Speedcar Series returns to Dubai, Melandri to make second try

Dubai, February 23, 2009: Speedcar Series will run the fourth round of the season at the Dubai Autodrome® on February 27-28, 2009. MotoGP rider Marco Melandri will return for the race weekend to try and repeat his surprising performance in Qatar with better results.

Mid way through the season now with the first three rounds completed in Dubai, Bahrain and a night event in Qatar, the top order contending for the Speedcar Series Season 2 Championship title is tightly packed. Formula One drivers Gianni Morbidelli, Johnny Herbert and Vitantonio Liuzzi currently lead the table with just 8 points between first and third places.

New drivers this season have proved to be tough contenders including Thomas Biagi who made the podium in both Bahrain and Qatar and stands fifth in the rankings after Jean Alesi.

Marco Melandri made his racing debut at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar and stunned the field by staying in the lead for almost the entire second race - where he started on pole position having finished in 8th place in Race 1 and benefiting from the reverse grid for the following race. However, four laps short of the chequered flag Melandri suffered a broken gear box and gifted the lead to Vitantonio Liuzzi.

Sheikh Hasher Al Maktoum, the only UAE driver currently in seventh place in the Drivers' Championship Standings in the Series is holding his own against the more experienced international drivers.

Ahead of Round 4 at the Dubai Autodrome, the Driver and Team Championship Standings are as follows:
Drivers' Championship Standings

Pos  Driver                R1   R2   R3   R4   R5   R6   TOTAL
 1   Gianni Morbidelli      6    -    5    8   10    8    37
 2   Johnny Herbert         5    -    6   10    6    3    30
 3   Vitantonio Liuzzi     10    -    -    1    8   10    29
 4   Heinz Harald Frentzen  8    -    8    5    -    4    25
 5   Jean Alesi             -    -   10    3    5    -    18
 6   Thomas Biagi           -    -    3    6    2    6    17
 7   Hasher Al Maktoum      4    -    4    2    3    -    13
 8   Damien Pasini          1    -    2    4    -    1     8
 9   Jacques Villeneuve     3    -    -    -    4    -     7
10   Christopher Zoechling  -    -    -    -    -    5     5
11   Marchy Lee             2    -    -    -    -    2     4
12   Giovanni Lavaggi       -    -    1    -    -    -     1
13   Marco Melandri         -    -    -    -    1    -     1

Teams' Championship Standings 

Pos Team                   R1   R2   R3   R4   R5  R6   TOTAL
 1   Palm Beach             6    -    8   14   12  14    54
 2   UP Team               14    -    4    3   11  10    42
 3   JMB Racing             6    -    8   14    6   4    38
 4   HPR                    2    -   10    3    5   2    22
 5   Team Lavaggi           -    -    8    5    1   4    18
 6   Durango                3    -    -    -    4   5    12
 7   Phoenix Racing         8    -    -    -    -   -     8
 8   Team Siram             -    -    1    -    -   -     1

R1 =Dubai, UAE - December 5, 2008
R2 = Dubai, UAE - December 6, 2008 (cancelled due to rain)
R3 = Sakhir, Bahrain - January 23, 2009
R4 = Sakhir, Bahrain - January 24, 2009
R5 = Doha, Qatar - February 13, 2009
R6 = Doha, Qatar - February 14, 2009