RADICAL Cars Philippines, in partnership with SEAOIL Philippines Inc., concluded the final race weekend of its inaugural season last October 28 and 30 at the Clark International Speedway.
All drivers and teams were pushed to the limits all weekend long, which contributed in making the season-ender full of drama and excitement.
PartsPro Racing had their eyes on the prize with Iñigo Anton leading the championship in points while Brian Poe got back with eagerness to add to the team’s point tally after missing out on Round 2 in BRC.
ENSport and Stefan Ramirez came into the finale looking to secure maximum points and solidify their position in the standings. They looked to take the fight to the championship leaders in the last three races.
SEAOIL – OTR Motorsports entered the final race weekend with a new driver, Gilad Kreim from Israel. The gentleman driver showcased his passion, discipline, and competence behind the wheel all weekend long despite a two-year hiatus from Philippine racing.
Gentleman driver Richard Dy came to Clark competing for TrackHos Hazardboy for this final round, eager to improve his racecraft and gain the experience competing in the fastest race series in the Philippines.
A surprise addition to the weekend was guest driver Angie Mead King. The experienced racer ran the only Radical SR8 on the grid, participating under her team Car Porn Racing.
The season ending proved to be extremely challenging with wet races all weekend long due to the bad weather brought by typhoon Paeng. It was a full schedule with practice, qualifying, and three races all packed into two days.
On race day 1, the Radicals started early with three practice sessions throughout the morning. After the lunch break, the drivers were back on the track for qualifying. Anton secured pole position and set his fastest lap in an SR1 with a time of 1:56.726, beating his personal best which was set during Round 1 early in the season. Right next to him in the front row was Ramirez with a time of 1:58.887. In P3 was Kreim with a time of 1:59.458. P4 would be secured by Richard Dy, Poe in P5, and Angie King would start in P6 after opting not to participate in qualifying. She used the time to work on her SR8 which encountered some issues during practice.
Race 1 of the weekend started off strong. King breezed through the rest of the grid after the rolling start to take the lead in her SR8. She stayed in front for 4 laps and secured the fastest lap of the weekend, a new track record with a time of 1:53.378. Unfortunately, her car suffered an alternator issue on the 5th lap, forcing her to retire. Iñigo Anton would then take the lead and win the race, followed by Ramirez and Kreim taking P2 and P3 respectively. Dy would take P4 and Poe took P5, struggling to catch up to the rest of the grid after his spin in lap 1.
Race 2 and 3 took place on Sunday, the 30th, during the height of the typhoon’s intensity. The Radicals shared the first warm up session of the day with the V1s under the pouring rain which showed no signs of stopping. Race 2 started under the safety car. The rain eventually settled into a drizzle, the safety car came into the pits, and the rolling start was initiated. Ramirez got a great start and took the lead with Anton forced to chase. Gilad Kreim settled into his own race in P3, battling with the slippery tarmac. The rest of the grid struggled with the conditions. Halfway into the race. The weather worsened, forcing a premature end under the safety car and Ramirez secured his first win of the season.
When it seemed like the chances of canceling the third race were growing due to the storm, the rain suddenly stopped; long enough for Race 3 to push through. It was an intense sight and spectators were riled up by the hard racing showcased by the drivers. Stefan Ramirez had the early lead but Anton found a gap and went for it. The two battled it out but the young Motul PartsPro driver found the upper hand and secured the victory. At the back, it was a back-and-forth fight for 4th between Richard Dy and Brian Poe. Poe, who was struggling the whole weekend, seemed to find his rhythm in Race 3, showcasing his newfound pace, passing and defending against Dy who didn’t make it easy for the rookie. In the end, the last race was a personal one for all drivers. One last chance for glory in what has been a brilliant first season.
The 2022 SEAOIL Radical Challenge Philippines is powered by SEAOIL Extreme 97 Octane as the official fuel. MOTUL Philippine distributor Infiniteserv International is a co-presenter of the season and provides all cars on the grid with Motul 300V engine oil.