Cebu?s young karting tiger is on the prowl once again and this time, he has the land of the rising sun, Japan, in his sights.

Paco Rodriguez will don the country's flag once again as he competes in the 2008 All-Japan Toyota SL Cup at the Biwako Sport Lan race track in Kyoto, Japan this week.

Rodriguez, a third-year high school student at the Sacred Heart School-Jesuits (SHS-J) school, will be competing in the KT 100 Expert class after he earned the right to represent the country by winning the Kartzone series last weekend.

The 2006 Junior Karter of the Year was in fine form as he tallied 125 points and held off the furious charge of rival Patrick Gandionco to capture the title and book his ticket to Japan.

He left for Japan on Monday and will have his training sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday before the race kicks off on Thursday.

The All-Japan Toyota SL Cup is part of Toyota Motor Corporation's Young Drivers Program.

The flagship program entails the participation of promising young drivers to identify and cultivate new talent and support their continuous improvement.

This program is aimed to foster drivers who hope to compete in top racing categories, both in Japan and throughout the world.

Rodriguez was ecstatic and excited at the prospect of competing against the best of the world and hopes that the experience he gained while competing in the World ROK Championships in Lunato, Italy last year will pay off.

?It's such an honor to be representing the country once again and I'm really looking forward to this race especially since I've worked really hard to get to where I am right now,? said Rodriguez in an exclusive interview with Cebu Daily News. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio