From Clark to Suzuka

Engines roaring to life. The smell of burning tires wafting through the air. Cars hurtling at dizzying speeds. Fans jumping and thumping in wild surrender. And then – the deafening sound of it all.

I had the chance to cover two motorsports events over the past several weeks and both were filled with adrenaline, action and suspended bliss, not to mention a mammoth crowd of enthusiasts and fans alike.

The two races were the Toyota Gazoo Racing Philippine Cup (TGR Philippine Cup), which was previously known as the TGR Vios Cup, and the 2025 F1 Japanese Grand Prix.

Motorsports events have become even more popular in recent years, especially with a growing younger fan base, prompting multinationals to bet bigger on teams and sponsorships.

TGR Philippine Cup

The TGR Philippine Cup, which is Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP)’s premier racing series, aimed to bring the thrill of motorsports closer to Filipinos.

I made it to Race Weekend 1 held last March 22 at the Clark International Speedway in Pampanga and indeed saw a bigger and more innovative event.

There were action-packed races in different classes – Novice, Sporting and Super Sporting and the new Legacy Class.

Third generation in action

It was also the first time I saw TMP assistant vice president for marketing services Andy Ty, the son of Metrobank chairman Arthur Ty, at work, as he discussed during a press conference the TGR Philippine Cup.

Young, driven and passionate just like a race car driver, Andy expressed hopes that more Filipinos would become interested in cars and motorsports, and experience for themselves the thrill of pushing the limits for better.

“We talked with race fans and our customers to work out how we can make the TGR Philippine Cup even better. This led to the development of the Club Race and the Legacy Class, where fans themselves can participate in track activities,” he said.

Asked what the TGR Philippine Cup might mean for the ordinary Toyota user, Andy explained: “From our objectives of Toyota Gazoo Racing, we want to develop the journey of a racer. Let’s say you start from a fan of cars, you take an interest in motorsports and we also want to provide that accessible avenue in order to explore that desire. So of course we see that through the TGR Academy... So really developing that journey is one of our main objectives, and how to flesh out that journey is something that we are always continuing.”

TGR Academy

The academy, launched in 2014, serves as a training ground for aspiring racers to kick start their racing career. Participants are oriented on the basics of racing, proper racing etiquette, car control techniques and braking points on the track. They also experience guided track activities.

In all, it was a successful opening of the TGR’s 11th season.

“This year, we are celebrating 11 years of the TGR Philippine Cup, and it is our pride and honor to continue bringing you the thrill and joy that only TGR can bring!” TMP president Masando Hashimoto said.

Japanese Grand Prix

And then there was the Japanese Grand Prix held at the discombobulating Suzuka Racing Circuit, which marked my first time witnessing a Formula 1 event live.

It was a “Regulation meets Innovation” coverage as I learned how the different teams are forced to be as innovative as possible to win, given that the F1 is a highly-regulated industry.

The guided paddock access for the media came from Philip Morris International. Paddock access is a hospitality program of sorts of the F1, providing the press and special guests a backstage glimpse of the team’s garages, where the engineering staff work.

If it seems puzzling how PMI connects to F1, it is perhaps the similarity they share in innovating in a regulated industry. PMI, as a tobacco company, introduced new products – such as heated tobacco or IQOS – to compete and try to achieve what it dubs “a smoke-free future.”

Japan is actually a huge market for the American tobacco company, with Nagoya as the birthplace of IQOS, one of two of pilot cities for the product. The other was Milan, says Dave Gomez, communications director of PMFTC Inc., the local affiliate of PMI.

Back to F1 – it was such a big, sensory-overload kind of event in Japan. The fans were wild and cheerful, waving their posters and photos of their favorite race car drivers.

As for me, I really wanted to see Lewis Hamilton, as I’m a big fan.

He didn’t make it to the Suzuka podium. “It was a pretty lonely race, I didn’t have anyone really around me,” he said, talking about the last remaining laps when others had already beaten him. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the Japanese Grand Prix.

While I was hoping to see Lewis Hamilton win, I knew it would be tough because of some car issues.

Still, I was very happy to see him in action and surprisingly at the Nagoya airport, where we were to board our separate planes back home to go back to reality – which, like the races, can be dizzying and exciting, and as Hamilton said, also lonely at times.

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Email: eyesgonzales@gmail.com. Follow her on X @eyesgonzales. Column archives at EyesWideOpen on FB.