Luis Gono shines anew in Judgement Day
YOUNG gun Luis Gono of Team Motul-Autoplus drew on his racing experience to clinch top honors at the recently concluded Judgement Day drift competition at the Clark International Speedway over the weekend. Driving his 470bhp Nissan Silvia S13 powered by a hybrid design Neo SR20DET 4-cylinder turbo engine, Gono was the last man standing among his team of seasoned drift veterans, which included Atoy Llave, Alex Perez and David Feliciano.
The young ace was second overall in the two-day drift fest which saw the country’s best drift racers compete against the best of Japan which was led by the world number one drift racer Daigo Saito. Saito drove his 700bhp 2JZ-powered Toyota Chaser.
As competitors dropped like flies, the afternoon leg was the penultimate battle which saw Gono going toe to toe with Saito. With both cars clocking in at an entry speed of 205kph sideways at the Speedway’s first corner, foreign judges ruled a tie and decided for another run to settle the championship. It was during this deciding run that Gono’s Silvia blew a manifold and had to settle for second overall, same with Saito who also had to finish the race with a borrowed car due to mechanical problems with his Chaser.
“My heart felt like it was going to burst right out of my chest and I had to calm myself down and focus on the race. It’s a learning experience for me to compete against the best of the best in this drift competition,” says Gono.
“The kid is fearless and calculating. He has a great future in drift racing and I wish for him to continue his streak in this sport,” exclaims Saito after his heated battle with the young drift ace.
Prior to his stint at Judgement Day, Luis Gono is also the first Toyota Vios Cup Champion. His Sylvia’s engine was rebuilt by famed tuner Pacho Blanco of Autoplus and is sponsored by Motul 300V, Volks Rays engineering, Saffiro Tires and Autoplus Sportzentrium.