THE VIOS Cup is back.
After the pandemic forced a break of sorts in the popular annual motorsports festival, the Vios Cup 2021 is roaring back with a first leg happening tomorrow, July 10.
While the Vios Cup still pushed through last year, COVID-19 restrictions meant it had to go fully online, with esports racers climbing behind the wheel of a digital GR Supra in the video game Gran Turismo.
This year, actual cars are once again hitting actual tracks, as the racers will burn rubber on the Clark International Speedway. The festival will be organized under the Toyota Gazoo Racing banner, the Japanese carmaker’s global rebrand of its racing arm.
But even if racers are back on the track, fans are not. Safety protocols still prohibit from any public attendance of the event, but the festival will be available to stream on the Facebook pages of Toyota Motor Philippines and Toyota Gazoo Racing PH.
Who is racing in Vios Cup 2021?
The Vios Racing Cup will have two events. The first is a classic format — the Circuit Championship, divided into the Super Sporting Class, Sporting Class, and Promotional Class. Vios Cup vets Daniel Matsunaga, Troy Montero, and Fabio Idea will be returning to the grid in the promotional class, joining other pro racers and dealership racing teams. In total, 24 racers will be competing in the circuit events.
More celebrities will be joining the Vios Cup’s second event, the Autocross Challenge, which will have racers navigate through a set obstacle course. Laura Lehmann, Bianca Yao, Carla Lizardo, and Lexi Mendiola will be among the 24 competitors in this event, joining Alexa Diaz, Aaron Villaflor, Gino Qullamor, Jules Aquino, and many more.
On Instagram, these Vios Cup racers are gearing up for tomorrow’s competition.
Laura Lehmann even recalled one of her first dates with Von Pessumal, remembering how she surprised her now-husband with her driving skills.
"I was happy to impress him, been driving myself forever," she wrote.
Here’s the full schedule of tomorrow’s Vios Cup Leg 1. Catch it in the Toyota Motor Philippines and Toyota Gazoo Racing PH FB pages.

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