Game Time!

Fifteen Minutes
By Jason Ang

At one time or another, we’ve all watched game shows and fallen prey to their alluring mix of potentially embarrassing challenges and the promise of instant fortune. We’ve all thought, yeah I can do just as well as that guy. I know what the capital of Liberia is, or, given today’s lower-brow offerings, I can eat those bugs with the same gusto. When Rev Challenge creator Vernon B. Sarne offered us the chance to join the media episode of the show, we were raring to go. The Rev Challenge is a unique game show, the first motoring quiz show. It’s geared particularly for those who can spend the good part of an afternoon arguing over the merits of a double-wishbone versus MacPherson strut suspension.

Waking up early on a rainy Wednesday, we made our way to the Studio at Riverbranks, showing up at the prescribed call time. We snickered as our fellow journalists and contestants were subjected to make-up and wardrobe changes. We pored over Vernon’s collection of books, everything from Encyclopedia of Car Terms to Classic Cars. Cramming as we flipped the pages, we learned the different nuances of crankshafts and camshafts.

First-episode blues plagued the day’s shooting. The high-tech podiums, with built-in computer monitors, took some time to assemble and mount onto the stage. Rev Challenge host Paolo Abrera, a veteran of TV shoots, was smart enough to nap during the afternoon and thus, when shooting time came, was as fresh as a daisy. The rest of us spent the afternoon quizzing each other about the origin of the name Isuzu, or the identity of the only Grand Prix champion to take both motorcycle and car titles. Or thinking about going for a round of karting at the nearby Speedzone; there were no takers, though.

Vernon kept us sedated by feeding us and host Gaby de la Merced with sugar-high foods like beer and doughnuts. The inevitable chicharon and cornic followed. C! Magazine editor Tito Hermoso tried to catch some sleep by chatting up one of his fellow participants, but it was in vain. He stayed awake till the shooting began in the early evening.

When we stepped up behind our podiums, the feeling was quite intense. It was not so nerve-wracking for me, as I was reasonably confident about my chances. That is, until the contest began. I fumbled the first two solo questions, second-guessing myself into giving the wrong answers. Then came the buzz-to-answer Gun and Run segment. I managed to buzz twice, and managed to give the wrong answer twice. Auto Review writer and host Michelle Pritchard was able to buzz and give several correct answers.

Ultimately, colleague Ulysses Ang took the win for our heat, while Lester Dizon of Philippine Star and Speed pulled off a come-from-behind victory in the second heat. The evening abruptly ended for the losers, like being knocked out during the first corner of a Grand Prix. Now we know what Kimi Raikkonen feels like. All right, so we didn’t just write off a million-dollar F1 car, and this is all just for fun. No hard feelings, then.

For the two survivors, the challenge was just beginning.

Towing Virgin
By Ulysses Ang

Having had the luxury of finding out that Ford Motor Company was sponsoring our Physical Challenge, I was easily convinced that it would be a stunt to rival Fear Factor. I was thinking along the lines of changing the spare tire of the Ranger while it was moving. I was thinking having to lie down on a bed of nails and have the Expedition drive on top of a ramp—it was all extremes.

The week before the big showdown, I had to keep myself in tip-top shape. Staying away from Kit-Kat bars, I did daily routines of push-ups, sit-ups and a bit of weight lifting since changing spares isn’t necessarily what I’d like to consider light work.

So, you wouldn’t believe my sigh of relief to find out that we were privileged to drive the Ford Lynx Centennial Edition. Cool, I thought. Finally, I could have a go in this two-liter wonder around a specially made twisty track with cones, braking points and an acceleration test. I was psyched up—who cares if Lester was a slalom expert, a graduate of the Honda Civic Media Challenge. I’m going to have fun in this car, period.

As we had previously smashed the side mirror of a brand-new Expedition, Ford Motor Company was probably less than convinced of having us handle their prized, limited edition units. Our mouths gaped as wide as Steve Tyler’s when a silver-gray Ford Ranger parked in front of our venue.

It seems that we, as motoring journalists, are still atoning for our sins. They still don’t trust us with a hotted-up Ford Lynx, we thought. At the same time, my hunch about a wild stunt was getting pretty close to reality.

As Vernon Sarne climbed out of the Ranger XLT, we immediately didn’t like what we heard.

“Guys, both of you are fit…so your challenge will be very physical,” he said, his usual excited self. “It’s definitely more physical than that of the first bunch.”

The objective was simple. Using the dressed-up, top-of-the-line Ranger XLT, we were supposed to do the following in the best time possible: lift and fit seven plastic barrels onto the pick-up bed; cram an odd number of luggage into the passenger compartment; and lastly, we had to tow a Suzuki Supercarry van using the tow hook. All of this will be done on a dirt-road track.

However, simplicity lent itself only to the objective. The actual physical act is a different matter altogether. With the rain threatening to pour down on us, we didn’t have time for a trial run anymore. Lester, being the winner of the Quiz Master portion, decided that I should be the sacrificial guinea pig set to be humiliated in front of the entire Philippines. Great.

With my heart beating as fast as a drum beat from a Linkin Park single, I strapped myself in the Ranger. Turning on the headlamps and fog lights for added effect, I shifted into first gear, revved the engine and waited for the signal. At this point, the track wasn’t damp enough to warrant the need to shift to four-wheel drive. Gaby dropped the flag, and away I went.

Zooming through the dirt road with the same tenacity as Marcus Gronholm, I actually found it easy to load the barrels thanks to the Ranger’s top-of-the-line payload capacity. The luggage was more difficult—I didn’t know I was trying to fit a balik-bayan’s worth of clothing and pasalubong. Mathematically, it didn’t seem plausible—but with enough trial and error, I slammed the rear door shut with a piece of Samsonite actually still sticking out. The judges ruled alright, so I preceded to the last station.

Towing the Supercarry proved to be my one and only Waterloo. Not having had the chance to tow a vehicle any time during my life, I didn’t even know the basic rules of putting on the winch as well as how to appropriately nurse the trailer around. As I sped off the first time, the cable snapped and the Suzuki came loose! With the tons of barrels and luggage blocking my rear view mirror, I lost precious time trying to put the Ranger back into towing position. When I did manage to lug the van around, I sped up towards the finish line, trying to gain lost ground.

The finish line was actually a short concrete runway designed as a helipad. Not wanting to risk the loss of brake control on the Ranger, in a spur of the moment decision, I decided to apply full force braking immediately when I reached solid ground, ABS actuated and all. Tire screech, smoke and bam! My trailer (the Supercarry) wasn’t able to brake in time. Suddenly the film crew shifted from experienced Game K N B cameramen into something out of Rescue 911. The impact was so hard, it was heard on the other side of the Ford finished vehicles’ parking lot.

“Buhay pa ba siya (is he still alive),” reacted the crew, pointing to the smashed front end of the Supercarry. As they rushed their hefty equipment to get a closer look at the damage, it was clear that the driver’s side of the van’s door couldn’t be opened due to a collapsed door hinge. No one paid attention to me, as I was clearly smiling—amused at the situation. I didn’t imagine that the impact was that hard, as the Ranger’s rock solid body absorbed the impact perfectly. When I got down, I inspected the damage on the Ranger: nothing more than a bent chrome bumper—something that a neighborhood car repair shop could fix.

Despite all the commotion with my excited run, Lester did a very smooth turn. Having age and experience on his side, he executed everything with considerable ease. In fact, it was clearly showing off as he gingerly paced himself through the first two parts of the challenge. In the end, he posted a time half mine. Shucks! My pride was clearly at the lowest point at that time.

At the end of the day, it wasn’t the question of who won The Rev Challenge that mattered, nor was the cash prize. What was important is that I finally appreciated the complexity of setting up a game show—though it was no Top Gear, this is clearly a well-made production considering the lack of lead time Vernon and company had. Above all, having to stand the long filming hours together, I managed to gain new friends and strengthen the bond between the existing ones. Ultimately, this is the best part in taking part of the show.

By Ulysses Ang and Jason Ang | Footage Courtesy of Studio 23