3 May 2009
UAE National Racing – Night of Champions
Champions of the 2008/2009 season honoured

On Friday night, 1 May 2009, at a glittering function at the Green Community Courtyard Marriott the cream of the UAE’s racing drivers, team principals, officials and media gathered for an awards ceremony to honour the 2008/2009 season UAE National Champions - the evening was billed as the “Dubai Autodrome Motorsport Club Night of Champions”.

Dubai Autodrome Chairman Saeed Khalfan opened proceedings with a speech which praised all involved in making 2008/2009 the finest motorsport season to date. He said, “In the short space of four years track racing has grown in leaps and bounds. In the early days we were lucky to attract 20 entries on a National Race Day. This year we often had over 60 entries on each of the eight National Race Days. Our sport is growing from strength to strength and today we are here to honour the Champions, but in truth everyone who competed this past season on our circuit is a Champion.”

On the night it was Emirati Mohammed Al Owais who, to a massive ovation, collected two titles for winning the Class 4 and Overall Yellow Hat UAE Touring Car Championship with House of Portier. Bahraini rider Hussein Al Kooheji received a standing ovation when called upon to collect his trophies for winning the UAE Sportbike Championship 600 Class and  the Overall title. Dubai based Indian Juzar Motiwala was another popular recipient of the UAE Sportbike Championship trophy for the premier 1000 Class.

The biggest cheer of the night was reserved for the UAE’s Mohammed Al Falasi who was bestowed with the prestigious, and most impressive trophy presented by Glenn Portier, for the House of Portier UAE Touring Car Driver of the Year Award. A visibly emotional Al Falasi accepted his honour graciously amidst thunderous applause, “I am speechless. This is a great and totally unexpected honour. I congratulate all the Champions here tonight and thank my family, my team, UAE Corvette Club and Dubai Autodrome for making this possible. I believe this award will serve to inspire other Emirati’s to take up our great sport.”

All the winners on the 2008/2009 DAMC Night of Champions included:

Yellow Hat UAE Touring Car Championship with House of Portier
Mohammed Al Owais     Overall Winner
Karim Al Azhari              Class 1 Winner
Raed Hassan                Class 2 Winner
Costas Papantonis        Class 3 Winner
Mohammed Al Owais     Class 4 Winner
Abdulhamid Al Awadhi   Class 5 Winner

UAE Sportbike Championship
Hussain Al Kooheji        Overall Winner
Juzar Motiwala  Stock    1000 Class Winner
Hussain Al Kooheji        600 Stock Class Winner
Pascal Grosjean            Superstock Class Winner

Gulf Radical Cup
Bassam Kronfli Overall Winner

DAMC Red Line Challenge
Aref Ramli                     RLC Overall Winner
Raoul Dice Montano      1M Class Winner
Jenniever Verana           1S Class Winner
Imad Mrad                    2M Class Winner
Weaam Abdou              2S Class Winner
Bashar Mousa               4M Class Winner
Fadi Bikawi                   5M Class Winner
Samer Abdel Malak       5S Class Winner
Aref Ramli                     VM Class Winner

Track Talk DAMC Karting Championship
Thomas Bale                 Cadet Class Winner
Edward Jones               Junior Max Class Winner
Scott Latham                Rotax Max Class Winner
Damian Knott                Max Masters Class Winner
Maurits Knopjes                        DD2 Class Winner
Warren Christie              TAG Class Winner

Media Appreciation Arabic Newspaper
Mohammed Jasem        Al Bayan
Ahmad Tarek                 Al Khaleej        
Mabruka Al Ghanmi       Al Rouya Aleqtisadeya

Media Appreciation English Newspaper
Leslie Wilson                 Gulf News

Media Appreciation Arabic Magazine
Rami EL Akhawi            Sport Auto       
Joseph Al Hajj               Alam Assayarat

Media Appreciation English Magazine
Dimitri Pesin                 Evo Middle East          
Zlatko Mulabegovic       Top Performance