Go, Speed Racer, Go!
November 7, 2003 | 12:00am
Go-carting attracts a variety of Filipino drivers from the professional Schumacher-types to the regular schmucks. Such roadster racing transports any Filipino motorist from the sights of Mandaluyong to the sounds of Monaco.
Looking closer, go-carting facilities in our country have always doubled as something else, like a parking lot, a high-tech amusement park or race track of some sort. Moreover, the quality of such mini-machines in the past have often equaled the flailing caliber of our national taxi fleet. However, there has been an emergence of high end and higher velocity facilities to take the pole position in the go-carting circuit. Hidden in the undiscovered patch of country of Cainta, Rizal, lies a 7,400 square class-A carting complex called Speedzone. Hans Desmet, the Belgian manager of the complex explains, "Our facility is exactly like the ones found in Europe. It’s the only closed track in the Philippines with barriers that safely absorb the impact of any speeding cart. With 25 adult carts and five kiddie carts, the track runs for about 820 meters."
With regards to the carting competitors, Hans adds, "It’s really very different from the rest. Most of our first-time customers enter expecting a carnival type set-up for kids, but the track is really for teenagers and professionals. With electronics built into the skid-free asphalt, the entire facility is completely computerized. You can change the speed of the carts by remote control, and you can get your lap time from a computer print out or the digital billboard. Our customers even have to wear professional race suits, helmets, and cloth masks."
Naturally, such a fast track facility has already attracted the attention of amateur carters from students to showbiz. Student Rueben Asuncion begins, "At first, you think the path is small, but when you’re driving on it, you realize that it’s actually big." Carting buff and computer technician Monty Paraiso gives his 10cc on the matter: "I’ve tried the ones in Clark, Subic, and PICC, and the carts here are much faster than the others." Similarly, many actors are taking time away from the limelight and spending it on the race track for some fast and furious R ‘n’ R. Celebrity-about-town Troy Montero relates, "It’s a lot of fun. The carts can really tire your body afterwards." Surfer-actor Jericho Rosales adds, "Carting is a getaway since it’s just you and the road. It’s a safe way to just explode and let you gigil out." Meanwhile, motocross matinee idol BJ Palanca sees the bigger benefits of such amateur antics: "In carting, you get to learn how to man the wheel. Although it’s as simple as gas and break, it’s good training for defensive and offensive driving."
Perhaps the best view of go-carting, however, can only be given not by recreational speedsters but by someone who really races for a living. With a larger-than-life PLDT DSL billboard on EDSA and happily stuck on the driver’s seat of an Alpha Romeo or Porsche, Angelo Barretto has indeed become our very own Pinoy speed racer in the international car racing circuit. Amidst zooming carts, flag-waving marshals and roaring spectators in the complex, he narrates his professional views regarding his career and of course, go-carting.
YStyle: Do you have any races coming up?
Angelo Barretto: We’re preparing for the 50th anniversary of the Macau Grand Prix which is the probably the most prestigious cup in Asia. We want to do well there since we do have a history of Filipinos that have received awards from running performances in Macau from the likes of Dodgie Laurel, Pocholo Ramirez, and Toto Cruz.
But you just got back from Italy for work, right?
Yeah. I was out testing with Alpha Romeo in Valla Lungga in Italy. It’s 30 minutes north of Rome by car in the autostrada. I had to try out an Alpha Romeo car.
Sounds like a dream go to Italy just to try out a race car?
The not-so-glamorous part of going racing is the tight schedule involved. Five minutes after arriving at the Italian airport, you take a half-hour car ride to the race track. Then, you have to set up the car and do three hours of whatever is needed to get the car running quickly. Right after, you need to jump back into the road and go straight to the plane to get back to Asia. That’s the work which people don’t see all the time, but that’s what makes you better when you finally go on the race track.
How do you feel about being an upcoming personality and your endorsement for PLDT?
I look at all these things as a part of my job. Although the PLDT campaign is still new in the Philippines, our team already has a few billboards in Italy from our eyewear sponsor as well as in France from our tire sponsor. From all this, I’ve learned that becoming a celebrity means that you can inspire other people such as kids who want to be race car drivers or Filipinos in general who want to have a more positive image. Also, it means that you have to be more careful with what you do. Even if we live in a country where there’s a disregard for common road rules, you have to set an example. I can’t be the one to be passing on the wrong side of the road and honking my horn at the jeepney driver. It’s funny how people listen to you because they think that you’re coming from a position of expertise.
How did you get into road car racing in the first place?
I’ve always enjoyed the competitive side of anything, from games on foot to RC cars. I guess with road cars, you break set boundaries. A lot of my influences are based on preconceived notions that the Pinoy can’t do it or the Pinoy can’t get that far. Little by little, I think that people will change the way we are perceived in international motor sports.
So you see a higher role that you play with what you’re doing now?
I see racing as my contribution to jumpstarting something good for the country. Even if I didn’t grow up with role models like Michael Schumacher. I’d like people to look up to what I did and follow by example later on.
So what does an international race driver such as yourself have to say about go-carting?
As it’s just throttle and break, you learn a lot of things like mostly steering at an angle. It’s a great way for friends to get together but once on the track, they’ll learn more than bumping and turning like in Playstation. The element of taking the car out with your friends is what makes it fun. There in the other side of the world, behind the wheel of an Alpha Romeo or a Porsche 996, it’s work. You can’t take a break. You can’t say you’re tired. You can’t say "bukas na lang." You can’t say the car is slow because there’s all this electronic equipment which says what you actually did. So here, it’s fun, and there, its work.
So what are the differences between professional road car racing and recreational go-carting?
The biggest difference is the cost involved. Here, you spend about 500 pesos for 12 minutes of maxed out carting. There, in shorter than 12 minutes, you can max out the car, spin, crash into the wall, and pay a 200 thousand dollar bill. Also, the driver’s gear is different. The driver’s suit of go-carting is just abrasion-resistant while the Grand Touring car suit is fire proof. Another difference is the speed. Normal people who would ride in our race car would be very afraid while we, on the other hand, can think of other things like the last song on the radio since it’s already natural for us.
So what’s your forecast for the go-carting and road car fanatics out there?
Go-carting is the best introduction to racing. You get your skills on the go cart track and move up step-by-step but never higher or faster than you can go. From go-carting, you can figure out if racing is what you really want to do in life. In fact, carting is probably what set it off for all these Filipinos who are doing Asian Formula 3 right now. At this rate, with the kids doing 50cc to 80cc in the cadet class and Formula BMWs these days, we should have a kid in the Formula 1 race in hopefully five years.
Looking at the bigger picture, with the emergence of such a race-track and the racers who come with it, go-carting should be well on its way to overtake the Philippine racing world by storm. All we have to do is ready our race suit, get set, and go roll with the carts.
Speedzone is currently located in 69 Marcos Highway, San Isidro, Cainta, Rizal; Tel no. 682-9927; Operating hours-weekdays 4 p.m.-12 mn/weekends 2 p.m.-12mn. Beginning December 2003, they will be moving operations to Lot 42 Fort Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Metro Manila; Contact no. 0916-5794884; Operating hours all days from 9a.m.-12 mn.
E-mail the author at mybubbleboy@hotmail.com
With regards to the carting competitors, Hans adds, "It’s really very different from the rest. Most of our first-time customers enter expecting a carnival type set-up for kids, but the track is really for teenagers and professionals. With electronics built into the skid-free asphalt, the entire facility is completely computerized. You can change the speed of the carts by remote control, and you can get your lap time from a computer print out or the digital billboard. Our customers even have to wear professional race suits, helmets, and cloth masks."
YStyle: Do you have any races coming up?
Angelo Barretto: We’re preparing for the 50th anniversary of the Macau Grand Prix which is the probably the most prestigious cup in Asia. We want to do well there since we do have a history of Filipinos that have received awards from running performances in Macau from the likes of Dodgie Laurel, Pocholo Ramirez, and Toto Cruz.
But you just got back from Italy for work, right?
Yeah. I was out testing with Alpha Romeo in Valla Lungga in Italy. It’s 30 minutes north of Rome by car in the autostrada. I had to try out an Alpha Romeo car.
Sounds like a dream go to Italy just to try out a race car?
The not-so-glamorous part of going racing is the tight schedule involved. Five minutes after arriving at the Italian airport, you take a half-hour car ride to the race track. Then, you have to set up the car and do three hours of whatever is needed to get the car running quickly. Right after, you need to jump back into the road and go straight to the plane to get back to Asia. That’s the work which people don’t see all the time, but that’s what makes you better when you finally go on the race track.
How do you feel about being an upcoming personality and your endorsement for PLDT?
I look at all these things as a part of my job. Although the PLDT campaign is still new in the Philippines, our team already has a few billboards in Italy from our eyewear sponsor as well as in France from our tire sponsor. From all this, I’ve learned that becoming a celebrity means that you can inspire other people such as kids who want to be race car drivers or Filipinos in general who want to have a more positive image. Also, it means that you have to be more careful with what you do. Even if we live in a country where there’s a disregard for common road rules, you have to set an example. I can’t be the one to be passing on the wrong side of the road and honking my horn at the jeepney driver. It’s funny how people listen to you because they think that you’re coming from a position of expertise.
How did you get into road car racing in the first place?
I’ve always enjoyed the competitive side of anything, from games on foot to RC cars. I guess with road cars, you break set boundaries. A lot of my influences are based on preconceived notions that the Pinoy can’t do it or the Pinoy can’t get that far. Little by little, I think that people will change the way we are perceived in international motor sports.
So you see a higher role that you play with what you’re doing now?
I see racing as my contribution to jumpstarting something good for the country. Even if I didn’t grow up with role models like Michael Schumacher. I’d like people to look up to what I did and follow by example later on.
So what does an international race driver such as yourself have to say about go-carting?
As it’s just throttle and break, you learn a lot of things like mostly steering at an angle. It’s a great way for friends to get together but once on the track, they’ll learn more than bumping and turning like in Playstation. The element of taking the car out with your friends is what makes it fun. There in the other side of the world, behind the wheel of an Alpha Romeo or a Porsche 996, it’s work. You can’t take a break. You can’t say you’re tired. You can’t say "bukas na lang." You can’t say the car is slow because there’s all this electronic equipment which says what you actually did. So here, it’s fun, and there, its work.
So what are the differences between professional road car racing and recreational go-carting?
The biggest difference is the cost involved. Here, you spend about 500 pesos for 12 minutes of maxed out carting. There, in shorter than 12 minutes, you can max out the car, spin, crash into the wall, and pay a 200 thousand dollar bill. Also, the driver’s gear is different. The driver’s suit of go-carting is just abrasion-resistant while the Grand Touring car suit is fire proof. Another difference is the speed. Normal people who would ride in our race car would be very afraid while we, on the other hand, can think of other things like the last song on the radio since it’s already natural for us.
So what’s your forecast for the go-carting and road car fanatics out there?
Go-carting is the best introduction to racing. You get your skills on the go cart track and move up step-by-step but never higher or faster than you can go. From go-carting, you can figure out if racing is what you really want to do in life. In fact, carting is probably what set it off for all these Filipinos who are doing Asian Formula 3 right now. At this rate, with the kids doing 50cc to 80cc in the cadet class and Formula BMWs these days, we should have a kid in the Formula 1 race in hopefully five years.
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