This weekend marks the new chapter for Toyota GAZOO Racing (TGR) Malaysia as the 2025 edition of the VIOS Challenge Round 1 will be happening at the Petronas Sepang International Circuit. TGR Malaysia is dedicated to build the racing scene in Malaysia with the launch of the Toyota GR Malaysia eRacing Championship and new talent development initiatives.
“Motorsports is in our DNA. Over the past nine years, we’ve seen the power of racing bring people together, develop talent, and inspire passion,” said Datuk Ravindran K., President of UMW Toyota Motor. “We’re not just continuing that journey — we’re taking it to the next level.”
VIOS CHALLENGE 2025
The VIOS Challenge is still Malaysia’s most watched racing series, recording over 30 million viewers since its debut in 2017. The 2025 Toyota VIOS Challenge kicks off with an adrenaline-packed season featuring 4 rounds of racing across 3 distinct categories:
- Super Sporting Class (Gold Championship for professionals),
- Sporting Class (Gold Championship for amateurs), and the
- Rookie Class (for selected young talents development program)
The season opens this weekend (25–27 April) at the Petronas Sepang International Circuit, setting the tone for a high-stakes year, which will see racers battling it out for their share of RM800,000 in prize monies.
2025 RACE CALENDAR
| Round | Date | Venue |
| Round 1 | 25–27 April | Sepang Circuit |
| Round 2 | 27–28 June | Sepang Circuit |
| Round 3 | 8–10 August | Sepang Circuit |
| Round 4 | October ‘25 | TBC |
Competing in identical 4th generation Vios Challenge race cars, 36 competitors registered for the championship must rely on their talent, driving skills, and technical preparation to get the most from their machines, which have a 1.5-litre engine and 5-speed transmission. The competition is expected to be close, with the top three winners in each class often racing to the finish line.
This season’s Super Sporting Class will feature big names like former champion Boy Wong, racing for Modern Racing Team; Mitchell Cheah, leading Prima Pearl TD Racing; and experienced racers Freddie Ang (Telagamas Toyota), Eddie Lew (Laser Motor Racing), and William Ho (Toyotsu Racing).
Several newcomers will join the professional class led by last year’s Sporting Class champion Kenneth Koh from PCM Group Racing Team, who has moved up to the big leagues. Another new entry is Timothy Yeo, who will drive the number 23 RH Kalulong Motorsports Vios.
In the Sporting Class, there will be a total of 20 drivers, 12 of whom are new to the championship. This group includes four female drivers: former Rookie Class driver Adele Lew, who will represent Team Fokus, and gymkhana champion Ng Aik Sha, who is making her saloon car racing debut with GTA Race Team. Adele will compete alongside her brother Elson, also a former Rookie but driving for BAE Racing by ES Yang, while their father Eddie races in the Super Sporting Class.
The Sporting Class will also welcome back Singaporean racer Daniel Inosuke Ooi from BAE Racing by ES Yang, along with newcomer Varunchit Wattanathanakun from Thailand Super Series, who will race for RUK Team Nexzter PMC 52. Other former Rookies returning are Nabil Azlan driving for Wheelcop in the Super Sporting Class; last year’s Rookie Class champion Adam Mikhail with G-Mart Motorsport; Mika Hakimi for S&D Tama Motorsports; Raja Amirul with TD Racing; Jwan Hii driving for Hong Huat X Armada KK Racing; Yazid Imran leading FIA Boulevard Racing; and Brandon Ho for Axle Sports.
BUILDING MALAYSIA’S NEXT RACING STARS
Since it started in 2021, the Toyota GAZOO Racing Young Talent Development Programme has become an important way to develop Malaysia’s future motorsports stars. So far, 22 drivers have graduated, with over 10 currently racing locally, and 4 have won championships internationally.
The program helps young drivers move from karting and simulator racing to saloon car racing.
In 2025, the program received more than 180 applications. Candidates were chosen based on their character, appeal, discipline, and skills, and they went through intense training to get ready for competitive racing.
Of the 4 Rookie Class champions so far, 2 came from karting and 2 from sim racing backgrounds — showing the program’s success across different racing types.
The 2025 Rookie Class features:
- Aydan Khaliq (18) – Professional karter
- Harkiesh Geeva (19) – Recreational karter and sim racer
- Justin Rahul Dev (21) – Simulator racer
- Ian James (23) – Simulator racer
- Genevieve Ooi (20) – Amateur racer
ENTER A NEW DIMENSION: TOYOTA GR MALAYSIA ERACING CHAMPIONSHIP
After leading the Malaysian eRacing scene since 2018, Toyota is elevating competitive virtual motorsports with the launch of the new Toyota GR Malaysia eRacing Championship.
This year, the championship moves beyond Gran Turismo to include more complex racing games like Assetto Corsa, RaceRoom, and iRacing, which are used in professional racing leagues worldwide. This change allows more aspiring digital racers to showcase their skills in a realistic and varied racing setting.
Qualifiers start this May, leading to an exciting finale.
Toyota will also continue its Campus Tour series, holding special qualifiers at selected universities across Malaysia. These events aim to inspire young Malaysians to get involved in digital motorsports by bringing the competition to them.
“Malaysia has shown time and again that it houses world-class sim racing talent,” said Datuk Ravindran K., President of UMW Toyota Motor. “From the early days of the Velocity Championship to the GR GT Cup, and now this next-level eRacing championship, our evolution reflects Toyota’s relentless pursuit of innovation — not just in the cars we build, but in the people we nurture. To be a champion, you must master every challenge — and we’re building champions for both the real and virtual tracks.”
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Race over to: www.toyota.com.my/en/tgrmalaysia for full race schedules, driver details and more