Seventeen-year-old Filipino racer Danzel Waytan came away from Round 3 of the 2025 Minutes Endurance Race (MEC) 120 at Okayama International Circuit with mixed emotions. Teaming up with Japanese driver Shunji Okumoto for Racing Team Hero’s, Waytan crossed the line first in the Pro-Am class after a well-executed drive in unpredictable weather. But a post-race penalty later dropped their #51 v.Granz entry to third place.

After missing Round 2, Super GT and Super Taikyu driver Okumoto-san was back alongside Danzel in the #51 v.Granz entry. The pair resumed their Pro-Am campaign, determined to convert their strong pairing into a win.

Danzel began his weekend with simulator training at Racing Team Hero’s Osaka office, lapping just a tenth off Okumoto-san’s pace. The speed translated well to the track, where Danzel was easily among the Top 5 during practice and emerged as one of the quickest Am drivers on the grid.

He was then tasked with Qualifying duties and delivered a strong performance. His best lap of 1:38.339 was only 0.726 secs off pole, placing the #51 entry P7 on the grid.

Race day, however, brought constantly changing conditions. Danzel took the start and quickly moved up to P5 on the opening lap, before the Safety Car was deployed almost immediately following an incident. Racing Team Hero’s used the window to make their first mandatory stop, with Okumoto now taking over in the driver’s seat.

The Japanese driver made quick work of the traffic, putting in fast, consistent laps as the weather worsened. By the time he pitted for the final driver change, they had climbed to P2, with 40 minutes remaining on the clock and Danzel jumping back in for the run to the flag.

The closing stint was largely neutralized by several Safety Car periods, as conditions deteriorated further. Danzel focused on survival, avoiding mistakes, and keeping the car on track. Their pit strategy proved decisive, allowing them to move into the class lead before the race ended behind the Safety Car with 48 laps completed.

After two runner-up finishes, Danzel had finally claimed his first win in MEC 120 — becoming the first Filipino driver to do so. But their celebrations were cut short when a 30-second post-race penalty, due to an earlier off-track moment by Okumoto, relegated the pair to 3rd place.