It all came down to the final round of the 2025 Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) Philippine Cup for Toyota Team Cebu (TTC) and Russel Cabrera. Holding a 26.5-point lead, he did just enough to clinch the Super Sporting Class crown by a slim 0.5-point margin—securing the team’s first-ever title in the series’ premier category.
Super Sporting Class
Russel’s title hunt got off to a slow start. Hampered by the extra weight, he could only manage P4 in Qualifying—and with the championship on the line, he knew he had to play it smart.
Race 1 saw Russel get off to a clean launch as the field funneled through Turn 1 of Clark International Speedway (CIS). While others battled for position, he held his ground and moved up a spot to secure a podium finish in 3rd. Crucially, he finished ahead of his closest title rivals and maintained his points lead.
Now starting from P7 in Race 2, he made a quick getaway and immediately climbed to P3. But the 60 kg success ballast left him unable to defend and slipped down the order. Siding with safety, Russel settled for 5th to keep his title hopes intact—stretching his lead to 31 points.
With double points at stake, the 1.5-hour Endurance Race would decide it all. A strong start saw Russel climb to P3 early on, but contact with another car forced an early pit stop—throwing the team’s strategy into disarray. Unfortunately, by the time he rejoined in P7, the front-runners were already too far ahead to catch.
Rather than take unnecessary risks, Russel kept his cool. The team calculated that holding position would earn him just enough points to seal the championship. He eventually crossed the line in 7th—and with it, clinched the Super Sporting Class title by just 0.5 points.
Sporting Class
Round 3 was another valuable learning experience for TTC’s Sporting Class drivers, Rex Abrenilla and Johndale Dy.
Race 1 saw the pair finish 12th and 13th, respectively. For Rex, it was a personal milestone—finally completing a race at Clark after crashing out during the season opener at the same circuit.
Race 2 delivered a breakthrough for both drivers. Johndale showed solid pace to finish 8th, while Rex followed closely behind in 10th, scoring more points for the team. “Moving up from Promotional to the Sporting Class, we tried our best to catch up in terms of skill and experience with the rest of the grid,” said Johndale. “With guidance from Lord Seno, I gradually improved and delivered results for TTC.”
That momentum carried into the Endurance Race. Rex drove a strong, composed stint to finish 8th—his best result of the season. “It was really an intense weekend with 16 drivers sharing the track,” he shared. “I also had to learn how to trust myself again after the crash I had here last time. I stayed focused, soaked up the pressure, and finished with solid results. Even though I didn’t make it to the podium, finishing 8th already felt like a personal win.”
Johndale capped off his season with another consistent drive, crossing the line in 12th and completing a full season of growth in his debut year in Sporting Class.
Lord Seno, Team Manager: “Final rounds are usually intense—and it was exactly that in the Super Sporting Class. Russel only needed to consistently finish 4th in each race, but our strategy went out the window in the Endurance Race. Thankfully, we still did just enough to win the championship. For Sporting Class, our priorities were different. With two rookies, it was all about consistency and bringing the cars home. Johndale and Rex did a great job, stayed clean, and scored valuable points for the team.”
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]
