09 November 2017
After finishing seventh in the opening Micro MAX Qualifying Heat race on Wednesday Keanu Al Azhari bounced back in the best way possible with a superb drive to claim victory in the second Qualifying Heat race of the 2017 Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals, at the Kartdromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal, with Jamie Day again showing strongly in the Mini MAX class and Abdullah Al Rawahi delivering a storming drive in the DD2 class.
Al Azhari, the nine year old son of multiple UAE motor racing champion, made a good start from sixth on the grid slotting into third place early on. Thereafter he kept in touch with the two leaders, while keeping the following pack at bay.
On the final lap, with three corners to go the two leaders tripped up, at which point Al Azhari squeezed past the pair to score a well deserved victory.
Day, who won the first Mini MAX qualifying heat, started from third and within a couple of laps was at the head of the field with a dozen drivers following in his slipstream.
The Dubai schoolboy stayed in control and ahead until the final stages of the race when the chasing pack pounced collectively. By the time the dust had settled, Day did well to hang on to fifth place which, with his victory a day earlier, puts him in good stead for the Pre-Final on Friday.
Theo Kekakti continued to improve with each session, doing well to finish tenth amid a tightly contested group not far off of the pace setters in the Mini MAX class.
Abdullah Al Rawahi, racing for Team UAE and flying the Omani flag, delivered the drive of the morning in the DD2 class. After being punted off in the first Qualifying Heat race, he started from 16th in the second heat.
He managed to make a good start in a packed midfield and every lap picked off his rivals with a clinical display of overtaking. When the chequered flag waved he crossed the line eighth and well within site of the leaders.
All-in-all it was a positive day for Team UAE which witnessed one Qualifying Heat race apiece for the Mini Max and Micro Max drivers and two Qualifying Heat races for all the other classes. Most drivers improved during the course of the day.
Team UAE manager Guy Sheffield summed up the day: "Once again our younger drivers shone on the day. Keanu bounced back in fine style to take a well earned victory, while Jamie showed great pace and was unlucky not to have posted his second win in the heats. Nevertheless both are now with a serious chance at the Grand Finals title in their respective classes."
"Most of our drivers improved on their grid positions, but the level of competition is very high with 360 drivers from 60 nations - most of them national champions - all eager and determined to take home the biggest prize in Rotax Max racing. I believe we still have a surprise or two within Team UAE and the Pre-Finals will be a crucial test for our drivers," added Sheffield.
Friday will see the running of the Pre-Finals for all classes.
Positions in the second Qualifying Heats for the rest of Team UAE were: Liam Crystal (Junior MAX) 24th; Lachlan Robinson (Junior MAX) 32th; Amna Al Qubaisi Senior MAX) 20th; Khalid Al Seai (Senior MAX) 26th; Kyle Blockley (DD2 Masters) 15th; Anthony Hogg (DD2 Masters) 26th; Kevin Day (DD2 Masters) 31st; Lucas Petersson (DD2) 15th; Jakob Robinson (DD2) 16th.
Positions in the third Qualifying Heats for the rest of Team UAE were: Liam Crystal (Junior MAX) 26th; Lachlan Robinson (Junior MAX) 30th; Amna Al Qubaisi Senior MAX) 32nd; Khalid Al Seai (Senior MAX) 20th; Kyle Blockley (DD2 Masters) 17th; Anthony Hogg (DD2 Masters) 24th; Kevin Day (DD2 Masters) 23rd; Lucas Petersson (DD2) 15th; Jakob Robinson (DD2) 28th.
Background
Rotax MAX Challenge 2017 Grand Finals
Eleven drivers from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are based in the seaside town of Portimao, in Portugal, for the Rotax MAX Grand Finals which takes place at the Kartdromo Inetrnacional do Algarve from 5 to 11 November 2017.
The team consists of the UAE's best Rotax MAX drivers from the 2016/2017 season, among them several champions, who will come up against the best drivers in the world in this series of karting.
The group join 360 drivers, from 60 nations, competing in this prestigious karting event to determine who will be this year's Rotax MAX world champions.
Team UAE consists of Emirati racer Amna Al Qubaisi in the MAX category, father and son Kevin and Jamie Day in the DD2 Masters and Mini MAX respectively, brothers Jakob and Lachlan Robinson in DD2 and Junior MAX, DD2 Masters Tony Hogg and Kyle Blockley, Lucas Petersson in DD2, Liam Crystal in Junior MAX, Theo Kekati in Mini MAX and Keanu Al Azhari, son of multiple UAE racing champion Karim Al Azhari, in the Micro MAX class.
Travelling with Team UAE is Omani DD2 driver Abdullah Al Rawahi as well as Bahraini champion Khaled Al Saei in the MAX Class.
The first Rotax MAX Grand Finals were held in 2000 in Puerto Rico and since then has become a regular fixture on the international karting calendar. Dubai based Sean Babington won the DD2 title in 2014 as part of Team UAE.
Useful links:
Official UAE Rotax Max Challenge Facebook Page for updates>>>
Al Ain Raceway Facebook Page>>>
Al Ain Raceway Instagram Page>>>
