Although this year has seen virtual racing or digital motorsports take a big leap in popularity due to the lockdowns that prevented real-world racing to take place, the Toyota GR Velocity Esports Championship has actually been running earlier. In fact, two seasons have been run and next month will see the third season.
Racing events throughout September
The 2020 championship will start off with a series of qualifying rounds, followed by a semi-final and finally, a 4-race format Grand Final. There will be 4 online qualifying rounds (limited to 180 participants per round) which will be run over two consecutive weekends from September 3 and 4 and September 12 and 13.
The virtual track for qualifying will be the 4.5-km Fuji International Speedway in Japan with racers using a GR Supra RZ. UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT), the organisers, expect up to 720 participants this year.
The top 20 fastest drivers will then advance to the semi-final to be held on September 26. This will be held at UMWT’s headquarters complex in Shah Alam, Selangor. The semi-final will involve two individual races held in Japan. The first is a 22-lap race at the Kyoto Driving Park behind the wheel of a TS050 Hybrid prototype sportscar and later, a Dallara Super Formula SF19 around the 5.8-km Suzuka Circuit in an 18-lap battle.
The 10 fastest drivers will enter the final challenge Grand Final on September 27 at the same venue. Besides the Grand Prize of RM20,000, there are cash prizes of RM10,000, RM7,000, RM5,500, RM4,500 for the other 4 overall winners. Cash prizes of between RM4,000 and RM2,000 also await those who finish in 6th to 10th positions. RM500 each will also be given out to those who finish in 11th to 20th positions.
The most lucrative online racing series
Racers will also stand a chance to win additional cash prizes in the form of RM450, RM200 and RM100 awarded to the first, second and third place winners at each of the 4 Grand Final races. This makes the Toyota GR Velocity Esports Championship one of the most lucrative and rewarding online racing series locally.
The Grand Final will have 4 gruelling races with points awarded for every round. Race 1 will see drivers competing in a GR Supra RZ at the Autodrome Lago Maggiore circuit in Italy (15 laps). Race 2 will be at the Autopolis Racing Course Japan in a FT-1 Vision Gran Turismo (18 laps). Race 3 will put the driver behind the wheel of a TS050 Hybrid sportscar at Circuit de la Sarthe in France (10 laps). The fourth and final race will take place at the 13.6-km Belgium Spa- Francorchamps circuit with a Toyota-powered Dallara Super Formula SF19 (18 laps).
Season 3 of the Toyota GR Velocity Esports Championship will also feature a special 10-lap exhibition race involving racers and celebrities who competed in the Toyota Vios Challenge and Toyota GAZOO Racing Festival. The racing drivers will go participate in a 10-lap race behind the wheel of a GR Supra Racing Concept racing car at the 4.5-km Fuji International Speedway while celebrities will drive a TS050 Hybrid sportscar in a 17-lap race at the Tokyo Expressway.
First ever regional championship
The top three racers will also earn the honour of representing Malaysia in the first ever GR Supra GT Cup Asia 2020 regional e-motorsports competition organized by Toyota Motor Asia Pacific in October 2020. The GR Supra GT Cup Asia 2020 will see competitors from Malaysia competing against the best from Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines and India.
“The race must go on, amidst a post-pandemic era and in the new norm. While physical motor racing involving Toyota is not expected to return until the first quarter of 2021, the past 5 months presented UMWT with the perfect opportunity to advance our virtual racing activities and to bring the GAZOO racing spirit and motorsports to the masses,” said Toyota GAZOO Racing Malaysia’s Chief Motorsports Officer, Akio Takeyama.
Interest keeps growing in Malaysia
UMWT is the first and still the only Malaysian car company to be associated with the fast-growing e-sports activities, contributing to the growing interest in online simulator racing in the country. According to Ravindran K., President of UMWT, the number of participants who competed in the Toyota GR Velocity Esports Championship grew to 657 in 2019 from 400 when the series was first introduced in 2018.
Incidentally, 2018 was also the year when the FIA (the world motorsport governing body) recognised simulator racing and certified it as Digital Motor Sport.
“Online racing, particularly the growing interest in Simulator Racing, has exponentially grown, more evidently over the last 5 months, and it has successfully attracted both real-world racers and virtual racers,” Mr. Ravindran said, adding that some 300,000 viewers are expected to tune in to the Toyota GR Velocity Esports Championship live streamed online races this year.
For more information on the Toyota GR Velocity Esports Championship and to register to compete, visit www.toyota.com.my.
