F-3 racing debuts in RP

Hot on the heels of the recently concluded Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang comes another major motorsport event that is just as exciting and competitive – the 2002 Asian Formula Challenge.

Organized by the Manila-based Asian Formula Three Corp. (AF3), the 2002 Asian Formula Challenge is Asia’s first truly international championship for Formula 3 and Formula Renault cars that will feature seven legs with the Philippines, China and Malaysia hosting two legs apiece and one round scheduled in Korea.

The first leg will be held in the Philippines on April 6 -7 at the Batangas Circuit.

The succeeding legs will be held on May 4-5 and June 15-16 at the Zhuhai International Circuit in China, July 27-28 at the Samsung Everland Circuit in Korea, Aug. 24-25 at the Sepang F1 Circuit in Malaysia, Sept. 28-29 at Johor in Malaysia, and the final leg will be held on Oct. 26-27 at the Subic International Raceway in the Philippines.

According to AF3 deputy managing director Rikki Dy-Liacco, This year, "we have four countries hosting the series. In 2003, we expected to have an additional leg in Beijing and are looking forward to having Indonesia and Taiwan on our list of venues."

The Formula 3 category has long been recognized in international motorsport circles as a veritable stepping stone to higher forms of racing, including Formula One.

The cars, which are products of state-of-the-art technologies, are virtually scaled-down versions of Formula One cars and the regulations that they race under ensure parity on the track and place a greater emphasis on driving talent.