Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) is gearing up for the finale of its motorsports season with Race Weekend 3 of the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippine Cup (TGR Philippine Cup) on November 9, 2024, at the Clark International Speedway in Mabalacat, Pampanga. The final race weekend is expected to be the most thrilling yet, as it will determine the season winners of the annual racing series.
Admission to Race Weekend 3 of the TGR Philippine Cup is FREE. Those interested can avail of the FREE shuttle service from SM Clark to Clark International Speedway and vice versa. The shuttle will be available every hour starting 8 AM until 5 PM.
The races will also be streamed live on the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippines Facebook page. The livestream will start at 9 AM.
The weekend will kick off with Sprint Races for the Novice, Promotional, Sporting, and Super Sporting classes. Racers will be awarded points based on the finishing order. The racer with the highest number of points at the end of three race weekends will be declared the season winner.
Previous Autocross racers Reph Bangsil and Lexi Mendiola return to the circuit races in the Novice class alongside media racers Jamil Lacuna, Jose Altoveros, Pablo Salapantan, and John Rey San Diego, and sim racer Russel Reyes. TMP President Masando Hashimoto is also back to push his limits in the Vios OMR – the one-make-race car used for the series.
Reyes currently leads the Novice class standings, with Lacuna close behind in second place, and San Diego in third.
Meanwhile, team TGR Philippines racers Ryan Agoncillo and Troy Montero continue their charge in the Sporting and Super Sporting classes, respectively. They’ll be up against some of the best racers from the top racing teams in the country.
In line with its vision of inspiring more young people to take an interest in motorsports, TMP also continues to provide opportunities for up-and-coming racers to participate in its motorsports events. For Race Weekend 3, new entrant Will Lucas will be joining the Sporting class after being selected through a driver tryout.
Leading the Super Sporting class is Iñigo Anton of the Toyota Balintawak – Obengers Racing Team, followed by Russel Cabrera from Team Toyota Cebu in second, with Red Diwa of JBT Racing / Toyota Isabela in third.
In the Sporting class, Jiro Garbes of Inbox – Toyota San Fernando leads the standings, with Jarond Mesina of Team Toyota Cebu in second, and Danzel Waytan of JD Motorsports – Ribbon Arc in third.
Bong Garbes of Inbox – Toyota San Fernando, meanwhile, leads the Promotional class, followed by Julia Delos Angeles of Toyota San Jose Del Monte, Inc. – Obengers Racing Team in second, and Rex Abrenilla of Team Toyota Cebu in third.
Following the sprint races is the car club track day, where owners of GR performance cars take their vehicles out for an exclusive track experience. Fans of the GR Supra, GR Yaris, and GR 86 can take in the sight and sound of these supercars running on the speedway in the mid-afternoon.
Fans will also be treated to a drifting exhibition by professional drifters Dane Cruz and Hans Jimenez. Cruz and Jimenez will demonstrate their driving skills using the GR 86. A few lucky fans may even get a chance to experience sliding around in the GR86 or even ride shotgun in the GR Yaris or GR Supra for an exciting hot lap around the track!
These will be followed by the final Endurance Race of the season, where racers in the Novice, Promotional, Sporting, and Super Sporting classes put their skills to the test in a 1.5-hour circuit race. Points from the endurance race are added to the overall tally of scores.
In between activities on the track, racing enthusiasts can try their hand at sim racing at the TGR GT Cup experience booth located in the activity area. They can also visit the sponsors’ booths for original products or participate in the game booths for a chance to win prizes. Official TOYOTA GAZOO Racing merchandise will also be available for sale.
“It’s the last race weekend of the season, so we are working to make it the most thrilling one yet. We have a lot of activities lined up, both on track and in the activity area, so we hope fans can come and experience the FUN TO DRIVE spirit with us,” shared TMP Vice President for Marketing Services, Elvin Luciano.
The TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippine Cup is brought to you by Official Fuel Partner Petron and Official Tire Partner GT Radial, in cooperation with Official Timekeeper Seiko. This event is also supported by Toyota Financial Services Philippines, myTOYOTA Wallet, Denso, AVT, 3M, ROTA, Tuason Racing, OMP, and Kinto One.