UMW Toyota’s Deputy Chairman to race a Toyota Vios in Sepang 1,000 km this weekend



From board room to race track, UMW Toyota Motor’s Deputy Chairman and Toyota Gazoo Racing’s (TGR) Chief Motorsports Officer and TGR Vios Challenge racer, Akio Takeyama, will be competing in this weekend’s Sepang 1,000 km endurance race with a Toyota Vios under Team Toyota Gazoo Racing Malaysia (Car No.39).

The team will be fielding two race cars prepared by Wing Hin Motorsports and competing in the Premier MTC class for modified production cars below 1,600cc. The Vios’ will be powered by TRD race-prepped engines, built in Wing Hin’s own facility in Balakong.

Wing Hin Motorsports Principal Simon Loh is confident the cars will be among the front runners again this year after an impressive showing and podium finish in 2018.

“With the valuable data collected from last year’s event, the new parts we have secured through our collaboration with TRD and the immense experience of former Toyota Gazoo Racing development driver Akira Iida who will drive for us this year, I believe that we have the package to be competitive once again this year,” said Loh.

Known for his exploits in the Japanese Touring Car scene and having finished the 24-hour Le Mans six times, Akira Iida has been instrumental for Toyota Gazoo Racing in the Japan GT Series.

He was played a key role in developing the Toyota 86 for Toyota Motor Corporation’s President Akio Toyoda and his son Daisuke Toyoda to race in the 24-hour Super Endurance Race in Fuji Speedway earlier this year.

For this S1K endurance race, Iida will be sharing the driving duties in the Team Toyota GAZOO Racing Malaysia-liveried Vios with Takeyama and Toyota GAZOO Racing Vios Challenge regular William Ho while the second car racing under Team Wing Hin Motorsports banner will feature Boy Wong and Dannies Ng.

The approximately 8-hour Sepang 1,000 km race has been the crown jewel of the Malaysian circuit racing calendar with a starting grid of some 70 cars based on production models available in Malaysia.

Participants are expected to lap the Sepang International Circuit over 180 times once the race begins around noon on the 23rd of November 2019.