MANILA, Philippines - Christopher Joseph “CJ” Tsui of Industria Racing held his ground against top-caliber foreign rivals and wound up among the top three Filipino finishers in the Philippine KF2-KF3 Cup Series and the Philippine leg of the Asian Karting Open Championship at the Carmona Racetrack in Cavite last weekend.
The 17-year-old De La Salle Santiago Zobel Senior put up a gallant stand and turned in a remarkable showing in his first crack at the premiere Senior division.
He topped Round 2 of the Phl KF2-KF3 Cup Series, humbling his more experienced Industria Racing teammate Bobby Domingo and Cebu’s Tonyo Carcel then finished third in Round 3 behind Industria Racing teammate Franco Reyes and eventual winner Milo Rivera.
Tsui, backed by Asia Overseas Transport Co. Inc., also played a big role for Team Phl in the Asian Karting Open Championship where he turned in a podium finish in the premiere Formula 125 Open Senior class at fifth.
After erstwhile leader Milo Rivera spun out of the race on a loose tire, Tsui stepped up and fought back to emerge the lone Filipino among the top five finishers at third.
In the Final Race, Tsui started on the third grid and got caught in a mix-up that dropped him to the last of the 22-man grid.
But he rallied midway of the 28-lap race and went on to finish fifth, improving on the seventh-place effort by the lone Filipino bet in the said premiere class in the kickoff round of the Asian Karting Open in Macau last month.
“There could only be one champion in any race. Still, I’m glad to have played a significant role for the Philippine title campaign in this prestigious event up against the best of the Asian region,” said Tsui.