TOYOTA Motor Philippines (TMP) started the fun last year with the first-ever Vios Cup race, which is designed for first-time racers, who want to compete and hone their racing skills at a professional level. For 2015, the event became even more exciting when it continued at the Clark International Speedway in Pampanga, where almost 5,000 spectators from all over the country gathered to see action at the first leg.
Considered as the largest motorsports event in the Philippine automotive industry, this Waku-Doki experience drew more cars to the grid compared to last year’s edition with 41 adrenaline-pumped, race-ready participants. “This year becomes even more exciting. So, better watch out,” TMP President Michinobu Sugata said.
Starry-eyed spectators saw the likes of celebrity race newcomers Derek Ramsay, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Kylie Padilla and Joyce Pring compete in their first race in the 2015 Vios Cup. Returning with them this season were other Vios Cup celebrity drivers, 2014 Season Champion Sam YG, Phoemela Baranda, Rhian Ramos and Jinno Rufino. Dealers and individual teams entered personalities, like Dominic Ochoa, Pauland Dumlao, JV Ejercito and Andres Calma. Moreover, in the first race of the motorsports event—the president of TMP himself, Sugata, competed wheel-to-wheel with the other racers. 2014 Vios Cup champion Luis Gono, meanwhile, is bent on defending his title. “I’m ready for this year,” the young driver affirmed. “This will be an exciting race for everyone with new faces and old rivals on the grid.”
Race 1 of the 2015 Vios Cup was divided into the Sporting Class and the Promotional Group with two race heats per category.
The division of racers was based on each driver’s performance during the qualifying time trials. Celebrity racer Baranda emerged as the winner in the first heat of the Promotional Group, which was composed of celebrities and other individual teams and dealers. Meanwhile, Miguel Diaz from Toyota Alabang Motorsports took victory in the second heat.
In the same group, the Celebrity subcategory was clearly dominated by DJ Sam YG. As for the Sporting Class, Estefano Rivera, racing for Toyota Alabang Motorsports, and 2014 Vios Cup Champion, Pauland Dumlao from Team Toyota San Fernando, won in heats 1 and 2, respectively. Gono, meanwhile, struggled early and had to settle for a low position in the standings.
Aside from the two race heats, TMP also organized other side activities such as an exclusive exhibition by Drift King Keiichi Tsuchiya. The Japanese underground legend was also one of the judges in the drifting competition. Expect to see more intense racing action in Leg 2 scheduled for this May.