After a breakthrough performance that saw the Philippines emerge as overall champions in Sri Lanka last year, our local drivers are heading to Thailand with an even bigger contingent as it looks to defend its Asia-Pacific Motorsport Championship (APMC) crown.
Fielded by the Automobile Association Philippines (AAP), the country’s national sporting authority for motorsport, a total of 18 entries will compete at the 2026 APMC, scheduled on October 23/25 at Bira Circuit in Pattaya, Chonburi.
This year’s championship is expected to welcome between 250 and 500 competitors representing 24 nations, competing across 6 motorsport disciplines over 3 days.
Team Philippines arrives in Thailand as the defending Nations Cup champion after an impressive campaign at the 2025 APMC in Sri Lanka. The 12-driver squad collected 6 medals (2 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze) to finish ahead of host Sri Lanka, Hong Kong/China and Malaysia, which each collected 5 medals.
Team Philippines will defend its title with a largely new squad.
Only 2 drivers from the 2025 team return for 2026. Axel Nocom is back in Junior Karting Sprint after winning gold in the category last year, while Dorathea Edeina Acejas Legaspi returns in Auto Gymkhana. She finished 4th overall in the discipline in Sri Lanka and also earned bronze in the Ladies’ Class.
They will be joined by 16 other Filipino drivers competing across Karting Sprint, Karting Slalom, Auto Gymkhana, Autocross and Esports. Can the expanded 18-driver contingent repeat last year’s success when when the APMC gets underway at Bira Circuit in October?
Karting Sprint
Miguel Quiñones (Senior)
Marcus Lacambra (Senior)
Axel Nocom (Junior)
Yuan Gavin Bugayong (Junior)
Aaliyah Ioan Villena (Cadet)
Torch Philippe Florentino (Cadet)
Karting Slalom
Dino Pastor (Senior)
Zadig De Jesus (Junior)
Vincent Reign Ardina (Cadet)
Akhina Therese Santos (Ladies)
Auto Gymkhana
Dorathea Edeina Acejas Legaspi
Ezekiel Rayven Rafanan
Joseph Ortega
Roderick Chang
Autocross
Aeron Rumohr
Ralph Ramento
Marky Young
Esports
Michael Velasquez
