Motorsports advocate cops Golden Wheel lifetime award

MANILA, Philippines - For his behind-the-scene contribution to karting, Edgar Chua willl be conferred the Golden Wheel Lifetime Award in rites to be held tomorrow at the Samsung Hall of SM Aura in Fort Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.

Chua spearheaded the construction of the second major race track in the country – the Batangas Racing Circuit in Rosario, Batangas – in 1996 and had a hand in Shell’s title sponsorship in the Shell Superbikes Series and the oil company’s support to other racing events like the touring cars and the Asian Formula 3.

He also gave his valuable support in the construction of the Boomland Kart Trak at the Boom na Boom in Pasay City and Enchanted Kingdom Kart Track in Sta. Rosa, Laguna a reality – giving visitors of both theme parks the experience of seeing an actual karting race. Some even pursued a racing career.

Today, both tracks provide important, permanent venue for motorsports enthusiasts to further hone skills and talents as future global Filipino racing champions.

Chua, a chemical engineer by profession, got involved in racing started when he was a top executive of Pilipinas Shell, a staunch supporter of Philippine motorsports from the 60s until the turn of the century.

He saw the potentials of motorsports racing during his early years with Shell as racing events were staged in makeshift tracks in Metro Manila and other key provinces and cities in the country.

His long-term objective was to make the Philippines, though a third world country, a prominent haven of world motorsports and regular stop of international racing spectacles patterned after Brazil, which enjoyed such stature, which boosted its tourism industry and its entire economy in general.

As a top executive of Pilipinas Shell he continually urged racing organizers on the need to put up a real race track that suits the need of various motorsports disciplines.