Land Rover off-road 4x4 meanest machine

MANILA, Philippines - Team Land Rover Philippines emerged champion in the electric winch category and finished fifth overall in the inaugural China-Sanya International Off-road 4x4 Challenge held last month.

The team, powered by the season tandem of Hilario “Larry” Mendoza and co-driver Sergio “Atoy” Jamilla, also bagged a special citation - the “First Island Entry Award” - given to the first foreign team to make it into Sanya off-road racing.

“It’s really a humbling experience as well as a proud accomplishment for us to be there, compete and win,” said Marc Soong, executive director of LR Philippines, Inc., the exclusive local distributor of Land Rover vehicles, in yesterday’s press conference at Land Rover Branch in Gil Puyat, Makati City.

Known as the formula one of off-road racing, the 4x4 races are considered one of the most dangerous sports in the world since competitors are left to race on the treacherous parts of the forest that included muddy pools, ravines, bush-infested roads and many other barriers that make the event very challenging.

So tough was the race that only 13 vehicles out of the 40 participants made it through and past the forest course or in the transport stage.

One of them included the Philippines, which drove a lightly modified production class Land Rover Defender 90.

The other members of the team were technical advisor Dennis Javier, mechanic/cameraman Marvin Roxas, RFC representative Robby Consunji and BBC Top Gear Phils.’ Beeboy Bargas.

The same team, sponsored by LRPHILS Motors, Inc., Formula Sports, Inc., Bilstein Shock Absorbers, Columbia Sporstwear, Concept One, MAA General Assurance, Phils., Speedlab, SuperPro Poly Bushings, NNC Top Gear, Phils. magazine, Warn Winch and www.4x4ph.com, is also set to participate in the Rainforest Challenge 2009 in Malaysia slated from Dec. 5-14.