UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT) has formally launched the Toyota Gazoo Racing Malaysia workforce that can contest the 2026 season of the Thailand Tremendous Sequence, with a full season entry within the GT4 class with a pair of Toyota GR Supra GT4 Evo2 race automobiles.
The outfit is led by workforce principal Jason Ong, with Japan GT GT500 winner, Nürburgring 24 Hours SP8 and SP Professional class winner and Asian Le Mans GTE class winner Akira Iida as workforce director. Forming the driving force line-up is a quartet of drivers with a wealth of expertise in worldwide racing, consisting of Shaun Thong and Weiron Tan within the #81 automobile, alongside Nazim Azman and Putera Adam within the #83 automobile.
Each will enter the GT4 class contested by the likes of the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport, Mercedes-AMG GT4, Aston Martin Vantage GT4, together with 5 different items of the GR Supra GT4 in TSS this 12 months, together with one entered by Malaysian workforce Wing Hin Motorsport.
Shaun Thong, aged 31 this 12 months is essentially the most skilled driver of the quartet, having began in Asian Formulation Renault on the age of 16 and has now accrued 45 race wins, seven titles and 250 race begins. Among the many sequence Thong has entered contains British Formulation Renault, Formulation Ford UK, Euro Formulation Open F3 Nurburgring 24H with Audi, GT World Problem Asia, Asian Lemans LMP3 Sequence, Tremendous GT300, Tremendous Taikyu Endurance and extra.
His accomplice within the #81 automobile, Weiron Tan, additionally aged 31 this 12 months is winner of the 2011 Lotus Supercup GT4 Sequence, and has raced within the Asian Le Mans Sequence within the prototype class, the China GT Championship, FIA World Endurance Championship, GT World Problem Asia Sequence, in addition to having been works driver for Audi Sport Asia and junior growth driver within the Caterham F1 workforce.
Nazim Azman, 24, involves the outfit having begun in Italian Formulation 4 in 2018, after which moved on to British Formulation 3, Euro Formulation Open Championship after which the FIA Formulation 3 Championship. Extra just lately, Nazim was within the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia (PCCA) one-make sequence for the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
The youngest of the drivers is Putera Adam at 19 years of age, and stands out as a product of Toyota’s younger expertise growth programme, having come by the Toyota Gazoo Racing Vios Problem sequence within the Rookie, Sporting and Tremendous Sporting courses, and is a race winner within the GR86 Cup Malaysia sequence. Most just lately, Putera Adam has clinched the Lamborghini Tremendous Trofeo Europe Professional class title for 2025, turning into the primary Asian to take action.
The GR Supra GT4 Evo2 racer, as its identify signifies, is constructed to GT4 class specs; powertrain is comprised of a 2,996 cc inline-six cylinder engine with a single twin-scroll turbocharger, with peak energy depending on Stability off Efficiency (BoP) restrictions which range over the course of a season; peak torque is 660 Nm.
Transmission is a modified seven-speed ZF computerized transmission, and the driveline is comprised of a high-torque spec driveshaft by GKN, and a limited-slip differential by Drexler. Engine administration is by Marelli, and the exhaust is a catalytic converter-equipped racing setup by Akrapovic.
Suspension format is just like the highway automobile with MacPherson struts in entrance and a multi-link setup on the rear, with KW adjustable racing dampers. Steering is by rack-and-pinion with electrical energy help, and braking is comprised of metal discs measuring 390 mm in entrance and 355 mm on the rear, utilizing six-piston and four-piston calipers entrance and rear, respectively. Wheel and tyre sizes are a “sq.” setup, utilizing Pirelli 305/660-18 tyres on 18-inch OZ wheels in any respect 4 corners.
For the approaching 2026 season of the Thailand Tremendous Sequence, groups start pre-season testing on April 22-23 on the Chang Worldwide Circuit in Buriram, previous to Spherical 1 of racing on Could 21-24 on the identical venue. Spherical 2 will probably be held on the Bangsaen avenue circuit, earlier than the sequence heads to the Petronas Sepang Worldwide Circuit for Rounds 3 and 4 on August 21-23. and September 18-20 respectively. The season finale sees the sequence return to Buriram on October 31-November 1.
Toyota Gazoo Racing Malaysia GR Supra GT4 Evo2, official pictures
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