Anton, Potenciano gear up for Nascar kickoff in US

MANILA, Philippines - Castrol-Yokohama-Mark Young driver and six-time Philippine hillclimb champion Carlos Anton is in the thick of preparations for the biggest race of his career – the Nascar Race-Ex World Circuit –  next month at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina.

“I’m so glad the Filipinos will be part of this historic race where 12 nations will be competing at the 2.5 km oval. I know our chances are good because I have the best teammates who will be joining me in the US,” Anton said.

The other Filipino team members are his mentor, international racing champion Mike Potenciano, four-time Karter of the Year Stefano Marcelo, Indy-lights protégé Michelle Bumgarner and lady champion drivers Gaby de la Merced and Pia Boren.

The Philippine team is backed by the Manozca Foundation, ABS-CBN, Fox Sports, Cebuana Lhuillier, Ford Global City, Philippine Airlines, STP, Prestone, Marcelo Racing, Goodyear, Coral World Park and Spirit Sports.

They will be using full scale 865 horsepower Sprint Cup Nascar racing machines built to hit top speeds of over 330 kph in an oval with banking of 24 degrees. Also competing are the USA, Australia, New Zealand, China, Singapore and Malaysia.

“It’s a dream come true to be able to once again represent the country on the world stage, the pressure is immense since none of us have been inside a Nascar before but with the proper training in the coming weeks it should be good,” Anton added.