Dubai, UAE, 20 October 2018: After the famous Le Mans style start of the third round of the Dubai Kartdrome Endurance Championship, three Pro teams emerged as frontrunners in the 700-kilometre endurance race. Polesitter Bin Drai Karting Team brawled with Cambridge Middle East Interior and Emirates Pro in the opening laps, with Dubai Falcon Racing Team just behind waiting to pounce on the top three.
Dubai Falcon Racing Team kept attacking, picking off teams and finally into the lead by lap 21. Bin Drai Karting Team took it right back, only to lose it again to the Falcons by lap 46.
Then came the rain.
When the water began pouring from the sky, karts launched into wild slides, lap times dropped and there was a flurry of pit stops. Bin Drai Karting Team dropped all the way down to seventh place, while most of the Russian teams, quite comfortable in the wet, moved up the field.
Despite the initial setback, the drivers of Bin Drai started to push back into the contest. Just past midnight and 189 laps into the race, Bin Drai Karting Team is back where it started—on top of the leaderboard. Cambridge Middle East Interior is the second Pro team and third overall.
The Corporate team order was completely rattled after the rain, with Energy Russia rocketing through the pack all the way up into second place overall, having started way back in 18th. LD Russia is giving chase as the second-place Corporate team and first in Nations Cup.
Pit stop strategy now becomes critical as teams battle into the night.
Report: Aaron Meriwether
Photos: Aaron Meriwether & Arthur Rosales
