MANILA, Philippines—No one’s born a champion. Marlon Stockinger, the youngest and most accomplished race driver in the country, emphasized as much. He acknowledges that all the remarkable achievements he is relishing at the moment are all because of his parents.
“In the beginning, it was always about fun, like going to the track with your dad, meeting new friends and stuff,” the handsome lad says of the start of what would become a grand passion for racing. “My dad is always pretty humorous about everything. He takes it very laid-back.”
With this playfulness also comes cautionary advice. “My dad gives me space to think about how I should resolve matters on my own. He gives me room to think for myself. That teaches me more to be independent and how to handle myself,” Marlon says.
“My mom’s more hands-on and my dad’s more on the side, but it’s good because it teaches me to grow. Mom always tells me to be true to myself, to stick with who I am, because if you’re not happy with yourself, then you’ll never progress.”
Progress, Marlon has done in leaps and bounds. At 17, he has set himself apart from his peers and even those older than him.
Toughness
What accounts for his edge? “I would say one would be experience. Another would be mental toughness. Normally with so many situations, my experiences have taught me how to deal with them; my mentality has been a lot tougher. I’m just a little bit more aggressive than the other guys.”
He also cites positive thinking.
“On the race track, I think ahead to make the right turns and the right decisions. I guess what sets me apart is that I’m a more logical driver and I know how to deal with situations better than my competition. I always think what the best move for my position will be.”
Marlon talks about his formula, “It’s dedication plus focus. You know, many people find it hard to dedicate so many years of their life just to this one sport. You can’t really party all the time, you can’t drink or take drugs or whatever because as soon as that happens, as soon as that side of your life takes over, your racing career is over. I know it’s a part of a teenager’s life but it’s unacceptable if you want to pursue a racing career.”
As parents, Tom and Egin are the staunchest supporters and most rabid fans one could ever have.
Mom
For a mom whose son is into a risky sport, Egin has deep-seated sentiments.
“Actually, in the beginning I was kind of hesitant. But then because I got involved in racing as well like when I was a consultant for Asian Formula 3 and through that I learned a lot. And I thought, in any race that Marlon does, I’m always scared but I think the value there is, support your son in the things he really loves to do. Guide him through, and remind him that it’s not all about winning, it’s about having values and following your dreams.”
Marlon reciprocates the love and devotion of his parents. “They have really made an impact on me and I’m really glad that I had such a good upbringing. I feel really special. Not many kids get to go through this. Not many kids get to do their own way, to pursue their dream. I’m glad my parents are really flexible because they allowed me to chase my dreams.”
Well-rounded
No wonder Marlon is turning out to be a well-rounded individual.
Quite impressively, Marlon was recently drafted into Eurasia Motorsport, a motorsports organization that produces the highest standards of operation and preparation.
Eurasia’s principals are Mark Goddard, Martin Quick and Piers Hunnisett, who have a vast experience of racing internationally and in Asia and have a proven track record in developing young drivers and managing their careers into Formula One.
Rookie champion-to-be
“Marlon will definitely be in contention for the Rookie Championship this year and from what we have seen so far in testing, he could easily quickly develop into an overall race winner,” Goddard proudly announces. “He just gets quicker every time he gets in the car and his feedback has been extremely useful to the team.”
“The team is delighted to have Marlon on board and we look forward to a competitive year with a talented young driver,” says Quick, the team manager.
To maintain Marlon’s speed and consistency, Eurasia Motorsport nurtures him to be the world-class racer that he is.
Marlon earned a spot on the team after he won the Formula BMW Pacific Scholarship, one of only 10 in the world granted the much-coveted privilege.
The scholarship will give him the chance to compete in the 2008 Formula BMW Asia Series and receive expert coaching and tuition from BMW Motorsport professionals during the season.
Marlon has been offered 50,000 euro of financial assistance toward the cost of a season in the region’s premier entry-level single-seater series.
Marlon is equipped with the qualities that make him the world-class racer that he is—humble, motivated and dynamic. “Racing is such a tough mental sport, you know, you can play a lot with people’s minds; you can intimidate them, just push them, or overtake them. It’s a really tough mental sport so I think when I won a race, it just gave me such a tough mentality to be strong and stuff. It really shaped me into who I am.”
