After an action-packed season opener at the Riverpark Street Circuit in Cavite, the Toyota GAZOO Racing (TGR) Philippine Cup heads to the Clark International Speedway (CIS) on July 9/11 for Round 2. While several title contenders have already begun to emerge, the return to a permanent circuit will provide a much clearer picture of the championship fight.
The tight and unforgiving street circuit produced plenty of drama as the championship welcomed the debut of the Tamaraw Racing Class alongside the returning Vios OMR categories.
Introduced for the first time in 2026, the new category has attracted a competitive 16-car grid featuring a mix of former champions, experienced racers, and newcomers. 2-time TGR Philippine Cup champion Iñigo Anton emerged from Riverpark with the early championship lead, while Raymund Culada and Alain Alzona continue their battle for 2nd. Veteran driver Oliver Aquino and Will Lucas are tied for 4th, setting up another closely contested weekend at CIS.
In the Super Sporting Class, Joaquin Garrido heads to Clark as the championship leader after winning 2 races in Riverpark for Obengers Racing. Alain Alzona sits 2nd after a consistent weekend that saw him finish on the podium, while Toyota Isabela teammates Red Diwa and Maila Alivia occupy 3rd and 4th in the standings, respectively.
The Sporting Class has so far belonged to the championship’s rising stars. Bern Zaragoza leads the standings after the opening round, with fellow young guns Luigi Co and Paul Base close behind as the trio look to continue their impressive start to the season.
Away from the racing itself, Toyota Motor Philippines will also use Round 2 as a “rolling laboratory” to evaluate alternative fuels under competitive conditions. Both the Vios OMR and Tamaraw OMR race cars will run on low-carbon biofuels, with the series testing B5 coco-biodiesel and E20 bioethanol blends in an effort to study their performance, efficiency, and reliability under the demands of motorsport.
Here’s the championship standings so far after Round 1.
[Photo by Matt Romualdez]
