From the expanse of the Clark International Raceway, The Vios Cup Season 5 second leg transferred to Filinvest, Alabang. A 1.74km street circuit has been laid out and occupied the lanes of Commerce Avenue, Promenade Street, ASEAN Drive, and Parkway Avenue.
At the starting line:

The July 28 – 29 second leg of the Vios Cup Season 5 proved to the most technical so far. Compared to the wide turns and long straightway of the CIR, the Filinvest track was the opposite. Narrow roads and literally sharp turns at 90º, after all, this is really a community road; businesses actually are located on these streets. The track was deemed difficult, but this brought out the competitiveness of the drivers. They are now more aggressive and cunning to take the lead.
Collision was the order of the day. One notorious corner near the bleachers proved too sharp to navigate. A good number of racers collided, either with other cars or with the retaining wall. Also noted was the loose asphalt caused by high-speed turns may have contributed to some accidents. Regardless, it was exciting for the fans, cheering wildly for their teams, especially during collisions. Compared to CIR, the bleachers are just 20ft away from the track, giving the spectators a close-up look at the cars and drivers.
The competition among drivers was such, that there were instances that they literally rammed a stalled car that was blocking their way. Those that were trailing the pack jumped several places ahead, thanks to the mayhem. Recorded speed was lower than those in Clark raceway, but driver talent took some beating here. Everyone were on their toes. A simple mistake can cause you the lead, or flip the car over.
Car 48 of Oliver Matias flipped over at that same corner. Drivers slowed down but proceeded to speed up after passing the unfortunate car. The yellow flag was up, race slowed down but did not halt the race. One thing to note here was the Vios racecar toughness. After the mishap, marshalls just tipped the car over without the help of the AAP tow truck. To the spectators amazement, the car’ engine started and went to the pits on its own power; a testament to the bulletproof quality of all Toyota Vios. Earlier, Sofia Andres also rammed the retaining wall. She wanted to continue but the damage to the left front end of her car proved too much, requiring the towing of the car.
StreettalkPh favorite woman driver, Elysse Minorca of Team Obengers, performed exceptionally well. She took second place, after Brian Currie in the promotional class.
Seven new drivers join the grid this year, four of which are from the celebrity class. The returning celebrities set to go racing are Sofia Andres, Chie Filomeno, Diego Loyzaga and Sam Milby. Maila Aliva and Miguel Cezar joined the Rota Promotional Class while John Dizon starts off in the Bridgestone Sporting Class. Several driver have also graduated to higher classes as well.
The 3rd and last leg returns to the Clark International Raceway on September 21-22.
Official Results
RACE 1
Celebrity Class
Diego Loyzaga 1st
Fabio Ide 2nd
Troy Montero 3rd
Rota Promotional Class
Jinno Rufino 1st
Vincent Courcol 2nd
Brian Currie 3rd
Bridgestone Sporting Class
Victor Buensuceso 1st
Red Diwa 2nd
Kiki Dysico 3rd
Oliver Matias 4th
Lourd Seno 5th
Super Sporting Class
Estefano Rivera 1st
Dominic Ochoa 2nd
Raymond Ronquillo 3rd
Keith Brian Haw 4th
Aira Medrano 5th
RACE 2
Celebrity Class
Troy Montero 1st
Fabio Ide 2nd
Chienna Filomeno 3rd
Promotional Class
Brian Currie 1st
Elysse Menorca 2nd
Jinno Rufino 3rd
Sporting Class
Lord Seno 1st
Kikio Dysico 2nd
Red Diwa 3rd
Phoemela Barranda 4th
Oscar Suarez 5th
Super Sporting Class
Brian Co 1st
Aira Medrano 2nd
Raymond Ronquillo 3rd
Keth Brian Haw 4th
Jette Calderon 5th
Text/Images by Earl Manalansan