MANILA, Philippines - In the world of sideways racing otherwise known as the sport of Drifting, Japanese driver Daigo Saito is an icon. After dominating the inaugural Formula Drift Australia at the Calder Park Raceway last May, and a convincing win in the 2012 Formula Drift Series on board his Achilles-Motul Lexus SC430, Saito is adjudged by sports writers as the best drift racer in the world today.
In the local front, David Feliciano of DMF Drift, the man who pioneered the sport in the country, is on a mission to possibly find the next Daigo Saito among our ranks. “The participants in the Novice Drift Series (NDS) are young, talented and gutsy. These are the core elements of a drift warrior. Like Saito, drifting at an early age will enable you to mature into a potent racer,†says Feliciano, whose Novice Drift Series Leg 2 is due to be staged on August 1 at the Megatent in Libis, Quezon City.
Like Saito, Feliciano and competitors in the NDS use Achilles 123 S Tires and powered by Motul oil and lubricants. “Achilles tires provide exceptional grip on the track, and Motul’s fully synthetic properties allow us to push our cars to the limits of performance,†says Feliciano.
The drift battle on August 1 will be hotly contested by a grid of 25 novice drivers who will race in 16 tandem runs. Their track performance will be critiqued by professional drift racers Audel Sison, Boodie Dabasol and Alex Perez. Among the Novice drivers, expected to lock horns with one another will be Struan Wallace of Car Porn Racing; Eric Suliguin of Team G Motor Worx; Pocholo Hizon of Autocraft Racing, Marc Ong, Cedric Cabanero, lone lady driver Tin Tin David and the NDS youngest competitor Carlos Luis Gono of Autoplus-Motul Racing Team. “We are very happy with the turnout of competitors and these young hot shoes are the future of the sport,†adds Feliciano. The NDS is sponsored by Achilles Tires, Motul, Atoy Customs and organized by DMF Drift.