Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) is off to a thrilling 2025 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippine Cup season with the first race weekend of the year. Racing veteran Maila Alivia currently leads the Super Sporting Class, while Jesse Garcia leads in the Sporting Class. Sim racer and Vios Cup Autocross Challenge graduate Luis Moreno, meanwhile, leads the standings in the Novice Class.
Toyota GR PH Cup Leg 1
Former Vios Cup racers also battled it out in the Legacy Class sprint races. Notable participants in this race category are Senator JV Ejercito, who won his first Vios Cup race in 2017, and Paolo Ang, who was the 2021 and 2023 Sporting Class runner-up.
The weekend also saw GR car club members competing in sprint races for the first time in the racing series’ history. Dubbed the Club Race, the event highlighted Toyota’s philosophy of bringing thrill and joy to customers through one-of-a-kind fan experiences.
GR performance and Lexus car owners also took to the track their vehicles for the Track Day. Fans of Toyota’s GR lineup and Lexus’ F SPORT series also got to see the vehicles up close at the display area.
In the activity area, event goers enjoyed freebies and prizes from the sponsors’ booths and got to try their hand at remote control and sim racing. There were also diecast collectibles for sale.
The highlight of the race weekend remained the circuit races, with Sprint Race 2 applying a reverse grid rule for added excitement. The starting grid was based on the results of Sprint Race 1. For the Novice Class, only P1 to P4 were reversed, putting John Rey San Diego in pole position for Sprint Race 2.
The Legacy, Sporting and Super Sporting classes reversed the full grid, putting Oliver Estrella in pole position for the Legacy Class, Mike Santos for the Sporting Class, and Iñigo Anton for the Super Sporting Class.
Car damage relegated Oliver Estrella to the back of the grid, allowing Paolo Ang to take the lead in the Legacy Class. In the Sporting Class, Novice Class graduate Russel Reyes made his way to the front of the pack to take his second sprint win of the season.
Maila Alivia solidified her position as a championship contender in the Super Sporting Class by winning both sprint races of the weekend, and a top-five finish in the endurance race.
Meanwhile, in the Novice Class, TMP President Masando Hashimoto managed to secure third place after taking advantage of a runoff by Pablo Salapantan, earning him his second podium finish of the weekend.
Intense wheel-to-wheel action also took place in the Super Sporting Class endurance race as Mikey Jordan and Alain Gabriel Alzona faced off for third place. Jordan’s strong defense proved to be a challenge for Alzona, but Alzona would pull through after persistent overtake attempts.
Below is the full list of winners:
RACE 1: SPRINT RACE 1
| NOVICE CLASS | ||
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Luis Moreno | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippines Novice Team |
| 2 | Masando Hashimoto | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippines Novice Team |
| 3 | Pablo Salapantan | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippines Novice Team |
| LEGACY CLASS | ||
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Paolo Ang | R Racing – MADkart |
| 2 | Luigi Agustin Co | Gel Napat Racing – R Racing |
| 3 | JV Ejercito | Obengers Racing – Toyota Balintawak |
| SPORTING CLASS | ||
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Russel Reyes | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippines |
| 2 | Julia de los Angeles | Obengers Racing – Toyota Balintawak |
| 3 | Jesse Garcia | Obengers Racing – Toyota Balintawak |
| SUPER SPORTING CLASS | ||
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Maila Alivia | Toyota Isabela |
| 2 | Russel Cabrera | Toyota Team Cebu |
| 3 | Jarond Mesina | Dash Racing x Era Autosport |
RACE 2: SPRINT 2
| NOVICE CLASS | ||
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | John Rey San Diego | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippines Novice Team |
| 2 | Luis Moreno | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippines Novice Team |
| 3 | Masando Hashimoto | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippines Novice Team |
| LEGACY CLASS | ||
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Paolo Ang | R Racing – MADkart |
| 2 | Luigi Agustin Co | Gel Napat Racing – R Racing |
| 3 | Andre Rodrigues | Oyi Racing |
| SPORTING CLASS | ||
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Russel Reyes | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippines |
| 2 | Raymond Cudala | R Racing – MADkart |
| 3 | Mike Santos | R Racing – MADkart |
| SUPER SPORTING CLASS | ||
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Maila Alivia | Toyota Isabela |
| 2 | Alain Gabriel Alzona | Toyota General Santos – Smart Communications Racing |
| 3 | Russel Cabrera | Toyota Team Cebu |
RACE 3: ENDURANCE RACE 1
| NOVICE CLASS | ||
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Luis Moreno | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippines Novice Team |
| 2 | Masando Hashimoto | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippines Novice Team |
| 3 | John Rey San Diego | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippines Novice Team |
| SPORTING CLASS | ||
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Jesse Garcia | Obengers Racing – Toyota Balintawak |
| 2 | Julia de los Angeles | Obengers Racing – Toyota Balintawak |
| 3 | Raymond Cudala | R Racing – MADkart |
| SUPER SPORTING CLASS | ||
| Rank | Name | Team |
| 1 | Iñigo Anton | Obengers Racing – Toyota Balintawak |
| 2 | Russel Cabrera | Toyota Team Cebu |
| 3 | Alain Gabriel Alzona | Toyota General Santos – Smart Communications Racing |
CLUB RACE
| Winner | Class |
| Angelo Magtoto | GR Supra |
| Christopher Co | GR 86 |
| Miguel Antolin | GR Yaris |
“At TGR Philippines, we stay committed to our goal of growing an inclusive and exciting motorsports hub where we can all come together and celebrate our love for cars and motorsports. This year, we are celebrating 11 years of the TGR Philippine Cup, and it is our pride and honor to continue bringing you the thrill and joy that only TGR can bring!” shared TMP President Masando Hashimoto.
