The top 10 Sporting Class and top 10 Junior Class qualifiers will race on September 27 at SMX Convention Center Manila for cash prizes and Team Philippines slots.
Twenty sim racers have advanced to the 2026 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippines Esports GT Championship National Finals, set for September 27, 2026, at the SMX Convention Center Manila in Pasay City.
More than 400 participants from across the country joined this season’s qualifiers, setting their fastest laps around Laguna Seca using a stock Toyota GR 86 in Gran Turismo. The final field consists of the top 10 drivers from the Sporting Class and the top 10 from the Junior Class.
Sporting Class qualifiers
Russel Reyes topped the Sporting Class qualifying times with a 1:40.258 lap, followed by Luis Antonio Moreno at 1:40.862 and Russo Gabriel Formoso at 1:40.869.
The rest of the Sporting Class field includes Corwin Josiah Mercado, Michael Vincent Velasquez, James Patrick Lopez, Victor Lorenzo Ancheta, Arlie Jophen Matubis, Stanley Golez, and Kendrick Asensi.
Junior Class qualifiers
Enzo Ison led the Junior Class with a 1:40.751 qualifying lap.
He is joined by Zeph Marcelo, Alanzo Matteo Gonzaga, Chester Jordan Ilog, Luth Ifamy, Reign Alojado, Theo Gabriel Pangan, Jo Hashimoto, Prince Von Erico Contreras, and Samuel Rey Icalia.
PHP100,000 and Asia Finals slots at stake
The champion of each class will receive PHP100,000 and a guaranteed slot in the Asia Finals as part of Team Philippines.
Each runner-up will receive PHP75,000 and remain in contention for the third and final Team Philippines slot. That last place will go to whichever runner-up finishes the National Finals with the higher number of points.
The series also serves as a bridge between sim racing and actual motorsport, with competition winners given pathways into Toyota Motor Philippines’ premier racing series, the TGR Philippine Cup, formerly known as the Vios Cup.
More than just the competition
The National Finals will be free and open to the public.
Fans can try public sim racing rigs and see displays of the GR Yaris, GR Corolla, GR 86, and Tamaraw one-make-race car. A new GR merchandise lineup will also be available during the event.
“The esports community has grown a lot since last season, when we only had 250 participants for the qualifiers,” said Elijah Marcial, first vice president for vehicle sales operations at Toyota Motor Philippines.
“We are thrilled to see that there are more people getting into motorsports through sim racing, and we look forward to finding out who will be coming out on top at the National Finals.”
Marcial also highlighted the Junior Category as an important part of the program, giving younger racers a way to develop their skills, gain competitive experience, and pursue motorsports earlier.
The National Finals will also be livestreamed through the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippines Facebook Page.