Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival Round 3 – Stunning Upsets Enthrall 15,000 Spectators
It was an exciting weekend during the third installment of the 2020 Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival, with the third round taking place in Batu Kawan, Penang. The three Vios Challenge races, between the professional Super Sporting class, the amateur Sporting class, and the celebrity-racing Promotional class, saw the fifteen thousand-strong crowd at the edge of their seats throughout the event, which took place over last weekend.
In the Super Sporting class, Freddie Ang clinched the win for Talagamas Toyota, beating out Andy Ho from Toyotsu and even defending champion, Boy Wong. Freddie managed to take the lead very early on in the 22-lap race, and successfully defending his pole position against an aggressive & determined Ho.
Class-favourite Tengku Djan Ley did not enjoy a successful outing, despite his fullest intent on maintaining his momentum after snagging a win during Round 1. Overcooking the first corner and sustaining damage to the rear of his car saw him pitted for two laps before rejoining the race, resulting in an insurmountable challenge for the seasoned racer.
In the Sporting class, two outings of the safety car saw the results of the race seriously upset from what would have been a rather predictable outing. Tom Goh from S&D Tama managed to secure a lead from the get-go, a position he maintained despite a 6-car pileup that saw 4 of the 16 competing cars removed from the race on just the second lap. But it was a second outing of the safety car, as a result of Shanmuganathan Arumugam spinning out with just two laps to the end, that saw Tom’s 2-second lead over Bradley Anthony, who had been defending his second place position against a determined Haji Sutan Mustaffa Salihin from SMS Motorsports, completely eradicated.
And it was in those two final laps that Bradley Anthony made a last-ditch attempt to take the lead from Goh, which he managed successfully in a nail-biting maneuver over the seasoned motoring journalist, with Anthony taking the win, followed by Goh & Haji Sutan Mustaffa.
In the Promotional class, the top three positions were secured by Shukri Yahaya, Nabil Ahmad, and Shawn Lee in the 20-lap race. Shukri’s lead was determined very early in the race, despite starting in 4th place, passing artistes Nabila Razali and Wany Hasrita who were powerless to stop Shukri’s momentum. Actress Janna Nick started at pole and maintained her lead for a couple of laps, before conceding the lead to Shukri who was determined to set a faster and more competitive pace.
That second-place position was however much better defended by Janna up until lap 4, where a bit of contact with challenger Shawn Lee saw her car spun round to face oncoming traffic. Diana Danielle managed to avoid Janna’s car, as did Nabila, but Syafiq Kyle drove straight into her vehicle.
“I wasn’t expecting a win, but I saw the opportunity when Wany & Nabila made a slow start [off the line]. It was my first win for the season, and I’m really happy with that.”
Shukri Yahaya
Aside from the races, there was plenty to be enjoyed at the TGR Festival for the whole family. UMW Toyota displayed their entire fleet of new cars, while Toyo Tires put on a drift performance executed by Japanese drift drivers. There were also racing simulator challenges, stage games, celebrity performances, lucky draws, merchandise sales, and a Super Fans signing session that allowed fans to get up close and personal with their favourite celebrities competing in the Promotional class.
