Drag racing kicks off motorsports in Clark

MANILA, Philippines – The country’s leading drivers gear up for another season-long showdown in the Philippine Drag Racing Championship, which  fires off tomorrow at the Clark International Speedway in Pampanga.

Over 200 participants are expected to participate in the season opener of the event featuring the Quick 8, M&H Super Pro Class (10.99 and quicker), M&H Pro (11.00 sec – 12.49 sec), Expert (12.50 sec – 13.99 sec), Sportsman (14.00 sec – 15.99 sec), and the Hotstreet (16.00 sec and slower) classes.

With defending champion Martin Manalo and veterans John Ryzia and William Hand begging off this season due to various reasons, new faces are tipped to emerge and foil perennial champion Jonathan Tiu of JCT-Blanche Racing, holder of the all-time Philippine drag racing fastest record of 8.806 seconds he established aboard his fast Nissan R35 in 2014.

Manalo is out for personal reasons while Ryzia and Hand have opted to retire from big-time racing.

Still, fans expect a thrilling showdown between the modern six-cylinders against the crowd-drawing American V8 muscle cars of Angeles City Hot Rod Association (AHRA)-Garage Power in the event sanctioned by the Automobile Association Philippines and sponsored by M&H, Sparco, Aguila Auto Glass and GT Radials.

Meanwhile, the annual eight-leg national event offers separate set of titles for the four-leg Philippine Drag Racing Championship Northern Series at the Clark International Speedway and the other four legs at the Batangas Racing Circuit Drag Strip for the Philippine Drag Racing Championship Southern Series.

Those competing in the Quick 8, Super Pro and Pro classes are required to acquire AAP national competition licenses which they can secure from AAP personnel who will conduct licensing at the Clark International Speedway while Expert, Sportsman and Hotstreet drivers only need AAP day licenses that they have to pay during registration.