The Grand Racing Weekend is one of the biggest racing festivals in Dubai and the production car series has been invited to be part of the supporting. I am excited as we are using the 5.4 kilometre Grand Prix configuration of the Dubai Autodrome circuit; two long straights and turn 13 acting like a long straight as it is taken at full throttle, at approximately 210kph.  I started the qualifying session cautiously, as the combination of turns 3 and 4 are very tricky - a few cars have hit the wall there in the past.  I gradually increase my speed and push toward the limit. I qualify 2nd behind a GT2, and nearly 2 seconds faster that the closest GT3. Race day: The grandstand is as full as I have ever seen it and I am franticly weaving, accelerating and slowing down, trying to get some pressure and heat in the tyres. The start lights go out and I have a good start tucked in behind the race leading GT2. By the end of the third corner I am in fourth position, those guys are not kidding around. As we head into the back straight I get a good exit out of the corner and pass a dark blue GT3 and the only SEAT for second place. The SEAT then takes the lead and is having a great race in the front by itself while three Porsches are fighting among themselves: The GT2, myself, and the dark blue GT3.  I pass the GT2 while exiting onto the front straight and I am going after the SEAT, only five seconds ahead of me with five laps to go. I am ahead of the GT2 by about 2 seconds and as I downshift into second gear in turn 14, I lose the back end, the car completes a 360 degree spin and I rejoin the race behind the GT2 and the dark blue GT3. The car feels really strange and starts to vibrate at high speed. I decide to come in to make sure I did not damage anything. 

Boelo checks the car and it’s fine, I picked up a lot of marbles causing the vibration and I thought the tyres had a flat spot. Having retired from the first race, I had to start from the back of the pack, in 16th position for the second race.  Lights go out and by the end of the front straight I am in 8th position.  Three laps later I am behind the orange GT3RS and I pass him down the straight, two laps later I am behind the light blue GT3 and I also pass him on the front straight.  Those guys were real gentlemen racers; they let me pass without any trouble.  I get to the dark blue GT3 and I know it will be a struggle to pass him, as we get to the front straight he misses a gear and I pass him.  I pass the SEAT on the back straight and it’s a fight until the finish with the GT2.  As he enters the back straight he oversteers wide, I had the momentum to pass him, by the end of the back straight I was ahead, but he uses the superior ceramic brakes and passes me back.  I then pass him again on the outside out of turn 13 flat out at 210kph, but he had the inside line and passes me back.  It was a lesson in defensive driving, and I was on the receiving end.  I tried to change my lines out or corners to get some exit speed, but the GT2 had an answer to all my attempts.  We finish the race nearly side by side, I finished second.  It was an incredible weekend, the entire grandstand was on their feet, the commentator was going wild, and it was the best race we had seen all year.