RM300,000 at Stake as Vios Challenge Season 8 Heads to Finale at Sepang South Track
The curtain comes down on the 2025 Toyota Vios Challenge (Season 8) this weekend with Round 4 set to decide three overall champions and take home a combined RM300,000 in prize money.
The season finale will be held on Friday, 9 January and Saturday, 10 January 2026 at the Petronas Sepang International Circuit, with competitors tackling the 2.609km South Track for the first time in the series’ history. Featuring eight corners and a long straight, the technical layout is expected to level the playing field for all drivers heading into the final two races.
In addition to the Super Sporting, Sporting and Rookie titles, the weekend also marks the inaugural New Vios Classic Challenge, dedicated to earlier generations of Vios Challenge race cars, offering an additional RM60,000 in prize money.
“From humble beginnings of a Series emphasizing on a level playing ground for racers, the VIOS Challenge has evolved into one of the most competitive one-make series races in the country and in the process contributed towards uncovering and grooming a new generation of young drivers – many of whom are successfully climbing the motorsports ladder into more competitive events. Toyota GAZOO Racing Malaysia goes beyond the fundamentals of racing—it serves as a proving ground that influences the development of our future products. More importantly, it creates opportunities where none previously existed, laying a strong and sustainable foundation for talent development, not only for drivers, but also for engineers and technical professionals essential to the future of the sport,”
said Datuk Ravindran K., President of UMW Toyota Motor.
Super Sporting Class: Title Showdown Between Cheah and Ang
The Super Sporting Class heads into the finale as a straight two-way title fight, with just eight points separating the top two drivers.
Super Sporting Class title contenders:
- Mitchell Cheah (Team Prima Pearl SP Selatan) – 2023 champion
- Freddie Ang (Telagamas Toyota)
Ang, widely regarded as one of the most consistent drivers in the series, enters the weekend chasing his first overall title since returning to the championship in 2020.
“This is going to be a very important weekend for sure. I just need to stay ahead of Cheah. However, winning the race during that weekend might be hard since I will be carrying 45kg to 50kg ballast (weight penalty),” said Ang.
“The final round being on the South Track will also present racers with the longest straight at Sepang this season, so hopefully I won’t lose too much time down the straights with the weight I am carrying. Let’s just see how it goes and take it one race at a time.”
Ang has finished third overall in 2024, fourth in 2022 and 2021, and third in 2020, while Cheah holds the edge in outright pace with three race wins this season.
Super Sporting Class prize money:
- Champion: RM80,000
- Runner-up: RM60,000
- Third place: RM40,000
Sporting Class: Promotion to Super Sporting Within Reach
In the Sporting Class, the championship appears firmly within reach for former Rookie driver Jwan Hii, who leads the standings by a commanding 41-point margin.
Sporting Class top contenders:
- Jwan Hii (Hong Huat x Armada KK Racing) – 145 points
- Elson Lew (BAE Racing by ES Yang) – 104 points
- Dato’ Dr Ken Foo (Kulim Topwheels) – 101 points
A pair of podium finishes this weekend would all but secure the title for Hii and earn him promotion to the Super Sporting Class for Season 9 (2026).
Lew, also a former Rookie Class driver, finished fourth overall in Rookie Class in 2023 and third overall in Sporting Class in 2024, while making only his second full season in the category.
Sporting Class prize money:
- Champion: RM60,000
- Runner-up: RM40,000
- Third place: RM20,000
Rookie Class: Four-Way Fight Goes Down to the Wire
The Rookie Class remains the most open contest of the weekend, with four drivers still mathematically in title contention.
Rookie Class title contenders:
- Rahul Dev – 147 points
- Ian James – 143 points
- Aydan Khaliq – 138 points
- Harkiesh Geeva – 137 points
James holds two race wins this season, while Dev has built his championship charge through consistency, scoring one win, two second-place finishes and two thirds across six races.
With only 10 points covering the top four, the Rookie title is expected to be decided only after the final chequered flag.
How to Follow the Vios Challenge Season 8 Finale
Fans can follow the Vios Challenge Season 8 finale with live updates, highlights and behind-the-scenes content via Toyota GAZOO Racing Malaysia’s official channels:
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/tgrmy
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/tgrmalaysia
- YouTube: https://youtube.com/@tgrmalaysia
More information on race schedules, driver line-ups and series updates is available at:
👉 http://www.toyota.com.my/en/tgrmalaysia
CarTok.my Editor’s Note:
Three titles, a new race class, and Sepang’s South Track all combine to give this Vios Challenge finale the ingredients for an exciting season-ending showdown.
