Sarmiento rules Petronas dragfest

MANILA, Philippines - Danes Sarmiento flashed top form to rule the Quick 8 race in the second leg of the Petronas Philippine Drag Racing Championship Northern Series at the Clark International Speedway in Angeles City, Pampanga recently.

Sarmiento, a founding member and a top race engineer of Blanche Racing, set the day’s fastest time of 9.0148 seconds to dominate the field in the event sanctioned by the Automobile Association Philippines.

He seldom joined car races since seven-time champ Jonathan Tiu took over the team’s franchise but the H3 Autoworks Team mainstay made a triumphant return on a Rurex Honda Hatchback, nearly breaking the eight-second barrier.

Sarmiento turned back Arvin Millet of TEMZ in the first round and prevailed over Jayson Ong of JCT-Blanche Racing in the semis to forge a finals showdown with H3 Autoworks teammate Teofilo Edwin Cayco, who beat Rommel Dural of JCT-Blanche Racing to advance.

But Sarmiento clocked 9.263 seconds to capture the Quick 8 plum with Cayco turning in 10.768 seconds.

Ong prevailed over Dural with a 10.582-second clocking to finish third in the event sponsored by Petronas, Yokohama, M&H Tires GT Radials, and media partner Racing Beat at Wave 89.1.

Jayson Ong won the M&H Super Pro title with a 13.345-second clocking as Sarmiento succumbed to a red light violation with his 9.124 second run in their title showdown.