Manalo steals spotlight over drag racing faves

MANILA, Philippines - Marc Manalo of RSL Motorsports stole the roar from the favorites as he scored  his first win in the premier M&H Pro class over young sensation Arvin Jay Millet of TEMZ recently in the third and penultimate leg of the 2013 Petronas Philippine Drag Racing Championship Southern Series at the Batangas Racing Circuit.

It was a fitting revenge for Manalo who lost the M&H Pro class title to Millet in the second leg. The victory installed Manalo as a strong contender for the national  crown along with Millet and defending champion Jonathan Tiu of JCT-Blanche Racing.

Marc is on course to duplicate the efforts of his older brother Martin,  who captured the 2011 Drag Racing Driver of the Year plum to snap Tiu’s title streak. 

Much like their title duel in the second leg, the pressure was so intense that both drivers stepped on the gas hard and completed their quarter-mile runs faster than their submitted dial slips, resulting in another double breakout.

This time, Manalo won the title outright with a time of 12.16 seconds against Millet’s 12.245 seconds. Jonathan Young of JCT-Blanche Racing, who lost the semifinal match against Millet in another double breakout, settled for third place.

Despite finishing second, Millet leads the race for the Southern Series and Drag Racing Driver of the Year plums even as Tiu plucked his third straight Quick 8 title.