Multiple-time karting champion Miguel Quiñones proved his worth in a Radical SR1 during the 2023 SEAOIL Radical Challenge Philippines’ season opener. Held last July 21/23 at the Clark International Speedway (CIS), Miguel impressively notched a podium and a race win on his race debut.
What attracted Miguel to make the jump and race Radicals is based on how good the car felt and looked. He described it as a big go kart equipped with a hefty amount of downforce. After months of preparation that included karting races in Malaysia, Miguel was determined to deliver strong results for DRQ Motorsports.
He nailed a solid qualifying time of 2:02.168, which was enough to place his #45 blue-and-pink liveried SR1 P3 on the grid. The 2-time Driver of the Year awardee then got his first taste of wheel-to-wheel racing in a Radical on Sunday morning. With his lack of experience, he narrated “In my head, all I was thinking was ‘just drive, learn what you can and do what’s best in your abilities.’ I honestly was just learning the ropes of what could be the perfect set up for me and the car.”
A trouble-free run would allow the rookie to cross the finish line 4th, giving him added confidence for Race 2 in the afternoon.
Race 2 was where Miguel really showed his stride. With the Top 3 drivers aggressively fighting for position, Miguel strategically picked his opportune moment to strike. He found an opening when his rivals collided at the Turn 2 corkscrew and moved up to P2 where he would finish, earning him his first ever SEAOIL Radical Challenge Philippines podium.
Working in his favor, a late post-race penalty handed to his opponent would allow Miguel to move up the standings. The revised results now placed the champion karter 3rd in Race 1 and 1st in Race 2.
Despite being newcomers to the series, Miguel credited his results to the team’s effort for the weekend. “The non-stop dedication of the team to learn and to make the car the best as possible motivated me to do more.” However, he also shared that more work needs to be done to his SR1, which they hope to resolve before the next round.
“Being a first timer driving a Radical SR1 is a major step. The whole weekend has been a big learning curve for the team and myself,” he added. “It was an experience like no other.”
Miguel is soaking in all the lessons learned from the weekend as he sets his sights on the 2nd Round of the 2023 SEAOIL Radical Challenge Philippines on September 22/24 at the Batangas Racing Circuit (BRC).
Miguel Quiñones is sponsored by RZQ The Aesthetic Surgery Clinic, RZQ Aesthetic Medicine Institute, Derma Medica, and Wuerth Philippines.
[Photos courtesy of Radical Cars Philippines]
