Top karters gird for crucial wins in sixth leg

MANILA, Philippines -  Top contenders go for crucial wins as they try to beef up their respective title bids in the sixth leg of the Petron Blaze 100 ROK Cup Karting Super Series at the Carmona Racetrack.

A three-way fight among Seaoil-DC karter Gabriel Tayao Cabrera, Jacob Ang of Eagle Cement and seasoned campaigner Bobby Domingo of Formula-E Racing looms as they slug it out for the Karter of the Year award in the event sanctioned by the Automobile Association Philippines.

Cabrera, the country’s top bet for the Asian Karting juniors crown, hopes to extend his win streak to six and firm up his grip of the solo lead in both the ROK overall and junior classes with 335 and 350 points, respectively.

Ang, meanwhile, tries to become the first karter in history to capture three major crowns in a single season. A cinch to win this year’s ROK Clubman Blaze 100 title with a total of 335 points, Ang is also in the hunt for both the ROK overall and ROK junior plums with 217 and 273 points, respectively.

Domingo, on the other hand, is eyeing to sweep the overall Petron Karting titles after clinching the KF Petron Blaze 100 Senior plum. He also seeks to win the Petron Blaze 100 ROK Cup karting crown to bolster his drive for the Karter of the Year Award in the event sponsored by Petron, Petron Blaze 100 Euro 4, Petron XCS, Petron Ultron, Petron Xtra, Petron Sprint, Magnolia Pure Water and Yokohama.

Domingo is in third place in the ROK Overall Blaze 100 with 206 points and second overall in the ROK Senior Blaze 100 with 250 points.

A victory will also preserve his solo lead in the new ROK Shifter class against Darvin, Michael Jordan, Vrei-AR Suba and Sean Smith.

Out to spoil the troika’s bid is Wayne Darvin of Team Total Racing, the current leader in the ROK Senior Blaze 100 title chase with a 14-point lead over Domingo on a 264-point total. He is also in fourth place in the ROK Overall with 171 points.

Michael Jordan, meanwhile, seeks to seal the ROK Masters crown against Julius Milla.

Joining them in the tough combined field are Jerry Choi, Brian Thorp and Carl Luig of AUTS Racing, Raymond Cudala of Tough Gear Racing, Formula-E Racing karters Lean Linao and Cebuano Jette Calderon, Jennifer and Joseph Rene Tumambing, and Allison Julian of One Racing.