The event is actually Round 1 of the Kart City Racing Club’s (Tarlac) 2004 kart series, which turned out to be another feather in the cap for the Bosch-Intelco Racing Team sponsored by Bosch, Intelco, Accel Sportswear, Arrow Karts, Drew Price Engineering and PR Autosport.
The feat duplicated the tandem’s 1-2 windup in the FSL Light races during the second leg of the 2004 Shell Super Kart Series held recently in the Carmona circuit.
Aquino and Dizon wound up second and fourth on the 18-kart starting grid after the time trials. Then, Bosch Intelco drivers immediately stepped up their drives in the opening laps of the first heat to break away from the competition and never looked back to finish the race first and second.
The previous year’s winner Jopet Sy salvaged third place.
The Bosch Intelco team’s lopsided win in the opening heat cast aside the slightest hint of the excitement that was set to unravel in the finals.
The drama unfolded on the very first lap of the final heat when the polesitting Dizon uncharacteristically spun out to let half of the field pass him.
On the front row, Aquino and Sy were engaged in a tight running battle which brought the crowd to its toes. Aquio took an early lead but Sy stalked him shotgun in the ensuing laps.
With four laps remaining, Sy made a fantastic dive which gave him the lead, sending the crowd into a frenzy. Aquino, however, kept his composure and continued with his chase.