The final round of the inaugural Middle East Karting Cup series reached its climax at the superb Ghibli Raceway circuit. From Sharm El-Sheikh, Inas Mazhar reports on the fast and furious three-day event European drivers Kevin Reichard from Austria and Piero De Marchi from Italy led the field in the senior category, and following victories in the finals here in round one and at the Dubai Autodrome in round two, Reichard started as the favorite. De Marchi trailed Reichard, and Jordan's Hamza Dirani, looking to make up for the disappointing performance in Dubai, followed De Marchi in the wings. The first day of the race was mainly warm-up heat sessions for both juniors and seniors, which continued on the second day followed by an exciting race by the media. Nine media representatives showed their skill and all things considered, they did fairly well. It was fun seeing them crash into one another like at entertainment parks. Participants were briefed before the race, donned the same outfits and helmets, but rode different karts and took a different and less difficult racing route and turns. The Media Fun race was followed by a cocktail party attended by the representatives of Ghibli Raceway, race founder Hani Soufrakis, and General Manager Essam Hussein, alongside General Manager of the Automobile & Touring Club Egypt (ATCE) Mohamed Hareedi. The pre-finals saw two races for each the juniors and seniors respectively. The juniors started the first race over 15 laps which was deservedly won by Jordanian Othman Abu Samra, followed by the newcomer Russian Nikita Ashefsky. Syria's Pierre George, the most impressive in the category during the past two rounds, placed third. Libyans Malek and Alaaeddin Tatanaki finished 4th and 5th respectively. The second junior race saw fierce competition between Abu Samra and George who claimed the top spot from the start with no serious threat from Abu Samra. The real battle was for third place between Libyan Malek Tatanaki and Ashefsky in which the Libyan triumphed in style. In the pre-finals of the seniors, the first race was won by Reichard as expected followed by Andy Burton from Britain. Egyptians Tarek Khedr and Ahmed Zidan finished 3rd and 4th respectively, with Hamza Dirani in 5th place. In the second race Reichard was no stranger in claiming the top spot but had to battle hard with Abu Samra. Burton finished 3rd, Di Marchi 4th and Ronan McElroy of the UAE in 5th. The final day witnessed a high spectator turn-out that created a cheerful atmosphere throughout the proceedings, especially with singers and celebrities adding glamour to the tournament. Arab world stars Jad Choueri, Maria, Dolly Shahin, Rania Shaheen, Nelly Macdesy and Hameed Al-Shaiery also had their day when they, too, raced before the finals started, to the delight of the crowds. The surprise of the final was in the juniors after George was unable to compete, enabling Abu Samra to triumph in a 20-lap final. Libyan Amin Soufrakis and Ashefsky finished 2nd and 3rd. In the seniors final, it was more or less the same old story with Reichard, Di Marchi and Dirani taking the first three spots respectively. Twenty drivers from nine nations representing three continents (Africa, Asia and Europe) took part in the final round. The Middle East Karting Cup (MEKC) is fully sanctioned by the CIK-FIA, the governing body of world karting. Ghibli Raceway is the premier kart circuit in the Middle East, holding a CIK-FIA Grade "B" license and one of a handful of circuits built to the highest standards of the CIK-FIA. The founder of the Middle East Race Soufrakis said the number of participants is evidence that this new series on the world karting scene has captured the imagination of kart racers not only here in the Middle East but much farther afield. "And it's for the benefit of our drivers as well. It's a great chance to train and gain experience from international racers," said Soufrakis, who is proud of having launched this exciting new series on the world karting calendar. "Also relieved that we got it on," he added at a briefing before the race. "Many obstacles have been overcome and we know that the championship will grow as several other countries are officially interested in taking part next year." Karting is the number one growing motor sport in the Middle East and is regarded as a stepping stone for any future Formula One driver. Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso were former karting champions in their teens. The tournament is co-organised by Protrain Racing, one of the largest companies dedicated to kart racing events and managing karting circuits. It is headed by Steve Chapman, ex- chairman of the Association of British Kart Clubs (ABKC). Winners of the cup will get the chance to enter the Rotax Max Euro Challenge and the Bridgestone Karting Cup, which has become one of the most prestigious kart race series in Europe, if not worldwide. Soufrakis said the CIK-FIA confirmed it will hold the tournament annually in both Sharm El-Sheikh and Dubai.
