Street fighters

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The Toyota Gazoo Racing PHL Cup gets closer to the fans with a road race

By Joyce Reyes-Aguila

TOYOTA MOTOR PHILIPPINES (TMP) pulled all the stops for the recent road race of the Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) Philippine Cup 2025. The second leg of the race season was held at the Villar City in Bacoor, Cavite and drew a total attendance exceeding 12,500 across the three-day event. This is the first street race for the grassroots racing series since 2018.

“It’s really a big success for Toyota,” TMP President Masando Hashimoto, who himself raced in the Novice Class, told members of the media and content creators at a press conference last May 24. He later shared on social media that the “screams and cheers from the grandstands were the loudest I have ever heard in my life. Many fans enjoyed the race… I am deeply honored and proud of this achievement.”

The positive public response aligns with the TGR Philippine Cup’s goal to “build the community,” according to TMP Marketing Sales Department Assistant Vice-President Andy Ty. “This is in line with our objectives to ultimately be the center of motorsports in the Philippines. We are making it relatable to our audience… and influencing the younger generation to enjoy watching motorsports and hopefully, to one day be a part of it.”

He continued, “In terms of some of the racers, what we also want to cultivate (the) racer journey. (If you) start from street racing, there are opportunities to go into real racing. And who knows how (their) careers may evolve from there? That’s something relatable also to the younger generation who want to build a career from this format with the expansion of opportunities,” he continued.

The second leg of the TGR Philippine Cup saw drivers compete in four categories: Super Sporting Class, Sporting Class, Legacy, and Novice Class. Mr. Hashimoto described the conditions as “tighter, narrower” and “more dangerous” compared to the challenges of the Clark International Speedway where the races are usually staged.

Day 3 of the competition saw the TMP president crash on the 10^th lap of Race 5. “At the (third) chicane exit, I misjudged my speed and handling, lost control, and collided with the central wall,” he narrated on the TMP President’s Office Facebook post. “My car flipped upside down and became immobilized. While the engine and tires sustained significant damage from the impact, the cabin remained intact and completely clear, allowing me to escape without even a scratch.”

Mr. Hashimoto added that his Vios “saved his life” and the incident allowed him to see “first-hand the wonderful fact that Toyota cars are safe, robust, and keep drivers protected.” He was medically cleared and was able to be part of the awarding ceremony — placing third among the Novice Class drivers.

He explained at the press conference that “one of the biggest reasons why we have been using the Vios, a national car in this country,” is to push the sport as something for everyone.

“I think the great thing about these grassroots events is that anyone, any owner, can join the race format,” he insisted. “Any car can be a candidate for a race. One of the big objectives of this motorsport is to promote grassroots culture, grassroots community unity in the motorsports industry.”

As for Toyota itself, the executive sees the series as the company’s way of demonstrating to people how it is developing cars from its participation in motorsports. Replying to a question from “Velocity,” Mr. Hashimoto insisted, “It’s also a very good way to develop talent. Everyone now knows that. Younger people are influenced and come to know that Toyota has such a racing form. We can have people who love cars. We can work with newcomers. We see many opportunities in many channels, like the race format: rally, drag race, circuit race, or street race. One way is a collaboration with other brands or other partners — there is maybe a possibility for us in building the community hub in the industry. We are having discussions with Mazda (and) Hyundai on so many fronts. One day, we want to have (a) joint project or event.”

Echoed Mr. Ty: “We’re really hoping to continue building a shared community among many brands. We announced this (event) two months ago and even to us, the question is ‘What in the world have we created here?’ We hope that (our customers and fans) got that same feeling when they entered the venue, when (they) saw the races, when (they) saw the action. We will continue to do this in the future. This is the future of Toyota Gazoo Racing.”

Round 3 of the TGR Philippine Cup will be back at the Clark International Speedway on Aug. 9. TMP also announced that its e-motorsports tournament will resume this year as well.