New championship launched at Abu Dhabi’s F1 circuit

Abu Dhabi’s F1 Yas Marina track this Thursday will see the launch of the TRD 86 Cup, which organizers claim is the circuit’s first ever single-make championship.

Consisting of two races, the TRD 86 Cup allows race goers to witness behind-the-scenes action with open access to the paddock, team garages and starting grid.

Running alongside the new championship is the Gulf 12 Hour race, an 80-car endurance competition. Split into two rounds of six hours’ racing each, the race will consist of daylight and floodlit segments.

The TRD 86 championship aims to offer affordable, accessible racing to local motor sports enthusiasts, organizers claimed in a press release.

Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit will remain a feature of the Formula 1 World Championship calendar after a multi-year extension of the promoter’s license, according to an announcement last month.

According to a press release, the current agreement between the promoter and Formula One World Championship Limited (FOWC) was due to expire after the 2016 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix race and the announcement reflects both parties’ ambition to “lock in the Grand Prix for future years at an early opportunity.”