(MENAFN- Editorial) Essa Al Ali and Salem Al Adidi are quietly hopeful of yet another stellar performance as Dubai’s Victory Team duo headed across the Atlantic Ocean for the opening race on the P1 Super Stock powerboat calendar to be held on Cocoa Beach, Florida, this weekend.
Definitely, one of the highlights for the Dubai-based team that operates from Jebel Ali, Dubai much of its success lies in the conquest in Class One powerboat racing category at brand-new venues.
The men in blue have been working towards bigger ambitions this weekend following Victory Team’s success with two podium finishes in their debut season last year.
“Last year proved to us that we care capable of delivering with the right mental attitude. It was a testing time for all of us, the drivers, the crew and the management as we sought to impose our racing pedigree in a brand-new location for us,” Al Ali related before the crew left for the US earlier this week.
“Our first part of success lay in two Victory Team boats ending on the podium, and we’ve not looked back since then. The goal this year will be to definitely try and return with even more success,” he added.
Last season, organisers had decreed that all participants will race with non-modified boats with two engines of 1,100hp each.
"The experience we got from racing last year was crucial for our growth as racers. This year we are up in our Boat No.3 in very familiar circumstances compared to the rest of the participants, and this will play a huge role in our success this week," Al Adidi pointed out.
“We have been clear of what we need to do and get the success. We represent Victory Team. We represent Dubai and we are the ambassadors for the UAE. We leave with just the podiums and the championships in our sights,” he added.
“We start off with an advantage this season as we will not be struggling as far as the boat set-up goes. It will be tough for us as we will have to race during Ramadan, but therein lies the challenge and our will as sportsmen while performing in extreme conditions,” Al Adidi stated.
The six-venue championship will kick-off with the opener this weekend (May 17-19) with the ‘Thunder on Cocoa Beach’ followed by stops in Missouri, Michigan, Indiana and Florida through the end of the season.
Powerboat P1 is partnering with the Offshore Powerboat Association (OPA) to promote the APBA Offshore Championship in the US this season.
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