Quick look
- Wing Hin Motorsports, the racing team of a Toyota dealership, has been taking the Malaysian flag overseas with participation in races in Thailand and Japan.
- The team has expanded their 2026 Japanese presence into a 2-pronged assault, defending their GR86/BRZ Cup title.
When UMW Toyota Motor introduced the Vios Challenge one-make series in 2017, one of its objectives was to develop and boost local motorsports. And over the past 9 years, not only have the more experienced racers had a series where skills count more than just power, but younger new blood has also joined and progressed.
Racing overseas
Some of these young drivers, trained under the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Young Talent Development Program since 2021, have gone on to race overseas. Sending them overseas has been Wing Hin Motorsports, which has been a regular dealer team in the Vios Challenge.
Victorious debut in Japan
Wing Hin Motorsports has run a racing program which also sends a team overseas to Thailand and Japan. Fresh off a dominant championship-winning debut in the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing GR86/BRZ Clubman Series last year, the team is returning to Japan with an even bigger presence. It isn’t just looking to defend its title; it’s aiming to establish a permanent high-performance gateway for Asian racing talent.
The team made history in 2025 when Naquib Azlan (a rookie champion in the Vios Challenge) took the series title in the team’s first full year of Japanese competition. Proving it wasn’t a one-man show, fellow Malaysian Amer Harris also secured a solid fourth place overall. Both drivers have been regular participants in the Vios Challenge for a number of years.
New chapter
This weekend, the 2026 season kicks off at the technical Autopolis Circuit in Japan. This also marks the next chapter in the team’s ambitious Driver Development Program. For the 2026 assault, Wing Hin has recruited Malaysian touring car ace Mitchell Cheah and Indonesian rising star Jordan Johan.
Cheah, a former Vios Challenge Super Sporting Class champion. Having spearheaded the team’s European efforts —including a fourth-in-class finish at the Nurburgring in 2025 —the 28-year old brings a level of discipline and experience that the team hopes will keep them at the front of the pack.
Jordan Johan was the 2024 Indonesian national champion in the ITCR 1200 series. While this marks his Japanese debut, Jordan is no stranger to the pressure of elite competition, recently finishing second in the Pertamina 6 Hours Endurance Race. Racing is clearly in the family blood as his brother, Julian Johan, finished in the top 10 of the 2026 Dakar Classic in Saudi Arabia.
The team continues its strategic collaboration with Masahiro Sasaki, a veteran TOYOTA GAZOO Racing and Rookie Racing driver. Sasaki’s role as a mentor is pivotal to the team’s long-term goal of elevating Southeast Asian racecraft to meet Japanese standards. By providing a comprehensive support structure — including data analysis, track engineering, and professional coaching — Wing Hin is lowering the barrier for regional drivers to enter one of the world’s most competitive one-make series.
Always learning
Team Principal William Loh noted that while 2025 was a ‘phenomenally strong’ start, the team remains on a steep learning curve. The challenge of mastering iconic tracks like Suzuka and Fuji Speedway requires immense data and a fighting spirit. However, the success of past Vios Challenge alumni in the team’s roster has provided a clear blueprint: local success can indeed translate into international podiums if the right platform is provided.
The 2026 calendar is a gruelling 7-round series that will take the team across the length of Japan. Following this weekend’s opener at Autopolis, the series will move to Sportsland Sugo in May, followed by rounds at Okayama, Tokachi, and the legendary Fuji Speedway. The season will reach its final at the Mobility Resort Motegi in November.
Successful debut for Wing Hin Motorsports Team in Idemitsu 10-hour race
