Car detailer sets new record in Subaru Palm Challenge

He just keeps getting better.

Alex Neblasca was true to his promise of training harder to enhance his chance of achieving the ultimate goal when he topped the final leg of the 2014 Subaru Palm Challenge Philippine Face-Off held at Bonifacio High Street in Bonifacio Global City last Saturday.

The 32-year-old car detailer led the eight qualifiers from the Manila leg who survived another brutal test of endurance that saw the 227 participants being exposed to the severe heat all day.

And as he emerged the last man standing in the challenge that lasted until near midnight, Neblasca found himself surpassing his previous record by clocking in 13 hours, 39 minutes and 25 seconds, lasting 35 minutes longer than last year’s record.

Neblasca won in 2013 with a time of 13 hours, 4 minutes and 46 seconds.

Joining Neblasca as Manila leg qualifiers were Jhan Furiscal Jr., Carlo Talahib, Filmark Bernante, Joram Angeles, Johnny Anticamara, Joshwald John Carbonell and Francisco Gomez.

They will join the two winners from the Cebu and Davao legs, Donn Michael Yap and Roque Moncada, respectively, as Philippine representatives for the MediaCorp Subaru Challenge Asian Face-Off at the Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza in Singapore.

Neblasca, who was last year’s Asian winner in Singapore, got P15,000 in cash aside from exclusive Subaru merchandise, and an extra ticket and accommodations for a companion he chooses to join him in Singapore.

The seven other qualifiers brought home P5,000 each and exclusive Subaru merchandise.

The Philippine qualifiers will see themselves going head-to-head with challengers from around Asia such as Singapore, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Should the last man standing from the MediaCorp Subaru Challenge Asian Face-Off come from the Philippines, a grand prize of a brand-new Subaru XV 2.0i worth P1.298 million will be awarded to him upon his return.