TRS Cup thriller: Horrigan upsets Cojuangco
TRS CUP 2011 Champion Bobby Horrigan (in blue race gear), runnerup Charlie Cojuangco (red) and third placer Stefan Wolf (gray) show off their trophies at the podium.
Hotel executive Bobby Horrigan rode his Castrol-Titanium Edge car to an upset win over series leader Charlie Cojuangco for the overall championship trophy of the recently concluded TRS Cup powered by the Ford Fiesta.
Horrigan, who amassed four wins and three runnerup finishes in the series, ruled two of the last three races for 103.5 points, holding off Cojuangco, a former congressman, who ended up with 96 points riding a Ford Fiesta.
TRS Cup powered by the Ford Fiesta is the newest grassroots circuit car program from Tuason Racing School.
The circuit car program is supported by Castrol and Bridgestone with major sponsors namely: Standard Insurance, Coke Zero, Hafele, Ford Alabang, Smart Bro and Smart Netphone; Official time is U-boat with official partners including Oakley, Rota, OMP, Hastravel, Speedlab, Starbright Bodykits, Emotion, AAP, media Partners, C! Magazine, Manila Bulletin, Channel V, Stoplight TV, Turbozone, Kotse.com 99.5RT and Lifeline Arrows.
“It was a big success and we’re planning to make it bigger and more exciting this season. Our plan for 2012 is to forge ahead in making motorsports as the next sports Filipinos will be known for globally,” said TRS president JP Tuason.
The TRS Cup powered by the Ford Fiesta was the main highlight of the three-event TRS Raceday, dubbed as “the Philippines’ Motorsports Festival.”
The whole-day event featured different grassroots racing disciplines such as Drag Race, Castrol Track Days, Autocross and Time Attack Challenge.
With lifestyle and consumers events included in the program, the event was able to attract close to 3,000 spectators and participated in by more than 350 cars.
Third best
Stefan Wolf of Hafele took overall third place with 69 points while Ross Jackes of Pacific Jet Corp. and Basti Escalante of Smart Bro, the youngest driver in the field, wound up fourth and fifth with 55 and 48 points, respectively.
During the seventh race, spectators saw Horrigan all pumped up as he pulled a quick start and built a wide lead midway before wrapping up the five-lap race in six minutes and 40.268 seconds, or 2.996 seconds ahead of Cojuangco, who followed with 6:43.264.
HORRIGAN, on board Castrol Edge Titanium, sets the pace followed by Cojuangco of Gatas MOO and Ross Jackes of Pacific Jet Corp.
Jackes took third place with a time of 6:44.223, while Ding Dizon of Coke Zero and Escalante of Smart Bro checked in fourth and fifth, respectively.
Gaining confidence, Horrigan went all out in Race 8 to virtually assure himself of the overall plum.
Just like in Race 7, Horrigan went ahead of the pack and completed the eight-lap race in 17 minutes and 4.919 seconds, 3.874 seconds ahead of Wolf.
Cojuangco came in third with a time of 17:10.356 seconds while Jackes and Dizon landed fourth and fifth respectively.
With the title in the bag, Horrigan simply enjoyed Race 9, where he ended up sixth.
Providing excitement
Providing excitement in the 9th and concluding race was Dizon, who emerged victorious after surviving a tough ordeal with rival Escalante.
The two came neck and neck going down the finish line but Dizon’s consistent driving pulled him through the stretch, clocking 17 minutes and 12.315 seconds, or just 0.988 seconds ahead of Escalante, who timed 17:13.303.
New driver Korean Mickey Kim of Team Auto Access bagged third place after clocking 17:14.495 seconds while Stefan Wolf and Jackes ended fourth and fifth, respectively.
For inquiries, interested parties may visit the website www.tuasonracing.com or e-mail [email protected] or much better, visit Tuason Racing School fanpage on facebook or call the TRS secretariat at 820-4203.
