Grand finale! 2023 Toyota GAZOO Racing Vios Cup caps off with Grand Prix endurance race on Nov. 11

The Toyota GAZOO Racing (TGR) Vios Cup is holding its final leg of the season on Nov. 11, 2023 at the Clark International Speedway.

Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) said in a November 2023 press statement that the highlight of the day would be the first-ever Grand Prix, which is a one-and-a-half-hour endurance race where drivers are ranked according to who finishes the most number of laps.

Unlike sprint races, which are focused on staying ahead of the pack in 10 to 12 laps, endurance racing is a test of the stamina of the driver and the vehicle. In other words, drivers and teams need to plan very well to factor in fuel consumption and the wear to the brake pads and tires.

All the drivers use the same Toyota Vios Cup Car, which is fully prepared by engineers of Toyota’s motorsport arm GAZOO Racing.

It is powered by a 1.5-liter, twin-cam, 16-valve inline-4 gasoline engine and comes with a full roll cage, bucket seat, racing harness, and other gear to keep drivers safe in high-speed driving.

TMP said 30 Circuit Championship racers across three classes – Super Sporting, Sporting and Promotional – will be on the grid at the same time and will each have a mandatory pitstop.

The TGR Vios Cup Grand Prix will also be a huge boost to them because it will give double the points for the championship title.

Admission is free at the TGR Vios Cup, with the fun starting at 9:30 a.m.

Huge grid

In the Super Sporting class of the Circuit Championship, racing stars Red Diwa, Lord Seno, Joaquin Garrido, Gerard Loy, Troy Montero, John Dizon, Bryan Co, Royce Sarmiento, Ian Rosales and season newcomer Jacob Ang will be at the helm of the fastest Vios Cup Cars in the series. 

Meanwhile, a mix of professional and neophyte racers will join the Sporting class, namely Alan Palacios, Russel Cabrera, Michael Keilani Jordan, Jay Lai, Bern Corpino, Marky Young and Maila Alivia. 

In addition, father and son tandem Darrell Garbes and Jiro Garbes, along with Golden Wheel Awards Foundation Driver of the Year Miguel Quiñones, will also run this race. 

And in the Promotional class are Jarond Mesina, Alain Alzona, Bong Garbes, Paolo Ayo, Chris Gleeson, Rich Lim and Paul Ang. Celebrities Enzo Pineda and Ryan Agoncillo will also join in the fun with Julia Delos Angeles, who started her Vios Cup journey at just 16 years old. 

Vios Autocross and exhibitions

In the equally exciting Vios Autocross Challenge, crowd favorites Macoy Dubs, Megan Young and Benedict Cua are back to put plenty of fun in the competition

They will be joined by a diverse mix of racers, comprised of Ezra Domingo, Genesis Redido, Apple David, Arianne Bautista, Reph Bangsil, Migy Romulo, Bianca Yao, Carla Lizardo and Lexi Mendiola. 

Aside from the Circuit Championship and Autocross Challenge, this leg will also start with a drifting exhibition featuring TGR Team’s Ryan Agoncillo and veteran Filipino racers Luis Gono and Alex Perez. 

In addition, TGR Vios Cup media class alumni Jamil Lacuna of AutoIndustriya.com and Pablo Salapantan of YugaAuto will be back on the track in an exhibition Autocross Challenge with another former media class champion, Jose Altoveros. 

TMP said visitors can also check out the GR-S lineup featuring the Toyota Fortuner GR-S and the Toyota Rush GR-S, which will be displayed in the TGR Vios Cup 2023 activity area. 

Sponsors also prepared different games and activities for the audience to enjoy. And, wrapping off the heart-pumping day is up-and-coming indie band Sunkissed Lola, which will perform and set the mood for the racers and audience at the speedway.

Are you excited for Toyota Motor Philippines’ big race weekend?

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