Letter: Clarifying issues on disqualification of drag racers

Mr. Jong Arcano
Motoring Editor
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Dear Mr. Arcano:

First and foremost, I would like to thank you and Mr. Botchi Santos for bringing out the issues on the safety of motorsports racing here in the Philippines as this is always good for motor racing. By presenting the sides of both the drag racers and organizers, you have both been fair as journalists and motorsports enthusiasts.

I am writing to you in the hope that I may be able to shed light on some of the issues raised by Mr. Santos in his Skid Marks column entitled “Motorsports at the Crossroads,” which was published last June 22 in the motoring section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

I agree with what he wrote in his column when he said, “Batangas Racing Circuit and Clark International Speedway are the only true proper racetracks, even it’s a far cry from race tracks of Fuji International Speedway, Sepang Circuit and Shanghai International Circuit,” and this is one of the reasons why I am constantly working very hard to raise the level of both racetracks to international standards.

I would like to present some points to clarify the issues brought up by the disqualified drag racers during the 4th round of National Drag Racing Championships.

1. The equipment must be supplied exclusively by Kilton Motors. It is not true that all safety equipment used by the competitors must be exclusively supplied by Kilton Motors, as this company deals with the generator business. As a matter of fact, it is Kart Plaza Manufacturing that keeps the inventory/stocks of safety equipment and all race drivers are welcome to buy from this company if they find its products affordable. However, they are not required to do so if they wish to compete in the series. I must state for the record that race drivers competing in the series can freely source their safety equipment from anywhere in the Philippines or abroad for as long as the specified safety equipment requirements are met as prescribed by FIA and NHRA in their homologation appendices, which we closely adhere to in our series. Safety equipment purchased from companies other than Kart Plaza that meet the aforementioned specifications are accepted by the organizer and AAP (Automobile Association Philippines), sanctioning body of Philippine motorsports.

If you or any of your representatives will be free during the next round of the Drag Race, I would like to extend you an invitation to witness for yourself that the drivers use different brands of safety equipment.

2. M&H One-Make Tire. For the 2011 Philippine National Drag Racing Championships, the use of M&H Tires were stipulated in the Rules and Regulations for the PRO and SUPER PRO CLASS, at the beginning of the season in January. The organizer has, in fact, negotiated with M&H tires to provide subsidized pricing for drag tires. This has resulted in a 30-percent reduction of the price compared with the prevailing price in the market. This can also be confirmed by checking with the drag racers who purchased the said tires.

By using a “One Make Tire” for the series, the organizer is leveling the playing field for all the drag racers. The logic behind this is that those who want to use faster—and more expensive—tires cannot do so even if they can afford them, putting the less affluent competitors on an even footing with their moneyed rivals. With a level playing field, we can thus discover new talents from this particular motorsports discipline. Even in the highest form of motorsports, which is then F1, they too have a “One Make Tire” Policy to equalize and keep the costs down.

I would also like to point out that in the PRO and SUPER PRO Class, there are only 10 to 12 entrants for the whole racing season. These 10 to 12 competitors will use their drag tires for an average of two to three years before they are replaced. Frankly, it is not even a worthwhile business for us to sell 20 pieces of tires every two years. Having said that, we are still undertaking the effort in the pursuit of our vision of creating a bigger drag racing community with an affordable cost of racing without sacrificing the quality of competition among racers. To say that the organizer is driven by greed and profit is far from the truth.

It is my hope that these humble clarifications will merit space in your section so that your readers will fully appreciate the issues that were raised and, more importantly, the truth.

Thank you and more power to you.

Johnny Tan