Pastor carries Phl hopes to Nascar

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino Enzo Pastor, whose racing monuments stand upon the battlefields of Europe and the US, sets out for a new challenge, the Euro NASCAR Touring Series, which zooms off March 30 in Nogaro, France and visits Clark in November.

“I haven’t felt this excited going into a race in a long time,” said Pastor before his departure for France, the first of 12 stops he is competing in over the next 10 months.

For the first time in nearly 10 years, Pastor, who has raced on various tracks, goes up against foreign competition in a race that requires one-make cars for participants, eliminating  the advantage in power and technology which had made him an underdog in international racing.

“I’ve never had the best car or anything like that. My past few stints in Macau would see me always being down on power or technology-wise.”

In NASCAR racing, homologated cars level the playing field, putting premium on skill and experience.

“Everyone has the same equipment,” says Enzo. “If there are any disadvantages, they are very minimal.”

Pastor will be guided by legendary former Formula One visionary Ted Toleman, who discovered and guided the career of Brazilian champion Ayrton Senna.

“He said I’m his last protégé,” Enzo shares. “Everyone knows Ted in the industry and I don’t think he’d be wasting his time on promoting and helping just anyone.”

Even as Pastor prepares for the Nogaro race, he can’t wait to race in the November stage where he will be showing his skills in front of his countrymen at the Clark International Speedway.

For the first time in Asia, and through the efforts of the Philippine Formula Autosport Foundation, Inc. (PFAFI), Clark is  hosting the Asian leg of the Euro Racecar NASCAR Touring Series.

Supporting Pastor in the series is the Department of Tourism, which, together with Petron, Resorts World, and Fox Sport, will serve as co-presentors for the first Asian-Philippine NASCAR leg.