Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival Season 6 kicks off – new faces in the racing series, prize money close to RM1mil
The Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival is now in its sixth season, with the racing program kicking off its first round over the weekend at the Sepang International Circuit. The 2023 racing calendar for the series sees three rounds (six races in total) of the GR Vios Challenge, with a host of new faces and young drivers vying for honours.
The calendar also includes participation in the national racing series with the continuation of the GR Vios Sprint Cup in the Malaysia Championship Series (two rounds of four rounds) and the GR Vios Enduro Cup round in the Sepang 1000km (S1K). Endurance races as the end of the racing season.
In the GR Vios Challenge, the races are again divided into four classes, this is the promotional class for local celebrities; the Super Sporting Class for elite and professional drivers; the Sporting class for amateur and gentleman drivers and the Rookie class for young drivers.
The drivers will compete for a prize pool of almost one million Ringgit, with RM 70,000 and RM 50,000 going to the overall winner of the Super Sporting and Sporting classes. The company said the racing series has successfully attracted more than 15 million viewers and online viewers over the past five seasons.
The format of a brand series in the GR Vios Challenge remains unchanged, with Rounds 2 and 3 taking place in June and September. Meanwhile, the GR Vios Sprint Cup, held independently from the Vios Challenge, is scheduled to race in May and June alongside the Malaysia Championship Series (MCS).
At the GR Vios Enduro Cup, the brand will again fight for the overall S1K ranking. After the historic 1:2 overall victory in the 9-hour race last year, the title defense is again at stake in November.
Among the drivers taking part in the GR Vios Challenge are Hayden Haikal, who is returning for his sixth straight season to compete in the Super Sporting Class to defend the title he won last year, and Tengku Djan Ley Tengku Mahaleel, who will be trying to take home his fourth class title.
In the Promotional Class for local celebrities, half of the starting field will consist of new faces. These include professional Ten Pin bowler and Ratu Ten Pin drama actress Syaidatul Afifah; Actor, TV presenter and Hot FM radio host Imran Aqil; actor and presenter Ezzrin Loy; Actor, presenter and television personality Hefsy Sahad and actress/model Reen Rahim.
This season, former Promotional Class overall winner and actor Shukri Yahaya will return to the grid; actor Zizan Razak; Actress and television personality Ahirine Ahirudin and television personality Ain Educe.