By the Inquirer Motoring Staff
The Toyota Gazoo Racing Vios Cup is all about two days loaded with nothing but a display of intense racing adrenaline and the showcase of raw driving skills only the event can offer. From the press box, here are some interesting highlights and sidelights of the just-concluded opening leg of the TGR Vios Cup at the Clark Speedway in Pampanga.
Team Cebu’s Ian Rosales was a big revelation as he podiumed in all of his three races. He bagged second in Race 1, won Race 2 and placed third in Race 3. His teammate, Alan Palacios, got two podiums, finishing second in both Races 2 and 3. Unfortunately, Team Cebu’s drivers could have scored a perfect record but a podium slipped on Lord Seno as Daryl deLeon edged him out for third place in Race 3 of the Super Sporting Class.
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There was a close battle between Iñigo Anton and John Dizon in Super Sporting Class in Races 1 and 3. Even with success ballast, Dizon still took the pole position while Iñigo got penalized for exceeding track limits. There was also an incident between Bryan Co and Red Diwa in Race 3, causing Co to be taken out of the race. Due to unsportsmanlike driving, Co was given minus 3 points from his championship points. And minus -4 points from championship points for Diwa due to overtaking under yellow flag.
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Celebrity driver Troy Montero chalked up a rousing win in Race 3 of the Super Sporting Class after being promoted from promotional where he had been a dominating force in previous editions. Montero taking one race from the fancied names just proves that drivers coming from the lower classes are dead serious in challenging the top guns in the centerpiece category.
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The Toyota Gazoo Racing Gran Turismo Cup National Finals was held alongside the Vios Cup. The Sporting Class finalists were invited to participate in the Autocross Challenge as part of Vios Cup’s Grassroots program ladder. Coming from SIM racing to experience real life motorsports, the GR GT Cup boys posted the fastest times of the day among all the Autocross Challenge competitors. Russel Reyes emerged the winner with a 40.1 and who knows, may see himself driving one of the Vios cars in the next race soon.
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Team mechanics found a unique way to recover and repair the car of Miguel Quinones that went head-on into the tire barriers. They discovered a welding machine that the construction workers were using to build the new garages at the back of the Clark Speedway grandstand to get the car ready and racing again. Truly, DNF was not an option.
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The race was broadcasted on a huge LED screen in the Trade Hall. During the Race 4 of the Sporting Class, the crowd went wild watching the close battle between Iñigo Anton and John Dizon. After the race, the crowd applauded the drivers for their performance. Talk about an appreciative gallery who gets so involved in a race.
Motorsports is, indeed, alive and well in the local scene.
