2023 Tour de Cebu: The Lhuillier Father and Son Duo Triumphs
The Central Visayas region takes pride in its charming countryside, splendid and scenic road network, rich culture and nature, and warm, friendly population.
And there’s no better way to explore these wonders than onboard classic cars piloted by the country’s most grizzled rally drivers. For almost a decade now, the Tour de Cebu (TDC) Historic Sports Car Rally has been doing just this in the country’s central archipelago.
In its recent eighth staging in Cebu and Bohol, the father and son duo of Michael and Michael James Lhuillier displayed their roadmanship to romp away with the 2023 Grand Championship trophy.
Organized by the Performance and Classics Enthusiasts of Cebu (PACE) and the Manila Sports Car Club (MSCC), the rally is a 1,000-km endurance drive to promote drive tourism in the region.
The Lhuilliers, who belong to the PACE club, won the 225-km Stage 1 from Tubigon to BE Grand Resort in Panglao and the 227-km Panglao to Catigbian Stage 2 to build a comfortable lead.
They also bagged the PACE Chairman Class and the Best Period Dressed Team plum, which matched their 1968 Mercedes Benz 280SL well.
Michael Lhuillier is the president and CEO of M Lhuillier Financial Services and one of the founders of the motoring event. He also topped the 2019 edition before the rally got suspended for two years due to the pandemic.
Sponsored by Petron Blaze and Petron Turbo Diesel, the TDC was flagged off at NUSTAR Resort, made a loop drive around the Cebu Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX), and boarded the Fast Cat ferry to Tubigon, Bohol, before going around the island province.
Another PACE club, the father and son tandem of Lui and Anton Alvarez and their 1973 Datsun 240Z, won the longest leg, the 237-km Stage 3 from Catigbian to Panglao, which traversed the eastern interior roads.
MSCC’s Bai Burila and Jelou Cabuga snatched the 141-km Stage 4 loop drive from Panglao and back on board their 1959 MGA deluxe Le Mans to win 3rd Place Overall.
The MSCC son-and-father pair of Raju and Oscar Medalla bagged 2nd Place Overall despite gas pedal challenges and also emerged as the Roberto Aboitiz Class champion for the second time with their 1965 Porsche 912.
The only all-ladies team of Andrea Aldeguer and Alyeska Yunam won the Clubman Class Champion trophy. At the same time, Tonet Ramos and JB Mapa from Bacolod copped the Sportsman Class, and MSCC’s Joekid Rivera and Anthony Ty champed the Tribute Class.
The Esprit de Corps award went to Neri Pio for sportsmanship and the Gentleman Racer citation to Edwin Torres for his cool demeanor.
Solo driver and first-timer Rod Garcia surmounted the road challenges to win the Survivor Award. At the same time, the Aldeguer family, headed by Jay Aldeguer and daughters Andrea and Arianna, earned the Family Team Award.
The Rally also included five non-competing cars in the Special Touring Group led by world-class designer Kenneth Cobonpue and his 1974 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS, one of the event’s pioneers.
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