MANILA, Philippines - Fern-C Racing’s Audel Sison hurdled big odds in the final two rounds to capture the overall crown in the recently concluded 2011 Pro-Am Lateral Drifting Championship series in Marikina.
It was one dramatic finale for Sison, dubbed “Dr. Drift” as he was beset with problems that almost forced him out of contention. But his chief crew Jun Garcia never gave up and fixed his Nissan Silvia S13 driftcar called Jawbone just in time to capture the overall plum with the big help of Nankang Tires and Autocraft.
“It’s with God’s grace that we were able to overcome the problems. Thanks to Norman Agojo for lending his car Slingshot and that gave my mechanic Jun Garcia enough time to fix Jawbone in time for the championship round,” said Sison.
Steering wheel problems caused them to arrive late at the event site. Though still unresolved, his determination pulled him through the Top 16 spot in Round 8 to stay in contention for the title.
Likewise, defending champion Alex Perez only made it fourth, thus preserving Sison’s slim precarious lead.
In Round 9, he was familiarizing himself with the track using Agojo’s Slingshot when the good news came. The fixed Jawbone boosted his confidence and he drove his way to the finals against Gio Rodriguez.
Eventually Rodriguez emerged champion in Round 9 but the runner-up finish was enough to seal Sison’s championship victory over Perez.
Throughout the series, Sison bagged six trophies in nine races with his impressive wins in Rounds 2 and 5 and four runner-up finishes.