SUPER GT VIBES FOR RACERS IN ROUND 2 OF THE VIOS CHALLENGE

SUPER GT racing vibes resonated strongly with racers competing in Round 2 of the Vios Challenge as day two’s action on track went door-to-door all the way to the chequered flag.

Round 2 attracted the participation of 36 drivers – including racers from Thailand, Singapore and India – with all three classes of racing (Super Sporting, Sporting and Rookie) grouped together for a 1-hour race around the full length of the 5.543 km Petronas SIC International Circuit. This was a rare departure from the traditional 10-lap sprint race.

The Vios Challenge was held in conjunction with the Malaysian round of the AUTOBACS SUPER GT Malaysian round that is driven by UMW Toyota Motor and Toyota GAZOO Racing Malaysia. A total of 28,524 spectators attended the first day of the race weekend which was making its return to Malaysia after a 12-year absence.

In the Super Sporting Class for professionals,Team Prima Pearl SP Selatan’s Mitchell Cheah made the most of a second row start on the grid to shoot into the lead from the very start of the 1-hour race. Despite the safety car being deployed as early as lap 2, Cheah maintained his position up front as no fewer than four other drivers jostling for second and third places.

Laser Motor Racing’s Ady Rahimy did his best to chase down Cheah but eventually had to settle for second place after a close fight with his team mate Eddie Lew, Wheelcorp’s Nabil Azlan and Telagamas Toyota’s Freddie Ang who was also Race 1’s winner. Ang also prevailed in the door-to-door battle to secure third position and his second podium of the weekend.

“It was a good race overall. I gained two positions on the start but I also lost two positions later when we had a safety car situation. I subsequently fought back, regained the lead and managed to open up a two-second gap and from then on it was a question of maintaining consistency and managing the tyre wear,” said Cheah.

“Towards the final stages of the race I just kept my head down and focused on being consistent to the chequered flag. A 1-hour race is definitely not easy and you just can’t afford to push from the start like a sprint race.”

In the Sporting Class for amateurs, Justin Toh and Elson Lew led a 1-2 finish for BAE Racing by ES Yang, while RUK Team Nexzter PMC 52’s Varunchit Wattanathanakun claimed his second straight third placing of the weekend.

The Rookie Class meanwhile, saw Justin Rahul Dev taking victory ahead of female driver Genevieve Ooi, with Aydan Khaliq in third. It was both Justin and Aydan’s second podium finish of the weekend (Justin 2^nd and Aydan 1^st in Race 1), and Ooi’s best ever finish since joining Toyota GAZOO Racing Malaysia’s Young Talent Development Program in 2025.

“The race this afternoon was quite tough and of course it was made more challenging due to the extreme heat. Most importantly, I kept it clean, consistent and stayed clear of trouble,” said Genevieve.

“I was in a good position yesterday until contact with another rookie which caused a puncture. After coming into the pit for repairs, there was nothing much I could do.

On her sterling performance this race weekend, Genevieve added: “I’ve been working to enhance my physical fitness and to keep my mind focused. This is important in an endurance race and I have also learnt not to overthink things, so much so that it places unnecessary pressure on myself.”

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