Petaling Jaya, 29th November 2019 - Wing Hin Motorsports, one of the most distinguished motor racing outfits in the country will prepare two Toyota Vios for the up-coming Sepang 1,000km (S1K) race including Car 39 racing under “Team Toyota GAZOO Racing Malaysia” colours featuring TGR’s Chief Motorsports Officer, TGR Vios Challenge racer and UMW Toyota Motor’s Deputy Chairman Akio Takeyama in his maiden endurance race.

The cars will compete this weekend at the Sepang International Circuit in the premier MTC class for modified production cars below 1,600cc using TRD race-prepared engines in Toyota Vios chassis prepared at Wing Hin’s own facility in Balakong, Selangor.

Buoyed by the team’s impressive performance in the 2018 event where a Toyota Vios driven by the pairing of Boy Wong and William Ho scored a remarkable podium finish, Wing Hin Motorsports Principal Simon Loh is confident that the cars will be among the front runners again in this year’s event.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2019

AUTOMOTIVE

Akio Takeyama to race Wing Hin-prepared Vios in S1K.

DRIVING FROM BOARD ROOM TO RACE TRACK

“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.

The Sepang 1,000km 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. The race on the 5.45km circuit will take over eight hours to complete with the top cars expected to clock over 180 laps of the circuit.

“The S1K is not just about outright pace but working in synergy as a team, getting your strategies in place and running a good pace throughout the event. With good partners such as Toyota, TRD, Moty’s lubricants and Motec behind us, both cars should be in top-running positions barring any on-track incident,” he added.

Bringing his valuable experience to the team this year will be Japanese touring car legend Akira Iida. With six Le Mans 24-hour race finishes under his belt, Iida has been instrumental in developing Toyota GAZOO Racing’s competitive edge particularly in the Japan Super GT series. He was also a key member of the ROOKIE Racing team that developed the Toyota 86 for Toyota Motor Corporation’s President Akio Toyoda and his son Daisuke Toyoda to race in the Super Endurance 24-hour Race in Fuji Speedway earlier this year.

For this S1K, 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.

Fueling his passion for motor racing, Mr Akio Takeyama’s participation in the S1K is seen as a means to gain greater race mileage and to further hone his craft in the race where some of the most formidable racing drivers in the country will be vying for glory.

“Having only raced in the Vios Challenge for two and a half seasons, going into the S1K will  be a totally new and exciting experience for me. I look upon it as a challenge and an opportunity for me to push my own boundaries. I also hope to pick up some valuable insights from my team mates Iida and William who have a wealth of circuit racing experience,” said Takeyama.

The Sepang 1,000km kicks off with a rolling start around noon on 23rd November 2019 with the chequered flag expected to fall at around 9pm that evening.