AUTOSTRADA Motore, the official dealer of Ferrari in the Philippines, had a lot to cheer about on August 30th because, aside from commemorating their fifth anniversary and showcasing their newly renovated swanky showroom at the Bonifacio Global City (BGC) to the media and invited guests, they also celebrated the victory of Angie King during the fifth round of the Ferrari Challenge APAC held in Sepang, Malaysia.
King had earned a masterful podium finish in the fourth round of the race held at the Fuji Speedway in Japan leg of the highly competitive race.
The victory in Sepang was unforgettable for King and her team, because she had very little time to prepare. King, in a speech during the party, said, “I didn’t have any idea until I got out of the car and my team told me that I had won.” She also narrated the track conditions during the race, such as the temperature, which hovered at a blistering 50 degrees Celsius that made driving doubly hard as they tried to manage the Pirelli tires in order to minimize deterioration.
King went toe-to-toe with Yangbing Xing from China, who started from pole position, but was pursued by Angie relentlessly. Xing suffered a slight mishap on Lap 8 and lost his position, but still wound up third on the podium. It was a maiden win for King, who took the lead and held on until the finish, clocking in at 31:13.629 after 14 laps. Ken Seto of Japan took second place 6.194 seconds behind.
Wellington Soong, chairman and president of Autostrada Motore, in a statement, said, “We have complete confidence in Angie’s talent as a competitive racer, but this first-place podium finish is still a milestone worth celebrating. Nobody expected a newcomer to bag a win, but Angie, in the first two rounds of racing she has ever done in her life, made it happen. We are proud of Angie and she has our outmost support.”
At the end of five rounds of the Ferrari Challenge APAC, King is in fourth place overall in the Trofeo Pirelli AM Class, despite the fact that she only joined the series during the fourth round held in Fuji, Japan. She must beat Yanbing, who is currently in third; Seto, the current series leader; and Tiger Wu of Taiwan to bag the overall championship. The Ferrari Challenge APAC heads to Singapore for the next and penultimate round, which King hopes to dominate again.
During the celebration, Ferrari’s latest offering, the 488 Spider, was on display in Autostrada’s posh showroom in BGC. The 488 Spider is Ferrari’s most powerful mid-rear-engine V8 sports car to date. It features a patented retractable hard top along with the highest level of technological innovations and cutting-edge design.
Soong said, “The 488 Spider is for the discerning client [who seeks] open-air motoring pleasure in a high-performance sports car. It is built to make the fun and thrill of driving most accessible behind the wheels of a car that simply delivers top-notch performance.”
The 488 Spider is poised to deliver the most powerful performance in the sports spider market in terms of acceleration and pickup. The combination of new-generation dynamics and aerodynamics results in performance that is instantly available and enjoyable even to novice drivers.
Soong added, “The entry of Ferrari in the Philippines has elevated the grandeur of the premium luxury market in our local automotive industry. Ferrari’s 488 Spider marks yet another milestone in this market and we are hoping to keep our clients and Ferrari fans thrilled and excited about the brand.”
Perhaps, the best news that the charismatic president of Autostrada Motore shared that night was: “I am inviting all Ferrari fans to visit our newly renovated showroom here at BGC, even if it’s just to look around and have their pictures taken beside the cars on display.”
The Autostrada showroom is open all weeklong from Monday to Sunday.
Image credits: Patrick P. Tulfo