Duarte Lopes and Anjum Sheikh of Bin Drai Karting Team finished a perfect three round sweep by winning the third and final round of the 2019 Motorsport Wheels (MSW) Mini Enduro Cup on Monday night (2 September) at Dubai Kartdrome to claim the 2019 title.

Wheels of Fury, with drivers Sam Naylor and Floris Du Bois, finished the night in 15th position, which gave the team just enough points to triumph in the 2019 Masters category championship.

Round Three Highlights

Bin Drai Karting Team did everything required to put the championship out of reach, with Anjum Sheikh setting the bar high early on with the fastest mark in qualifying, a best lap time of 1:14.579, which was two tenths of second clear of Red Arrow in P2.

The team with the greatest chance of a Bin Drai upset, Emirates Racing, began the final endurance race within striking distance, fourth on the grid.

Emirates Racing was now in the hunt for the final two hours and fifteen minutes of the season, chasing down the frontrunners, however, Lopes and Sheikh proved too difficult to catch. Emirates advanced up to P2, right up on the back bumpers of Bin Drai, but when we the chequered flag waved Duarte Lopes crossed the finish line just 0.609 seconds ahead of Emirates Racing to take the third win in a row for Bin Drai Karting Team and the 2019 Overall championship.

It was a more difficult task for the Masters category contender Wheels of Fury. The team qualified way down in 17th position and finished the race behind rivals Blueberry Racing, but Wheels of Fury collected enough points over three rounds to lock in the 2019 Masters title.

Final 2019 Championship Standings

Bin Drai Karting Team was near perfect this year, nabbing one pole position, three race wins and racking up 152 championship points to win the 2019 Overall (Senior) title. With one pole position, three fastest-lap awards and three second-place finishes, Emirates Racing were always in contention but still fell short with 143 points. Gamma Racing represented best-of-the-rest, claiming third place on 89 points.

Wheels of Fury secured the 2019 Masters category title with a total of 74 championship points, followed by Blueberry Racing with 57 points. WZ Racing also finished on 57 points, but Blueberry had a higher finish in one round, breaking the tie and leaving WZ with the third-place trophy.

About MSW Mini Enduro Cup
The all-new Mini Enduro Cup by Dubai Kartdrome is a high-impact endurance race championship designed to challenge racers over three exciting rounds between June and September. All rounds count towards an SWS world ranking.

Categories include: Senior Cup for ages 13 to 34, and Masters, for drivers over 35 years and older. Drivers can also elect to race in team of two or go solo (Iron Man).

About Dubai Kartdrome Outdoor Circuit
The 1.2km International Circuit at the Dubai Kartdrome features 17 corners to test a driver’s skills, as well as a tunnel and bridge to add to the excitement. This challenging configuration affords maximum safety to all drivers and spectators and is equipped with a complete set of flood lights to offer perfect viewing for night time racing.

Since 2004 the venue has hosted many local and international karting races, as well as offering corporate events and Arrive & Drive karting for guests.