SEPANG: Entering its sixth season, Toyota Gazoo Racing Malaysia returns in a very big way with a grid of new faces and young drivers, putting up close to RM1mil in prize monies and incentives, to firmly establish it as Malaysia’s premier motorsports event, a race for the people.
The 2023 racing calendar will see three rounds or a total of six races of the GR Vios Challenge being held with the opening round being held this weekend at Sepang International Circuit.
Toyota will also build on its strong presence in the national racing series with the continuation of the GR Vios Sprint Cup in the Malaysia Championship Series (2 rounds/4 races) and the running of the GR Vios Enduro Cup at the prestigious Sepang 1000km endurance race as the racing season finale.
UMW Toyota Motor president Datuk Ravindran K said racing has had a very profound impact on the Toyota brand globally and domestically.
“Embarking on our sixth season of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival, we remain committed in our mission to make an impactful contribution to Malaysian motorsports.
“Toyota also firmly believes the Malaysian motorsports eco-system can evolve to become very dynamic. By eco-system, I mean the development of future talent and the creation of a more vibrant motorsports industry,” he said.
In five seasons of racing, the Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival’s unique approach combining motor-racing with a carnival has successfully attracted more than 15 million spectators and viewers (both on-site and online via live streaming).
Season 6 will continue with full-fledged on-ground and online event.
In the GR Vios Challenge, racing will again be divided into four classes:
> Promotional Class for local celebrities;
> Super Sporting Class for elite and professional drivers;
> Sporting Class for amateur and gentlemen drivers; and
> Rookie Class for young drivers.
RM70,000 and RM50,000 which will go to the overall champion of the Super Sporting and Sporting Class champions respectively making the GR Vios Challenge the most lucrative motorsports event in the country for the last five years.
The format of a one-make series in the GR Vios Challenge remains unchanged with Rounds 2 and 3 in June and September respectively.
Gazoo Racing’s calendar will also include the GR Vios Sprint Cup, which is run independent of the Vios Challenge, and will feature two rounds scheduled for May and June in tandem with the Malaysia Championship Series (MCS).
Each round will feature 2 races with a total of more than RM200,000 in prize monies at stake.
Gazoo Racing will also continue to make its presence felt in the national series by once again participating in the prestigious Sepang 1000KM Endurance Race (S1K) in November.
The race will see the third time the GR Vios Enduro Cup being organized offering up to RM30,000 in prize monies, and will also see Toyota challenging for the overall S1K honors.
Toyota had also raced to a historic 1-2 overall victory in the nine-hour race last year and will be looking to defend this title.
Season 6 will see more than 40 drivers forming the grid in the GR Vios Challenge.
In the elite Super Sporting Class, teenage driver Hayden Haikal returns for his sixth straight season in the GR Vios Challenge and with the aim of defending the title he won last year.
He will represent Axle Sports in a two-car entry alongside Naquib Azlan who was also last year’s Sporting Class champion.
Meanwhile, in pursuit of his fourth Class title will be Tengku Djan Ley Tengku Mahaleel who will be leading Prima Pearl TD Racing’s two-car entry alongside Mitchell Cheah.
Big names to look out for include the Laser Motor Racing pair of Eddie Lew and Putera Adam, Royal 47 Racing’s Brendan Paul Anthony, Telagamas Toyota’s Freddie Ang, Toyotsu Racing’s William Ho, and S&D Tama Motorsports’ Goh Chok Tong.
As usual, the Sporting Class for amateurs will field the most number of competitors with no less than 18 contenders signed up.
The grid will also feature a number of young drivers who will include Nabil Azlan (Season 5 Rookie Class champion) driving for Axle Sports, 23 Motors’ Abdul Miqail, Crestmax Motorsports’s Bradley Benedict Anthony, Distinctive Model’s Aaron Haikal, Super Evergreen Motorsport’s Muhammad Amirul Haikal, and Todak Wheelstar Motorsport’s Muhammad Alif Shawqi.
The Promotional Class for local celebrities will see half the grid made up of new faces.
They will include professional tenpin bowler and Ratu Ten Pin drama actress Syaidatul Afifah; actor, television host and Hot FM radio presenter Imran Aqil; actor and host Ezzrin Loy; actor, host and television personality Hefsy Sahad; and actress and model Reen Rahim.
Rejoining the grid will be former Promotional Class overall champion and actor Shukri Yahaya; actor Zizan Razak; actress and television personality Ahirine Ahirudin; and television personality Ain Edruce.
Season 6 will also see UMWT continuing with the Gazoo Racing Young Talent Development Program which was first started in 2020.
The programme, designed to promote young drivers up the motorsports ladder, has so far successfully produced 12 very talented young racers between the ages of 14 and 20 making their transition from the sport of karting and simulator racing to saloon car racing.
Another six graduates who will be joining this season’s Rookie Class include 16-year-old and 2019 Rotax Max Malaysia junior champion Ariff Azmi; 16-year-old racing driver and simulator racer Iman Danish; 17-year-old karter Azriel Azhar; 18-year-old simulator racer Nazmir Azlan; and 19-year-old simulator racers and racing enthusiasts Yazid Razak and Elson Lew.
Nazmir is the third sibling to join the GR Vios Challenge and Rookie Class, following in the footsteps of his two elder brothers Naquib and Nabil who have both been crowned the overall champion of the Rookie Class.
Naquib went on to also clinch the overall championship in the Sporting Class for amateur drivers in 2022 and will compete in the Super Sporting Class for professionals this season.
Joining the Rookie Class with the most racing experience will certainly be Iman who has several podium and top 10 finishes to his credit which includes coming in third in the Super 1600 Class, second in the Tiner Production Class, and fourth in the Saga Cup in the MSF Racing Series.
Members of the public and race enthusiasts are invited to Round 1 of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival and GR Vios Challenge this weekend (Feb 18-19) at the Sepang International Circuit.
Catch all the action and stage performances by local celebrities on ground or streamed live on Toyota’s website at www.toyota.com.my and on the Toyota Malaysia and Toyota Gazoo Racing Malaysia Facebook pages.
Keyword: Gazoo Racing festival Season 6 takes off this weekend