When it comes to passion and brand love, there are very few people like Mazda fans. Having attended an actual Mazda Fan Festa in Japan has given me a huge insight into just how this event is driven purely by the community. It surprised me how Fan Festa transcends the stereotypes; in Japan, the event attracts fans of all genders and age groups to give credence to Mazda’s Celebrate Driving philosophy. Mazda Philippines has always tried to bring the very same passion and atmosphere to the local Fan Festa edition. What started out from truly humble beginnings has blossomed into a full-bore local motorsports gathering filled not just with activities but also oozing camaraderie and mutual love for all things Mazda. 2026 brings in a new era for the Mazda Fan Festa Philippines series. Leg 1 saw Mazda pivot from track racing to sim racing, hosting it at the Mazda Center of Excellence. All racers were invited to prove themselves in the virtual world, and it added a new dimension to an already successful event, bringing motorsports not just to the racers themselves, but opening it up to more people. Leg 2 at the Clark International Speedway (CIS) saw the Fan Festa finally go racing; while the actual racers were out on track, the e-sim spirit lived on through the media challenge. Media representatives (like myself) signed up to partake in a time trial competition. We were set to do our fastest possible laps around a faithful render of the Batangas Racing Circuit in MSCC Miata Spec Series cars. While the actual racers sped past the pit straight of CIS, the media were locked into an intense battle of their own. Despite the virtual nature of the competition, our competitive tendencies took over, with each representative trying their very best