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Mumbai Teen Kiaan Shah Secures Stunning Second Place in Asia Karting Series

Mumbai's 15-year-old Kiaan Shah achieved his best international karting result with a second-place finish in Round 2 of the RMC Asia Trophy in Pattaya, Thailand. He clocked an impressive qualifying time of 51.218 seconds, just 0.118 seconds behind the fastest. Despite an engine failure in Heat 3 and rain chaos in the Super Heat, Kiaan recovered brilliantly to finish fourth and then second in the Final. He also won two trophies for the Asian and Thailand Championships, crediting his team's fantastic job with the kart.

Key Points: Mumbai's Kiaan Shah Finishes 2nd in Asia Karting Trophy

  • Kiaan Shah finishes second in Round 2 of RMC Asia Trophy in Pattaya
  • 15-year-old clocks impressive qualifying time of 51.218 seconds
  • Overcomes engine failure and rain chaos to secure podium
  • Wins trophies for both Asian Championship and Thailand Championship
2 min read

Mumbai's Kiaan Shah finishes second in star-studded Asia Series in Thailand

15-year-old Kiaan Shah from Mumbai finishes second in Round 2 of the RMC Asia Trophy in Thailand, showcasing exceptional pace and resilience.

"I am very happy how I drove this weekend. I had a bit of a pace deficit in Round 1, but now I am up there. - Kiaan Shah"

Mumbai, May 4

Mumbai's Kiaan Shah produced his best result yet in International Karting, with a second place finish in Round 2 of the RMC Asia Trophy on Sunday in Pattaya, Thailand.

The 15-year-old delivered one of his best qualifying results, clocking 51.218 on the 1.2 km Bira circuit, just 0.118 seconds behind Thailand's Pannu Stienmonkong who was fastest.

Kiaan started fourth in Heat 2, but lost a place at the start. He soon overtook Japanese racer Shun Sekiguchi and Eason Tseng of Chinese Taipei. Next, he got past Stienmonkong and finished second behind Thailand's Toby Gale.

Disaster struck in Heat 3, when Kiaan's engine shut off while running third. A quick-thinking Kiaan found the problem and fixed back a wire. But still finished last.

Kiaan started seventh in the Super Heat and drove a brilliant race to finish second. An accident caused a Full Course Yellow, allowing paramedics to attend an injured racer. Rain and chaos ensued, once the race resumed. Kiaan fell to sixth after a mistake, but recovered to finish fourth.

The result from all heats decided the starting grid for the Final. Kiaan had a bad start from fifth and lost a place. He made an extremely daring move and moved to fourth on Lap 1.

A series of quick laps saw him catch and get past Tseng to move into third. Next, he took down Krish Gupta to get behind the leader. Though he kept pace with the leader, Kiaan was unable to close the gap and eventually finished second, 3.8 seconds behind Gale. Stienmonkong was third. The same grid contested the Thailand Championship and therefore Kiaan won 2 trophies, one for the Asian Championship and one for the Thai.

"I am very happy how I drove this weekend. I had a bit of a pace deficit in Round 1, but now I am up there. The team did a fantastic job with the kart and I would like to thank everyone," said Kiaan.

Coach and mentor Rayomand Banajee added, "The grid was close at the top and Kiaan has had impressive pace all weekend. He has improved his qualifying pace on new tyres and it's good to see the progress he has made at this level."

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Great result, but I'm a bit concerned about the safety aspects mentioned in the article - an accident causing Full Course Yellow and an injured racer? At 15, these kids are pushing limits. Karting is dangerous enough without rain chaos. Kiaan showed amazing skill, but organisers need to prioritize safety protocols more.
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Priya S
My nephew is also into karting and this gives me so much hope! 🏁 Kiaan's ability to fix his own engine wire mid-race is incredible - not just driving but mechanical knowledge too. The fact that he won two trophies (Asian + Thai) shows real dominance. India needs more such young racers on international circuits. Well done, champ!
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Rohit P
Kiaan Shah and Rayomand Banajee - what a combo! 🔥 The coach mentioning improved qualifying pace on new tyres shows the technical depth. From being 0.118 seconds off pole to finishing second in final - that's elite progression. Hope this leads to Formula 4 opportunities. Indian motorsport needs more investment at grassroots level.
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Michael C
Impressive drive, especially the daring overtakes on Lap 1 of the Final. Being 3.8 seconds behind the leader in a tight field is respectable. But I wonder if Indian karting tracks are good enough to prepare kids for Asian circuits? We need more international-standard tracks at home to nurture talent like Kiaan.
K
Kavya N
Amazing to see Mumbai's own making waves in international karting! 🌟 The comeback from that engine failure shows mental toughness beyond his 15 years. That move to overtake Tseng and Krish

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