Anton takes round 1 in Hillclimb kick-off leg

MANILA, Philippines - Castrol-Yokohama-Mark Young driver Carlos Anton was off to a perfect start in the 2012 Hillclimb kick-off leg held at the Backsil Ridge in La Union over the weekend.

Anton, seeking his sixth crown this season, posted a time of 1:30.30 up the hill, a clear 4 seconds faster than the second fastest time set.

“It’s a great way to kick off 2012 and the car ran perfectly all day. The course had some slippery and dirty portions that caught a lot of us out but overall it was good,” Anton said after his run using the Mark Young-prepared 200 horsepower CRX.

Anton’s Yokohama-Hornitex teammate Alfie Concepcion took home Group 4 honors even though the 2011 Group 4 champion suffered from a broken alternator and power steering belt, and struggled up the mountain on his second run.

Borek Fallorin ruled Group 3 while Ryan Gacayan took his first win in Group 2. Dennis Dupo and JL Passion were the winners in Group 1 and Group S, respectively.

The 2012 season has three championships at stake – North Series, South Series and the Overall Championship. The North series will hold two legs in La Union and the South will hold two legs east of Manila. All racers will then meet for the final two rounds at Mt. Samat for a day and night race to determine the champions.

“Most of the racers ran with stickers on today saying ‘An extra mile for Eric’, it’s for our fellow Baguio racer, Eric Esguerra, who I dedicate this win to. He is battling cancer and is a real inspiration to all of us.” Anton said.

The first round for the South Hillclimb Championship is somewhere in the Hills East of Manila on March 4. Information: Hillclimbclub.com.