Pampanga, Philippines – Fresh from a double header race weekend featuring Round 4 and the 4 Oras ng Pilipinas endurance race, the FlatOut Race Series’ (FORS) 2017 season continues with a visit to Clark International Speedway (CIS) last 1st of July for Round 5.
The day’s trilling action took place under the sweltering temperatures which proved to be a test of both man and machine. Despite the heat, the 69 entries that competed in the Time Attack and Grid races enjoyed the otherwise clear conditions. Luis Gono in the #887 Motul-Cleanfuel Lotus Exige V6 Cup made the most out of the dry track, setting the fastest time of day on the full 4.189 km circuit. Meanwhile, Eggy Ong of Team Forced Speed took a sensational win in the GT Radial Grid A race.
As always, FORS events are observed by the Automobile Association Philippines (AAP) to ensure safety and fairness for all participants.
Time Attack
The 18-year-old driver clocked a best lap of 2:03.441 to give him 1st place in Bracket R, but Gono reckons they can go faster in cooler weather. Lance Binamira in the Motolite-sponsored #32 Toyota Corolla AE92 was 2nd with a 2:09.053 best. Eggy Ong wrapped up the podium with a 2:09.907 time.
Eduardo Suiza in the #200 W-Autosport / Staging Lanes Honda Civic EG was fastest in Bracket A, clocking a time of 2:10.212. Eggy Ong went out again on a different set of tires to grab 2nd with a 2:10.995 lap, while Rafael la O’ in the #1 Auto Magic Honda Civic EK came 3rd.
Bacolod native Jero Consing logged another win in Bracket B with a 2:16.765 lap. Andrew de Asis maintains his points lead after finishing 2nd and Nicolo Fernandez was 3rd, logging a time that’s only 0.046 secs behind de Asis.
Bracket C honors went to Kiko De La Rama, besting a field of 9 drivers with a best time of 2:21:151. Dax Santiano and Bubi Camus were 2nd and 3rd, respectively. Greg Suing took the win in Bracket D with Ralph Tan and Raymond de Pano taking the remaining podium positions.
The top 3 finishers in Bracket E were Abet Reyes, Michael Angelo Turing, and Bernard Michael Santos, respectively. In Bracket F, Mark Castro was able to outpace Steve Travers and Robert Tan for the win. Rounding off the time attack is Bracket G with Mark Pascual in the BYD F0 taking 1st followed by Miguel Narciso in 2nd.
Grid Race
It was a 3-way battle in the GT Radial Grid A race between Eduardo Suiza, Eggy Ong, and Rafael la O’. Ong in the #313 Forced Speed Honda Civic FD got a great start off the line and lead the race. In spite of having less horsepower than Suiza and la O’, Ong’s consistent performance allowed him to win with a commanding 14.998 sec lead. Suiza followed in 2nd and also set the fastest lap of the race with a blistering 2:10.373 lap, quick enough to win Bracket A. La O’ crossed the finish line in 3rd a lap behind the leaders.
Another Forced Speed driver won in the KYB Grid B race. Nicolo Fernandez in the #350 Honda Civic EG claimed 1st place in the 11-lap race, followed by Blanche Racing’s Andrew De Asis in 2nd and Dominique Bon in 3rd.
On his first season in the FlatOut Race Series, Bubi Camus in the BRE x Carmudi Mazda MX-5 claimed his first win in the Smart Fuels Grid C race, beating Jack Saquilayan in 2nd and teammate Polo Bautista who finished 3rd.
With 14 cars on grid, the Recaro Grid D race was the biggest field of the day. But all the attention was focused on the lead battle that brewed between Motorsport Development Program (MSDP) gradual Paolo Santos, Ralph Tan, and Raymond De Pano. Tan fought hard, but his efforts failed to yield any results after he broke out of his bracket time and was handed a 120 second penalty. De Pano likewise incurred a penalty and dropped down the order. This left Paolo Santos, fellow MSDP graduate Bernard Michael Santos, and Ronn Catindig to take 1st, 2nd, and 3rd spots, respectively.
Works Bell Grid E saw Robert Tan take a commanding win, finishing a full lap ahead of Mark Pascual in 2nd.
The FlatOut Race Series (FORS) will return to the Batangas Racing Circuit on August 5 for Round 6.
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The 2017 Flat Out Race Series (FORS) is sponsored by GT Radial – Philippines, KYB, EPPCO, RECARO, Staging Lanes, Competition Clutch, SmartFuels, Seiken Brake Parts, Works Bell, 602PTG, Brodeth Motorsports, Tuason Racing School, OMP, Angeli Jewelry, Driftmob Works Pilipinas, and Pro Simulation Karera. It’s supported by Walter Lights and Sounds, Aeromed, Ninja Performance, Totem Bikes, CTR Suspension Parts, Tes Advertising, and 2ndGen Insurance. Media partners include 2NER Magazine, ABS-CBN Sports and Action, AutoCar Philippines,AutoDeal.com.ph, AutoIndustriya.com, C! Magazine, CarGuide.Ph, Carmudi.com.ph, Ignition.PH, JamesDeakin.Ph, JDM Underground, Manila Bulletin Drive, Pit Talk Asia, Ride and Drive Philippines, The Score, and Time Attack Manila.