Toyota GR Archives

Toyota Yaris impresses on first-ever appearance in Sepang 1000KM race

The Toyota Yaris which was entered in the Sepang 1000KM endurance race (S1K) recently was the first ever appearance of the model in a local race and it was a ‘baptism by fire’ on all accounts. Competing in the top MTC Production Class, the Yaris, driven by the pair of 16-year old Hayden Haikal and 24-year old Timothy Yeo, had taken the chequered flag 3 laps ahead of their nearest rival. However, a post-race penalty reclassified the duo to third position in class and fourth overall.

Three Toyotas occupied the top 5 front positions on the starting grid for the 9-hour/181-lap race laps around the 5.534-km Sepang International Circuit. The number #39 Yaris had been the highest-placed Toyota on the starting grid, qualifying second with a time of 2 min 38.932 seconds. They were followed by Wing Hin Motorsports team mates and the pair of Boy Wong and Dannies Ng in the number #38 Vios.

Two entries from GAZOO Racing Malaysia
Backing them up were the trio of Tengku Djan Ley, Naquib Azlan and Akio Takeyama from TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Malaysia in car number #37 (another Vios) which was fifth fastest. TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Malaysia fielded a second entry, another Vios crewed by a trio comprising celebrity Zizan Razak, and young drivers Jwan Hii and Mika Hakimi in the SP2 Production Class in car number #36. Despite qualifying 30^th , they went on to finish 20th in class and fifth in the inaugural running of the Vios Enduro Cup.

With three Toyotas in contention for overall victory, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Malaysia’s number #37 Vios, the number #39 Yaris and the number #38 Vios showed their dominance from the beginning to the final hours of the race. Four cars traded places for the lead throughout the race, but no one expected a huge turn of events that was to unfold in the closing laps.

Bad luck for #38 Vios
The number #38 Vios’ hopes of a podium finish were essentially erased due to technical issues, forcing it to rejoin 6 laps down but still managing to finish fourth overall and in Class. The number #37 Vios, meanwhile, was well poised for victory until 26 laps to the finish when the front left wheel was ripped away, dropping the team to 11th in Class.

Their misfortune left the race for the taking of car number #100 driven by Mitchell Cheah and Brendan Paul Anthony, but their hopes of a victory too came to a crushing end when mechanical problems 10 laps from the finish put them into retirement.

Yaris takes podium finish on debut
As all this unfolded, the charging #39 Yaris kept piling on the pressure and clocking consistent lap times right up to the chequered flag. “The Yaris performed impeccably, not putting a foot wrong! This is a huge testament to the car’s performance and reliability under extreme conditions, and to finish on the podium in the prestigious S1K race on its debut is, without a doubt, an amazing result,” said a happy Mr. Takeyama who is also GAZOO Racing Malaysia’s Chief Motorsports Officer.

“We would like to have won and seen two or all three cars on the podium but unfortunately, in racing, nothing is ever certain until you cross the finish line, and this is a disappointment we will have to graciously accept despite running very competitively until the final hours,” he said.

“The S1K is a challenging test of nerves not only on the reliability and durability of the car, but also the physical and mental strength of the competing teams and drivers,” he said, with his personal experience of racing in the event. ”As a team, we have proven to ourselves that we are competitive, and this setback has certainly fuelled our desire to come back and be even stronger next year.”

The Yaris’ third place finish, however, was made that much sweeter with one of the drivers (Hayden) being a competitor and the youngest ever champion in Toyota’s Vios Challenge racing series. In fact, eight of the drivers in the top 4 cars in contention for the race win had competed in the one-make series which has run for 4 seasons.

“The TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Festival and Vios Challenge will next year enter its fifth successive season and we hope that it has not only made a huge impact towards enhancing the profile of Malaysian motorsports by bringing it to the masses, but also in creating a strong foundation for the development of existing, new and especially young drivers. We are committed in making an impactful contribution to Malaysian motorsports and this is an initiative we intend to continue to expand on moving forward,” Mr. Takeyama promised.

Inaugural Vios Enduro Cup
In the inaugural Vios Enduro Cup, Aylezo Motorsports’ trio Mirza Syahmi Mahzan, Zen Low and Aiman Haziq completed 166 laps enroute to collect a cash prize of RM10,000. It was a 1-2 victory for Aylezo with Dato’ Danny Yip, Kenneth Teh and Chang Choon Ming placed second. In third spot was 23 Motors’ Al- Farouk and Abdull Miqail, followed by Toyotsu Racing’s Liew Jo Choon, Tan Chan Wei in fourth.

A total of 10 Toyota cars took to the track for the S1K race which attracted 38 teams, with three cars competing in the MTC Production Class and the remaining seven vying for positions in the SP2 Production Class and the inaugural running of the Vios Enduro Cup.

Highlights Of The Season 4 Vios Challenge Night Races (Second Night)

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Malaysia doing battle in Sepang 1000KM Race this weekend

Even before the excitement of the last round of Season 4 of the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Festival/Vios Challenge has faded away, GAZOO Racing Malaysia’s Vios racing cars are going into battle again. This time, it is not a one-make races and the team will be up against other models in the Sepang 1000KM Endurance Race (S1K) this weekend.

The annual race will also see the running of the inaugural Vios Enduro Cup for privateers and dealer teams competing in the SP2 Production Class.

GAZOO Racing Malaysia will field a two-car entry in the MTC Production Class and SP2 production class. Fighting for outright victory in the MTC Production class will be the trio of 3-time Vios Challenge Super Sporting Class champion and also GAZOO Racing Malaysia Ambassador, Tengku Djan Ley. He will be teamed up with newly-crowned Vios Challenge Rookie Class champion, 20-year old Naquib Azlan, and GAZOO Racing Malaysia’s Chief Motorsports Officer, Akio Takeyama.

The S1K race will be the first for Naquib who, up until last year, had only been racing online behind the wheel of a simulator. He was one of six drivers recruited into the GAZOO Racing Young Talent Development Program and later provided with the opportunity to compete in the Rookie Class for young drivers.

20-year old Naquib Azlan has shown that simulator racing provides some skills that can be used in real racing, and in the GAZOO Racing Young Talent Development Program, those skills were developed further.

The SP2 Production Class, meanwhile, will see the combination of Vios Challenge Rookie Class drivers Mika Hakimi and Jwan Hii partnering Promotional Class driver, actor and Season 4’s first runner-up Zizan Razak. Zizan proved to be a worthy contender in this year’s Vios Challenge Promotional Class races by clinching podium finishes in all races. Being the most experienced racer amongst the SP2 Production Class team, Zizan is expected to bring his A-game and winning attitude as well as flair into the race.

*The recent finale round of Season 4 of the Vios Challenge/TGR Festival was run at night, a first for the series.*

Mika and Jwan finished had third and fourth overall respectively in the recently concluded Vios Challenge, and will also be making their debut in the S1K. Like Naquib, both drivers are also graduates of the GAZOO Racing Young Talent Development Program. Mika, 17, also has a background of simulator racing while 18-year-old Jwan’s racing experience had been karting before having a chance at cars.

“The two entries in S1K are to fulfill several objectives if you look closely at the driver line-up. Yes, we will be gunning for both outright and class victories; it is also the start of expanding GAZOO Racing Malaysia’s presence in Malaysian motorsports, but the participation is also to provide a platform for new, talented and especially young drivers to race in an even more competitive environment beyond the Vios Challenge,” said Mr. Takeyama, who has also been racing in the Vio Challenge for all 4 seasons.

The Vios Enduro Cup will run concurrently with the S1K and is designed to bring the Vios Challenge race cars and its drivers beyond their traditional hunting grounds. The Cup will offer a first prize of RM10,000.00, while the second and third place winners stand to win RM8,000.00 and RM6,000.00 respectively. A cash prize of RM4,000.00 and RM2,000.00 is also up for grabs for the fourth and fifth place finishers in the race.

Unlike the short races of the Vios Challenge, the S1K is a 1,000-km race which can cover up to 181 laps and take around 9 hours. It is also held at the Sepang International Circuit. In the 11 years that the race has been held (2009 to 2019), Toyota cars have won the race twice with private entries behind the wheel of an AE86 in 2010 and a Corolla Altis in 2011.

Highlights Of The Season 4 Vios Challenge Night Races (Second Night)

Highlights of the Season 4 Vios Challenge Night Races (first night)

This weekend sees the conclusion of Season 4 of the successful Vios Challenge, a one-make series which was part of the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Festival. After the first round was held, there was a long period of lockdown which prevented subsequent rounds (and other motorsports) from being run. When the restrictions were lifted, UMW Toyota Motor wasted no time in getting the series going again, with a night race – the first ever for the series – planned for this finale round of 2 races.

After the second round, there was no clear favourites to take the titles in each of the four classes. No less than 5 contenders had a shot of becoming the overall champion in the Super Sporting Class, Sporting Class, and Promotional Class. The same applied to the Rookie Class which is for a young group of new racers from TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Malaysia’s Young Talent Development Program.

PROMOTIONAL CLASS
The most dramatic action this time round came from the Promotional Class. Shukri Yahaya pushed hard from pole position to lead the race from start to finish, as championship contender Zizan Razak struggled to hang on to second spot after having to face increasing pressure from Khai Bahar and Akio Takeyama.

The battle was clearly between Shukri, Zizan and Takeyama, and even with 2 laps remaining, the race was far from over. It seemed like Shukri’s race but Zizan suddenly shot forward to stage a last-minute challenge and overtook Shukri 3 corners from chequered flag to win!

The victory was, however, short-lived when the officials penalized the actor for exceeding track limits during overtaking. This got him a 5-second penalty, effectively relegating him back to second place with Takeyama rounding up the top three.

“I did my best to get away from Zizan as the battle behind me took place but, in the later part of the race, I did notice him coming on even stronger. It was a good fight to the finish and it was unfortunate that there was a penalty involved, but that’s racing,” said Shukri.

Of the five women taking part in this class, Talitha Tan (in her first year with the series) was the highest place, finishing fifth, followed by Janna Nick and Wany Hasrita.

SUPER SPORTING CLASS
In the battle of the veteran drivers, Telagamas Toyota’s Freddie Ang made the most of pole position to stay ahead from the start of the race. He was followed across the finish line by Laser Motor Racing’s Mark Darwin in second spot, and Prime Pearl Auto’s Tengku Djan Ley in third.

The biggest gainer in the race was Tengku Djan who jumped from 10th on the starting grid to finish third. Despite being second quickest in qualifying, Tengku Djan was penalized and repositioned to the back of the grid due to an incident in the previous round.

“The car was fantastic at night. When we race in the afternoon, the high temperatures cause a lot of inconsistencies due to the heat and you find yourself having to manage the tyres and brakes after 10 laps. At night, the car was just perfect and I could post a lot of fast and more consistent times throughout the race,” said Ang.

For Tengku Djan, the third-place finish puts him back into contention for the overall championship after a disastrous Round 2 where he failed to finish on the podium. “We had a good car throughout the weekend and I needed to drive a clever race. I have to drive smart for the final race as I am back to 40-kg ballast which is a huge disadvantage. It’s a question of trying to make up for all the missed points in Round 2,” said Tengku Djan, also known as Malaysia’s ‘Prince of Drift’.

SPORTING CLASS
Late night drama also unfolded in the Sporting Class where 23 Motors’ Ady Rahimy who had run away with the race from pole position, finishing 12.3 seconds ahead of Dream Chaser’s Bradley Benedict Anthony and Dannies Ng in third position, was later handed a one-position penalty. That promoted Bradley as race winner and Ady had to settle for second.

“I want to thank my team for giving me the opportunity to race for them. I’m quite certain that fitness played a big part in tonight’s race; secondly, I did a lot of simulator training to prepare myself for the race. The team also put in tremendous effort to set-up the car but it was unfortunate that the contact resulted in a penalty. We will definitely try for another podium in the final race,” said 22-year old Ady.

The battle for third had no less than 5 contenders battling for a podium finish. Mirza Syahmi Mahzan of Aylezo Motorsports held on to third for the first 12 of the 20-lap race but came under tremendous pressure from Clement Yeo. Yeo did eventually overtook him but went wide on the exit of the last corner which saw him losing not only third place but dropping to fifth position.

“Racing at night is more chilly with lower temperatures and I tend to be a lot more patient and comfortable,” remarked Ng, who started from 12th position to run a calm and collected race into third position.

ROOKIE CLASS
The battle of the young blood saw 14-year old Putera Adam win the 20-lap race with a 1.3-second lead from Jwan Hii and championship contender Naquib Azlan. Driving a calm and composed race, Putera raced ahead of the pack from pole position, followed closely by Hii and Naquib as Mika Hakimi relinquished his position to enter the pit to fix a technical issue. That stop dropped him to fifth position behind Amer Harris.

“The conditions were fine at night; it was drizzling towards the end of the race and everything worked in my favour. Jwan was right behind me, but he had made a slight mistake shifting gears and that that allowed me to pull ahead,” said Putera.

With the overall season class champions still to be decided, it will all come down to the final and second race tonight. There are no clear favourites with no less than 5 contenders still with a shot of becoming the overall champion in each of the 4 classes of racing being contested.

Besides the strict health measures that are followed at the circuit, UMW Toyota Motor has also implemented additional safety measures which include allowing only critical personnel and guests to be at the event. As before, the racing will be broadcast live online for race fans in Malaysia and the rest of the world. The broadcast will be on the UMW Toyota Motor and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Malaysia websites at toyota.com.my/tgrmalaysia/, and also on the Toyota Malaysia and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Malaysia Facebook pages.

Toyota to use new GR Supra-based racing car for Funny Car competition in America next year

The Funny Car is probably unique to the USA where drag racing is popular and a class called the Funny Car class was created for a certain type of drag-racing car. The cars appeared in the mid-1960s and because of their heavily modified bodies which made them look odd, they came to be called ‘Funny Cars’.

The class has continued to this day in events organised by the US National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) and among the contenders is Toyota. The brand has been competing in Funny Car competition since 2012. Up till this 2021 season, Toyota has used a Camry and prior to that model, the Celica and Solara were run.

180 wins in 20 seasons
The 2021 season thus marks the 20th anniversary of Toyota’s official involvement with the NHRA and competitors in both Top Fuel and Funny Car classes. Over the 20 seasons. Drivers using Toyota cars have won 137 Top Fuel and 43 Funny Car races along with 6 Top Fuel and 3 Funny Car championships. For the 2022 NHRA season, Toyota will use a new racing car and will, for the first time, campaign the latest GR Supra.

*This year, Toyota has been using a Camry-based racer which will be replaced for the 2022 NHRA season by a new racing car based on the GR Supra.*

Support from TRD
Toyota has always chosen to enter racing cars that closely resemble production models and this GR Supra-based Funny Car is no exception. The new body for the GR Supra Funny Car marks the most significant styling characteristics of any previous Funny Car.

“After 10 years of fielding the Camry in NHRA Funny Car competition, it’s really exciting for us to be moving to the GR Supra and ultimately the next generation of Funny Cars for NHRA,” said Paul Doleshal, Group Manager of Motorsports for Toyota Motor North America.

“Our team at TRD (Toyota Racing Development), along with the design team at Calty (Toyota’s advanced studio in Los Angeles), worked hard to incorporate as many features as possible from the production GR Supra into the Funny Car that J.R. Todd and Alexis DeJoria will drive in 2022.”

Safety enhancements
In addition to the augmented styling characteristics of the new GR Supra Funny Car, safety enhancements have also been made during the development of the new car. TRD worked closely with Toyota Champion Funny Car driver, J.R. Todd, on many of the safety enhancements during the nearly two-year development process.

These include giving the driver more visibility while sitting behind the wheel and adding more room around their helmets along with additional safety foam in the cockpit.

“It’s been a really unique experience getting to work with the engineers at TRD on the new GR Supra Funny Car,” said Kalitta Motorsports Funny Car driver J.R. Todd. “We all worked together on some of the issues we’ve faced for some time including visibility.”

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing to reproduce selected parts for AE86 sportscar of the 1980s

GAZOO Racing parts now available in Malaysia for sporty personalisation

GAZOO is a name that has been around since the early 2000s although back then, it was known only in Japan. It was the name of a website that was created and supervised by Akio Toyoda, currently. President of Toyota Motor Corporation. At that time, he had just joined the Board of Directors after having served in various roles at different Toyota subsidiaries and digitisation was accelerating.

From being the name for a website (which still exists today) that served as a hub for virtual shops mainly dealing in the auto business, GAZOO began to appear in motorsports towards the end of the 2000s. Being a racing driver and car enthusiast himself, Akio wanted to generate more excitement for the sport among the young and GAZOO Racing was to expand the role of promoting motorsports beyond that of traditional automakers.

Today GAZOO Racing is a major part of Toyota which is responsible for motorsports and high-performance products. Its scope has progressively broadened and in countries like Malaysia, GAZOO Racing (GR) has been established as a new performance brand.

Growing name in Malaysia
“GAZOO Racing is a name that has gained tremendous traction in the Malaysian market since we first introduced the brand here in 2017. The brand represents Toyota’s motor racing activities worldwide, and this has translated into a great number of initiatives locally that include the organizing of the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Festival, Vios Challenge one-make race, GAZOO Racing Velocity Esports Championship, the launch of exclusive GR vehicles, the roll-out of the Vios GR-S in Malaysia and establishing the GAZOO Racing Young Talent Development Program for young racing drivers,” said Akio Takeyama, GAZOO Racing Malaysia’s Chief Motorsports Officer.

Exclusive GR parts
Now GAZOO Racing Malaysia is making available GAZOO Racing (GR) parts and accessories that are exclusively for the GR Yaris, Vios GR-S, Vios and Yaris. “The availability and sale of GR parts and accessories is a further extension of these initiatives as Toyota steps up its efforts to gain a bigger foothold in Malaysian motorsports,” said Mr. Takeyama.

Exclusive to the limited-edition GR Yaris are 5 styling upgrades – a GR Front Spoiler with Rear Extension; GR Side Skirts; GR Rear Bumper Spoiler; GR Sports Muffler and an GR Interior Panel Set (carbonfibre design).

All other parts are available for the Vios GR-S, Vios and Yaris. This, however, excludes the GR start/stop button, GR emblem, GR carpet mat, which already come standard in the Vios GR-S.

Only available at selected outlets
All GR Parts and accessories come with a 1-year warranty and to ensure quality fitment, customers can have the products installed at the respective GR Garages and GR outlets. The parts can be purchased only at 5 GR Garages and 39 GR outlets (Toyota dealerships that have teams competing in the Vios Challenge racing series).

The five GR Garages nationwide are Fokus Tetap (Shah Alam, Selangor), PCM Klang Motor (Klang, Selangor), Wing Hin Auto (Balakong, Selangor), Telagamas (Kulim, Kedah) and Mutiara Motorsports (Masai, Johor). The list of GR outlets can be found at www.toyota.com.my.

UMW Toyota Motor President, Ravindran K., said the availability of GR Parts allows customers to have a higher degree of personalization for their vehicles, especially those who share the passion for motorsports. “GR is as much about performance as it is about styling, safety and lifestyle, and this is reflected throughout the introductory list of parts we are making available today,” he said.

“While GR models are a pedigree of their own, the GR brand is not confined to only outright performance. The brand also conveys driving enjoyment and excitement, and this is precisely what customers can look forward to with the availability of these parts and accessories,” he added.

GR Heritage Parts project to reproduce Toyota Supra parts for sale

Day 2 Report – TGR Festival & Vios Challenge Season 4, Round 2

After yesterday’s racing in hot and sunny weather, the second racing session of Round 2 of the Vios Challenge at the Sepang International Circuit was run in both wet and dry conditions. But like yesterday, the competition was intense for both the new and existing drivers in the series which is now in its fourth season.

“Looking at all the action on and off the track, it was obvious that everyone in the community has been eager to get back to doing what they do best – racing! The competition was just as intense, if not greater, than it had been before the pandemic and this is precisely the boost of energy we all need to steer out of these challenging times,” said GAZOO Racing Malaysia’s Chief Motorsport Officer, Akio Takeyama.

“As an event organizer, one of the most demanding aspects of the weekend in these times has not so much been in managing the racing on the track but to ensure that all safeguards are in place and adhered to in order to protect everyone on site from the threat of COVID-19. This remains our number one priority,” he stressed.

The event was closed to the public and spectators in accordance with conditions set by the National Security Council (MKN) pertaining to the organizing of sporting events. However, some 2 million people watched the races online in Malaysia as well as anywhere that was connected to the internet.

SUPER SPORTING CLASS
Unlike Race 1 which was held in blistering hot conditions, Race 2 got underway in the rain with drivers not only having to contend with a slippery track but also poor visibility. Those conditions however, seemed to Favour M7 Japan Project Team’s Syafiq Ali who catapulted himself into the lead from fourth position in the first corner, followed closely by team mate Faidzil Alang.

However, all the excitement of Lap 1 was cut short when the Safety Car had to be activated and circulated for 3 laps. During this time, Syafiq led the convoy behind the Safety Car and ahead of Faidzil, followed by Hayden Haikal who started from pole position.

Mark Darwin who was running in fifth behind overall championship leader Tengku Djan Ley eventually spun going into the first corner after the restart, dropping to 12^th. The fight at the front of the pack was extremely fierce with Cheah charging aggressively with the hope of making it a double race win. After passing Hayden, his duel with Faidzil for second position lasted for 2 laps before he got past and away. His sights were then set on catching race leader Syafiq who was 2.1 seconds ahead.

As conditions worsened, the Safety Car was again called out on lap 10. This erased whatever lead Syafiq had built up. As the rain got heavier, the race was eventually red flagged which meant all racing was suspended. However, the race was able to be resumed minutes later, again under Safety Car conditions, and with 1 lap to go, Syafiq held his ground to take the chequered flag just half a car’s length in front of Cheah, and Faidzil in third position.

SPORTING CLASS
Like the Super Sporting Class race, this race was also run in wet conditions. But the rain was just the ‘x-factor’ Crestmax Motorsport’s Adam Khalid needed to make a huge impact on the race results when he stormed from 15th position on the starting grid to win the 20-lap race.

Adam, who finished the race ahead of Aylezo Motorsport’s Mirza Syahmi Mahzan and Eric Yong who came in third, said: “The rain really helped me, and the team did an awesome job to prepare the car… it was just perfect and by the 6th lap, I found myself in the lead. From then on, I just kept my head down and focused on track ahead.”

ROOKIE CLASS
In the Rookie Class, 17-year-old Amer Harris was the highest placed young driver running seventh overall, in the race which shared the grid with the Super Sporting Class racers. Amer took the chequered flag ahead of fellow teenager Mika Hakimi and 14-year-old Putera Adam.

The race win was Amer’s second podium finish over the weekend, having completed Race 1 yesterday (Saturday) in third position. Finishing fifth and failing to make it four race wins in a row was Naquib Azlan, followed by Jwan Hii in fifth position.

PROMOTIONAL CLASS
The Promotional Class race was almost a repeat of Race 1’s results with actor Shukri Yahaya once again claiming race victory, his second for the weekend. It was a closely-contested 18-lap race, and he finished 7.1 seconds ahead of TV presenter Nabil Ahmad. In third place was fellow actor Zizan Razak.

Starting from fifth on the grid, Shukri piled on the pressure from the very beginning as he picked off one by one Wany Hasrita, Akio Takeyama, and singers Nabila Razali and Khai Bahar to move into the lead.

“I realized that I can be rather impatient in past races and that led to some bad decisions and mistakes on track. Patience is very important in racing. I’ve also been working really hard at improving my driving skills and I made a conscious effort over the last 7 months of break to work on my driving and racecraft on a simulator – that has helped a great deal to prepare me for this weekend,” said Shukri.

With two race victories, both Shukri and Zizan now have a solid chance of taking the overall championship title in the Promotional Class and that is what he is eyeing for. “As a super senior in the class by virtue of this being my fourth season in the Vios Challenge, I owe it to myself and my fans to become champion. I’m definitely going for it!” said Shukri.

Round 3 to be a night race
Round 3 and the season finale of the Vios Challenge will be held on November 20/21, again at the Sepang International Circuit. However, there will be a twist as it will be a night race! At this time, it is not known yet whether conditions will be relaxed to allow spectators to be present. To stay informed, visit the Toyota Malaysia website at www.toyota.com.my, or the Facebook pages of Toyota Malaysia and Toyota GAZOO Racing Malaysia.

Day 1 report – TGR Festival & Vios Challenge Season 4, Round 2

Day 1 report – TGR Festival & Vios Challenge Season 4, Round 2

After a 7-month break – with half of the time due to restrictions arising from the COVID-19 pandemic – the Vios Challenge of the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Festival (TGR Festival) was on again today. The participants were eager to go racing so it was competition at its most intense in Round 2 at the Sepang International Circuit.

Unfortunately, although the Movement Control Order (MCO) has been relaxed, there are still restrictions set by the health authorities and spectators are not permitted at the circuit to watch. To make sure fans throughout Malaysia could still watch the action, there have been live broadcasts today over Toyota Malaysia’s website and Facebook pages.

All four classes of competitors returned to their dogfights, intent on improving the positions in the championship. The four classes are the Rookie Class, Promotional Class, Sporting Class and Super Sporting Class.

Two of the four new faces making their debut in the Vios Challenge impressed with Malaysian touring car driver Mitchell Cheah and Sepang Talent Development Program driver Ady Rahimy winning in the Super Sporting Class and Sporting Class, respectively. Two other drivers also making their debut in the Vios Challenge are veteran and 2-time Merdeka Millennium Endurance Race champion Faidzil Alang and Malaysia Championship Series driver, Lau Seng Kiat.

“We could not have asked for a more exciting restart to the season, and with the inclusion of 4 new drivers into the series, the Vios Challenge one-make series continues to attract a competitive field of Malaysian racers, “said GAZOO Racing Malaysia’s Chief Motorsport Officer, Akio Takeyama, who has also been a participant since the series began.

Round 2 Vios Challenge 2021 — All the cars in the Vios Challenge have identical performance and specifications and inspected by officials before and after each race. So the racing is all about driver skill rather than power, and makes for close competition.

SUPER SPORTING CLASS
In the Super Sporting Class for veteran and skilled drivers, touring car driver Mitchell Cheah powered to victory from start to finish in the 20-lap race, followed by Laser Motor Racing’s Mark Darwin 0.7 seconds behind, and M7 Japan Project Team’s Sayfiq Ali in third place.

Cheah, driving for 23 Motors, set a blistering pace throughout practice and qualifying to clock 1:25.618 for pole position. Being on the front row of the grid, he made a brilliant start in the race but was only able to marginally pull away from the rest of the field behind who were locked in a fierce contest for second and third positions.

In the opening laps of the race, Telagamas Toyota’s Freddie Ang was in contention for second position with Mark in third, and championship leader Tengku Djan Ley in fourth position, but 8 laps later, Mark overtook to consolidate his place for second place. Ang tried to hang on for third but could not stop a charging Syafiq who inevitably proved to become the biggest gainer in the race, finishing third despite starting from as far back as ninth on the grid.

Carrying an extra 40 kgs of ballast by virtue of winning two consecutive races in Round 1, Tengku Djan struggled all weekend with the extra weight, managing only fourth quickest, before finishing Race 1 in 14th and one lap behind after a brush with the concrete on the exit of Turn 8 which caused a puncture.

SPORTING CLASS
Making his Vios Challenge debut, Ady Rahimy was hardly intimidated by the competition to lead the race from start to finish. He very quickly opened a gap of 4.5 seconds but that lead disappeared by the 15th lap when the Safety Car came out on the track. When the race resumed, there was only 1 lap to the finish but Ady gave it all he could and sprinted to the finishing line closely pursued by Dream Chaser’s Bradley Benedict Anthony, with Distinctive Model’s Clement Yeo rounding up the top 3 positions.

The battle for second and third positions was intensely fierce with Yeo, Aylezo Motorsports’s Mirza Syahmi and Bradley exchanging places on several occasions with less than half a second separating all three drivers. Bradley however, attacked consistently despite coming under pressure and managed to get ahead of Yeo in the penultimate stages of the race.

ROOKIE CLASS
In the Rookie Class, the 20-lap race was won by current championship leader Naquib Azlan who collected his third straight victory in 3 races for a perfect track record so far. Coming in second was Mika Hakimi while in third was Amer Harris. Starting from third on the grid, Naquib paced himself patiently, observing the battle ahead involving Putera Adam and pole position driver Mika before mounting his attack for the lead in the closing stages of the race.

Putera Adam, 14, had driven a compelling race that saw him clinch the lead in the 11th lap. He was within 5 laps of what could have potentially been his first ever race victory until a race incident forced him into retirement. Finishing fourth was Jwan Hii.

PROMOTIONAL CLASS
This class has always been a crowd-puller and though they were not physically at the track, it’s a sure bet that the fans of the various celebrities taking part were cheering them on from their homes. Starting from pole position, Shukri Yahaya made a great start and held the lead from start to finish. Finishing second was Nabil Ahmad followed by Nabila Razali in third place.

The opening stages of the race saw Shukri pull away with a comfortable lead as Nabil and fellow racer Zizan Razak tussled for second position. Both drivers were unwilling to give up an inch and exchanged places several times in Lap 2 before contact between the two of them resulted in a damaged suspension for Zizan who was forced into retirement.

That incident promoted Akio Takeyama to third, but it also brought out the Safety Car for 2 laps. The fight for third was intense with Takeyama having to fend off challenges from Ahirine Ahirudin and Nabila Razali for several laps. The two ladies eventually got past Takeyama. But GAZOO Racing Malaysia’s Chief Motorsport Officer did not give up easily and tried fighting back for the lost position. His determination, however, put his car in contact with Ahirine’s which promoted Nabila into third.

For Shukri, the Safety Car erased whatever gap he had built and he once again found himself under pressure from Nabil. The actor however, kept his head down and put in consistent lap times over the remaining 10 laps to build his lead from 3.8 seconds to a massive 14.7 seconds ahead of Nabil for the race victory with Nabila in third. The biggest gainer in the race however, proved to be Nabila who jumped 5 places from eighth on the grid to third on the podium.

The second race of Round 2 of the Vios Challenge will be run tomorrow and w all the action will be broadcast live on the Toyota Malaysia website at www.toyota.com.my, and on the Facebook pages of Toyota Malaysia and Toyota GAZOO Racing Malaysia.

UMW Toyota Motor starts GAZOO Racing Young Talent Development Program

Round 2 of Vios Challenge to be broadcast live from Sepang circuit this weekend

At last, after the forced suspension of public activities – including motorsports – the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Festival can resume and with it, the second round of the Vios Challenge. As with the first round in March, Round 2 will also be run at the Sepang International Circuit this weekend (October 23/24).

Unfortunately, spectators will not be allowed to watch the racing from the stands as the health authorities do not permit such gatherings at this time. Therefore all the action will be broadcast live on the Toyota Malaysia website at www.toyota.com.my, and on the Facebook pages of Toyota Malaysia and Toyota GAZOO Racing Malaysia.

This second round is part of the fourth season of the popular Vios Challenge, a one-make series that has grown in popularity. As many of the participants have gained more experience with each season, the racing has also become more competitive. And because the cars are all technically similar – and strict inspections ensure that – the racing is close and what matters more is driver skill.

Round 1 brought out the best in all the racers, some going on to stamp an early sign of dominance in the opening races (two per round) of the season, while several newcomers demonstrated talent that have all the makings of emerging champions.

The Vios Challenge consists of 4 classes, including the Rookie Class which has 5 graduates of the GAZOO Racing Young Talent Development Program. These are promising racers who are stepping up from karting and sim racing to racing in a real saloon car for their very first time. There is also the ever-popular Promotional Class which has 10 local celebrities who are closely followed by their thousands of fans across the country.

*Some of the local celebrities taking part in the Promotional Class.*

The more serious drivers (not to say those in the Rookie Class and Promotional Class are not serious) are in the Sporting Class for amateur drivers and the Super Sporting Class for the veteran and professional drivers.

The battle of the rookies is currently being led by Naquib Nor Azlan, whose transition from sim racing to real racing has had little impact on his dominance on the racing track, virtual or otherwise. Naquib won the first two races of the season, closely chased by 17-year old Amer Harris and Mika Hakimi.

The Super Sporting Class see the dominance of professional driver, drifter and GAZOO Racing Ambassador, Tengku Djan Ley who was victorious in both season-opening races. Other contenders in the running include last season’s runner-up Mark Darwin, last season’s second runner-up Freddie Ang, and accomplished veterans the likes of Boy Wong, William Ho, Kenny Lee, Keifli Othman, Syafiq Ali and former Sporting Class champion Brendan Paul Anthony. Also competing in the class is teenager Hayden Haikal who was last year’s Sporting Class champion and has been upgraded.

An individual who has been equally dominant in the season opener is actor Zizan Razak who, like Tengku Djan and Naquib Azlan, also rejoins Round 2 with a perfect 2-race victory in Round 1 despite being in his first ever season of the Vios Challenge. Others competing in the Promotional Class include actor Shukri Yahaya, actress Janna Nick, presenter Nabil Ahmad and singers Wany Hasrita, Nabila Razali and Khai Bahar. They will be joined by singer/song writer Talitha Tan and television personality Ahirene Ahirudin.

The Sporting Class remains a class that is still too close to call with Adam Khalid and Haji Sutan Mustaffa Salihin each with one race victory to their name. 19 competitive drivers will be gunning for the chance of collecting more points this weekend and ending the season as champion.

“We are extremely grateful that the season can continue, and I am sure that all the racers are eager to get back into action. I do not foresee the long break having an adverse impact on their performance. Instead, like Round 1, the competition will be even stiffer and closer all the way to the chequered flag,” said GAZOO Racing Malaysia’s Chief Motorsport Officer, Akio Takeyama, who is also a racing driver himself.

The story behind TOYOTA GAZOO Racing and why it was created

Nathayos Sirigaya and Team Thailand tops in 2nd TOYOTA GAZOO Racing GT Cup ASIA (w/VIDEO)

This year’s TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR) GT Cup ASIA 2021 Regional Finals saw 21 national qualifiers – from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, India, Taiwan, and South Korea – competing against each other in the popular simulator racing event. They were battling it out not only for the attractive prize money but also a chance to represent Asia and compete alongside world players in the TGR GT Global finals to be held in December.

In the second running of the e-sports competition, Chou Yi Teng (Taiwan) and Nathayos Sirigaya (Thailand) opened the regional finals with leading positions in the first race for their respective groups. In the final round where the top 15 racers competed on the circuit used for the 24-Hour Le Mans race, Yi Teng steadily held his leading position through 5 laps to land first place, with other finalists racing closely behind him including defending champion Muhammad Aleef (Singapore). Overall, Nathayos – who placed third last year – clinched the winning spot. Yi Teng came second while Aleef came in third.

“I didn’t think I had a good shot at winning when I started in the fifth position in the final race, so I am very humbled for the win,” Nathayos said after his victory. “It has been an amazing experience racing alongside the best e-Motorsport racers in Asia. I’m taking away with me important learnings and experiences that will be immensely valuable heading into the Grand Finals. I am grateful for the opportunity provided by Toyota to pursue my passion for racing in the virtual world.”

The Regional Finals featured 3 races run on different circuits from around the world. The fight for the championship started with a semi-final race, where the 21 entrants competed in two groups using the GR Yaris. This was along the Tokyo Expressway – obviously not a circuit that would be used in real life!

Nathayos led the race and eventually took victory in the final seconds of the last lap for Group A. Trailing right behind him was fellow teammate Thanaphat Pungphat, as both Thai drivers stuck with each other throughout the race.

“The plan was to stick together in the qualifying round and work together to get to the finals,” Nathayos mentioned. With their plan playing out perfectly, the duo saw a total of 32 points in the team standings after the first round. For Group B, Chou Yi Teng (Taiwan) earned first place.

The top 5 racers from each group in the semi-final round proceeded to the third and final race, while the remaining 11 racers competed in the second race at the Fuji International Speedway. In this consolation race, 5 racers competing in the GR Supra captured the last 5 seats in the final race, with Andika Rama Maulana (Indonesia) finishing in first place.

After the exciting first two races, the third and final races were run at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium with the new GR 86 model, and then on the famous Circuit de la Sarthe which annually hosts the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race. The car used was the 1000 ps Toyota TS050 Hybrid which has won the event many times.

“We are overwhelmed by the support for GR racers in our second year of TGR GT Cup Asia. We are excited to see more countries participating, increasing the competition intensity. It was thrilling to see Nathayos and Aleef returning to battle it out for the global final entries,” said the Vice-President of Toyota Marketing Asia, David Nordstrom.

A first for the tournament, prizes were also awarded for the top 3 country teams. Team Thailand took home the winning team honour with 131 points, followed by Team Malaysia in second place with 84 points, and Team Taiwan in third place with 83 points.

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing takes first win of the new Hypercar era of the World Endurance Championship

Toyota GR Velocity Esports Championship finale to be broadcast live this weekend

The excitement of the Toyota GR Velocity Esports Championship returns this weekend with the top 20 simulator racers in Malaysia vying for the honours of winning a share of the total prize pool of RM70,000. Additionally, the top three winners will go on to represent the country in the GR GT Cup Asia qualifiers organized by Toyota Motor Asia Pacific.

Most lucrative local online racing series
Billed as one of the most lucrative local online racing series in the country, the Toyota GR Velocity Esports Championship offers a cash prize of RM20,000, RM10,000, RM7,000, RM5,500, RM4,500 to the top 5 overall winners. The 6^th to 10^th finishers will receive RM4,000, RM3,500, RM3,000, RM2,500 and RM2,000, respectively.

There’s also a prize of RM500 each for those who finish in 11th to 20th positions. Additional cash prizes of RM450 and RM200 will be awarded to the first and second place winners in each of the two individual races.

Prior to this weekend’s semi-finals and finals, more than 800 participants from around Malaysia participated in the championship which began with qualifying rounds last month. Then came the quarter-finals which were held on September 4 and 5 to select the top 20 racers who will compete in the semi-finals on September 18. The 10 best racers will then move to the final challenge on Sunday.

2019 Toyota GR Velocity Esports Championship — The semi-finals and finals have been held in public spaces in previous years. This year, due to the pandemic and need for social distancing to be maintained, the racers will connect from their homes using Sony PlayStation’s Gran Turismo Sport platform.

Unlike previous years when the events were held in public spaces, this year’s finale will be run completely online from each competitor’s home, with the race utilizing Sony PlayStation’s Gran Turismo Sport platform. Spectators can follow the race action which will be broadcast on TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Malaysia’s Facebook and YouTube pages and also over Astro eGG, the first eSports channel in Southeast Asia.

The Toyota 2000GT is one of the cars the sim racers will use. Only 351 units of Japan’s first supercar were produced between 1967 and 1970. Being of an earlier era, its driving dynamics will be different from the modern racing cars like the Le Mans-winning TS050 HYBRID (below) which will also be used.

Racing at famous circuits
In the semi-finals, all the racers will first pilot the Toyota 2000GT (the first Japanese supercar) in a 15-minute race around the 73-year old Goodwood Motor Circuit in England, and afterwards another reversed-grid order race of the 3.8-km circuit. The third race behind the wheel of the GR Supra Racing Concept for a 30-minute race at Australia’s 6.2-km Mount Panorama-Bathurst circuit, well known for its annual 12-hour race.

*One of the tracks will be Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.*

The final is also a 3-race format. The first two races will see a 15-minute sprint race with racers competing in the FT-1 Vision Gran Turismo GR.3 at the 7-km Spa Francorchamps circuit in Belgium. The championship decider will be a 40-minute finale at Fuji Speedway, behind the wheel of the Le Mans-winning TS050 Hybrid, during which they must make at least one pit-stop.

The two-day semi-finals and finals will see 4 previous GR Velocity Esports Championship winners returning. They include defending champion Taj Aiman, and last year’s runner-up and third place winner Iqbal Suji and Mior Hafiz, as well as 2018 winner Muhammad Uzair. Last year, Taj finished second overall in first-ever GR Supra GT Cup Asia.

The finals will also see several racers currently competing in the Vios Challenge Promotional, Sporting, Super Sporting and Rookie classes, in an exhibition race. Having challenged each other in the first round at Sepang earlier this year, they will now have a chance to continue the duels while waiting for the series to be resumed.

TGR Festival Season 4 Round 1 — *Some of the racers from the Vios Challenge, in Season 4 this year, will also participate in an exhibition race online.*

During the broadcasts on the two days, there will also be interviews with the racers as well as GR Ambassador, Tengku Djan Ley and the event’s Race Director, former F1 driver Alex Yoong. The broadcast times will be 10:30 am to 6 pm on Saturday and 3 pm to 6 pm on Sunday.

Fourth year of championship
First held in 2018, the number of participants in the Toyota GR Velocity Esports Championship has grown from 400 to more than 800 this year. Last year’s event drew more than 1 million online spectators who watched the 2-day event via the Facebook and YouTube channels. Until today, UMW Toyota Motor remains the first and the only Malaysian car company to be associated with e-sports, a fast-growing activity which has even been recognised by the FIA, the world motorsport governing body.

“The momentum and the level of interest for the GR Velocity Esports Championship have grown tremendously in just 4 years. This is a huge boost for both e-sports and motorsports and we are glad that we persevered to keep the championship going despite the restrictions faced due to the pandemic,” said President of UMW Toyota Motor, Ravindran K.

*The Toyota GR Velocity Esports Championship has been run since 2018.*

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Malaysia’s Chief Motorsports Officer, Akio Takeyama, said the company remains committed to its aspirations of establishing a bigger footprint in Malaysian motorsports.

“In the 4 years that the GAZOO Racing brand has actively been in Malaysian motorsports, we have seen the eco-system dynamically transform. At one point, we experienced young racers joining the Vios Challenge street racing series, and then it evolved to having simulator racers not only joining the event but proving they are also capable of winning a real race. Today, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we see a growing population of professional racers not just globally but also domestically, migrating to compete online in the absence of physical events. This is a fantastic evolution for both esports and motorsports and I believe moving forward one will be dependent on the other in order to produce racers of exceptional quality,” said Mr. Takeyama.

The story behind TOYOTA GAZOO Racing and why it was created

Piston.my

Toyota GR

Toyota Yaris impresses on first-ever appearance in Sepang 1000KM race

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Malaysia doing battle in Sepang 1000KM Race this weekend

Highlights of the Season 4 Vios Challenge Night Races (first night)

Toyota to use new GR Supra-based racing car for Funny Car competition in America next year

GAZOO Racing parts now available in Malaysia for sporty personalisation

Day 2 Report – TGR Festival & Vios Challenge Season 4, Round 2

Day 1 report – TGR Festival & Vios Challenge Season 4, Round 2

Round 2 of Vios Challenge to be broadcast live from Sepang circuit this weekend

Nathayos Sirigaya and Team Thailand tops in 2nd TOYOTA GAZOO Racing GT Cup ASIA (w/VIDEO)

Toyota GR Velocity Esports Championship finale to be broadcast live this weekend

Toyota Yaris impresses on first-ever appearance in Sepang 1000KM race

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Malaysia doing battle in Sepang 1000KM Race this weekend

Highlights of the Season 4 Vios Challenge Night Races (first night)

Toyota to use new GR Supra-based racing car for Funny Car competition in America next year

GAZOO Racing parts now available in Malaysia for sporty personalisation

Day 2 Report – TGR Festival & Vios Challenge Season 4, Round 2

Day 1 report – TGR Festival & Vios Challenge Season 4, Round 2

Round 2 of Vios Challenge to be broadcast live from Sepang circuit this weekend

Nathayos Sirigaya and Team Thailand tops in 2nd TOYOTA GAZOO Racing GT Cup ASIA (w/VIDEO)

Toyota GR Velocity Esports Championship finale to be broadcast live this weekend

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