Watanabe seeking 2nd Driver of the Year crown

MANILA, Philippines—Top motorsports achievers will be feted in the 2015 Golden Wheel Awards Night set March 14 at the Samsung Hall of SM Aura in Fort Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City.

On its 12th year, the much-coveted Golden Wheel Driver of the Year will be contested by last year’s winner Tadahito Watanabe (superbikes), Dondon Portugal (grand touring), Masato Fernando (scooters), John Emerson Inguito (underbone), Jon Eleazar Adlawan (motocross), Bobby Domingo (Asian senior karting), Gabriel Cabrera (Asian junior karting), Gio Rodriguez (drifting), Milo Rivera (slalom), Edison  Dungca (4×4 off road), and Jonathan Tiu (drag racing).

Tiu was back-to-back winner in 2008 and 2009 while Domingo and Portugal are  eyeing their first  Driver of the Year plum.

Domingo was overall champion of both the 2014 Petron Blaze Super Karting Series and the 2014 Asian Karting Open Championship Series.

On the other hand, Portugal is the first untitled driver to win the Yokohama Philippine Grand Touring Crown only on his second year of competitive racing.

Rivera and Adlawan of Cebu are also strong contenders after ending the long reign of Peewee Mendiola and Glenn Aguilar in slalom and motocross, respectively.

The Golden Wheel Awards will also elevate Ramon Rodriguez to the Hall of Fame while Edgar Chua will be given the Golden Wheel Lifetime Achievement award.

The Golden Wheel Awards was conceptualized in 2003 with the vision of seeing a Filipino champion in the world motorsports scene.

It was realized last year when Marlon Stockinger made it as part of the Junior Lotus Team in Formula One Racing.