The 2014 Yokohama Philippine Grand Touring Car Championship season gets rolling this weekend on June 1 (Sunday) at the Batangas Racing Circuit, with the six-round series featuring cars competing in four different classes.
The series will be bannered by the GT300 class, followed by the GT200, GT150 and GT100 classes. Also acting as support races are the PhilMiniRacers Championship Series, the VW KaFer Cup, Winds Formula Philippines, and the newly formed Sparco Bracket Circuit Racing. Expected to headline the series is multiple Philippine Touring Car champion Jody Coseteng; joining him are hill-climb ace Carlos Anton and actor Jomari Ylana.
Yokohama Philippines will once again sponsor the series, with the race cars being equipped with Advan A050 tires. The renewal of the partnership between Yokohama and the Batangas Racing Circuit was signed today between BRC corporate communications boss Nelson Gayola and Yokohama Philippines vice president Yuki Iwasa. Batangas Racing Circuit Inc. is the organizer of the series and operator of Batangas Racing Circuit and Clark International Speedway, the venues of the races.
"We have maintained a strong and fruitful relationship with Yokohama Philippines over the years," said Gayola. "Thus, it makes us very happy that they have once again partnered with the Philippine Grand Touring Car Championship for the 2014 season."
The 2014 season supposedly sees the former Philippine Touring Car Championship merging with the Yokohama Philippine GT Championship series. As part of the merger, minor technical revisions will be introduced for the season "to tighten the competition," with the race cars now having to comply with a maximum torque limit on top of the existing power cap.
Practice and qualifying for the first leg, which is scheduled this weekend, are both on Saturday, May 31. Come race day on June 1st, a 10-lap sprint race will be held in the morning with the cars taking off from a standing start. In the afternoon, the 17-lap GT race will begin with a rolling start.
Here is the complete schedule of the 2014 Yokohama Philippine GT Championship series:
Leg 1 (May 31 and June 1) - Batangas Racing Circuit;
Leg 2 (July 26 and 27) - Batangas Racing Circuit;
Leg 3 (August 30 and 31) - Clark International Speedway;
Leg 4 (September 27 and 28) - Clark International Speedway;
Leg 5 (October 25 and 26) - Batangas Racing Circuit; and
Leg 6 (November 29 and 30) - Clark International Speedway
See you at the races!
