MANILA, Philippines - Unheralded Mark Mabiliran pulled off a shock win in the Expert class to grab the spotlight at the start of the National Drag Racing Championship Southern Series at the Batangas Racing Circuit Drag Strip in Rosario, Batangas recently.
Mabiliran leaned on the luck of the draw then flashed top form to clinch the crown in his debut stint in the event sanctioned by the Automobile Association Philippines and sponsored by Clark International Motor Show (CIMS), M&H, Sparco, Aguila Auto Glass and GT Radials.
With defending Expert champion Arvin Jay Millet of TEMZ booted out early and another top contender Jannery Millet out of the action, the battle for top honors became a wide-open race.
Mabiliran, after hurdling his first round assignment, turned back Sherwin Joseph Berania and Haime Bora in the next rounds, thwarted Anthony Alcala in the quarterfinals then survived veteran John Jeremie Cabreros in the semis to arrange a final showdown with Arvin’s younger brother, 16-year-old Chris Jayson Millet who took a bye to the finals after outlasting Jeff Cruz.
But Malibiran upstaged the young but more experienced Millet, taking control midway of the quarter-mile course en route to victory in 13.648 seconds.
Millet had a 14.352-second clocking for the runner-up crown while Cabreros finished third.
Robert Palmero II took the Sportsman title in 14.731 seconds, edging Sherwin Jay Esguerra (14.777).
while Cer Oliriz Alcala bagged the Hotstreet crown over Phoebe Ansel Perez and Malvin Alcantara.
Meanwhlie, drag racers head back to Clark for the second leg of the 2015 Philippine Drag Racing Championship Northern Series on Feb. 14, coinciding with the staging of the much awaited 2015 Clark International Motor Show (CIMS).
For details, contact the Batangas Racing Circuit c/o Nelson Gayola or Rodini Rivera at (632) 7295365, Mobile 0932-8604522 like us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/ Batangas Racing Circuit or check out our website www.batangasracingcircuit.org.