Exalta carathon moves up north

After encountering heavy rains down south, the four-man Nissan Exalta GS Superio crew made its way back to Manila just before midnight Sunday after conquering the roads of the Visayas and Mindanao in the first stage of the 30-day, non-stop fourth Pan Philippine Marathon.

A beat-up crew of Juvy Catajoy, Mon Dizon, Lester Susi and Willy Avila turned over the sparkling silver colored sedan with a potent QG 1.6-liter engine to Willie Ingles, who is spearheading the northern Luzon expedition beginning early-Monday morning.

Getting drawing power from Caltex Vortex and Havoline, the Exalta will pass through the Ilocos provinces before heading back to the Visayas via Quezon province and Bicol for another assault.

"It was a long but pleasant trip," said the rally-bred Catajoy before turning over the keys to the revered Ingles. "Generally, it was a smooth drive going back to Manila."

The crew made a brief stopover at the Nissan Mantrade in Naga City before driving back to Manila for the rendezvous with the team of Ingles.

So determined was Ingles to take charge and experience the driving pleasure of the 116-horsepower Exalta that he immediately ordered his backup crew at Nissan Mantrade to board it and buckle down to work.

"Wala ng pahinga-pahinga pa," said Ingles, who was already in Santiago, Isabela, when he phoned home to the Manila secretariat. "The Exalta was expected to arrive in the early-evening of Sunday, but because of unforeseen circumstances, it got delayed."

Although the Exalta is slightly behind schedule, Ingles, also major player in previous marathons, is confident that the targeted over 30,000 kilometer mileage on its Havoline odometer is within reach.

"Basing from the showing of the Exalta in the Visayan and Mindanao run, I don’t see any difficulty for it to fail this test," added Ingles.