TGR Racing Malaysia Debuts in Thailand Super Series with All-Malaysian Driver Line-up

KLANG, 16 MARCH 2026 – UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT) today announced the establishment of TGR Racing Malaysia, a racing team that will compete in the GT4 class of the 2026 Thailand Super Series, one of Southeast Asia’s most competitive GT racing championships. The move marks Toyota Malaysia’s expansion into regional GT competition and represents the next step in its contribution to the development of Malaysian motorsport.

The team will operate with a long-term view of competition and development, building on experience gained through 8 seasons of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Vios Challenge since 2017, a manufacturer-led one-make racing championship organised by UMWT. In this series, drivers compete in identically prepared race cars where results depend on skill, discipline and consistent execution, allowing UMWT to develop local driver talent, technical capability and race operations expertise. The experience built through these seasons now forms the foundation for TGR Racing Malaysia as the company expands its motorsport activities into sustained regional GT competition.

Datuk Ravindran K., President of UMW Toyota Motor, said the establishment of TGR Racing Malaysia represents the next evolution of Toyota’s GAZOO Racing journey in Malaysia. “For Toyota, racing is part of our DNA and how we improve. When we compete, the objective is to perform at the highest level and to win, because real racing is where true standards are set. Over the years, TGR Racing has grown into a platform that supports the motorsport industry, brings together the racing community and develops local talent. This next evolution sees us stepping into regional GT competition and continuing to raise the bar for Malaysian motorsport,” Datuk Ravindran K. said.

Entry into GT4 places the team in a tightly regulated regional championship where experienced drivers and crew can benchmark performance, refine execution, and compete against established regional competitors. GT4 is a category created and regulated by the SRO Motorsports Group, featuring race cars derived from production models and homologated according to specific technical regulations. The regulations utilise Balance of Performance (BoP) to equalise cars from different manufacturers and ensure competitive racing.

All five rounds of the Thailand Super Series GT4 season will be contested with an all-Malaysian driver line-up comprising Shaun Thong, Weiron Tan, Nazim Azman and Putera Adam, supported by an experienced Malaysian and Japanese team with decades of top-level racing experience. The programme will focus on building strong technical discipline and race operations standards as the team prepares to compete consistently at the regional GT level.

TGR Racing Malaysia will field two GR Supra GT4 EVO2 race cars, prepared in accordance with Thailand Super Series GT4 regulations. The GR Supra GT4 EVO2 is developed and produced by TGR Racing Europe as part of Toyota’s global customer racing programme. The EVO2 version incorporates a series of updates focused on performance, reliability and drivability, including improved braking performance, revised damper settings, enhanced cooling and refined ABS calibration. These updates were introduced following feedback from teams and drivers competing in GT4 championships worldwide.

The Thailand Super Series GT4 class was selected for its clear technical framework and structured race format under GT4 regulations. The Thailand Super Series is organised by Thailand Super Series Co., Ltd. and sanctioned by the Royal Automobile Association of Thailand under FIA regulations. The championship features multiple categories including GT3, GTM, GT4 and touring car classes, and is recognised as one of Thailand’s premier motorsport championships.

The championship provides a consistent competitive environment that places emphasis on race management, reliability and operational execution across a full season. Each event weekend comprises official practice sessions, qualifying, and races conducted under the championship’s sporting regulations.

While the inaugural season for the racing team will focus on preparation and learning, the team is committed to pursuing steady progress to become a series contender. This will include imparting specialised knowledge and experience on Malaysian technical and race operations personnel who will be working alongside their Japanese counterparts.

The Thailand Super Series kicks off a pre-season test from 22-23 April at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram ahead of the opening round from 21-24 May at the same circuit. Round 2 will be from 1-5 July and held in conjunction with the 20^th Anniversary celebration of the Bangsaen Grand Prix international street racing festival in Chonburi. Rounds 3 and 4 will move to the Petronas Sepang International Circuit from 21-23 August and 18-20 September, respectively, with the finale returning to the Chang International Circuit from 30 Oct-1 Nov.

Further details on the team’s activities and progress will be announced in due course. 

– END –