SAVE THE DATE!!

Super Sporting Class

Kegani Racing’s Kenny Lee drove to a textbook finish from pole position to deny 23 Motors’ Tengku Djan Ley of a double race victory, with Laser Motor Racing’s Mark Darwin finishing third.

Kenny made a brilliant start to lead into the first corner with M7 Japan Project Team’s Syafiq Ali in close pursuit. But it was Tengku Djan who gained the most, managing to slingshot himself all the way to third position from sixth on the grid. The race however, was held back under safety car conditions as early as the third corner involving a collision between Toyotsu Racing’s William Ho and Telagamas Toyota’s Freddie Ang.

Also celebrating a triumphant weekend was Mark who finished third in Race 2 having earned second spot in Race 1.

RESULTS

Sporting Class

The best action of the day came in the form of a three-way battle for the win in the Sporting Class which saw SMS Motorsports’ Haji Sutan Mustaffa Salihin clinching victory ahead of 17-year-old Bradley Benedict Anthony of Dream Chaser and Dannies Ng in third position.

Sutan led the race from pole position but was forced to work hard as he came under tremendous pressure to defend his lead from a charging Bradley who could not find a way around the leader throughout the 20-lap race. Distracted by the leader, Bradley lost track position to Dannies momentarily before regaining it two laps later when the latter missed a gear.

RESULTS

Bandar Malaysia set the stage for the fastest street racing action so far in three seasons of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival and Toyota Vios Challenge, rewarding those who commit but equally taking its toll on those who fear high speed tracks.

At 1.96km, the Bandar Malaysia track is one of the fastest and longest ever constructed for the series. It features 20 corners and two long straights, the longest being 600 meters. Higher speeds however, also mean a higher attrition rate with a number of drivers forced into early retirement after colliding with the concrete barrier.

It was the first time a saloon car race in Malaysia was organized at an airport, formerly known as the Royal Malaysian Air Force base in Sungai Besi, and the action on the high-speed track did not disappoint with exciting close racing action from start to finish in all three classes of racing.

WHAT THE DRIVERS SAY

“The track is super fast, awesome and I love it so much but it’ll be about pacing yourself in the race. If you push too hard and make a mistake you will definitely pay for it. I’ve seen about 8 cars falling casualty on the first unofficial day of practice.”

- Sutan Mustaffa, Sporting Class

“This is the first time the car is able to stretch its legs due to the two long straights and we manage to hit fourth gear."

– Kenneth Koh, Sporting Class

“The Bandar Malaysia track is like a mini Singapore F1 GP circuit because it’s long, flowing, high speed, wide and clean. There is no cleaner circuit on the Toyota Vios Challenge calendar than this one.”

– Brendan Paul Anthony, Super Sporting Class

“This is a high speed track and the most intimidating yet in the Toyota Vios Challenge. It is also very slippery and I experience a lot of understeer.”

– Boy Wong, Super Sporting Class

“Because the track is wide, the temptation to push the car is even greater. In some areas I feel like I’m sliding on ice – It’s not something you can take for granted.”

– Shanmuganathan Arumugam, Sporting Class

THE ACTION - DAY 1

Promotional Class

In the class for celebrities, beat boxer Shawn Lee made a text book start from pole position to win the 20-lap race ahead of actor Shukri Yahaya and presenter Nabil Ahmad who finished third.

Shawn practically drove unopposed as the top three drivers broke away from the rest of the pack. The race was placed under safety car conditions in the 10th lap when actor Syafiq Kyle crashed into the wall.

Meanwhile, the battle for sixth and seventh position was also intense between singers Wany Hasrita and Nabila Razali, and it lasted for a good 16 laps before Nabila managed to successfully overtake.

RESULTS

Sporting Class

S&D Tama Motorsports’ Tom Goh raced to his first victory of the season ahead of Crestmax Motorsports’ Adam Khalid in second place, in an incident-riddled 20-lap race which saw the race being held under safety car conditions twice. In third place was 15-year-old Hayden Haikal.

23 Motors’ Mirza Syahmi Mahzan led opening stages of the race from pole position but his race weekend was severely ruined by a 15-second penalty for a start infringement subsequently followed by a retirement.

Three laps into the race, Saksama Motorsports’ Ricky Tan was too wide going into a left hander and collided with the concrete barrier ending his race which brought out the safety car. When the safety car peeled off the track three laps later it didn’t take more than a few corners to bring it right back out due to a second collision between Distinctive Model’s Clement Yeo and Panglima City Racing Team’s Kenneth Koh.

RESULTS

Super Sporting Class

The pros delivered a sterling drive as expected in the Super Sporting Class with 23 Motors’ Tengku Djan Ley storming to victory from pole position, finishing the 20-lap battle around the 1.96km track just two seconds ahead of Laser Motor Racing’s Mark Darwin and Telegamas Toyota’s Freddie Ang in third place.

Tengku Djan and Mark set a blistering pace and were locked in a private duel at the front, while Freddie and Toyotsu Racing’s William Ho engaged in a second private battle  

RESULTS

THE ACTION - DAY 2

Promotional Class

As expected, the Promotional class for celebrity racers was not without its fair share of drama. TV presenter and comedian Nabil Ahmad catapulted from fourth on the grid to lead the race right to the chequered flag, with singers Khai Bahar and Nabila Razali trailing in second and third positions respectively.

The biggest casualty in the race was Shukri who despite running as high as third place was taken out by Shawn in lap 6 when the latter misjudged his braking point. Actress Diana Danielle meanwhile, found herself pointing the car in the wrong direction on the track after being nudged by actor Syafiq Kyle.

Meanwhile, UMW Toyota Motor’s Chief Motorsports Officer Akio Takeyama who finished fifth said the track at Bandar Malaysia was extremely fast but a rewarding experience for all drivers competing in the series.

RESULTS

1

Shawn Lee

4

Diana Danielle

2

Shukri Yahaya

3

Nabil Ahmad

5

Khai Bahar

4

Bradley Benedict

Dream Chaser

3

Hayden Haikal

S&D Motorsports

5

Vincent Ng

Team Fokus Tetap

1

Tom Goh

S&D Tama Motorsports

2

Adam Khalid

Crestmax Motorsports

1

Tengku Djan Ley

23 Motors

4

William Ho

Toyotsu Racing

2

Mark Darwin

Laser Motor Racing

3

Freddie Ang

Telagamas Toyota

5

Brendon Lim

Tedco Racing

1

Nabil Ahmad

4

Wany Hasrita

2

Khai Bahar

3

Nabila Razali

5

Akio Takeyama

4

Adam Khalid

Crestmax Motorsports

2

Bradley Benedict Anthony

Dream Chaser

3

Dannies Ng

5

Tom Goh

S&D Tama Motorsports

1

Kenny Lee

Kegani Racing

4

Syafiq Ali

M7 Japan Project Team

2

Tengku Djan Ley

23 Motors

3

Mark Darwin

Laser Motor Racing

5

Brendan Paul Anthony

Dream Chaser

Thrills, Spills, and High-Speed Action!

Round 2 of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival Vios Challenge serves fastest street racing action of series… and messiest.

“From the start line I accelerate up to third gear before braking early at the 50 meter marker mark approaching the first left corner. I swing the car to position it into the corner and as I exit I am very close to the wall.

Still on full throttle I come up to the second corner which is also a left hander and then immediately after that it is a right hander for turn three in which I brake and downshift to second gear. From here, I just half throttle until I reach turn 4.  I get on the throttle right at the apex of turn 4 which takes me to the long back straight where I hit about 140km/h to 150km/h in fourth gear.

Just before the end of the long straight I approach a chicane and I brake at the 50 meter marker board before flicking the car right and then left without lifting off the throttle. After getting through the chicane I am charging towards a right U-turn where I brake early at the 70 meter marker and downshift from fourth gear to second gear, meet the apex and throttle out again exiting close to the wall.

This takes me to another long straight and again in fourth gear before braking at the 50 meter marker board and downshifting to third gear to prepare for a left turn. I exit on full throttle to prepare for a high speed left corner in third gear before swinging the car right which takes me to the final corner and back to the start-finish line.

It’s a very interesting track and there are a lot of long straights. There are also some tight corners and that brings out the technical aspect of the track. Bandar Malaysia is definitely the fastest street circuit on the Toyota Vios Challenge calendar and while this is exciting, it also means that if you brake too late or make any mistakes, the consequences can be extremely severe.”

• 10 corners

• 1.96km

• 600 meter long straight

• 2 main straights

• Maximum speed 140km/h to 150km/h

• Surface: tarmac & concrete

“I like the track because it is high speed and very wide. The long straight is awesome and I love the chicane. It’s both about being gutsy and a test of your skill in controlling the car.”

– Dato’ Ken Foo, Sporting Class

1

Haji Sutan Mustaffa Salihin

SMS Motorsports

THE TRACK

Pace Notes by Hayden Haikal