RP stages first leg of Asian Formula 3

The biggest car racing event ever to hit Philippine tracks flags off April 24 when the first of six legs of the Asian Formula 3 Championship is held at the Batangas Racing Circuit.

The Philippines and China share three legs each of the prestigious event aimed at producing local drivers who could soon make it to the elite Formula 1, a dream AF3 organizers said could be achieved in the very near future with the present crop of young drivers sprouting from the other motorsports disciplines like karting and the slalom circuits.

Asian Formula 3 Corp. chairman Jose Eduardo Peña, chief organizer of the event, said the AF3 offers an opportunity for the local riders to pursue their dreams of becoming the first Filipino to make it to the Formula 1 races, although a handful others have already come close to making it to the elite group of drivers, among them the late Dodjie Laurel and the still rising Angelo Barreto.

Since its inception in 2000, Peña said Philippine tracks have been spruced up to meet international F3 standards, giving green light to the BRC and the Subic International Raceways to host three legs of the AF3.

"Formula 3 was professionalized to meet international standards and we could say, after three years of hard labor, that we have met most so that the Philippines could also become a car racing haven in Asia and the Pacific," Peña said.

After the first races in Batangas, Subic takes its turn in hosting the second leg May 29-30, before the races are moved to China with stops scheduled in Beijing (July 17-18), Zhuhai (Sept. 11-12), and Shanghai (Oct. 23-24) before the final races go back to Batangas Dec. 4-5.

To spice up the event, the Golden Wheel Foundation, comprised of heads of different motorsports disciplines, will honor the top riders of last year tomorrow when it hosts the Golden Wheel Awards Night at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium of the RCBC Tower in Makati.

Sen. Robert Barbers is the invited guest speaker as the thriving racing industry acknowledges the top performers of 2003 in scooter, superbikes, motocross, karting, slalom, rallying, rally co-driver, 4x4 racing, Formula Toyota and Formula 3.

The Motorsports Rider of the Year will also be named while the Hall of Fame Award will also be selected from among the winners in each of the 12 racing categories.

Aside from the AF3, other organizers of the Golden Wheels Awards, which also lined up activities for another busy season in 2004, include the Philippine International Karting Association (PIKA), Batangas Racing Circuit, National Motorcycle Sports and Safety Association (NAMSSA), Race Motorsports Club, Activity Asia Association, National Association of Filipino Off-Roaders and the EL Racing Tech.