Miguel Quiñones was left wanting after a tough weekend in the Rotax Max Challenge (RMC) Asia Trophy. Extreme heat in Thailand hampered his performance that saw the Filipino karter finish outside the Top 10 in the Finals. Still, it was a valuable learning experience for the multiple-time national champion as he continues to improve his race craft in 2024.
Having visited the Bira Karting Circuit just a month prior, Miguel was able to quickly find his rhythm around the 1.321 km track. He gradually improved during Official Practice and set the 7th fastest time in the last session where he successfully dipped in the 55-second mark with a 55.852 secs best.
However, as more rubber was laid down on track, Miguel struggled to adapt fast enough to the changing conditions. Even more so, staying in top form in scorching weather proved to be a real challenge.
Still, he pushed on to finish the Qualifying Heats in a respectable 15th and 13th out of a strong 25-kart grid. This was good enough to allow Miguel to start the Pre Finals in P13.
Miguel had 14 laps to make his move up the standings in the Pre Finals. A few clever overtakes got him up to P9, but with the competition so fierce, making contact was inevitable. While fighting for position, another karter went on top of Miguel’s #345 kart, which lost him a lot of ground to end up in P18 at the finish. Adding insult to injury, a post-race penalty for a drop bumper further relegated him to 20th overall.
Now having to start way back in P20, Miguel had a lot of work to do in the all-important Finals. He made a clean getaway as the lights turned green and managed to pass several drivers in the opening laps. The Filipino karter was also lucky to avoid several race incidents that were happening around him. But racing under such high temperatures gradually took its toll on Miguel and his machine, preventing him from progressing higher up the standings. He held position towards the end of the 18-lap race to cross the finish line in a respectable 14th.
Bringing home the lessons learned from a challenging RMC Asia Trophy weekend, Miguel now has his eyes set on defending his points lead in the Rotax MAX Challenge Philippines as the series heads to the Palawan International Circuit at the end of April.
Miguel Quiñones is sponsored by DRQ Motorsports, RZQ The Aesthetic Surgery Clinic, RZQ Aesthetic Medicine Institute, Derma Medica, and Coca-Cola.
