TEEN karter Gabe Tayao-Cabrera triumphed by just a fraction of a second to capture the Formula 125 Open Junior crown and emerge as the top Filipino finisher in the Philippine leg of the 2013 Asian Karting Open Championships held over the weekend at Carmona Racetrack in Cavite.
Cabrera completed the 22-lap final race in 16 minutes and 12.090 seconds, just 0.424 ticks ahead of Singaporean Jon Lee Xuan, who teamed up with compatriot Gabriella Teo Yu Ting in pressuring the Filipino karter.
Joining the 13-year-old Cabrera of Seaoil-DC-Kilton and Xuan in the five were Teo and Arthur “AT” Tuason of TRS Karting Kids and Brian Thorp of AUTS Racing.
Singaporean Mohammad Nasri Naufal Bin Nasir of Kart Master Drakar Racing Team ruled the premier Formula 125 Open Senior class.
Checking behind Nasir were Filipinos Bobby Domingo, who held the top spot before yielding it to the Singaporean in the first turn of the final lap, lady karter Sacha Feliciano, Daniel Miranda of Cebuana Lhuillier and CJ Tsui of Formula-E Racing.
Jacob Ang of Eagle Cement copped the Asian Mini-ROK champion to edge heavy favorites Flynn Jackes of TRS Karting Kids and third placer Dylan Arambulo of Tough Gear Racing.
Tai Zulberti of CityKart, last year’s Cadet Karter of the Year, wound up fourth followed by Bianca Bustamante of Formula-E Racing.
The event was sanctioned by the world governing Commission Internationale de Karting-Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (CIK-FIA).
The Philippine leg was also duly sanctioned by the Automobile Association Philippines and backed by Coca-Cola, Yokohama, Sparco, Vivere Hotel, Motorstar and Aeromed. Jasmine W. Payo