Murdoch beats top field and takes top honours Fast and furious action characterized the second round of the UAE National Karting Championship, held under the Patronage of His Highness Sheikh Marwan Bin Rashid Al Mualla, at the Kartdrome on November 9.
Tim Murdoch overcame a large competitive field to notch up his first outright win in the premier TAG Class. Too often the likable youngster has been dogged by bad luck, but on Friday he drove impeccably to etch his name in the winners circle.
The TAG Class started off with some drama as round one winner Roy van der Weyden who failed scrutineering with an improperly sealed engine forcing the scrutineers to bar him from scoring points, putting him out of contention for the day. It was not plain sailing for Murdoch as in Heat 1 he had to settle for third place after a frantic battle for first place between Nivea for Men driver Maurits Knopjes, Mashour Belahijla, Sheikh Hasher Al Maktoum, Saeed Al Shamsi and Courtyard by Marriott driver Ramez Azzam.
The leading bunch swopped positions on virtually every corner with Knopjes taking the chequered with Belahijla and Murdoch in his slipstream. Heat 2 was filled with drama as the first heat pace setters did battle again, in similar fashion. Again Knopjes was at the sharp end of proceedings with a no holds barred battle going on behind him including Murdoch, Maktoum, Ramez Azzam with Rami Azzam, Adam Reeve and Weyden joining the fray. The inevitable occurred midway through the race as Knopjes and Weyden collided. The incident enabled Murdoch to open a slight gap and take the win with Hasher and Rami Azzam behind him.
The stage was set for a sizzling finale with Murdoch and Hasher on the front row. From the green flag Murdoch burst into the lead, settin some blisteringly fast and consistent early laps which allowed him to control proceedings from the front. Behind him a big battle brewed between Hasher, Rami Azzam, Reeve, Joseph Hindy and a fired up Belahilja who burst through the field from the ninth row of the grid. By midway he had made his way into third and was pressuring Reeve for second place. He finally got past but it was too late to do anything about Murdoch who was heading for his maiden national karting win in the TAG Class.
Reeve who looked set for third suffered a broken chain, gifting third place to Hasher who was tailed home by Rami Azzam who finished fourth. The TAG Heavyweight Class was won comfortably by Karim Saad who beat off John Mace (second) and Joubin Gharaei. In the Max Juniors Class it was a two way battle between Joe Morritt and Edward Jones who were the class of the small junior field. Morritt picked wins in both the heats but it was Jones who got the better of his opponent in the final which he won and set the class fastest lap in the process. Elliot Patrick was confined to third place in both heats and the final.
The Cadet Class promised an action packed contest for the top three spots and delivered on the promise. Although Riccardo Curatola won the two heats and the final he had to work hard to fend off his arch rivals Tom Bale and Patrick Schoeller. In both heats and the final this trio of diminutive speedsters were inseperable, swapping positions, slipstreaming and out braking one another on just about every corner. Remarkably they manged to stay on the road and not tangle (unlike the first round in September) with Bale taking second and Schoeller third in the final. The 11-round 2007/08 UAE Karting Championship is held under the Patronage of His Highness Sheikh Marwan Bin Rashid Al Mualla and organised by the EMSF.
