BATANGAS, Philippines (Aug 2026) : A multi-car collision less than 10 seconds into lights out set a wild, heart-pumping tone for the third leg of the 2026 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippine Cup.
For the first time in its 13-year history, the championship landed at the iconic Batangas Racing Circuit. The move proved to be an intense test for both drivers and machines, delivering relentless action across all race classes.
Pure chaos from the opening light
Pinoy racing fans did not have to wait long for the drama. The mixed Sporting and Super Sporting Class Sprint Race 8 opened with a massive multi-car pileup just seconds after the start. Driver Julia de los Angeles spun out across the asphalt, ending her run early.
Navigating through the wreckage, Red Diwa snatched the lead in the Super Sporting Class and held it all the way to the finish line. Joaquin Garrido secured second place, while Alain Alzona took third.
Alzona went on to dominate the weekend with two first-place finishes in three Super Sporting Class sprints. His standout moment came in Sprint Race 9, where he executed a clean pass on Michael Bryan Co right before the first turn to seal the victory.
High-stakes drama in the Tamaraw Class
The excitement continued into the Tamaraw Class Sprint Race 9. TGR driver Enzo Ison, driving with debris hanging off his vehicle, collided with teammate Will Lucas and spun out of control. The incident also swept up Jesse Garcia, winner of Sprint Race 7, and Russel Reyes.
Raymond Cudala seized an early lead in the same race to grab victory, while Iñigo Anton and Oliver Aquino fought hard to complete the podium.
Testing greener fuels on the track
Beyond the tight turns and wheel-to-wheel battles, the event double-hatted as a rolling laboratory for sustainable motorsports. The Vios one-make race cars ran on an E20 bio-ethanol blend, while the Tamaraw OMR vehicles pushed performance boundaries using a B5 coco-biodiesel blend.
TMP President Masando Hashimoto called the venue a fitting battleground for the series. He noted that the 30-year-old Batangas Racing Circuit remains a true racer track: fast, technical, and relentlessly demanding.
The season finale of the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Philippine Cup heads to the Clark International Speedway on September 10 to 12.
