ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Racing prodigy Racelis emerges as 2025 Mini ROK Expert overall champ

Racing prodigy Racelis emerges as 2025 Mini ROK Expert overall champ

Published Nov 20, 2025 03:14 pm

At A Glance

  • CARMONA, Cavite —The 2025 Philippine karting season has concluded with a remarkable story of triumph and tenacity, with young racing prodigy Antonio "Anton" Racelis claiming the championship of the MiniROK Expert Class.
Antonio "Anton" Racelis in action. Right panel shows Racelis holding his trophy. (Contributed photo)
Antonio "Anton" Racelis in action. Right panel shows Racelis holding his trophy. (Contributed photo)
CARMONA, Cavite —The 2025 Philippine karting season has concluded with a remarkable story of triumph and tenacity, with young racing prodigy Antonio "Anton" Racelis claiming the championship of the MiniROK Expert Class.
He will not only be named as MiniROK Expert Overall Champion, but also the MiniROK Karter of the Year at Golden Wheel Awards in February 2026.
The young driver, known for his speed and maturity, navigated a demanding season of close competition and dramatic setbacks to claim the sport's highest national honor for his class.
Hailing from Lipa City, Batangas, 10-year-old Racelis has been competing professionally since the age of seven. His championship run in the ROK GP Cup Philippine Series was a true test of character, overcoming not only fierce rivals but also unexpected challenges.
The season culminated in a dramatic final round at the Carmona Racing Track. With the points lead tight, the final race was crucial, but an approaching typhoon forced race officials to stop the event and declare a force majeure.
The title was ultimately sealed by consistent excellence in the qualifying rounds. Racelis secured 3rd in the Time Trial, 3rd in Qualifying Heat 1, and 4th in Qualifying Heat 2, earning enough consolidated points to win the final round and clinch the overall championship.
Despite the trials, the consistent effort and unwavering teamwork of BRacing Development allowed the team to prevail. Racelis specifically credited mechanic Michael Angelo “Kuya Mike” Tabarno, head mechanic Engineer Jose Leonzo “Kuya Onzo” Hernandez, and Coach Rafael Perez, who emphasized that racing success depends as much on attitude as it does on speed.
ROK Cup Superfinal in Italy
Just last month, Racelis secured a spot as an official Filipino qualifier in his category for the prestigious ROK Cup Superfinal 2025 in Lonato, Italy. Anton wasted no time stepping onto international stage where he tested his skills against the world's best at the demanding South Garda Karting.
The event marked the biggest challenge yet for the young champion, pitting him against an elite field of 50 drivers from across the globe in his category. It was an ultimate test of speed, strategy, and resilience on one of the world's most renowned karting tracks.
A major moment of pride came in the qualifying heats, where he powered his way to an impressive 4th place finish in one of the highly competitive races. Racelis successfully navigated the preliminary rounds, achieving his primary goal of qualifying for the Final event. He ultimately concluded the Superfinal in a respectable 27th place overall against the deeply talented field.
Reflecting on the monumental experience, Anton highlighted the immense value of competing at this level: "Racing with such a strong and competitive group of drivers was an amazing experience that taught me a lot and made me even more motivated to improve."
Said his dad, Anthony Racelis, “Having successfully completed the global gauntlet in Lonato, Anton returned to the Philippines with invaluable international experience, fueling his drive toward future global motorsport ambitions. We support him all the way.”
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.