After the heat generated on track a gesture of sportsmanship

Every now and then something happens in sport that makes one realise exactly why we all thrive and love competition. But when it happens on your doorstep, with folks you know, the satisfaction is extra special. I had the good fortune of witnessing a great moment the past weekend while on duty, doing the media thing, at the Dubai Kartdrome.

The highly competitive UAE Rotax Max Championship is run over 13 rounds at various venues in the UAE of which four of the rounds are at the Kartdrome. As an incentive, the Dubai Autodrome Motorsport Club runs a contest within the championship awarding the top points scorers in those specific four rounds the title of DAMC champion.

Adding to the incentive this year is the DAMC Formula Gulf 1000 Young Driver Award, with the reward being a test drive in a Formula Gulf 1000 single-seater racing car at the end of the season. This in itself is worth around Dh10,000. UAE residents or nationals are eligible for the award and to qualify drivers must be between 16 and 20 years.

Heading to this past weekend’s fourth and final round of the season were a trio of candidates for the big prize: Alexandre Silanine, Piers Pakenham-Walsh and Philippe Valenza. The scene was set for an intriguing showdown.

The racing is spread over three races: Heat 1, Pre-Final and Final. The trio in the spotlight were in the thick of things throughout the day, and adding spice to proceedings were Rami Azzam and Ameer Hassan who gatecrashed the battle for the lead. There was nothing to separate the front-runners.

Philippe was in inspired form all day; in the final he edged into the lead and kept a two or three second gap throughout the race. Behind him Piers was fending off Rami and Alexandre who were tucked into his slipstream, with Ameer (who started from the back of the grid) on a mission as he powered through the field.

As the chequered flag dropped Philippe crossed the line to take victory, ahead of Piers, Rami and Alexandre. For Philippe and Piers the big testing prize was theirs.

Not quite. In a gut-wrenching twist of fate Piers was excluded from the results because his transponder had somehow worked itself loose and fell off the kart. (The transponder is a device that is attached to the kart to trigger the official timing and lap counter.) Everybody in the paddock was gutted because Piers happens to be one of the nicest young blokes you could meet. He is popular with everyone, including his rivals, and a fast driver to boot.

My involvement with UAE karting spans almost a decade and I have had the privilege of witnessing kids grow into boys and then young men, while doing what they love. Piers is one of those lads and is forever polite and easy-going.

I rate him right up there with other youngsters who were ‘products’ of the UAE karting scene: chaps who consider the Kartdrome their second home. They include the likes of Christophe Hissette, Ken Waterhouse, Scott Latham, Ramez Azzam, Edward Jones, Shahaan Engineer and Tom Bale.

On the day after the dramatic turn of events in the final, it was time for the podium ceremonies. What happened during that half hour inspired me to write this piece.

When the presentation of trophies for the Max Senior Class came around, Rami and Alexandre were called up to collect their second and third place silverware. Then master of ceremonies Phil Anson boomed out Philippe’s name, upon which the race winner emerged from the crowd grabbing Piers by the collar and pulling him on to the podium. Smiles all around and the biggest cheer of the day erupted.

This vignette sums up the spirit of kart racing in the UAE, where the Rotax Max Championship is at the highest level it has ever been in terms of entries, competition and the good guy factor. The story got better for Piers as Dubai Autodrome general executive manager Hamish Brown and Formula Gulf 1000 team principal Barry Hope went into a huddle, and emerged to announce that due to the unlucky nature of the incident that cost Piers dearly, they were extending the DAMC Formula Gulf 1000 Young Driver Award to include a third driver.

And there we have it — a feel good story of sportsmanship and the rewards thereof. Next episode: Philippe, Alexandre and Piers on Formula Gulf 1000 testing duty.

The writer is communications manager at Dubai Autodrome.