Cayco leads charge of dragfest underdogs

MANILA, Philippines - Teofilo Edwin Cayco stunned defending champion Jonathan Tiu to lead the charge of the lesser-fancied bets in the 2013 Petronas Philippine Drag Racing Championship Northern Series at the Clark International Speedway in Pampanga recently.

Cayco of H3 Autoworks clocked 9.849 seconds in the quarter-mile drag strip to humble the top JCT-Blanche Racing bet and cop the Quick 8 crown of the event which drew some 150 drivers.

The big crowd expected a showdown between Cayco and Tiu but the latter suffered engine trouble, enabling the former to seize the top plum in the event sanctioned by the Automobile Association Philippines (AAP) and sponsored by Petronas, Yokohama, GT Radials, M&H Tires and media partner Racing Beat at Wave 89.1.

Cayco’s teammate John Kalaw claimed third place honors.

Tiu, however, redeemed himself by beating Cayco and Kalaw in the M&H Super Pro with a 10.097-second clocking.

Sharing the limelight was last year’s expert champion, 19-year-old Arvin Jay Millet, who copped the M&H Pro crown against John Jeremie Cabreros.

Millet completed the quarter-mile run in 11.593 seconds, just 0.175 of a second ahead of Cabreros’ 11.768 seconds.

Mark Joseph Manalo came back from the loser’s circle to wind up third.

Meanwhile, the national series moves to Batangas for the Southern Series on Feb. 23. For details, contact Batangas Racing Circuit c/o Nelson Gayola or Rodini Rivera at (632) 729-72 41-42, 729-5365 or fax 844-7766, mobile 0922 8858410 or like us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/Batangas Racing Circuit.