Atenean Car Enthusiasts (ACE) Makes Thrilling Debut At Full Throttle Weekend

Just in the latter half of the second month of 2026, and the Philippine motorsport scene is back on the gas; from the GR Tamaraw racing series kicking off, to the recently announced track event schedules which hold this year’s series of racing brackets, such as the Vios cup; 2026 is already off to a tire-screeching start to 60. And starting this year’s Philippine racing series in full throttle, we have the appropriately named Full Throttle Weekend (FTW), which had just concluded its first leg on the 22nd of February this year at Batangas Racing Circuit.

To get you up to speed, Full Throttle Weekend is a Philippine based motorsport series which hosts its well-known “Time Battle”, or time-attack format of racing for a variety of teams and independents alike, allowing the drivers and teams to challenge themselves in a race against the clock with the ultimate goal of setting the quickest times around the track that they can achieve.

Classes in this motorsport series are particularly inclusive, as they host race brackets that can accommodate time attack racing sessions for cars ranging from the more basic, econo-box types all the way to more full-tilt, heavily modified types of cars that feature uprated turbos, large wings, and all the carbon parts necessary to really aim high for setting local land speed records. 

In this setting, therefore, everybody has a chance to battle for shorter and shorter times, regardless of whether they are part of a well-funded and backed racing team or simply individuals who are starting in racing and want to get hands-on experience and seat time in the circuit.

And amidst all the intense action in February 22’s Full Throttle Weekend is a team that just made their debut; the Atenean Car Enthusiasts (ACE) racing team who, in their debut race weekend, already have three of their drivers competing in three different classes: Namely, Kiefer Magdaluyo and James Manzano competing in the premium class with their Toyota GT86 and GR86’s respectively, and Zach Cheng competing in the Prestige class with his BMW M2 Competition.

The ACE Racing team is a startup team brought up by core members of the Atenean Car Enthusiasts, a group created by students from the Ateneo De Manila University who had fostered a community of car enthusiasts alike, all to highlight a shared passion for the automobile.

Under the same light, the ACE Racing team was put together by members who shared the same common interest, but they had the collective drive to take their level of passion to the next step; and that is, by making their presence known to the world of circuit racing as an official team.

Throughout the day, our “ACE” drivers drove through the twists and sweepers of the Batangas Racing Circuit at their best paces to grind every second away as each lap passed. One of their team members, James, was still learning the ins and outs of BRC, transitioning from primarily street driving to time attack track sessions; he says, “As someone who only drove spiritedly on mountain roads, the tricky BRC layout was quite fun to learn the first few sessions.” This highlights the true learning experience and insights that these grassroots time attack racing sessions can yield to drivers.

Although it may have been an action-packed experience for all the ACE drivers regardless of their different backgrounds, it certainly didn’t come without its issues; Kiefer and James both described brake overheating issues, and Zach described the problems he faced with inadequate tire grip as the sessions progressed. 

Zach adds: “Getting used to the car and a weak tire setup were my 2 main challenges for me. I previously drove an IS 350 during my first time at FTW, and now with a much more powerful car, there were major adjustments for me, especially during corner exits, since the rear tends to kick out a lot for the M2 Competition.”

James, in his GR86, further describes the adjustment points he identified through his timed runs: “I felt like my lines were actually good for a first timer; unfortunately, I underestimated how much stress the track puts on a car’s brake system, hence I overheated them immediately from the very first warm-up lap. Other than brakes, my gearing needs some work as well, as I rewatch past onboards and realize that some corners need to be taken on a lower gear.” 

Other than the issues, ACE’s ZN6 driver, Kiefer, drove quickly and smoothly through his sessions as he added one more track day to his belt. Among ACE, Kief is an experienced driver, having gained his motorsport roots in the Super Sprint autocross racing series, as well as through various open track days. 

Now, racing in the first round of FTW, Kiefer and the other ACE racing team members reflect the sentiment that even with more experience down the line into motorsport, there are still plenty of things to learn and improve upon; Kiefer says: “This first round was very fun and meaningful! I could see the areas where I could improve on, and driving habits I should change.”. 

And of course, it is to be considered that this is the first session in which all of the ACE drivers are racing as a team, which proved to be a rather different experience from their usual solo sessions; Zach says, “Well, coming from an individual competitor last season, it does feel really great being part of a team. It’s also really great to have the chemistry right off the bat since we’re all friends and college students, so balance is also key since we all still gotta head to class the following day.” Truly, nothing like a timed track session to break the monotony of classroom tasks. 

James adds his bit about his experience racing in the ACE team: “Overall, (it’s a) fun experience being able to share the track with friends and competitors alike! will definitely be back much more prepared and (hopefully) a much faster lap time.” 

“Overall, this experience has taught me a lot, and I am forever grateful for the team and for the people around me! See you next leg!” adds Kiefer, serving as an excellent summary of ACE’s fruitful season start.

As seen, Full Throttle Weekend kicks off this year with its first leg in an exciting and blistering way, opening up a hopeful and thrilling anticipation for what the next racing season’s legs have in store in terms of action, and what our racers, such as the fresh-off-the-line ACE racing team, will put on the table for their next move. And for that, it seems that this season’s FTW sessions will surely be worth the wait.