The 2026 Toyota Gazoo Racing Philippine Cup (Toyota GR Cup) is set for a new challenge as the championship heads to the 3.7 km long Batangas Racing Circuit (BRC) in Rosario, Batangas for Round 3 on August 15.
The third race weekend of the season marks the first time the Toyota GR Cup will compete at BRC, described by Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) as the country’s oldest permanent car racetrack. Admission is free, giving motorsport fans another opportunity to watch the one-make racing series up close.
The new and unfamiliar circuit is expected to put the drivers’ skills under the spotlight, with wheel-to-wheel battles anticipated across the technical track. The Super Sporting, Sporting and Legacy classes will go head-to-head using the Vios one-make racecar, while the Tamaraw class will compete using the Tamaraw one-make racecar.
Beyond the racing action, the race weekend will continue an initiative introduced during the previous round: the use of lower-carbon biofuel blends in the racecars.
The Vios one-make racecars will continue running on E20, a fuel blend containing 20% bioethanol. Meanwhile, the Tamaraw one-make racecars will use B5, which contains a 5% coco-biodiesel blend.
According to TMP, the initiative is intended to support national energy security and the development of biofuel supply chains through collaboration involving multiple stakeholders, including the agricultural sector.
TMP Senior Vice President for Marketing Sherwin Chua-Lim said the new venue should provide an exciting challenge for drivers while helping TGR bring racing closer to different car communities. He also hopes the move will renew the enthusiasm of existing fans and encourage more people to explore motorsports.
TMP First Vice President for Corporate Affairs Josephine Villanueva said racers have given positive feedback on the performance of biodiesel and bioethanol blends under extreme conditions. TMP is therefore studying whether the use of these low-carbon fuels can continue in succeeding motorsports events.
For fans unable to make the trip to Batangas, the event will also be streamed live through the Toyota Gazoo Racing Philippines Facebook page.
With a new track, multiple racing classes and the continued biofuel experiment, the August 15 round offers more than another stop on the 2026 Toyota GR Cup calendar. It also gives drivers a fresh test and spectators another chance to see how the series adapts when familiar racecars meet an unfamiliar circuit. The weekend should provide a new benchmark as drivers tackle a circuit they have not raced on before locally.
Autocar’s Take
Taking the Toyota GR Cup to BRC is most certainly a welcome change this year. A new track puts greater emphasis on driver skill, preparation and adaptability, making Race Weekend 3 interesting.
The use of find E20 and B5 is also worth watching. Motorsport is often associated with performance first, but the series is exploring how lower-carbon biofuels perform under pressure. Whether this becomes a long-term direction remains to be seen, but testing these fuels in actual competition offers useful experience.
Most importantly, free admission and the live broadcast make the racing event accessible to more fans, helping Philippine motorsports grow.
