All eyes will be on Obengers Racing as they confirm an all-star driver lineup for the upcoming 8 Hour Endurance Challenge this November. Their single Toyota Vios OMR entry will be headlined by former champions, plus a special new recruit that comes all the way from Japan.
Yoshinari Fujiwara has been announced as the team’s 4th driver who will share the Vios OMR Gen. 2 race car with former Vios Cup Champions Daniel Miranda, John Dizon, and Team Manager Pao Agregado.
The veteran brings with him over 18 years of racing experience, competing on multiple levels from local track day events all the way to full-fledged GT4 endurance races. He got his start in the HKS Hiper Challenge, which is an amateur event organized by aftermarket tuner HKS. Fujiwara-san then moved up to the ultra-popular Super Taikyu Series where he entered several categories on different years. He enjoyed success driving a variation of machines from small hatchbacks such as a Toyota Yaris and Honda Fit, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, and a Nissan 370Z in ST-2, ST-4, and ST-5.
Since 2020, the now 45-year-old ace has been uprated to an FIA Bronze driver as he races the #505 Red Seed Audi R8 LMS GT4 with Audi Team AS Sport.
Fujiwara san is no stranger to endurance events. He has entered and finished several 5-hour and even 24-hour events over the past few years, finishing on the podium in several occasions. This, however, will be his first overseas outing and first time to race in the Philippines.
The 8 Hour Endurance Challenge will take place on the 26th/27th of November 2022 at the Clark International Speedway (CIS). Qualifying is scheduled on Saturday, then lights go green at 8:00AM on Sunday. Obengers Racing’s entry will make an attempt to win in Class 3, which is made from production-based cars, and hopefully secure the championship where they currently sit 2nd in the points.
Yoshinari Fujiwara: “The challenge of endurance racing has always fascinated me. Even if you’re in 1st for most of the race, but fail to make it to the finish line, all your efforts will be of no use. That is so cruel yet so beautiful, which makes the whole experience worth it. My goal is to help Obengers Racing win. But more than that, I want to enjoy racing in the Philippines.”
Pao Agregado, Obengers Team Manager and Driver: “It’s a privilege to have a Fujiwara san compete with us at Obengers Racing for the 8 hour endurance race. We’re excited what a pro driver can do with our car and on our local track. Despite this being his first time to drive the Vios OMR around the Clark International Speedway, we’re quite confident that he will do well. The team also has a very strong driver lineup for the event and we hope to get good results.”
Obengers Racing Endurance Team is sponsored by Autovault Speed Shop, Modesta Ph, Autozkin Paint Protection, Autoshocker, Dr. Colorchip Philippines, Karpartzzz69, and VARTA Battery Center QC.
