Vios Challenge one-make series goes international

After 7 consecutive and successful seasons, the Vios Challenge one-make race has gone international in its eighth season by being part of the Malaysian round of the 2025 AUTOBACS SUPER GT series. It is a significant advancement for the series which was started by UMW Toyota Motor and Toyota GAZOO Racing Malaysia in 2017 to develop and promote motorsports in the country.

The second round of the 2025 Vios Challenge was also made even more special with UMW Toyota Motor and Toyota GAZOO Racing Malaysia’s Title Sponsorship of the AUTOBACS SUPER GT series which has a history going back to 1993 in Japan. The Malaysian round has returned this weekend to the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit after an absence of 12 years.

Since it was inaugurated, the Vios Challenge has typically had a sprint race format (over two days) and initially utilised purpose-built street circuits in various locations around the country. Over the past few years, the series has settled on using half of the Sepang circuit for 10 laps.

Change in format
This weekend’s two races, however, have seen a change with the cars of all the classes racing together around the entire 5.543 kms of the track which used to host a round of rht Formula 1 World Championship. It is therefore twice as challenging for the drivers which now include participants from Thailand, Singapore and India. In total, 36 drivers entered for the second round of the Vios Challenge.

In the first race for Super Sporting Class for professional racers, although Laser Motor Racing’s Eddie Lew jumped into an early lead, it was Telagamas Toyota’s Freddie Ang taking the chequered flag ahead of Nabil with Toyotsu Racing’s William Ho a further 18 seconds behind in third place.

For the second race, Team Prima Pearl SP Selatan’s Mitchell Cheah grabbed an early lead and with consistency and good management of tyre wear, won the race. Laser Motor Racing’s Ady Rahimy did his best to chase down Cheah but eventually had to settle for second place after a close fight with his team mate Eddie Lew, Wheelcorp’s Nabil Azlan and Telagamas Toyota’s Freddie Ang.

“It was a good race overall. I gained two positions on the start but I also lost two positions later when we had a safety car situation. I subsequently fought back, regained the lead and managed to open up a two-second gap,” said Cheah.

“Towards the final stages of the race, I just kept my head down and focused on being consistent to the chequered flag. A 1-hour race is definitely not easy and you just can’t afford to push from the start like a sprint race,” he said.

The first race of the Sporting Class for amateurs was dominated by Hong Huat x Armada KK Racing’s Jwan Hii who delivered a dominant drive to finish 8 seconds ahead of Kulim Top Wheels’ Datuk Dr Ken Foo.

The second race had a different set of drivers on the podium with Justin Toh and Elson Lew who led a 1-2 finish for BAE Racing by ES Yang, while RUK Team Nexzter PMC 52’s Varunchit Wattanathanakun claimed his second straight third placing of the weekend.

Down the field in the Rookie Class, Harkiesh Geeva had been poised for what appeared to be certain victory in the first race. But the race isn’t over until the finish line is crossed and in the last minutes, a mechanical problem which lost Harkiesh his third gear prevented him from seeing the chequered flag. This allowed Aydan Khaliq to pass him and win the race, while Rahul Dev was second, Fortunately, Harkiesh’s problem occurred in the closing lap and he managed to stay in third position as he crossed the finish line. In the second race, Rahul Dev did better to take victory ahead of Genevieve Ooi, with Aydan Khaliq in third.

The rookies are from the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Young Talent Development Program which started in 2021. Young Malaysians with racing potential are offered an opportunity to be trained as racers, going through an extensive program and also being provided fully prepared cars to use.

Graduates from the program have shown how their background and skills in karting and sim racing have been beneficial to moving into real-world track racing. Some have been highly proficient and are already with teams racing in Thailand and Japan.

The Vios Challenge continues to be Malaysia’s most competitive and accessible grassroots racing platform, this year with a total of RM800,000 in prize money.The series also has a huge audience, both at the tracks as well as online as it is livestreamed on TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Malaysia’s social media channels. Since 2017, it has drawn over 30 million spectators on the ground as well as online.

Developing not just vehicles, but people
“The VIOS Challenge, premier one-make race has served as a proven springboard for local talent, and to now have our drivers compete on the same stage as international teams at SUPER GT marks a defining milestone. This opportunity aligns with our GAZOO Racing philosophy of pushing limits for better – developing not just vehicles, but people. SUPER GT Malaysia Festival is not just a platform for competition – it’s a launchpad that proudly positions TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Malaysia on the global motorsports map and a showcase that TOYOTA  GAZOO Racing Malaysia is here, active, and ready to grow,” said Datuk Ravindran K., President of UMW Toyota Motor.

“Looking ahead, Toyota intends to broaden our motorsports footprint by establishing a clearer progression path for our TGR Rookies, enabling their natural graduation into higher-level racing categories. Plans are underway to form the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Malaysia (TGRMY), a factory racing team to participate in regional motorsport series to strengthen Malaysia’s presence in the sport. Furthermore, our participation as Title Sponsor of the AUTOBACS SUPER GT series reflects UMW Toyota Motor’s continued commitment to elevate Malaysian motorsports,” he added.

Click here for more information on TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Malaysia’s activities and future events.

TOYOTA GR Vios Challenge Season 8 – Round 1