The exciting Vios Challenge heads to Johor as the season enters its second half with many battles brewing in the championship. With plenty of points still up for grabs and no runaway leader in sight, the challenge is going to be epic when the flag drops on 19 and 20 January 2018 at the new urban township circuit provided by venue partner Medini City, Iskandar Puteri.
By nature of its street racing format where each circuit layout is completely new to every driver and the fact that each Vios racing car is built equal, drivers have only their skills and derring-do to depend on as they try to out pace their fellow competitors. This formula has been an overwhelming success as witnessed in two opening rounds held in Batu Kawan and MAEPS Serdang where there were plenty of heart-stopping moments and nail-biting finishes.
“When we created the Vios Challenge, we expected to develop the level of competition gradually but as we’ve witnessed from the very first race in Batu Kawan, spectators and drivers have been treated to a very high level of competition in all the three classes of the Vios Challenge. It has been spectacular to say the least and it is a must-attend for every motor racing fan who wants to watch high quality motor racing,” said President of UMW Toyota Motor, Ravindran K.
While the early races in the Promotional Class were dominated by Shawn Lee, a rare mistake in the last race in MAEPS Serdang saw him spin out on the opening lap. Shukri Yahaya who was well-placed to capitalize, pounced on the opportunity to seize a popular victory. The brilliant win moved Shukri just five points behind Shawn while heartthrob Danny Koo holds third a mere 14 points adrift. All these drivers have the mathematical chance to emerge as the champion as does Diana Danielle, the first lady to stand on the Vios Challenge podium who is poised in 4th position.
In the Sporting Class, the action was no less hotter as the race in KL saw new faces on the top step of the podium for both the heats. Newcomer Brendan Anthony enjoyed a dream debut by putting his Dream Chaser team car on pole and taking it to its maiden win. In the second heat, it was Patrick Tam of Team Nanoplus who turned the tables on the youngster by taking his first win in the series.
With consistent finishes in Batu Kawan and MAEPS Serdang, Brandon Lim of Tedco Racing now leads the series with 57 points and holds a ten-point advantage over Ken Foo who struggled to find pace in KL. Tam is a further point behind with Kenneth Koh, Brendan Anthony and Jackson Tan all within striking distance should any of the top runners falter.
In the premier Super Sporting Category, the field is even tighter with seven drivers separated by a 20-point gap. Tengku Djan still enjoys the lead in the championship despite claiming just nine points from the Serdang race but the pack made up of Mitchell Cheah, William Ho, Mark Darwin, Shafiq Ali, Boy Wong and Ser Ming Hui have a mathematical chance of dethroning the Prince of Drift particularly on the faster and wider circuit in Medini City.
As rain is again expected, the conditions will remain tricky and challenging and promises to bring even more excitement to the event. As always, entrance to the Toyota GAZOO Racing (TGR) Racing Festival remains free and activities begin from 9.00 am daily stretching till 6.30pm.
