Exciting races mark TGR Philippine Cup season-opener at River Park
True power comes from an indomitable spirit, enduring the odds and persevering despite all things stacked against you. A man, able to wield this, inspires action, self-belief, and the determination to overcome adversity through sheer willpower.
Such great tales we frequently learn from history, or from sports, wherein athletes, our own modern-day gladiators, or so-called “heroes”, time and time again subjugate themselves to a ‘pressure cooker’, their own kind of colosseum, wherein the victors are able to immortalize themselves through records, titles and accolades.
One such “colosseum” was the recently-concluded Race Weekend 1 of the 2026 Toyota Gazoo Racing Philippine Cup held at Riverpark in General Trias, Cavite, and their battleground—the 2.5-km makeshift track, consisting of a total of 11 turns, three hairpins and one chicane.
Toyota Motor Philippines president Masando Hashimoto, who was also racing in the Tamaraw Cup debut this past weekend, said prior the actual competitions that the races will again be “gripping” and truly exhilarating as they kick it off with another street race.
Taking center stage this 2026 season is the unprecedented exciting debut of the Tamaraw Cup. Expectations were at the ceiling as former Vios Cup champions bannered the said class. Racing prodigies, such as Iñigo Anton, Alain Alzona, Jesse Garcia, along with celebrity-racer Dominic Ochoa, were set to premiere in the historic debut. And true enough, they did not disappoint–even despite having zero experience in “racing pickup trucks”.
Taking helm of two of the three sprint races during the weekend is young race prodigy, Iñigo Anton, son of legendary racer, Carlos Anton and a native of Baguio City, starting his racing career at the tender age of 8. With a decorated career in slalom, karting and touring cars both here and abroad, he eventually became a multiple TGR Philippine Cup Super Sporting champion under the banner of the Obengers Racing Team.
“This is the first time I’ve ever driven pickup trucks. And to be able to race it for the first time, it’s such an incredible thing to experience going into this,” said the 22-year-old young gun.
He also shared that he was awe-inspired by how these pickup trucks performed, knowing that they are 600 kilos heavier than the Toyota Vios.
“We’ve been pleasantly surprised with how it handles. It shows that these Filipino-made cars can also compete on the racetrack. So, really happy to be able to be the one of the first drivers to ever experience this batch of race cars,” he continued.
Another young gun, veteran racer Alain Alzona, who captured podium spots on both the Tamaraw Class and the Super Sporting Class of the Toyota Vios, was also out there with guns blazing.
“It’s really competitive out there and with the street race, it all the more makes it more exciting,” the racer from General Santos City divulged.
“It was challenging for me since I had to do both classes. It takes a lot of effort to adjust to two different platforms. But I’m always ready for anything.”
The determined Mindanao native also vowed to challenge himself to do better in the next rounds of the season.
Strong-’Will’ed newcomer
Another interesting part of Race Weekend One is the race debut of newcomer, Will Lucas, who likewise raced in the Tamaraw Class.
The 22-year-old multimedia arts third-year college student, who has been racing for about four years now topped the Sprint Race 2 during the weekend.
“It was one helluva race. I was screaming at the top of my lungs when I crossed the finish line,” Lucas imparted in an exclusive interview with the Inquirer Motoring.
He also shared that being part of the first batch of Tamaraw racers has been a privilege since the screening process for the exclusive contingent has been very stringent.
“It was a cutthroat tryout since all of those racers were very talented. They were champions from various events in the local racing scene. And it wasn’t that easy. I’m so thankful to Toyota Motor Philippines for this.”
