Regional Talent Shines at the MENA Karting Championship Nations Cup
The MENA Karting Championship Nations Cup organized by Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) concluded an exciting day at the Lusail International Circuit’s karting track with Qatar successfully winning the pole position in the adrenaline fueled RD1 Elite Endurance Race. The championship welcomed 165 drivers from 15 countries and the competition featured races in different age groups, bringing together a diverse set of talent from the MENA region .
Spectators got an opportunity to view races across six karting categories and enjoy the lively atmosphere of the Fan Zone free of cost. There were plenty of energizing activities for attendees in between the races. With a 10m x 10m racing track featuring radio-controlled cars, PS5 gaming station and driving simulators, karting enthusiasts were able to experience the thrill of racing.
The second day of the championship was divided between a qualifying session and three Heats which is essentially a session of karting that lasts approximately between 10 - 15 minutes which allows drivers to improve their strategy and time management on the track.
The qualifying sessions began with the Micro Max category (8 - 11 years) followed by Mini Max (10 - 13 years), Junior Max (12 - 15 years), Senior Max (14+ years), DD2 (15+ years) and finally, DD2 Masters (31+ years).
After the results of qualifying sessions in each category, the drivers participated in three Heat sessions where their goal was to get well acquainted with the track and develop their strategy ahead of the final races.
The final classification for the races for each category are as follows:
Micro Max: Atiqa Asif Mir from U.A.E. secured P1 followed by Nahil El Gahoudi (Morocco) and Edwin Murr (Lebanon) in P2 and P3 respectively in the Qualifying session, Heat 1 and Heat 2. The fastest lap recorded overall was by Atiqa Asif Mir clocking 52.780 seconds. Finally for Heat 3, Nahil El Gahoudi (Morocco), Atiqa Asif Mir (U.A.E) and Bruno Ryba (Oman) concluded the race with P1, P2 and P3.
Mini Max: Faris Haroun and Darek Rivera both hailing for U.A.E. got P1 and P2, while Abdulrazzaq Al-Quraishi from Saudi Arabia finished in P3 during the qualifying sessions.
For Heat 1 session, Faris Haroun (U.A.E.), Kamil Benchekroun (Morocco) and Adam Awan (Oman) secured P1, P2, P3 respectively. During the Heat 2 session, Faris Haroun (U.A.E.) remained at P1 followed by Darek Rivera (U.A.E.) and Kamil Benchekroun (Morocco). However, in Heat 3, Darek Rivera and Faris Haroun finished with P1 and P2 with Kamil Benchekroun (Morocco) at P3.
Junior Max: Zain Elhommossany (Egypt), Roger Feghali JR (Lebanon), Sanad Al Hamawi (Jordan) qualified for P1, P2 and P3 respectively. For Heat 1, Zain Elhommossany (Egypt), Roger Feghali JR (Lebanon) finished in P1 and P2 while the fastest lap at 48.556 seconds recorded was by Tameem Hassiba from Qatar who also secured P3. Additionally, in the second Heat session Tameem Hassiba (Qatar) secured P2 while Zain Elhommossany (Egypt) and Sanad Al Hamawi (Jordan) finished at P1 and P3. Lastly, Zain Elhommossany (Egypt) maintained P1 in Heat 3 with Sanad Al Hamawi (Jordan) and Roger Feghali JR (Lebanon) in P2 and P3.
Senior Max: For overall Qualifying sessions, Kamil Rahali from Algeria finished on P1 with the fastest lap time of 47.963 seconds, while Georges Nassar (U.A.E.) and Faisal Nashkho (Jordan) qualified for P2 and P3 respectively. In Heat 1, Kamil Rahali (Algeria), Georges Nassar (U.A.E.) and Bader Al-Sulait secured P1, P2 and P3. In Heat and Heat 3 Kamil Rahali (Algeria) and Georges Nassar (U.A.E.) sustained their P1 and P2 positions while Faisal Nashkho (Jordan) finished in P3.
DD2 and DD2 Masters: The results for overall Qualifying session, Heat , Heat 2 and Heat 3 were consistent as Matthias Njeim and Christopher Njeim from Lebanon successfully secured P1 and P2; followed by Abdullah Al Rawahi from Oman who finished at P3.
The results of the qualifying sessions in every category are provisional and may be subjected to change in accordance with the regulations and advisement of the organizers.
Talented drivers from a diverse range of age groups and countries displayed remarkable skills on the track highlighting how motorsports is deeply etched into the MENA region. Spectators and karting enthusiasts were delighted to witness a day filled with racing actions and are looking forward to how the championship unfolds in the final rounds.