Tuesday, November 11, 2008 Cebuano bags nat’l title
CEBU’s top junior karter, Juan Antonio “Tonyo” Carcel, took his position on the race track in the last leg of the Shell Helix National Karting Series Carmona, Cavite, looked up to his dad, Niel, and asked, “Any last words?”
“Win,” was all his dad said and he did just that as he came out blazing on a stormy day to dominate the mini-ROK race of the competition’s final leg en route to winning the evasive Junior Karter of the Year diadem.
“He always asks me that whenever he races,” said Tonyo’s dad, Niel.
The Karter of the Year title came as a much-deserved reward for the young karter’s yearlong struggle for supremacy.
Last weekend, Carcel finally hit paydirt when he won the title which was last won by a Cebuano, Paco Rodriguez, two years ago.
Carcel worked hard all yearlong leading up to the final leg. He joined all the legs in order to rack up enough points that would give him the title. Going into the final leg, however, Carcel found his lead sliced to just 16 points by his fiercest contender from Manila, Christian Gaddi.
Focus
This drove Cebu’s speed devil to give an all-out performance in his final leg, which was expected to be a nail-biter.
According to his dad, Tonyo was a picture of pure focus before treading on the slippery and wet race track in his final race of the year.
“He was very focused going into the race and he was not tense at all. That may be the reason why he won all three heats and the final race,” said Tonyo’s proud dad.
Carcel posted 528 total points, while Gaddi, who could only finish fifth in the first heat, only made 477 points.
Complement
Jette Calderon, another Cebuano came in at second, while Gaddi was third in that race.
Niel added that Tonyo’s sister, Kalyka, who was racing against his brother in the same engine class, complemented Tonyo’s win.
“Kali was running second early in the heats and this helped stave off her brother’s challengers,” Niel added.
Kali, the girl who can give all the boys a run for their money, was rushed to the hospital after the practice run after she
figured in an accident.
However, she showed she was a tough cookie as she came back and even posted the fastest time in the qualifying run last weekend and wound up fourth overall.
She would have finished in a better position had she not spun out of control in the seventh lap.
“He has fulfilled his dream of becoming the national karter of the year. He excelled not just in his studies but also in his sport. He used both his brains and skill that’s why he excelled and the fact that he remains humble makes me one proud dad,” Niel added.
Before this, Carcel has racked up wins in the series in ruling the Cebu leg and the Enchanted Kingdom leg. (MCB)
