With one race remaining in the 2022 Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC), the stakes have been raised for the UMA Racing MMR Yamaha Philippines’ two young riders, April King Mascardo and Gian Carlo Mauricio.  These boys are bent on proving their racing prowess to the world, and Mascardo did just that by taking the top podium in Race One (November 19) of Round Five of the 2022 ARRC held at Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand.

"This win is for Filipinos," said April King Mascardo to all his supporters. "The race was not easy, but we made it," he added.

During the awarding, hearing the Philippine national anthem gave spectators a trip down memory lane when “the wonderboy” Mckinley Kyle Paz got the first-ever Filipino Overall UB150 Championship title in 2019. But aside from flashbacks, the moment made everyone realize how motorsports are embedded in Filipino racers' DNA. Mascardo’s impressive finish made an impact on other competitors.

On the other hand, Gian had a motorcycle malfunction, but this did not stop his perseverance in preparing for Race Two. "Technical problems happen, it's beyond our control (what we can do), and we move forward for the next race. At sana sa awa ng diyos, makita natin ang dalawang rider natin sa harapan (podium)," said Joey Storm Rivero, the team's head coach.

The first part of the 2022 ARRC season finale showed how Gian continuously kept his unwavering determination, how John Emerson Inguito (Yamaha 4S1M Racing team) withstood any challenge, and how April unleashed the champion in him. This may be the end of the season, but for these Filipino racing icons, the world's impression of Filipino talents in motorsports has just begun.

Can we improve our standing for next year's racing season?