The eleventh season of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Philippine Cup (formerly the Toyota Vios Cup) is off to a flyer with its kickoff round held last March 22 being nothing short of dramatic and spectacular. With three races held over the weekend, no one was considered ‘dominant’ as the Clark International Speedway saw nothing but intense, neck-and-neck racing, with several drivers taking the top spot across four categories/classes. Rule changes such as reverse grid iterations were also implemented this season to further add unpredictability in competition.
However, it was veteran lady racer Maila Alivia who emerged as the biggest winner of the premier Super Sporting Class, securing victories in both sprint races. Although the endurance race was won by reigning 2024 titleholder Inigo Anton of Obengers Racing Team, Maila left the weekend as the overall championship leader. The sporting class pretty much saw the same narrative, with Russell Reyes claiming victory in both sprint races while Jesse Garcia, also from Obengers Racing Team, took over things during the endurance race. The Novice class meanwhile saw Luis Moreno (Sprint Race 1 and Endurance) and John Rey San Diego (Sprint Race 2) swapping race wins.
The Legacy Class, a special category for former Vios Cup racers and/or race cars, provided a nostalgic type of adrenaline-pumping spectacle with Senator JV Ejercito, a past Vios Cup race winner, and Paolo Ang from Dagupan were among the notable challengers.
A new addition to the racing series was the Club Race, where GR car club members competed in sprint races, adding more speed and noise to the track. Owners of GR performance and Lexus F SPORT vehicles also got to do some laps during the track day sessions all whilst witnessing the public debut of the new GR Yaris.
“At TGR Philippines, we stay committed to our goal of growing an inclusive and exciting motorsports hub where we can all come together and celebrate our love for cars and motorsports. This year, we are celebrating 11 years of the TGR Philippine Cup, and it is our pride and honor to continue bringing you the thrill and joy that only TGR can bring!” shared TMP President Masando Hashimoto.
All drivers will be picking up from where they left off come May as the second round promises to be ‘a throwback of how the Vios Cup used to be’. The exact date and venue are to be announced soon so tune in to TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippines on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube and TikTok to stay updated
The TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippine Cup is brought to you by Official Fuel & Lubricants Partner Petron and Official Tire Partner GT Radial. This event is also supported by Toyota Financial Services Philippines, myTOYOTA Wallet, Denso, AVT, 3M, ROTA, Tuason Racing, OMP, and Kinto One.
