GILLMAN WINS 3RD IN A ROW WITH WILD WIN IN SHARJAH!
CANTANDO 2ND AS AMERICAN NOW LEADS CHAMPIONSHIP!

SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates: (5th of December) - American driver Scott Gillman was hoping against hope that with 10 laps remaining in the 4th Annual Grand Prix of Sharjah that race leader  Finnish driver Sami Selio would somehow break while holding a 2 second margin.

 Well, for the 44 year-old native of California, his holiday gift was given to him in a big way when the Helsinki driver's boat started to slow. The 17 year racing veteran jumped into the lead in a flick of an eye and came home with his 3rd straight victory  in a row and now leads the U.I.M. F1 World Championship by 2 points heading into next weekends final round at the Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi.

The exciting 50 lap event started in front of the largest crowd in the 4 year history of the event with points leader Guido Cappellini of the Zepter Team leading off the pole position with Gillman moving quickly into 2nd which created a wild roar from the pro Emirates Team crowd chearing him on all afternoon. Cappellini had a 2 second margin until he headed down into the south part of the 2.3 kilometer course in the Khaled Lagoon with his engine exploding and catching on fire down into turn number 2.

Cappellini valiantly stayed with the craft pulling the cowling off and helping the Osprey rescue team do their work knowing his championship lead was about to leave him if Gillman came home with another victory. It wasn't easty for the Emirates Team driver as on the restart Selio pushed hard in his Viemero Sponsored boat and finally went around the 2-time World Champion. Selio would stay in front for many laps before Gillman would repass late in the event .

Italian Francesco Cantando was pushing hard from 7th starting spot and at the halfway point had pushed himself into a three way fight for the lead. His pickle broke and he started to struggle with the handling and started to slip back only to charge back to a 2nd place finish. With the 15 points Cantando now has 75 and still is in the hunt for the title with a race win in Abu Dhabi.

Last years winner  Massimo Roggiero finished a steady 4th in his boat borrowed from Cappellini for the Sea Quest Team driver. Selio slid down with a slowing boat to 5th place while Corona Extra driver Fabrizio Bocca was 6th.

Italian teenager Massimiliano Moreschi placed the highest ever in his rookie season with a fine 7th in his Singha Beer boat, while Swedish driver Pierre Lundin ended a years worth of frustration with his first points and an 8th place at races end in his Corona Extra  machine.

Russian driver Stanislav Kourstenovsky did a great job starting 20th and finishing 9th for the Zepter Team while Italian Luca Fornasarig was 10th in the Nautica Comparato Team entry.

With the win Scott Gillman now leads the championship with 87 points to Cappellini's 85 with just one race to go setting up a great ending to a most exciting season on the U.I.M. F1 World Championship Tour. It all comes down to next Friday's event on the Corniche in downtown  Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.