Speeding is fine

Umm Al Quwain directly translates as the ‘Mother of Two Powers’ and we can safely say that in this modern day and age, one of those powers is manic speed. The emirate is known for its love of motor sports, so it is no surprise that residents and visitors alike consider Umm Al Quwain to be the UAE’s pit stop for adrenalin.

When I found out that Gulf News was paying homage to the emirate’s speed freaks, I just had to be a part of it. The Emirates Motorplex at Umm Al Quwain was kind enough to host me for the morning and to my astonishment, granted me the authorisation to run rampant on the drag-racing track (more on this later). I did have to forgo my late-to-bed late-to-rise weekend ritual, as the races at the Motorplex started bright and early at 8am on a sunny Friday morning, but an open quarter mile of tarmac with no speed limit/mothers/wives/girlfriends would make anyone jump out of bed and trip over themselves as they run to their car.

I got there with freshly rotated tyres and a tank full of gas, hoping my little tuner would do due justice to the opportunity. I wandered around the premises taking in all the excitement, the bikes and the noise, before the second round of the motocross championships began. The next three hours were a blur and I have no idea where the time went. The races were scintillating. I spent a few minutes at every single turn watching quad bikes, then dirt bikes carve the track and fly off the jumps.

The children, who I initially presumed were present to cheer on their dads, were up next. The little ones in their full kit blasted off the starting line at speeds that would make grown men question their sanity, while their parents looked on proudly, cheering every time they passed. This is insane and dangerous, I thought, as I made my way to the drag strip where I would be safe in my car and would only have to drive in a straight line. I do love bikes, super bikes to be precise; however, you need to be a special kind of crazy to mount a dirt bike and hit corners within a make-shift sand bowl at a 45-degree angle, while sometimes having to steer with your rear wheel.

I had a quick chat with the staff, was briefed on a few guidelines and safety tips, and then drove out to the drag strip. Unfortunately, there were no drag races scheduled for the day, but that meant that I had the track to myself. After familiarising myself with the track’s braking point, the 210-plus horses under my hood got to stretch their legs as controlled madness ensued. As soon as I was done re-enacting almost every major scene from every car-related movie I have ever watched — and yes, I have watched a lot, I wrapped up my session with a make-believe victory lap.

Afterwards, I made my way back to the main stands where a pickup truck took me to ‘The Tower’, which offers have a clear unobstructed view of the entire motocross track. The next race was about to begin. At the tower, I met with Tamer Hussein, the Umm Al Quwain Motoring and Racing Club Manager. Hussein, who has been a part of the Motorplex for the past years, said the club hosts various events, and that facilities include an impressive motocross track, a drag strip and a skid drift track.

While heading back to the stands, I struck up a conversation with two friendly gentlemen — Obaid Al Kitbi and Mansoor Salim. Both Emiratis, they have been racing quad bikes for more than five years. Al Kitbi told me that they come to the Motorplex almost every week, sometimes to practise and sometimes to race. A lot of them meet up there and spend the day having fun with friends.

“Riding here is a lot safer than in the desert. At the Motorplex they have the necessary medical equipment at hand along with trained professionals,” said Al Kitbi. When I asked him about whether he would encourage his children to race along with the other little ones at the track, he said: “Of course! Well, I don’t have children now, however when they do come along and if they have a passion for speed and racing, I will support them 100 per cent.” I later found out that Al Kitbi is a professional championship racer with several podium positions to his name, having raced in Qatar, France and at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. Salim, on the other hand, started racing professionally last year. Prior to this, he used to drag race quad bikes. Salim gave me a quick introduction to quad bikes and the necessary modifications needed to build the ultimate drag machine: from basic additions such as a kill switch to more complex suspension, engine and exhaust mods.

Overall, it was an incredibly memorable day, despite being my first visit; it definitely won’t be my last. Whether you participate or just show up to watch the races, the trip will be worth it.