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THE
Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP), the
national automobile club and governing body for
motorsports in the country, recently feted the national
champions in various racing disciplines and shared its
future plans during its 13th Annual Motorsports Awards
night at the Valle Verde Country Club in Pasig City.
After
winning yearlong quests for the Driver of the Year
awards in their respective fields of motor racing, seven
drivers were given recognition by the AAP: Ulysses
Maningding for Slalom; Carlos Anton for Hill Climb; Jody
Coseteng for Circuit Racing; Stefano Marcelo for Karting;
Noel Bartolome Jr. for 4x4 Racing; and Jonathan Tiu for
Drag Racing.
The
affair was attended by AAP directors—Gen. Angel Kanapi,
Dave Arcenas, Engr. Serafin Pantaleon, journalist Aida
Sevilla-Mendoza, Jacinto Mantaring, Nona Esquivel and
Jose Armando Eduque.
Best of the best
AAP director
and motorsports council chairman Jose Armando Eduque
(extreme right) with the 2007 Drivers of the Year
Ulysses Maningding, Slalom; Carlos Anton, Hill Climb;
Jody Coseteng, Circuit Racing (represented by his wife
Evelyn); Stefano Marcelo, Karting; and Noel Bartolome
Jr., 4x4 Racing. Not in photo is Jonathan Tiu, Drag
Racing. The Circuit Racing Group 3 Class Championship
was also awarded to Vin Santos (extreme left).
In his
speech, Eduque, who is also chairman of the national
motorsports council, cited the great strides that the
AAP has made in promoting motor sports in the
Philippines and raising the level of competition in this
country. He recalled that in 2007, the AAP sanctioned
11 Series, comprising 60 events, including four
international races, which were calendared with the FIA
and CIK, the world governing bodies for motor sports and
karting, respectively.
The
former rally driver shared that the AAP issued
competition licenses to 140 drivers from seven
disciplines in the same year. In compliance with its
memorandum of agreement with the Department of Energy,
it also introduced and mandated the use of bio-ethanol
fuel for the first time in RP motor sports initially in
karting and circuit racing.
Eduque
also intimated that in 2008, the AAP would take its cue
from the FIA’s stated policies on motorsports worldwide.
“AAP’s
mantra for 2008 will be, as it has always been, that
motorsports in this country should be fair, affordable
and, above all, safe,” he stated.
In order
to ensure fairness in competition, the AAP took on a
more proactive role in 2007 and imposed more penalties
and fines on competitors and organizers than in any
previous year. In order to maintain this parity this
year, the AAP will:
1.
Expand its licensing to cover all competitors. AAP
expects to issue close to 200 new licenses in 2008 and
will end up issuing close to 340 in 2008, the highest
number of licenses that will ever be issued;
2.
Strictly enforce the policy that AAP competition license
holders cannot participate in series or events that are
not sanctioned by AAP. To violate this policy will
result in fines and /or the suspension or cancellation
of their AAP competition licenses. This policy is one
of the best deterrents against illegal racing;
3. Issue
a list of accredited race officials and stewards, who
must have the necessary knowhow, acquired thorough
experience and/or attendance at applicable seminars and
clinics conducted by FIA or CIK.
“It is
AAP’s position that the only way to increase the number
of competitors in motorsports is to ensure that it is
affordable to the greatest number, while the surest way
to kill it is to make it affordable to only a few. With
this in mind, AAP will not allow its national champions
to come from series whose rules give an unfair advantage
to some. AAP will not sanction series where the cost of
being competitive is prohibitive. Better to see a large
grid where driver proficiency is the determining factor
than a small grid where the cost of equipment is,”
Eduque maintained.
Eduque
revealed that aspiring Filipino drivers would now have a
better chance to break into the higher levels of
international motorsports with the creation of Auto
Sport Academy Asia.
“At the
present time, the only available alternative in the
country is AF3.However, in our opinion and the opinion
of many, the jump from karting to F3 is too abrupt and
running costs too expensive. We are presently working
with JP Tuason to get his Formula Ford-derived series
off and running but it will take sometime to see how
local drivers take to it.
“As one
way of addressing this problem, the ASN’s of the FIA’s
Asia Zone—of which AAP is a member—has agreed to set up
a school for Formula racing in Asia to provide the
skills and discipline necessary for a young driver to
transition from karting to formula racing. It will be
based at the Johore racetrack in Malaysia and will be
available to drivers who are at least 15 years old,”
Eduque said.
Auto Sport Academy
Asia will be operational within the year and will be
managed by
Auto
Sport Academy,
previously called La Filiere-FFSA, which was started
many years ago by ELF and Renault and produced such F1
luminaries as Alain Prost, Sebastian Bowdair and Franch
Montagny.
“As
proof of its commitment to assist local drivers’ break
into Formula racing, AAP invested in ASAA by subscribing
to two of ASAA’s 20 Formula Campus cars at a cost of
some P1 million. While 20 cars are for the use of the
academy’s students, Filipino students will have priority
over the use of the two cars under AAP’s name,” Eduque
divulged.
Annually, the academy will conduct tests of the most
promising drivers and will endow the best two from among
its students with free tuition for one year in Le
Mans.
Eduque
said, “AAP is very excited about the ASAA as a way for
young Filipino drivers to, first, gain the skills
necessary for European Formula racing and, secondly, an
entry point into Europe. We will keep you informed of
developments as well as when ASAA is operational.” |
