Rashid’s new year continues
in a winning spirit against strong global competition
Abu
Dhabi – Lonato – 18th February 2020: Young Emirati
karting star Rashid Al Dhaheri achieved a convincing win at the 25th
Winter Cup at South Garda Karting in Lonato Italy, over the 14th-16th
February. This achievement provides a continuation of a star-studded 2019 and
adds to an exciting start of 2020, as Rashid adds another trophy to his
cabinet.
The Winter Cup attracted more
than 300 drivers from 47 countries in four categories. Rashid took part in the
Mini ROK category and had a solid performance throughout the racing weekend,
with qualifiers and heats seeing him reach the apex of pole position in his
group. This saw Rashid well-placed in second row of the grid upon the final
race start.
Straightaway in the first lap of
the race, Rashid, flying Parolin colours with kart number 457, broke through
from the second to the first row and surged ahead to the front, overtaking the
competition and immediately taking the lead. With the standard of racers high,
the competition was fierce throughout the race and the chasing karts made this
a challenge.
With a stunning performance, the
young talent held firm throughout the 12 laps and with a stellar performance
dominated the race. The victory didn’t come easy however, as the second-place
kart spent the whole race glued to Rashid’s rear bumper.
The final battle on the last lap
saw high pressure for Rashid, however he held out with a brilliant performance.
Pulling away from the chasing second and third karts, as the checkered flag
waved, Rashid powered ahead over the finish line to achieve victory.
Shortly after receiving his trophy, Rashid
said: “South Garda is a track I know well and to win here is always special,
particularly on this occasion where it was a tough racing weekend. The
competition was strong and it is a split second here and there on straits and
corners that makes the difference. Therefore, I would like to thank my coach
Fausto Ippoliti who teaches me how to maximise my edge and my mechanic that
makes my kart run to its best.”
Team Principal Marco Parolin said: “This
victory has provided Rashid with a superb start to 2020 and this Winter Cup at
the South Garda track attracts some of the greatest global racers. It is a
great privilege to work so closely with talent that is flourishing and my team
is proud to be involved in Rashid’s development. We anticipate that on the
strong platform from 2019’s many trophy wins, we can work with Rashid on
refining his abilities to a higher level.”
The South Garda Karting track was built in 1988 and features
a full-length of 1200 metres, a width of nine metres and grandstand capacity of
2000 people. The circuit is renowned as one of the most important International
tracks, is CIK FIA approved and has been specifically designed to deliver an
adrenaline-fuelled route.
