Mazda joins Cannonball 1,000 km run

MANILA, Philippines - Mazda Philippines has joined the growing list of participants in the Cannonball 1000, a unique motorsports event traversing a North Luzon route of over 1,000 kilometers under a time limit of only 24 hours.

Mazda Philippines president Steven Tan announced their participation in the Jan. 9  event, where the Japanese car company pledged two cars for use by Cannonball’s celebrity participants,  as well as  lending support  to the first 10 registered participants driving their Mazda cars.

The Cannonball 1000, which backed by Granstar Motors, KTM, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Vespa,  MV Augusta, Ducati, BMW and Mazda, is open to all cars and motorcycles with displacements of 301cc and above to ride along the scenic North Luzon loop, passing through towns Baloc, Ilagan, Tuguegarao, Aparri, Pagudpud, Laoag, Vigan, La Union, Baguio, and Tarlac and back to Clark.

The riders and drivers’ briefing will be held in Urdaneta Village Club House on Jan.  2, from 6 p.m. onwards. All participants are invited.

Prominent personalities have already made themselves available for the event, among them Danby Henares, host of the TV show Xtreme Riders, actors Richard Gutierrez and Dominic Ochoa, actresses Diana Zubiri and Jackie Rice, circuit-racer Gaby dela Merced, chef Andrew Lopez, host/model Andy Smith and Team Thunderbugs from Bacolod City, led by its chairman Manuel Lamata.

The journey starts at the Widus Hotel and Casino in Clark Pampanga on the night of Jan. 9.

Underbones and scooters pegged at 300cc and below will fall under a class of their own, the Cannonball 500, which will be tracing a similar but more compact route of 500 kms under a 12-hour time limit.

To register: www.cannonballclubph.com or cel. No.  0919 610 0588 (Smart),  0927 360 7309 (Globe), or Facebook.