Pinoy Land Rover team goes after podium finish

DIMINUTIVE Larry Mendiola gears up to scale greater heights as he heads the Team Philippines Land Rover vying for honors against some of the world’s best in the inaugural Sanya International Off-Road 4x4 Challenge next month in China. Together with codriver Sergio Jamilla, Mendiola has won numerous local and international races and, aboard a different make and model vehicle, gave his rivals a run for their money. Mendiola’s team placed fifth among 36 competitors in the 2005 edition of the Rainforest Challenge of Malaysia (RFC) and sixth the following year. Now with a new ride—he will be competing in a Land Rover Defender 90—and more backers, Mendiola is confident he has good chances of taking a podium spot and even stealing the overall crowns in China and Malaysia. “First place is achievable,” said Mendiola, who got into 4x4s in 1991 with Jeeps and Land Rovers but started competing using a Toyota Landcruiser. “Mas may kumpiyansa tayo ngayon. Hindi gaya ng dati na kaunti ang preparasyon namin and may mga problema sa mga piyesa, minsan pulot-pulot lang,” he added. The 43-year-old Mendiola, a four-time Automobile Association of the Philippines 4x4 Driver of the Year awardee, will be backed by seasoned competitor Sergio Jamila, who has seen action in the RFC thrice, and crew members Marvin Roxas and Dennis Javier. The China race, set from September 19 to 23, is a prelude to the RFC in Malaysia later in the year and is said to be the world’s biggest 4x4 event, so tough it is also dubbed as the Formula One of 4x4 races. The RFC has attracted participants from more than 35 countries annually since 1997. Among the top contenders seeing action are teams from Rawang Raiders of West Malaysia, led by Chong Yoke Sang, which have consistently been in the top five in the RFC since 2004; Poland’s Baltic Knights, headed by the husband-and-wife tandem of Marek and Agnieska Janaszkiewicz; Benzi 4x4 Team of Lebanon, led by Soly Khattar and Philippe Abboud; Roaring Lion FWDC of Sri Lanka with Sean Hameed and Rushiran Silva as leaders; and Indonesia’s Wild Nusantara, headed by Hans Mudali and Handoko. “Land Rover Philippines is proud to represent the country in such a prestigious event. We believe that our customized Defender 90, paired with the talent and determination of both Larry Mendiola and Sergio Jamilla makes us a very strong contender to finish at the top,” said LR Phils. Motors Inc. executive director Marc Soong Robby Consunji, consultant-coordinator for Team Land Rover Philippines, said: “The Rainforest Challenge is the most demanding 4x4 race in the world…and having our team backed by LR Phils Motors Inc. gives us a tremendous competitive advantage. The Defender 90, in its stock configuration, is already a very capable off-road vehicle and with the enhancements and customizations we’ve added, this vehicle, along with its driver, is nothing less than a world-class competitor.”