Mumbai, March 31 (NationPress) - India’s emerging karting star, Kiaan Shah from Rayo Racing, celebrated a remarkable achievement on his Senior international debut with a stunning double podium finish during Round 2 of the IAME Asia Series and IAME Thailand Series.

The 15-year-old racer from Mumbai faced a challenging lead-up to the event after suffering a fractured arm from a snowboarding accident in late December, which kept him out of action for nearly two months. Despite limited practice time, Kiaan impressively transitioned from the Junior category to a fiercely competitive Senior field, which included a World Champion along with multiple Asian and European titleholders.

Kiaan exhibited impressive speed throughout the heats, ultimately starting 14th on the grid for the Final. He delivered a tenacious performance, progressively moving up the ranks to secure a fifth-place finish, trailing just 1.6 seconds behind the reigning Asian Champion, Yu Ka Po from Hong Kong. This result qualified him for a podium finish, with the top five competitors recognized as winners in this intense competition.

As the Round of the IAME Asia Series also counted for the Thailand Series, Kiaan earned a third-place classification, securing the second runner-up trophy, as two of his rivals were not registered for the Thai standings. He concluded the race behind Singapore’s National Champion, Dillan Tan, and the eight-time Thai Champion, Toby Gale.

Kiaan reflected on his comeback by stating, “The past three months have been challenging. I owe immense thanks to my doctors, physiotherapists, and my trainer Rohan for their support in my recovery and preparation for the Senior category's demands.”

His coach and mentor, Rayomand Banajee, remarked, “Achieving a podium on his Senior international debut has surpassed expectations. Competing against such a high-caliber field makes this result even more remarkable.”

Having missed the opening round due to his injury, Kiaan made an immediate impact among a competitive 39-driver lineup at the Bira International Karting Circuit, qualifying seventh in his group. The large field was divided into four groups for the heats.

He finished fourth in Heat 1 after a strong and clean drive, while in Heat 2, he bounced back from an early setback to finish seventh. However, Heat 3 was detrimental as he was struck from behind by an Indonesian competitor on Lap 2, forcing him to retire due to damage.

Starting tenth in the Super Heat, Kiaan managed to climb to sixth before ultimately finishing eighth, with competitors on fresher tires gaining an edge.

The DNF impacted his overall standing, placing him 14th on the Final grid. Undeterred, Kiaan launched strongly at the start, breaking into the top ten early on and steadily closing in on the lead group, eventually finishing fifth in the Asian category.