Muscat: ISG International student Shonal Kunimal emerged as the winner of the Dubai O-Plate Championship held at the Dubai Kartdrome last Friday.
Dubai O-Plate is the United Arab Emirates’ annual big weekend for professional kart racers held at the Dubai Kartdrome. The event sets local talent up against international drivers for top honors of becoming Dubai O-Plate Champions on the world renowned circuit.
The prize for the Dubai O Plate Champion is 1x PAROLIN Kart Chassis complete with IAME cadet engine (Courtesy of George Gibbons Motorsport & IAME UAE) + 2 x Month Practice Package with GGM.
It was a determined performance from the young Shonal as his passion was evident in his performance as he won the O-Plate in the bambino class.
Leonardo Abalos, Shonal’s mechanic for the O-Plate, said he couldn’t ask more from Shonal while watching the excellent performance of Shonal in every time trial.
In the second time trial on race day, Shonal fell sick and was hit by a bout of dizziness and fever. But the young racer showed his resilience in abundance being aided by his mother Dr Nabrees Qandeel.
Shonal finished the third and final time trial with a difference of 2.5s ahead of the other racers.
In 2019 Dubai O Plate Championship, Shonal made a new record timed 1:13.129s, the fastest lap time ever in the Dubai O-Plate, in the third time-trial on 7th lap.
Shonal captured a difference of 1.755 seconds faster than last year O-Plate winner UK driver Maison Rudman who made 1m: 14.884s.
Shonal’s coach and former Oman international racer, Sanad al Rawahi said “I am extremely happy for Shonal. He has been very dedicated to the sport and he has worked very hard to reach to this level of driving. Shonal is very talented, smart, eager to learn individual and has got so much potential in future. As a coach, I am very much honored to be working with such a high-spirited boy. He has proven his worth at the O-Plate and he definitely deserved the O-Plate Champion title.
After the victory of all the four time trials, Shonal with a lead of 2 seconds made a clean sweep to be on the top spot. Romania’s Lennard Titica tried chasing Shonal on each time-trial who got the second position and Nicholas Stura (Italian driver) hold the 3rd position.
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