This season, more than 400 sim racers across the country participated in the qualifiers, where players put in their fastest lap time around the Laguna Seca racetrack using the stock Toyota GR 86.

The TGR Philippines Esports GT Championship is the country’s premier sim racing tournament, which aims to provide aspiring racers with an avenue to kickstart their racing careers, as well as gather sim racing enthusiasts together to celebrate the thrill and joy of motorsports. Participants compete wheel-to-wheel in Gran Turismo.

Since it was launched in 2020, the TGR Philippines Esports GT Championship (formerly known as the GR GT Cup), has been pioneering competitive sim racing in the country, offering attractive prizes, and the opportunity to face against other sim racers in Asia and the world.

As a grassroots tournament, the series also bridges the gap between sim racing and real-life racing by transitioning winners of the competition to TMP’s premier racing series, the TGR Philippine Cup (formerly known as the Vios Cup).

Vying for a chance to make their racing dreams come true are the following players:

Top 10 Sporting Class (Best Lap Time)

1. Russel Reyes (1:40:258)
2. Luis Antonio Moreno (1:40:862)
3. Russo Gabriel Formoso (1:40:869)
4. Corwin Josiah Mercado (1:40:966)
5. Michael Vincent Velasquez (1:41:013)
6. James Patrick Lopez (1:41:181)
7. Victor Lorenzo Ancheta (1:41:184)
8. Arlie Jophen Matubis (1:41:262)
9. Stanley Golez (1:41:327)
10. Kendrick Asensi (1:41:368)

Top 10 Junior Class (Best Time)

1. Enzo Ison (1:40:751)
2. Zeph Marcelo (1:41:152)
3. Alanzo Matteo Gonzaga (1:41:207)
4. Chester Jordan Ilog (1:41:470)
5. Luth Ifamy (1:41:472)
6. Reign Alojado (1:41:820)
7. Theo Gabriel Pangan (1:41:901)
8. Jo Hashimoto (1:42:093)
9. Prince Von Erico Contreras (1:42:350)
10. Samuel Rey Icalia (1:42:559)

The National Finals is happening on Sunday, September 27 at Function Room 1, 2nd Floor, SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. The event is free and open to the public. The race will also be livestreamed.

The champion of each class will be receiving a cash prize of P 100,000 and a slot in the Asia Finals, where they will go head-to-head with other sim racers in the region as part of Team Philippines. The runner-up of each class will be receiving P 75,000 and a chance at the third and final slot in Team Philippines. The final slot will be given to the runner-up with the higher number of points at the end of the National Finals.

The public can also try their hand at some sim racing rigs, and check out displays of the GR Yaris, GR Corolla, GR 86, and Tamaraw one-make-race car. The new GR merchandise lineup will also be available for purchase at the event for those who want to show off their brand love.

“The esports community has grown a lot since last season, where we only had 250 participants for the qualifiers. We are thrilled to see that there a more people getting into motorsports through sim racing, and we look forward to finding out who will be coming out on top at the National Finals,” shared First Vice President for Vehicle Sales Operations Elijah Marcial.

“We are especially encouraged by the strong participation in our Junior Category, which plays a vital role in our esports program by giving young racers an avenue to develop their skills, gain competitive experience, and pursue their passion for motorsports from an early age. Through initiatives like this, we hope to continue nurturing the next generation of Filipino racing talent,” Marcial added.