With a President who is a racing driver himself, it’s not surprising that Toyota is getting more involved in different forms of motorsport, including the fast-growing digital motor racing or e-motorsports. E-motorsport is one of the key pillars of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR) to bring thrill to car enthusiasts and engage those looking to pursue new challenges in the virtual world. Furthermore, the key learnings and real-time experiences gained from the TGR’s motorsport activities remains eminent to the development of Toyota vehicles.
Later this month, Toyota Motor Asia Pacific (TMAP) will bring 15 top e-motorsport players in Asia together for its first virtual motorsport showdown – the GR Supra GT Cup ASIA 2020.
The regional round on October 25 will see three top challengers from each of the five participating countries – Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines and India – will compete online. The winner will be the regional champion who will then go on to participate in the final of the global GR Supra GT Cup 2020 to be held this December.
The GR Supra GT Cup ASIA 2020, a one-make race championship in Gran Turismo Sport, began in June 2020 with national-level qualifying races hosted by Toyota affiliates in each of the five participating countries.
In Malaysia, hosted by UMW Toyota Motor, the event was known as the Toyota GR Velocity Esports Championship and the final round was held last month. The top three finalists were Taj Izrin Aiman Taj Madira, Mior Muhammad Hafiz and Muhammad Iqbal Ahmad Suji, who will represent Malaysia in the GR Supra GT Cup ASIA 2020.
Commenting on the GR Supra GT Cup ASIA 2020 Regional Round, David Nordstrom, Vice-President of TMAP said: “The GR Supra GT Cup ASIA challenge is all about the power of passion, cars and limitless possibilities and we are excited to engage with the aspiring players in the region. It is a great feeling to race on-line. Indeed, my racing moments on simulator captures some of the exhilaration I have experienced on real racetracks around the world.”
“It’s a feat to have these incredible players competing in the legendary sportscar, THE GR Supra, and we look forward to having fans join us to experience virtual racing with Toyota, by watching the regional finale,” he added.
