GT Radial FlatOut Race Series continues exciting pace in Round 3

Pampanga, Philippines (16 May 2016) – The scorching hot weather once again greeted the GT Radial FlatOut Race Series (FORS) as it staged Round 3 of the 2016 season at the Batangas Racing Circuit (BRC) last May 7. This mirrored the day’s on-track action as the battles in the Time Attack challenge and Grid races heated up even more.

Utilizing the full 3.7 km course, the day featured a total of 51 drivers competing in 14 individual brackets. All the action was run under the watchful eye of the Automobile Association Philippines (AAP).

Time Trial

Bracket A, where the fastest drivers slug it out, was topped by Eduardo Suiza in his GT Radial SX2-shod Competition Clutch Honda Civic EG. His best time of 1:48.479 earned him 1^st in class. 2^nd place went to Niño Garcia with a 1:48.513 lap while in 3^rd place was Eduardo Pujol.

Competition was very close in Bracket B as the Top 3 drivers were only separated by less than a tenth of a second. The eldest of the Sohu brothers, Gabby, got 1st place with his 1:56:240 run in the PAGCOR/Zenium/Gerco-sponsored Honda Civic Hatchback. Sydney Sarmiento in the AEM Performance Electronics Honda Civic Hatchback came in 2^nd with a 1:56:255 best, while Dominique Bon took the last step of the podium with a best time of 1:56:301.

Gabby’s youngest brother Miggy Sohu in another PAGCOR/Zenium/Gerco-backed Honda Civic Hatchback topped the time sheet in Bracket C with a 1:59:049 lap. Joey Howard managed to finish right behind in 2^nd and Paolo Lofamia came in 3^rd.

Bracket D saw Polo Bautista claim 1st place after posting a best time of 2:02:220. Sherwin Bargos and Niel Bryan Diaz complete the podium in 2^nd and 3^rd, respectively. Meanwhile, Zacharry Mendoza’s win broke the winning streak of Raymond De Pano who had to settle for 2^nd. Miguel Dela Cruz came in 3^rd.

The most number of entries was found in Bracket F with 9 cars competing for the win. The fastest was Anthony Richard Lanting who finished 1^st, followed by Jack Saquilayan in 2^nd, and Florentino Gonzales in 3^rd. Bracket G’s fastest driver was Robert Tan while Bryan Firme took home 2^nd and Mark Macas in 3^rd.

Lastly, Dominique Bon set the fastest lap of the day in the open class Bracket R with a 1:48.319 time. He was followed by Eduardo Suiza in 2^nd and Niño Garcia in 3^rd.

One name missing from the podium was JC Baguisa of JCT-Blanche. The winner of Round 1 and 2 struggled with mechanical problems, preventing him from setting a proper time.

Grid Races

Like in previous rounds, Grids A, B, and C were combined to form a full 18-car grid. JC Baguisa’s bad luck continued in the GT Radial Grid A Race. While fighting for the lead, he locked up his brakes causing a collision with Eduardo Suiza and a DNF. Meanwhile, Niño Garcia managed to overtake Rafael La’O and Eduardo Pujol early in the race and built a 13.144 sec gap to claim 1^st place. Trailing behind were La’O in 2^nd and Pujol taking 3^rd.

The battle in the Smart Fuels Grid B race saw Dominique Bon cross the finish line in 1^st with Andrew De Asis only 1.234 secs behind in 2^nd. It was a close fight between Baguio’s Gabby Sohu, Ed Christian Go, and Sydney Sarmiento with only a few seconds separating the three. But in the end, it was Sohu who managed to finish 3rd. Go and Sarmiento, on the other hand, were handed 4-minute penalties each for breaking out.

For Competition Clutch Grid C, Joey Howard lead the 12-lap race and saw the chequered flag with a mere 1.391 sec lead. Aaron Lao was 2^nd and Lesley Tuazon was 3^rd.

The shorter 10-lap Grid D and E races featured a total of 20 drivers. Learning from mistakes in the previous race, Polo Bautista made sure to drive within his bracket to win in the Buddy Club Grid D. Finishing a full 4.326 secs behind was Allan Araro in 2^nd and Arvin Drueco in 3^rd.

The Works Bell Grid E race had the largest number of drivers with 11 entries. Robert Tan bagged 1st place followed by Leo Candava and Marlo Marcos in 2^nd and 3^rd, respectively.

For Round 4, the FlatOut Race Series (FORS) heads to the Clark International Speedway (CIS) on June 4, 2016.

For more info or inquiries, visit the FlatOut Race Series page on Facebook (www.facebook.com/FlatOutRaceSeries).

The 2016 Flat Out Race Series (FORS) is sponsored by GT Radial – Philippines, Smartfuels, Competition Clutch, Staging Lanes, Buddyclub, Works Bell, Tuason Racing School, BMC Air Filters, and Recaro. FORS is also supported by Gamotek Tarpauline Machine, Stoner Car Care & Glass Detailing, Tropicana Scents Car Freshener, Ninja Performance, MDU Coilovers, Target Motorsports, Aguila Auto Glass, Walter Lights and Sounds, A1 Advertising, Aeromed. Philgerma Mfg. Inc. Media partners include LGT Manila, Time Attack Manila, AutoIndustriya.com, Wheels Philippines, Sportline Magazine, C! Magazine, JDM Underground, 2ner Magazine, and AutoDeal.com.ph.

[Photos by Yabee Eusebio]