Toyota Motor Philippines’ (TMP) premier motorsports program, now called Toyota Gazoo Racing Vios Cup, made a historic comeback after a year’s hiatus with new and familiar names joining the competition.
Kicking off the season was the surprise appearance of the GR Yaris driven by TMP President Atsuhiro Okamoto. Twenty-four autocross racers and 24 circuit racers across three race classes competed at the Clark International Speedway in Pampanga last July 9 and 10 and raced their way to the finish line as the online community shared the thrill and excitement in real-time.
TMP announced the return of the Vios Cup early this year, much to the excitement of racing veterans, aspiring and rookie drivers, and other motorsports enthusiasts. While there were no public spectators for this race weekend in adherence to safety protocols for the participants, TMP livestreamed the racing event on its official Facebook page and YouTube channel to let more motorsports fans cheer and support their favorite racers safely from their homes.
During the first race weekend of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Vios Cup, racing fans witnessed the return of veteran racers, celebrities and media representatives and new faces competing in the autocross challenge and circuit championship formats at CIS, one of the country’s premier racing circuits.
“Toyota Gazoo Racing is all about pushing the limits for the better. We had to hit the brakes due to the pandemic last year, but now we are back with an even more exciting race!” Okamoto remarked during the opening ceremonies. “So here we are today at the Clark International Speedway, returning with the ever-reliable Vios. This Filipino-made car is really fun to drive daily and at the tracks. With hope for better days ahead and maximum safety protocols, we move forward and race on!”
A total of 24 drivers in promotional, sporting and super sporting class competed in the circuit championship. Maila Alivia and Jiro Garbes ended the race weekend with 2 out of 3 races on the podium for the promotional class while celebrity-racers-turned-promotional-class-contenders Troy Montero and Fabio Ide had one podium finish each.
Familiar names dominated the sporting class, with Inigo Anton and Julian Tang as consistent top 3 finishers and Joaquin Garrido being displaced by Jacob Ang in the top 3 by the third race of the weekend. For the super sporting class, Gerard Loy was the consistent podium placer while Estefano Rivera and Red Diwa finished in the top 3 in the first two races with Bryan Co and Marc Soong taking their place by the third race.
Meanwhile, actor Alex Diaz dominated the tracks in the autocross challenge celebrities and influencers class, followed by TV star John Manalo and social media personality Jules Aquino. Jose Altoveros was hailed the champion in the media class with Ian Magbanua and Inigo Roces in second and third places, respectively.
Here’s the complete list of the winners of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Vios Cup 2021 circuit championship and autocross challenge:
CIRCUIT CHAMPIONSHIP RACE 1
| Promotional Class | ||
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Maila Alivia | JBT Racing / Toyota Isabela |
| 2 | Jiro Garbes | JBT Racing / Toyota San Fernando |
| 3 | Julia Delos Angeles | TSJ – Obengers Racing Team |
| 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 | Red Diwa | JBT Racing / Toyota Isabela |
CIRCUIT CHAMPIONSHIP RACE 2
| Promotional Class | ||
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Troy Montero | Team TOYOTA GAZOO Racing PH |
| 2 | Maila Alivia | JBT Racing / Toyota Isabela |
| 3 | Jason Lao | OTR Racing Team |
| Sporting Class | ||
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Julian Tang | Toyota Marilao – Obengers Racing Team |
| 2 | Joaquin Garrido | Toyota Otis – Obengers Racing Team |
| 3 | Inigo Anton | Toyota North EDSA – Obengers Racing Team |
| Super Sporting Class | ||
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Gerard Loy | R Racing / Toyota Dagupan |
| 2 | Red Diwa | JBT Racing / Toyota Isabela |
| 3 | Estefano Rivera | Toyota Balintawak – Obengers Racing Team |
CIRCUIT CHAMPIONSHIP RACE 3
| Promotional Class | ||
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Jiro Garbes | JBT Racing / Toyota San Fernando |
| 2 | Fabio Ide | Team TOYOTA GAZOO Racing PH |
| 3 | Royce Sarmiento | RMS Cars Racing Team |
| Sporting Class | ||
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Inigo Anton | Toyota North EDSA – Obengers Racing Team |
| 2 | Jacob Ang | Eagle Cement Racing Team |
| 3 | Julian Tang | Toyota Marilao – Obengers Racing Team |
| Super Sporting Class | ||
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Gerard Loy | R Racing / Toyota Dagupan |
| 2 | Bryan Co | FILA Make A Wish Obengers Racing Team |
| 3 | Marc Soong | R Racing / Toyota Dagupan |
AUTOCROSS CHALLENGE
| Media Class | ||
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Jose Altoveros | Autoindustriya.com |
| 2 | Ian Magbanua | Top Gear Philippines |
| 3 | Inigo Roces | Manila Bulletin |
| Celebrity/Influencers Class | ||
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Alex Diaz | Team TOYOTA GAZOO Racing PH |
| 2 | John Manalo | Team TOYOTA GAZOO Racing PH |
| 3 | Jules Aquino | Team TOYOTA GAZOO Racing PH |
Rewatch the action from this weekend on TMP’s official channels: Toyota Motor Philippines on Facebook and Toyota Gazoo Racing PH on Youtube.
The heart-pumping thrill never stops as your favorite racers Team Toyota Gazoo Racing PH head on to the next race weekend! The next legs of the race will happen on September 11 and November 6.
The Toyota Gazoo Racing Vios Cup 2021 was organized in cooperation with Bridgestone, official fuel partner Petron and supported by Motul. Other sponsors are Brembo, Denso, AVT, 3M, OMP, Tuason Racing and ROTA.
