First GAZOO Racing Vios Sprint Cup series: Key highlights

While contributing to making Malaysian motorsports even more vibrant, UMW Toyota added more racing series (Vios Sprint Cup and Vios Enduro Cup) to the Gazoo Racing banner last month. And this weekend, we witnessed the first-ever GAZOO Racing Vios Sprint Cup race around the 5.543km Sepang International Circuit. 

The event had two races of one hour each, emphasising the race craft and the driver's skill and experience. Two-driver teams competed in three generations of the Vios to grab the prizes worth RM 60,000. Included in the teams were professional drivers, international drivers, young drivers, and simulator stars. With every strong contender, there was an enthusiastic teen for an even playing field. 

Check out the highlights of both Vios Sprint Cup races here -

GR VIOS SPRINT CUP RACE 1 

In blistering heat, a total of 18 cars and 36 drivers competed in the first Vios Sprint Cup race. We enjoyed the exciting wheel-to-wheel action from start to finish, with the lead exchanging hands multiple times. But in the end, Tengku Djan Ley Tengku Mahaleel and Mika Hakimi won the race. They successfully drove the Prima Pearl TD Racing Toyota Vios across the finish line only half a second earlier than the Axle Motorsports's Boy Wong and Nabil Azlan pair. 

The third place was occupied by S&D Tama Motorsports' Freddie Ang and Tom Goh. Ang started the race and lost the lead in the very first corner of the first lap to Wong in the Axle Motorsports Vios. 

While Tengku Djan was fourth on the grid, he paced himself, picked off the front runners, and positioned himself as high as second in the 10th lap. After 30 minutes, when the pit window opened for a driver change, he decided to pit for a tyre and driver change. "It was better to make a pit stop and take that chance to cool the car down, cool the tyres down before going back on track to attack again," said Tengku Djan.

On the performance of his team Mika, Tengku Djan commented that he got a pace after a few sessions preparing for the Vios Sprint Cup, but there are still some areas for improvement. 

Here's the Race 1 final winners list-

I	Tengku Djan Ley/Mika Hakimi	Prima Pearl TD Racing
II	Boy Wong/Nabil Azlan	Axle Motorsports
III	Freddie Ang/Tom Goh	S&D Tama Motorsports
IV	Hayden Haikal/Naquib Azlan	Axle Motorsports
V	Mark Darwin/Bradley Benedict	Laser Motor Racing

GR VIOS SPRINT CUP RACE 2

On the second day, the track got even more challenging and slippery due to a heavy downpour which delayed the race twice. At last, the race started with 19 cars and 38 drivers.

It also included the Laser Motor Racing's pair - Eddie Liew and Putera Adam, who got eliminated from Race 1 due to some technical problem.

Interestingly, Tengku Djan Tengku Mahaleel and Mika Hakimi also won Race 2 with "being at the right place and striking at the right time" as their winning formula. Three-time Vios Challenge overall champion and Malaysia's Drift King Tengku Djan and 18-year-old Mika started Race 2 in a reverse grid format in the sixth position while carrying weight penalties. 

In the opening stages of the one-hour race, the biggest gainer was Putera Adam from Laser Motor Racing, who jumped 17 places from the last position to lead by lap 7 of the race. The 16-year-old showed a blistering pace and finally headed over the charge to Eddie in the remaining 30 minutes. Eddie led the race for some time, but his lead diminished lap after lap as Tengku Djan and Boy lapped the circuit a second a lap faster and by lap 14. 

Towards the end, Tengku Djan piled on the pressure and moved from third to first to take the chequered flag. 

Here's the Race 2 final winners list-

I	Tengku Djan Ley/Mika Hakimi	Prima Pearl TD Racing
II	Boy Wong/Nabil Azlan	Axle Motorsports
III	Hayden Haikal/Naquib Azlan	Axle Motorsports
IV	Eddie Liew/Putera Adam	Laser Motor Racing
V	Fariqe Hairuman/Tarmimi Tahang	M7Japan Project Racing Team

The champion in each of the two races won RM 10,000 cash; the first runner-up received RM 8,000, while third, fourth, and fifth place winners were rewarded with RM 6,000, RM 4,000, and RM 2,000, respectively.

UMW Toyota Motor President Ravindran K. said, "the GAZOO Racing Vios Sprint Cup and its format of a one-hour race with a driver change has certainly introduced new dynamics to the racing many of the drivers who are already competing in the Vios Challenge used to."

"As you know UMW Toyota Motors' foray into Malaysian motorsports began with the introduction of a street racing series. That has since evolved to include races on the half and full track length at Sepang International Circuit, the organising of a night race, the introduction of a program to develop young drivers and creating a Rookie Class, and even participation in the Sepang 1000KM Endurance Race last year as well as the running of the Vios Enduro Cup," he added.

Indeed, the Vios Sprint Cup offered a double dose of excitement with 60 mins of breath-taking track racing. What do you think?

Also read: Next-gen Toyota Vios undergoes testing, debut later this year