APRIL 26, 2006

A good sign in Asia

Although Formula 1 continues to suck in most of the money around the world that is available for the sport, depriving up and coming stars of funding unless they have rich families and friends or show exceptional talent, it is nice to be able to report that the sport is growing in various places, notably in Asia. Last weekend Asian Formula 3 Championship cars led a promotional event on the streets of Manila, the capital of the Philippines to promote the sport in the run-up to the next event at the Batangas Racing circuit. The parade was front page news in the Philippines as it took in some of the most famous streets in the city, notably Roxas Boulevard, which runs along the sea front and is a popular meeting place for the locals. The event was sponsored by the Philippine gin company Ginebra San Miguel and featured not only F3 cars but also Formula Toyotas, karts, touring cars, and racing motorcycles.