Rookie JD Dyenghong proves worth for Toyota Team Cebu

CEBU, Philippines — He’s a full time businessman working in his father’s plastic manufacturing plant based in Mandaue City.

But upon the prodding of Cebuano racing legend Lord Seno to try his hand at motorsports, this ‘chinito’ Cebuano joined Toyota Team Cebu last year to fulfill his boyhood dream of becoming a race car driver.

Even though he’s a greenhorn on the racing circuit, Johndale Dyenghong showed a lot of promise as a new member of the team.

The 31-year-old rookie delivered TTC’s first championship title in the 2024 Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) Philippine Cup at the Clark International Speedway in Mabalacat, Pampanga recently.

Driving with finesse and much confidence, Dyenghong dominated Race 4 in the Promotional Class during Round 2 of the three-stage series.

Capitalizing on his pole position, Dyenghong dictated the pace of the thrilling race for all 12 laps despite being under constant threat by his equally-tough rivals.

Not making any mistakes while holding the driver’s seat calmly, Dyenghong breathed a sigh of relief as he finally cruised to a resounding checkered flag victory.

“Winning the race was truly an unexpected moment for me,” said Dyenghong. “It brought me extreme joy knowing that I have lived up to the expectations of my team and at the same time I have made a significant contribution for my team.”

“If my team believed in me, then I should believe in my self,” he added.

Dyenghong’s breakthrough win was not without challenges.

“But we deal with what we have and figured out a way to get ready for the race,” Dyenghong continued. “On game day, what I did was to clear my mind and relax. I just make do of what I have in terms of skills and experience. Fortunately, everything worked out in our favor.”

The first-place finish of Dyenghong loaded TTC with crucial points they need to earn a share of lead in the closely-fought Team Championship ahead of the season finale on November 7-9.

“That really motivated me to perform even better in the final race of season especially that Toyota Team Cebu is a contender,” said Dyenghong. “We have to work together to win another team championship, that’s really the goal.” — (FREEMAN)