SHAH ALAM: Six years after its introduction in Malaysia in 2017, Gazoo Racing will ride on strong public awareness and acceptance to make an even bigger and impactful contribution in 2022.
Gazoo Racing’s activities in 2022 will focus on four key areas, central to which are the racing activities both on the track and as well as online, via the Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival and the GR Velocity Esports Championship respectively.
UMW Toyota Motor president Ravindran K said racing has opened up a multitude of opportunities for Toyota locally.
“We will continue to build on this strong momentum to drive both the Toyota and Gazoo Racing brands ahead with exciting activities as well as products,” said Ravindran.
UMW Toyota Motor will also continue to launch new GR and GR-Sport models throughout the year, enhancing its GR Garage network and activities nationwide.
Season 5 of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival will continue to be anchored by the Vios Challenge one-make series which will feature three rounds and a total of six races with Round 1 kicking off in March (18-20), followed by Round 2 in June (24-26) and the third and final round in September (23-25).
Out of which, two of the rounds will be held in Sepang International Circuit with one street racing planned.
Racing will once again be divided into four classes: the Promotional Class for local celebrities; the Super Sporting Class for elite and professional drivers; the Sporting Class for amateur and gentlemen drivers; and the Rookie Class for young drivers.
In total, more than a half a million ringgit in prize monies is up for grabs, including RM70,000 and RM50,000 which will go to the overall champion of the Super Sporting and Sporting Class champions respectively making the Vios Challenge the most lucrative motorsports event in the country for the last five years.
In four seasons of the Vios Challenge so far, the Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival and Vios Challenge has successfully attracted more than eight million spectators and online viewers, garnering a social media reach exceeding 19 million, to make it one of the most watched domestic motor-racing events.
The format of a one-make series in the Vios Challenge meanwhile, made it attractive and affordable for not only amateur racers, but also the elite and professionals.
The series has since grown to include even talented rookies competing under the Gazoo Racing Young Talent Development Programme which is envisaged to provide more young drivers between the ages of 16 and 20, an impactful and affordable platform to transition into saloon car racing in Malaysia.
New this year will be the Vios Sprint Cup, which is run independent of the Vios Challenge, and will feature two rounds scheduled for April and July in tandem with the Malaysia Championship Series (MCS).
Each round will feature two races with a total of more than RM200,000 in prize monies at stake.
The event will provide even more racing and rewards for participating drivers, teams and dealers already signed up to compete in the Vios Challenge.
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 also see the second running of the Vios Enduro Cup which will put up RM30,000 in prize monies.
Ravindran said the overall the objective of the company’s racing activities is to contribute to growth of Malaysian motorsports from all aspects.
He said the move would provide an affordable platform for competition; grow awareness and appreciation for motorsports among the masses; and uncover, develop and provide a conducive platform for the nation’s next generation of young and talented drivers to step up in motor racing.
Online racing will also continue with the fifth season of the GR Velocity Esports Championship.
Billed as one of the most lucrative local online racing series in the country, the championship which was first held in 2018, today attracts close to 1,000 participants with more than 1 million online spectators.
Toyota and Gazoo Racing will also be introducing several GR and GR-Sport models soon, and will be paired with the organising of GR driving clinics, experiences and activities for the respective owners to equip them with the necessary experience and skills to be able to safely take full advantage of their vehicle’s potential.
Efforts are already underway to enhance and expand on UMW Toyota Motor’s network of dedicated GR Garages nationwide.
This will include offering a comprehensive aftermarket parts list as well as merchandises for GR and Toyota owners as well as enhancing and expanding UMW Toyota Motor’s network of dedicated GR Garages nationwide.
Meanwhile, three-time Vios Challenge Super Sporting Class champion Tengku Djan Ley Tengku Mahaleel will continue as Gazoo Racing’s Malaysian Ambassador.
Tengku Djan Ley was instrumental in assisting to develop the GR-Sport Vios.
New UMW Toyota Motor deputy chairman and chief motorsports officer Takashi Obata gave an assurance on his commitment to chart the way forward for Gazoo Racing to continue to make an impactful and valuable contribution to Malaysia.
Obata said this would be done through involvement in motorsports and the development of young talent, through more GR experiences and touchpoints through its GR vehicles, the assembly of GR-Sport vehicles in Malaysia, the expansion of the GR Garage network and the offering of performance parts and merchandises for Toyota and GR customers.
Keyword: Toyota Gazoo Racing returns with more action in Season 5