Young Emirati racing star and 2019 WSK Champion Rashid Al Dhaheri notched up another stunning performance over the weekend, taking second place in Angerville, France, for Parolin Racing Kart. Competing against some of the world’s top karting talent in the WSK Euro Series in the Mini Category (8-12year-old), Rashid set a blistering pace all weekend, consistently placing inside the top six.
Early on in the race weekend (25th – 28th April), the young Emirati put in some strong performances during the four heats, coming in second twice despite being his first visit to the Angerville circuit. However, as a result of the rapidly changing weather conditions which the kart was not set up for, Rashid dropped a few places in the qualifying round, finishing a solid sixth place in his group and ninth overall in a field of 44 drivers.
Determined not to be left behind the young karting star rallied in the prefinal and stormed to victory with some skilful overtaking manoeuvres to cross the line in pole position with the fastest time in both groups. In a highly competitive and close-run final race, Rashid pushed hard against a tough field but was edged out in the end to cross the line in second place less than half a second behind the victor.
Rashid’s consistently strong performance throughout the weekend earned him significant championship points putting him in a solid third position in the overall standings in the WSK Euro Series Mini Category, a mere 14 points behind second place.
Rashid said: “Despite missing out on the top spot I am extremely pleased with my performance against some the toughest opposition I have faced. I was in good positions throughout the weekend and gained some good experience on this tough track. I am really looking forward to putting what I have learned into practice in the next few races. I am especially pleased because this puts me in a great position in the overall standings for WSK.”
Coach and ex-Formula 2 Champion, Italian Fausto Ippoliti, was on hand to support Al Dhaheri throughout the three days and summed up: “Despite being his first outing at the circuit, Rashid put in a polished performance against difficult competition many of whom have driven at Angerville before. I was most encouraged by the consistency of Rashid’s performance throughout the weekend in very changeable weather conditions. Rashid has an abundance of natural talent and skill but it is extremely encouraging he is able to adapt to tricky conditions and deliver consistent performances.” Angerville (F) was the theatre for the second round of the karting WSK Euro Series. The title quest will, resume from Lonato (BS) on June 23rd before the final round of Adria (RO) on June 30th. Rashid joined Parolin Racing Kart at the start of this season for World Series race participation including the WSK Karting series in Europe, Italian Championship and many others. Parolin Racing Kart specialises in racing and rental karts, components, accessories and engines. Parolin’s innovative spirit and creative approach in finding new technical solutions has helped it to widen a presence worldwide. The company is now known extensively as one of the most important and youngest kart manufacturers.
