Team Abu Dhabi heads to America this weekend to race

9:52 PM Sat 20 Jun 2009 GMT

'Team Abu Dhabi powerboat F1 team' UIM F1 World Championships &copy Click Here to view large photo

So, what do you do when you are leading the U.I.M. F1 H2O World Championship in the drivers standings and have no race this weekend on the world tour to keep you entertained? Well, if you are Thani Al Qamzi you take the advice of your Team Manager Scott Gillman and head to America along with your teammate Ahmad Al Hameli to have some fan and race on the F1-ChampBoat Series for the next two back to back weekends.

The four-time World Champion Gillman, cut his teeth in the F1-ChampBoat Series back in the late 1980's to mid 1990's and after conquering the North American circuit three times, including back to back titles in 1995 and 1996, took up the challenge of the U.I.M. F1 series and won that his first year in 1997 as well, the first of his four championships.

Scott has brought his Team Abu Dhabi stars to Evansville, Indiana this weekend on the mighty Ohio River as a backdrop to a race event the 'Evansville Freedom Festival' that dates back to 1979. This year will mark the first time it has enjoyed the F1-ChampBoats after many years of the Unlimited Hydroplane Series running on the rough waters of one of America's longest rivers.

'We are looking to have a real adventure these next two weeks,' said Scott. 'We have rented a pair of motor homes and will be driving and staying at the race sites right downtown in the cities. It will be a great time for the guys to have a different challenge than what they are used too.'

Team Abu Dhabi - F1 WorldChampionship &copy

This isn't all fun however, it's a serious challenge for engine builder Ron Anderson of Team Abu Dhabi who not only helped in the development of the 2.5 Mercury V-6 engine, but now with the help of fellow Seattle, Washington native Greg Jacobsen they are in the midst of giving the OMC Johnson engine a real shot of overtaking Mercury's edge in technology. The team is expected to split engines with one of the Abu Dhabi drivers getting the nod along with new teammate Mike Schubert of Houston, Texas to prove the point to the world this weekend that the 'white' engine has a future, while the other driver will run the more traditional Mercury engine.

All in all the world's greatest drivers on the world's most challenging circuit the U.I.M. F1 World Championship are constantly in demand and this weekend in the United States two of it's most talented will help in their efforts to spread the global world of competition on the water at the 'Evansville Freedom Festival' in Evansville, Indiana.

by Steve Michael Reporting

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Team Abu Dhabi heads to America this weekend to race

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