Jarond Mesina made a splash on his Super Sporting Class debut, delivering a podium finish in his very first race during the 2025 Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) Philippine Cup season opener. He even managed to set a new Vios OMR Gen 2 lap record on Saturday morning at the Clark International Speedway (CIS). However, his weekend quickly turned upside down later that day.
It took the effort of the entire team to get Jarond close to the top of the time sheets, as he’s now up against the fastest drivers on the grid. ERA Autosport team founder and coach Milo Rivera, along with Edgen Dy-Liacco of Edgesport, worked tirelessly on the #24 car’s setup to suit Jarond’s driving style. His times gradually improved over each session—just in time for Qualifying.
A clean lap yielded a 2:22.836, which earned him a second-row start for Race 1 on Friday. Although this gave him confidence, knowing he had the pace to put up a fight, it was also daunting being smack in the middle of the pack.
There was bumping and rubbing as soon as the lights turned green. Jarond made a decent start but got pushed back to P5 by the end of the first lap. The 22-year-old then found himself in a tight 3-way battle for 3rd, swapping positions almost every lap. Unfortunately, the race ended prematurely behind the Safety Car on lap 8, with Jarond crossing the line in P4. He was later promoted to 3rd after post-race penalties, securing him a spot on the podium.
With the previous day’s strong result, Jarond was even more determined for Race 2 and the Endurance on Saturday. He kicked things off on a positive note by clocking a 2:21.184 during the Warm Up session—setting a new Vios OMR Gen 2 lap record.
But his celebration was sadly short-lived. Lining up P5 on the grid, Jarond was immediately forced to peel off to the side at the start of Race 2. It was later discovered that a broken driveshaft caused his DNS. Though gutted, Jarond still had one last shot to shine in the 1.5 Hour Endurance.
Outright speed wasn’t the name of the game here, but strategy certainly was. Starting from dead last, Jarond gradually made his way up to P6 by the time he completed his mandatory stop. By sheer luck, the Safety Car came out just as he exited the pit lane, allowing him to shoot up to P2. Another podium was now within arm’s reach, and he was cruising to the finish. But with only 10 mins left in the race, Jarond suffered a transmission failure and was left with 4th gear. Unwilling to give up, he limped all the way to the chequered flag to collect valuable points with 7th.
Jarond Mesina: “Overall, I was happy with the weekend. I would like to thank Milo and Edgen for giving me a perfect car, because without them I wouldn’t have gotten the pace I had. Thank you to my manager, Carlo Suarez and always my family for the constant support. Just had a podium but made a mark in the Super Sporting Class and TGR Philippine Cup lap record.”
Milo Rivera, ERA Autosport Team Founder: “Smashing the lap record was definitely the highlight of our weekend. Although we suffered from many misfortunes, it’s assuring to know we’ve got the pace to win. All that’s left is to make it happen. With a lot to learn from, I’m excited for more work to be done as the season rolls on. And I believe we’re on a solid spot to build from what we’ve started.”
ERA Autosport is supported by Marina Lechon, Marina Seafoods, Jose Filipino Restaurant, Nature Spring Water, Ubec Mags, Vibo Place, and Decal Republic.
[Photos courtesy of Lei Shots]
