Excitement once again filled the race track as Toyota Motor Philippines, the country’s leading automotive and mobility company, concluded the second leg of the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Vios Cup.
One highlight of Toyota’s premier motorsports program was the surprise appearance of the new TOYOTA GAZOO Racing models — the Toyota Hilux GR-S and the Toyota Fortuner GR-S — both of which are to be launched in the Philippines this October 23.
Originally slated in September, the second race weekend was moved to October 16 to prioritize the safety of partners and participants. Racing enthusiasts got to enjoy the heart-pumping action at home via livestream on Toyota Motor Philippines’ Facebook channel.
“Thousands of motorsports fans like you joined us online last July, making the return of the Vios Cup a safe and successful one. With more than 48 racers, we challenged the roadblocks of this pandemic. And now we are back, ready for more thrilling track action,” said TMP President Atsuhiro Okamoto during the opening ceremonies. “We are so glad to race again at the Clark International Speedway with the reliable Filipino-made Vios,” he continued.
A total of 49 racers competed in the race, with 25 and 24 participating in the Circuit Championship and Autocross Challenge, respectively. Overall 2021 GR GT Cup Promotional Class Winner Jether Miole also joined the fun at the tracks, competing against other racers during the Autocross Challenge and experiencing waku-doki at an actual speedway.
“That feeling of being behind the wheel and on the track for the first time after being used to sim racing is very exhilarating. At the end of the event, you’ll find yourself still craving for more,” Jether shares after finishing his very first Autocross weekend.
Veteran and rookie race enthusiasts joined the Promotional, Sporting and Super Sporting class of the Circuit Championship, with Julia Delos Angeles taking home two of the three first-place awards in Promotional Class. Royce Sarmiento took the top spot at the last race.
“For this leg, I really focused and did everything I can to be more competitive. I allotted more time to practice, and when I can’t physically be at the track, I’d still try to imagine and practice remotely through my onboard videos. In comparison to the previous leg, I think the main difference was that I stopped pushing myself too hard and just had fun,” Julia said as she shares her winning strategy and learnings from the July race.
Meanwhile, Inigo Anton and Julian Tang dominated the Sporting Class as consistent top 3 contenders. Jacob Ang was a familiar face at the Sporting Class podium, but his spot was taken by Joaquin Garrido by Race 6. Vios Cup veterans Estefano Rivera, Bryan Co, Gerard Loy, Red Diwa and Pauland Dumlao kept the Super Sporting Class exciting as they took turns at the Top 3, with Rivera as a consistent podium placer.
“I feel my performance was very good, not just for me but for our entire team. Our winning strategy was to make sure our car was 100 percent ready for the whole race week,” Rivera said. “I am looking for the same results in the next leg in order for us to secure the overall championship and the team championship as well,” he continues.
For the Autocross Challenge, social media influencer Jules Aquino was hailed the champion in the Celebrities and Influencers class, with newcomer Enzo Pineda coming in second and radio personality Gino Quillamor taking the third place. Autoindustriya.com’s Jose Altoveros won the trophy in the Media class followed by Brian Dacanay (Tier 1) and Paolo De Borja (C! Magazine).
AutoCross Celebs and Influencers 
AutoCross Media
Here’s the complete list of the winners of the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Vios Cup 2021 Leg 2 Circuit Championship and Autocross Challenge:
Circuit Championship Race 4
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Julia Delos Angeles | TSJ – Obengers Racing Team |
| 2 | Fabio Ide | Team TOYOTA GAZOO Racing PH |
| 3 | Jiro Garbes | JBT Racing / Toyota San Fernando |
Sporting Class
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Jacob Ang | Eagle Cement Racing Team |
| 2 | Inigo Anton | Toyota North EDSA – Obengers Racing Team |
| 3 | Julian Tang | Toyota Marilao – Obengers Racing Team |
Super Sporting Class
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Red Diwa | JBT Racing / Toyota Isabela |
| 2 | Estefano Rivera | Toyota Balintawak – Obengers Racing Team |
| 3 | Bryan Co | R Racing / Toyota Dagupan |
Circuit Championship Race 5
Promotional Class
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Julia Delos Angeles | TSJ – Obengers Racing Team |
| 2 | Maila Alivia | JBT Racing / Toyota Isabela |
| 3 | Jiro Garbes | JBT Racing / Toyota San Fernando |
Sporting Class
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Inigo Anton | Toyota North EDSA – Obengers Racing Team |
| 2 | Julian Tang | Toyota Marilao – Obengers Racing Team |
| 3 | Jacob Ang | Eagle Cement Racing Team |
Super Sporting Class
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Estefano Rivera | Toyota Balintawak – Obengers Racing Team |
| 2 | Pauland Dumlao | JBT Racing / Toyota San Fernando |
| 3 | Gerard Loy | R Racing / Toyota Dagupan |
Circuit Championship Race 6
Promotional Class
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Royce Sarmiento | RMS Cars Racing Team |
| 2 | Maila Alivia | JBT Racing / Toyota Isabela |
| 3 | Jiro Garbes | JBT Racing / Toyota San Fernando |
Sporting Class
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Inigo Anton | Toyota North EDSA – Obengers Racing Team |
| 2 | Julian Tang | Toyota Marilao – Obengers Racing Team |
| 3 | Joaquin Garrido | Toyota Otis – Obengers Racing Team |
Super Sporting Class
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Estefano Rivera | Toyota Balintawak – Obengers Racing Team |
| 2 | Gerard Loy | R Racing / Toyota Dagupan |
| 3 | Bryan Co | R Racing / Toyota Dagupan |
Autocross Challenge
Media Class
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Jose Altoveros | Autoindustriya.com |
| 2 | Brian Dacanay | Tier 1 |
| 3 | Paolo De Borja | C! Magazine |
Celebrity/Influencers Class
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Jules Aquino | Team TOYOTA GAZOO Racing PH |
| 2 | Enzo Pineda | Team TOYOTA GAZOO Racing PH |
| 3 | Gino Quillamor | Team TOYOTA GAZOO Racing PH |
Rewatch the action on TMP’s official Facebook and YouTube channels — Toyota Motor Philippines and Toyota Gazoo Racing PH.
The heart-pumping thrill never stops as your favorite racers from Team TOYOTA GAZOO Racing PH head on to the next race weekend! Join us in the final leg of the season on November 6.
The TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Vios Cup 2021 was organized in cooperation with Bridgestone, official fuel partner Petron, supported by Motul. Other sponsors are Brembo, Denso, AVT, 3M, OMP, TuasonRacing and ROTA.
