Tour de Cebu anew
By Deneb R. Batucan
Photos by Amper Campana
IT was a throwback event as the second Tour de Cebu set off last Oct. 3 at the Cebu Business Park Phase 3 grounds. Twenty-five classic cars was tested in a three-day 1,000-kilometer rally. Endurance and time management is of the essence for this vintage car rally as they went cruising, enjoying the scenic spots of the Visayas.
Classic car enthusiasts from Cebu and Manila joined the historic car rally. Cebu politician Red Durano was the first of the 25, driving a 1971 Porsche 914/4. Celebrities Dominic Ochoa and Matteo Guidecilli also joined the rally, driving a 1969 MGB GT and a Porsche Spyder respectively. Ochoa’s vintage car was of sentimental value since it was the last car his late father, veteran racer Boy Ochoa, completed.
Industrial designer Kenneth Cobonpue was also part of the historic rally with his Porsche 356, along with TV5’s Glenn Soco, who drove a 1967 Alfa Romeo Duetto. CNN correspondent James Deaken also joined, driving a Kougar for CNN Drive.
Other notable participating cars were the Morgan 3-Wheeler, 1970 Alfa Romeo Spyder, 1965 Chevy Corvette, BMW 2002, 1972 Ford Escort, 1972 Porsche 914, 1955 Porsche Spyder, 1964 Karmann Ghia, Michel Cobra Replica, 1988 Mercedes Benz 280 SL, 1965 Ford Shelby Cobra, 1966 Morris Mini, MGA and 1971 MGB.
Entrants were flagged off in a modified le mans, where 2 cars at a time are set off to the rally. The sports cars will then traverse to scenic destinations in three key cities in the Visayas: Cebu, Dumaguete and Bacolod. The three-day rally took the long routes in all locations to test the endurance of both driver and car. Passage control marshals were placed at designated locations to ensure that all cars took the correct routes.
The drivers were given a predefined time to complete each route and were given penalty points when they go before or after the time frame. Proper time management is needed to get to the destination on the dot.
Meanwhile, Tour de Cebu also held the Concours D’Elegance, which opened last Oct. 2 at the Montebello Villa Hotel. It was the first of its kind in Cebu where beautifully restored cars were showcased in all its elegance for the people to see. Businessman and preeminent collector of classic Porsche cars Jay Aldeguer won the Best Historic and Best in Show awards for his Porsche 356B Cabriolet, which he also took for a joy ride in Tour de Cebu.
Tour de Cebu is a joint project of the Performance and Classics Enthusiasts (PACE) of Cebu and the Manila Sports Car Club (MSCC). PACE is a club composed of car collectors and enthusiasts and has a roster filled with some of the best classic and supercars in the country. They are now on their 10th year as a club. On the other hand, the MSCC is a non-profit organization geared towards the preservation and enjoyment of sports cars.
Originally focused on vintage sports cars, MSCC now includes in their roster a wide variety of modern two-seater sports cars.
