A different kind of rally in Subic today

There is an interesting car rally blasting off today in Subic, Olongapo City, that has caught not only my attention but also that of many of my fellow racing buffs.

Because it is an exceedingly different kind of motor sports, it has not stopped drawing lusty cheers from both the hardcore rally followers and car aficionados alike. You know why? This is the only rally in the world that detests using speed when the race is on. Fast is taboo.

Isn’t that a no-no for Formula One enthusiasts, not to mention the followers also of Nascar in the US, the 24-hour Le Mans and the Safari Rally, to name but a few?

And so, if you are the “Fast and Furious” type, you might be turned off and could start cursing the heavens.

For that is the essence of the STV Auto Rally Corporate Challenge: Speed being its No. 1 enemy.

Schumacher would raise hell if he learned about this.

A brainchild of my bosom buddy, Ray Butch “Elvis” Gamboa, this race is also known as “The Sampaguita Rally” patterned after “The Tulip Rally” in The Netherlands.

The “Tulip’s” route is taken from the shape of the tulip’s petal and, as you might have guessed it, the “Sampaguita” rally endeavors to have that uncanny trait, too, I guess.

The race’s flag- off point is Subic’s Harbour Point Mall, cruising around scenic Subic but with several stops a.k.a. checkpoints along the way.

Every leg consisting of several kilometers must be covered in a designated time.

You either arrive early or late at every checkpoint and you get demerits each time. You arrive on the dot and you accumulate huge points.

Thus, the trick in winning the rally is, “Be on time, all the time.”

Elvis says, “Drive fast, you lose; but drive precise, you win.”

Eleven of the country’s top car manufacturers are competing, each fielding a maximum of four vehicles. They include Isuzu, Audi, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Lexus, Mini, Nissan, Ssangyong, Subaru, Tata and Lexus.

For a change, these companies compete not for sales leadership but for pride and glory achieved in a podium finish triggered by precise driving from start to finish.

Also this time, one doesn’t have to be fast in order to have fun. If you know what I mean.

You either arrive early or late at every checkpoint and you get demerits each time. You arrive on the dot and you accumulate huge points.