Dasouqi, Najjar going for Karting Championship titles

AMMAN — The third and fourth rounds of the Jordan Karting Championship (Rotax Max Challenge) kick off on Friday and Saturday with the participation of 18 drivers from Lebanon, Oman and Jordan at the Jordan Speed Centre.

The Jordan Karting Championship includes several categories: Micro Max (7-10 years), Mini Max (10-13 years), Junior Max (13-16 years), Senior Max (15 years and older), DD2 (15 years and older) and Masters Max (32 years and older).

Jordan Motorsports CEO Othman Naseef told The Jordan Times that these two rounds are vital to determine the champion.

“Drivers will be battling it out for a chance to win a place at the prestigious Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals, which will take place at the International Karting Circuit of Portimão in Algarve, Portugal November 8 to 14 that is why we can understand the pressure they are facing in these two rounds,” he said.

More than 300 drivers from more than 50 countries will take part in the finals in Portugal.

“It will be a great issue for karting in Jordan when one driver representing the Kingdom takes part in the finals,” he added.

So far Abdullah Dasouqi won the Micro Max category in rounds 1 and 2, while Ameer Najjar won the Mini Max category followed by Yanal Hamadeh and Fadi Habaybeh in third place.

In the DD2 category: Mohammed Hilo took the first spot while the Junior category was won by Royd Hanoush.

The Senior category went to Oman’s Abdullah Rawahi.

“Karting has always been one of the most popular auto sports in Jordan, as it is fun and the first step towards becoming a professional rally driver or Speed test enthusiasts. We are happy that we are hosting drivers from outside the Kingdom as this gives it an extra edge and in a way forces our drivers to take things more seriously,” he said.

The Rotax MAX Challenge follows strict regulations starting with the technical specifications of the engines in which only Rotax Max kart engines are allowed.

In 2014, the Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals was held in Spain in which Juri Vips of Estonia won the Junior Max category, while Mikko Laine of Finland won the DD2 Masters with South Africa winning the Nations Cup.