After March's Season 4 opener, the Toyota Gazoo Racing Vios Challenge once again returned to Sepang International Circuit over the weekend (23- to 25-October 2021). Just like it was seven months ago, there were no shortage of unbridled, door-to-door racing.

Race Classes

The Vios Challenge consists of four classes of racing:

• Rookie Class, featuring five graduates from the Gazoo Racing Young Talent Development Program
• Promotional Class, fielding 10 local celebrities
• Sporting Class, for amateur drivers
• Super Sporting Class, for professional drivers

Among the familiar faces, four new drivers made their debuts in the Vios Challenge. In the Super Sporting Class, they were touring car driver Mitchell Cheah and veteran racer Faidzil Alang, while the Sporting Class saw the debuts of Sepang Talent Development Program driver Ady Rahimi, and Lau Seng Kiat, who also races in the Malaysia Championship Series (SP 2).

Kick-starting the race weekend on the bright and sunny Saturday was the Super Sporting and Rookie classes, both sharing a grid.

Super Sporting Class - Race 1 Results

It was a debut to remember for Mitchell Cheah as he won the Super Sporting class's first race for 23 Motors, followed by Mark Darwin from Laser Motor Racing team, and in third place was Syafiq Ali representing the M7 Japan Project Team.

Rookie Class - Race 1 Results

Meanwhile in the Rookie class, 20-year old Naquib Azlan finished first, while Mika Hakimi and Amer Harris rounded off the top three.

Sporting Class - Race 1 Results

As for the Sporting Class, 23 Motors' Ady Rahimi clinched first, while Bradley Benedict Anthony of team Dream Chaser came in second place, ahead of Clement Yeo.

Day 2 - Wet and wild races

A polar opposite over Saturday, Day 2 of the Vios Challenge was marked by heavy rain in the afternoon, which even saw the Super Sporting race red-flagged for a while.

Super Sporting Class - Race 2 Results

M7 Japan Project Team's Syafiq Ali fought a slippery track and poor visibility to clinch victory, while Vios Challenge debutants Mitchell Cheah (23 Motors) and Faidzil Alang (M7 Japan Project Team) finished in second and third place, respectively.

Rookie Class - Race 2 results

In the Rookie Class, 17-year-old Amer Harris was the highest placed young driver running seventh overall, in the race which shared the grid with the Super Sporting Class racers. Amer took the chequered flag ahead of fellow teenager Mika Hakimi and 14-year-old Putera Adam.

The race win was Amer’s second podium finish over the weekend, having completed Race 1 yesterday (Saturday) in third position.

Finishing fifth was Naquib Azlan, followed by Jwan Hii in fifth position.

Sporting Class - Race 2 Results

With the circuit still drenched, Adam Khalid stormed from 15th position on the grid to win the 20-lap race.

He finished ahead of Aylezo Motorsport's Mirza Syahmi Mahzan, and Eric Yong who finished third.

Promotional Class - Race 2 Results

Capping off the weekend was the Promotional Class race, which once again saw actor Shukri Yahaya nabbing the race win, finishing 7.1 seconds ahead of TV presenter Nabil Ahmad. In third place was actor Zizan Razak.

With two race victories, both Shukri and Zizan now have a solid chance of clinching the overall championship in the Promotional Class.

“As a super senior in the class by virtue of this being my fourth season in the Vios Challenge, I owe it to myself and my fans to become champion. I’m definitely going for it!” said Shukri.

Round 3 - 20 to 21 November 2021

Round 3 and the season finale of the Vios Challenge will be held on 20-21 November 2021 again at the Sepang International Circuit, but this time with a twist – a night race!