Toyota Motor : Philippines celebrates love for cars with fans at its GAZOO Racing Festival

Legends on and off the track

Another highlight of the event were the performances of Japanese champion racers from the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing team Norihiko Katsuta and Masahiro Sasaki who were both present for the course of the two-day TGR Festival 2023. They brought along their legendary race cars Toyota WRC Yaris and Red Bull GR Corolla which conquered the rally courses of global racing events.

The transformation of the GR Yaris from the Toyota WRC Yaris led by Morizo was a remarkable feat. The Red Bull GR Corolla, on the other hand, also has a memorable page in history being remembered as the car that powered Calle Rovampella to victory in the Formula Drift Japan competition.

Of course, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing would not be complete without the participation of the country's home-grown Filipino star racers! Local racing stars Alex Perez, Luis Gono, Marlon Stockinger, and celebrity-racer Ryan Agoncillo participated in the event with TGR performance cars such as the GR Supra, GR Yaris, and GR 86. Japanese and Filipino drivers joined together as well in Gymkhana Driving Challenge with Marlon Stockinger being declared as Day 1's overall winner.

"It's loud, it's crazy, a lot of tire burning, the smells―you just feel like you're at the race track, even if we're here at Quirino Grandstand," Stockinger said.

Local racers owned the track too and ultimately showcased a clash of skills for one of the most-awaited highlights of the event―Gymkhana Time Attack and Drifting Competition. The Gymkhana Time Attack tested the competitors' agility and precision where they navigated a maze of cones and figure eights with finesse. After a fierce battle, the following winners emerged: For Day 1, the winners of the Gymkhana time attack were: Angelo Magtoto―1st place, Jason Chuang―2nd place, and Christopher Co―3rd place. For Day 2, John Erik Barrera was 1st place, Mickey Carbonell―2nd place and Matt Frederic See―3rd place for the first batch. Second batch was Andre Tan―1st place, Russel Cabrera―2nd place and Makol Pasumbal―3rd place.

In the Drifting Competition, local racers had spectators on the edge of their seats as they unleashed their horsepower and slides. Ultimately, the following took the trophies in the Drifting Competition for Day 1: Hans Jimenez―1st place, Paolo Agregado―2nd place, and Bryan Revilla―3rd place. Winners may have left tire marks on the battleground, but will for sure make an unforgettable impact on the crowd.