2018 FlatOut Race Series holds 4th round with nail-biting action under heavy rain

Time Attack

Despite the gloomy weather, the situations in Brackets R and A were rather hot as Rafael la O's fire power was put to the test. Although he dominated Bracket R with his best lap time of 2:16.762, he found himself 2^nd behind Gabby Sohu, the fastest driver in Bracket A, who clocked in at 2:21.310. Eduardo Suiza came 3^rd.

In Bracket B, Jero Consing was the fastest, followed by Paolo Santos in 2^nd and Raffy Sohu in 3^rd. Down in Bracket C, Errol Panganiban stopped the clock at 2:31.188, a best lap time which placed him 1^st. On the other hand, Bracket D was filled in by Raffy Rabe, Rommel Guevarra, and Robert Tan who placed 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd, respectively.

Kenneth Santos set the fastest lap time of 2:38.436 in Bracket E, more than enough to place him ahead of Michael Rivero in 2^nd and Franklin Ong in 3^rd. Meanwhile, Bracket F saw Kody Ng as the fastest driver, followed by Amiel Del Mundo in 2^nd. Mark Pascual clocked in the 3^rd fastest. Down in Bracket G, lady driver Chenee Jimenez found herself placing 1^st. And lastly, the top 2 fastest in the 86 Class were Edwin Sarmenta in 1^st and Christopher Co in 2^nd.

Grid Race

As the day continued, so did Typhoon Domeng’s reign. This prompted the officials to put a word of caution to the drivers as they pressed on with the Grid Races. Despite this, the combined Staunch Performance Grid D and SmartFuels 2 Race Grid E race went underway. Safety concerns were on an all-time high, with the race being capped to just 5 laps. But this didn’t mean it was short-changed in terms of action.

In fact, Paul Ongcuangco, Andre Makkina Tan, Erwin Manaog, and Franklin Ong engaged on a tricky 4-way battle in Grid D. The men faced hairy situations and close calls during the intense 5-lap race, but Ongcuangco came out on top to finish 1^st. On his trail were Tan and Manaog who crossed the line 2^nd and 3^rd, respectively. Felix Chua concluded the weekend with a race-winning stint in Grid E. Joining him on the podium were Mark Pascual in 2^nd and Amiel Del Mundo.

By afternoon, Typhoon Domeng went ballistic, unleashing even heavier torrents of rain. It was at this point where the stewards decided to hold off the Petron Grid A, KYB Grid B, and Recaro Grid C races for safety reasons. In the end, it was agreed upon by both the stewards and the drivers to reschedule the races on the next round.

Speaking of the next round, underline July 14 on the calendar as the 2018 Petron FlatOut Race Series will head down south at the Batangas Racing Circuit for Round 5.

The 2018 Petron FORS is made possible by the following sponsors and media partners. Photos by FlatOut Race Series.