2017 FlatOut Race Series concludes in style under the rain

Time Attack

The day’s itinerary began with the Time Attack heats. The first driver to dominate the time sheets in Bracket A was Eduardo Suiza who clocked in a blistering best lap time of 2:11.963. Coming in 2^nd was Rafael la O’ with a 2:12.807 best time.

While Bracket A is where the most skilled drivers compete, the Bracket R boasts the former’s fastest machines. For that, Dominique Bon took home the top spot with his best lap time of 2:09.129. Behind him in 2^nd was la O’ who managed to register a best lap time of 2:9.989. Suiza rounded off the Bracket R top 3 as his Bracket A-winning time was enough to slot him in 3^rd.

Bon also conquered Bracket B. He was joined on the podium by Milo Rivera and Andrew de Asis in 2^nd and 3^rd places, respectively. Bracket C, meanwhile, had Paul Santos putting in a fast 2:26.117 lap which earned him 1^st place. He’s followed by Kathy Villar in 2^nd, while Kunihiro Iwatsuki made a brilliant 3^rd place.

In Bracket D, Ralph Tan, Paolo Santos, and Dindo De Jesus were hailed as the fastest drivers in that order. Bracket E, on the other hand, saw Armand Marcaida (1^st), Robert Tan (2^nd), and Andre Makkina Tan (3^rd).

In Bracket F, Adrian Agcamaran’s run earned him 1^st place. He’s trailed in 2^nd by Sherwin Bargos, while Noel Delos Reyes made it to 3^rd. Lastly in Bracket G, the top 3 fastest drivers were Miguel Narciso who took home 1^st, followed by Felix Chua in 2^nd and Hazel Ramirez in 3^rd.

Grid Race

By mid-day, the drivers were at it again for the season’s final set of Grid Race events. Suiza and la O’ found themselves locked in a tight battle during the 10-lap GT Radial Grid A race. The former took command for almost the entire time. But the latter reeled the former to take the lead and win as the race ended.

Down in KYB Grid B, Aaron Lao clinched 1^st place, followed by Francis Roger Telan in 2^nd and Andrew de Asis in 3^rd. Meanwhile, Paul Santos comfortably cuised to the line to take 1^st in Smart Fuels Grid C. That’s because he’s a full lap ahead of Jonmark Ong in 2^nd and Polo Bautista in 3^rd.

To cap off the season on a high note, AAP merged the Recaro Grid D and the Works Bell Grid E to form a massive 22-car race finale. The drivers delivered more than expected, making a mad dash toward turn 1, much to the race fans’ excitement.

Ralph Tan made a strong show of force to claim the championship title in Grid D. Paolo Santos did all he could, and was rewarded with a 2^nd place finish. The 2 racers were joined on the podium by Patrick Manapat who settled for 3^rd. Finally in Grid E, Andre Makkina Tan earned a hard-fought 1^st place victory over Felix Chua who crossed the line in 2^nd. Steve Travers would finish 3^rd a few seconds later.

And that concludes this year’s FlatOut Race Series. Above all the accomplishments and drama, 2 things were made paramount the entire season; sportsmanship and feeding the passion for racing. Congratulations to all the winners and to everyone!

But the action isn’t over yet. There’s still the GT Radial 8 Oras Ng Pilipinas that’s on the pipeline. To be held on December 2 and 3, 2017 at CIS, the said endurance race will see the ultimate test of man and machine as they circle the CIS for a number of laps within an 8-hour time limit.

The 2017 FlatOut Race Series is made possible with the following sponsors and media partners.