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Ronald Rey M. de los Reyes

Luis Moreno is first Filipino sim-racer to qualify for Toyota’s Gazoo Racing GT Cup Global Finals in Barcelona, Spain

Toyota’s Gazoo Racing GT Cup Asia played out in exciting fashion in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia over the weekend and when the smoke of the battle cleared, Filipino entry Luis Moreno found himself making history by clinching one of the two Asian spots in the GR GT Cup Global Finals.

The much-anticipated e-motorsports event pitted the best players from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, with the bold and talented sim-racers, Indon Andika Rama and Moreno coming out on top of cutthroat virtual competition.

Indonesia’s Andika Rama outclassed everyone on the virtual grid garnering a total of 65 points all throughout the competition. At first, Rama paced himself in the beginning of the first races, placing 4th and 5th, respectively. He, however, slingshot to pole position in Race 3 amid harsh track weather. Moreno, followed behind the Indonesian with 52 points. Similarly, he started slowly, yet in a steady manner, respectively securing 6th and 4th places in the earlier races. He then mustered his strength and found his momentum boldly claiming the pole position in the qualifying round of Race 3 before keeping a safe podium spot at the finish. Singapore’s Fadtris Isa finished third with 49 points.

Moreno is the first Filipino ever to qualify for the Global Finals slated for November in Barcelona, Spain.

Unlike in previous years, this year’s GT Cup Asia had a different format wherein all regional finalists got to participate in all of the three races on Playstation’s Gran Turismo 7.

The first race was set on Mount Panorama with GT Supra Gr4 cars, starting with a five-minute time attack as a qualifying round to determine grid positions. This was followed by a 15-minute race. Next, the race was played on the Tokyo Expressway – East Clockwise track with Race 1’s grid positions being reversed, this time, using GR Corolla cars over a 25-minute race duration. Then, the third and final race was played on the legendary Spa Francorchamps racetrack with GR010 Hybrid Hypercars, once again, with the same race format. This time, however, the race was longer by about 10 minutes amid a grueling weather.

The championship was determined from cumulative points earned through finishing positions in all three races: The first five positions in qualifying rounds, and bonus points for the fastest laps in each of the three races.

Rama then shared, “I knew that my pace in the final race was not as good as Luis and Dhanesh, so even though it started to rain, the wetness on track was low, I gambled on another two laps with hard tires while everyone went to pit. I tried to manage my pace after pitting, and it paid off.”

“I look forward to racing with Luis at the Global Finals against our Italian and Japanese peers,” he added.

Other than the revised race format, what’s new this Season 4 of the GR GT Cup Asia was Toyota’s commitment in making e-motorsports more accessible across generations. Fans and participants alike were treated to a visual feast of fascinating livery designs inspired by each participating country’s national colors.

Filipino sim pride

“It is with great pride and joy that we congratulate Luis Moreno for his breathtaking second place finish at the TGR GT Cup Asia, earning for the Philippines one of the two Asian spots in the GR GT Cup Global Finals,” said Danny Cruz, TMP first vice president for vehicle sales operations.

“This is truly an unforgettable milestone for the Toyota Gazoo Racing Philippines family that have always championed Filipinos’ world-class skills and passion for e-motorsports.”

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For him, Luis, together with his teammates, Russel Reyes and Matthew Ang, has been great examples of the amazing local sim-racing talent.

“We look forward to seeing them achieve greater things in the future, especially Luis who has our full support as he carries our flag in the world finals in Barcelona this November,” Cruz concluded.

Here, prizes were also granted to the top three racers. Andika Rama earned $6,000 while Luis Moreno earned $3,000 and Fadtris Isa earned $1,500.

Toyota Motor Asia Pacific General Manager, Jaja Ishibashi, said, “We are thrilled to see strong, continued support for the fourth edition of the Gazoo Racing GT Cup Asia. All racers displayed exceptional skills that were spectacularly demonstrated, even across the various racing conditions.”

“We hope that GR Asia brought a thrilling evening of entertainment to E-motorsports fans around the region, particularly with our all-new race format and colorful livery designs displayed throughout the competition,” he continued.

“My heartiest congratulations to all racers for putting up a wonderful race today, and all the best to Andika Rama and Luis Moreno for the upcoming Global Finals.”