Circuit Showdown round one thrills fans; Mantolino tops Grid A

MANILA, Philippines - Paolo Mantolino, in his Subaru Spec C, came out on top in the Grid A race followed by Eggy Ong and Ferdinand Sia in the opening leg of the GT Radial-Circuit Showdown at the Batangas Racing Circuit.

Don Andaya, Alan Arguelles and Rico Cheng topped the 14-car Grid B, while first-timers Only Malabanan, Sandy de Guzman and Eugene Uyboco took the top three spots in Grid C of the seven-lap sprint races witnessed by hundreds of cheering spectators.

The GT Radial-Circuit Showdown, supported by GT Radial, HKS SuperOil, Rota Wheels, V-KOOL, Staging Lanes, Egghead, Top Gear Phil., ACCS, Runstop Rotors, PhilGerma, Foil-A-Car, ECW Performance and Discovery Suites, is one of the biggest motorsports events in the country wherein drivers enjoy camaraderie and good, clean racing in a safe environment.

Over 70 entrants, some from as far as Davao and Cebu, competed in the Time Trial event and 25 cars participated in the Grid Race.

The Time Trial event displayed a wide range of cars and supercars competing for top honors. Carlos Anton finished almost two seconds ahead of Joby Tanseco and Marc Thomann in Bracket A. Bracket B honors went to Jun Cruz, Rafael La’O and Philip Alvendia, while Don Andaya, Jesse Manze and Rico Cheng landed on the Bracket C podium. Polo Bautista, 14, topped Bracket D followed by Hervie Jao and Christian Sedano. Bracket E was dominated by Onyl Malabanan, Ton Ton Ramos and Michael Schvenke, while Patrick Chan, Eugene Uyboco and Roland Malad sealed it off for Bracket F.

Log on to www.circuitshowdown.com for more information.