Crack Filipino drivers compete in NASCAR

MANILA, Philippines - A crack Philippine racing squad joins Singapore in Team Asia set to slug it out with the top drivers from 10 other countries in the NASCAR Racing Experience (RaceEX) World Circuit firing off next month in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Europe-trained Under-21 driver Stefano Marcelo along with veterans Carlos Anton and Mike Potenciano head the men’s side while AF3-trained Gaby dela Merced, Pia Boren and Indy-lights trained Michelle Bumgarner make up the Phl ladies team in the by-invitation only circuit featuring drivers with championship track records.

With the overwhelming applications it has received from various countries, the Monaco-based Spirit Fund, which is undertaking half of the cost of the program, wants to ensure that only the best make their debut in the 40-lap race, which uses full-scale 865 horsepower Sprint Cup cars and held at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, the home of NASCAR.

It is positioned as the most expensive international developmental program for drivers in the years to come for US Stock Car Racing.

The NASCAR RaceEX circuit, which started as a corporate sponsors experience, has become a gateway for international drivers and their fan base to participate in the biggest racing sport in the US. The USA and Asia are the two big delegations this year.