Prodrive’s Pride

If you’re driving at 80 kilometers per hour on the streets and you’re 24 years old, you’re holding on for dear life. If you’re driving at 120 kph on a four-laned road, then you could be caught for street racing.

“Racing around any street without a race track is street racing. Unless you have a race track, then that’s drag racing.” Mike Padero, part owner of Prodrive Racing shop in Camamanan, and of Cagayan de Oro descent, explained the difference. He was referring to the number of cars that line up every weekend at Gusa highway whose drivers are challenging each other on who’s the fastest at street racing.

But any racer always has to start with street racing because that is when he will test his skills, the speed capabilities of his vehicle, and the endurance of both. When your car has turbo charged engines, seatbelts and the steering wheel’s laid bare plus a dashboard that has been stripped out to reduce weight and make the cars more aerodynamic, then you can take drag racing to the next level.

That is exactly how these vignettes came to vogue especially when you have a Mike and John Mark Padero in your city spearheading drag racing as a sport where anyone from all ages and gender can actually enjoy. These Padero brothers have been engaging in the sport when they were still in their teens and developed their knowledge by putting up the Prodrive Racing garage in Buntong, Camamanan. The garage caters to customers who might want their cars to be customized or modified according to their preference.

Prodrive Racing is into servicing all kinds of automobile and even racing groups all over the city. “We don’t have biases on a particular kind of group,” says John. “We help everybody. Plus, it is good for the business.” He lastly quipped with a laugh. The garage generates enough income for them to customize their recently modified car – two of them, actually – the Honda hatchback and the Kia Pride. They are designed like the formula racing or single seat automobile racing and already joined several racing competitions all over the Philippines heralded by Davao, Manila and Cebu.

detachable hood designed to make tinkering with the engine easier

The gratification we get from racing stems from our love of the sport.” Mike claimed in Visayan. That gratification is evident from several racing competitions that he had won. To top all that, they took great pride of being the first in Cagayan de Oro city to ever hit the 10.09 seconds time frame.

Will Cagayan de Oro be rolling out a red carpeted race track soon?

“There should be a proper race track in the city instead of just racing on the streets because that alone is dangerous and illegal,” says Mike. There were attempts to hold drag racing meets in Cagayan de Oro yet the city remained firm on their stance against it, thus, explains the city’s aversion to street racing and their constant patrol over Gusa streets.

Cagayan de Oro car enthusiasts may not be rejoicing over a newly opened race track soon but more and more drivers are already customizing and modifying their babies that ought to convince the government to give them a venue for the sport.

Hows that for Cagayan de Oro ingenuity? See the Padero brothers as they will be racing their babies soon in September. The cars needs to be setup at least three months for it to be up and competing against several racers all over the Philippines.

“Racing is a hobby for us,” John had to assert. But unless the city gives the racers a chance for a suitable venue, street racers will lessen and even bring forth top competitors from Cagayan de Oro who will win trophies the Padero brothers are known to have brought home for years. **Reprinted for Bukong magazine 3rd Issue this month.

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