When the GT Radial x 8 Oras ng Pilipinas gets the green light this December, it will feature the biggest grid in the Philippine Endurance Challenge’s (PEC) history. Because as of today, 31 teams out of the 35 available slots have already confirmed their entry for the 2017 race.
Dissecting through the digits, there will be 11 cars in the RP Class, 8 in FM-1, and 14 in FM-2. The RP Class is for full-blown race cars and are usually the fastest of the group. FM-1 and FM-2 on the other hand are for slightly modified street cars, divided according to horsepower. Missing from this year’s list is the Manufacturer’s Cup for stock vehicles where no entries have been received… yet.
(Do the math and you’ll notice that the numbers don’t quite add up. That’s because several teams are competing in multiple categories.)
A quick glance at the provisional entry list will reveal quite a lot of familiar names. Team Centrum Fuels-GT Radial’s Yellow Mellow Honda Civic EG is returning to defend their title. These guys managed to cover 176 laps last year to claim 1st overall and in RP Class. Also making a comeback is its sister car, Green Horny, which won the race in 2015 but sadly suffered a DNF in 2016.
Although the BMW AutoPerformance M3 is down in FM-1, don’t forget that this team crossed the finish line 1st during the GT Radial x 4 Oras ng Pilipinas in June. You never know what surprise they’ll have in store.
We’re also keeping our eye on is the #6 Formula V1. This wildcard entry from Vita Prototype is easily the quickest car over a single lap and is the only one in the field without a roof. Let’s just see how fast it can run racing 8 hours non-stop.
The GT Radial x 8 Oras ng Pilipinas will take place on December 2 to 3, 2017 at the Clark International Speedway (CIS). Practice will be on Saturday while the race will begin at 8:30 AM on Sunday.
For more info, contact PEC at philendurancechallenge@yahoo.com or Like the Philippines Endurance Challenge Facebook page.
The Philippine Endurance Challenge 8 Oras ng Pilipinas is sponsored GT Radial – Philippines, KYB, EPPCO, RECARO, Staging Lanes, Competition Clutch, SmartFuels, Seiken Brake Parts, Works Bell, 602PTG, Brodeth Motorsports, Tuason Racing School, OMP, Tes Advertising, and Angeli Jewelry. It’s supported by Walter Lights and Sounds, Aeromed, CTR Suspension Parts, 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.
