Search Party

Beautiful women go well with fast cars.

But lest we be accused of being chauvinistic pigs, please understand that without gorgeous women gracing motorsports, all that would be left are drivers in sweaty race suits, filthy grease-stained mechanics and the stench of burnt rubber and all manner of fossil fuels. Nobody in a proper frame of mind would want that. Racing could definitely use all the beauty it can–plus a healthy dose of charm and wit. And fact is, without the lovely ladies around, motorsports wouldn’t be as glamorous.

Aptly, the promoter of the Philippine legs of this year’s Asian Formula Challenge has announced the search for Miss AF3 2002. Colby Ventures, headed by race driver Tom Pastor, deemed it fit to come up with this kind of event to attract folks to watch the final leg of the 2002 Asian Formula Challenge, which by the way, will be held on October 27 at the refurbished and reconfigured Subic International Raceway. And again, the fact that the Miss AF3 search will definitely lend glamour to the event.

The search was officially launched last September 21 at the Prestige Cars showroom in Libis, Quezon City, in one huge party. That night, Prestige Cars was filled not with glamorous spanking new BMWs, but with glamorous partygoers, a number of whom were race car drivers garbed in sleek, dark suits instead of the bright race suits they are usually seen in. Hotshots Jojo Silverio, Richard Joson, Pepon Marave, Marc Goddard, Roland Hermoso and Enzo Pastor, all accompanied by lovely ladies, even strutted down the catwalk.

And yes, there really was a catwalk on a place usually reserved for car-gazing. That’s because part of the night’s shebang was a fashion show featuring works by the Young Designers Guild and swimwear by Speedo. Also, Patricia Javier treated the audience with a song number or two. Now, the gig wasn’t only glamorous, it was sexy as well.

Colby Ventures stressed that the Miss AF3 hopefuls will be selected not only by beauty alone, but by grace, poise, talent and, of course, their interest in motorsports. In the next month, 20 ladies aged between 16 to 23 will be selected as finalists, where one of them will be crowned Miss AF3 2002 on the night of October 23, also at the Prestige Cars showroom in Libis. (For more details, call 845-1302 and 893-3676.)

By the way, the Asian Formula Challenge is Asia’s first truly international race series for Formula 3 and Formula Renault. Organized by the Asian Formula 3 Corporation in cooperation with Formula Racing Development and Malaysian Motor Sports Club, the 14-race series is run in China, Malaysia and the Philippines. Prestigious, it really is. But a shot of beauty can’t hurt either. (For photos of the Miss AF3 contenders, watch out for The STAR’sWheels Monthly this Friday)