Toyota Motor Philippines returns to the race track as the Toyota Gazoo Racing Vios Cup kicked off last weekend at the Clark International Speedway in Pampanga. After last year’s hiatus, Toyota’s premiere motorsports program made a comeback featuring veteran racers, celebrities and media representatives as well as a new breed of Filipino racers.
Race fans witnessed the excitement via livestream as the season kicked off with a surprise appearance of the GR Yaris driven by TMP President Mr. Atsuhiro Okamoto, while 24 Autocross racers and 24 Circuit racers across 3 categories raced to the finish line.
“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 on the 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 this race weekend with 2 out of 3 races at the podium for the Promotional Class while celebrity racers turned Promotional Class contenders Troy Montero and Fabio Ide had one podium finish each as well. Inigo Anton and Julian Tang dominated the Sporting Class with Jacob Ang in 3rd who took the spot from Joaquin Garrido. For the Super Sporting Class, Gerard Loy is the consistent podium placer, while Estefano Rivera and Red Diwa finished at the top 3 in the first 2 races with Bryan Co and Marc Soong taking their place by the 3rd race.
Meanwhile, actor Alex Diaz dominated 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 in 2nd and Inigo Roces in 3rd place.
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 on Toyota’s official Facebook and Youtube channels – Toyota Motor Philippines and Toyota Gazoo Racing PH.
The next legs of the 2021 Toyota Gazoo Racing Vios Cup will be on September 11 and November 6.
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