MINI Rally Team bids strong title retention

The 3-generation team synergy of MINI Car #12 with rally veteran Mel Valera, son Eric Valera and grandson Jic Valera buoyed up the consistently low-demerit performance of the MINI Rally Team led by multi-brand auto industry leader Willy Tee Ten despite admittedly missing one checkpoint to claim the Corporate Team Champion’s title of 1st leg of the Caltex 2013 STV Auto Rally Corporate Challenge (STV-ARCC) with a combined (best and worst) demerits of 1,122.

The Tagaytay leg’s Individual Team Champion’s title was claimed by KIA Car #5 with Raul Asuncion, Edgen Dy-Liacco and Steven Acayan aboard with a remarkably low 237 demerits or an average 23.7 seconds off in all 10 checkpoints of the rally.

On 2nd place in the Corporate Team competition is the KIA Rally Team with a combined 1,277 demerits with the 2011 Champion Subaru Rally Team very closely coming in 3rd with 1,284 demerits or a difference of 7 seconds.

The runners-up in the Individual Team category include the Subaru Rally Team coming in 2nd with 245 demerits or 8 seconds away from the champion and Hyundai Rally Team with 279 demerits to claim 3rd place.

There were two “perfect time” runs made during the rally; one in the Alpha leg and the other in the Beta leg. Peugeot Car#16 with the rally crew of motoring broadcast journalist Eggay Quesada, Christina Mendiola and former Star motoring editor and present Peugeot marketing head Dong Magsajo hit the first checkpoint of the Alpha route at the exact prescribed time. While it was also a perfect time that was registered by KIA Car#5 in the 2nd checkpoint of the Beta route with Raul Asuncion, Edgar Dy-Liacco and Steven Acayan aboard.

Trophies were given to the Corporate and Individual team winners of the Tagaytay leg while Certificates of Recognition were given to teams that excelled in both Alpha and Beta routes. All those who joined and finished received a Certificate of Participation in “the country’s biggest motor sports event”, as declared by no less than the Director for Sports of the AAP (Automobile Association of the Philippines), Mandy Eduque, one of the country’s “winningest” rally drivers during the flag-off of the rally. Traditionally held at the iconic Valle Verde Country Club the Awards Night was another rousing affair attended by top executives of the local auto industry.

Rounding up the Top 10 teams in the Corporate Team category include; 4. Hyundai (Arthur Guevarra, Ivan Isada, Francisco Reyes, Jr., Ferman Lao, Ronnie Trinidad, Charlie Cruz, Brent Co, Inigo Roces, Vince Pornelos, Alan Sevilla, Eric Tipan, Ronald Delos Reyes) 5. Peugeot (Patrick Tadeo, Fritz Villanueva, Enrico Subido, Eggay Quesada, Christina Mendiola, Dong Magsajo, Riva Galveztan, Ryan Isana, Robert Urbano) 6. Honda (Mitch Malto, Steven Edward Yu, Louise Arriane Ferriols, Neil Pagulayan, Eric Soriano, Kristoffer Lim, Marco Cruz, Indira Marie Ang Singh, Tracy Abad, Bam Olivares, Cat Trivino, Ruben Manahan IV) 7. Nissan (Christopher Kho, Leo John Lim, Hans Gerald Chua, Jonathan Nazareth, Glenn Valles, Rod Beltran, Patrick Carandang, Sherwin Araniego, Karla Tecson, Kap Maceda Aguila, Vince Alejaga, Joyce Aguila) 8. CATS (Miguel Ramirez, Jerry Mcnamara, Cyril Means, Louis Ramirez, Nikko Mapa, Sheila Ramirez, Cayetano Cordero III, Relly Hernandez, Victor De Jesus, Aurelio Tablante, Jr., Geo Gregorio, Joseph Agra III) 9. Chevrolet (Ian Irwin Obiniana, Edna Marifel Cortez, Juancho Calayan, Herminio Lubag I, Rogelio Guanlao, Fritz Arota, Anthony Rozano, Paolo Zurita, Leidy Mayugba, Richard Siman, Aileen Grace Siman, Eric Banal) 10. BMW (Ed Muassab, John Lacson, Ken Trajano, Galileo Santana, Jose Ma. Edwin Claudio, Rommel Grageda, Bjorn Ongtiaobok, Enrique Hormillo, Michael Bonafe).

The Top 10 in the Individual Team category include; 4. MINI Car #12 (Mel Valera, Eric Valera, Jic Valera) 5. Mitsubishi Car #58 (Mon Dimapilis, Alex Lao, Reginald Mejos) 6. Mitsubishi Car #35 (Froy Dytianquin, Arlan Reyes, Bryan Chua) 7. Subaru Car Car #52 (Justin Irigo, Brian Buencamino, Michael Manzanillo) 8. Nissan Car #37 (Chris Kho, Leo Lim, Hans Chua) 9. Peugeot Car #7 (Patrick Tadeo, Enrico Subido, Fritz Villanueva)10. MINI Car #21 (Monch Gupit, Carlo Villanueva, Jan Gomez).

They’re getting better every year

The results of the Tagaytay leg of the Caltex 2013 STV-ARCC have shown the growing maturity of the participants and the continuing successful revival of the Sampaguita “on time all the time” Rally. Proof of this is the times registered by many of this year’s participants, which are getting closer to the prescribed time, an indication of the level of seriousness of the competition.

We have also learned of teams actually practicing weeks and days before the actual rally, something done only by one or two teams in past staging. Indeed a manifestation of competitors’ eagerness and enthusiasm.

The results of the Tagaytay leg will only form a third or 30% of the aggregate score to determine the Caltex 2013 STV-ARCC Corporate Team Champion and Caltex 2013 STV-ARCC Individual Team Champion. The Subic leg scheduled on November 30 would determine the 70%. Like the Tagaytay leg, the Subic leg will also have its own leg champion apart from the overall Corporate and Individual Champions of the Caltex 2013 STV-ARCC.

The successful staging of the Tagaytay leg laid out by Rally Director Georges Ramirez in partnership with Patrick Chua we credit largely to the cooperation of the local governments where the rally went through like Silang and Talisay and by the host city Tagaytay with the full cooperation of outgoing Mayor, who’s now running for Congressman, the Honorable Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, at the helm.

There’s also our Cooperating Sponsor SMDC’s WIND Residences’ where the impressive property development’s expansive parking area we had the opening ceremonies, flag-off, flag-in, lunch as a venue.

We mustn’t fail to mention Caltex with Techron as our Presenting Sponsor, who has been supporting the STV-ARCC for the past several years now.

Parallel to the spirit of competition and the opportunity to bond together in the only motor sport event where the members of the local auto industry get together in a day of keen but friendly competition is the road safety awareness that the competition espouses. As it strictly adheres to traffic rules and regulations as dictated by its rules, any infringement to traffic laws during the actual rally merits an outright disqualification.

In partnership with SBMA (Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority), through its dynamic business development top honcho and tourism head Raul Marcelo, the participants of the Caltex 2013 STV-ARCC can look forward to an equally exciting but inarguably more challenging Subic leg, which may go to as far as the winding roads of Zambales.

And everybody has still 8 months to get ready, to be “on time, all the time”.

Happy Motoring!!!

For comments email motoringtoday-star@stv.com.ph.