The Iame X30 Challenge came to the Dubai Kartdrome for the first time in its history last Friday and was welcomed by a record grid of 29 karts in the X30 Senior category.
During the initial heats, three drivers moved to the top of the standings of X30 Seniors – Mauricio Hernandez, Jakob Robinson and Amna Al Qubaisi – with their best lap times all within half a second of each other.
In the final race, Hernandez roared off the line from pole position and into the lead with Robinson hot on his tail. When Hernandez slid wide on a bend, Robinson shot into the gap and out in front.
However, Hernandez would not give up so easily and he stuck himself right on Robinson’s back bumper waiting for an opportunity to pounce. That opportunity came in the last lap on the final corner, but this time Hernandez couldn’t make the move stick as he attempted to dive inside Robinson and was too late, missing the pass and spinning his kart sideways.
With a fist in the air of celebration, Robinson was first across the finish line, with Enzo Fontanella and Alexandre Silanine taking advantage of the failed pass to sneak in with second and third place respectively.
It was heartbreak for Hernandez, who went from challenging for the win down to seventh place in just one corner.
In the Masters sub-category of X30 Senior, for drivers 30 years and older, it was Craig Shenton who triumphed over Kyle Blockley for the top step of the podium, while Hussain Umid Ali secured third.
The fastest karts on the day belonged to the X30 Shifter/Veteran class, with lap times approaching a blistering 56 seconds.
