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When we stepped up behind our podiums, the feeling was quite intense. It was not so nerve-wracking for me, as I was reasonably confident about my chances. That is, until the contest began. I fumbled the first two solo questions, second-guessing myself into giving the wrong answers. Then came the buzz-to-answer Gun and Run segment. I managed to buzz twice, and managed to give the wrong answer twice. Auto Review writer and host Michelle Pritchard was able to buzz and give several correct answers. Ultimately, colleague Ulysses Ang took the win for our heat, while Lester Dizon of Philippine Star and Speed pulled off a come-from-behind victory in the second heat. The evening abruptly ended for the losers, like being knocked out during the first corner of a Grand Prix. Now we know what Kimi Raikkonen feels like. All right, so we didn't just write off a million-dollar F1 car, and this is all just for fun. No hard feelings, then. For the two survivors, the challenge was just beginning.
Towing Virgin Having had the luxury of finding out that Ford Motor Company was sponsoring our Physical Challenge, I was easily convinced that it would be a stunt to rival Fear Factor. I was thinking along the lines of changing the spare tire of the Ranger while it was moving. I was thinking having to lie down on a bed of nails and have the Expedition drive on top of a ramp—it was all extremes. The week before the big showdown, I had to keep myself in tip-top shape. Staying away from Kit-Kat bars, I did daily routines of push-ups, sit-ups and a bit of weight lifting since changing spares isn’t necessarily what I’d like to consider light work. So, you wouldn’t believe my sigh of relief to find out that we were privileged to drive the Ford Lynx Centennial Edition. Cool, I thought. Finally, I could have a go in this two-liter wonder around a specially made twisty track with cones, braking points and an acceleration test. I was psyched up—who cares if Lester was a slalom expert, a graduate of the Honda Civic Media Challenge. I’m going to have fun in this car, period. As we had previously smashed the side mirror of a brand-new Expedition, Ford Motor Company was probably less than convinced of having us handle their prized, limited edition units. Our mouths gaped as wide as Steve Tyler’s when a silver-gray Ford Ranger parked in front of our venue. It seems that we, as motoring journalists, are still atoning for our sins. They still don’t trust us with a hotted-up Ford Lynx, we thought. At the same time, my hunch about a wild stunt was getting pretty close to reality. |
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