With a grid made up of karting champions, drifters, touring car drivers, and even sim racers, there was no shortage of action when the 2023 SEAOIL Radical Challenge Philippines officially got underway over the weekend. Standout drivers were Joaquin Garrido and Jason Choachuy who bagged a win each at the Clark International Speedway.
Powered by race-engineered SEAOIL Extreme-97 fuel with STP additives, the field of Radical SR1s first hit the track on Saturday for Qualifying. The reigning ’22 champion Iñigo Anton was eager to defend his title by setting a best time of 1:57.299 to claim pole position and was 0.419 secs clear of Joaquin ‘Wakkeen’ Garrido of PartsPro Racing who lined up P2 on the grid.
However, Iñigo’s lead was short-lived. Wakkeen got the better start in Race 1 on Sunday and snatched the position away on the run to the first corner. Another driver making his move up the standings was Jason Choachuy, who despite starting dead last after missing out on qualifying, charged his way to P2 and relegated Iñigo down to P3. The next few laps would see Jason and Iñigo fight neck-and-neck, allowing Wakkeen to open up a gap by the time Iñigo found a way past up to P2. Iñigo then set quick, consistent laps to bring down the gap to Wakkeen to less than a second. But the Radical Challenge rookie did not let up against the defending champion and stayed in the lead until the chequered flag dropped, making it a dream debut for the 17-year-old to win on his very first race in the Radical Challenge.
A reverse-grid start in Race 2 saw Atoy Llave in the #55 blue-and-yellow SEAOIL Racing SR1 take pole position. But it was Jason who led the pack going into turn 1 as he muscled his way through the field. Iñigo and Wakkeen then tailed behind as the top 3 drivers fought for the lead. The trio were inseparable and swapped positions at almost every lap. Things eventually reached a boiling point, first with Iñigo making contact with Jason as the pair went down the corkscrew side-by-side. Jason came out in front while Iñigo had to limp back into the pits with a puncture. Then, it was Wakkeen’s turn to make a move, but also making contact with Jason at the exact same spot as Iñigo. Although Jason was able to rejoin without losing position, Wakkeen stalled the engine on his SR1. This allowed Jason and his #78 blue-and-black TrackHos SR1 to cruise to victory at the end of 12 laps. Multiple-time karting champion Miguel Quiñones of DRQ Motorsports jumped on the opportunity to take 2nd place on his series debut, while Wakkeen was able to restart his car and cross the finish in 3rd.
The Radical Challenge Philippines opened its second season in the midst of their new 3-year deal with SEAOIL Philippines Inc. that will run through 2025. As the championships’ title partner and official fuel supplier, the country’s leading independent fuel provider supplies maximum performance once again with their SEAOIL Extreme-97 octane as the series’ approved fuel. With the 2023 season’s opening weekend in the books, the country’s fastest racing series now shifts its focus for Round 2 in the Batangas Racing Circuit (BRC) on September 23/24.
Edward Cruz, Head of B2C Segment Marketing for SEAOIL Philippines, Inc.: “We are delighted to see the 2023 season of the SEAOIL Radical Challenge Philippines get underway at Clark International Speedway. It was truly an exhilarating race weekend that saw the return of familiar faces to the grid, but we are also equally excited to welcome new ones and be part of their racing journey. Just like in 2022, we are once again powering each team with world-class SEAOIL Extreme-97 fuel with STP additives which is designed for high performance, and this is readily available to all Filipino motorists in our more than 750 stations nationwide.”
Marlon Stockinger, Radical Challenge Philippines Race Director: “The season opener gave us a fantastic set of races. I’m also glad to see new drivers coming in from the karting scene. We have a good number of young drivers progressing through grassroots motorsports in the Philippines and it was exciting to watch them showcase their skills in the Radical.”
The 2023 SEAOIL Radical Challenge Philippines is powered by race-engineered SEAOIL Extreme-97 fuel with STP additives, sponsored by Kumu, Kooler, and Porsche Design Manila.
