Drueco shines in Asian Karting Open

MANILA, Philippines — Racing veteran Arvin Drueco picked up just enough points in the pre-finals and finals of the recent Asian Karting Open Championships (AKOC) at Clark International Speedway’s kart track to clinch the seniors overall title in the 2019 Petron Blaze 100 X30 Challenge Philippines series.

Drueco sewed it all up with a total of 222 points in six races of the three-leg national series. The 33-year-old auto shop owner bested by 42 points erstwhile leader Bianca Bustamante, who could not muster precious points in the final two races as she was entered in the junior class of the Asian competition.

John Dizon pooled a leg-best 157.5 points by finishing third overall in the AKOC prefinals and then second to Japan’s Ayato Iwasaki in the finals, but settled for third place among karters with a racing license from the Automobile Association of the Philippines.

Rommel Herce topped the X30 Masters and Veterans classes over Jericke Holganza, with Ronn Catindig ending up third in the Masters and Ephraim Mandal in the latter.

Al Miguel Quinones, one of four top Filipino karters seeing action in the ROK Cup Superfinals on Oct. 9 to 13 in Lonato, Italy, bagged the X30 Juniors title with a runaway 327.5 points.