This classic Mini went from last to first on the opening lap at Batangas

While many prefer having a variety of cars competing on the racetrack, there really is something special about a one-make race. In these types of races, all you really have to go on is skill and bravery. 

Well, in the video here, skill and bravery are what you'll see.

What you're looking at is race car driver Jason Choachuy and his classic Mini Cooper. He's taking part in a one-make, multi-class Philmini club race at the Batangas Racing Circuit in the Philippines.

After missing qualifying, Choachuy started the race dead last: P16. The Flashbacks Autohaus 1962 Austin Mini Mark 1 he's running has a 1293cc engine which, together with the modifications, would normally belong in the open class towards the front of the grid.

As you'll soon realize, this guy will quickly make his way through the field, using a combination of late braking, heel-and-toe, and basically wringing the life out of the little front-wheel drive hatchback.

A quick reaction to the start sees him overtake 4 cars before the start/finish line, another 3 cars before the first corner, and another 3 cars at the corner exit, putting him in P6. He overtakes another car on the straight for P5, and then overtakes another car on the outside of one of the most dangerous corners on the track: Bryan's.

Well before the end of the opening lap of the 3.7-kilometer Batangas Racing Circuit, Choachuy will have overtaken the remaining 3 cars to take a sensational P1.

The veteran driver is no stranger to one-make races; he almost won the championship in the inaugural season of the Toyota Vios Cup. He is also a veteran of the local drifting scene behind the wheel of the official Nissan Cefiro drift car of AutoIndustriya.com. His performances earned him the nickname “The Destroyer” for his uncanny ability to go flat out, regardless of the damage.

True to his nickname, the Mini you saw him drive didn't actually finish the race: on the second lap, Choachuy's differential was destroyed.

Pushing a Mini from P16 to P1 in three-quarters of a lap isn't without its risks after all.