Team Mazda PH dominates 2021 Kalayaan Cup Endurance Challenge

MANILA: Team Mazda Philippines bagged the overall championship title in the 2021 Petron Kalayaan Cup 12-hour Endurance Challenge that happened at the Clark International Speedway last Saturday, June 12.

After completing 274 laps over 12 hours of non-stop racing using a near-showroom stock Mazda MX-5 Miata Spec Series car, the team was able to take home six trophies together with wins in Class 1 and Open A categories for the 4-hour Kagitingan Cup and 12-hour Makabayan Cup.

The 2021 Mazda MX-5 was helmed by endurance racing veterans Allan Uy, Marc Soong, and Aaron Guevarra, together with champion racer Gaby dela Merced. The car needed only six pit stops to finish the race ahead of 16 other entries. It achieved a lap time of 2:21.186 and eventually completed nine laps ahead of the second placer.

In a statement, Mazda Philippines President and Chief Executive Officer Steven Tan said, “We are extremely proud of this achievement of the team and our Mazda MX-5. The results this year show that aspeed, reliability and fuel efficiency all have to be present to ensure victory in this race. With all these on hand, the MX-5 allowed our drivers to confidently race and keep a competitive pace all throughout the 12 hours. Surely, this championship win was made possible with the hardworking crew, the amazing team spirit we demonstrated, and our belief that we have the best car in the field to give us the best results.”

In the qualifying session, Uy took the MX-5 Miata Spec Series car up to P2 on the grid. The actual race began at 5:30 a.m., making the racers deal with early morning fog that curtailed their visibility. To stay within the team’s target times, Uy kept the pressure on the pole-sitter with late braking and the superior handling of the MX-5.

The reliability, light weight, ease of handling, and fuel efficiency of the MX-5 Miata Spec car significantly contributed to the team’s win at the endurance race. In the last 20 minutes of the race, the car had a 14-lap advantage over the second placer, showing its clear advantage over the competition.

The MX-5’s fuel efficiency allowed the team to play out its strategy with lesser fuel refills than its competitors. After the 3.5-hour stint of Soong and three-hour run of Guevarra, dela Merced finally took over for the homestretch.

The 274 final lap count by the MX-5 this year matches the record set by the sport-tuned Mazda MX-5 Global Cup race car which bagged the overall championship in the 2019 Kalayaan Cup.

After being sidelined in 2020 due to the community quarantine restrictions, the Petron Kalayaan Cup 12-hour Endurance Challenge made a comeback this year. The annual race is known as the country’s “ultimate test of man and machine.”

Photos from Mazda Philippines

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