by: Rtn. Chuck Montecillo

This past weekend has been a very exciting time for me. April 29-30 was the date of the Asian Festival of Speed (aka AFOS), held at the Petron Subic International Raceway. I was lucky enough to be one of the participants at this prestigious event.

As you all know, I have been racing in the Production Cars Championship. Each event has been an experience that I will never forget. But, AFOS was different. It's not because Asia's best drivers were there, complete with a world class crew, or even the exotic racing machines in which they do battle. What made the difference was I was actually in a RACE.

My previous events were more like rites of passage. I was banged and pushed around quite a bit, leaving my car damaged after each race weekend (not to mention my bank account). Being a "newbie" to the Philippine racing scene, the veterans didn't waste any time in showing me the "ropes". Even though my team and I were triumphant in the events (two 3rd places and one 1st, in 4 races), I haven't really felt true acceptance among the other drivers. That finally happened during AFOS.

In the Qualifying session, I was able to garner the "Pole Position" on the starting grid (the 1st position). Then, during the first race, I was able to maintain that position until the very end, while battling with more veteran drivers (another WIN). As a matter of fact, I increased my lead to around 4 seconds and not once was I "hit" during the race!

In the second race, I made a mistake which allowed Carlos Anton of the Hyundai/MP TURBO TEAM, to pass for the lead. Throughout the race, Carlos and I were engaged in a heated battle. Nose to tail, our cars were sliding around the corners, smoking our tires during extreme braking and dodging each other on the track. Like a chess game, we were both trying to out smart each other. In the end, Carlos was the victor. But even though I had lost the race, I had a smile that wouldn't go away. It was the most fun I have had in long time on a race track!

When all was said and done, that feeling of acceptance filtered in. As I walked around the pits, the other drivers patted me on the back and gave congratulations all around. I was now one of them. They had realized that I was not just a flash in the pan or a rookie with beginer's luck. I was now looked at as a race car driver.

Being on the track, was no longer a test of my mettle. I was there to race and the other drivers were there as competitors. It was an actual RACE that time.

So, now that's out of the way, I have my eye on the Production Car Championship!

Good morning RCMA.