Batelco Karting Team made it three wins out of three this year at the Dubai Kartdrome on Saturday when they powered to victory in the Motorcity 24 Hours, clinching the 2010 Kartdrome Endurance Challenge title in the process.
The Bahraini team overcame one of the strongest line-up of drivers ever for the event. But their combination of superb team work, clock-work consistency and relentless speed were too much for their rivals to contend with as they notched up 1,156 laps on their road to victory.
From the Le Mans style running start, with Alban Varutti at the wheel, Batelco Team were in among the leaders.
Initially they battled with Formula 1 reserve driver Andy Soucek of Seychelles Racing and the UAE’s most promising teenage racer Mohammed Al Mutawaa doing duty for Ocean Rubber.
For the first dozen hours there were only a couple of laps separating the top six teams, with the top three on the same lap for most of the period. Gradually as the race wore on Batelco started edging out into the lead and showing remarkable consistency on the track which was being run in an anti-clockwise direction for the first time at the Kartdrome.
When the chequered flag fell, the Batelco team crew and drivers burst into celebration as they notched up their third win of the season - they crossed the line with four laps advance on their closest rivals. They were unbeaten throughout 2010 in all three Kartdrome 24 Hours races.
Dubai-based karting ace Ramez Azzam was delighted with the win and said: “It was a tough race. We were not the fastest team out there but we had a good strategy and we were very consistent. It was a real team effort. Winning here at the Kartdrome is always a great feeling and I am proud to be part of this Batelco team.”
Best of the rest was the Ocean Rubber squad who pursued Batelco Team without letting up and were rewarded with second place on the podium. With Paul Chatenay captaining a team of talented youngsters they ended best of the Dubai teams, overcoming a very strong international contingent which included teams from France, Belgium, Ukraine and Russia.
Third place went to Seychelles Racing whose driver line-up of Soucek and fast lady Fabienne Lanz were always a threat. The podium finish for the team was their best result at the Kartdrome and a just reward for a strong performance.
Winners of the corporate category were the Choueiri Group, contesting in only their second 24 hours race at the Kartdrome, with one of the largest and most enthusiastic driver line-ups in the field. They stayed focus throughout to take top spot in the ‘race within the race’.
Second of the ‘corporates’ was MBC Action ahead of OMD Racing whose third place was enough to clinch the 2010 Endurance Corporate Challenge title.
Choueiri Group team boss Pierre Choueiri said: “This was our second time doing this event. The first time we learnt lessons, we came back applied ourselves and we won. It just shows that if you want something and you are committed then you can get it. I am very proud of my boys.”
Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.
