The 2026 motorsports season roars to life as the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippine Cup opens with a high-octane street race in Riverpark, Cavite, marking the official circuit debut of the all-new Tamaraw OMR. The opening race weekend runs from March 13 to 15, with free admission for fans.
Now in its 12th year, the country’s premier one-make racing series continues its mission of bringing motorsports closer to Filipinos. Organized by Toyota Motor Philippines, the TGR Philippine Cup has steadily grown into a full-scale festival of speed, drawing more than 12,000 spectators last season when the races took over Bacoor, Cavite with competitive on-track action, car displays, and live entertainment.
This year’s opener raises the stakes with the addition of the Next Generation Tamaraw OMR to the grid, joining the familiar Vios OMR. Built as a same-spec race car, the Tamaraw OMR will headline Sprint Races under a new Tamaraw Racing Class, putting driver skill and racecraft squarely in the spotlight.
First teased as the Tamaraw Racing Concept, the new platform has undergone months of on-track development and testing. In February, Toyota Motor Philippines made the Tamaraw Race Car Package available to private racers and teams, paving the way for its competitive debut on the streets of Cavite.
Leading the Tamaraw Racing Class for Team TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippines is TMP president Masando Hashimoto, joined by new faces Chenee Jimenez, Alex Lim also known as Banaweboy, Justin Buzzhype, Enzo Ison, and Will Lucas. They will be challenged by experienced competitors and former Vios Cup champions from rival teams, including Iñigo Anton, Dominic Ochoa, Alain Alzona, and Jesse Garcia.
The Vios OMR remains a centerpiece of the series, with the Sporting, Super Sporting, and Legacy Classes returning for Sprint Race action. A 30-driver grid is expected to battle wheel-to-wheel across the tight and technical 2.4-kilometer street circuit at Riverpark, a Federal Land community in General Trias, Cavite, just around 35 minutes from Metro Manila.
Beyond the racing, the event doubles as a showcase for Toyota’s performance and future lineup, featuring GR models, select Lexus vehicles, and upcoming releases such as the RAV4 and Urban Cruiser. Fans can also try their hand at sim racing through the e-Motorsports display, shop official GR merchandise, and watch Toyota car club members take part in an exclusive track day on the same street circuit.
“It will be another thrilling year as we kick off a GRipping and GRitty season of the TGR Philippine Cup. By adding new playgrounds in Cavite and Batangas, it will surely make the hearts of all motorsports fans race. I recently tried out the Tamaraw OMR in a drift track in Pampanga and it really made me wow. I cannot wait for more people to experience what this car can do when pushed to its limits,” Hashimoto said.
Free event passes are available at tgrphcup.com. Race Weekend 1 will be streamed live starting at 9:00 a.m. on the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippines Facebook and YouTube pages.
The TGR Philippine Cup is supported by GT Radial as official tire partner and Petron as official fuel and lubricants partner, in cooperation with MOMO Italy, ROTA, Toyota Financial Services Philippines, Autoplus, Sparco Philippines, and PIAA, with additional support from 3M, AVT, QUAD, Tuason Racing Sports Unlimited, Brakes by AutoPerformance, OMP, myToyota Wallet, Kinto One, and AutoQuix.
More updates on the TGR Philippine Cup and other events are available on TOYOTA GAZOO Racing and Toyota Motor Philippines’ official social media channels.
