Aryton Atienza has secured the top spot at the recently concluded fifth round of the 2025 ROK Asia Cup Philippines. Held last July 19 to 20 at the Clark International Speedway in Pampanga, this 11-year-old is making his own mark in the world of Philippine motorsports with the help of his kin, veteran karting coach Carlos Gono, and multi-talented racer Luis Gono.
Atienza, who runs for the JVL/Autoplus Racing Team, completed the 10-lap race under the MiniRok, a rookie category for kids. With each lap completed within an average of around 1 minute, Atienza stopped the clock at 10:29.553 with a best lap time of 1:01.643. Augusto Mate of team Resultado Racing PH crossed the line in 2nd place, while Sebastian Lukas Galana of Team EVS completed the top 3.
Although a winner, it wasn’t an easy run for Atienza. The race was held at night. Moreover, heavy rain proved to be a tough challenge for the young gun. The combination of low visibility and slippery track hounded Atienza and the entire grid, a series of obstacles that tested the kids’ skill and composure to be cool under pressure.
Starting from 5th place, Atienza found himself dropping down to 11th place in no time. But the kid didn’t hold back, kept composed, and started to reclaim his lost positions, lap after lap. Finishing lap 1, Atienza clocked in at 1:05.059. On lap 2, he posted a time of 1:03.817. By lap 3, Atienza recorded 1:03.437. His strong pace went on for the succeeding laps, taking positions in the process until the checkered flag.
“Believe. Just believe that you can do it, overtake your opponents, and stay focused. That’s what kept me going. Even with the rain, the slippery track, and racing at night, I found my rhythm, regained my confidence, and pushed through to the finish,” said Atienza.
Ayrton Atienza’s latest win adds to his growing list of achievements in his budding motorsports career. The ROK Asia Cup Philippines still has several rounds left on its 2025 race calendar. Atienza’s achievement places him in the spotlight as someone to watch out for in the coming rounds.
