You know one of the not-so-obvious things I love about motorsports? The fact that it’s one of the sporting realms in which men and women are on equal footing. Gender does not provide an advantage to either man or woman when operating a standard vehicle – and yet there’s always something extra-sexy when we find women on wheels in such a male-dominated sport. Call it a natural gender preference if you like, but in my book, it’s always down to exposure and individual personality.
Take for example, the case of young rallycross novice, Bianca Dimapilis – daughter and only child of seasoned Filipino rally driver, Mon Dimapilis. She’s participated in the Philippine Rallycross Series together with her dad, as the representatives of Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC). Naturally, they’re driving a near-stock Isuzu D-Max, which they both attest has been nothing but an awesome soldier in providing them with the necessary power and more importantly, the reliability required to finish the course.
The Philippine Rallycross Series is a time-trial championship racing series held on dirt, which offers eight different divisions or classes to compete in, based on engine displacement and vehicle type. The races are held in a closed-course dirt-track environment stretching up to 3 kms. The scoring works by allowing participants to do three timed runs, and then drop the slowest time of the three to combine the two best timed runs as the person’s official time. Two rounds are usually held in a day’s event. One round is for the morning stage and the other is the night stage.
The different categories are divided as follows: Group 1 is for 1300cc and below; Group 2 is for 1301cc to 1600cc; Group 3 is for 1601cc to 1900cc; while Group 4 is for 1901cc and up. Furthermore, there is also a Four Wheel Drive class, Rear Wheel Drive class, an Open class, and a UV class! Each race class will have its own overall champion by the end of the season.
Young Bianca competed in the UV class while driving the D-Max, and ranked 5th place amongst nine participants, only with very little former opportunity to practice. I think that says a lot about her potential to drive rally-style, and saying that her dad is simply thrilled about this, is an understatement.
“I noticed that Bianca was always very curious and eager to learn more about rally driving as she saw me do it,” he recalls. He even shared the story of how she delightfully surprised her parents by independently applying for her own driver’s license at the LTO on her 18th birthday.
And so before going for traditional circuit racing, the father-daughter tandem shares that they would first like to focus on dirt! “Nothing compares to rally driving!” exclaimed Mon. “It’s exciting to know when to induce a slide, to get a proper turn. And of course I’d love to pass my legacy!” he added.
Mon also shared that the exciting challenge of this realm of dirt lies with the fact that no two runs (in a single track) are ever the same… and therefore, unlike with circuit racing, one cannot memorize the braking points! He likes to describe it further as, “Talagang pagalingan at palakasan ng loob!” (Really a matter of skill… and having a more daring resolve).
When asked about the thoughts of Bianca’s mother amid all of this, Mon explained how in the beginning, she found the sport for her child to be rather “mainit… maalikabok… madumi!” (hot, dusty and dirty). But later on she changed her mind, especially after she saw how much her daughter enjoyed it, and of course how much potential she had.
Mon also explains how he believes that teaching should always be fun. He thinks this kind of approach when it came to training his daughter made a significantly positive difference. “What’s important for a trainee to master is the discipline,” he points out. Adding that, “One must also properly learn when to stop. Because in this sport, not being too aggressive actually makes you faster!”
And when asked more about the Isuzu D-Max based on their experiences with it during competition, he remarked, “Malaki tiwala ko sa D-Max na kaya niyang ibigay ang kailangan namin – kabilang na diyan ang proper suspension, stable frame, at malakas na makina! I trust the build of their products, kasi matibay.” (I have strong confidence in the D-Max, specifically that it could provide exactly what we need – a proper suspension, a stable frame, and a powerful engine! I trust that the build of their products are always durable.)
Finally, Mon describes the Philippine Rallycross Series (in which, Isuzu Philippines is a co-presenter) as family-oriented because it allows people to drive together, to travel, to compete. “Life is short,” he emphasizes. “So always remember to create moments together.”
And for all the ladies and lads out there who’d like to try their swing at rally driving, Mon shares some tips: “Remember: Consistency is key! So build your seat time. If you show good results in your class, eventually sponsors will come to support you! Of course it always helps if your vehicle looks good, too.”
Hmm, doesn’t that sound like a D-Max? More power to you!