SimplyAbuDhabi XLI

all-encompassing programme and have specific vehicles to get drivers up to the required standard, like our specially-adapted MINI JCW Touring car.” Even a standard MINI Cooper is an extremely fun set of wheels in which to tear around a twisting ribbon of Tarmac but the one Dragon Racing has on fleet is a proper beast, fully kitted out to be driven hard on track, with a full roll-cage, a sequential transmission and slick tyres. “When clients come to us for training,” he adds, “many want to jump straight into a Ferrari Challenge race car but that’s rarely a good starting point. There’s no substitute for real experience – time in the seat – when it comes to being a proficient driver. Even the race simulators, as good as they are, can’t rival getting to grips with a car on a proper track.” Getting a race licence is not dependent on setting a blistering lap time, rather it’s evidence that you know how not to be a liability to other drivers on track. “At every step,” says Fincham, “our clients have a single point of contact, a professional coach who’s been individually appointed to match their needs and personal characters – the chemistry between teacher and student is absolutely vital. Flags, marshals, procedures, we cover every aspect of racing and conduct multiple tests before a practical assessment. “Our MINI is a full-on race car and it’s extremely good fun to drive hard. Our clients absolutely love it, it’s like a go-kart and developing your skills in it helps keep you entertained while honing your track knowledge before getting into a 600-horsepower supercar. It’s all part of our duty of care to the people who come to us. We’re also accredited to issue these licences, which demonstrates the trust the authorities have in us when it comes to application of stringent standards.” He also relates a real-life tale of a female client from Saudi Arabia, who approached Dragon with a desire to become a professional race driver but had literally no prior experience. They sourced a car that she felt comfortable with and trained her from absolute beginner to bona fide racer. She’s now competing at top level motorsport – enough said. “In 2022, we launched our ready to race course, a 3-day intensive programme which takes a driver without a race license to a full international C Race License holder. This license provides Drivers with the ability to join the grid in the most GT championships worldwide”. A medical, race license assessment, extensive training and then 10 races with detailed analysis of the do’s and don’ts in a real-world environment is the first course of its kind globally. We curated this programme internally and the feedback from the participants was very encouraging, so much so that it will return yearly to our calendar now”. THE DRAGON PORTFOLIO If you own or operate a sizable company, chances are that you will, at some point, have put arranged some sort of corporate hospitality for staff or clients. Few activities, though, with the possible exception of skydiving or spending time in a shark cage while being bombarded by Great Whites, can match the sensory overload of a track day in a high-performance motorcar. As you might expect, Dragon Racing has this covered, too. With pricing from $3,250 per person, this could be time and money very well spent – after all, these experiences are all about one thing: the feel-good factor and the emotional memories attached to them. Lest we forget, it was such a corporate event that led Leon Price to setting up Dragon Racing in the first place, so he and his team are totally keyed in to what works. “It might be a case of rewarding your staff after a successful year,” says Fincham, “or wooing a potential client, but this really is the ultimate in corporate entertainment. We have carefully curated programmes to choose from, able to cater for two drivers on track to 80-or-so at any given time. We’re geared up and ready for anything and have worked closely with many of the world’s most iconic and well-known brands.” We’ve already covered the race school but there’s plenty more on offer, too. The ‘Taste of Dragon’ coaching programme, for instance, puts you behind the wheel of a real GT race car while accompanied by a professional coach. Packages can last an hour, half a day or full day – the choice is yours. As for the machinery available, Dragon’s fleet consists of the MINI JCW we’ve already discussed, multiple Ferraris (488 Challenge and 458 Challenge models), McLarens in the form of 650S GT Sprint. The Dragon team knows these track weapons inside-out and prepares them to meticulous standards, which is par for the course, really. “We host weekly test days, exclusive organised and managed by us,” Carlin adds, “which are great for building client relationships, and we can book the circuits in multiple configurations for single driver use with barely any notice at all. If you’re in the UAE on business, and you’re at a loose end for a day or night, we can help.” An excited Fincham adds, “We have demonstrated that we can race against the giants from Europe and America, and 2023 looks set to be our biggest challenge to date. This year we will be adding Ferrari 296 GT3’s to our fleet, and look to enter them into the Dubai 24hrs and the fiercely competitive Asia Le Mans series – where the winner gets an invitation to the greatest 24-hour race on earth – the Le Mans 24 Hours!” If you’re getting the impression that this company can basically turn its hand to anything related to four wheels, you’d be right. And that, as anyone involved will readily explain, is down to the vision, drive and determination of its founder, Leon Price. By applying the very best business principles and standards to an industry that’s often barely regulated, he’s produced a model of how things can and should be done. Not a rags-to-riches tale but no less inspirational, this man has created something extraordinary, giving people what they want when they perhaps didn’t know they wanted it in the first place. That’s the UAE through and through, though, isn’t it? And Dragon Racing is perfectly at home here. Simply Abu Dhabi | 207