Orduna stays on course for karter of year award

MANILA, Philippines – Ready2Race bet Joey Orduna staged a determined comeback to clinch the ROK Junior crown recently in the third leg of the 2009 Magnolia Super Karting Series at the Kart Zone in Cebu.

It was Orduna’s second straight triumph in the ROK Junior class where he turned back teammate Roby Benito to keep the solo lead with 222 points for a 36-point advantage over Benito.

With the feat, Orduna also remained the solo leader in the ROK Overall class to stay on top of the race for the coveted Karter of the Year award with the big support of Tuason Racing School, Tony Kart , OTK parts, HJC Auto Helmets, Sparco Racing, AIM Racing gauges, Oakley Race Gear, Golden Harvest Integrated Services and Shipping, BANPU, Barwil-Smith Bell Shipping, Rio-Tinto, FARM and Ford Batangas.

Orduna currently leads the series with 192 points, 51 points up on fellow Ready2Race karter Juha Turalba who is second overall.

If he keeps his solid grip of the top spot in the next four legs, Orduna could end up the youngest Karter of the Year awardee in the history of Philippine Karting.

Orduna likewise marked his first win at the Kart Zone despite experiencing a rough start on the short and bumpy Cebu track.

The Grade 7 student of International School-Manila started second behind Benito in the combined final race but figured in a collision on the first lap and dropped to sixth place.

Though winning was to  be a far-fetched idea with Benito already way ahead, the 13-year-old Orduna gave a chase to move up third on the 11th lap.

The big break came on the 22nd lap when Benito spun out, paving the way for Joey to secure second place all the way to the finish line, wrapping up the 28-lap race in 12 minutes and 8.063 seconds.