Portugal overall champ as Coseteng falters

DONDON Portugal stole the limelight from the favorites as he clinched the overall crown in the third leg of the 2013 Yokohama Philippine Grand Touring Car Championships held recently at Clark International Speedway.

Portugal, reelected as Taysan, Batangas mayor, missed action in the first two legs but rebounded strongly by taking the GT300 win in the race sanctioned by the Automobile Association of the Philippines.

Portugal took control when Jody Coseteng, trying to overtake Willy Torres at the first turn of the main race, damaged his oil cooler. It resulted in an oil leak that slowed down the multititled driver’s car and eventually forced his early exit.

Portugal slipped past Coseteng and grabbed the lead, running at a laptime of 2:12.079 as he wrapped up the 15-lap race in 33 minutes and 57.479 seconds, more than a minute ahead of Torres.

Retired judge Bayani Vargas placed third to claim the GT200 crown as car problems also forced the father-son tandem of Arnel and Dwight Kevin Carlos to quit early.

Luckily for Coseteng, frontrunning Peter Kim failed to suit up as he opted to race in South Korea.

Coseteng hiked his total to 80 points but still trails Kim by 15.

Lowie Jean Panlican and Emerson Ocampo topped their respective groups in the Sparco Bracket Circuit Racing while Carlos Castañeda ruled the Classic Mini Racing. Steve Silva,Contributor