Overcoming several earlier setbacks, Jarond Mesina delivered his maiden Super Sporting Class victory in Round 2 of the Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) Philippine Cup. The 22-year-old kept his cool on the unforgiving Villar City Street Circuit to enjoy a dominant lights-to-flag victory in Race 4.
Overcoming several early setbacks, Jarond Mesina delivered his maiden Super Sporting Class victory in Round 2 of the Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) Philippine Cup. The 22-year-old kept his cool on the unforgiving Villar City Street Circuit to secure a dominant lights-to-flag win in Race 4.
Drivers were given just a single day of practice on the new course, where finding the limit was tricky—and going over it often meant hitting a wall. To ease them in, the first session was run behind the Safety Car, but even that proved challenging. Jarond clipped a barrier during Free Practice 1 and damaged his #24 Toyota Vios OMR. Although the ERA Autosport and Dash Racing crew managed to turn the car around in time for Free Practice 2, the incident cost him valuable track time and dented his confidence.
His struggles continued into Qualifying, where transmission issues left him starting from P7. With limited seat time and lingering doubts, Jarond approached Saturday’s Race 3 with caution. Despite persistent engine problems, the Cebuano managed to bring the car home in 6th—completing the recovery drive and setting himself up for a shot at redemption on Sunday.
A reverse grid start earned Jarond pole position for Race 4 on Sunday, and he knew it was his best chance to turn the weekend around. After a clean getaway, he laid down fast, consistent laps and left the pack in his wake. Only one rival managed to hang with Jarond but never had the chance to strike. With no mistakes and a steady pace, he led from lights to flag—finishing a full second clear of P2 and over 30 seconds ahead of the rest of the field—underlining the dominance of his first Super Sporting Class win.
With his breakthrough win secured, Jarond’s focus for Race 5 was to simply stay out of trouble and secure points. He drove a controlled race—avoiding incidents and preserving the car. Jarond eventually crossed the line in 7th, ending a rollercoaster weekend on a positive note and adding valuable points to his championship tally.
Jarond Mesina: “Overall, it was a tough but eventful weekend. I’m happy to score my maiden win in the Super Sporting Class with ERA Autosport and Dash Racing. Now it’s time to prepare for the final leg this August and hopefully add to my tally of wins and podiums in 2025.”
Milo Rivera, ERA Autosport Team Founder: “This race demanded more than just pace and precision—we had to be strategic as well. Despite the early struggles, we took full advantage of the race format and track layout to secure a pivotal victory in Race 4. On such a tight circuit, starting from pole was key. We know Jarond is capable of even more, but this win is a crucial step forward in our push for bigger results.”
ERA Autosport x Dash Racing is supported by Marina Lechon, Marina Seafoods, Jose Filipino Kitchen, Nature Spring Water, Ubec Mags, Vibo Place, and Decal Republic.
[Photos courtesy of Lei Shots and James Morales Jr]
