Raising champions

“Life is like a race, you win some, you lose some, the important thing is you gave it your best shot”

Being a race car driver is a dream shared by both father and child.  The fact that the most popular children’s birthday party theme is “Cars” or Racing party is the testament to a life-long aspiration of having a chance behind the wheel.

Fathers who bring their kids into the sport are reliving their dream through their offspring. Racing imparts life’s lessons in becoming the best person one can be, it creates strength of character, gives confidence and determination.  It has also become a common ground where they bond as equals and as part of a team.  Yes, racing is a lot like life, it takes a lot of effort, hard work and discipline.  One has to learn to move past the disappointment of losing a race, and try to be better the next one.  There are many lessons that one needs to learn in life and the track is one of the best classrooms to learn it.   TRS- Castrol Kart Racing Team fathers and their sons share the joys of learning life with a Helmet and Steering wheel in hand.

Tony Boy and Basti Escalante

Tony Boy Escalante is one of the country’s famous chefs.  In fact, his restaurant, Antonio’s, is one of just three in the Philippines that is included in the list of Asia’s best restaurants.   His dedication to his craft was the same to his son’s motorsports career.  Basti, used to be shy, didn’t even like to have his photo taken.  But with his Dad’s endless support, he persevered to become a champion. Basti was the first member of the TRS -RCM, he was 2010 Mini ROK Champion and 2010 Cadet Karter of the Year, he represented the country in the Karting World Finals in Italy, all this he achieved with his Dad solidly behind him.

JP and Arthur Tuason

JP Tuason also had a famous father. Even after the sudden demise of his father, the legendary racer Arthur Tuason, he was still labeled his father’s son.  He remembers his Dad telling him when he started racing “before you can learn how to be fast, you must first learn how to be slow”.  After 11 years he now shares the same wisdom his father has given him to his son, Arthur.

Coming from a family of racecar drivers, Arthur was expected to go into racing at a young age.  But seeing from other racing parents, if the kid is just not interested it becomes a pain both for father and son, so JP waited.   Arthur’s desire to go racing is not as zealous as other kids-he was a break from the Tuason mold.  When he started, he wasn’t the fastest kid on the block being overcautious and analytical.  As he gained more experience, his racecar driver gene was awakened. He is now one of the points leader in the National Karting Series.  JP saw the change in Arthur when he started competing, becoming more confident and more animated.  They also bonded as they found a common ground where they can share and learn from each other.  He saw an improvement in their relationship, his son appreciated his profession more and he appreciated his son’s individuality and talents.

Ross and Flynn Jackes

Eight-year-old Flynn is the youngest member of the TRS Racing Team and graduate of the Castrol Champions of the Future Program.  His Dad, Ross, a pilot and distributor of Cessna Aircraft and Agusta in the Philippines and Indonesia, felt that karting was the next step to Flynn’s natural love for cars and racing.  He believes the sport will give his son confidence and enjoy the camaraderie of the team.  He also feels that racing will give Flynn an opportunity to learn that winning takes a lot of hard work, losses that he would need to move past and learn from his mistakes.

Flynn on the other hand, appreciates his Dad’s presence in all his practices and races.  They use this as bonding time to learn more about each other.  Flynn, a Grade 4 British School student, said that  his encourages him to listen to both the coach and his teammates.

Bong and Raymond Cudala

Never look back and focus on his driving. This was the advice that Raymond Cudala’s father Bong told him before the race. The winner of the COF program and recipient of the AAP racing scholarship used to be a very quiet kid but now he is more confident both in and out of the track.

The elder Cudala realized three things about his son when he started racing. First, that he can handle pressure. Second is he can make decisions on his own and third, he can handle both competition and friendship at the same time. Bong wants Raymond to treasure his Castrol Champions of the Future experience because like racing, every second counts.   He believes this will make him a better person in whatever he aspires to be.

Stuart McDonald and William Casequin

It wasn’t really the father who wanted to go into racing. Stuart enrolled William to a karting clinic at age 6 but he was too small then so instead of having his money refunded, he went to a TRS circuit car class and ended up a Champion Racecar driver.  Now it’s his son’s turn.   Coming from his own racing experience, he wants to share with Wills to never give up because things often change for better or worse in a blink of an eye on the track.

Ferman and Nikki Lao

Nikki, a 12-year-old Philippine Science sophomore, admires her Dad’s driving, “he’s cool cause he drives fast.” This is not surprising because racecar drivers and speed fanatic surround Ferman, a car tuner and racing enthusiast, every day.  He wants Nikki to understand that like life, racing is achieved with multiple small successes before you cross the finish line and sometimes despite our best effort, things don’t usually go your way.