Dubai: Over 100 racing cars and two dozen racing motorcycles currently fill the Dubai Autodrome pit garages and paddock to capacity.
Mechanics work feverishly unloading equipment and making final adjustments to the state-of-the-art machinery in preparation for this weekend's extravaganza of speed at Dubai's premier circuit.
All around the circuit tents are being erected as the Amphitheatre and Grandstand areas are transformed into entertainment hubs featuring stages for live bands, food and beverage establishments, children's entertainment areas, display sections, merchandise stalls to name some of the attractions available to fans on race weekend.
The stage is set for a spectacular fiesta of motorsport in this first edition of the Motorcity Dubai Motorsport Festival concept, featuring several races on each day aimed at serious racing fans and the casual sports fans out for action packed entertainment.
The variety of on track action has never been witnessed before in the region before, with six different categories of racing, featuring both local and international racing classes, each boasting a quality field of drivers and machinery.
Driver's crown
Headlining the weekend is the deciding round of the FIA GT3 European Championship where Kessel Racing Ferrari square up against Martini Callaway Corvette for the coveted European Championship team title - the Italian stallions versus American Muscles.
At the same time the issue of the driver's title is also up for grabs with Ferrari duo Gilles Vannelet and Henri Moser squaring up against Corvette rivals Jurgen von Gratzen and Luca Pirri.
By Saturday afternoon the outcome of the title race will have been decided, so it is all to play for at the Dubai Autodrome. Throw into the mix UAE Champion Karim Al Azhari piloting the Jaguar XKR and you have all the necessary crowd pleasing ingredients.
Local interest will focus even more intensely on the three UAE based HSBC Racing Academy Emirati drivers Khalid Al Mutawaa, Mohammad Al Abdooli and Thani Al Thani flying the flag along with Dubai born and bred teenager Ramez Azzam in the Formula Campus Renault races.
They will take on the cream of young French drivers in the hotly contested single seater series - a true battle of the young guns.
