By M. Rivera
The TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Vios Cup concluded this year’s season with an action-packed finale weekend. Following strict protocols, involved teams, drivers, and personalities gathered at the Clark International Speedway last November 6 to join the final leg of Toyota Motor Philippines’ premier motorsports spectacle. The race weekend proved to be this season’s climax with thrilling developments and some surprising twists in the battle for the overall and class championships.
“Today marks another milestone for the country’s premier motorsports program. We are at the homestretch — the final leg of this year’s races,” TMP President Atsuhiro Okamoto said during the opening program “We have championed over many obstacles to bring the TGR Vios Cup back. And we couldn’t have done this without all of you. On behalf of Toyota Motor Philippines and all our partners, I would like to thank you for your continued support and participation this season,” he continued.
The final leg comprised 49 participants, with 30 drivers competing in the prestigious Circuit Championship while a 19-person field composed of media, celebrities, and social media influencers participated in the Autocross Challenge.
The double points ruling for the last two races of the Circuit Championship gave racers the chance to zoom ahead of the previous leg’s winners while victors of the preceding rounds had to put the pedal to the metal to try and secure their championship campaigns.
Starting the weekend with a competitive stride, Jiro Garbes, Jacob Ang, and Pauland Dumlao are the top podium placers in their respective race classes for Race 7.
Racers pushed the limit of grip, with Team Asiatel – OTR Racing Team racer, Jason Lao grabbing the win for the Promotional Class for Race 8. Meanwhile, Eagle Cement Racing Team racer Jacob Ang dominated the Sporting Class while Pauland Dumlao took the top podium spot again for the Super Sporting Class.
Racers Troy Montero, Joaquin Garrido, and Estefano Rivera took the spotlight in their respective classes for the final race of the season.
The thrill continued in the Autocross Challenge with a higher difficulty level during the final run. Racers had to bring their A game maneuvering through more obstacles compared to the previous legs while tackling a different area of the track.
The match concluded with social media personality Jules Aquino claiming the championship title in the Celebrities and Influencers class, with Arron Villaflor and Lexi Mendiola following as second and third placers, respectively. In the Media class, Jose Altoveros ultimately bested the other racers, followed by Enzo Delos Reyes and Paolo De Borja as the second and third placers.
After three rounds of thrilling, high speed Motorsports action, Obengers Racing team emerged as the biggest overall winners – bagging both the Super Sporting and Sporting crowns through their ace drivers Estefano Rivera and Iñigo Anton, respectively whilst capturing the Overall Team’s Championship as well. For the Promotional Class, it was JBT Racing/Toyota San Fernando’s Jiro Garbes who prevailed as the annual overall victor.
As for the Autocross Challenge, Jose Altoveros of Autoindustriya and Fitness Celebrity Jules Aquino prevailed over their competitors to capture the overall titles for their respective categories.
Motorsports enthusiasts shared in the excitement over livestream. After hitting the brakes in 2020 because of the pandemic, Toyota’s big return to the race tracks reaffirms the company’s waku-doki spirit. Watch out for the Vios Cup’s next heart-pumping season for even more engine-revving excitement. Catch the action again during the final leg of this year’s Vios Cup on TMP’s official Facebook and YouTube channels – Toyota Motor Philippines and Toyota Gazoo Racing PH.
The TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Vios Cup 2021 was organized in cooperation with Bridgestone, official fuel partner Petron, supported by Motul. Other sponsors are Brembo, Denso, AVT, 3M, OMP, Tuason Racing and ROTA.
See the complete list of winners of the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Vios Cup Autocross Challenge & Circuit Championship below:
