Yas Marina Circuit has joined forces with Masters Historic Racing to include five different types of racing categories in the Abu Dhabi Classic, including the Masters regular 1970’s Grand Prix cars and a spectacular grid of 1950s and 1960s Grand Prix cars. In addition, there will be races for the ground-shaking endurance World Sportscar Masters cars, which so captured the spirit of Le Mans in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s.

“These are remarkable cars that have never before raced in the Gulf region, and combined with our Concours d’Elegance, exhibits by car clubs and other displays, will create an exciting new type of event,” said Yas Marina Circuit Chief Executive Officer, Richard Cregan.

“Bringing these famous classic racing cars to the Emirate is part of our comprehensive program to offer the UAE a broad range of the world’s top motorsports. On the track, spectators will witness some of the most sensational racing between cars of great historical importance. Off the track there will be fantastic entertainment and activities for a truly unique experience – it will be a great day out for family and friends to enjoy”.

Classic car owners and car clubs in the UAE can join in the festival. There will be a broad selection of historic car races, Concours d’Elegance (showing some of the world’s most beautiful and classic automobiles) and displays by manufacturers and car clubs.

A special feature of the Abu Dhabi Classic will be the combined races for GT cars of the 1960s and Le Mans cars of the 1950s. This will produce an evenly-matched grid by pitting racing icons such as the GTs, Jaguar E-Types and AC Cobras against prototype stars of the ‘50s, the Jaguar D-Types, Ferrari Testarossas and Maserati 300s.

Each grid will race three times over the weekend – including, in another first, a night race under floodlights for each grid of these historic racing cars.
Masters Series Director Christopher Tate said: “We are thrilled to have developed this relationship with Yas Marina Circuit. The circuit itself, with its special variant for historic cars, and the entire facility, is the most impressive I have seen anywhere in the world.”

Masters’ competitors from around the world - and so many others - will hope to join in with this opportunity to race at Yas Marina Circuit and go on and see more of a fascinating country. Historic racing in the sunshine in January is for most owners, a welcome and all-too-rare possibility, so this new event in Abu Dhabi will be a huge boost to historic racing in general.”