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Rookie Pinoy drifters shine in the 2018 Federal Tyres King of Nations Pro Series

By Randy
.
June 2, 2018

Beyond its sights and sounds, drifting is considered by many as an art form and one of the most challenging motorsports today. This was seen, heard, and felt last May 25 to 27, 2018 as the Federal Tyres King of Nations Pro Series went underway at the Clark International Speedway (CIS) in Pampanga to conclude its Asian legs called King of Nations Asia Pro Series.

Also called KONPH2018, the premier international drifting event saw over 20 drifters from all over the world duke it out for the win. They were comprised of foreign drivers from such countries as Japan, Thailand, Kuwait, and Hong Kong who faced the best roster of drifters from the Philippines (Check out this pre-event news to see the partial list of drivers who took the challenge).

The KONPH2018 started off with the amateur drifting championship last May 25. Divided into 2 parts; Run 1 and Run 2, it’s where motorsports fans saw the talent of budding Filipino drifters on the track. They were comprised of such drivers as Alvin Dayrit, Norman Wycoco, Gabe Tayao, and 16-year-old Hans Jimenez. They went head-to-head with 9 other drifters, much to the delight of the fans who watched the event live or via online live videos.

Jimenez proved his mettle with 73.30 points in Run 1 and 88.30 in Run 2. This earned him the top spot on the podium. Coming in 2nd was Dayrit who racked up 59.60 and 61.60 points in Runs 1 and 2, respectively. In 3rd was Wycoco who managed to gather 50.80 points in Run 1 and 44.20 in Run 2. Tayao, on the other hand, placed 4th with his Run 1 record of 45.70 points.

Aside from winning the amateur class, Jimenez was also given a special award for being the youngest driver in the history of King of Nations.

The following 2 days witnessed the action in the Professional division. Japanese driver Daigo Saito did his magic by scoring 94.30 in Run 1 and 91.70 in Run 2. His performance cemented him on top in 1st place. In 2nd was Keng Ptt of Thailand with a record of 79.40 and 83.40 points in Runs 1 and 2, respectively. Coming in 3rd was Hong Kong driver Charles Ng who collected 87.30 pints in Run 1 and 89.30 in Run 2. Keng Ptt was called for again as he was also crowned the King of Nations Asia Pro Series Champion.

Meanwhile, Filipino pro drifters such as Luis Gono, David Feliciano, and Atoy Llave did all they could to keep up, but luck wasn’t on their side. At best, Gono made it to 4th during qualifying, but fell short on race day due to technical problems. The rest of the Philippine contingent was also hounded with various technical issues, preventing them from unleashing their true grit.

The KONPH2018 is organized and sanctioned by Backstage Events and the Automobile Association Philippines (AAP), respectively.

It’s made is made possible by the following sponsors; Federal Tyres, Autophile, Motul, Petron, PLDT, Fontana Leisure Park, and PartsPro.ph with support from Auto Plus, Clark International Speedway, Rota, NGK, Brembo, 10inch Lights and Sounds, NPPA Images, MAD Films, Kiss Juice, Voda Pure, Dole, and DC PH. Media partners include AutoCar, autoindustriya.com, jamesdeakin.ph, Manila Times, Malaya, driven2ride, 2Ner Magazine and 9tro Group Philippines.

For more information, visit www.kingofnations.net.

Photos by Paolo Lesaca

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About the Author

Randolph de Leon
Randy is a person with disability (PWD), a partially-blinded person with only his left eye functioning. Since childhood, the automobile has always been his passion, and is able to express it through photography and most recently, through writing as well. Outside the motoring beat, Randy spends time manning the media aspect of his business which he co-founded with his sister/college classmate. It's called Dragonlight Wellness and Solutions, a multi-business venture centering on improving peoples' lives through earning.