Subaru is 2015 STV-ARCC champion, Honda 2nd and Toyota 3rd

It was a perfect day for an auto rally. The weather couldn’t have been any better with the sun up but the temperature certainly at a very comfortable level. And everybody was in high spirits as the 2^nd leg of the 2015 STV-ARCC (Sunshine TV Auto Rally Corporate Challenge) flagged-off in front of Ayala Harbor Point Mall in Subic last Saturday, December 5.

Thirty-one vehicles of different brands and models fielded by 10 corporate Rally Teams from different car manufacturers and importers (Audi, Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Isuzu, Lexus, Mazda, MINI, Subaru, Toyota) make up the starting grid of the only motor sport event where the players of the local auto industry openly compete against each other.

After several futile attempts, the STV-ARCC is the most successful revival of the Sampaguita Rally (brought in from Europe then known as Tulip Rally) since its glory days in the sixties when the likes of the late Pocholo Ramirez, considered as the “country’s motor sports legend”, and other motor sports icons like Dante Silverio, Mandy Eduque, the late Tony Mapa, the late Dodo Ayuyao, just to name a very few, were known to actively participate and excel in.

First staged in 2001, the STV-ARCC has established itself as an institutional event being looked forward to by the local auto industry players as an opportunity to showcase their current models in a motor sports competition, which does not put their brands on the line as it’s more of a contest of wit, focus and skills of drivers and route and time navigators. The camaraderie and bonding of competing industry executives and their associates while they show support for their individual Rally Teams during its staging have also been something to look forward to.

The very nature of the competition, which is to be “on time all the time” or precision driving and not being a race makes for an additional attraction for car companies to participate. Although run on public roads, it is one of the safest motor sports competitions considering that its rules directly dictate obedience to traffic rules and regulations, as any infraction would mean an automatic disqualification. Small wonder the STV-ARCC is actually one of the major projects of STV and SocioCom Foundation Asia to promote road safety in tandem with their Young Street Smarts Road Safety School Tour, which conducts free road safety seminars and workshops to high school students to make safe and responsible road users.  

Last Saturday’s road rally was flagged-off by Raul Marcelo, Board Member of SBMA (Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority), which has been lending vital support to the event for its past several staging together with Ayala Malls for providing the Harbor Point Mall as the venue not only for the flag off but the for Awards Night as well. 

Year after year and leg after leg, competition in the STV-ARCC has indeed been leveling up, what with the continuous increase in the number of “perfect times” or runs with zero demerits and “near perfect times” or those with only a single demerit or just one second off.

Like in this leg a total of 6 zero demerit-runs and 10 “near perfect times” have been achieved. Car #11 (Bochi Santos/Erica Tan/Joy Villaflor) of the Audi Rally Team together with Car #23 (Al Bato/Patricia Epilepsia/Prince Pullo) of the Honda Rally Team had 2 zero demerit runs while Car #9 (Eric Valera/Monchi Aurelio/Jic Valera) of the Subaru Rally Team similarly achieved the same feat aside from registering one “near perfect time”.

On the other hand, Car #8 (Mike Potenciano/Henry Buenconseta/Milo Rivera) of the Mini Rally Team (Defending “3-peat Corporate Champion”) registered a string of 3 single demerit runs as Car #19 (Monch Gupit/Jan Gomez/Dennis Ayuyao) of the Subaru Rally Team had 2 while Car #30 (Jeffrey Foo/Chi Temporaza/Jebb Bayongan) of the Isuzu Rally Team, Car #29 (Christian Arga/Poch Molina/Abel Calamlam) of the Toyota Rally Team, Car #24 (Robert Cruz/Ollegor Yute/Noel Lozada) of the Isuzu Rally Team and Car #31 (Raffy David/Aurick Go/Ann Santibanez) of the Subaru Rally Team all had one a piece.       

The list of winners of the Subic leg mirrors the roster of the overall winners of the 2015 STV Auto Rally Corporate Challenge.

Champion Subaru Rally Team

1^st Runner-up Honda Rally Team

2^nd Runner-up Toyota Rally Team

We close the curtains in this year’s very keen but ever-friendly competition by thanking all those who helped us make it possible led by Harbor Point Mall of Ayala Malls with Derrick Manuel and Argee Gomez at the helm. We also wish to thank Davies Paints Philippines for its participation as facilitated by Eric De Leon. Then there’s SBMA with the professional coordination of Board member, Raul Marcelo, Lighthouse Marina Hotel and Subic International Hotel Delta.

Until next year as we again go “on time all the time.”

Happy Motoring!!!

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