Second round of 2022 Seaoil Radical Challenge battles in the rain

MANILA: Radical Cars Philippines, in partnership with Seaoil Philippines, Inc., — with ZigWheels Philippines as the proud media partner — recently held the second round of the first ever 2022 Seaoil Radical Challenge in the famous Batangas Racing Circuit last September 23 to 25, 2022.

The 3.5 kilometer-long track, which is renowned for its difficult turns and constricting back straights, has played host to numerous memorable races. Now, after hosting the fastest race series in the nation, it is once again in the spotlight of Philippine motorsport history.

The weekend was not one short of drama and it told a very different story than that of the first race weekend held in Clark, last August. A new set of drivers took on the challenge of running in the championship.

Racing veteran Tyson Sy ran in Brian Poe’s place with Porsche Design Manila - PartsPro Racing after the latter was indisposed and taking time to recover. The weekend’s rookie seat was occupied by gentleman driver Danial Daychopan, a first-timer when it came to driving a Radical SR1. He had the honor of running in the Seaoil SR1, previously driven by Mark Bumgarner during the last round.

Last but not least, experienced gentleman driver Richard Dy ran his personal SR1, representing Track Hos - RDY Racing. Only two drivers from the previous round of the championship ran in the 2nd round.

The youngest on the grid, Iñigo Anton, traveled to the south in hopes of extending his commanding lead in the drivers' standing with the help of his team, Motul- PartsPro Racing. Stefan Ramirez also showed up to BRC, aiming to take advantage and move up places in the standings with his team ENSport Motors - Scuderia Ramirez.

Practice sessions started bright and early on the 23th of September. Drivers took advantage of the day and favorable conditions to get used to the tricky circuit and adapt their SR1s to the challenges that BRC tends to bring.

Danial Daychopan grabbed the opportunity of a free practice day to get used to the car which he had never driven prior to the weekend, with the guidance of Radical Racing Academy coach Ivan Carapiet. Tyson Sy faced some challenges with his SR1’s alignment but managed to overcome the issue with help from the PartsPro crew.

The most notable highlight of the first day, however, was the absence of Stefan Ramirez on the track. He and his crew noticed an issue with the brakes of his car but thanks to quick work from his team’s engineers, with help from the Radical engineers, they were able to diagnose and treat the problem in time for Qualifying.

The qualifying session held on Saturday morning of Round 2 clearly set the tone for the rest of the race weekend with Tyson Sy securing pole and the fastest lap of the round after beating his teammate Iñigo Anton by two tenths of a second with a time of 1:39.149.
Stefan Ramirez secured third and Richard Dy took fourth with both drivers close together in the 1:41’s. Danial Daychopan landed fifth on the grid with a respectable time of 1:53.746 despite a few spins. A remarkable accomplishment for the rookie driver.

At the 2022 Seaoil Radical Challenge, the lights went out for the first race of the weekend on Saturday afternoon and turned out to be an exciting one thanks to an epic back-and-forth battle in the front between the PartsPro Racing teammates Iñigo and Tyson. Tyson Sy led most of the laps of the first race but it was by no means a comfortable drive in the front as the young Iñigo was constantly putting pressure on the leader, patiently waiting for a chance to pounce.

The opportunity came in the last 2 laps as Iñigo found a few openings, with the winning chance presenting itself on the last corner of the last lap which he grabbed to secure the win. Stefan Ramirez secured third and the race finished with Richard Dy in fourth. Unfortunately for Danial, he did not finish Race 1 after finding the gravel early in the race due to misjudging a braking point.

Things turned from bad to worse as the afternoon arrived. Heavy rain, winds, and thunder began to flood the track. It was enough to prompt Race Director Marlon Stokinger to contemplate canceling the third race. Some of the drivers expressed their concerns regarding the track conditions and safety, with Track Hos driver Richard Dy opting not to run.

In the end, the decision to continue fell into the hands of safety car driver Mike Consenheim, in coordination with the race director, Marlon.

To the surprise of everyone watching, the cars proceeded to take their positions on the starting line behind the safety car. The marshals gave the go signal and the all-Radical grid began to carefully wade the wet track. The first few laps were led by the safety car, clearing the water away from the asphalt and carefully checking if the conditions were favorable enough for wet racing.

At the fifth lap, the safety car’s lights went off, signaling that the track was safe, and Race 3 continued as planned.

Tyson Sy got a good start off the line and took the lead with Iñigo just behind, struggling to keep up in the slippery conditions. It was a masterclass performance from the Porsche Design Manila - PartsPro Racing driver as he kept his lead and began to pull away, showcasing his experience as a driver and his knowledge of the track. Iñigo Anton tried his best to keep up with his teammate, showing a few moments of brilliance as he battled to attain the lead.
In the end, experience beat youth and Tyson took the checkered flag.

Stefan Ramirez finished third once again, keeping it safe and prioritizing consistency over aggressiveness but still treating spectators to a wonderful performance in the rain. Danial Daychopan followed in fourth, finishing with his head held high after conquering a difficult track in difficult conditions. He ends his stint as a bonafide racing driver.

The drama brought by the rain was a treat to witness as it added an element of uncertainty to an already unpredictable race weekend.
Radical Motorsport is a British company that builds and manufactures racing automobiles. Mick Hyde and Phil Abbott, two amateur racers and engineers, formed the business in January 1997.

They created open-cockpit sports cars that could be registered for road usage and raced on a track without any modifications. Radical produces a variety of road-legal sports vehicles and race cars with different specs. The Radical SR3 is their most well-known vehicle.

Now, all eyes are set on the finale of the 2022 Seaoil Radical Challenge which will take place in Clark once again, on the 28th to 30th of October.

The 2022 Seaoil Radical championship is powered by Seaoil Extreme 97 Octane as its official fuel. Motul Philippines, a co-presenter of the race series, provides the whole grid with its 300V Performance Oil.

Photos from Radical Cars Philippines

Also read: Season opener of 2022 Seaoil Radical Challenge kicks off in Clark