New Subic raceway to open next month

The newly-upgraded Subic International Raceway will be unveiled to the motorsports community with the kickoff of the prestigious "Asian Formula of Speed", the Petron-Grand Pix and the Philippine National Touring Car Championship on April 13-14.

Lengthened to a full three kilometers, the circuit has undergone tremendous improvements in tandem with the continuing development of the Subic Freeport under chairman Felicito Payumo.

Sports Values, Inc. (SVI) president Pocholo Ramirez said the new track layout will prove more challenging to the drivers and their cars with its uphill and downhill sections and sweeping high-speed corners.

"We expect the races to be a lot more exciting than the previous years," said Ramirez, a multi-awarded race car driver himself who is credited for reviving circuit racing in the country in 1994.

"It (Subic International Raceway) is surely now one of the best in Southeast Asia," added Ramirez.

As host of international racing events for several years now, SIR continues this tradition by staging the first two rounds of the AFOS, considered as the premier motorsports event in Asia.

AFOS features the Asian Formula 2000 (AF2000) and the Asian Touring Car Championship (ATCC), which have been flagship racing championships in Asia for both single-seater and touring cars, respectively.

AF2000, for instance, was the training ground for current Malaysian Formula 1 driver Alex Yoong. While Formula 1 test driver Ryo Fujuda spent a season in the ATCC a few years ago.