With one car completely destroyed and a driver sidelined by injury, Toyota Team Cebu (TTC) endured a tough start to the 2025 Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) Philippine Cup season. But they never lost hope. Battling through the chaos, they put on a brave face and raced with elbows out to secure a trio of podium finishes at the Clark International Speedway (CIS).
Super Sporting Class
Now in his sophomore year in the series’ top-tier category, TTC’s youngest driver, Russel Cabrera, led the team’s charge. He opened the weekend by setting the 3rd fastest time in Qualifying, which gave him confidence heading into the races. However, it soon became clear he’d have to muscle his way through the field if he wanted to reach the chequered flag — let alone finish on the podium.
Russel was squeezed off track at the start of Race 1 and sustained damage to his #95 machine. Thankfully, he was able to continue and lost only one position. Now siding with caution, he carefully set up a clean overtake to move up to P3, where he would finish. Post-race penalties later promoted him to 2nd, kicking off his 2025 campaign on a high note.
The mayhem escalated in Race 2. This time, Russel was caught in an incident between two other drivers, picking up suspension damage in the contact. Although the car’s handling was compromised, the 21-year-old fought on, climbing three places to secure a hard-earned 3rd.
Thankfully, the 1.5-hour Endurance Race was trouble-free for Russel. Consistent, quick laps and a perfectly timed pit stop were key to earning him 2nd as the chequered flag dropped.
Sporting Class
It was trial by fire for newly minted Sporting Class drivers Rex Abrenilla and Johndale Dy.
Both were making steady progress in Race 1, with Rex climbing four places in the opening laps to reach P3. Johndale, meanwhile, was holding his own in the midfield, aided by team manager Lord Seno, who helped him improve his pace. His efforts paid off as he climbed to P5 and was eyeing a potential podium — until the race came to an abrupt halt. Another driver collided with Rex, sending him hard into the wall and flipping his car onto its roof. The crash brought out the Safety Car, with Johndale crawling to the finish in 5th.
TTC’s #85 entry was sadly retired for the rest of the weekend, though Rex was fortunate to escape with only an injured ankle.
Now racing solo under TTC’s banner, Johndale shifted his focus to simply making it to the chequered flag. He delivered a clean drive in Race 2 to finish 11th, then followed it up with a solid 10th in the Endurance Race, securing valuable points for the team.
Lord Seno, Team Manager: “Tough Weekend. Everyone had their elbows out. We lost one car to all the hard racing. It was a crash course for our Sporting Class drivers. Rex did well been was unfortunately taken out of the equation. Johndale found it hard to adapt to tires and conditions. Russ simply gave it his all but it was tough. Nevertheless, we have to move forward, train more, and gain more data. We will be back stronger.”
Toyota Team Cebu is sponsored by Standard Insurance, AC Delco, 3M Protrade Industrial Corporation, X1R, BG Power Stroke, MMF Glass, Staging Lines Performance Shop, Ubec Mags, Vian-son Automotive, Suarez and Sons, Solane LPG, Nature’s Spring Water, Fedchem Manufacturing Philippines, and Bullyconcepts.
[Photos by James Morales Jr]
