Philippine DTM Revival Race 2 - sometimes, sequels are better

While there were only a few participants for the first Philippine DTM Revival Race, it was obvious that there was an interest in the race series. Most of the spectators may have showed up to see the Miata Cup or the MSCC Vintage Car Race, but those who witnessed the rebirth of 80s DTM racing certainly displayed their enthusiasm. Mig and I were hopeful that the second race would be better.

With the help of our sponsors from the first race - Aguila Auto Glass, ARC Automotive, Bilstien, Brembo, H&R, Liqui Moly, Mio Watch, Refinish Line, and Sonax - we were confident that we can put on a show the second time around. Petronas (the Malaysian petroleum giant who is the name sponsor of the Petronas Mercedes AMG GP Formula 1 team) gave us their full support and worked out so that the second race would have all the bells and whistles - like transponders for lap times, and complete FIA supervision.

This time, the race would be held in the Clark International Speedway, on November 18, 2012. Unlike the first race, the skies were clear and blue all day, making it perfect racing weather. The Miata Cup had over 20 cars on grid, and the Vintage Car Race gained a new sibling, with the newly minted Modern Sportscar Race, witha couple of Porsche 964s, a 996, BMW Z3 Coupe, a Ford Mustang GT500, and even a couple of Miatas joining the fray. FIA officials from Australia were on hand to make sure things ran smoothly, and that the race was safe and organized. Pro Drivers JP Tuason,  Mike Potenciano, and Louis and Mechie Ramirez, also dropped by to see the the races, along with Mikko David - Top Gear Philippines' Motorsport Editor. The conditions were perfect for a great day of motorsport.

The cars on the grid were the real stars of the show, however. The Mercedes Benz 190E was represented by Mig Dizon's 2.3-16v Cosworth and defending champion George Apacible's 2.5-16v AMG. Carrying the flag for the BMW e30s were Patrick Chan's M3, a couple of tuned 325i's driven by TJ Benitez and pro racer Stefan Ramirez, a 325iS piloted by Paolo Arespacochaga, Peter de Guzman's 320i, and James Stratchan's 318i. (I wasn't able to drive this race - my e30 is almost ready! Almost! Argh!)

The format was the same as the first race - one practice heat, one qualifying race, and then the final race. Only this time, there were more participants. But there weren't just more cars on the grid, but the racing was also excellent, with lots of overtaking and wheel to wheel action between Paolo, George, Patrick, Stefan and TJ going at each other.

The three pro drivers put on a great show, with Stefan, George and Paolo overtaking and re-overtaking each other. Patrick and TJ - both veteran club racers - kept pace and joined the fray with the pros.

The day, however, belonged to Paolo who had just celebrated his birthday a week before. coring fastest laps for all three races, taking pole position for both race heats, and taking first place in the final race. George finished second, while Patrick secured another podium to take third. Stefan and TJ came in just behind the top three, while Peter and James also finished. Mig, however, didn't start the final race due to a fuel pump problem.

More important than winning or losing was the spirit of 80s DTM Racing is alive and well! Guys came over to see the 16v Benzes and the e30s to admire the cars in their semi-racing livery. There were spectators who came over to say that they, too, have a Cossie or e30 they'd love to race. Even Mike Potenciano mulled over the possibility of bringing his e30 M3 to one of the races.

With the success of the event, the Philippine DTM Revival Race will continue in 2013, with 3 to 4 races spaced out throughout the year. I'm looking forward to seeing even more cars, more fans, and more motorsport fun in the next few races. That dream that Mig and I had so many years ago is finally coming true, and we're just glad to be a part of it. I just hope next time, the both of us get to be part of the final race, too!


        Final results:

         1. Paolo Arespacochaga - BMW 325iS (e30)
         2. George Apacible - Mercedes Benz 190E 2.5-16v
         3. Patrick Chan - BMW M3 (e30)
         4. Stefan Ramirez - BMW 325i (e30)
         5. TJ Benitez - BMW 325i (e30)
         6. Peter de Guzman - BMW 320i (e30)
         7. James Strachan - BMW 318i (e30)
         (DNS - fuel pump failure on track). Miguel Dizon - Mercedes Benz 190E 2.3-16v


For more pics, or information on how to join the next Philippine DTM Revival Race, check out the Philippine DTM Revival Facebook Page!

Philippine DTM Revival - aka my excuse to have fun in an e30

In 2009, a friend of mine, Mig Dizon, purchased a Mercedes Benz 190E 2.3-16v Cosworth. I already had my BMW e30 325i, and we met up one night to... um... "compare" our cars. After a few... uh... "comparisons," we talked about how awesome it would be to pit the BMW e30s and the Benz 190Es in their natural environment, the race track. From that conversation sprung the 1st Philippine DTM Revival Race.

With the help of fellow enthusiast Manolet Ramos, we got to work with Martin Galan of the Manila Sports Car Club and Rene Mapua of the Miata Club of the Philippines. With their help, Mig and myself set off to make our dreams a reality. But to make this happen, we needed two things - enthusiasts to participate, and sponsors to help defray the massive costs of renting a track.

Enthusiasts were plenty enough - various members of the BMW Car Club of the Philippines, E30 Club of the Philippines, and the Mercedes Benz Club of the Philippines and a few others expressed their interest. Unfortunately, with a limited time to prepare their cars, and with the threat of strong rains, we could only muster a grid of 5 cars.

photo: Paolo Arespacochaga

Sponsor interest, however, was very strong. My car shop, ARC Automotive, was definitely into it. Autoperformance Ph, distributor of Brembo brakes, also signed up immediately. Refinish Line, Mig's rubberized undercoat company, also lent its support. Bilstein and H&R suspension systems were also quick to provide assistance and prizes. Liqui Moly lubes also gave generously, as did Sonax detailing products. Mio Watch Philippines, distributors of the world's first strapless heart rate monitor watch, also signed on. And last, but not least, Aguila Auto Glass chipped in with its support. 

A special mention also goes out to painter and graphic artist Ildus Galimzyanov, who graciously donated the use of his artwork for the DTM event poster. You can purchase some of his awesome automotive art through fineartamerica.com.

Thanks also goes out to Brent Co of Auto Industriya for coming out and showing their support for the event. Check out Auto Industriya's article!

photo: Francis Aguila

The race was finally made ito a reality on September 17, 2012, at the Batangas Racing Circuit. The race format included a practice session, where the fastest lap determined the grid order for the qualifying race, and the finishing order for the qualifying race determined the grid for the race proper. The grid included pro race car drivers George Apacible (Benz 190E 2.5-16v) and Paolo Arespacochaga (e30 325iS), Circuit Showdown veteran Patrick Chan (e30 M3), Neil Monzones (e30 320i) and myself rounded out the competitors. Noticably absent was Mig, whose 190E 2.3-16v had to bow out at the last minute due to a fuel pump problem.

Patrick found himself at pole position for the final race, thanks to some great driving in the qualifying race. But George Apacible stole the show, by blasting through the field in just one lap to take home the  win, despite starting at the back of the grid - the penalty for missing the practice session. Patrick held on the second place, and Neil took home third. Paolo and myself both had to retire due to technical problems.

photo: Paolo Arespacochaga

photo: Paolo Arespacochaga

Despite the relatively small turnout, everyone had a great time. And more importantly, this could be the start of something wonderful. In fact, it's already spawned a sequel...

For more pics, or information on how to join the next Philippine DTM Revival Race, check out the Philippine DTM Revival Facebook Page!

short term wishlist

I actually wrote most of this before the posts of Gani and Frag. But it seems right that its only being posted now. This is sort of a synergy of the 2 previous articles. The cars on this list have a reason for being here. They're on my wish list (just like the STi is on Gani's) and they are all cars that have impacted me in my youth.

This is not a fantasy wish list, but more of a goal for the next maybe 3-5 years for myself. Meaning the cars and the plans in this post must be more or less realistic for me. Now I don't see this as a limitation per se, as I've always been a pretty practical guy. Of course I'd love to have a Bugatti Veyron and a Rolls Royce Phantom, but thats just dreaming. 

So within the next few years, I've been eyeing these cars:

1. A late 90s-2000 Toyota Hilux. 

This will be my workhorse. If I need a car to load something in, the pickup has the bed in the back to hold most anything (as long as secured properly). A high car, and outfitted with nice off road tires, it can go almost anywhere. Outfitted with a snorkel, and even floods are no match for it. 

Now I love pickups. With a passion. I've had the privilege of having 2 already, an Isuzu Dmax 4x4 and an Isuzu Dmax 4x2. Yeah, I know, 2 of them. Well one was my personal car and the other was a work car, though I didn't have them both at the same time. Also, the 4x2 was a company "hand me down". 

So why a Hilux? And why an old one? One is the limitation of funds. I can't just shell out over a million for a new Hilux. Budget for a workhorse pickup is around php350k-php450k. And from a quick scan on sulit.com.ph, well this fits the bill.

As seen in Top Gear, the Hilux is nearly indestructible. And we all know how easy it is and how cheap it is to find Toyota parts in this country and get a Toyota serviced, so extra points for those.

edit: if i had my way, this would actually be a Toyota T-100, a pickup my uncle had (same one that owned the FJ-40). I had a chance to inherit that car, but my dad backed off because the car was an import and he was worried about parts and service. we did have a white one in the office a while back, and that was tough as nails.

2. BMW e34 Touring.

The weekend traveler. Something I can take on a trip to Tagaytay or Batangas or Subic and I know everything I need will fit in it, and I can take a bunch of people with me as well.

I'm actually eyeing one right now, and am just saving up enough money to buy and restore it. I've looked the car over, verified the papers, and even had it checked by Klassik BMW (which is now a Hyundai showroom). 

Projected price is somewhere north of php300k, with repairs going somewhere north of 100k. If ever, I'll also want to repaint it.

edit: my love for the e34 stems from my dads e34 sedan. i've actually been on the lookout for an e34 for a few years now, and the touring just speaks to me for some reason. probably because i also loved my grandma's old benz td300 wagon back in vancouver. 

3. Mercedes Benz SLK or BMW Z3 late 90s-2000 

The Sunday car. I've always wanted a roadster and told myself I would have one before 35. So I literally have 5 years to get myself one. Crossing my fingers on this one (and working harder).

Benz or BMW? I can't really choose between the 2. The prices are very similar, with the Benz being maybe a little bit more expensive (unless I go with the 200, which seems kinda slow with only 134bhp). The Benz is the prettier of the 2, the BMW the more iconic (Brosnan James Bond). So it will all depend on what I see when I'm ready to buy, but the budget here is only around 1.5M tops. I know cheaper ones can be found, but I prefer local units. You never know when they decide to crack down on imports and grey market cars.

Now unlike the previous 2, it will take more time for me to be able to afford either one of these. By that time, maybe I can afford better, but right now these are it. 

edit: one of my uncles had a bmw z3, right after james bond came out. he brought it to the house during a family dinner, and it was just awesome. because the local models only went up to the 1.8L engine here, he indent ordered a 2.5L engine to put in it. his brother owned the ferrari 308 in Frag's post. 

Thats it right now, and I think the goals are very realistic in the next 5 years. Well, maybe not the roadster, but the pickup and the e34 seem reasonable enough.