"It’s because sponsors now have a greater awareness of the Filipino’s achievements overseas," said Barretto in yesterday’s PSA Forum at the Holiday Inn Hotel. "And I’m so glad that they’re now here to help me."
The Filipino speed ace, who used to race abroad with the help of his family and some close friends, now has generous sponsors like Castrol GTX Magnatec, Toyota Manila Bay, EBC Brakes, Casio G-Shock and No Fear backing him up.
Sunday’s actual race and a couple of practice rounds will cost the 31-year-old Barretto at least $20,000 (P1 million) – excluding the use of a brand new Toyota Altezza, a 2.0 liter, rear-wheel machine with the Philippine flag painted on its roof.
"This time, I and my (Taiwanese) crew can concentrate more on our performance than sponsorship problems as in the past. And this will help me do my job better," said Barretto, the first Filipino to break into the European Circuit.
The 31-year-old Barretto shone in Europe last year while racing against some of the world’s best drivers. He won the Class III title in the BMW M3 class and also ruled races in Belgium, Germany and France with his British partner Matthew Marsh.
Sunday’s race, which drew 40 entries from 12 countries, will be made up of two stages of 12 laps each over the 6.3 km track. Since its first staging in 1954, the Macau GP has earned quite a reputation due to the challenge being offered by the street circuit.