UAE: Jones takes double race wins as Azzam takes the 2013 Kartdrome SWS Ramadan Challenge title

06 August 2013- Ramez Azzem was crowned the 2013 Kartdrome SWS Ramadan Challenge champion in Dubai on Monday, but it was young Edward Jones who stole the show on the hot and humid night in the fourth and final round of the hard fought series.

A record grid of 34 drivers – the top guns of the UAE leisure karting scene – assembled at the outdoor Kartdrome with the likes of Ramez Azzam, with Sky Dive Dubai duo Saeed Al Mehairi and Mohammed Al Mutawaa all contenders for the coveted 2013 title

Jones, in Dubai for a short period during a break in his World Series by Renault campaign in Europe, made clear his intentions by claiming pole position. But the real surprise was Al Muhairi’s struggles in qualifying which saw him line up 30th on the grid.

In Race 1, Jones shot into an early lead with Azzam fighting his way from sixth and slotting in behind the leader but incapable of finding a way past the talented teenager who took the win. But with second place Azzam scored a healthy bounty of points which would prove vital by the time the final chequered flag fell and the maths was done at the end of the night’s proceedings.

Al Mutawaa started second and came home third, with Al Mehairi carving his way from 30th to fifth in what was one of the highlights of the series, let alone the hot evening.

Race 2 was reverse order grid for the top 15, and despite starting in 15th Jones put his head down and scythed through the field to claim his second win of the night and with the fastest lap also bagged by him, it was an all-round impressive performance for a driver who has Formula 1 in his sights.

Sam Zian made up for some bad luck during the earlier rounds of the series, but ended his Ramadan Challenge on a high as he claimed second place in an action packed race, with incidents aplenty.

Azzam was a victim of the early chaos, recovering after a spin to finish eighth which was good enough to claim the 2013 Kartdrome SWS Ramadan Challenge title.

Kartdrome assistant manager David Bright summed up, David Quotes, “It’s great to see that interest has grown for the Ramadan Challenge and we’re impressed by the large grid we attracted to this series. The level of racing between the top contenders was clean and fair, excellent overall.”

“I would like to thank Energy Corse Racing Karts, OMP and Tag Heuer for their valued support of the 2013 Kartdrome SWS Ramadan Challenge and Dubai Kartdrome,” added Bright.

Series winner Azzam’s exploits earned him the top prize of an official test day with leading race team Energy Kart Dubai and a race meeting in the Rotax Max Challenge round at Dubai Kartdrome fully paid for, including new tyres, fuel, mechanical support which in total amounts to about AED 8000.00.

Craig Shenton won the ‘Most Improved Driver of the Challenge’ and his prize was a Single Seater experience at Dubai Autodrome.