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Manila Bulletin devider Drive devider AAP fielding Philippine Team for Asia Pacific Motorsports Championship 2025

AAP fielding Philippine Team for Asia Pacific Motorsports Championship 2025

Crosscar, gymkhana, karting, and esports

Published Sep 26, 2025 03:29 pm

At A Glance

  • The Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP) sends a 12-strong team to the first Sri Lanka-hosted APMC 2025.
  • Carlos Iñigo Anton leads the roster, joined by top competitors from karting, gymkhana, autocross, rally, and esports.
  • Event marks the debut of the FIA Affordable Cross Car category and expects 140 participants from 25 nations.
The country's top drivers in various fields will raise the Philippine flag in regional motorsports competition this weekend. The Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP) has sent off a 12-member strong Philippine team to compete at the Asia Pacific Motorsports Championship (APMC) 2025, which will take place from September 26 to 28 in Sri Lanka. This marks the first time the country will host the prestigious FIA-sanctioned competition.
Organized by the Ceylon Motor Sports Club in cooperation with regional motorsport authorities, APMC 2025 will run at the Speedbay Karting Circuit in Bandaragama, Sri Lanka’s only FIA-CIK-standard track. The championship is a major fixture on the regional motorsport calendar and is designed to showcase emerging talent and strengthen ties among Asian and Pacific motorsport bodies.
“The APMC 2025 will celebrate the unity of the region and the passion of motorsport. Featuring six disciplines, this event will showcase the depth and the skills of an entire region. This year is special because the FIA Affordable Cross Car will make its debut, and we will see the talent and the skills of the new drivers,” said FIA Secretary General for Sport Valerio Iachizzi.
The event expects to draw about 140 competitors from 25 countries, underscoring its role as a premier platform for grassroots and regional motorsport development. It will also debut the FIA Affordable Cross Car category, aimed at providing cost-effective entry to competitive motorsport.
Team Philippines is fielding a diverse lineup. Leading the roster is Carlos Iñigo Anton, multiple-time Philippine motorsport champion and the first Filipino to win the F4 SEA Rookie Class Championship. Anton is also a Toyota Gazoo Racing Vios Cup Super Sporting Class champion and brings international experience from gymkhana and circuit racing. Joining him in Auto Gymkhana are Richard Gallardo, a consistent figure in national gymkhana events, and Dorathea Legaspi, one of the country’s leading female competitors in precision driving contests. Representing the Philippines in Autocross are Ricardo Dy-Liacco, an experienced driver from a family with deep motorsport roots; Olson Louie Camacho, one of the top-seeded rally drivers in the country with extensive stage and gravel experience; and Ricardo Montelibano, who has competed across grassroots racing events. In karting, the team features Ryan Sy, a junior karting champion; Mariano Axel Nocom, a standout in youth karting categories; and Martin Zaragoza, a rising star in the karting scene. Completing the roster are Esports racers Russel Reyes and Luis Moreno, who have proven the sim-to-real racing formula. Moreno is the Toyota Gazoo Racing Philippines Cup Novice Class Champion, while Reyes, who has moved up to the Sporting Class of the same series, was the Novice Class Champion last year. Other names in the squad are equally outstanding in their fields and are expected to deliver competitive performances.
“Our 12 drivers carry not just their racing suits and helmets, but the hopes of Philippine motorsports,” said AAP Trustee and Motor Sport Committee Chair Mandy Eduque. AAP Motor Sport head Rikki Dy-Liacco will also travel with the team, noting, “We’re proud to stand behind them. We are confident that Team Philippines will rise to the challenge and make the country proud.”
Follow Team Philippines' performance at theAsia Pacific Motorsports Championship 2025 through AAP’s official Facebook pages @aaphilippines and @aapmotorsports.

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