Enzo Ison, Russel Reyes, and Michael Velasquez will represent the Philippines at the 2026 Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) Asia Esports GT Championships in Bangkok, Thailand, after emerging from a competitive National Finals featuring the country’s top sim racers.
Held on September 27 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, the 2026 TGR Philippines Esports GT Championship National Finals brought together 20 finalists—10 from the Junior Class and 10 from the Sporting Class—selected from more than 400 competitors who joined the qualifiers.
Racing in Gran Turismo, the finalists battled across four races featuring different Toyota vehicles and tracks, with changing weather adding another challenge in the final rounds.
Ison dominated the Junior Class, finishing with 130.5 points. Chester Jordan Ilog placed second with 85 points, while Luth Ifamy took third with 76.5 points.
In the Sporting Class, Reyes also finished on top with 130.5 points, followed by Velasquez with 93.5 points and Luis Antonio Moreno with 84 points.
The four races took drivers from the GR Corolla at Interlagos to the GR Yaris on the dirt track at Sardegna Windmills, the GR Supra at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, and the GR010 Hybrid at the Nürburgring.
Ison delivered wins across all four races, including a comeback victory at the Nürburgring after dropping to eighth following a mistake. He recovered to take the lead by the fourth lap and eventually won by 54 seconds.
Reyes, meanwhile, fought off Moreno in the Sporting Class while Velasquez secured a Race 2 victory at Sardegna Windmills. Reyes ultimately took control at the Nürburgring after a late penalty dropped Victor Ancheta from the lead, allowing Reyes to finish 17 seconds ahead.
As class champions, Ison and Reyes each received P100,000 and earned slots in the Asia Finals. Velasquez secured the third Team Philippines spot as the highest-scoring runner-up and received P75,000.
Ison and Reyes are both returning Asia Finals competitors. Ison previously represented the Philippines in 2024 and 2025, while Reyes competed in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
The three Filipinos will compete against sim racers from across the region at the TGR Asia Esports GT Championships in Bangkok on November 14 and 15, 2026. Fans can watch the Asia Finals livestream through the Toyota Gazoo Racing Philippines Facebook page.
