MULTI-TITLED racing champion Carlos Anton smashed his old track record at the Clark International Speedway during the recently concluded JDM Undergroud event held last May 16.
Anton blasted through the circuit using his Mark Young-Yokohama prepared CRX clocking 1:07.40 seconds almost two seconds faster than his last record of 1:09.38 set during the Circuit Showdown a month before.
"We had fuel surging problems during our first run at the track last month. This time we came prepared with a fuel cell and it worked wonders!" Anton said after his run that was dedicated to his good friend Pat Trajano who passed away last month.
Clark is a special place for Anton since it is the home track of his major sponsor Yokohama whose plant is located inside the former American Air Base.
TJ Pangilinan of Cabspeed racing checked in second to Anton with a time of 1:09.66 seconds and Mark Thoman of Phil-Germa finished third after a horrific crash into the barrier during his last run of the day. Over 50 racers from all over the country participated in the event.
Anton is the reigning Philippine Hillclimb Champion and Philippine Autocross Champion for 2009 and is backed by Mark Young, Yokohama tires, Hornitex flooring, Total Fuels and Lubricants, Home outlet, Richmond Auto Parts and Autoshack.
Anton's next stop is the second round of the Philippine Hillclimb Championship that will be held at La Union.
Earlier, Anton bested 24 other participants in the time attack event, including veteran racers aboard top-of-the-line cars like the Mitsubishi Evolution, Subaru, Lexus and Nissan Skyline.
"The Hillclimb got postponed so we decided last minute to join the Circuit Showdown. Winning here is special because it's the home of our major sponsor Yokohama and we set that time using the latest A050 tire," Anton said.