Asian drivers test powerful V8 stock cars for Asian tiff

MANILA, Philippines - Six Asian drivers were in town to test Asian V8 late model US stock cars in the buildup to the first leg of the Asian V8 Champtionships where Asian drivers compete for the first time in the Philippines using powerful V8 US stock cars at the Clark International Speedway April 5-6.

On hand to test the cars were Christian Jones and Callum Watmor from Australia, Joe Merzei of WTCC, Neid Asuncao from Macau and Japanese rider Yusuke Kudo. Filipino driver Enzo Pastor also attended the test day  with his younger brother Don Pastor, who flew in from San Francisco to represent Team USA.

Ed Cox of Orion Motorsport, whose presence was vital for this first day of testing, gave his support to head Filipino mechanic-consultant Mark Thomann, an expert in big engines. 

Also in town was Alain Veyssiere, team owner of Scorpus Racing Team, a mainstay at the world renowned All American Whelen Nascar and the Euro Whelen Nascar.   Veyssiere brought his crew chief and information technology programmer to lend their technical and managerial expertise to all the teams throughout the series.

Ted Toleman, overall AV8C drivers’ consultant who was once an F1 team leader, met with Tom Pastor, founder and president of the Philippine Formula Autosport Foundation, Inc.

“It is with great pride that the Philippines can and will work together to become a permanent racing hub for the development program in the whole of Asia,  starting from this Asian V8 Championship,” said Pastor of the event supported by the Department of Tourism/TIEZA.