Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival returns this weekend

KUALA LUMPUR: All set to rock the Sepang International Circuit this weekend, the fifth season of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival and Vios Challenge promises non-stop action for motorsports fans nationwide.

The Vios Challenge one-make series will once again be divided into four classes, namely the Promotional Class, Super Sporting Class, Sporting Class, and Rookie Class.

In total, more than a half a million ringgit in prize money is at stake, which includes RM70,000 and RM50,000 to the overall champion of the Super Sporting and Sporting Class champions respectively.

This makes the Vios Challenge the most lucrative motorsports event in the country. Although the Festival remains closed to the public due to the pandemic, fans can watch all the action online via live streaming.

Fans can also participate in the Gazoo Racing Dream Team TGR Fantasy challenge, which is a racing platform where players sign up and compete against each other by creating their very own TGR Dream Team comprising racers who they think will perform best throughout the season.

Participants will have to select three drivers from each racing class, who will either gain or lose points based on their performance during the races.

The player with the most points will be declared the winner at the end of each round, while the grand prizes will be given away at the end of the season.

Season 5 of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival and Vios Challenge will feature three rounds and six races in total. After the first round this weekend, the second and third rounds will take place in June and September respectively.

In 4 seasons of the Vios Challenge so far, the Festival and Vios Challenge have successfully attracted more than 8 million spectators and online viewers, garnering a social media reach exceeding 19 million, making it one of the most viewed domestic motor-racing events.

Among all the racing classes, the Super Sporting Class is definitely the most anticipated by fans as it is the most exciting.

 

The drivers in this class are former local and international racing champions, veteran racing drivers, young and rising racers, and even several former international racing drivers.

The current Super Sporting Class champion is none other than the ‘Prince of Drift’ Tengku Djan Ley who returns for Prima Pearl Auto this season.

Unlike the previous seasons in which Tenku Djan was a solo entry, he will be partnering with international touring car driver Mitchell Cheah who will be his teammate this year.

Also fielding two-car teams are Laser Motor Racing’s Mark Darwin who will be alongside veteran racer Eddie Liew, and the M7 Japan Project Team which will be represented by international touring and GT car driver Mohamed Fariqe Hairuman and young gun Amer Harris who was racing in the Rookie Class last season.

Besides Amer, there are two other racers in the Super Sporting Class who are yet to turn 20. They are the former Sporting Class champion Hayden Haikal, and international single-seater driver Alister Yoong who is also the son of ex-Formula 1 driver Alex Yoong.

The Super Sporting Class aside, other classes will also see a lot of intense racing between the participants, promising a great time to those who tune in to check out the races.

Also read: Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival returns for fifth season