Motorsports stars feted in Golden Wheel rites

MANILA, Philippines - The best motorsports achievers hog  the spotlight as they vie for top honors in the 2015 Golden Wheel Awards Night set March 14 at the Samsung Hall of SM Aura in Fort Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City.

The Golden Wheel Awards, dubbed the “Oscars” of Philippine Motorsports, is the biggest annual gathering of racing heroes and supporters. 

On its 12th year, the hunt for the much-coveted Golden Wheel Driver of the Year is expected to be the toughest yet, considering the significant impacts of the achievements of the nominees, all champions from various racing sports disciplines.

They are: Tadahito “Dashi” Watanabe (superbikes), Dondon Portugal (grand touring), Bobby Domingo (karting), Masato Fernando (scooters), John Emerson Inguito (underbone racing), Jon Eleazar Adlawan (motocross), Bobby Domingo (Asian senior karting), Gabriel Cabrera (Asian Junior karting), Gio Rodriguez (drifting), Milo Rivera (slalom), Edison  Dungca (4x4 off road), and Jonathan Tiu (drag racing).

The organizing Golden Wheel Foundation Inc. tapped an independent panel of judges composed of top-brass racing officials and media to determine the most deserving recipient of this year’s plum.

Last year, Dashi Watanabe pulled  off a big surprise over other seasoned champions as the 11th Golden Wheel Awards Driver of the Year. He’s again a top contender for this year’s highest motorsports award for clinching his back-to-back superbikes plum.

Among his strongest rivals are drag racing champ Jonathan Tiu, champion karter Bobby Domingo, and grand touring titlist Victor “Dondon” Portugal.

Tiu made it as the back-to-back recipient of the prestigious award in 2008 and 2009 but the feats of Domingo and Portugal are likewise significantly substantial to seal their first Golden Wheel Driver of the Year plum.

Domingo achieved major feats as overall champion of both the 2014 Petron Blaze Super Karting Series and the 2014 Asian Karting Open Championship Series while Portugal is the first non-traditional champion or untitled driver to win the Yokohama Philppine grand touring crown only on his second year of competitive racing.

Two other top achievers – Rivera and 2014 motocross champion Jon Eleazar Adlawan of Cebu – are tagged as strong contenders and may likely be surprise winners of the coveted plum with the strong impact of their  compelling victories that ended the long reign of seasoned champs Peewee Mendiola and Glenn Aguilar, respectively.