Who would’ve thought that being a gamer could actually become a profession? If anything, it has gotten a lot more serious over the years, and it’s not just because of the cash prizes.
Having been invited by Toyota to attend the GR GT Cup Asia finals this year, we witnessed the kind of preparation that goes into these kinds of events. We’re here to tell you that everyone involved doesn’t play around, whether it’s the participants or the organizers.
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That said, there will be those who say that e-sports aren’t a big deal. “What’s so difficult about sitting in front of a computer and playing games?” say the detractors. Here’s the thing: It’s not as easy as it looks, and the naysayers don’t know what they’re talking about.
Paving the way
For over a decade, Gran Turismo has made it possible to make a good living out of racing virtually. It started with GT Academy with Nissan in the early 2010s with the Philippines performing strong in the two times we participated. Nissan’s involvement with Gran Turismo lasted a couple of years, but ended in 2016. Gran Turismo did carry on in the sim racing aspect but with no automotive title sponsor.
Enter Toyota to pick up the pieces with the GR GT Cup in 2019. For the last five years, the world’s biggest automaker has been helping Polyphony Digital keep the sim racing league alive and making it possible for some of the world’s best online racers reach their dreams.
The local contingent
This year’s Philippine contingent for the GR GT Cup Asia finals consist of Luis Moreno, Russel Reyes, and Enzo Ison. Moreno has been in the e-racing leagues for quite some time already and a veteran of the sport. If there’s a competition, you can bet that Luis made the cut for the finals.
Reyes, on the other hand went from racing virtually into reality. A winner of the Gulf x Tuason Racing Top Driver Challenge, he followed that up by winning the GT Cup and Autocross Challenge in Gazoo Racing Festival Philippines. Russel now races in Gazoo Racing Festival Philippines wheel to wheel in the novice class.
Ison is the youngest driver on the team by a long shot. At just 14 years old, he has proven himself by being one of the finalists in the local round to earn him a ticket to the Asian stage. Showing wisdom beyond his years, we feel Enzo will be a familiar face in these kinds of events.
Not playing around
There are those who drive fast, and then there are those who manage to shave even more time off. Just like in real life racing, your rank will all depend on mere hundredths of second. Luis, Russel, and Enzo all spend hours on their sim rigs to keep their skills sharp. It takes a whole lot of discipline to do that, especially given that Luis and Russell have full time jobs and Enzo is still a student.
Sim racing has reached a point in their lives that it’s not just a game anymore. This sport has become part of their lifestyles and livelihood, and it’s glory on the line as well. Sure, sitting in front of a simulator doesn’t look like a lot of work, but these pros make it look easy. For those who say they can drive fast, we challenge them to get to even within a second of their lap times.
The big leagues
Any event needs a whole load of setup and prep, but to give you an idea of the scale and commitment of Polyphony Digital and Toyota, you have to see the stage. 15 Playstations, all hooked up to Thrustmaster wheels and pedals. All these rigs were then connected to one network and a race control arrangement that can put some traffic management bureaus to shame.
Even just sitting in the driver’s briefing area was an experience. The rules of the series are similar to that in any professional series. No weaving under braking, nor argy-bargy contact, and no daredevil maneuvers. All drivers were told to maintain a high level of professionalism. Gran Turismo may be a video game, but they aren’t playing around when it comes to this. The drivers were dead serious, too, asking tough questions along the way.
The championship isn’t just decided by the in-game penalties, either. There are stewards who analyze incidents and protests for good measure. It was like being in a race weekend, if we’re being honest, and shows just how serious this league has become. Not only that, there’s Alex Yoong serving as the race director.
For those younger than 30, Alex Yoong is one of Southeast Asia’s most successful racing drivers. He did Formula 1 for two seasons, had a successful career in the A1 Grand Prix, and now makes e-racers dreams a reality. Oh, and he’s a multiple medal winner in the Southeast Asian Games.
Race day
Months of prep and years of practice have brought our e-racers to Kuala Lumpur for the GR GT Cup Asia finals. There, they were up against some of the best sim racers in the region, some of which are returning champs and seasoned vets. There are also first-timers looking to make their bones against the established competitors.
And just to keep things interesting, rallycross has been added to one of the three rounds this year. Let’s be honest, nobody really plays Gran Turismo for rallying, so this year’s inclusion of that certainly threw a curveball. Oh, and it was the first round, too.
The 2024 finals saw racing at Sardegna Windmills (the rally course), Nürburgring GP, and Fuji Speedway. Qualifying in Sardegna was crucial as it can set the tone for the rest of the races. The finishing order in the first round would determine the starting position for the next round with a reverse grid, and the final round starting order would be based on the points standings. The cars used were the GR Yaris, GR Corolla, and the GR010 endurance racer.
Reyes started off strong in Sardegna, qualifying within the top ten. Moreno and Ison ended up just outside it, meaning they had their work cut out. For the race, Reyes provided much of the excitement, pulling a brilliant pass while one of the racers was caught napping. A slew of penalties for other drivers meant Reyes scored a strong finish in the top five. Meanwhile, Ison and Moreno managed to gain a few places, but were outside the top 8.
For the next round, the organizers decided to throw in some rain and accelerated tire wear. Not only do the drivers have to be more cautious, they also had to strategize when they would come into the pits for a tire change.
Again, it was Reyes leading the charge for the Philippine team, performing passes that thrilled the audience present. Unfortunately, the game didn’t like one of his maneuvers, slapping him with a one second penalty. Still, he managed a decent points haul. Ison, who was also making his way up, was then handed a penalty later on. Moreno, on the other hand, kept his virtual GR Corolla clean.
Into the final round, Ison and Moreno had a lot of catching up to do. Reyes, on the other hand, was looking to finish the day with at least a podium finish. Reyes put up a good fight and was in the mix for the top three positions but ultimately ended in the top five. Meanwhile, Moreno had a frustrating finale. He was finally moving up the field until he was punted out of the way by one of the competitors.
The end result? Team Philippines ended up in fourth in the country rankings, while Reyes was the top-ranked Filipino this year. This year’s driver’s champ was Malaysia’s Taj Aiman who, for years, always wanted to clinch the title. He was finally able to do it, beating last year’s champion, Indonesia’s Andika Rama. As for the team’s championship, it was Indonesia that came out on top.
Debrief
It was a tough round this year for Team Philippines, but we did go home with special awards. In the Pro-Am Media Challenge, Autoindustriya.com’s Jamil Lacuna came home with the win (this writer finished a pathetic 11th), while Andy Ty, the one of the assistant vice presidents of Toyota Motor Philippines, won the distributor’s round.
As for our boys, we just want to say you all did us proud. It’s not easy getting into Asian finals, let along the local leagues. You all remain as some of the best e-racers out there, and we can’t wait for you guys to bounce back next year. Russel Reyes, for his valiant efforts to get to the top, was even awarded Best in Racecraft by the organizers. A true hard charger, there’s no doubt that Russel wowed the audience and impressed the stewards.
While Luis Moreno admits that it wasn’t his year, he held his head high and simply said, ‘that’s racing,’ and is already preparing for next year’s event. We’ve known Luis over the years, and we’re certain that he’s been giving it all he’s got for a better run in the next GR GT Cup finals.
For Enzo Ison, he proved that age is nothing but a number, proving that he can hang around racers over ten years older than him. And to see his whole family fly out to support him was heartwarming to see. Enzo still has a long e-racing career ahead of him, and we’re sure he’ll be a force to be reckoned with in the future.
As for the entire experience, it was great to be there and showed just how serious these competitions really are. We’ve always held these racers in high regard, but seeing them in action was something else. Heck, it’s even more exciting than some real-life racing series, and we’d watch it again if we had the chance.
