The battle of the rookies is currently being led by Naquib Azlan, whose transition from simulator racing to real racing has had little impact on his dominance on the racing track. Naquib won the first two races of the season, while in hot pursuit are the likes of 17-year-old teenagers Amer Harris and Mika Hakimi. Also in the class are 18-year-old Jwan Hii and 14-year-old Putera Adam.

The Super Sporting Class also continues to display the dominance of professional driver and GAZOO Racing Ambassador Tengku Djan Ley Tengku Mahaleel who swept to victory in the two 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.

"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"

- GAZOO Racing Malaysia’s Chief Motorsport Officer Akio Takeyama.

An individual who has been equally dominant in the season opener is actor Zizan Razak who, like Tengku Djan and Naqib Azlan, also rejoins Round 2 with a perfect two-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 meanwhile, remains a class that is still too close to call with Adam Khalid and Haji Sutan Mustaffa Salihin each with one race victory under their belts. The class will field a total of 19 competitive drivers gunning for the chance of being crowned the new champion in Season 4.

9

TURNS

2706

METRES

Sepang International Circuit (SIC)

Strategically located near the KL International Airport, with a length of 2.706 km, the North Track features 9 turns and 5 straights. The track allows ample opportunities for overtaking, to ensure a race full of suspense and thrill.

FEATURING 46 IDENTICAL RACE MODIFIED TOYOTA VIOS RACING CARS

Vios Challenge is a one-make race featuring 46 identical race modified Toyota Vios racing cars going wheel to wheel on unique street and race circuits.

Racing was at its most intense in Round 2 of the Vios Challenge as four classes of competitors retuned to door-to-door dogfights at the Sepang International Circuit after a seven-month break due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The race is being broadcast live over Toyota’s website and Facebook page as it is held strictly without the presence of spectators as a safeguard measure against the pandemic.

The Vios Challenge consists of four classes of racing which includes the Rookie Class featuring five graduates of the GAZOO Racing Young Talent Development Program who are stepping up from karting and simulator to racing in a saloon car for their very first time; the Promotional Class which will field 10 local celebrities, the Sporting Class for amateur drivers; and the Super Sporting Class for Malaysia’s elite and professional drivers.

Two of the four new faces making their debut in the Vios Challenge made a very big impact with Malaysian touring car driver Mitchell Cheah and Sepang Talent Development Program driver Ady Rahimy clinching victories in the Super Sporting Class for elite drivers and Sporting Class for amateurs respectively. Two other drivers making their debut in the Vios Challenge include veteran and two- time Merdeka Millennium Endurance Race champion Faidzil Alang and Malaysia Championship Series (SP 2) driver Lau Seng Kiat.

"We could not have asked for a more exciting restart to the season, and with the inclusion of four new drivers into the series, the Vios Challenge one-make series continues to attract a competitive field of Malaysian racers."

- GAZOO Racing Malaysia's Chief Motorsport Officer Akio Takeyama.

SPORTING CLASS

05Wong Chin Eeg

HIEWA RACING

06Shawn Lee

LASER MOTOR RACING

10Ken Foo

KULIM TOPWHEELS

20Haziq Bin Zairel Oh

CAR NANNY RACING TEAM

28Khalid Adam

CRESTMAX MOTORSPORTS

33Tom Goh

S&D TAMA MOTORSPORTS

36Amirul Haikal

SUPER EVERGREEN MOTORSPORTS

55Bradly Benedict

DREAM CHASER

68Lim Chun Beng

TEAM FOKUS TETAP

69Shanmuganathan

KASHASH VINA MOTORSPORTS

70Tarmimi Tahang

M7 JAPAN PROJECT TEAM

71Ricky Tan

SAKSAMA MOTORSPORTS

77Kenneth Koh

PANGLIMA CITY RACING TEAM

95Dato Yip Kian Heng

AYLEZO MOTORSPORT

97Mirza Syahmi

AYLEZO MOTORSPORT

98Clement Yeo

DISTINCTIVE MODEL

SUPER SPORTING CLASS

03Freddie Ang

TELAGAMAS TOYOTA

07Stafiq Ali

M7 JAPAN PROJECT TEAM

21Boy Wong

22Breandan Paul

DREAM CHASER

23Al-Farouk

23 MOTORS

38Kenny Lee

KEGANI RACING

39William Ho

TOYOTSU RACING

45Keifli Othman

23 MOTORS

61Tengku Djan Lei

PRIMA PEARL AUTO

63Mark Darwin

LASER MOTOR RACING

81Hayden Haikal

SPEEDADDIX

ROOKIES

02Mika Hakimi

04Amer Harris

17Naquib Azlan

25Putera Adam

27Troy Eimann

73Jwan Hii

1

Ady Rahimy

23 MOTORS

2

Bradley Benedict Anthony

DREAM CHASER

3

Clement Yeo

DISTINCTIVE MODEL

1

Naquib Azlan

2

Mika Hakimi

3

Amer Harris

PROMOTIONAL CLASS

Starting from pole position Shukri Yahaya made a brilliant start from pole position to lead the race 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 locked horns for second position. Both drivers were unwilling to give up an inch and exchanged places for second 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 brought out the safety car for two 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 found their way through Takeyama. Fighting back for position, contact between Takeyama and Ahirine however, 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 five places from eighth on the grid to third on the podium.

RESULTS

1

Shukri Yahaya

2

Nabil Ahmad

3

Nabila Razali

REWATCH : Stream 1 – Saturday, 23rd October 2021

9:05AM – 12:30PM

REWATCH : Stream 2 – Saturday, 23rd October 2021

2:15PM – 5:45PM

REWATCH : Stream 3 – Sunday, 24th October 2021

12:35PM – 5:25PM

Add a dash of GR to your everyday drive now as UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd today announced the availability of GAZOO Racing (GR) parts and accessories that are exclusive to the GR Yaris, Vios GR-S, Vios and Yaris.

All parts are exclusively available nationwide at five GR Garages and 39 GR outlets (Toyota dealerships competing in the Vios Challenge racing series).

The list of GR parts includes the following items:

GR Yaris Front Spoiler

GR Yaris Side Skirt

GR Yaris Rear Spoiler

GR Yaris Interior Panel (Carbon Fibre Design)

GR Tyre Valve Cap

GR License Plate Lock Bolt

GR Push Start Switch Button

GR Emblem

GR Luggage Mat

GR Carpet Mat

Stabilizer Bar (Front Strut Bar)

Stabilizer Bar (Rear Anti-Roll Bar)

Sporty Windshield Stripe

Sports Muffler Cutter

Illuminated Scuff Plate

Premium Wheel Hub Nut (Black Chrome)

Interior Panel Package (Carbon Fibre Wrap)

• GR Yaris Rear Bumper Spoiler

• GR Yaris Sports Muffler

• Sporty Body Stripe

• TGR Acrylic Plate (Rear)

• TGR Plate Holder and Acrylic Plate (Front)

• Black Top Package (Black Paint)

• Black Wing Mirror Cover (Black Paint)  

Exclusive to the limited-edition GR Yaris and only available at GR Garages nationwide which are five styling upgrades that include a GR Front Spoiler with Rear Extension; GR Side Skirts; GR Rear Bumper Spoiler; GR Sports Muffler and an GR Interior Panel Set (Carbon Fibre Design).

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

“GAZOO Racing is a name that has gained tremendous traction in the domestic market since we first introduced the brand here in 2017. The brand represents Toyota’s motor-acing activities worldwide, and this has translated into a great number of initiatives locally that include the organizing of the Toyota GAZOO Racing Festival, the Vios Challenge one-make race, the 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. 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 Akio Takeyama, GAZOO Racing Malaysia’s Chief Motorsports Officer.

“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.”

UMW Toyota Motor President Ravindran K. said the availability of GR Parts allow customers to add a higher degree of personalization for their vehicles, especially those who share the passion for motorsports.

“While GR models are a pedigree of its 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,” said Ravindran.

All GR Parts and accessories come with a one-year warranty and to ensure quality fitment, customers can have the products installed at the respective GR Garages and GR outlets.

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). For a complete list of the GR outlets, and for more information, log to UMW Toyota Motor’s website at www.toyota.com.my

RACE 1

With more than two million online viewers, Round 2 of the Vios Challenge at the Sepang International Circuit fuelled a remarkable restart to the season with racing being held in both wet and dry conditions, and the intense competition on track bringing out the best in new and existing drivers in the series.

While the weather hot and sunny on day one of racing, Sunday’s racing was run in the rain which made the track both slippery and visibility challenging. Much of the limelight of the weekend’s race was on Vios Challenge newcomer and touring car driver Mitchell Cheah who drove to a race win and a second place, and actor Shukri Yahaya who drove valiantly en route to clinching his best ever results in the series with back to back victories in both Race 1 and Race 2.

“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, adding that the race weekend was live streamed over Toyota’s website, Facebook page and numerous social media platforms.

“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.”

The event remained closed to the public and spectators, and a high degree of safety precaution was put in place, consistent with standard operating procedures (SOPs) imposed by the National Security Council (MKN) pertaining to the organizing of sporting events and under the strict supervision of the Motorsports Association of Malaysia (MAM) as the governing body for motorsports.

RACE 2

THE ACTION

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 his team mate Faidzil Alang.

All the excitement of Lap 1 however, was cut short when it brought out the safety car for 3 laps, with Syafiq leading the pack ahead of Faidzil, followed by Hayden Haikal who started from pole position, Race 1’s winner Mitchell Cheah in fourth place, Laser Motor Racing’s Mark Darwin in fifth and overall championship leader Tengku Djan Ley Tengku Mahaleel in sixth. Mark was eventually spun around going into the first corner after the restart losing valuable track positions and dropping to 12th.

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 two laps before eventually fighting his way through and from them on his sights were set on catching race leader Syafiq who was 2.1 seconds ahead.

As conditions worsened, a second safety car situation was called on lap 10 erasing whatever lead Syafiq had built up, and as the rain got heavier the race was eventually red flagged. The race resumed minutes later, again under safety car conditions, and with 1 lap to go, Syafiq held his ground to take the chequred flag just half a car’s length in front of Cheah, and Faidzil in third position.

RESULTS

SPORTING CLASS

Held under wet condition, 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 finished the race ahead of Aylezo Motorsport’s Mirza Syahmi Mahzan and Eric Yong who came in third.

“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,” said Adam.

RESULTS

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.

RESULTS

1

Syafiq Ali

M7 JAPAN PROJECT TEAM

2

Mitchell Cheah

23 MOTORS

3

Faidzil Alang

M7 JAPAN PROJECT TEAM

1

Adam Khalid

CRESTMAX MOTORSPORT

2

Mirza Syahmi Mahzan

AYLEZO MOTORSPORT

3

Eric Yong

1

Amer Harris

2

Mika Hakimi

3

Putera Adam

PROMOTIONAL CLASS

The Promotional Class race was almost a repeat of Race 1’s results with actor Shukri Yahaya clinching his second successive race victory of the weekend after a closely-contested 18-lap race, finishing 7.1 seconds clear 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 actress Wany Hasrita, Akio Takeyama, and singers Nabila Razali and Khai Bahar for 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 seven months break to work on my driving and race craft 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 clinching the overall championship 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 and the season finale of the Vios Challenge will be held on 20-21 November 2021 again at the Sepang International Circuit, but this time with a twist – a night race!

RESULTS

1

Shukri Yahaya

2

Nabil Ahmad

3

Nabila Razali