical SR3 XXR’s out at the start of the season, for more information of the latest evolution of the SR3 get in touch.

Entries can be completed by clicking the below link and filing out the form.