WHO would have thought that a young boy who once rode slow-moving carabaos and pumped water from artesian wells in Semirara, Antique would one day find himself behind the wheel of one of the fastest cars in Indy Lights, roaring down the track at a couple of hundred miles an hour?
At a young age, Neil Alberico learned what he wanted to be: a race car driver. But as many young boys eventually outgrow their infatuation with fast cars, Neil grew into his. He was soon driving anything with wheels that moved fast, from motorcycles to go-karts, and is now a respected Indy Lights driver under Rising Star Racing.
“We first approached Neil because he was fast and flamboyant behind the wheel of a car. Neil is much more than that. Outside of the car, we found a young man of character and a sense of caring,” recalls Art Wilmes, founder of Rising Star Racing. “I think his most special traits are those gained from his Filipino heritage. As I learn more about the culture of the Philippines and its welcoming people, I see that influence in Neil. Neil is just a race car driver when he is in the car. He is just a special person when he is outside of the car. That is the Filipino within him.”
As a driver, Neil is fast, always has been. But he has also been unwilling to take shortcuts, play dirty, even if other drivers sometimes do. Falling back on his values, he understands being competitive also carries a certain responsibility to do things the right way. And that is how he is going to compete, cleanly and with honor.
Every passion carries a price, and unlike in other sports where you can just pick up a ball, bat or gloves and walk to the nearest rec center and play, car racing—especially open-wheel —is an expensive sport. For the past couple of years, Neil and his team have been traveling for face-to-face meetings with sponsors across America and in the Philippines to support his dream of driving IndyCar.
It is an expensive dream, one that will take tremendous effort on and off the track to achieve. But Neil is both determined and fearless, and has the example of a strong, tireless mother to keep him going.