With what was to be a race weekend with double points, Round 3 of the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Malaysia Vios Challenge was intense, especially with close competition in all 3 classes. It was vital to collect as many points as possible in this round to have an advantage when the final round of Season 8 is run in January 2026.
It was door-to-door action from start to finish in the 1-hour race around the full 5.543-km PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit. 37 drivers had entered this round but by the second day, only 35 formed up on the starting grid. Missing was Laser Motor Racing’s Eddie Lew who whose car was too badly damaged in Race 1 to continue, and BAE Racing by ES Yang’s Justin Toh who was excluded from the race.
In the Super Sporting Class, Mitchell Cheah (Team Prima Pearl SP Selatan) drove a patient 1-hour race despite being constantly under attack to win ahead of fellow championship contender, Freddie Ang (Telagamas Toyota). In third place was Aman Nagdev from India, who drove a sterling race weekend for Axle Sports.
Starting from the very front the grid was Modern Racing Team’s Najiy Ayyad who was making his debut in the Vios Challenge and had driven a great race in the lead for several laps until he had to unexpectedly pit to have the car checked for an issue. That left the race to Cheah, Ang and Aman to decide the outcome with all 3 drivers jostling for positions.
Two incidents that brought out the Safety Car in the closing stages of the race however, eliminated any advantage the drivers had over one another and by the time the race got back underway, it was down to sprinting only a few hundred metres to the chequered flag.
“Going into the final two races of the season it is going to be very tough. I’m back in the championship lead and fight but it’s very close between Freddie and I. I’ll be carrying 50 kgs of ballast in the final two races, it will be challenging, but let’s see what happens,” said Cheah.
In the Sporting Class, Adam Mikail (G-Mart Motorsport) raced to victory ahead of fellow and former Rookie Class graduate Sharique Zulqarnain who drove for FIA Boulevard Racing. Dato’ Dr. Ken Foo (Kulim Topwheels) rounded up the top three. Sharique however, was later disqualified for failing a post-race weight check, promoting Foo to second place and Thai driver Varunchit Wattanathanakun from RUK Team Nexzter PMC 52 to third.
Adam, the 2024 Rookie Class champion, remains uncertain about his chances of being in contention for the Sporting Class title especially in his first year and with only two more races to possibly score points. “I am currently unsure about the championship. It may be quite hard for me to come back and fight for it due to my previous results, but I will try my hardest to be up there definitely.”
The Rookie Class victory meanwhile, belonged to Ian James who finished ahead of Justin Rahul Dev and Harkiesh Geeva. Harkiesh had been in the lead in the opening stages of the race but unfortunately ended up as one of the casualties in the tussle between drivers in the Sporting Class in the opening laps of the race (all classes ran together).
Also caught up in the incident were fellow rookies Aydan Khaliq and Genevieve Ooi. Both suffered punctures as a result of the incident but the young drivers fought back to rejoin the race despite finishing a lap down after having to pit for tyres and to have their bumpers fixed.
Despite the early drama, the latest graduates of the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Malaysia Young Talent Development Program displayed admirable grit, determination, and a genuine passion for racing, refusing to let setbacks shake their focus. Their ability to regroup, push forward, and see the chequered flag speaks volumes about their commitment to the race.
For more information on the final round, driver details and updates, visit: www.toyota.com.my/en/tgrmalaysia .
Kashash Vina Motorsports Racing is a father and son racing team
