Hoping for just a fifth place effort after registering the fastest lap in the practice rounds Friday, Peña got more than what he came for as he zoomed his way from the back of the pack to the top of the heap in one of the most thrilling races this season.
"It’s good, I feel great coming from last. I put my heart and soul into that," said an ecstatic Peña, who is racing for Team Goddard.
Peña officially clocked 19 minutes, 36.54 seconds but was at first disqualified for overtaking on a yellow flag twice — the first in the fifth lap over Moreno Soeprapto of Indonesia and in the 13th and penultimate lap against series leader James Winslow — giving Sy the win.
But after some clarifications, Peña eventually ended up the winner.
Soeprapto, who figured in an accident in the Sentul International Circuit in Indonesia two months ago, said he allowed Peña to overtake him due to break problems and so with Winslow, who is obviously focused in avoiding accidents and just finishing the race to preserve his lead.
"It just goes to show that these are honest guys and they’re just real gentlemen," said Peña.
"They’ve proven a lot to me with regards to respect. My respect to them just rocketed sky high.
"They could easily have said ‘No, he passed me on the yellow flag.’ But to tell the truth on what really happened, that proves a lot," added Peña.
Sy was relegated to second place on 19:37.587 but he made a big leap from third to second in the overall standing with 188 points.
Jackson actually finished second but he was heavily penalized for a jumpstart to skid to eighth place and third overall with 187 points.
"We can’t do anything about it, I’m just happy, I know I really won this race," said Sy. "It’s okay, at least the Philippines had a 1-2 finish."
Winslow, the top racer for Fujitsu Racing with Threebond JA Motorsport, kept his big lead with 227 and would need to just keep it safe and accident-free in the last three races to win it all.
"I had a problem with the brake and I didn’t see the flag, I let him pass before the hard right because I had a problem with my car," said Soeprapto, who slipped from a podium finish to fourth ahead of Dillon Battistini of Great Britain.
"I just told them the truth, with my position and what happened and just let the stewards make the decision," he added.
"I could have guessed there could be some controversy over the whole thing but when Dado got past me I actually eased up the power, I don’t really have too much problem with him getting past me," Winslow said.
Another Filipino, stunner Michelle Bumgarner, also made a showing after she topped the promotions class, besting Indonesian Satrio Hermanto.
Gaby dela Merced, a head-turner who is also competing in the same class like Bumgarner’s, crashed out as early as the first lap.
Starting at the bottom of the lean but mean 10-car pack, Peña gradually climbed his way to eighth after the first two laps, to seventh in the third, sixth in the fifth, fifth in the seventh, fourth in the ninth, third in the 13th, and finally, to first place in the 14th and last lap.
Sy likewise had an exceptional run, surpassing Winslow as early as the second lap and keeping pace with Jackson until the 13th before Peña took over.
The event is backed by PLDT myDSL, Yokohama, Big Shot Billiards, Mossimo, Oky Enhanced Water, Lima City Hotel, Asti Cinzano, Samsung, Silver City Automall, Viva Mineral Water and Powerade.