- Shahan made his Rotax Junior debut in the Meco Motorsport Rotax Kart Open.
- Took pole position, two wins plus five podiums to finish on top of the Junior rookie standings and 2nd in Open.
15 May 2017 (Meco Kartopia, Bangalore): Reigning Asian Karting Champion and two-time Indian National Champion racer Shahan Ali Mohsin kicked off his National Karting season on a high note to finish 2nd in the Meco Motorsport Rotax Kart Open held here over the weekend.
Competing in the Rotax Junior category (13-16 years) for the very first time, having stepped up from the Micro Max category (8-12 years), Shahan showed formidable pace befitting a multiple champion and put up a tough fight to older and more experienced drivers in the category.
The weekend was packed with action, consisting of qualifying sessions and eight races in total with accumulated points deciding the eventual winner.
Right from the outset, it was clear that Shahan would be challenging at the sharp end of the grid after he put in some quick times in practice, but disaster struck in qualifying as he was unable to go out due to a technical issue.
This meant he had to start at the back of the grid for the first race and come through the pack, but things didn’t further go according to plan as his kart’s chain came off on the formation lap which meant instant retirement.
With zero points after race one, a bid for the title was looking tough but Shahan put his head down for the second race and how! He blitzed through the pack like a man possessed –finishing second and came within 1.3 seconds of eventual winner Chirag Ghorpade.
Back in the rhythm, Shahan went on to clinch two outright wins and another five podiums to clinch the Rookie Category title, while missing out on the Open Category by a whisker and finishing 2nd.
“A great way to kick off the 2017 national season here in Bangalore. Was great to catch up everyone in the paddock after what felt like eternity! The warmth, affection and support at home is just unparalleled compared to anywhere in the world”, said Shahan.
“This was our first race weekend in the Junior category and things went pretty well overall, even though we could have done without the issues on Saturday. But nevertheless it was a good outing battling with the more experienced drivers and in the end I’m pretty happy with the result”, he added.
Shahan is supported by AFMEC – Sakura Air conditioners, Farida Group – Alina Leathers.
