Sportplex is the largest outdoor sports facility in the Al Ain region. The arena offers a wide range of outdoor activities, including go-karting. For go-karting, a separate track, Al Ain Raceway, is built according to international standards. The Raceway is one of its own kind and is credited for hosting some of the world’s largest go-karting events.
Let’s take a closer look at the go-karting facilities, fares, and timings at the Al Ain Raceway.
Al Ain Sportplex Raceway Track
The Raceway has three different tracks namely International Circuit, Indy and Club Circuit. Al Ain Raceway International Kart Circuit is the longest track with a total length of 1.6 km. The track is built as per international standards and can host global racing events. Other than that, the Club Circuit is the second longest with 14 corners and a length of 0.9 km. Whereas, the Indy Circuit has 9 corners and is 0.75 km long. These tracks can be used by drivers categorised as per their skill level and age. The ranges are: 7 to 11 years (Mini), 12 years or more (Club), 16 years or more (Pro) and More than 16 years (RD1 Elite).
Similar to tracks, the karts used at the track are also equipped with the latest technologies. The karts feature a technologically advanced steering wheel similar to the F1 steering wheel. The steering has a screen which shows race position and other important details to the driver.
Activities at Raceway
Raceway is a state of the art facility for go-karting in the UAE. A wide range of activities are offered at the Raceway, here we have mentioned a few of them.
Rotax MAX Challenge
The Rotax MAX Challenge is one of the largest racing events in the calendar of karting. Around 264 drivers from 60 different countries compete at the Al Ain Raceway kart-circuit. Drivers who qualify the National Rotax MAX Challenge are eligible to represent UAE in the race. However, to represent your country in this single largest karting event, drivers require years of practice and hard work.
Arrive and Drive
The Arrive and Drive facility enables drivers to join small groups for go-karting. The drivers are provided a brief introduction of karting and necessary safety tips prior they drive on the track. The Arrive and Drive is considered ideal for practising karting, as drivers from different categories compete together and the activity is also budget-friendly.
The Arrive and Drive facility is available throughout the week. The charges of this facility are as follows:
- Mini drivers are charged AED 120 (non-members) and AED 60 (members).
- Club drivers are charged AED 60 (members) and AED 120 (non-members).
- Pro drivers pay AED 140 (non-members) and AED 70 (members).
- RD1 Elite drivers are charged AED 250 (non-members) and AED 125 (members).
Open Races
The Open Race event allows individuals above 16 years to participate in the race. All the drivers practice on tracks before the main event. The top three performers of the event are awarded trophies at the end. The open races are conducted on three different formats at the Al Ain Raceway.
Open Super Prix
It is a Public Kart race in which all the drivers compete with each other for a 10 minutes lap round. The top racers will go for the qualifying session (20 minutes lap) and Final race (20 minutes lap).
Endurance
This format is ideal for a small group of drivers ranging from 2 to 8 drivers. The drivers are divided into two teams for the competition. Each team is obligated to draft their own race strategy and fuel stops and can compete for as many laps as they want.
Ramadan Super Prix Challenge
It is an annual series arranged every year in the month of Ramadan. The four round championship is arranged every Friday during the holy month. It took around 2 to 3 hours for each race.
Junior Parties
Special karting arrangements are made for the drivers aged less than 16 years. Drivers falling in this category are provided with Cadet kart and Junior kart for training purposes. The drivers are briefed regarding safety on the track and essential driving tips before the race. Currently, Al AIn Raceway offers two different types of parties.
Junior Party 20
The race will be arranged at the International circuit. Drivers will be provided with safety gears and all the other essentials. The total lap time can be between 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hour, depending upon the number of drivers. All of this will cost AED 210/person.
Junior Party 30
The Junior party 30 also facilitates all the aforementioned features of the Junior Party 20. However, the lap time will be 2 hours and 30 minutes and will be charged AED 265/person.
Race School of Al Ain Sportplex
Other than the open races and events, Al Ain Raceway is also an ideal place to learn karting. The arena has a separate school of karting to train young drivers. The race school comprises 5 modules. Once successfully graduating, the drivers can be a member of the Al Ain Raceway Kart Club and participate in different racing events.
The fee for each module will be AED 350 if paid progressively. Whereas, it will be AED 1500 for the whole module if paid in advance. Other than school, private tuition and separate training sessions are also available.
Private Tuition
The private tuitions are one-on-training provided by professional drivers on the track. This on-the-spot training helps in improving driving skills. On rental karts, the tuition classes are divided into driving and verbal sessions.
AED 420 is charged for a 30 minute session and AED 790 is charged for a 60 minute session. However, if you are driving a Rotax Engine Kart, the charges will be increased to AED 1050.
ARKS Test
The Association of Racing Kart School (ARKS) test is a preparation centre to pass the Emirates Motor Sports Organisation (EMSO) test, conducted to provide a professional kart racing licence. The test centres recruit professionally trained and certified individuals who brief drivers on different aspects of racing that they must know for acquiring a licence. Along with the test, a medical test is also required for acquiring the licence.
After each session, the trainer will conduct a written examination to assess the ability of drivers. Individuals clearing both written and medical tests will be recommended to apply for the National Karting Licence.
Membership of Al Ain Raceway
If you are interested in go-karting on the track, you can avail of the membership facility of the club. Other than the obvious, the membership will provide you an opportunity to participate in UAE Rotax MAX Challenge. The membership packages available are as follows:
- AED 252 for basic annual membership
- AED 4,200 for silver annual membership
- AED 10,500 for Gold and AED 15,750 for Gold Plus membership
This was all about Al Ain Raceway situated at the Sportplex. The track is known for hosting some of the largest international events in the history of karting. Along with this, it also provides multiple opportunities to learn and practice karting. If you are also interested in karting, browse through these used go-karts for sale in Abu Dhabi and purchase your own go-kart and start practising now.
Stay tuned to UAE’s top auto blog for more information on Al Ain Raceway, Abu Dhabi.
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