Now in its 11th year, the Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) Philippine Cup is showing no signs of slowing down. Riddled with crashes — including one car ending up on its roof — the 2025 season opener was one of the most chaotic in the series’ history, with six drivers slapped with hefty penalty points.
Iñigo Anton of Obengers Racing was in search of a third title in the Super Sporting Class. Despite winning the 1.5-Hour Endurance, two non-podium finishes left him 4th in the standings. Meanwhile, his closest rival Russel Cabrera of Toyota Team Cebu (TTC) sits 2nd in points after three solid results. But the boys were no match for lady driver Maila Alivia of Toyota Isabela, who secured two wins to lead the class championship.
The removal of the Promotional Class saw the Sporting Class grid grow to 14 entries. Of those, five drivers made it to the podium, with Obengers Racing teammates Jesse Garcia and another lady driver, Julia Delos Angeles, sharing the most spoils. Jesse now leads the championship, with Julia in 3rd, while tuner and pro sim racer Russel Reyes splits the two in 2nd.
However, the class was overshadowed by multiple race incidents, with three drivers — two of them rookies — receiving penalty points. The worst involved Rex Abrenilla of TTC, who was sent into the wall at speed, flipping his #85 car onto its roof. He suffered only minor injuries.
Pro sim racer Luis Moreno was the fastest man in the Novice Class, picking up two wins and a podium. Surprisingly, his closest rival is Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) President Masando Hashimoto, just two points behind.
The action resumes in May, with a new venue expected to be announced for Round 2.
The TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippine Cup is sponsored by Official Fuel & Lubricants Partner Petron and Official Tire Partner GT Radial. The event is also supported by Toyota Financial Services Philippines, myTOYOTA Wallet, Denso, AVT, 3M, ROTA, Tuason Racing, OMP, and Kinto One.
[Photo by Matt Romualdez Photography]
