Familiar and new racers featured in Toyota GR Vios Cup's 2nd Leg, GR-Sport models previewed

MANILA: Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) recently concluded the second leg of its premier motorsports program, the Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) Vios Cup, at the Clark International Speedway. 

The heart-stopping excitement, or waku-doki, came from the introduction of new TMP models, and the Circuit and Autocross racers who continue to dominate their respective series. The TGR Vios Cup was broadcast live and can be re-watched on TMP's Facebook page.

The new cars are Gazoo Racing-Sport models, the Toyota Hilux GR-S and the Toyota Fortuner GR-S, both of which will be launched on October 23.

A total of 49 racers competed in the race, with 25 and 24 in the Circuit Championship and Autocross Challenge, respectively. The overall  Promotional Class winner in TMP's e-sports tilt GR GT Cup, Jether Miole, also joined the Autocross for the first time. 

"That feeling of getting (behind) the wheel, on the track for the first time after being used to sim racing is very exciting. And at the end of the event, you'll suddenly crave for more,” Miole expressed. 

Veteran and rookie racers joined the Promotional, Sporting, and Super Sporting class of the Circuit Championship. Julia Delos Angeles bagged two pole positions for the Promotional Class in the first two races, while Royce Sarmiento took the top spot for the last race.

“I allotted more time to practice, and whenever I can’t physically be at the track, I’d still try to imagine and practice remotely through my onboard videos," Delos Angeles shared. 

"In comparison to the previous leg, I think the main difference was that I stopped pushing myself too hard and just had fun,” she added. Delos Angeles is among the few female TGR Vios Cup circuit competitors. 

Meanwhile, Iñigo Anton and Julian Tang dominated the Sporting Class as consistent top three contenders. Jacob Ang is also a familiar face in the Sporting Class podium, but his spot was taken by Joaquin Garrido.

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 three, 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% ready for the whole race week in order for us to be competitive,” Rivera said.

“Hopefully, I (can expect) the same results in the next leg in order for us to secure the overall championship and the team championship as well.”

In 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, followed by radio personality Gino Quillamor. 

Autoindustriya.com’s Jose Altoveros won the trophy in the Media class followed by Tier 1's Brian Dacanay and C! Magazine's Paolo De Borja. 

Originally slated in September, COVID-19 restrictions at the time forced TMP to reschedule the TGR Vios Cup second race weekend to October 16. 

“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,” TMP President Atsuhiro Okamoto said during the opening ceremonies.

“We are so glad to race again at the Clark International Speedway with the reliable Filipino-made Vios,” he concluded. 

Photos from Toyota Motor Philippines and Roy Robles

Also read: Drive to survive: 'Team CarBay' at the TGR Vios Cup Autocross Leg 2