With double championship points on offer and a demanding one-hour race format, Round 3 of the Toyota GAZOO Racing Malaysia Vios Gold Championship has dramatically reshaped the title fight ahead of the season finale in October. The introduction of the full Sepang International Circuit layout and a packed 37-car grid across three racing classes delivered one of the most unpredictable weekends of the season.

Unlike the shorter half-track races used in the opening rounds, competitors were challenged by the full-length circuit, increased race distance, and constant traffic from multiple classes. These factors prevented several championship favourites from dominating as they had in previous rounds, allowing new contenders to emerge and tighten the battle for the overall standings.

The Super Sporting Class opened with defending champion Freddie Ang of Telagamas Toyota converting pole position into a commanding Race 1 victory. Ang crossed the finish line 5.9 seconds ahead of Timothy Yeo from RH Kalulong Motorsport, while former champion Mitchell Cheah secured third place for Team Prima Pearl SP Selatan.

The result reinforced Ang’s championship credentials, but the increased competition ensured no driver could afford to relax with double points still to be contested later in the weekend.

In the Sporting Class, Elson Lew of Hong Huat X Armada KK Racing produced one of the most convincing performances of the weekend. He finished an impressive 10.9 seconds ahead of Taj Izrin Aiman from Saksama Motorsports, with Axle Sports driver Aditya Patnaik completing the podium in third.

The Rookie Class belonged to 16-year-old Ethen Low, who showcased exceptional pace by claiming victories in both races. In Race 1, Low comfortably defeated Ervin Lim by 18.7 seconds, while Imran Iskandar completed the podium.

The young driver’s dominant display further strengthened his reputation as one of Malaysia’s brightest racing talents.

Sunday’s Race 2 produced plenty of excitement, with multiple incidents forcing the safety car onto the circuit three separate times.

The first caution was triggered on just the third lap following contact involving Fokus Racing Team’s Lim Chun Beng and Super Evergreen Motorsport’s Sophia Zara. Another incident involving FIA Boulevard Racing’s Hendra Ade Putra brought out the safety car again on Lap 15.

Just as racing was about to resume, another collision between Unihub & DMW 1 Motorsport’s Loke Yin Yi and GTA Race Team’s Ng Aik Sha on the back straight resulted in a third safety car period, with the race ultimately finishing behind the safety car.

Starting from pole position, Bradley Benedict of PS Harapan Menang made the most of clean air to secure victory in Race 2 despite seeing his advantage erased multiple times by safety car interventions.

Mitchell Cheah continued his consistent weekend with another runner-up finish, while Kenneth Koh of PCM Group Racing Team completed the podium in third.

Although Benedict’s comfortable lead disappeared after each restart, he managed to hold off Cheah by just half a second to claim an important victory.

The Sporting Class produced one of the closest finishes of the weekend as India’s Aditya Patnaik kept his composure throughout the one-hour contest.

Representing Axle Sports, Patnaik edged G-Mart Motorsport’s Adam Mikail by only 0.3 seconds at the finish, while Ariff Azmi of KMS 333 Motorsports secured third place. The victory also marked Patnaik’s second podium appearance in as many races.

Ethen Low completed a flawless weekend by taking another Rookie Class victory in Race 2. This time, he crossed the line just 0.4 seconds ahead of Megat Damian, with Ervin Lim once again finishing third.

His perfect score over the weekend has significantly strengthened his championship challenge heading into the final round.

With a total prize pool of RM876,000 available throughout Season 9, the Toyota GAZOO Racing Malaysia Vios Gold Championship is now set for an exciting conclusion.

The demanding full-circuit format and unpredictable race conditions have narrowed the championship battle across all three classes, ensuring that the October season finale will decide who emerges as champion in one of Malaysia’s longest-running one-make production saloon car racing series.

After a weekend filled with intense wheel-to-wheel racing, safety car drama and breakthrough performances, the fight for the 2026 Toyota GAZOO Racing Malaysia Vios Gold Championship remains wide open.