“A lot of people go through life doing things badly. Racing’s important to men who do it well. When you’re racing, it... it’s life. Anything that happens before or after... is just waiting.”
With these words, Steve McQueen propelled endurance racing into popular culture. In 1971, McQueen starred as race car driver Michael Delaney in Le Mans, a movie that gained cult status among fans for its realistic depiction of the high-speed world of motor racing.
Considered a test of the car’s efficiency and a driver’s fortitude, endurance racing basically involves teams of multiple drivers attempting to cover a long distance in a single event, with participants given a break as drivers swap over during the race.
The Kartdrome Endurance Challenge, run since 2004, is a mainstay of the UAE motorsport calendar. The event is as tough as it gets and requires stamina, concentration, speed, consistency and probably most importantly team work – all this under the duress of hard-fought competition over a 24- or 12-hour period.
The third round of 2012 Kartdrome Endurance Challenge will be held on October 12 and 13 on the 1.204km track at the Kartdrome, Dubai Autodrome. And this time, we are giving you a chance to be part of the alpha. Racing Team that’ll compete in the 12-hour championship.
Each team is comprised of five drivers (plus a reserve driver) and a team manager. We are hoping to recruit four of our readers into the team to compete. On October 1 at 10pm, we will hold time-trials and the fastest four readers will qualify to be part of our racing team and win loads of goodies.
The equipment
Kart: Sodikart RX 390
Engine: Single
Type: Honda 4-stroke
Capacity: 390cc
Power: 13.5bhp
Brakes: Hydraulic
Seats: Fully adjustable padded seats
Pedals: Flip over
Safety: Shock and abrasion resistant protection
Join the team
If you love go-karting and want to be part of a team that races 12 hours non-stop, join the alpha. Racing Team. We will hold time trials on October 1 at the autodrome. Come and show us how fast you can drive to get on board.
Mail alpha@gulfnews.com with your name, age and phone number to register.
