Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) roared into the 2025 motorsport season with an action-packed opening weekend of the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR) Philippine Cup, showcasing speed, skill, and camaraderie among racing veterans, newcomers, and car enthusiasts.

Held on 29 March, the event opened with familiar names taking the lead across different categories. Racing veteran Maila Alivia took an early lead in the Super Sporting Class, while Jesse Garcia topped the Sporting Class standings. Meanwhile, Luis Moreno, a sim racer and Vios Cup Autocross Challenge graduate, surged to the front in the Novice Class.

Former Vios Cup competitors returned to the track in the Legacy Class sprint races, including Senator JV Ejercito, a 2017 Vios Cup race winner, and Paolo Ang, a two-time runner-up in the Sporting Class.

A new addition this season was the Club Race, where members of GR car clubs raced for the first time in the series’ history — bringing Toyota’s “thrill and joy” philosophy to a wider community of fans. GR performance and Lexus car owners also joined the Track Day, showcasing their rides and testing their capabilities on the circuit.

Off the track, fans flocked to the activity zone for prizes, remote-control car challenges, sim racing experiences, and diecast collectible merchandise. Toyota also displayed its latest GR lineup and Lexus F SPORT series, drawing crowds for up-close encounters with the cars.

The heart of the weekend remained the circuit sprint and endurance races. Sprint Race 2 featured a reverse grid rule, amping up the competition. For the Novice Class, the top four from Sprint Race 1 were reversed, placing John Rey San Diego in pole position. Meanwhile, the Legacy, Sporting, and Super Sporting classes reversed their entire grids, putting Oliver Estrella, Mike Santos, and Iñigo Anton in their respective poles.

However, car trouble pushed Estrella to the back, allowing Paolo Ang to seize the lead in the Legacy Class. In the Sporting Class, former novice Russel Reyes clinched his second sprint win of the season.

In the Super Sporting Class, Maila Alivia continued her dominant form, sweeping both sprint races and securing a top-five finish in the endurance race, further cementing her status as a title contender.