UAE motorsport has been handed its biggest success to date when the Humaid Al Masaood claimed his maiden win for the UAE-based Oryx Racing team in the seventh round of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS).
Driving on the Baltimore Street Circuit, it is the highest level circuit win for an Emirati driver, who only made his debut in the series in July.
"I am thrilled with the success and extremely proud to be the first victorious Emirati in the American Le Mans Series," said Al Masaood, whose Oryx team now lie third in the ALMS championship standings.
Al Masaood, and his partner Steve Kane, started second on the grid in their Mazda Lola Coupé, behind their sister car, Dyson Racing, but took the lead on Lap 34, some 45 minutes into the race, when the Dyson car pitted; a moment Al Masaood believes was the turning point of the race due to Oryx changing drivers and getting away more quickly.
"The pit-stop was a major turning point in the race, and our pit crew was able to demonstrate how far we've come in such a short time," Al Masaood said. "Steven [Kane] got away quickly as we changed drivers, which meant we came out in front."
The British driver Kane then battled hard to keep hold of the lead that Al Masaood earned the team and eventually secured victory by 6.962 seconds.
"We still had to drive smart to keep the win. Driving smart is definitely a challenge, and it is easy to make a mistake especially with the cold tyres, Al Masaood said. "There is no run off on a street circuit so it is easy to go off and end up in the wall — you really have to be very precise."
Kane was equally elated by the rapid progress the team has made in five races — they missed the first two rounds of the series.
"It has been fantastic to come into this series and to win a race in only our fifth attempt," Kane said.
Al Masaood and Kane claimed a third place on their debut, and have been focusing on reaching the top step since.
"It shows how much talent Humaid has," Kane said. "He has come so far since I met him at the 24 hours of Dubai and told him then he has what it takes to go all of the way."
After the celebrations in Baltimore, the focus now shifts to the Modspace AMLS Monterey presented by Patron, at the legendary Laguna Seca circuit, which takes place the weekend of 28th September - 1st October 2011, where Oryx Racing will be hoping for a similar success.
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Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn
Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
Japan 30-10 Russia
Tries: Matsushima (3), Labuschange | Golosnitsky
Conversions: Tamura, Matsuda | Kushnarev
Penalties: Tamura (2) | Kushnarev
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Kill%20
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Copa del Rey
Barcelona v Real Madrid
Semi-final, first leg
Wednesday (midnight UAE)
