Pinoy Loves Wheels ( The Filipino Motoring Lifestyle Blog): 2013 MIAS SERIES: A Racing Lecture with the Legendary Isadas

Ivan and Vip during the round 1 of the 2011 EK Rally Cross (Photo from flatoutivan.wordpress.com)

The Chief (Middle) with Rally Legend Vip Isada (Left) and son Rally Cross Champion Ivan Isada (Right)

Wouldn't you feel privileged when a father and son tandem who are local Rally Legends taught you pointers in racing? Of course I do feel privileged in my part as a new born race car driver here in the Philippines.

My first personal encounter with the father and son tandem of Vip and Ivan Isada was in 2010 when I got hooked to volleyball because of Ateneo's Gretchen Ho. These men of Maroons were coaching the UP Lady Maroons volleyball team. While following the stint of Ateneo and UP on that volleyball season, every time I hear the names of Ivan and Vip Isada in a Lady Maroons game, I keep on saying to myself that their last name is familiar. There was even a time when I saw Vip wearing an AAP shirt and holding an envelope with an AAP label at a volleyball game. I just don't know why it didn't came into my mind right away that they are father and son rally legends here in the Philippines. It must be the fact that volleyball and motorsports are mutually exclusive (unless Ivan would object. ;) ). The only time that I came to realize that these Isadas of volleyball are also the Isadas of the local motorsports scene was when I watched videos of Honda Car Philippines and the last days of Philippine Rallying in You Tube all in one day.

After finding out that the Vip and Ivan Isada of UAAP volleyball are the Isadas of Philippine Motorsports, I started looking up to them. I watched almost all of their videos in You Tube and started reviewing the style of their driving. I also look up to these father and son tandem because they also drive standard cars while racing. They are currently racing at the EK Rallycross series, Hill Climb Club of the Philippines and the Philippine Autocross Championship Series with a full stock 2010 Honda City 1.3 A M/T. Just like me, I race with a full stock 2011 Kia Rio in the Philippine Autocross Championship Series and the Shell Helix National Slalom Series.

In April 5 - 6, 2013 at the Manila International Auto Show, the Philippine Autocross Championship Series organized an autocross clinic headed by Ivan Isada, a multi-awarded local motorsports champion in various disciplines. On the first day, members of the Toyota Auto Club of the Philippines including yours truly attended the clinic. Ivan taught all of us how to race with any types of car in an autocross track. He gave pointers on weight transfer, acceleration, braking and cornering. He also pointed out the differences of car set-ups and their ability to attack a track.

The second day of the clinic was the most memorable one for me. On that day, Ivan introduced me to his father, Mr. Vip Isada, personally. I was really eager to meet Mr. Vip because he has become one of the legendary icons I look up to in the local motorsports scene by watching their lost circa 80's - early 00's racing videos in You Tube.

The moment that really had an impact to me with Vip was when there were two rally drivers (forgive me for forgetting their names, the one is a well known race driver in Baguio), together with PACS race director Danny Santiago shared stories about the history of the local rallying scene. I envy these guys a lot because they were there back in the days when rallying is a motorsports discipline taken seriously here in the Philippines. Driving on dirt roads were highly favored by these rally legends.

Vip encouraged me to continue on with my racing career using a standard car. It's now rare for racers today to use their daily drivers for racing too. Back in the days, these guys use to race in their daily drivers too, and they use their beloved machines in a more challenging motorsport discipline like rallying. He told me that the best way to enhance my racing skills is by racing in a full stock car and slowly upgrade myself to driving the more powerful ones. Which really makes the best sense. Vip also advised me to focus on fewer motorsports disciplines rather than trying to conquer them all. And because of that, this writer decided to change his course in his racing career. Instead of preparing a very powerful rear wheel drive race car, he will invest in a stock engine front wheel drive car with simple modifications in its suspension and weight reduction.

Thank you very much, Vip and Ivan! I have gained racing knowledge because of your experiences.