After a nail-biting race, the Gazoo Racing Vios Sprint Cup finally concludes
Race 2 of the highly anticipated Gazoo Racing Vios Sprint Cup took place at the Sepang International Circuit and it came down to a nail-biting finish with 4 contenders all vying for the top three podium positions and the lead position exchanging hands several times with five laps left to the chequered flag.
The one-hour race also began in dramatic fashion and stayed exciting throughout. With five cars going neck and neck on the main straight, an incident heading into the very first corner of the race saw Kulim Top Wheel’s Foo Yung Chieh being sent into the barrier which brought out the safety car for two laps.
Moreover, at the restart of the Gazoo Racing Vios Sprint Cup, Axle Sports’ Timothy Yeo retained the lead from pole position for 6 laps before conceding the lead to Prima Pearl TD Racing’s Mitchell Cheah, with Laser Motor Racing’s Jwan Hii in third position.
Yeo was also the first to pit for a mandatory driver and tyre change, and with team mate Hayden Haikal taking on the next stint, the team rejoined in 11th position but still with the advantage of already having stopped. Cheah meanwhile, stayed out for an extra 5 laps before making his pitstop to allow Mika Hamiki to tag in.
Cheag’s stop also gave Laser Motor Racing’s Putera Adam the chance to inherit the lead, just barely ahead of a Hayden, with a second Axle Sports’ car led by Inigo Anton in third. But just as the race seemed decided, Mika caught everyone by surprise by exiting the pit ahead of the three-fighting contenders to retake the lead in the race.
On top of that, with only five laps remaining, everything changed once again, as Hayden catapulted himself ahead of Putera Adam for second place and then Mika for the lead. He went on to win the race by a margin of 1.5 seconds and in a final corner scramble for the remaining two top podium positions, Inigo clinched second ahead of Putera Adam and Mika who battled into the last corner.
Putera Adam eventually crossed the finish line in third place with Mika having to settle for fourth position. The overall champion in each of the two races at the GR Vios Sprint Cup is awarded RM10,000 cash, followed by RM8,000 for the first runner up, RM6,000 to the third place winner, and RM4,000 and RM2,000 for the fourth and fifth place winners respectively.
With 20 cars and 40 drivers competing, the GR Vios Sprint Cup also saw the participation from a wave of younger drivers, including present and former recruits of the Gazoo Racing Young Talent Development Program. Round 2 of the GR Vios Sprint Cup scheduled for 23 to 25 June 2023, also to be held at the Sepang International Circuit.
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