Karter Gabriel Tayao Cabrera became the first Filipino to score a podium finish in the Asia Max Challenge (AMC) karting series by placing fourth in the championship leg at City Karting International Circuit in Shah Alam, Malaysia, recently.
The 15-year-old Cabrera, racing under the banner of Seaoil, was the youngest driver in the grid made up of national champions from the continent.
Perhaps the country’s finest karter in wet conditions, Cabrera worked his way from the back of the grid to pass several drivers in the slippery rain-soaked track.
Organized by James Leong in 2007, the AMC is reputedly the most competitive Rotax series in Asia and attracts hundreds of top-caliber drivers from around the world.
Cabrera, who is backed by DC, Gold’s Gym, Media Magic and R’s Design Japan, is set to vie in the Asian Karting Open Championships in Thailand and Macau starting next month.