Dubai – Dubai Motor City is one of many planned districts of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and, as made clear by its name, focuses on cars and motorsports as its main attractions. It’s a bit further out of downtown and of some of the city’s main attractions, but it hosts Dubai’s race track and, across from Turin Boulevard avenue, the emirate’s kart track, part of the same complex, with outdoor and indoor tracks.
ANBA visited the place on Thursday (12) for a kart heat race. It was mild outside for Dubai’s standards, with dusty skies, a common phenomenon in the region.
Just like in kart tracks in Brazil, once you get there for the first time, you need to fill a form, sign a liability note and book a place in the next heat races. The price for a 15-minute heat race in the Arrive & Drive category is AED 137 (USD 37.31), plus AED 11 for a registration fee if it’s your first time in the place.
The cost is similar to the average price charged in kart tracks in São Paulo and nearby cities, such as Granja Viana, Interlagos and Aldeia da Serra, with the difference that in São Paulo the heat races range from 25 to 30 minutes. ANBA only noticed the difference when it took the checkered flag.
In general, the facilities are modern and well-kept, with large locker rooms and briefing room, game console for online racing, waiting and guest lounges, convenience store with a wide range of drinks and snacks, and a store with plenty of pilot equipment and souvenirs.
The kart track supplies all the mandatory gear: racing suit, gloves, balaclava and helmet. It’s better to go wearing t-shirt and tennis shoes. After a quick briefing, with a video showing basic information and some orientations by the race’s director, it’s time to hit the track.
The outdoor track (pictured above) of the Dubai Kartdrome is 1.2 km long, with different elevations, tunnel and many low-speed corners. The two high-speed stretches are the finish line and the first corner – made with the pedal to the metal –, and the two corners and the straight line leading up to the tunnel. It takes a couple of laps for a newcomer to get the hang of it, but it’s not actually hard.
Both the asphalt and the kart’s tires offer great grip. The four-stroke and 13.5 HP Honda engines are similar to those equipping the karts in São Paulo, but the karts’ finishing is in another level. More aerodynamic chassis, tissue-covered wheel and seat, for better grip and comfort, easy-to-adjust seats, anti-slip grooved pedals and even an extra protection layer on the fuel tank that is located between the pilot’s legs, which eases the smell of gas in the pilot’s clothes.
Around ten drivers took part in the heat race, with beginners and more experienced pilots racing together. Only a qualifying session. This ANBA reporter was only overtaken by a driver that seemed to be a resident, since he used his own equipment and attacked the corners with more confidence. In the end, the ANBA reporter took the fourth time. Not bad for someone that had never ran in this track and the fact that the karts don’t have a ballast. The report is from the heavyweight category and this makes a real difference in amateur kart racing. The disappointment was the session’s short time.
Racing circuit
This ANBA reporter was in Dubai to cover the Annual Investment Meeting (AIM), a business conference held last week, and used the last day’s free time to get to know the place. Kart heat races were the options available for the day, but the Dubai Autodrome offers many other attractions to visitors.
For motorsports fans, the highlight is the so-called “Experiences” in the race track. There are many experience packages for the visitors with the vehicles provided by the management and with prices varying according to the car model and the duration of the session. The options go from driving an average car to customized vehicles, such as Renault Clio, Golf GTI and Audi TT, to sports cars, such as Audi R8 V10, Porsches, McLarens and Ferraris. The visitor can also opt to drive a Formula DXB, a single-seat similar to racing cars. The prices vary from AED 420 (USD 114.37) to AED 3,310 (USD 901.31).
The Dubai Autodrome belongs to private company Union Properties, which also manages Motor City. The race track hosts many local, regional and international competitions, such as the 24 Hours of Dubai, in January, and regional races of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo, the Porsche GT3 CUP and the touring car TCR International Series. The Dubai Autodrome faces heavy competition from Yas Marina Circuit, in Abu Dhabi, and the Sakhir International Circuit, in Bahrain, which host Formula 1 races.
According to information by the Dubai Autodrome’s management, the place welcomes around 250,000 visitors per year. Half of the guests are locals and the other half are tourists. Besides motorsports, the track opens for bikers and for running races, hosts expos and concerts, such as the one from Colombian performer Shakira and British musician Phil Collins, corporate events, among others.
For further information, click here to visit the Dubai Autodrome’s website, check the opening hours, prices and make reservation for motorsports experiences, and to know more about the place’s other attractions.
Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
