Go first Filipino to break 11

Raymond Go of Team Autoplus made history Saturday at the Manila Harbour Centre Super Dragway when he kissed goodbye to the 11s to become the first Filipino to land in the 10-second drag time zone.

The "Fastest Car" national record, set at the Phil. Drag Racing Familysport’s (PDRF) Battle by the Bay, now stands at 10.869 seconds at 135.13 mph in the quarter-mile. Go backed the much-awaited record run with a 10.920 at 134.72 mph.

In an earlier unofficial pass, he scorched a blistering 10.866 at 135.13 mph. His jaw-dropping passes, in a turbocharged Honda Civic hatchback, were clocked by the Phil. Motor Association.

Go, assisted by Team Autoplus’ Latin American tuners Joe Alaniz and Francisco Blanco, shattered the previous records of Redline Racing’s Dondi Montecillo (11.057) and Matonetics’ Mato Tan (11.075). PDRF awarded him an P8,000 cash prize.

The second PDRF Battle by the Bay drag race event was supported by track owners Manila Harbour Centre and Landtrade Properties, San Miguel Corp., Goodyear Tires, Nodalos Mufflers and Headers, Outlast Batteries, C.A. Roque Machine Shop ad Monster Radio RX-93.1.

Aside from the record setting feat, Go also bagged the Quick 8 and All-Blown Cars championships.

Other winners were Mato Tan and Vicente Pena in the Pro bracket; Marvin Montecillo and Gil Villanueva in the Sporstman class; Ryan Lee and Nicky Jamiana in Hot Street; and Mark Uson and Carlo Manuel in the Street Stock bracket. Matonetics’ John Chua took the Honda Challenge and All-Motor Shootout championships.