C! TOP DRIVER CHALLENGE
The first leg of the competition proved to be another hit amongst car enthusiasts and wannabe race car drivers as close to four hundred participants joined the first leg which was the video game challenge. From these numbers, the finalists were narrowed down to sixteen participants coming from three venues: Timezone Glorietta 4, Ford Global, and Goodyear Alabang. This fifth installment attests that Filipinos are getting more and more into motorsports as the number of contenders increase every year.
The Rookies (Leg1 Winners)
The sixteen lucky studs who have moved on to the Karting Challenge were David Diaz, James Ortiz, Linolito Balita, Tetsuya Omura, Francis Macalimbon, Paolo Bringas, Victor Buensuceso, March Angeles, Johan Kalam, Rainier Santiaguel, Brandon Chin, Julian van Heeswjik, John Navarro, Paul Pacana, Kevin Chan, Bobby Noriega, Roland de Guzman, and Jed Jalandoni.
The Competition
The group was divided into two and was assigned random karts. After both groups finished their laps, everyone headed back for the lecture. Mike Tuason, senior race car driver, pointed out which aspect they had difficulty in, and offered helpful advice. The rookies absorbed these words of wisdom like a sponge while having lunch.
After the practice run, everyone got down to business as the two groups will be cut in half to determine to final ten who’ll be competing for the top six positions. No more friendly chitchat this time. The grid was arranged in reverse, meaning the one who achieved the fastest time in the practice run was placed in the last position. Protests were made, but Tuason was quick to defend, saying “this really happens in professional racing. If you have the talent in you, it doesn’t matter if you were put in last, you’ll pull it off in the end.”
The Finalists
After – laps, the best time of the day was the announcement of the top six who qualified for the Circuit Rally in Subic. True enough, Brandon Chin, who was put in the last position earlier, achieved the best time during the chase, impressing the spectators and his fellow competitors as well. The other lucky guys who will move on to the Circuit Class on July are: Paul Pacana, Roland de Guzman, Jed Jalandoni, Julian van Heeswjik, and the fastest among them, Bobby Noriega.
A former student of Tuason Racing School, this thirty-something businessman got a whopping 56:08 seconds in eight laps and went home with Oakley goodies & bragging rights. When asked how he felt upon winning that day, Bobby casually notes “The feeling was great. The experience is unbelievable, something I’ll never forget.”
At the end of the day, everyone was tired and beat down from the heat, but it was a worthy experience nonetheless. There were a few casualties, some minor cuts, but then again racing isn’t a sport for the soft-hearted. The others who couldn’t make it were cheerless to say the least; one even shed tears at the disappointment of not advancing. But there will always be next year. The good news is there is now ample time to prepare for the next race, and the mistakes ought to teach you a lesson. It was Nietzsche who said “what does not kill you makes you stronger.” No truer words can be supposed.The 5th C! Top Driver Challenge is made possible by Ford Racing and is presented by Petron Ultron, Ambi Pur, Schick, Standard Insurance, Goodyear, C! Magazine, Oakley, Rota Wheels, Tradeshow, Aguila Auto Glass, Acer, Strabright Body Kits, K & N Filters, Palmer Asia, A & R, Bilstein, Has Travel, Maxim, Mr. & Ms. Magazine, and Stoplight TV. For more details email info@tuasonracing.com or call 8177795.
