Fast, furious and gorgeous Tessa Salazar Philippine Daily Inquirer
November 03, 2009
MANILA, Philippines--Helmets off, these faces could launch a thousand cars. Instead of taking the easy way—which was to bank on their pretty faces or take almost everything off for fame and fortune—they followed their hearts, got their engines running and our pulses racing. So how are our exceptional motorsports ladies doing? Michele Bumgarner, Gaby dela Merced, Love-Love Tengsico Tioseco and Pia Boren give us a heads up.
SUBHEAD: Michele in North America
SINCE 2007, MICHELE BUMgarner, along with her younger sibling Mark, has been living her dream, donning the Philippine flag at the open-wheel races of the Indianapolis circuit. She was just named kart driver for the month of September by eKartingnews.com, a remarkable achievement for just the sheer number of candidates (hundreds of them) vying for the recognition in the United States.
In selecting Michele, EKN describes, “The 2008 performance she put in at the Rock Island Grand Prix—becoming the first female winner at the world famous karting streetrace—earned her a spot in the event’s Top 15 performances at the number three spot.”
Michele is now busy racing go karts all over North America. She has a race in Charlotte, North Carolina next weekend, before going off to the SuperNationals in Vegas.
Next year, Michele and Mark will join the biggest race of their careers by far, the Firestone Indy Lights Series. Over the winter and into February next year, she would have to be hard into training. To keep her body in shape, she works out at PitFit five days a week. When she does have free time, she’s content to just hang out with friends.
Her everyday car is a Honda Ridgeline Truck she got in 2007. With it, she lugs all her and her brother’s racing gear during practices or actual races. When she isn’t going to the races, she drives a 1999 Corvette.
“I don’t know why I decided to get a truck for my first car, I just woke up one day and decided I wanted one and the Ridgeline just fit me well. And my Dad’s 99 Chevy Corvette is a really neat car, I love it,” she enthuses. But her dream car is the Mercedes E Class. “I definitely have my eyes on those!”
Her most disliked car? Range Rovers. “I don’t know why but there’s just something about them that I do not like.”
Racing in Formula One has always been her dream. Realistically, she says, the Indy Car (of the Indy Racing League) would be best for her right now as a goal. “Who knows, after a few successful years in the IRL I can reach my dream of being in F1, but IRL racing also offers a great racing career in North America.”
Asked what she feels about being constantly compared with Danica Patrick (an American auto race driver competing at IndyLights Series), she responds: “For sure, I will be compared to Danica. She has opened the door for women in racing at the top levels and we all appreciate that very much, when I reach that level I look forward to racing against her just as I would against any other drivers. The direct comparison on the track will be better when we are racing together.”
Her advice for young girls looking to a racing career: “Do not listen when guys say you cannot do it, work harder and just show them with your actions and results.”
subhead: Gaby: Then with Big Brother, now with Uncle Sam
WHO DOESN’T RECOGNIZE Gaby dela Merced? Those who faithfully followed “Pinoy Big Brother” would also know that this focused, feisty looker is not only an animal lover but a fierce competitor on the tracks.
Gaby dela Merced—who is racing in the United States until December 2009—is the only Filipina driver to compete in a full season of the Asian Formula 3 series. Her efforts landed her first runner-up in the Philippine National Formula 3 Championship.
She also finished 1st Runner-up in the Promotion Class Championship of AF3; no mean feat for a first timer in International Formula car racing.
Gaby—who just emerged from a three-hour race last week in the West Coast—recently revealed to Inquirer Motoring that she never really left the racing scene. She just joined her first drift event this August in Greenhills, San Juan. Now she races for Spoon Sports in the Western Enduro Series Championship. She placed fourth in Button Willow in May; second in Thunderhill in June, and third in the Infineon Raceway this October.
“We are leading in points, but it’s close. Hopefully we’ll get to bring (the championship) home,” she told Inquirer Motoring.
For her all-around good looks and competitive spirit, Gaby has been chosen to endorse commercial products such as Nike Women, Oakley, Goodyear tires, Puma, Fitness First, Carefree Wash and Creamsilk. Her most recent commercial appearance was for Coke Zero and CrazyKart.
Gaby admits that she still has her first circuit and the only “girl” car she has ever had-a Honda LX. “And I still have the EK9 (a Honda Civic type R), which I used in the PTCC (Philippine Touring Car Championship) races. I have an Integra DC5, which is my everyday car.... He’s a jock,” she says of the car, which is still in its stock or original version.
Gaby’s dream car is the Spyker C8 Laviolette. “It’s the best fusion between aviation and sports car. I totally fell in love with it in the LA Car Convention.”
For her present races in the United States, she competes with a Spoon Acura TSX, with all-Spoon modifications.
“If I’m still breathing, I’ll still be racing,” she quipped when asked what she would be doing in 10 years.
Gaby’s advice for young girls: “Whatever it is that your heart tells you, if that’s what fuels you to get up everyday excited about what’s to come...It’s the best way to live life.
SUBHEAD: Love-Love Tioseco: Win-win on a big bike
LOVE-LOVE TENGSICO Tioseco occupies a very exclusive place in motorsport, a position with only one member, so far. She has been the only female superbiker racer in the country since 2001. Her billboard can be seen at the Bicutan area of the South Luzon Expressway, near the Honda Safety Driving Academy.
And quite appropriately so, for Love-Love, despite her fiercely competitive spirit, is a motorcycle safety advocate, a cause she upholds every time she gets the chance.
She is currently the corporate secretary of the Luzon Motorcyclists Federation, the vice president of Road Runners Riding Club of Pampanga and the public relations officer of Task Force Lawin Flying Squad Motorcyclists Club founded and headed by Transportation assistant secretary Reynaldo Berroya.
Love-Love is a veteran of many local and international races, having competed in the 2003 national races in Sepang, Malaysia and at the BRC National Grand Prix Super Bike 3 Hour Endurance Race in Batangas in 2002. She says, however, that the biggest rewards of her career has been meeting international-caliber racers and trying out the racing circuits tracks abroad.
Motorsport was weaved into Love-Love’s genes. Her father Bienvenido was an avid motorcyclist, traveling cross-country with his BMW R-50 and R-69-S. Mother Dana was a V-8 muscle car and Vespa scooter racer during her college days. Love-Love reveals, with a laugh, that her parents eloped on a bike three times.
But even then, it took a while before she got her parents’ blessings for her to ride her own big bike. As a motorbike safety advocate, she urges all recreational and career riders:
* To race on the tracks not on the roads. * To practice discipline, respect and courtesy. * To avoid participating in illegal street races and pulling off stunts in public roads. * To wear proper and complete safety gear. * To always carry in their persons emergency contact numbers. * To always be prepared, in mind, body and bike, and conduct regular checkups. * To travel with a companion as much as possible. * To always bear in mind that road safety saves lives.
Her advice for beginner bikers: Don’t go riding just to spy on your significant other. And don’t go into the sport just to impress other people.
subhead: Pia Boren: Getting the drift
PIA BOREN’S RACING RESUME would turn even male racers green with envy. She ruled the 2005 TRS (Tuason Racing School)-Ford Lynx Cup Advance Series by sweeping the three races in the final leg held over the weekend at the Batangas Racing Circuit in Rosario, Batangas.
She was also the 2002 novice champion of the Arthur Tuason Memorial Cup Karting competition, the only girl defeating 25 male competitors. She was the first female racer to test the Formula3 car. She also joined the Formula Toyota racing team.
She also won the 2007 novice division of the four-hour endurance race at the Subic International Raceway.
What’s keeping Pia on her toes, or tracks, right now is the sport of drifting. And for this, she owns two a31 Nissan Cefiros. “I chose the Cefiro because they are the best entry level drift cars and have a lot of parts available.”
And as with her past races, Pia has shown a remarkably high learning curve. Currently, she is the highest finishing female drifter, making it to the final 4. Aside from drifting, Pia is busy with Women with Drive Series with Goodyear. She travels all over the country teaching women drivers “the basics of car maintenance to help empower them on the road.”
Her everyday car is a Ford Lynx RS, a gift from her parents.
“I chose it because it was affordable and fast and has really good handling.”
Her dream cars include a Subaru STI, a Hummer, and an Audi R8. She wouldn’t modify any of these dream cars, except perhaps to execute some aesthetic changes with the mags and body kits.
Her Cefiros, on the other hand, are modified to drift: From the Urras body kits, to the adjustable coil overs, 2-way LSD, SR20 engine, full 3-inch exhaust system and racing seats and racing harnesses.
Pia works for an advertising company and is the managing editor of Rebound Magazine, which she describes as the only magazine dedicated to collegiate basketball. She also hosts segments for PLDT mydsl Watchpad’s My View channel.
Pia’s advice: “Follow your heart, don’t let anyone limit you. Don’t be scared of what people may think of you for doing something different.”
