GILLMAN CAPTURES KEY POLE POSITION FOR GP OF ABU DHABI!!
CAPPELLINI  2ND   PHARAON 3RD; CANTANDO 5TH!

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates: (11TH of December) - American driver of the Emirates Team Scott Gillman raced his DAC Mercury powered hull to a fantastic 45.15 second lap or 161.28 kph lap to improve by 1.81 seconds to lead the field of 22 drivers for tomorrow's Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi, the 8th and final round of the U.I.M. F1 World Championship for power boating.

Gillman, who is leading the championship by a slim 2 points, was in 5th spot going into the final "Shootout" for pole postion for the top six drivers. It looked as if the native Californian was going to be forced to come charging from the back for a win in tomorrow's Grand Prix after he had struggled in the 2nd session failing to improve and stuck on a time of 46.96 around the 6-pin 2.03 kilometer course. Gillman, shocked the world with his huge improvement that no one at the final moments of qualifying day could equal. It was his 21st career pole position.

Defending World Champion Guido Cappellini had been the fastest driver of the day up to the final session having run a 45.91 in the 2nd session in his Zepter racing entry. However,  once he got out on the water he was able to improve but not enough to catch Gillman with a 45.53 second lap and a speed of 159.93 kph. For Cappellini to win the title tomorrow,  he will need to get ahead of Gillman by days end and his 8th World Championship.

Defending race champ Saudi Laith Pharaon will start 3rd tomorrow improving to a 45.64 and equalling Finnish driver Sami Selio with a 45.64 who will start 4th. Pharaon, with no hope for a World Championship will try his best to win for the first time this season and take his 2nd straight here in Abu Dhabi. Selio, will once again try to push to the front and win his first ever event  after coming close in Sharjah a week  ago leading until a spark plug forced his missing engine down to a 5th place.

Francesco Cantando, with 75 points in the championship, still has a shot at the title but must work his way from 5th up to the front for a win to do it. His burning boat in the 2nd session didn't help matters as he was forced to leave the session and miss the shootout with a  time of 46.53.

Portuguese driver Duarte Benavente will start 6th with a speed of 155.46 kph, while Italian Massimo Roggiero will start 7th with a 154.34 kph speed. Eighth will be French driver Philippe Dessertenne with Ligier Sports with a 153.81 kph lap, Great Britan driver Andy Elliott is 9th with a 152.24 kph speed and rounding out the top ten will be Danish driver Gert Ladefoged with a speed of 150.82 kph.

Twenty-two drivers will take the start of the Annual Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi for 55 laps around the 2.03 kilometer course at the inner-harbour of the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. Race time to declare a new World Champion will start locally at 15:00 and 11:00 GMT.