Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) launched the 2025 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR) Philippine Cup with an action-packed opening race weekend, featuring intense competition across multiple classes.
Racing veteran Maila Alivia currently leads the Super Sporting Class, while Jesse Garcia tops the Sporting Class. In the Novice Class, sim racer and Vios Cup Autocross Challenge graduate Luis Moreno has taken the lead in the standings.
Legacy Class Sprint Race
Former Vios Cup racers also returned to battle in the Legacy Class sprint races. Notable participants included Senator JV Ejercito, who won his first Vios Cup race in 2017, and Paolo Ang, the 2021 and 2023 Sporting Class runner-up.
GR 86 Drifting Exhibition and Club Race Debut
For the first time in the event’s history, members of the GR car club participated in sprint races through the newly introduced Club Race. This aligns with Toyota’s vision of delivering excitement and joy to customers through unique motorsports experiences.
GR performance and Lexus car owners also took part in the Track Day event, while fans explored Toyota’s GR lineup and Lexus’ F SPORT series in the display area.
The fan zone featured interactive experiences, including remote control and sim racing, giveaways, and diecast collectibles for sale.
Intense Circuit Racing Action
The highlight of the weekend remained the circuit races, with Sprint Race 2 incorporating a reverse grid format for added excitement. In the Novice Class, positions P1 to P4 were reversed, placing John Rey San Diego in pole position. Meanwhile, the Legacy, Sporting, and Super Sporting Classes reversed the entire grid, giving pole positions to Oliver Estrella (Legacy), Mike Santos (Sporting), and Iñigo Anton (Super Sporting).
Despite an early setback, Paolo Ang secured victory in the Legacy Class, while Novice Class graduate Russel Reyes claimed his second sprint win of the season in the Sporting Class.
Maila Alivia further cemented her championship bid by winning both sprint races in the Super Sporting Class and securing a top-five finish in the endurance race.
TMP President Masando Hashimoto showcased his racing prowess in the Novice Class, earning his second podium finish of the weekend after capitalizing on a runoff by Pablo Salapantan.
The Super Sporting Class endurance race also saw an intense battle between Mikey Jordan and Alain Gabriel Alzona for third place. Alzona’s persistence ultimately paid off, securing a podium finish.
Race Winners and Results
RACE 1: SPRINT RACE 1
| NOVICE CLASS | ||
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Luis Moreno | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippines Novice Team |
| 2 | Masando Hashimoto | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippines Novice Team |
| 3 | Pablo Salapantan | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippines Novice Team |
| LEGACY CLASS | ||
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Paolo Ang | R Racing – MADkart |
| 2 | Luigi Agustin Co | Gel Napat Racing – R Racing |
| 3 | JV Ejercito | Obengers Racing – Toyota Balintawak |
| SPORTING CLASS | ||
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Russel Reyes | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippines |
| 2 | Julia de los Angeles | Obengers Racing – Toyota Balintawak |
| 3 | Jesse Garcia | Obengers Racing – Toyota Balintawak |
| SUPER SPORTING CLASS | ||
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Maila Alivia | Toyota Isabela |
| 2 | Russel Cabrera | Toyota Team Cebu |
| 3 | Jarond Mesina | Dash Racing x Era Autosport |
RACE 2: SPRINT 2
| NOVICE CLASS | ||
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | John Rey San Diego | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippines Novice Team |
| 2 | Luis Moreno | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippines Novice Team |
| 3 | Masando Hashimoto | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippines Novice Team |
| LEGACY CLASS | ||
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Paolo Ang | R Racing – MADkart |
| 2 | Luigi Agustin Co | Gel Napat Racing – R Racing |
| 3 | Andre Rodrigues | Oyi Racing |
| SPORTING CLASS | ||
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Russel Reyes | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippines |
| 2 | Raymond Cudala | R Racing – MADkart |
| 3 | Mike Santos | R Racing – MADkart |
| SUPER SPORTING CLASS | ||
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Maila Alivia | Toyota Isabela |
| 2 | Alain Gabriel Alzona | Toyota General Santos – Smart Communications Racing |
| 3 | Russel Cabrera | Toyota Team Cebu |
RACE 3: ENDURANCE RACE 1
| NOVICE CLASS | ||
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Luis Moreno | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippines Novice Team |
| 2 | Masando Hashimoto | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippines Novice Team |
| 3 | John Rey San Diego | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippines Novice Team |
| SPORTING CLASS | ||
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Jesse Garcia | Obengers Racing – Toyota Balintawak |
| 2 | Julia de los Angeles | Obengers Racing – Toyota Balintawak |
| 3 | Raymond Cudala | R Racing – MADkart |
| SUPER SPORTING CLASS | ||
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Iñigo Anton | Obengers Racing – Toyota Balintawak |
| 2 | Russel Cabrera | Toyota Team Cebu |
| 3 | Alain Gabriel Alzona | Toyota General Santos – Smart Communications Racing |
CLUB RACE
| Winner | Class |
| Angelo Magtoto | GR Supra |
| Christopher Co | GR 86 |
| Miguel Antolin | GR Yaris |
Looking Ahead
Fans can anticipate the next race weekend in May. Follow TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippines on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, and TikTok for updates.
The TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippine Cup is presented by Official Fuel & Lubricants Partner Petron and Official Tire Partner GT Radial and is supported by Toyota Financial Services Philippines, myTOYOTA Wallet, Denso, AVT, 3M, ROTA, Tuason Racing, OMP, and Kinto One.
For more details, visit Toyota TGR Philippines and follow ToyotaMotorPH on social media.
