The Next Big Thing: NASCAR comes to the Philippines via Asian V8 Championship

MANILA, Philippines - Although open-wheel racing gets the lion’s share of attention locally, Filipino motorsport fans will finally get to taste a different sort of racing action through the Asian V8 Championship. The brainchild of The Philippine Formula Autosport Foundation (PFAFI) headed by founder Tom Pastor, the Asian V8 Championship will use late-model NASCAR racing cars complete with 450hp 5.7-liter V8’s on local track venues.

PFAFI purchased eight late-model NASCAR racing cars in the hopes of drawing international talents to join the Asian V8 Championships. Already confirmed in the driver’s roster is Tom Pastor’s son, Enzo. Enzo is no stranger to the world of Philippine and international motorsports, having raced at the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series. At the end of the 12-race series, Enzo finished in the Magic 6. He is also the first Asian to be awarded in the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.

Organizers have also revealed that they are currently in talks with drivers from Macau, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, among others. All in all, PFAFI hopes to have a strong showing in its first year since the Asian V8 Championship is expected to run for at least five years.

The Asian V8 Championship kicks off with a grand launch at the Resorts World Manila Atrium on Thursday, February 27 at 6pm. The first official test at the Batangas Racing Circuit follows on March 1 with a two-day Festival of Speed kicking off the inaugural race of the Asian V8 Championship on April 5 to 6 at the Clark International Speedway.

Aside from cash prizes, the Asian V8 Championship is enticing international-caliber drivers to compete since the overall champion of the racing series will be able to race and compete in Europe in the NASCAR Whelen Series and in the USA in the K&N Pro NASCAR Series. The Asian V8 Championship is sponsored by the Philippine Department of Tourism and event partner Resorts World Manila.