Round 3 of the 2025 Minutes Endurance Race (MEC) 120 marked a major milestone for Danzel Waytan. Returning to the Okayama International Circuit with Racing Team Hero’s, the 17-year-old Filipino helped deliver a perfectly executed drive in tricky conditions—crossing the line 1st in the Pro-Am class alongside teammate Shunji Okumoto. But what should have been a maiden victory turned bittersweet, as a post-race penalty dropped them to 3rd in the final classification.
After missing Round 2, Super GT and Super Taikyu driver Okumoto-san was back alongside Danzel in the #51 v.Granz entry. The pair resumed their Pro-Am campaign determined to convert their strong pairing into a win.
Danzel began his weekend with simulator training at Racing Team Hero’s Osaka office, lapping just a tenth off Okumoto-san’s pace. The speed translated well to the track, where Danzel was easily among the Top 5 during practice and emerged as one of the quickest Am drivers on the grid.
He was then tasked with Qualifying duties and delivered a strong performance. His best lap of 1:38.339 was only 0.726 secs off pole, placing the #51 entry P7 on the grid.
Race day, however, brought constantly changing conditions. Danzel took the start and quickly moved up to P5 on the opening lap, before the Safety Car was deployed almost immediately following an incident. Racing Team Hero’s used the window to make their first mandatory stop, with Okumoto now taking over in the driver’s seat.
The Japanese driver made quick work of the traffic, putting in fast, consistent laps as the weather worsened. By the time he pitted for the final driver change, they had climbed to P2, with 40 mins remaining on the clock and Danzel jumping back in for the run to the flag.
The closing stint was largely neutralized by several Safety Car periods, as conditions deteriorated further. Danzel focused on survival, avoiding mistakes, and keeping the car on track. Their pit strategy proved decisive, allowing them to move into the class lead before the race ended behind the Safety Car with 48 laps completed.
After two runner-up finishes, Danzel had finally claimed his first win in MEC 120—becoming the first Filipino driver to do so. But their celebrations were cut short when a 30-sec post-race penalty, due to an earlier off-track moment by Okumoto, relegated the pair to 3rd place.
Despite the disappointing twist, the podium finish was enough to put Danzel and Okumoto in the Pro-Am Championship lead by a single point. The title will be decided at the season finale on the 20th of December, when the series heads to Fuji Speedway for one final showdown.
Danzel Waytan: “It felt incredible to finally take the win after two near misses. We fought hard for it, and crossing the line 1st was a moment I’ll never forget. Unfortunately, a post-race penalty took the result away from us. It hurts—especially because we believe it was undeserved—but rules are rules, and we respect that. What matters is we showed we have the pace to win. We now lead the championship by a single point, and heading into Fuji, we’ll be giving it everything. We won’t give up. We’ll get the win we deserve.”
Danzel Waytan is sponsored by SIM² Premier and Gerry’s Grill
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