TGR Vios Challenge Season 7 Opens On A High Note

Season 7 of the TGR Vios Challenge one-make series got underway last weekend at the Petronas SIC with heightened competition level across all three classes - Super Sporting, Sporting and Rookie.

With up to RM630,000 in prize monies up for grabs, the seventh season of the Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) Vios Challenge series opened on a high note with its first two races held last weekend at the Petronas Sepang International Circuit (SIC).

Ahead of the weekend, organisers UMW Toyota Motor raised the excitement levels early by unveiling the new third-generation Toyota Vios one-make racecar fielded by series competitors. All had taken a liking to their new metal, evident through the heightened competition level that unfolded.

Taking the spotlight here was the new metal, by which we mean the third-gen Vios Challenge racecar based on the latest AC100-gen Toyota Vios.

Two one-hour sprint races were held last weekend, Race 1 on Saturday and Race 2 on Sunday. Saturday’s opening salvo saw six of the nine winners across the series’ three classes dominated by young drivers, with former e-sport star turned real world racer Naquib Azlan leading things here.

Competing for the Axle Sports team in the Super Sporting Class for both professional and seeded drivers, Naquib stormed to lead the 34-car pack from the start and clinched his first win of the season.

The effort saw Naquib besting renowned ‘Prince of Drift’ Tengku Djan Ley racing for his TD Racing outfit who placed second, whilst Wheelcorp Team’s Nabil Azlan – another youngster – completed the Super Sporting Class podium by claiming third place.

Winners from all three classes during post-race interviews on Saturday. Six of the nine winners here were young drivers led by former e-sport start Naquib Azlan, noted series organisers UMW Toyota Motor.

In the amateur-led Sporting Class, Saturday’s Race 1 saw team Race Rally KL’s Shafiq Shamsudin taking the class win. He was joined by Thai driver Panithan Rakpaibulsombut from the RUK Team who placed second whilst local ace Kenneth Koh placed third for the PCM Group Racing Team entry.

Over in the Rookie Class fielded by plenty of upstart youths, some fresh out of karting series even, Saturday’s Race 1 saw Adam Mikail claiming the win in class. Joining him on the podium were Brandon Ho in second and Amirul Afiq in third.

Race 2 unfolded on Sunday under more challenging conditions featuring a still-drying track following a rain spell.

As Race 2 unfolded on Sunday, Naquib wasn’t able to repeat his winning feat from the day before, but still placed strongly in second behind eventual Super Sporting Class winner Mitchell Cheah driving for the Prima Pearl TD Racing team. Placing third here was Telagamas Toyota’s Freddie Ang.

Similarly in the Sporting Class, Race 1 winner Shafiq had settled for third place in Sunday’s Race 2. Instead, Kenneth Koh that shined here and claim victory in Race 2, improving from his third place finish from Race 1. Splitting both drivers was Teo Hong Zhou who placed second.

Unlike the previous day, Sunday's Race 2 saw different winners claiming glory across all three classes.

Lastly, the battle amongst the youths in the Rookie Class in Race 2 bore similar results from Race 1 held the day before. The podium was once again led by Adam Mikail in first, Brandon Ho in second with Amirul Afiq placing third.

Though last weekend’s season opener wasn’t opened to the public on ground, organisers UMW Toyota Motor had streamed the racing action live online as per past seasons. The efforts continues to amass high online viewership numbers.

Winners receiving their trophies and winnings on Sunday. For Season 7, organisers UMW Toyota Motor have readied a prize money pool with a total value of RM630,000 up for grabs.

Regarded as one of the most-watched local racing series, the TGR Vios Challenge boasts almost 30 million line online viewers and up to 220,000 on-ground spectator attendance figures since its racing action first began in 2017.

With Round 1 concluded, Round 2 is slated to take place at Petronas SIC once more next month from Sept 27 to Sept 29 with another two sprint races slated. The series’ seventh season will then conclude with its third and final round – also held at Petronas SIC – slated for Jan 3 to Jan 5, 2025.