The UAE is headed for an exciting 2014-15 motor sport season with the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE) announcing a busy calendar of events.

Headlined again by the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on November 23, the new season is characterised by the growing popularity of karting, expansion of the national Baja rally series introduced last year, and a stronger than ever line-up of international circuit racing events.

The continued success of the UAE Rotax Max Challenge is seen as key to the future of UAE motor sport, which needs fresh young talent arriving at entry level and rising through the ranks towards Grand Prix racing.

For this year’s 12-round national karting championship, run between Dubai Kartdrome, Al Ain Raceway and Yas Marina Circuit and again crossing the border to Seeb in Oman, the ATCUAE has issued 125 competitor licences, an increase of 25 per cent on last year.

In addition, the opportunities for young drivers to progress from karting and develop their skills is highlighted by a busy calendar of  single-seater and touring car circuit racing activity fitted into a new season featuring more than 120 competitive events.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president, ATCUAE, said: “This growing popularity of the Rotax Max Challenge here is very encouraging, as one of our main goals is to strengthen motor sport at grass roots level and ultimately help guide more young drivers towards the top levels of the sport. This is now becoming more and more of a team sport, with many of the manufacturers present, and the paddock at events is looking more and more like a mini F1 set-up.”

Significantly, the Emirates Desert Championship, the new national Baja rally series launched last year for cars, buggies, motor cycles and quads, has quickly become a major attraction, and for the 2014-15 season, has been extended from four to six rounds, the first of which will be run on October 3.  

Organised by the Emirates Motors Sport Federation, the championship is run with the full support of the ATCUAE licences to date for the series.

Established events like the UAE Touring Car Championship, the UAE Radical Winter Cup, the Gulf 12 Hours at Yas Marina Circuit will take place in December supported by the Maserati Trofeo Championship, and the tenth anniversary Hankook 24 Hours of Dubai in January.

Other prominent events include the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East, which features race weekends at Dubai Autodrome in December and next February, while Yas Marina Circuit will for the first time host the Asia, European and North American finals of the Ferrari Challenge in December.

Headlining the UAE motor sport season for a sixth year, the F1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix guarantees another spectacular November race weekend at Yas Marina Circuit, the main attraction on this occasion being supported by the GP2 and GP3 series.

The 36th Dubai Rally brings the 2014 FIA Middle East Championship to a climax on 26-27 November while the Desert Challenge celebrates its 25th anniversary from 27 March -2 April as part of the FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies, and the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship for bikes.

Added to the Emirates Desert Championship and the big international stage provided for riders by the Desert Challenge, action on two wheels also features the Sports bike Championship, with 600 cc and Rookies classes, as well as the National Motocross series. –TradeArabia News Service