Pinoy ace drivers vie in Phl grand touring 4th leg

MANILA, Philippines - The country’s top drivers seek crucial wins to bolster their respective title chances as the fourth leg of the 2014 Yokohama Philippine Grand Touring Car Championship gets going tomorrow at the Clark International Speedway in Pampanga.

Defending champion Jody Coseteng resumes his hunt for back-to-back plums in a bid to close in on frontrunning Taysan Batangas Mayor Dondon Portugal in the event serving as part of the 2014 BRC Motorsports Championship season.

Spicing up the event are hostilities in the PhilMiniracers Championship Series, the VW KaFER Cup, the Winds Formula Philippines and the fast growing favorite Sparco Bracket Circuit Racing.

Coseteng staged a successful comeback after missing the first two legs by sweeping the GT300 crowns in both the 10-lap Sprint and the 17-lap GT Main races of the last leg of the event presented by Petronas, sponsored by Yokohama and sanctioned by the Automobile Association Philippines (AAP).

Another sweep would move him just 65 points behind if Portugal would wind up second in both races.

Coseteng earned 60 points for his feat in the last leg and could still pull an upset for the crown with a sweep of the rest of the six-leg series against Portugal, who has pooled 150 points.

Also in the hunt for the GT300 title are celebrity racer Jomari Yllana and Velli-Matti Kaikkonen of Häfele-Tuason Racing.

A four-way fight among Paolo Mantolino and defending PTCC champion Carlos Anton of Ethanworxs-R33 Racing, 2010 PTCC champion Joey Pery and former GT champ William Tan also looms for the GT200 plum.

Mantolino still keeps the solo lead but Anton and Pery have closed in on him following victories in the Sprint and GT Main races, respectively, in the last leg. Tan, on the other hand, is due for a big win.

Richmond dela Rosa, meanwhile, guns for another sweep to secure solo leadership against first leg winner Joel Portugal and second leg champion Dindo de Jesus.

Joining them in the tough nine-man grid are Ed Anguluan, Raymond Ronquillo, Ronald Ancheta, Antonio Rock Moncupa, Walter Zamora and Bong Perez.

Edwin Rodriguez also seeks to maintain his lead in the GT 100 division over Arvin Drueco.

For details, contact the Batangas Racing Circuit c/o Nelson Gayola or Rodini Rivera at (632) 729-72 41-42, 729-5365 or fax 844-7766, 0922 8858410 or like us on Facebook, www.facebook.com, Batangas Racing Circuit or visit www.batangasracingcircuit.org.