Toyota kicked off the 2019 Vios Racing Festival with its first ever autocross challenge
Photos by Javier Lobregat
April 30 was a special Sunday for motorsports enthusiasts as Toyota’s first Vios autocross challenge was held at the SM Mall of Asia grounds. The first ever autocross race proved to be a different kind of challenge for professional racers, celebrities, social media personalities, Toyota owners, and media representatives who all geared up for the competition.
With the goal to make the tournament more inclusive, the Japanese automaker company planned a slew of activities that include autocross races, interactive games for fans, and shotgun rides. And like the scorching weather that day, the competition was intense from the start.
The tournament was divided into three categories: The Celebrity Class, the Media Class for the media representatives, and the Social Media Personalities Class for the social media personalities.
All participants had to navigate through a short winding obstacle course with the aim of completing it in the shortest time possible. Two tracks were mirrored against each other filled with cones and barriers. Every barrier knocked down would result in a three-second penalty.
The Celebrity Class field consisted of Fabio Ide, Chie Filomeno, Gretchen Ho, Troy Montero, and Aubrey Miles alongside newbies Daniel Matsunaga and Gerald Anderson. While Matsunaga and Anderson put up a good fight, the more experienced celebrities, specifically Ide and Montero, went on to advance to the final round.
The race between Montero and Ide was the most exciting matchup. As soon as the two hit the track, Ide was ahead by a slight margin but unfortunately bumped a barrier towards the end. Montero, who was driving faster, overtook the Brazilian model and eventually came out victorious.
Montero bagged top honors after setting the record of the day with 1:10.36 against Ide’s 1:14.10. Iñigo Anton topped the Motul Car Club Class with 1:11.13 followed by Mickey Carbonell (1:12.23) and Daryl Brandy (1:12.47). Reph Bangsil led the Rota Influencers Class after finishing his round in 1:17.06 against Karl Gabriel (1:20.95) and Klea Pineda (1:23.17).
“Autocross is a bit different than racing,” says Ide. “I would tell people to try it because it’s a great experience. You get to experience driving the [Toyota Vios] in the track where it’s all cones and barriers. It’s fun and I think everyone should try it at least once.”
“Autocross is a bit different than racing,” says Fabio Ide. “I would tell people to try it because it’s a great experience. You get to experience driving the [Toyota Vios] in the track where it’s all cones and barriers”
The Toyota Vios autocross tournament was indeed a unique sight for the sporting scene in the country. Not only did the tournament give motorsports fans a day of exciting activities but also introduced the underrated sport to the country.
“I love how [Toyota] is doing this,” Ho says, after she showcased her best performance yet with a time of 1:14.77. “Although it’s difficult to get into this, [Toyota] is sponsoring a lot of people just to get their interest and their passion for the sport. It’s nice to be able to share that with other people.”
Thanks to the Toyota Vios Racing Festival, hundreds of Filipinos witnessed the country’s largest motorsport event. Suffice it to say that it was truly a meaningful day for the sporting scene of the country.
Next up for the Vios Racing Festival (VRF) tournament is the Circuit Challenge happening on June 8 at the Clark International Speedway. Admission is free.
For more updates about Toyota Autocross and Vios Circuit, visit the official Toyota website and Facebook page.
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nice car