Team Optima FS / Autospa won top honors in Class 1 of the 4-hour 2019 Petron Kalayaan Cup Endurance Race held on June 12, 2019. Driving their Toyota Corolla AE101 with stock suspension and engine, the team composed of Charlie Cruz, Marvin Susara, Francis Lim, and Jinx Chua managed to beat the competition with pure grit and perseverance.
“We entered a rallycross car in the Petron Kalayaan Cup 2019. It stuck out like a sore thumb amongst a sea of low slung circuit cars but in the end, it proved capable of finishing the grueling challenge,“ said Charlie Cruz, team driver and mechanic of Team Optima FS / Autospa.
“For endurance races, teams have to balance speed versus reliability. The drivers must also possess impeccable concentration to focus on their race stints that can last for up to two hours, depending on team strategy,“ he added.
Held at the Clark International Speedway, the Petron Kalayaan Cup is an annual endurance-racing event held to commemorate the Philippine Independence Day. Organized by the BRCi group, the event is home to top endurance racing teams, manufacturers, and independent teams that are all up to the task of finishing one of the toughest circuit races in the calendar.
Team Optima FS / Autospa is supported by Centrum Optima FS, KYT Helmets, Speedlab, Atoy Body Kits, Concept One Wheels, and ignition.PH.
The 2019 Petron Kalayaan Cup was made possible by Petron Corporation, Monster Energy Drink, AISIN Philippines, Elektro Werk Incorporated, Toptul Philippines, Twenty Twenty 2020 Convenience Store, Sparco PH, and Pegasus Halogen Bulbs.