Twenty sim racers will compete for national honors when Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) stages the 2026 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippines Esports GT Championship National Finals on 27 September at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

The finalists are split between the Sporting and Junior classes, with 10 competitors in each category. They emerged from a field of more than 400 participants who joined the qualifying round this season.

Qualifying drivers recorded their fastest laps around the Laguna Seca circuit in Gran Turismo using a stock Toyota GR 86. The turnout was also higher than last season, when the tournament drew about 250 participants.

Sporting Class qualifier Russel Reyes posted the fastest time in his division at 1 minute and 40.258 seconds. He will be joined in the final by Luis Antonio Moreno, Russo Gabriel Formoso, Corwin Josiah Mercado, Michael Vincent Velasquez, James Patrick Lopez, Victor Lorenzo Ancheta, Arlie Jophen Matubis, Stanley Golez and Kendrick Asensi.

Enzo Ison led the Junior Class qualifiers with a time of 1 minute and 40.751 seconds. The rest of the Junior finalists are 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.

The championship has been held since 2020 and was previously known as the GR GT Cup. Competitors race against one another through Gran Turismo, while top performers also get opportunities to compete outside the virtual circuit.

Toyota has used the series as one of its entry points for young and aspiring racers. Winners can eventually move into the company’s TGR Philippine Cup, which was previously known as the Vios Cup.

Each class champion in this year’s National Finals will receive P100,000 and a slot in the Asia Finals as part of Team Philippines. The runner-up in each class will receive P75,000.

One more Team Philippines slot will be available to the runner-up who finishes the National Finals with the higher points total.

“The esports community has grown a lot since last season, when we only had 250 participants for the qualifiers. 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,” shared first vice president for Vehicle Sales Operations Elijah Marcial.

“We are especially encouraged by the strong participation in our Junior Category, which plays a vital role in our esports program by giving young racers an avenue to develop their skills, gain competitive experience, and pursue their passion for motorsports from an early age. Through initiatives like this, we hope to continue nurturing the next generation of Filipino racing talent,” Marcial added.

The 27 September event will be held at Function Room 1 on the second floor of the SMX Convention Center. Admission is free.

Visitors will also be able to try public sim racing rigs during the event. Toyota will display several vehicles, including the GR Yaris, GR Corolla and GR 86. The Tamaraw one-make race car will also be on display.

The National Finals will be livestreamed through the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippines Facebook page for viewers who cannot attend the event in Pasay.