- Strong driver line-up gives CG Racing a good shot at bringing home the title
- Narrow loss in 2014 Grand Finals inspires CG Racing to go for the big prize this time around
Over the past couple of years CG Racing has set the benchmark in SWS Endurance racing at the Dubai Kartdrome, their teams excelling in the Pro, Corporate and Nations categories like none before them and they head 2015 Sodi World Series (SWS) Grand Finals, in France this weekend (5 and 6 June), determined to bring home the top prize.
Dubai Kartdrome has produced some legendary SWS Endurance karting outfits, including the Christophe Hissette led Nivea for Men Pro Team, the Alban Varutti led Batelco Team and Sheikh Hasher Al Maktoum’s Dubai Falcon Racing Team.
CG Racing have continued the legacy and last year came desperately close to bagging the SWS Endurance title at Le Mans, as they finished second by the narrowest of margins – an experience which now serves as motivation and inspiration to get the job done and bring home the biggest prize in leisure karting.
Speaking ahead of his team’s departure to France, team manager Habib Chouery said, “CG Racing have two teams in the world finals and our objective this time around is to beat our own previous best performance (second place). This leaves us with only one standing to strive for – the absolute top. Our entry of two teams in the World Finals is made with the aim of taking the top two spots on the podium.”
The statement signals the team’s intent, and they are well positioned to know what it takes to win at this level and are taking nothing for granted in their quest.
Competition will be tough, with all teams who line-up on the endurance grid targeting victory in a race where conditions in Europe and UAE differ vastly, as team captain Oliver Saade explained, “Our last performance helped us better understand European track configurations and conditions. Being new to us, we had to quickly adapt. Moreover, the variant rules and regulations in Europe are different from what we are accustomed to in Dubai, and thus a steep learning curve.”
On driving duty for CG Racing Pro will be karting world champion David Terrien, SWS front-runner Rami Azzam and reigning Rotax DD2 champion Piers Pakenham-Walsh. A team line-up which blends a healthy mix of youth and experience, who have a formidable measure of speed and consistency in their arsenal.
In the second CG Racing team Saade will be on driver duty along with Salem Salem, Maged Traboulsi and Patrick Katrib who in last month’s Kartdrome 600 Laps race showed that they are capable, of mixing with and, beating the best of the best.
CG Racing have made an unprecedented impact on the SWS Endurance scene at Dubai Kartdrome, as team principal Pierre Choueiri points out, “CG Racing was established as a result of our casual participation in a race which was held for media companies at the Kartdrome. Ever since this, and over a period of five years, the Kartdrome has served as our definitive home ground of which we are extremely proud to have seen the venue evolve alongside our own teams and their performance.”
“The level of focus and determination which it takes to rise to the top of the endurance racing circuit, has definitely been something which we have learned from the races and practices held at the Kartdrome, which has always welcomed top-notch world-class competitors, of whom we have learnt a great deal of,” acknowledged team boss Choueiri.
Missing out on the title last year clearly riles the team boss, but at the same time inspires his team to make it happen this time around, “It’s important to note that during our previous world final experience, we came in only a mere 3.146 seconds behind the winners. We missed the top placement by a very insignificant margin and therefore we are thirsty for the first place trophy to come back home with us to the UAE.”
A total of 40 of the world’s best SWS Endrunace teams will line-up on the grid for the 2015 SWS Endurance Grand Finals, at the RKC track, starting on the stroke of midnight on Friday and set to finish 12 hours later.
Also from the UAE, contesting the SWS Endurance Grand Final, will be F3 Racing (formerly Dubai 5 International) along with the SWS Sprint contingent including: Abdulla Al Ali, Hussein Umid Ali Atef Al Barwani, Sam Zian, Paul Chatenay, Alexandre Silanine, Craig Shenton and Maz Nawaz, along with Junior drivers Alex Connor and Oliver Walton.
Information, entries, live timing and streaming of the 2015 Sodi World Series Grand Finals can be foundhere>>>