Baguio’s racing phenom Iñigo Anton started the year on the right track by ruling the first round of the Philippine Autocross Championship Series (PACS) held in Navotas recently.
The 15-year-old bemedalled Anton set the best times both in the overall championship with 46.23 seconds and the open championship with 44.53 seconds in just two runs.
His teammate, Karol Collantes, placed second overall in the open championship at 48.42 seconds while Gen Colina set a time of 48.51 seconds
“There were over 150 entries so it took a long time for us to line up and wait for our turn to run. I knew I had to make a good clean run since I may not be able to run again because of the number of participants during this round,” said the Advan-Mark Young racer.
“We got lucky that his first two runs were clean and fast enough for the overall wins. I think that’s what separates Iñigo from the rest, he really concentrates and performs at his best under a lot of pressure,” multi-awarded racer Carlos Anton said of his son.
The younger Anton currently leads the legends division in the Race of Champions 2019-2020 organized by MPTurbo after winning the first three rounds. He hopes to continue his winning streak in the fourth round to be held at Clark Global City on Jan. 25 and 26.
Anton is the youngest ever PACS and Open Autocross champion last year, making a record in the sport’s 20-year history. He also took all four rounds of the inaugural Vios Autocross Festival championship in 2019.
With his three championships in racing last year, Anton’s total tally of national titles is fast increasing. He has two karting titles, three Slalom titles, one Race of Champions title, and the Novice Autocross Championship he won in 2018.
Aside from all his racing accolades, the 10th grader from the Baguio Achievers’ Academy also continues to be first honor in his academics. The young talented racer proves to be a real genius, garnering a score of 99+ percentile rank in the Department of Education’s 2019 National Career Assessment Examination.
Anton is sponsored by Yokohama, Advan, Mark Young Racing, Cars Unlimited, MPturbo, JSD Autosport, Kilton, Special Stage, Kart Plaza, Parts Pro, Carporn, and Sludgenizer. – Harley F. Palangchao
April 26, 2024
