Rallycross in the Philippines has reached a new milestone. Last June 27, 2025, the Automobile Association Philippines sanctioned its first inter-island rally in the country. Held in Lubang, Occidental Mindoro, the two-day event had several teams compete in a blind rally format, which saw both day and night races.
The first six stages took place on the evening of June 27, with the last six stages held in the morning and afternoon of June 28. Being a blind rally, the drivers and their teams did not have any pace notes, nor were they allowed to run any reconnaissance or practice laps. Drivers navigated just with the route maps given by the organizers.
Speaking of the organizers, with support from the AAP, the event was organized by rally stalwarts Olson Camacho and Ronnie Trinidad of the Philippine National Rally Championship and the Philippine Rallycross Series. The race took about two years to plan, as the AAP and the organizers worked closely with the government of Lubang to bring the race to life.
OTHER STORIES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:
Specs, prices, features: Everything you need to know about the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 9
Honda PH offers 30% discount on spare parts for flood-affected owners
At the end of the day and night races, the first of four groups was led by Ricardo Dy-Liacco and Vince Miguel Benedicto, who finished with times of 27:31 and 22:14, respectively. As for Group 2, Louie Camacho and John Rey San Diego surprised everyone by clocking in 20:35, a record-best time for the entire event.
Devor Andres led Group 3 with a time of 21:48, and he shares the top podium spot with teammate Adrian De Leon, who finished at 26:44. The fourth and final group saw Ricky Montelibano and Alex Gonzales record times of 24:35 and 20:55 to win their class.
The Open Class saw Aeron Jarman Rumohr and Pierro Garcia win the daytime rally with a record time of 20:33. After the sun set, Ralph Ramento and George Reboldila claimed the evening rally victory with a time of 25:09.
The AAP Lubang Inter-Island Rally aims to mark the first of many island rally events, which will be recognized by the officiating motorsport bodies in the Philippines and reach more gearheads around the country.
