Marcelo leads RP's title haul

CARMONA, Cavite, Philippines – RP ace Stefano Marcelo of TonyKart-San Miguel Corp.-Marcelo emerged overall champion as the Philippines bagged nine of the 13 titles at stake yesterday in the culmination of the 2009 Asian Karting Open Championship Series and Magnolia Pure Water Karting Super Series at the Carmona Circuit Philippines.

The 19-year-old Marcelo ruled both the pre-final and final races to capture the Formula 125 Open Senior and KF2 crowns of the event sponsored by Magnolia Pure Water, Petron, San Miguel Corporation, Pagcor Sports, Denso Iridium Power, Palmer Asia Inc., Vivere Hotel, Red White Racing of Indonesia managed by Stanley Iriawan, Aeromed, Philippine Sports Commission and the Department of Tourism.

He clocked 20 minutes, 39.271 seconds in the 28-lap final race as the Filipinos made it a 1-2-3 finish together with Javi Benitez of Jet Racing (1.603) and Juha Turalba of Ready2Race.

Top foreign bet Senna Sulaiman Noor of Indonesia was third in the KF2 division while defending Asian champion Tin Sritrai of Thailand finished fourth in the Formula 125 Open Senior.

Roby Benito of Ready2Race also pulled off a double by clinching the Formula 125 Open Junior and KF3 titles over Malaysians Rahul Raj Mayer and Mohammad Sharif Raharjo.

The event, sanctioned by the CIK and the Automobile Association Philippines, drew a big fan in Philippine Sports Commission chairman Harry Angping, the first PSC chair to grace the event, who vowed to take the lead in bidding for the hosting of the coming World Karting Championship for 18-under either in 2011 or 2012.