One of the biggest changes was the removal of the AutoCross Challenge for celebrities, media, and influencers. Those who ranked high at last year’s challenge were invited for this year’s new Novice Class. Instead of turning around cones, they now joined the Sprint Races on the full circuit of Clark International Speedway; even Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) President Masando Hashimoto joined the fun in the Novice Class.

“In the previous years we have seen how the media and KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) have improved their skill level in AutoCross. We thought it was time for them to graduate, so to speak, so we presented them with an opportunity to elevate and enter the circuit racing. Thus, we created the Novice Class,” said Elvin Luciano, VP of Marketing for Toyota Motor Philippines.

The new class will also serve as the entry point for other aspiring racers. One of the most interesting drivers this year is Russel Reyes who is the overall winner in last year’s TGR GT Cup which is a sim-racing tournament. The new TGR Philippine Cup served as his first race series and ended the first leg consistently on the podium. He was second place in Sprint 1 but got first place in Sprint 2 and the Endurance Race.

It’s not a dead end either, as ranking high in your class can get you promoted, as seen with Troy Montero. He started under the Celebrity Class of the Vios Cup years ago. Over time, he was promoted to Promotional, Sporting, and in the first TGR Philippine Cup, he finally raced under the Super Sporting Class.

Races were also kept exciting by merging classes together. The Sprint Races were done by two with the Promotional and Novice classes paired together, as well as the Sporting and Super Sporting classes. Making things extra spicy, in the Endurance Race, all four classes were put together—rain or shine (it rained during the first leg).

There were also other activities for the fans. Some Toyota car club members were able to take their personal cars to the track for a few minutes, while others were able to have a shotgun ride in the drift exhibition. GR-badged Toyota cars were also displayed and test drives with the Rush GR-S, Yaris Cross HEV, and Corolla Cross GR-S were also available. The tent also featured wholesome activities with exciting prizes and discounts, a sim racing booth, and a live band performance as well later in the day.

“No definite plans yet but we’re setting our sights on events outside of the race circuit. Like perhaps, maybe we can try our hands on rally, then maybe start or professionalize the drifting competitions.” Luciano also added that even drag racing is being studied but again, all of these aren’t concrete plans yet.

The AutoCross is also still on the table according to Elvin. “The plan is to bring something similar to more locations. For example, the AutoCross can be held in Manila or in different key cities. The AutoCross can possibly become a separate event along with other GR driving activities.”