SHAH ALAM: Almost half the grid from a total of 42 registered drivers will be made up of young drivers when Round 1 of the Gazoo Racing Vios Sprint Cup gets going this weekend (May 5-7) at the Sepang International Circuit.
In only its second year being held, the GR Vios Sprint Cup is being held as part of the Malaysia Championship Series (MCS) and will consist of two one-hour races on Saturday and Sunday.
Two-driver teams will be competing in three generations of Vios vying for total prize monies amounting to RM60,000 per race weekend.
Held independently of the Vios Challenge, the GR Vios Sprint Cup retains the format of a one-make series, meaning everyone will be taking to the track in identically race-prepared Toyota Vios with stock standard engine and transmission, as well as suspension, tyres and fuel.
This levels the playing field and emphasises on race craft, driving skills and experience.
The rules also state that Tier-1 or seeded drivers be paired with new or novice drivers.
The overall champion in each of the two races at the GR Vios Sprint Cup stands to win RM10,000 cash, followed by RM8,000 for the first runner up, RM6,000 to the third place winner, and RM4,000 and RM2,000 for the fourth and fifth place winners respectively.
In total, the Vios Sprint Cup offers prize monies amounting to RM60,000 per round.
The charge of young drivers will be led by former and new recruits in the Gazoo Racing Young Talent Development Program.
They include former Rookie champions Naquib Azlan and Nabil Azlan, Amer Harris, Putera Adam, Jwan Hi, Mika Hakimi, and current and Season 6 rookies Ariff Azmi and Azriel Azhar.
The grid will also be made up of young drivers Inigo Anton, Abdul Miqail, Muhammad Alif Shawqi,Amirul Haikal, Mitchell Cheah, Aaron Haikal, Amir Mirza, Timothy Yeo, and Ashen Shanmuganathan.
The race weekend will also see Ashen teaming up with his father Shanmuganathan Arumugam competing for the Kashash Vina Motorsports Racing Team, while on paper, the most formidable pair appears to be Laser Motor Racing’s Eddie Lew who will be partnered up with Amer Harris.
Race 1 of the GR Vios Sprint Cup on Saturday will see both drivers driving in two separate qualifying sessions, with the faster driver required to start the 1-hour race before making a mandatory pit stop for a driver change.
In Race 2 on Sunday which will start as a reverse grid order based on the results of Race 1, the slower driver of the pair will start the 1-hour race and again required to make a mandatory pit stop.
Both races will be a rolling-start format.
UMW Toyota Motor president Datuk Ravindran K said the race series has been a phenomenal journey to bring more young drivers into Malaysia’s circuit racing scene.
“The Gazoo Racing Young Talent Development Program has been at the epicenter of these efforts, but the format of a one-make race series and a level playing field which extends throughout the Vios Challenge, Vios Sprint Cup and Vios Enduro Cup have also been instrumental in attracting a larger pool of young drivers,” said Ravindran.
“It is equally fulfilling to see these young drivers move on to excel in more competitive series beyond that organised by Toyota, with some not only competing in the MCS but also abroad.
“Overall, events like the Vios Challenge, Vios Sprint Cup and Vios Enduro Cup have proven effective in not only exposing but preparing young drivers for sprint, semi-endurance and endurance racing on an accelerated platform as they move up the motorsports ladder,” he said.
The GR Vios Sprint Cup will feature 2 rounds this year with Round 2 scheduled for June 23-25, also to be held at the Sepang International Circuit.
Fans can head to Sepang International Circuit this weekend or tune in to live broadcast on
www.toyota.com.my
and UMW Toyota’s Facebook page.
Keyword: A fresh batch for this weekend's GR Vios Sprint Cup