The Vios Cup is no more. For its 10th year, the one-make race program that started in 2014 was revamped and is now known as the Toyota Gazoo Racing Philippine Cup (TGR Philippine Cup). Along with the new name is a refresh of the events for the competing racers, as well as more possibilities in the future.
One of the biggest changes is the removal of the AutoCross Challenge for celebrities, media, and influencers. Those who ranked high at last year’s challenge are invited to this year’s new Novice Class. Instead of turning around cones, they now join the Sprint Races on the full circuit of Clark International Speedway. Even Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) President Masando Hashimoto joined the fun in the Novice Class.
“In the previous years we have seen how the media and KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) have improved their skill level in AutoCross. We thought it was time for them to graduate, so to speak, so we presented them with an opportunity to elevate and enter the circuit racing. Thus we created the Novice Class,” said Elvin Luciano, VP of marketing for Toyota Motor Philippines.
The new class will also serve as the entry point for other aspiring racers. One of the most interesting drivers this year is Russel Reyes who is the overall winner in last year’s TGR GT Cup, a SIM-racing tournament. The new TGR Philippine Cup served as his first race series and ended his first leg consistently on the podium. He was in 2nd place in Sprint 1 but got 1st place in Sprint 2 and the Endurance Race.
It’s not a dead end either, as ranking high in your class can get you promoted, as we’ve seen with Troy Montero. He started under the Celebrity Class of the Vios Cup years ago. Over time, he was promoted to Promotional, Sporting, and in the first TGR Philippine Cup, he finally raced under the Super Sporting Class.
Races were also kept exciting by merging classes. The Sprint Races were done in twos. The Promotional and Novice were paired together, as well as the Sporting and Super Sporting Classes. It got more fun once the Endurance Race happened as all four classes were on the track and rain came to make things extra spicy.
There were also other activities for the fans. Some Toyota car club members were able to take their personal cars to the track for a few minutes, while others were able to ride shotgun in the drift exhibition. GR-badged Toyota cars were also displayed and test drives with the Rush GR-S, Yaris Cross HEV, and Corolla Cross GR-S were also available. The tent also featured wholesome activities with exciting prizes and discounts, a SIM racing booth, and a live band performance later in the day.
Aside from a new program, the rename obviously came with new possibilities. TMP is now not restricted to just having a Vios race.
“No definite plans yet but we’re setting our sights on events outside of the race circuit. Like perhaps, maybe we can try our hands on rally, then maybe start or professionalize the drifting competitions.” Luciano also added that even drag racing is being studied but again, all of these aren’t concrete plans yet.
The AutoCross is also still on the table according to Luciano. “The plan is to bring something similar to more locations. For example, the AutoCross can be held in Manila or in different key cities. The AutoCross can possibly become a separate event along with other GR driving activities.”
There are still two legs of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Philippine Cup. It will be on September 28 and the last will be on November 9, both happening in Clark International Speedway.
