MANILA, Philippines - In these celebrity-infested times, the role models among young people are usually movie and TV stars, rap artists and singers. These guys might command more media attention, but when it comes to masculine appeal, nothing beats the adrenaline rush one gets from seeing a racing champion.

That champ is Marlon Stockinger, 16, whose matinee idol looks, thanks to a Swiss father and Pinay supermodel mom Egin San Pedro, make him a headturner. But he?s not settling for looks alone. Already, his list of accomplishments is formidable for one so young. This Swiss-Filipino was the first and youngest Filipino driver to represent the Philippines in the Junior Rotax Max World Finals in 2004 in Spain, where he garnered an impressive 12th place. He emerged champion in the Senior Rotax Max Philippine Shell Super Karting Series in 2005 and in the Philippine Junior Rotax Max Challenge that same year, after which he represented the Philippines in the Junior Rotax Max World Finals 2005 in Malaysia.

His rankings in other racing events are as impressive: 8th in the Senior Rotax Max World Finals 2007 in Al Ain, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; champion, Philippine Senior Rotax Max Challenge 2007; Asian Karting Champion 2006 (125 Open Category and Senior Rotax Max Class); champion, Senior Rotax Max Challenge 2006 and Philippine representative in the Rotax Max DD2 World Finals in Portugal; 12th in the Rotax Max Senior Euro Challenge 2006; and one of the three youngest and best Asian driver among 68 participants.

Stockinger was introduced to the world of racing at the age of 10 by his father, a racing enthusiast himself, who had his fair share of wins at the tracks. ?I was just a normal kid who loved to play golf with my uncle and grandfather on my mother?s side,? he recounts. But he went and watched his dad race a couple of times. ?One day, in Carmona, Cavite, he just asked me if I?d like to try it. That got me hooked.?

Go-kart racing takes perseverance and lots of practice before anyone can boast of even a modicum of success. It took the young Stockinger three years. Quite remarkably, when boy and machine melded into one, a string of wins became inevitable: 3rd in Cadet Class Asian Karting Open Championship 2002; 3rd in Cadet Class Philippine Shell Super Karting; 3rd in Junior Rotax Max Philippine Super Karting Series 2003; 2nd in the Junior Rotax Max Philippine Super Karting Series 2004; and champion in the Junior Rotax Max Challenge 2004.

?Karting is a sport that takes so many years to attain a high level,? says Stockinger. ?I started to win only after three years. And when I started winning, that?s when I turned serious. I thought of racing as something I can actually do. It?s the thrill and the effort I put in to win that keep me going,? he adds.

But winning entails sacrifices as well, and his schooling was the first to suffer, the highly articulate Stockinger admits. ?It took a lot of sacrifices for me to get to where I want to be,? he says. Traveling often meant missing school, something he regrets. ?It?s weird not being in school,? he laments. ?Commitment to studies at the British School is a bit difficult because racing requires a lot of days of flying, especially to Europe. Before a race, I have to try the racetracks first.? He has to find alternative ways of getting an education outside regular classes, he adds.

Stockinger, who receives tremendous support from BMW, Swiss Finance and Investment Corp. and Bank Sarasin, considers Kimi Räikkönen and Michael Schumacher as his favorites and inspirations, but adds that he wants to create his own legacy. ?I commit to myself only and make my own path. I have no one to look up to.?

That is, except his parents, whom he worships and who are his staunchest supporters in a sport that is admittedly dangerous and expensive to sustain. ?It just shows how much they love me,? the racing champ says. ?Despite the path I?ve taken, they support me all the way, no matter how frustrating it gets, and I really appreciate their support,? adds this eldest of three siblings, who shares that his 13-year-old sister is his best friend and number one fan.

For all his commitment to racing, Stockinger is, after all, still a teenager whose friends go all the way back to his childhood days and with whom he still hangs out regularly. ?We stay home, chill out, have fun, go to dinner,? he says. They?re almost as fun as the girlfriend he?s dating, who?s ?half-New Zealander and half-Thai (and who) designed my helmet.?

In his downtime, he reads Dan Brown books and totally loved the Brad Pitt-Edward Norton cult classic ?Fight Club.? ?I?m really a geek,? he admits without a hint of embarrassment. ?I have all the modern consoles like Wii, PSP, play all the video and PC games. I love Counterstrike. All my friends like it, too.?

As one of only three racers to be given the much-coveted BMW Scholarship, Stockinger looks forward to more time on the racetrack. Having recently joined Eurasia Motorsport for the 2008 Formula BMW Pacific Series, he is set to further improve his speed and consistency.

Ordinary he may seem, but this boy is destined for greatness and glory. ?Follow your dreams and it will happen,? he says.