Miata Cup Hill Climb
Aparri Road, Subic Bay Freeport, 23 Nov. 2002

On Saturday the 23rd of November 2002 we went to the Subic Bay Freeport to participate in the 3rd Annual Philippine Motorsports Festival.

The assembly point for the run to Subic was 430am at the Caltex station at Julia Vargas in Ortigas, I was there a little early and was soon joined by Santy who brought his BRG Miata, after awhile Zaffy, JR, Collins and Alfie arrived in one Pajero, none of the four had brought their Miatas. At a little past 5am we decided to leave despite the fact that there were only 6 of us yet over 10 on the e-mail list had committed to go.

At San Fernando we pass the convoy of the Camus' race cars: the Opet GT which was running, the black turbo Miata and the red Ferrari 365 GT4 BB were on trailers. No Camus guys, all crew-members.

At a little past 7am we arrive at Subic and we look for a place to have breakfast. Alfie recommends a place that JoeyA took him in which the Tacos are supposed to be quite good and oversized. It seemed that no one quite remembered where the place was located and we ended up going on a tour of Olongapo City for nearly half an hour. It was cool, there was no traffic, it was 7am on a Saturday. Finally, we find the place and it's rather nice, right near the water. However, it was getting rather hot and we couldn't really eat by the water, so we position ourselves indoors. Alfie was right, the tacos there are enormous! Pretty darn good too. The place has a strange name though: Sheaven. Another good thing about it is that it's open 24 hours.

After breakfast we head on over to the race track to see Louie Camus about the preparations for the Hill Climb as well as to discuss with Norman the
procedure for the Bikini Open. At the paddock of the race track Louie, Bubi and I discuss registration procedures and task assignments, he also shows me the trophies he has acquired (very good looking trophies too if i might add). Thereafter, I take Santy and Bubi with me to meet the girls and discuss with Norman. We find Norman at the other side of the track and I see the same girls that I interviewed. I was beside myself with embarrassment when I told Norman that I only had 2 Miatas with me. Norman though was very understanding and he said that we could just make several trips for the girls, besides we could always get some of the Miata race cars that were already there.

After awhile Jenny arrives in her Explorer pick-up and in no time at all she's going around the paddock area talking to each and everyone of the racers there to join the hill climb in the afternoon. A real trooper this girl! More bad news comes my way, Jenny tells me that JoMari Cortez is there and he's pissed. Pissed that he was told by the MSCC that there was no hill climb and not having been informed that his very own miata club was the one that had volunteered to organize it. Under the impression that there was no climb, he brought his BMW 525. I run into him later and he personally expresses his disappointment at not having been informed, had he known that the climb was still on, he would've brought and raced his S2000 and his Miata at the climb.

Sheesh! All I need now is to have a lightning bolt strike me where I stand and the day would've been a perfect disaster.

Jenny, Lito Ignacio, Romy Mercado and I have a quick lunch at La Tavola where I meet the American that bought the BRG Miata of our erstwhile member Robbie Naval. After lunch we hie off to Aparri Road where the hill climb is to take place.

The Camus clan is there and the place is set-up with a registration table and time board, the start and finish line are marked with duct tape. Everything that Bubi and I had discussed during the days prior were there and already set up, all brought there through Camus resources. The registration table/ time record board is manned by Liza Camus, Bubi Camus is starter, Zaffy, JR and Alfie are up top keeping time at the finish line, Santy and Collins are official photographers and video crew, Jenny in the meantime was still gathering participants.

We have Subic cops at the bottom and up top to prevent motorists from using the road, but they're not doing a very good job as there are some that are still getting through, posing potential dangers to our racers.

As the event gets underway all we have are Miata race cars running, eight of them. The Miata race cars are LOUD, it seems as though they're running
open exhausts, loud enough to scare some of the Camus grandkids. After about 5 Miatas complete their first runs I notice that Louie Camus is winning. jokingly mention to the group that this isn't looking good, Camus flag man, Camus time recorder while the Camus patriarch himself is leading the race. But that was just the beginning, and Louie's skills and car are rather formidable for all including the best racers.

Later a Benz 450SL, makes a run. After awhile a Porsche 993 turbo joins and makes a run, the way that Porsche takes off we were positive that it would be far and away the winner, however the boys up top say that at the finish it was driven rather conservatively. Then the American V8 boys drop by for a look see, Jenny persuades them to make runs but they're reluctant, though she gets them to do survey runs. Because that road is just so good the survey run persuades them to make runs. The Firebird Trans-Am takes off conservatively, however at the finish line Alfie and Zaffy relate that it came up to the finish line oversteering, correcting only to oversteer again, still correcting again to spin out and stop about 10 feet from where Alfie and Zaffy were sitting, and who were by then shitting bricks seeing two tons of detroit iron sliding out of control towards them. Incidentally, this final portion of the climb is where a 3 series BMW lost it and got totalled a couple of years ago. A Camaro SS also makes a run. Then two '67 or '68 Mustang Mach 1's try out their skills on the hill. The owners of the Mustangs however, must have had the wrong impression of what a hill climb was all about since these guys seemed like they were trying to out peel each other. Both cars, without LSD or posi-trac rear ends, were seriously burning rubber on take off and leaving single 15 foot tire marks on the starting area. Would've been more exciting if they were smoking out the tires but they weren't, just squealing loudly.

We persuade Mon Villacorta who's there in his Lancer Evolution V to make a run. He attempts to excuse himself saying that his clutch is bad and is slipping. Still, with incessant badgering from me and Jenny, he gives in. He prepares his car on the starting line, as he's flagged off, he starts and the Evo takes off leaving a small cloud of white smoke. I notice that his tires aren't spinning, the smoke is coming out from under his car, and the air is filled with the smell of a burnt clutch. Uh-oh, he was telling the truth, his clutch is BAD! When he got back we tell him, "it's ok, you don't have to run your second heat", "baka 'di na makauwi 'yang clutch mo". Na-guilty ako, pinilit ko pa si Mon despite his earlier protests.

All in all we had about 16 participants in the hill-climb. There would have been more, but some of the racers couldn't leave the track to come over and participate as either they were stuck in the paddocks or they weren't finished racing. Louie and I assessed that it was pretty good considering we only had one week notice to hold the event. Next time, with more preparation we'll have all the trimmings!

I must mention that this hill-climb would not have been at all possible without the support of the Camus family, more particularly Louie and Bubi whose participation in the organization and the implementation of the event were absolutely indispensable. The holding of the event under the flag of the Miata Club brings honor and recognition to our club before the community of car enthusiasts in this country. This our club owes to Louie and Bubi Camus.

Also, I cannot fail to mention the participation of our muse, Jenny Tan. Her untiring efforts to gather and persuade persons there to join the hill climb as well as to pay the fee thereafter was nothing short of phenomenal. But her tactics were nothing short of ruthless. "Sige na, run ka na. O sige, survey run ka muna, libre 'yun". After her victim falls for the survey run bait she says, "O ano? Sarap di ba?" "Sige na, run ka!" "O ano? Run ka na? Pirma ka dito." The target is now firmly hooked, as he comes around after the run she says, "O di ba! Sarap no? Ganda pa ng time mo! Nag-enjoy ka ba? Bayad ka!" Fellow club members were not spared by this financial dynamo. To Romy Mercado as he was approaching the starting line, she asks, "Romy, bayad ka na ba?", after he answers in the affirmative she says, "bayad ka na pala eh, hwag ka na mag-run!" And remember Mon's case? We didn't even allow him to run the second heat 'cuz of his clutch, but after the times were tallied, she tells him, "Mon, kailangan mo pa rin magbayad!", startled and surprised and still mourning his clutch, he asks, "ano?! bakit?!". "panalo ka sa class mo eh, bayad ka!", she says without missing a beat. Aren't we lucky we have someone like her on our side?

Finally, I must mention the contribution of our time-keepers Alfie, Zaffy and JR, whose contribution nearly included life and limb in the face of an out of control Firebird Trans-Am. Although the fastest time of the day, the King of the Hill was :40.84 seconds, I must tell you that Zaffy beat this time with a :39 second run in his Pajero . . . downhill nga lang : )

Winners of the
Miata Cup Hill Climb
Aparri Road, Subic Bay Freeport, 23 Nov. 2002