After his sterling performance at the recently concluded GITI-Formula V1 Challenge, Luis Gono battles with Japan’s top V1 drivers at the Fiji International Speedway on November 16-17. Gono of CleanFuel Racing Team earned the lone slot for a Pinoy driver at the Fuji Championship Race when he bagged the championship title in the single-seater, open cockpit race car based on points system.

The 19-year-old ace driver engaged Team PartsPro driver Tyson Sy in a wheel-to-wheel battle in the last three races of GITI-Formula V1. At age 15, he was not only the grid’s youngest competitor in the first season of the Toyota Vios Cup but also the first overall champion of the country’s most prestigious and highly publicized motorsports event. Last week, he represented the country to the FIA’s Tokyo drift competition.

Majority of the participants in the country’s first GITI-Formula V1 Challenge were either former champions or competitors at the succeeding Toyota Vios Cup events. The GITI-Formula V1 Challenge is a collaborate effort of the Tuason Racing and West Racing Cars Japan using the VITA-01 race cars. It has an open cockpit, single seater design and is secured by a tubular steel frame chassis covered by a composite body. The series aims to provide the next step for racers who wants to compete in the global arena. Tuason Racing plans to roll out the series in other asean countries in the coming years.

As the saying goes, safety starts at home. From looking both ways before we cross the road to handing over a pair of scissors by holding them by the closed blades, safety is one of the very first things taught to use by our parents.

The DSFL has definitely come a long way in helping promote road safety and safety driving in the Philippines, so we’re definitely inspired year after year to think of ways to improve the training program, share more relevant tips and techniques in safe driving and road safety, and extend the reach to more Filipino drivers,’ shared EJ Francisco, AVP, Communications, Ford Philippines.As Ford Philippines marks the 11th year of its Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) program, the American carmaker has modified its globally-recognized driver’s training program by including the driver’s family members in it as part of a region-wide road and family safety advocacy that Ford is leading to reinforce the importance of being safe on the road, especially for families going on road trips.

Traditionally, Ford’s DSFL program caters to corporate clients, companies and organizations who want to augment their drivers’ knowledge by making them undergo the program as taught by road safety advocate JP Tuason and his team of professional drivers and instructors with the Tuason Racing School (TRS). The program usually starts with how to conduct a safety check of one’s vehicle prior to using it, like checking for leaks and assessing its tires’ quality, to what to do in emergency situations.

What follows next though are a couple of new additions to the DSFL program. First, under the auspices of its family safety advocacy, Ford Philippines showcases the safe and smart features of its class-leading vehicles through three courses, starting with an Emergency Braking Course to give participants a real-world experience of how a vehicle’s Anti-Lock Brake System works, followed by a Slalom Course to demonstrate the nimbleness and agility of its cars and trucks. It was the third course, the Anti-Distracted Driving Course, that proved to be an eye-opener for most participants as it is conducted in two parts “first, the driver is instructed to type a message on a mobile phone while driving, and the second, for the driver to just concentrate solely on driving. The time difference between the two parts “coupled with the struck pylons in the first part, if any “emphasizes the reason why we now have an Anti-Distracted Driving Law and why there’s a need for drivers to focus solely on driving while on the road.

“We recognize how easy it is for drivers to get distracted while in traffic everyday, so our family safety advocacy is a fitting reminder to reinforce the importance of keeping one’s eyes on the road and hands on the wheel while driving,” added Francisco. “As the global leader in vehicle safety, our class-leading cars, SUVs, and trucks have in-car safety features and technologies that help families get home safely.”
The third and final part of the revised DSFL program is what really drives Ford’s family safety advocacy home, literally and figuratively.

While the adults were undergoing their own classroom-style, safety-driving session with the TRS drivers, a different group of TRS drivers were teaching the kids of the DSFL participants.

First, the kids listened to lectures on the different aspects of road safety, from the rules inside the car and on the road to how to cross the road and what safety gear to wear when they’re riding their bikes around their neighborhood. Afterward, the kids then pedaled their way around a makeshift track on some of the karts provided by TRS where they were told to apply what they learned from the lectures, like speeding, braking, respecting the pedestrian lane, and being courteous to other drivers.

By including children in the DSFL program, Ford is imparting to them the importance of being responsible on the road even at a young age which, in turn, will hopefully make them responsible drivers on the road in the future. It’s been said many times over but the message is still true today as it was more a century ago; regardless of who said it best, be it Jose Rizal or Whitney Houston, the future lies with the children “and Ford is leading the way.

Credit to:
Photo and Story by: Patrick Everett Tadeo, Carmudi.com.ph

With only a thin line separating Luis Gono of Team Clean Fuel and Tyson Sy of PartsPro Racing in the championship points, Round 3 of the GITI-Formula V1 Challenge promises to be a highly-charged racing event which unfolds on October 26 and 27 at the Clark International Speedway.

Gono, former champion of the Toyota Vios Cup 2015, showed the 14-grid Formula V1 participants who rules the track from the ranks of PRO class after he deprived Sy of victory during the wet and wild Round 2 of the single-seater formula car race held last August 11 also at the CIS. Sy is a former Formula 3 champion who now works as Valenzuela City councilor.

Known for his consistency and finesse in attacking corners, Gono proved untouchable by leading the pack of ace drivers from pole position to the checkered flag amidst the downpour. However, race officials were forced to enforce a full course yellow flag when the weather condition turned from worse to worst on Lap 5.

However, Tyson still leads by only six points over Luis after they raked 50 and 44 from the first three rounds, respectively. And Tyson is now hungry for revenge on
Round 4. Considered a wild card is Toyota Balintawak-Obengers team driver Daniel Miranda who finished third during the Round 3 of GITI-Formula V1. This earned him his first 12 points after failing to show up on Rounds 1 and 2. The door is still open for a podium in the overall championship rankings for Miranda since Rounds 5 and 6 will implement double-the-points scheme. Miranda was Toyota Vios Cup champion in 2017 who is also currently competing in Asian Formula Renault.

Meanwhile, 19-year-old Sean Smith of PartsPro experienced engine problems before qualifying which required him to make some changes in his car�s setup in the last race. This caused him a penalty of having to start 14th on the gird.

Nonetheless, his driving prowess allowed him to finish 4th overall behind the PRO class top three finishers and first in the AM category.
Smith now leads in AM Class with 24 points followed closely by Jussi Hokka of Growl-Thule Team with 22 points. The GITI-Formula V1 racers also welcomed Charlie Cojuangco of FrontRow Racing who made an impressive debut on Round 3.

�Our vision has always been to give fellow Filipinos a chance to be globally competitive, this is just the next step of what has been built by Toyota and other
grassroots race series� Says JP Tuason, TRS and Formula V1 founder, �I am really happy that we are gaining traction for the series, more and more teams are interested to join and we hope more people will support the series. Car racing enthusiasts are invited to witness the Round 4 of the GITI-Formula V1
happening on October 26 and 27 at Clark International Speedway. Admission is free.

Interested parties may visit the Facebook page of the Tuason Racing School (TRS).