The nation’s best karters braved the summer heat last April 13/14 to usher in the ROK GP Cup Philippines’ new 2019 season. And it did so with a mega race weekend hosting back-to-back rounds at the Palawan International Circuit. Although this proved to be quite physically demanding for most the 22 entries, this gave a select few a chance to fight back and redeem themselves on the second day of competition.
Formula Cadet
Local karter Brice Vincent Baisa took full advantage of his home track to dominate the Formula Cadet Expert Class. The young Palaweño topped every single session on both days from QTT up to the Finals.
Meanwhile in the Novice Class, little powerhouse Mariano Axel Nocom fought hard to win the Finals on Saturday and Sunday, solidly placing him on the top of the points standings. But it was no easy feat as Vortex Suba challenged him for the lead on both occasions to earn himself a pair of 2nd place finishes.
Newcomers Xeane Oliver Fredeluces and Michael Xander Perez then took turns to land 3rd place.
MiniROK
Miguel Judd Angeles showed big improvements this year allowing the Cebuano to grab the top spot in the MiniROK Class. He would finish 0.323 secs ahead of Melwin Tan in the Finals on Saturday, which he opened even further by 0.764 secs on Sunday.
Brice Vincent Baisa had a busy weekend by entering a second category. This saw him run back-to-back races in Formula Cadet and MiniROK. However, that didn’t stop him from putting on a solid performance and claim 3rd on both rounds.
ROK GP
2-time Karter of the Year John Dizon was unstoppable in Round 1. He was miles ahead of closest-rivals Bianca Bustamante in 2nd and Miguel Quiñones in 3rd to dominate both ROK GP Senior and Overall Classes. Unfortunately, he sat out the race on Sunday and cut short his strong run.
This left the door wide open for Miguel Quiñones to win the ROK GP Overall in Round 2 by a massive 19.291 sec lead. Lady karter Jennifer Tumambing crossed the finish line 2nd Overall and 1st in the Senior Class, while Anthony Junior Baisa picked up 3rd Overall and 1st in the Master Class. Tara Laconico also did well with her pair of 2nd places in the ROK GP Junior Class.
After an action-packed season opener, the ROK GP Cup Philippines will take a long hiatus and resume on July 27/28 at the Clark International Speedway for Round 3 and 4.
For more info, follow the ROK GP Cup Philippines page on Facebook.
[Photos courtesy of ROK GP Cup Philippines]
