Singaporean e-motorsport racer wins GR Supra GT Cup Asia 2020

MANILA: And we have a winner. The first digital motorsport racing competition of Toyota Motor Asia Pacific, the GR Supra GT Cup Asia 2020 culminated last October 25 (Sunday) with an exciting final round.

Fifteen contenders from five countries in Asia namely, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines, demonstrated (albeit digitally) the agility, balance, and power of the signature sports car of Toyota, the GR Supra. This was through a virtual race through one of the most challenging tracks worldwide, the Nordschleife track of the Nürburgring in Germany.

The regional competition consisted of three races, and the finals had a spectacular start at the Fuji Speedway, the home ground of Toyota, and an arena where it has been able able to notch  victories in the history of motorsports.

The challenging route put the drivers and the vehicles through a complicated test, and the contenders from Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore raced head-on during the final laps of the competition.

Nürburgring, which runs more than 20 km and has over 150 turns, a tire change, and a mandatory pitstop, was the final track in the regional competition.

In the second race, A. Aleef of Singapore was able clinch first place, followed by N. Sirigaya of Thailand. Terence Lallave from the Philippines took the third spot, with only one second behind Sirigaya.

During the final stage, Sirigaya was ahead of Taj Aiman of Malaysia for the lead, but he obtained a one-second penalty due to his aggression. This enabled Taj Aiman to go for the lead, which he was able to defend until the end of the race, with Sirigaya behind on second and Aleef taking the third spot.

Nevertheless, the winners of the regional competition were announced based on their total points at the end of the final round.

Aleef, as he took the lead in the first two races with a total of 36 points, was able to finish three points ahead of Taj Aiman, enough to annex the crown. Meanwhile, Sirigaya took the third spot with 25 points.

Aleef received US$6,000 cash prize and he gained a spot in the prestigious international “GR Supra GT Cup 2020,” where he will compete against the best e-motorsport challengers worldwide in December. Taj Aiman and Sirigaya also received cash prizes and all three winners were given trophies during the awarding ceremony.

Aleef said, “I am very excited and honored to be the first GR Supra GT Cup Asia champion, and I look forward to bringing my best game to the global final and making all Singaporeans and Asians proud. It hasn’t been an easy race for me as I was up against many other fast drivers. There were also many levels of races leading up to the regional final. But I am glad my efforts paid off. It was quite exciting racing the legendary GR Supra and being part of this journey with TGR and e-motorsport fans and gamers. I would like to thank Toyota [regional and national teams> for giving me this fantastic opportunity.

Aleef will be the representative of Asia as he will race against international players at the GR Supra GT Cup 2020 global finals to be conducted this December.

The thrilling regional championship was a one-make race competition in Gran Turismo Sport (PlayStation 4). It served as the conclusion of the national online racing competitions that were done separately across Malaysia, India, Philippines, Thailand, and Singapore during the previous months.

The event was able to unite gaming enthusiasts and motorsport followers from across Asia to experience real-time racing with Toyota. Moreover, the national championship was able to gain a reach of over 2.7 million views.

Toyota Motor Asia Pacific Vice President David Nordstrom shared, “The GR Supra GT Cup Asia is a feat made possible by the power of passion, cars and limitless possibilities, and we were happy to share the thrill of the regional final with e-motorsport fans and racing enthusiasts. The regional finalists were all incredible players and they made us feel the exhilaration of racing the iconic GR Supra on some of the most amazing racetracks around the world. Congratulations again to all the winners, and I wish Aleef all the best in the GR Supra GT Cup 2020 global final.”

E-motorsport is regarded as one of the major foundations of Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR), as it generates excitement for auto enthusiasts as well as anticipation for those who are searching for new challenges in the digital environment.

The real-time knowledge and experiences from the motorsport events and activities of TGR are applicable to the improvement of ever-better vehicles.

For more details regarding the global event, viewers and supporters of the event can click here.

GR Supra GT Cup Asia 2020 Regional Round:   Host	Toyota Motor Asia Pacific
Event Representation	Regional Round (Asia Region)
Race Name	GR Supra GT Cup Asia 2020 (One-day competition held online)
Names of Final Winners	A. Aleef [Singapore>: 1st Place  T. Aiman [Malaysia>: 2nd Place  N. Sirigaya [Thailand>: 3rd Place

 

To view a replay of the regional finals of the GR Supra GT Cup Asia 2020, supporters and motorsport followers can click here.

Photo from Toyota

Also read: Toyota presents Team PH competing in the GR Supra GT Cup Asia