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Miguel Quiñones bags 2nd in dramatic photo-finish at RMC Asia Langkawi

The fight for victory went down to the wire when the Rotax Max Challenge (RMC) Asia Trophy hosted its 3rd event at the Morac Adventure Park in Langkawi. Miguel Quiñones was locked in a race-long battle with Ariff Azmi, with the Filipino driver bagging 2nd place across the finish line just 0.056 secs behind the Malaysian.

Racing under the colors of DRM Motorsports, the multiple-time karting champion quickly found his footing around the 1.230 km circuit and set the 2nd fastest time in Qualifying with only a 0.286 secs gap to pole.

This gave him a P2 start for the 10-lap Heat, but was overtaken by Kish Gupta from Indonesia on the opening lap. The pair were neck-and-neck until Miguel found a way past on lap 5 and chased after Azmi in the lead. Although he was able to reel in the Malaysian, the gap was already too big as Miguel crossed the finish line in 2nd.

The Filipino karter wanted to keep the momentum going going into the 14-lap Pre Final. He was glued to Azmi’s rear bumper for 10 straight laps and kept pressure on the leader. Miguel finally found an opening on lap 11 and made the move stick. From then on, all he had to do was keep Azmi behind him ’til the chequered flag dropped to secure 1st place by a small 0.165 secs lead.

It soon became evident that the 17-lap Final was going to be a head-to-head match between Miguel and Azmi. This time though, Azmi was able to snatch the lead away from Miguel on the run to the first corner. The pair were nose-to-tail and traded places at almost every lap, while opening up a gap to the rest of the field. Miguel then made a last-ditch effort on the final lap to pass Azmi with the pair concluding the race in a dramatic photo-finish. Azmi snatched away the win by 0.056 secs with Miguel coming home in a commendable and hard-earned 2nd place in the Senior Max category.

Even with his podium finish, Miguel feels that there were still some areas he could have improved on. What’s more important, however, is that the progress he has made over the last few races now translate into results. With guidance from Indonesian karter Prassetyo Hardja, his achievement in Langkawi was night and day compared to his performance during Round 2 in Thailand – progress he hopes to replicate in succeeding events.

Miguel Quiñones is sponsored by DRQ Motorsports, RZQ The Aesthetic Surgery Clinic, RZQ Aesthetic Medicine Institute, Derma Medica, and Coca-Cola.

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Koby Del Rosario

Koby Del Rosario

A student of the De La Salle University Manila taking up BS in Advertising, Koby continuously strives to learn and develop his knowledge and skills as a sports writer and as an events host and photographer.
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Koby Del Rosario

Koby Del Rosario

A student of the De La Salle University Manila taking up BS in Advertising, Koby continuously strives to learn and develop his knowledge and skills as a sports writer and as an events host and photographer.
View All Posts
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