CG Racing Pro topped a battle of 29 teams that lasted 12 hours to win the first round of the 2016 Kartdrome Endurance Championship.
The team, made up of David Terrien, Alban Varutti and Rami Azzam saw off a tense battle, decided by the narrowest of margins in the final minutes, to win the first of four championship rounds.
With an hour to go, Batelco Racing led from CG Racing Pro and the two teams emerged from their final pits stops nose to tail. They proceeded to battle it out for the final half hour as if in a sprint race.
In the end CG Racing Pro, with Varutti in the driving seat, managed to take the lead and edge ahead to win by 9.9 seconds – one of the closest finishes in the 12-year history of the event.
Batelco Racing had to settle for second place, followed by reigning champions Dubai Falcon Racing.
LD Racing set the cat among the pigeons by claiming pole position and taking the early lead after the Le Mans-style start set the field off on the 12 hours adventure.
The Russian team – of Marat Gubaldulin, Dmitry Levin, Stanislav Burmistrov and Konstantin Mandrikov – were always at the sharp end of the on-track battles and in the end finished fourth which was enough to claim top prize in the prestigious Nations Cup.
Throughout the race, several teams battled in among the top spots with a number of lead changes during the 12 hours.
In the hunt, along with Batelco and CG Racing Pro, were the likes of Dubai Falcon Racing, LD Racing, ENOC NH8, Mach 1, Fly Emirates, Team Emirates and KMS Dubai.
