May 4-5, 2013
Patrick's job as a writer for Top Gear Philippines takes him to many car events that sometimes it becomes boring for us when we have to join him. This is not one of those times. I'm not really a fan of F1 though I sort of know what it is and I'm also not knowledgeable about the players and teams so I won't even attempt to talk about that. But when Patrick mentioned that Marlon Stockinger was picked by Lotus to be one of its Junior Drivers to train and eventually compete for the team and they are here in the Philippines for a Road Show, well, I wanted to be there.
See, being there is like one step closer to the real F1 race and that's a world that not many of us get to experience. The fact that it's being held at the SM Mall of Asia grounds makes it even accessible to everyone. Patrick said there'll be an exhibit, a meet and greet and of course, Marlon will be driving the Lotus car around a "track" so that was exciting.
We first went to the exhibit at the Mall. I wasn't sure what to expect since I didn't know if there were a lot of fans of F1 in Manila. When we arrived, there was a growing throng of people around the area. Some were fans, some were curious passersby who were wondering what the fuss was about. Others were media men covering the event.
 |
| Play the racing game |
 |
| Chronicles of Marlon's racing achievements |
 |
| The line of people wanting to "drive" a Lotus F1 car |
There were other things to see and do while at the Manila Speed Show. There was go-kart racing as a precursor to Marlon's lap. There were also cars on display.
As a Top Gear representative, Patrick got passes to get inside the "inner sanctum". As his family, we also were given the same privilege :) It was quite an eye-opener to see these gear and equipment at the Pit Stop :) They had 2 cars here, one was a single-seater another was a two-seater.
Here are some animated gifs of the cars getting ready to run the track and returning to it. The sound that car makes is deafening! Roar!! :)
 |
| Moving out |
 |
| Returning |
 |
| Another lap in the afternoon |
In the afternoon, Marlon was scheduled for another lap as you can see from the picture on the left but we took the time to rest from the heat. We were directed to a Media Tent where there were some snacks and drinks. We took advantage of the drinks because it was really hot. We waited there because we were told that Marlon will be speaking for a few minutes when he returns from the drive.
The tent behind the car as it was driving away was for the VIP's.
After the lap, he took the time to walk around and thank his fans.
 |
| After a successful lap around MOA |
It wasn't so bad in the media tent. It was a cool break from the summer heat. There were cold sodas and snacks to give you that extra boost of energy. They also gave some swag like the caps and the bags with T-shirts inside :)
After a while, Marlon was in the tent and both he and his Mom were able to address the media. We were able to take pictures with him too :)
The afternoon showcased a different activity. We were able to see the pit crew in action as they showed us how to change tires FAST! :) As part of the fun, several media and celebrities got a chance to change the tires in a friendly competition. Patrick was one of the participants!! He felt so lucky because it was an opportunity of a lifetime. Never would he be able to do that thing again! :)
With the sun going down, the event wasn't over. We still went back to the mall for the meet and greet with fans. By that time, our energy level was getting low and it was just Patrick who went around taking pictures for the coverage.
It was such a wonderful time. Marlon is such a nice fellow and we wish him well! :)
