Sepang – The fight for the 2026 Toyota Vios Gold Championship is heading for a thrilling finale after an action-packed Round 3 at the Petronas Sepang International Circuit saw championship leaders come under pressure from a new wave of challengers.
Held over the full Sepang Circuit layout for the first time this season, the third round featured all 37 entries from the Super Sporting, Sporting and Rookie classes competing simultaneously in a demanding one-hour endurance-style race. Combined with double championship points on offer, the weekend produced dramatic shifts in momentum that leave the title battle wide open ahead of October’s season finale.
Unlike the opening two rounds, which were contested on the shorter circuit configuration, the longer race distance and increased traffic made consistency just as important as outright speed. Several championship favourites found themselves unable to dominate, opening the door for fresh contenders to stake their claim.
Freddie Ang, Elson Lew and Ethen Low Shine in Race 1
Race 1 of the premier Super Sporting Class belonged to defending champion Freddie Ang of Telagamas Toyota. Starting from pole position, Ang controlled proceedings to secure victory by 5.9 seconds over Timothy Yeo of RH Kalulong Motorsport, while former champion Mitchell Cheah of Team Prima Pearl SP Selatan completed the podium in third.
The Sporting Class produced another commanding performance from Hong Huat X Armada KK Racing’s Elson Lew, who crossed the finish line 10.9 seconds ahead of Taj Izrin Aiman from Saksama Motorsports. India’s Aditya Patnaik, representing Axle Sports, finished third after another solid drive.
In the Rookie Class, 16-year-old Ethen Low delivered one of the standout performances of the weekend. The young driver dominated the opening race, finishing an impressive 18.7 seconds ahead of Ervin Lim, while Imran Iskandar completed the top three.
Safety Cars Shape Dramatic Race 2
Sunday’s second race proved even more dramatic, with three separate Safety Car deployments significantly influencing the outcome.
The first interruption came after contact between Fokus Racing Team’s Lim Chun Beng and Super Evergreen Motorsport’s Sophia Zara on Lap 3. A second Safety Car followed on Lap 15 after an incident involving FIA Boulevard Racing’s Hendra Ade Putra.
Moments after racing resumed, another collision between Unihub & DMW 1 Motorsport’s Loke Yin Yi and GTA Race Team’s Ng Aik Sha on the back straight triggered a third Safety Car period, with the race eventually ending under caution.
Despite the interruptions, Bradley Benedict of PS Harapan Menang capitalised on pole position to secure victory in the Super Sporting Class. Although each Safety Car erased the comfortable advantage he had built, Benedict held off Mitchell Cheah by just 0.5 seconds at the chequered flag, while Kenneth Koh of PCM Group Racing Team completed the podium.
“I had a good start during the race and just did my best to extend my lead,” said Bradley Benedict.
“I was both fortunate and unfortunate with the Safety Car conditions. Every time I built a lead, it disappeared, but I was lucky that I never had to defend my position directly because I always had clear track ahead. Winning by half a second was enough.”
Patnaik and Low Continue Their Strong Form
While incidents unfolded around him, Aditya Patnaik produced a composed drive in the Sporting Class to claim victory by the narrowest of margins—just 0.3 seconds ahead of Adam Mikail from G-Mart Motorsport. Ariff Azmi of KMS 333 Motorsports rounded out the podium.
The victory marked Patnaik’s second podium appearance from two races during the weekend.
Meanwhile, Ethen Low completed a flawless outing in the Rookie Class by winning Race 2 as well. He edged Megat Damian by only 0.4 seconds, with Ervin Lim once again securing third place to complete another competitive podium.
Everything to Play for in October
With a total prize pool of RM876,000 available throughout Season 9, the Toyota Vios Gold Championship now heads into its decisive fourth and final round in October with multiple championship battles still very much alive.
Round 3 demonstrated that outright pace alone may not be enough to secure the title. Strategy, consistency and avoiding trouble could prove just as crucial when Malaysia’s longest-running manufacturer-backed one-make saloon car championship crowns its 2026 champions later this year.
