Toyota returns to Clark for more inclusive Vios Racing Festival

MANILA, Philippines — Toyota Motor Philippines brought its premier motorsports program back to its roots at the Clark International Speedway in Pampanga, with the staging of the Vios Racing Festival last July 8.

The Vios Racing Festival saw veterans and new faces meeting from the tracks up to the podium. Celebrities, racing teams, car club members, Toyota owners and motoring media participated in two exciting formats: Autocross Challenge and Circuit Championship.

The Autocross Challenge is a timed competition where drivers navigate through an obstacle course one at a time. The Circuit Championship is the classic format where all drivers simultaneously compete against each other during laps—all using the One-Make Race edition of the All-New Toyota Vios.

The OMR Vios racecar has been modified for optimum handling and performance given the two different racing formats.

Satoru Suzuki, president of Toyota Motor Philippines, arrives at Clark in the all-new Toyota Supra, surprising everyone with the return of the Toyota sports car. He then leads the opening ceremony of the racing festival. Photo Release

“Today, we witness the first leg of the Vios Circuit Championship. This event will be the first time that the All-New Vios One Make Race model is going to be tested at the circuit tracks since its appearance as the official pace car in Filinvest, Alabang last 2018. I hope that you are all as thrilled as I am to see the All-New Vios in action,” said TMP President Satoru Suzuki in his opening speech.

The Vios Racing Festival also became the venue for car fans and motorsports enthusiasts to have a surprise sneak peek of the new Toyota Supra in action.

Suzuki personally drove the highly-anticipated Supra on the speedway to the delight of the event attendees.

“As our way of saying ‘thank you’ for coming all the way here at the Clark International Speedway, I am very honored to announce that you are now among the first in Southeast Asia to see the 2019 Toyota Supra in the metal,” said Suzuki.

This year, there are three categories for the Vios Circuit Championship: Sporting Class, Promotional Class, and Celebrity Class—participated in by a total of 22 racers.

For the Celebrity Class, fans and spectators saw Vios endorser Gerald Anderson racing with Chie Filomeno, Gretchen Ho, Daniel Matsunaga, Aubrey Miles, and Troy Montero. Former celebrity racer Fabio Ide advanced to the Promotional Class.

For the Autocross Challenge, TMP continued its push for a more inclusive and accessible motorsports program by inviting Toyota owners—even those with no prior racing experience—to join via a Facebook online contest. Fifty winners were given a chance to experience the power and performance of the OMR Vios.

Just like Toyota’s past racing programs, the Vios Racing Festival is open to everyone who wants to watch the races and join the side activities, with no admission fee.

The Vios Racing Festival will return to the Clark International Speedway for the second and third leg of the Circuit Championship in August and November, respectively.

For more updates on Toyota events, visit TMP’s official website at www.toyota.com.ph and follow the official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ToyotaMotorPhilippines.