Having won 4 out of the 6 rounds in 2022, Bern Corpino is now the newly-crowned Rotax MAX Challenge Philippines Junior Class Champion. And he did it on only his first full season in karting. Though its a bit of a mouthful, the title also earns him an invite to the Grand Finals at the Kartódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimao, Portugal this coming November.
Bern came into the double-header season finale with a comfortable 25 point lead in the standings. But with 1.5x points at stake on Sunday, even a small error could cost him the title. His closest competitors also had this in mind and will do anything to get ahead.
With a clear objective, Bern set the early pace in the Time Trials on Saturday with a 59.635 sec lap around the Carmona Race Track (CRT). But this did not convert in Qualifying where he was only 3rd across the line, finishing a second behind Joshua Marquez and Ryan Sy. Bern knew that he needed to stay in front if he wanted to keep his championship hopes alive and had to ensure sure not to make the same mistake again. He quickly took the lead in the Finals and never looked back. The #19 BCR Team entry laid down consistent, fast laps to open up a 2.808 secs gap by the time the chequered flag dropped to claim Bern’s first win of the race weekend.
The 15-year-old karter came back even stronger on Sunday as he already had one hand on the championship trophy. He practically dominated every single session, topping the time sheet in Time Trials, finishing 1st in Qualifying with a commanding 7.239 secs advantage, then finally securing the title with another easy win in the Finals.
Bern concludes the 2022 Rotax MAX Challenge Philippines 50 points clear of his closest rival to achieve his dream of becoming the Junior Class Champion. This is now his second Junior Class title of the year, still fresh from claiming the Rok GP Super Karting Series championship just a month ago which earned him an entry to the Rok Cup Superfinal scheduled later this month. He is now busy preparing to for his first international race at South Garda Karting in Lonato, Italy.
Bern Corpino: “I cannot describe my happiness. It has been such a difficult and intense year for me. Winning the last rounds of the season and finishing it on a high is always a good one. I would like to say a big thank you to my family, coach VJ Suba, mechanic kuya Jomar Suba, and VS Racing, and sponsors that supported me. I’m also honored to represent the country in the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals in Portimao. I don’t want to expect too much, but just to put on a good performance there.”
[Photos by Bong Boado]
