The Toyota GAZOO Racing Malaysia VIOS Challenge 2025 Round 3 Race 2 saw intense battle for points before the Season 8’s final round to be decided in January 2026. Similar to the Race 1 on Saturday (9 August), it was door-to-door action from start to finish in the 1-hour race around the full 5.543km Petronas Sepang International Circuit.
Only 35 of the 37 registered drivers raced in Race 2. Laser Motor Racing’s Eddie Lew could not compete because his car was too damaged from Race 1, and BAE Racing’s Justin Toh was not allowed to race.
In the Super Sporting Class, Mitchell Cheah from Team Prima Pearl SP Selatan won after a tough 1-hour race, fending off challenges from his championship rival, Freddie Ang of Telagamas Toyota. Aman Nagdev from India finished third, putting in a strong performance for Axle Sports.
Najiy Ayyad from Modern Racing Team started from the front. It was his first time in the VIOS Challenge, and he led for several laps until he had to pit unexpectedly for a car check. This left Cheah, Ang, and Aman to battle for the top spots.
Two safety car situations late in the race removed any advantages the drivers had. When the race resumed, it was a quick dash to the finish line just a few hundred meters ahead.
“Big thanks to the team who gave me a very good car even though I had to carry a weight ballast of 30kg (due to previous race results). The car felt good despite lagging a bit of speed on the straight but in the corners it was perfect. We managed to maintain consistent lap times throughout the race and had an extremely good start from the beginning, jumping into second position behind Najiy. I tried to maintain that position, trying not to make any silly mistakes and to steer clear of any mess on the track,” said Cheah.
“I managed to take advantage of several incidents on the track and when I got into the lead, it was just head down and try to pull a gap bit by bit. That was what got me the win in the end.
“Going into the final two races of the season it is going to be very tough. I’m back in the championship lead and fight but it’s very close between Freddie and I. I’ll be carrying 50kg of ballast in the final two races, it will be challenging, but let’s see what happens.”
In the Sporting Class, Adam Mikail from G-Mart Motorsport won, followed by Sharique Zulqarnain from FIA Boulevard Racing. Dato’ Dr Ken Foo of Kulim Topwheels finished third. However, Sharique was disqualified after the race for not meeting the weight requirements, which moved Foo to second place and Thai driver Varunchit Wattanathanakun from RUK Team Nexzter PMC 52 to third.
“I had a really big setback coming into the Race 2 when I unfortunately couldn’t finish the Race 1 and that meant I had to start from the back of the grid. To be honest, I had quite a tough time trying to maintain a consistent pace and lap times throughout the race but thankfully I still managed to bring the car back on top,” said Adam.
The 2024 Rookie Class champion is uncertain about his chances for the Sporting Class title in his first year, with only two races left to score points.
“I am currently unsure about the championship. It may be quite hard for me to come back and fight for it due to my previous results but I will try my hardest to be up there definitely.”
The Rookie Class victory went to Ian James, who finished ahead of Justin Rahul Dev and Harkiesh Geeva.
Harkiesh was in the lead at the start of the race but got caught up in a crash with other drivers in the Sporting Class during the early laps. Fellow rookies Aydan Khaliq and Genevieve Ooi were also involved in the crash. They both had flat tires but managed to return to the race after pitting for new tires and fixing their bumpers, even though they ended up a lap behind.
“I am really happy with the outcome for Race 2. The car felt perfect, I didn’t run into any mechanical setbacks. Tyre management in this race however, was a big issue for me, especially in this heat, which then translated into massive amounts of understeer and that’s something for me to address for future races,” said race winner Ian.
“Unfortunately, several of my fellow Rookies got caught in a collision. It would’ve been nice to have been able to see some racing action with them. The race week was also extremely crucial to secure as many points possible for the overall Rookie Class championship.”
Despite early challenges, the young racers showed great determination and passion for racing, staying focused despite setbacks. Their ability to recover and keep going highlights their commitment to the race. This attitude reflects Toyota’s Move Your World philosophy, inspiring the next generation of racers to overcome obstacles, pursue their dreams, and move forward confidently. For these newcomers, each lap teaches them, and every obstacle they encounter fuels their future races.
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ROUND 3, RACE 2 RESULTS
SUPER SPORTING CLASS
1. Mitchell Cheah Team Prima Pearl SP Selatan
2. Freddie Ang Telagamas Toyota
3. Aman Nagdev Axle Sports
SPORTING CLASS
1. Adam Mikail G-Mart Motorsport
2. Dato’ Dr Ken Foo Kulim Topwheels
3. Varunchit Wattanathanakun. RUK Team Nexzter PMC 52
ROOKIE CLASS
1. Ian James
2. Justin Rahul Dev
3. Harkiesh Geeva