Gian Carlo Mauricio upset the favorites to sweep the underbone and scooter races in the opener of the 2017 FDR Philippine Scooter Racing and Underbone King Championship Series at Batangas Racing Circuit.
The 17-year-old ace rider of JVT Racing returned from a one-year hiatus to best defending underbone king Masato Fernando and scooter champion John Emerson Inguito.
Mauricio started fourth in the grid but wrested the lead in the third of the eight-lap underbone race to win in 14 minutes and 55.805 seconds, pipping Fernando by just 0.141 of a second.
Starting last in the 24-man scooter grid after being penalized for being underweight in the time trials, Mauricio zoomed past every rider in the field, including Fernando, whose machine conked out, and Inquito, whose chain snapped, on the way to victory, just 0.028 of a second in front of Aljon Valencia.
McKinley Kyle Paz finished third, followed by Cassey Ng and Vrei AR Suba.—STEVE SILVA, MOTORSPORTS CONTRIBUTOR