GAC Motor Racing Team has once again proven the exceptional performance capabilities and endurance of the GA4 as it finished second at the 2021 Kalayaan Cup 12-hr Endurance Challenge. It just fell a bit short in defending its throne that was won last Kalayaan Cup. Both racing events gave the pole position to the GAC GA4.
The GAC Motor Racing Team
The overall champion for this year’s Kalayaan Cup 12-hr Endurance Challenge was the Team Mazda Philippines who raced the Mazda MX-5 Miata. Nonetheless, GAC Motor Racing Team still managed to bag the 2021 Kagitingan Cup 6-hour race Championship and the 2021 Kalayaan Cup 4-hour race Championship.
Operating the GAC GA4 during the races were GAC Motor Racing Team drivers Andre Tan, Milo Rivera, Kody Ng, Patrick Mendoza, and Brennan Lim. The four drivers alternately take turns at the wheel to efficiently finish the 12-hour Endurance Challenge.
“We knew they had a faster car, and had a faster pace. They were really pushing to catch up to us since they were a few laps behind. When Mike was approaching, the plan was to try to delay his charge as much as possible, and buy us more time especially with the race on its closing stages,” said Lead Driver Milo Rivera.
GAC GA4 showcased its reliability and endurance
According to the GAC Motor Racing Team, it was the reliability of the GAC GA4 that propelled the team to the runner-up position. No mechanical issues were encountered despite the long run and the vehicle only pitted only for refueling, tire replacement, and a driver change.
The GAC GA4 is a compact sedan entry from the Chinese car brand. GAC Motor Racing Team raced the base variant that comes with a 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine capable of generating 113 hp and 150 Nm of torque. The engine is paired to a 5-speed manual transmission.
“Going into the race, we knew we had a car that has much less power compared to everybody else on the field, probably, a car that has the least power at that. The car made us maximize our stints, not just by how fuel-efficient it was, but by how reliable it was,” shared Rivera.
Another successful year from the racing team
Two years ago, the GAC Motor Race Team won four championships in the 2019 Kalayaan Cup 4-hour Endurance Championship (Manufacturer’s Class), the 2019 Kalayaan Cup 12-hour Endurance Championship (Manufacturer’s Class), the 2019 Bonifacio Cup 4-hour Endurance Championship (Manufacturer’s Class), and the 2019 Bonifacio Cup 4-hour Endurance Championship (Open Category).
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