Allan Uy won the inaugural season of the Manila Sports Car Club (MSCC) Miata Spec Series in spectacular fashion by sweeping both Races (Race 7 and 8) in Round 4 of the country’s first one-make sportscar racing series.
Uy, who amassed a large lead in points early on in the racing series, sat out Round 3 of the four-round racing series. This forced a winner-takes-all title showdown with Angie King in Round 4 last November 26 at the Clark International Speedway.
Despite a strong charge from King, who had to win both races to have a shot at the overall championship, Uy drove a calculated 12-lap race in the morning to seal the victory. Uy won Race 7 with King and Paul Perez finishing second and third, respectively. Already guaranteed of the overall title, Uy finished the season in style by being first once more in Race 8 with Tyson Sy in second and King in third.
The MSCC Miata Spec Series has three classes: Rota Masters Class, GT Radial Novice Class, and Shell Pro Class.
In the Rota Masters Class, Joey Almeda won Race 7 with Toti Turalba in second and Lito Ignacio in third. With Ignacio the only one running in Race 8, he managed to pick up the class win.
Meanwhile, in the GT Radial Novice Class, Kirk Baltazar took the top step in Race 7 with Javier Toledo and Enzo Celestino in second and third, respectively. In Race 8, Aaron Guevara won with Diego Dela Cruz finishing second and Javier Toledo in third.
In terms of the class championship, Uy also won the Shell Pro Class ahead of King and Perez. In the Rota Masters Class, Windy Imperial clinched the class championship over Lito Ignacio and Joey Almeda. Finally, in the GT Radial Novice Class, Jamal Almario won over Kirk Baltazar and Diego Dela Cruz.
Though the wheel-to-wheel racing was the main highlight, MSCC members and Mazda Philippines put heart into the event by giving the experience of a lifetime to abandoned, abused, or neglected children.
Ten children from Duyan Ni Maria Children’s Home in Mabalacat, Pampanga were given “taxi” rides aboard the MSCC Miata Spec Series race cars with the MSCC drivers. Mazda Japan executives Hidetoshi Kudo and Hironori Tanaka, who flew in from Hiroshima, Japan to watch the final round, also drove around the Clark International Speedway with a child passenger, making it a memorable and touching experience for both driver and the children.
Aside from fulfilling the kids’ dreams of being driven in a race car, Mazda Philippines and MSCC Miata Spec Series partner, Pilipinas Shell, donated school supplies and toys to the 40-year old foundation.
“The MSCC Miata Spec Series isn’t just Mazda Philippines’ success,” says Steven Tan, President and CEO of Mazda Philippines. “It is everyone’s success. This includes the drivers, mechanics, marshalls, race directors, team members, and everyone involved. We could not have done it without your support and passion. We can’t wait for yet another season of racing.”
As the Philippines’ first one-make sportscar racing series, all MSCC Miata Spec Series cars are identical, highlighting driving skill in the process.
All 20 MSCC Miata Spec Series MX-5 uses a showroom stock 2.0-liter Skyactiv-G engine mated to a 6-speed Skyactiv manual transmission. In order to extract even more grip, the suspension components have been upgraded and reinforced with CUSCO sports coil overs and chassis braces.
A custom stainless steel exhaust system, developed by local company Drift Xaust, maximizes air flow and enhances the aggressive racing note emanating from the MX-5’s 181hp mill. A Sparco competition steering wheel, racing seat, harness and safety net, along with a new CUSCO racing roll cage, are all installed in each car to secure the drivers’ control and safety. All Miata Spec Series cars come fitted with GT Radial Champiro SX2 tires mounted on custom 17 x 8.0 J Rota Strike wheels.
The MSCC Miata Spec Series is sponsored by Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation, GT Radial tires, and Rota Wheels.
Mazda Philippines’ exemplary after-sales service record has been ranked No.1 in the industry twice—in the 2016 and 2019 J.D. Power Customer Service Index Study. There are 15 Mazda 3S dealerships located across the Philippines and Metro Manila – Mazda Greenhills, Mazda Quezon Avenue, Mazda Makati, Mazda Alabang, Mazda Sta. Rosa, Mazda Pulilan, Mazda Pampanga, Mazda Dagupan, Mazda Cabanatuan, Mazda Tarlac, Mazda Cebu, Mazda Iloilo, Mazda Bacolod, Mazda Cagayan De Oro, and Mazda Davao.