Rami Azzam won the opening round of the 2014 Dubai Kartdrome Ramadan Challenge, which saw him overcome a quality field of 45 SWS drivers.
The new format gave all drivers an equal opportunity to qualify for the finals in the two-heat points system that was introduced.
On track, there was very little to separate the pace setters, with the top dozen competitors circulating within a quarter of second of one another.
The entry list was impressive, with the likes of Team Abu Dhabi rally driver Mohamed Al Mutawaa and Dubai Falcon Porsche Cup star Saeed Al Mehairi taking on SWS top guns Azzam, Sam Zian, Atef Al Barwani, Hussain Umid Ali and Ali Al Mansoori, along with UAE Rotax Max karting aces Tom Bale, Ali Al Najjar and Anas Al Halabi.
After two heats for each driver and a Pre-Final, the Super-Final belonged to Azzam as he fended off Zian, Al Mutawaa and Carsten Winter over 12 laps.
Azzam managed to edge into the early lead with a gap of about two seconds, but soon Zian and Al Mutawaa reeled him in with Winter in their slipstream.
On the penultimate lap, Zian made his move into Turn 2 and grabbed the lead, but it was a lap too early as at the exact same spot a lap later Azzam snatched back the lead, where he stayed to take the chequered flag.
Al Mutawaa also managed to slip past Zian with the finish line in sight and take second place, with Zian third and Winter fourth. Al Mehairi salvaged fifth ahead of Ali Al Mansoori who stormed through the field to take sixth, ahead of Bale, Al Barwani, Umid Ali and Ahmed Bin Desmal rounding out the top 10.
Winter’s fourth place overall was enough to give him top honours in the Master’s Class, ahead of second placed Karim Rizkallah and Andrew Fuller in third.
Reflecting on a night which saw the biggest ever field assembled for a Ramadan kart race, Kartdrome manager Ryan Trutch said: “The new format we introduced worked really well and opened up more slots on the grid for drivers.
“Racing was very close throughout and was well received by drivers. We look forward to the next round.”
Round 2 of the four-round 2014 Dubai Kartdrome Ramadan Challenge takes place on Monday, July 7.