Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) concluded the 2019 season of the Toyota Vios Racing Festival last November 9 at the Clark International Speedway. Over 70 drivers competed in the Circuit Race and Autocross Challenge.
The 2019 Toyota Vios Racing Festival marks the sixth year of the series in the country. The addition of the Autocross Challenge for this season transformed the event into a more inclusive and accessible race by opening slots for more car club members, motoring journalists, social media personalities, and even regular drivers or Toyota fans who joined TMP’s social media contests.
“Toyota appreciates your heartfelt support over the course of the Vios Racing Festival. Together, we all contribute to the growth of motorsports in the Philippines, and we’ll continue to do so for more years to come,” said TMP President Satoru Suzuki during the race’s opening ceremonies attended by the race participants and spectators.
It was the series front-runners who once again delivered podium finishes, but there were also surprise podium finishers such as Celebrity racer Gerald Anderson who bagged two podium finishes on Saturday.
Race one saw husband and wife tandem Troy Montero and Aubrey Miles finish first and second in the Celebrity class followed by TV Personality and former Volleyball superstar Grethen Ho in third. For the Promotional Class, it was Francis Adriano who finished first with Darrel Garbes and Julian Tang following in second and third. It was John Dizon who top the Sporting class in the first race, he is followed by Marc Soong and Red Diwa in second and third.
Race two saw a repeat from the Monteros as the duo once again took first and second. This time it was Actor Gerald Anderson who finished third, earning his first podium of the season. The Promotional class was also the same with Adriano taking top spot and Garbes finishing behind him, but girl power prevailed as Elysse Menorca ended the race in the third spot. The Sporting Class was a showdown between the competitors, but it was Lord Sena who stood on top with Marc Soong defending his second place and Gel Napat finishing third.
The last race was the most exciting as racers tried to finish the season on top. Troy Montero still reigned in the Celebrity class but it was Gerald Anderson who finished second and Actor Model Daniel Matsunaga rounding out the final Celebrity race podium of the season. The Promotional class saw Tang finish first with Menorca successfully repeating in second, Ian Rosales rounded out the last podium for the Promotional class. John Dizon was the final first placers in the Sporting class, he is followed by Red Diwa in second and Eggy Ong in third.
For the final Autocross Challenge, it was Vince Vandorpe who topped the Social Media Personalities, he is followed by Jun Sunga and Reph Bangsil. For the media, it was Anjo Perez who placed first with Jose Luis Altoveros and Raymund Figuerres rounding out the podium.
Lastly, it was the prodigy Carlos Iñigo Anton who placed first in the Car Clubs and followed by Sean Kody Ng at second and Mickie Carbonell at third.
The overall winners of the TMP Vios Racing Festival will be announced later this month in an awarding night.