Vios Cup smashing debut in Cebu

By Al S. Mendoza

 

CEBU CITY—For a change, I flew here during the weekend to cover the Vios Cup, now in its Season 2.

After its smashingly successful launch last year, the Vios Cup went ambitious and gunned for an out-of-town endeavor that made Toyota’s No. 1 selling car an overnight sensation here.

Give credit to Michonobu “The Rocker” Sugata, the no-nonsense, exceedingly daring president of Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP).

After savoring the fruits of his babe the Vios Cup last year, held both at Clark in Pampanga and McKinley Hill at Global City Taguig, Sugata-san saw it fit to bring the breakthrough event outside of Luzon.

“After seeing our Vios Cup Season 1 pull off a big win in 2014, we thought it wise to immediately change gears,” Sugata-san said to me during a break in the Cebu inaugurals.  “With the industry scoring great growth as well nationally, the scores gained in Clark and Manila should be also translated into a Visayan challenge and there’s no better place to have it staged but in Cebu itself, which is no less than the Queen City of the South.”

And to make the Cebu sojourn more dramatic, Sugata-san joined the 44-car race, becoming the first car company president in history to officially become an auto rally participant.

Not to be outdone, Rene So, a major co-owner of Toyota Dagupan-La Union-Baguio, also jetted to Cebu to personally lend support to his crew.

He was accompanied by his son, Richmond (chief of Toyota La Union), and nephew Jasper (boss in Toyota Dagupan).

“This is such a big event that I just can’t afford to miss it,” said Rene, who is serving his second term as president of the Toyota Dealers Association of the Philippines.

But his pivotal driver Charlie Cojuangco, the son of Boss Danding Cojuangco, had to beg off as he was still mourning the sudden death (aneurism) of his uncle, Tarlac congressman Henry Cojuangco.

Andres Calma, the son of basketball legend Hector, won the premiere division driving for Toyota Alabang owned by the father-and-son tandem of Cesar and Mike Lee.

Disc jockey Sam YG defeated actors Derek Ramsay and the third-placed Phoemela Baranda in the celebrity category.

The two-day race breezed through virtually unscathed in the absence of even a single major incident marring the rally, auguring well for the Vios Cup’s final grind in November

All 44 Vios cars finished in one whole piece even as the iconic Lexus RCF from Lexus Manila president Danny “Sir John” Isla stole the spotlight when it did the rare chore of being the pacer car, earning lusty cheers.

The sight of thousands braving stifling heat just to see their first FIA street race being held in the Visayas drew applause from TMP big gun Sherwin ChuaLim, saying, “I have to give it to the Cebuanos.  They really love car races.”

Jade B. Sison, the wispy 25-something mother-hen of media people covering the event, said, “Sir Sherwin can say that again.”

I can’t wait to see the Vios Cup back in Cebu.

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