Karter Tarek Kedr qualified for the Grand finals in Italy, Ghada Abdel-Kader reports Tarek Khedr is the only Egyptian among the world's top 50 karting drivers. Three times Egypt's national karting champion (Rotax Max Challenge) in 2008, 2009 and 2010, Khedr is also the Middle East's No 1 in EasyKart. Taking the EasyKart in 2011, Khedr was the only Egyptian participant. EasyKart is the first qualifications from the region for the Grand Finals in Italy 2011. Each country has its national EasyKart championship. At the end of the year the winner from each country goes to the Grand Finals to be held in Italy in October. Exactly 216 drivers from the world over will be participating. The race is divided into juniors and seniors. "I'm going to play at the senior level," Khedr proudly told Al-Ahram Weekly. The Sharm race was held at the Noos International Karting Circuit which is sanctioned internationally by CIK-FIA (Commission Internationale de Karting of the FIA). Located in Hadabah Om Al-Seed, along the Fanar road in Sharm El-Sheikh, it was the first track not only in Egypt but also in the Middle East -- 1,205 metres in length and a width that ranges from nine to 14 metres. Fifteen drivers from across the Middle East -- Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Palestine -- were involved. This was the first championship held in Egypt and the Middle East. In the championship, Noos International Karting track and OZO Limousine and its owner Snefro El-Ghazawi were Khedr's sponsors. "El-Ghazawi will be my sponsor in the Grand Finals in Italy. My plans with El-Ghazawi are to go up a notch in karting, like Formula One. "In the beginning, I tried to teach myself by downloading articles on the Internet and watching videos of professional kart racers and how they improved their timing on the track. But now I have a fitness trainer. Driving needs practice and I gained a lot of experience from previous championship," Khedr added. "Rotax and EasyKart are professional races. Both have the same engine power -- 28 horsepower with a top speed that can reach over 140 KM/hr but Easy Kart has certain specifications that makes it acceleration faster."
