Toyota PH’s Masando Hashimoto is racing a Mazda MX-5 as well

Masando Hashimoto, the current president of Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP), sets himself apart from other company heads in the country by actually participating in the company’s motorsports events, and also being very competitive in a sense that he’s had several podiums, a win, and even a high-profile wreck under his name.

And now, from a humble Toyota Vios OMR, we see him jump into something with a significantly higher skill ceiling, the Mazda MX-5 Cup Car as a guest participant in the the MSCC Miata Spec Series,  during the third leg of the Mazda Fan Festa PH 2025.

This comes a few months after it was announced in a press conference at the second leg of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Philippine Cup that the Japanese automaker’s motorsports division plans to work with other brands in local motorsports.

Two brands were named, with the first candidate obviously being Hyundai for the recent 2024 Hyundai N x TGR Festival, though not much has materialized at the moment locally (other than visits of Hyundai Motor Philippines executives during the second race weekend of the TGR PH Cup).

This leaves Mazda Philippines as the only other candidate, as they are the only other company in the country to currently host an on-going one make race (OMR) series in the MSCC Miata Spec Series.

His current outing takes the form of a guest racer, meaning that he has no effect on the standings whatsoever, but regardless of the outcome of his race today, this is good for the state of Philippine motorsports as brand heads come together and collaborate in the various events and disciplines.

Words and Photos by Julian Panlilio and Sam Surla