Reigning champion Iñigo Anton proved that he’s still the man to beat in the 2023 SEAOIL Radical Challenge Philippines after a dominant performance at the Batangas Racing Circuit (BRC). The 19-year-old qualified on pole and went on to win all 3 races in Round 2 held last September 23/24, securing his position at the top of the points standings.
Fueled by race-engineered SEAOIL Extreme-97 fuel with STP additives, the grid of Radical SR1s again pushed each driver to their limits around the 3.500 km track. It also became a battle of the young blood with Iñigo, Joaquin ‘Wakkeen’ Garrido, and Miguel Quiñones fighting at the front. They were joined by series newcomer Juancho Brobio in the #5 SEAOIL-liveried SR1 who impressed on his debut.
Aiming to defend his title in 2023, Iñigo bounced back from a lackluster season opener. His reign of dominance began on Saturday morning as he notched the fastest time in Qualifying with a 1:38.760 lap in his #33 black-and-red liveried SR1, earning him pole position. He was so far ahead that his closest-rival was a full 2.088 secs a lap slower.
Iñigo later converted his pole into a lights-to-flag victory during Race 1 that afternoon. He never give his opponents an inch and proceeded to open up a 9.899 secs advantage over Wakkeen of PartsPro Racing by the time the chequered flag dropped. In 3rd place was DRQ Motorsports driver Miguel Quiñones who completed the podium.
A reverse grid start for Race 2 on Sunday morning gave Juancho pole position in the 12-lap fixture. Unfortunately, the rookie driver was unable to capitalize on the opportunity and ended up outside the podium. The race then became a repeat of Friday with Iñigo again taking 1st place. He had so much pace that he set a new SR1 record with a 1:38.605 lap. Wakkeen and Miguel, on the other hand, rounded out the results in 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
As Sunday afternoon rolled in for the 3rd and final 12-lap race, Iñigo was ready to complete the sweep. His pole position start aided in securing a hat-trick with another dominant lights-to-flag win. Wakkeen finished 2nd once again while Juancho earned his first-ever Radical Challenge Philippines podium in 3rd, edging out Miguel in the #45 DRQ Motorsports SR1 in 4th.
“In the fast-paced world of racing, it’s really the young drivers who redefine limits and chase dreams with relentless determination. SEAOIL is proud to support these rising stars, where the finish line is just the beginning of their extraordinary journeys. Together, we fuel the future of speed and excellence. Looking forward to the remaining races of the SEAOIL Radical Challenge Philippines 2023,” shared Edward Cruz, Head of B2C Segment Marketing for SEAOIL Philippines, Inc.
Anton is hopeful that he can carry his strong momentum to the next round in the hopes of winning the title back-to-back. That opportunity comes on the 27th to 29th of October as the country’s fastest racing series heads back to the Clark International Speedway (CIS) for Round 3.
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.
