Rashid Al Dhaheri got his UAE Karting season off to a flying start as he powered to victory in Round One of the X30 Challenge UAE at RAK Track with a determined display against a strong line-up of drivers in the Cadet Class.

The eight-year-old Emirati managed to qualify in second, remaining amongst pace setters throughout qualification in the very competitive class that features some of the MENA region’s top young karters in the 8 to 12 age group.

In Heat 1, Rashid dropped down to fifth at one stage before recovering to finish third. In the Pre-Final, he again found himself down in fifth before fighting his way back to finish in second place.

In a hot and humid Final, it was a similar story as Al Dhaheri dropped down the order to fifth after going off his racing line to avoid a collision. Undeterred by this setback, he chased down the pack, making his way through the field to pick up positions with every lap.

Late in the race he took second with the leader a mere 2.6 seconds ahead. In a thrilling final lap, Al Dhaheri held his nerve and skilfully overtook the leader to win a well-earned victory in the first X30 Challenge UAE karting race of the 2016-2017 UAE season.

On his way to victory Al Dhaheri also notched up the fastest lap time ever recorded in the cadet class on this track configuration.

Al Dhaheri said: “The gap was big but I knew I could catch P1. The set up on the kart was really good I managed to come back. I am really happy to win my home country.”