It’s been a while since DSC caught up with Dubai Autodrome-based Dragon Racing, so a chat with Brad Fincham, who now runs the company, was a great opportunity to hear more about the progress for the outfit and the health in general of motorsport in the Gulf region.
The headline news from the squad though is that it is set to rejoin the GT3 marketplace later this year with not one but two brand new Ferrari 296 GT3s.
“We are scheduled to take delivery of the cars in October after they get a shakedown in Europe in September,” Fincham said.
The move marks the first concerted effort in the class since Dragon campaigned a pair of Ferrari 458 GT3s (above) since then its efforts have focused on one-make and GT4 efforts in the main, including a GT4 class winning effort for the Goethe family (Father Roald and racing sons Benji and Oliver, plus Jordan Grogor and ROFGO racer and 2013 WEC GTE AM champ Stuart Hall) in the Dubai 24 Hours earlier this year.
“Roald bought the winning AMG GT4 in as-raced condition and it is en route to their museum as a really cool bit of family history,” Fincham explained.
Dragon’s relationship with Ferrari was key to it securing the pair of new GT3s in a marketplace where Ferrari is managing a multi-year wait list for its new car.
“That’s been a long time in the building, secured at least in part by our success in the region with the Ferrari Challenge.”
Dragon operates the Ferrari Cup Challenge Middle East from their Dubai base with testing and racing in Dubai, and at Yas Marina, and with operations now also embedded in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Club Challenge racing too in Bahrain, with future plans to expand too to the soon to be reopened Losail circuit in Qatar.
“We run the Series but also act as Ferrari agents in the region for supply and maintenance of the 488 Challenge cars. So far we have sold over 50 cars in the region!”
The network of customers has grown strongly, not just because of the expanding opportunities to get out on track as new and improved facilities come on stream, but also because Dragon has been building a reputation too as the prime operator of high-performance test days, in particular at Dubai Autodrome and Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.
“That part of our operation is likely to be best known outside the region as we are the operators of the Official Test Days for both the Gulf 12 Hours and the Asian Le Mans Series, but it goes way beyond that. We have over 50 Test Days available now between Dubai and Yas Marina from September through to April which, with the very busy winter period in the region now, offer huge opportunities for visiting as well as locally based owners and teams.
“There’s for certain a shift in momentum for teams to continue racing throughout the year that has been fuelled, in part by the necessities imposed by COVID. The Middle East is only 6 hours of flying time from many of the key European markets and at that time of the year, there is almost always better weather. I can think of just one time at the Dubai 24 and one Ferrari Club Challenge meeting that has had rain in the past five years.”
A key change too has come at the Dubai Autodrome since last winter.
“The whole circuit now has lights, not at the level of the F1 circuits at Yas Marina and Bahrain, but certainly at a level that should make a positive impact for the racing, reducing the need for extreme endurance lighting and with better sight lines and visibility it will certainly have a positive impact on the number of, and the speed of clearing of, Code 60s at the Dubai 24.
“I think too that the same factors will unlock more options with a drive-time strategy for the teams too, drivers will be able to see more for longer, a major plus for the non-Pros involved.”
So that leaves the open question: Where will we see the new Ferraris racing?
“With the October delivery and a learning curve and some testing to accommodate we are looking to debut both cars at the Gulf 12 Hours. After that, both will also compete in the Dubai 24 with one car set to add the six-Hour 24H Series race at Yas Marina the following week,” Fincham revealed.
“We are also looking to contest the Asian Le Mans Series, but because of the timing of delivery etc, we won’t be able to make the opening races at Sepang in December. We’ll be entering the three races in February in the UAE (one race in Dubai, and a pair at Yas Marina the following weekend).
“It’s a big next step for Dragon Racing, we’ve had big aspirations as we have developed the Ferrari Challenge in the UAE and beyond and we are absolutely delighted with the trust and respect that Ferrari has shown us in supporting the next steps for what is a fast developing market.
“We’re already ramping up to the challenges to come with new staff already on board, including a couple from Mercedes F1 and others with very impressive cvs from endurance racing.
“As for the drivers for the 2023/ 2024 programme, we’ve already filled most of the seats but if anyone is interested then I’ll take that call. It’s the start of the next phase for us so anyone coming along now might find some real excitement with us in the future.”
