Maxxis Tires Philippines and the National Association of Filipino Off-roaders (NASFOR) concluded the Maxxis 4×4 Cup Philippine Touch Truck Challenge last December 7, 2014 in scenic Porac, Pampanga.
The Philippine Tough Truck Challenge is the finale of the Maxxis 4×4 Cup which is a grueling multi-leg extreme off-road racing series that pits extreme off-roaders from all over the country against each other.
Porac, a first class municipality in the province of Pampanga, lies 26 kilometers west from the provincial capital San Fernando. It was the perfect venue for such competition as the picturesque town showcases both the beauty and toughness of nature.
Led by the honorable Porac councilor, Maynard Lapid, 31 off-roaders from different parts of the country were warmly welcomed by the local populace and off-road aficionados alike.
“We want Porac to be known as a destination for local and foreign off-road enthusiasts,” shares the young councilor.
An off-road enthusiast himself, Lapid, and the Porac Off-Road Adventure Club (PORAC) developed the race track which featured areas designed for speed and a highly technical rainforest section for precision driving as venue for the club’s off-road races. PORAC graciously offered the area and their resources to NASFOR to ensure that the final race of the season be held in a highly competitive race venue befitting the title of the event yet be accessible to the viewing public.
Fresh from the Angeles leg of the Maxxis Cup held two weeks earlier in the same venue, off-roaders were treated to a surprise when they discovered the modified race track which was designed by former Philippine driver for the Malaysia Rainforest Challenge Larry Mendiola and Alexis Von Beja, Maxxis 4×4 Cup Race Director for Visayas and Mindanao.
For those who are not familiar with the event, competitors needed to traverse two different courses labeled as track A and track B during their qualifying run with the top 20 drivers garnering the best combined times qualifying for the final round the following day. Each driver are given 20 minutes to complete each track.
For the final run, tracks A and B will be combined to form the final course otherwise known as track C. Sequence will be determined via drawing of lots with 20 minutes again to each driver to complete the course.
Final ranking of the competitors will be determined by the combined results of the riders for tracks A, B, and C.
Testament to the difficulty of the course saw eight riders bow out in track A with the same number bowing out in track B.
Noel “JR” Bartolome of the Land Cruiser Club of the Philippines won the race followed by Omer Dungca of the Kapampangan Racing Team (KRT). Rounding off the top three was Michael Cerin of 4Wheelers Davao.
Bartolome had a combined total time for the three tracks of 19:29:91 for three tracks A, B and C while Dungca had a combined time of 19:48:17. Third placed Cerin had a combined time of 21:29:06.
Bartolome uses the CL18 Land Dragon tires from Maxxis’ sister brand, CST. One of the youngest racers, JR Bartolome just started using the Land Dragons in the 5th leg in Candon City where he finished 3rd. This is Bartolome’s first time to win the Tough Truck Challenge.
Dungca wins Driver of the Year 2014 Anew
Also given during the awarding ceremony was the 2014 Driver of the Year which went to Tonton Dungca of KRT, last year’s winner as well. Dungca accumulated 372 total points in all legs of the competition followed by Isabela Extreme’s Red Diwa with 290 points with 2014 Tough Truck champion Bartolome grabbing the third spot with 236 points.
KRT also won the Team of the Year for the 2014 edition of Maxxis 4×4 Cup.
The 2014 Maxxis,Cup Extreme Off-road Challenge is presented by Maxxis Tires Philippines, in association with the National Association of Filipino Off-roaders (NASFOR) who also acts the event’s technical committee.
Present during the event were NASFOR president, Ramon Toong and race director Bernie Bayani.
This event is also sponsored by 199 Off-Road House, with Mobil as the official lubricant sponsor, Toptul as the official precision tool sponsor and Racetech Suspensions as the official performance suspension sponsor.
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