Wing Hin Motorsports’ Driver Development Program gains major confidence as two of its drivers finished the opening round of the Japanese Toyota GAZOO Racing GR86/BRZ Clubman Series in 2nd and 6th positions at Autopolis Circuit.
Malaysia’s Mitchell Cheah had a fantastic start in his first race in Japan, finishing in 2nd place with the Wing Hin Motorsports GR86.
The 28-year-old’s performance puts Wing Hin Motorsports in a strong spot as they begin the new season as defending champions, having won the overall championship in 2025. Cheah qualified in 2nd place on the starting grid and made a great start, leading into the first corner. However, he faced tough competition in the first lap and dropped back to 3rd place. He then focused on his strategy while still aiming for the lead.
By lap 3, Cheah returned to 2nd place, and together with the winning SALTO GarageN GR86, they pulled ahead of the other cars. He finished the race just two car lengths behind the winner.
“I felt good going into the race weekend. A lot of preparation has gone into this weekend which includes spending significant time on the simulator to become more familiar with Autopolis. I had a short test session with the car prior to the race weekend and it’s not an easy car to master. Add to that the fact this is a new series for me, involving new tracks and a new grid of competitors to face – the most important thing is to remain focus and do my very best to achieve the top step,” said Cheah.
Cheah’s teammate from the Driver Development Program, Jordan Johan from Indonesia, also had a solid debut, finishing 6th after starting 7th in qualifying. Both drivers are mentored by Masahiro Sasaki, a Gazoo Racing and Rookie Racing driver, who leads Wing Hin Motorsports’ Driver Development Program to support emerging racing talent from Asia.
“The Driver Development Program is aimed at providing drivers with not only testing and track time but real door-to-door racing intended to accelerate their learning process and sharpen their skills in real competition,” said Wing Hin Motorsports’ Team Principal.
“This is a strong result to kickstart the season but the development process continues and both drivers acknowledge that the challenges ahead will get tougher.”
The 2026 Toyota GAZOO Racing GR86/BRZ Cup will be run over seven rounds. From the season-opener at Autopolis, the Series moves to Round 2 from 16-17 May at Sportsland Sugo, followed by Round 3 from 27-28 June at Okayama International Circuit; and Round 4 from 8-9 August at the Tokachi Speedway. Round 5 will be held at Fuji Speedway from 5-6 September, followed by Round 6 from 3-4 October at Suzuka Circuit before the 7th and final round at Mobility Resort Montegi from 21-22 November.