Quick look
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Now in its ninth season, the Vios Challenge is the most lucrative one-make race series, with the champions set to earn RM80,000 and RM60,000, respectively.
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Season 9 started off over the weekend with a massive list of 51 participants, including a new group of rookies as well as foreign racers.
The TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Vios Challenge one-make race enters its ninth season this year, with the first round having run over the weekend at the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit.
The series has been run continuously since 2017 and is the premier manufacturer-backed saloon car series with a total prize pool of RM876,000 this season. There will be 4 rounds with 2 races each.
51 participants to start season
The first round saw a massive grid of 51 drivers – newcomers, veterans and in-betweens – divided into 4 classes: Super Sporting, Sporting, Rookie, and the fairly new Classic Challenge.
A notable feature of the Vios Challenge is that it is all about driver skill and strategy – more of the human element rather than just being a power game. To ensure this, all competitors must use identical Vios sedans, closely checked (before and after each race) to ensure they conform to regulations.
The 4th generation Vios is now in use but for the Classic Challenge, the older model is used, giving those who bought it earlier extended opportunities to race among themselves.
This season’s entry list highlights the growing regional appeal of the series, featuring international talent like Indian driver Aditya Patnaik and a strong 3-driver contingent from Thailand. Diversity has been evident from the start, with 5 female drivers taking part this year.
Professional grit
In the elite Super Sporting Class, Laser Motor Racing’s Ady Rahimy showcased clinical precision by converting a pole position into a hard-fought Race 1 victory. Ady managed to keep his composure under immense pressure from defending champion Freddie Ang, who finished a mere 0.6 second behind after a 22-lap sprint.
It was a tactical masterclass from the young driver, who balanced aggression with defensive driving to ensure Laser Motor Racing occupied two of the three podium spots.
However, Freddie Ang struck back with a vengeance in Race 2. Starting from 5th on the grid, Ang launched a spectacular charge to the front, seizing the lead by the third lap. He managed to grow a substantial 3.7-second gap over the field, showcasing the pace that won him the title last year.
The race eventually finished under Safety Car conditions due to a sudden downpour, but Ang’s early-lap heroics had already sealed the win for him.
Amateur Chaos in Sporting Class
The Sporting Class for amateur racers delivered the most drama of the weekend. Former Rookie champion Adam Mikail pulled off a stunning Race 1 win, climbing all the way from 10th on the grid in a car that required an overnight rebuild following a heavy practice crash.
His ability to race around a wet track and move through the field in just 7 laps highlighted why he is one of the drivers to watch in coming years.
Race 2 for the Sporting Class was equally dramatic, beginning under Safety Car conditions to allow drivers to get a better feel of the more slippery surface. Once racing got underway, Choo Yong Choon broke away from the pack to secure a comfortable win, but there was much drama behind him.
In a heart-stopping finale, Justin Toh snatched second place with a daring move in the very last corner of the final lap, relegating Teo Hong Zhou to third – just in time because the rain came down again.
Next gen and the Classics
The Rookie Class is where future racers are nurtured. Each year, a group is selected for the GAZOO Racing Young Talent Development Program. Aged between 16 and 21, they undergo professional training to prepare them for real-world racing.
Typically, they have a background in simulator racing and/or karting, both of which are now seen as very valuable experience for aspiring racers. Those who come from sim racing find that the Sepang track is so familiar and they have raced virtually on for hundreds of times, learning to refine their skills. So when they jump into a real racing car, it’s a matter of using those skills already developed in the real world.
This year, there are 5 drivers who have undergone training and following graduation, they enter the Rookie Class of the Vios Challenge. On his debut race, Ervin Lim made an immediate impact by claiming a dominant Race 1 win from pole position, while 20-year old Ngo Yong Jian took the honours in Race 2.
The Vios Classic Challenge provided a nostalgic yet competitive twist to the weekend with its 1-hour endurance format. The Thai duo of Surasak Dakeng and Varunchit Wattanathanakun were the undisputed stars of the category, capitalizing on a mechanical failure from Raja Amirul Syauqat to win Race 1.
They completed a perfect weekend by snatching a Race 2 victory with a sensational overtake just 3 corners before the chequered flag, capping off an incredible opening weekend for Toyota’s racing stable.
For more information on the drivers, teams and other activities of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Malaysia, visit: www.toyota.com.my/en/tgrmalaysia.
