‘Celebrity Car Wars’ satisfies Diego Loyzaga’s need for speed

Diego Loyzaga

It was a dream come true for Diego Loyzaga.

Mom Teresa Loyzaga recalled that when Diego was a wee kid, he had told her that his fondest wish was to be a race car driver someday.

Fast-forward to the here and now: Diego got to fulfill his need for speed, as a cast member of the latest season of History Asia’s reality racing tilt, “Celebrity Car Wars.”

Quite understandably, the young actor was initially incredulous when he got the invitation to join the region-wide tilt that pits celebs in various road and race-track challenges.

“At first, it was unbelievable,” Diego told the Inquirer. After all, it was the fulfillment of a “childhood dream.”

On the set, he simply “savored the moment … as this is what I’ve always wanted to do.”

Meagan McKay, first assistant director and producer, related that Diego was “super fun to work with.”

She has nothing but praise for the Filipino amateur racer. “He brought great energy to the set and always gave every challenge 110 percent,” she recalled. “He took the show seriously and was in it to win it!”

She recounted that Diego was a pro, on and off the track. “He was a true gentleman to everyone he had met on the set and gave the same respect to all of us—from the production assistants to the executives. He’s such a lovely person, and we are excited to work with him again on other projects.”

Joining Diego in the third season of “Celebrity Car Wars” is another Filipino actor, Xian Lim. They will compete with other stars from the region: Lydia Sarunrat and Matthew Deane (Thailand), Hans Isaac (Malaysia) and Munah Bagharib (Singapore).

The show’s latest season will debut in September.

Previous editions of the program had models Phoemela Baranda and Joey Mead and hosts Marc Nelson and KC Montero (who emerged as champ in the first season) as the country’s representatives.

Suffice it to say, it was a learning experience for Diego, who discovered the real meaning of being a conscientious driver on the show.

Being behind the wheel, he explained, taught him a lesson on humility. “You give respect back because you realize what a powerful machine it is that you are handling and yet you control the wheel, the gears, the brakes. It demands respect and responsibility,” Diego declared.