After his stint in the Champions of the Future (COTF) Karting Academy in Dubai, Axel Nocom decided to extend his stay in the Middle East to enter the opening round of the UAE Rotax Max Challenge (RMC) just a week later. Despite running on an unfamiliar track in Abu Dhabi, he managed to notch a solid 5th place finish during Saturday’s Finals at the Al Ain Raceway (AAR).
The 12-year-old’s first on-track encounter was UAE RMC’s unique Qualifying format. The 26 Junior Max karters were all sent out on track in single file to set their times. Their fastest 3 laps were then averaged and classified as their official Qualifying time. Axel was poised for a Top 10 position at one point, but got caught out by traffic and was unable to get a tow to land him down in P12.
Unfazed by his poor starting position, Axel got his head down for the Heat and overtook 7 drivers right at the start. He was then locked in a tight battle for the next 7 laps, eventually crossing the finish line in 8th. The Filipino karter continued his progress in the Pre Final where he chased after more places to finish 6th.
With sand constantly blowing onto the circuit, Axel lost traction at the start of the Saturday Finals and was unable to get a good getaway. But he managed to limit the damage and only lost a spot to P7. After maintaining position for most of the race distance, Axel then made a late charge with MN Motorsport teammate Conor Clancy to eventually take the chequered flag in 5th.
Picking up learnings from the previous day, Axel was determined to improve his standings in Round 2 on Sunday. But he again struggled to put down fast laps in Qualifying as the other karters fought for track position, leaving him down in P13. He was able to make up for lost ground in the succeeding Heat, gaining 2 positions to climb up to 11th.
As the double-header weekend was coming to a close, Axel did not hold back in the Pre Final. He proceeded to gain 6 positions over the course of 10 laps to cross the finish line in 5th. However, all his hard work was undone when he received a 5.0 secs drop bumper penalty that relegated him to 9th.
Now well-acquainted with the racing environment in UAE RMC, Axel was set for a great result in the Sunday Finals. Starting from P9, he made an opportunistic move heading into Turn 1 and gained 2 places in the process. But then, disaster struck. Only a few hundred meters later, there was a massive pile-up at the hairpin which immediately wiped out several drivers. Unfortunately, this included Axel whose race was instantly cut short with a DNF.
While the UAE RMC weekend may have ended on a sour note, Axel is more than pleased to come home with 5th at Abu Dhabi. He now prepares for his next international race at the FIA Motorsport Games in Spain this coming October 23/27.
Axel Nocom: “Win or lose, it’s the experience that counts. We had some of the best racing against the locals in Rotax UAE who are just as tough as the Europeans in their home tracks. I’d like to give big thanks to my team MN Motorsport and my teammate Conor Clancy for helping me throughout the weekend. Thank you as well to the Pinoy mechanics and Al Ain crew for their support. Lastly, my credit goes also to team manager Dan, team boss coach Matthias, and our mechanic Kyle Moore.”
Axel Nocom is supported by the Mercedes Young Driver Development Philippines, Deseño MNL, Petromax Cars, Recaro Philippines, DENSO Spark Plugs, Ceramic Pro Philippines, Ravenol Philippines, AutoPlus Sports, DRIFT XAUST, DRIFT MOTOR Speedway, Ekartraceway, Kart Republic, New Era Cap Philippines, Skullcandy Philippines, Burlington Socks, Simagic, Cammus Philippines, Apex Racing Philippines, Monza Barcade, Pregame Motorsport Merchandise, and DG Budget Hotel.
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[Photos by Jon Gonzales]