Manalo scores eye-popping win

MANILA, Philippines - He only surfaced lately as the unlikely title contender following his first career win last month as spectators were more focused on the looming showdown between multi-titled veteran Jonathan Tiu of JCT-Blanche Racing and young sensation Arvin Jay Millet of TEMZ for the overall crown. 

But Marc Manalo of RSL Motorsports proved them wrong as he stole the spotlight from the two with his pivotal back-to-back victory in the premier M&H Pro class to capture the overall plum of the 2013 Petronas Philippine Drag Racing Championship Southern Series recently at the Batangas Racing Circuit.

Exceptional raw talent steered the 20-year-old Med Tech intern to one of the most celebrated and monumental title-clinching feats in Philippine drag racing history. 

Manalo bagged the coveted diadem on his rookie season and more significantly, he had to beat his older brother, 2011 overall champion Martin Manalo, in the final duel to prove himself worthy as the Petronas Drag Racing Southern Series overall champion of this event sanctioned by the Automobile Association Philippines (AAP) and sponsored by Petronas, Yokohama, GT Radials, M&H Tires, Racing Beat at Wave 89.1 and Inside Motoring @DZRJ 810khz.

Marc turned back more experienced Jayson Ong of JCT-Blanche Racing to arrange a finals faceoff with his brother, who got an easy ticket for the title after earning a bye.

It was a close showdown at the start but Marc Manalo stepped on the gas just in time to gain distance and complete the quarter-mile course in 12.584 seconds or almost a second ahead of Martin (13.507).