TOYOTA GAZOO Racing GT Cup ASIA 2022: Reigning Asia Champion Nathayos Sirigaya fends off strong contenders to retain his title
- Written by Telegraph Magazine
Revs up for an exhilarating Global Finals
SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 31 October 2022 - TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR) GT Cup ASIA 2022 ended on an exhilarating note on Saturday, 29 October 2022.E-motorsports enthusiasts witnessed 20 local qualifiers – from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and South Korea – pit their dexterity and superb driving skills against one another as they battled for the crown of the regional championship title and for a spot in the Global Finals. 
Going against each other right from the start in the Regional Semi-Finals Group A, also known as the Group of Death, Andika Rama M. (Indonesia) dominated the race with his superb driving skills as he topped Group A while defending champion Nathayos Sirigaya (Thailand) finished the in second place.
Overall, reigning champion N. Sirigaya retained his title with 74 points and emerged as the TGR GT Cup ASIA 2022 Regional Champion. A Rama M. came in second with 71 points, just 3 points behind N. Sirigaya. With the tough competition this year, last year's first runner-up, Y.T. Chou only managed to claim victory in the last round of the Final race as he held his leading position throughout five laps, fending off other finalists who raced closely behind him, including defending champion N. Sirigaya. As the top two racers for this year's Regional Finals, both N. Sirigaya and A. Rama M. will represent Asia in the TGR GT Cup Global Finals in November, competing against other top e-Motorsport racers from around the world.
"When I started the final race in fourth position, I thought it was over at first and didn't think I could win the championship especially after I saw Taj Aiman pulling away and when I was overtaken by Andika Rama in the first half of the race. But I stayed calm and continued to push hard for the win, so I am very happy that I am able to win the championship again," N. Sirigaya enthused, upon reflecting on his journey towards victory. "It has been a thrilling experience racing alongside some of the best e-Motorsport racers in Asia. I am grateful to be crowned the TGR GT Cup ASIA champion again and I am thankful to Toyota for providing me with a platform to pursue my passion in e-Motorsports. Right now, my focus is to do better in this year's Global Finals."
Aside from the enhanced line-up of powerful race cars within the new GT 7 platform and newly introduced race conditions, the third season of the TGR GT Cup ASIA 2022 also underscores Toyota's commitment to making e-motorsports accessible across generations, by enabling racing enthusiasts from around the region to experience the thrill and joy of racing Toyota GR cars on iconic circuits. Fans and participants were also treated to a visual feast of fascinating livery designs inspired by local cultures from Asia-based artists such as India-based Graphic Designer Muhammed Sajid and Filipino Illustrator and 3D Artist Nez Yumul.
"We are once again heartened by the immense support for the third edition of the Toyota Gazoo Racing GT Cup ASIA. All racers displayed impeccable skills and put up a good fight on the grueling racetracks. We hope that E-motorsports fans were thoroughly entertained, especially with the improved line-up of cars and race conditions as well as the myriad of livery designs that was displayed during the competition," said Giri Venkatesh, Acting Vice President at Toyota Motor Asia Pacific. "Well done to all racers and we wish N. Sirigaya and A. Rama M. all the best in the Global Finals."
N. Sirigaya and A. Rama M. will represent Asia and race against some of the world's best e-Motorsport racers in the TGR GT Global Finals slated for November.
TGR GT Cup ASIA 2022 – Highlights of the Regional Finals
The battle for the Regional Championship kickstarted with a Regional Semi-Finals Race, where 20 local qualifiers competed within their allocated groups and raced on the Fuji International Speedway in GR Yaris race cars. In Group A, racing down Fuji International Speedway circuit was a strong contender for this year's regional championship. A. Rama M. led the race right from the start and eventually took victory, with N. Sirigaya trailing right behind in second place. Although Iqbal Suji (Malaysia) started off in pole position for Group B, he was unable to hold on to his lead as Pradana Yogatama (Indonesia) overtook him on the first turn on lap 9. The latter eventually came up top in Group B, with I. Suji coming in second and N. Sirigaya's teammate Thanaphat Pungphat (Thailand) coming in third. For Group C, Taj Aiman (Malaysia) earned first place.
The top five racers from each group in the semi-final round proceeded to the final race, which featured three thrilling racetracks that further challenged the racers' ability and driving skills.
After an exhilarating first three semi-final races, the final race delivered an equally nerve-wrecking and intense battle across three rounds for the top 15 finalists – starting with the Circuit De Barcelona-Catalunya in the GR Supra 20 for round one, followed by a wet weather race at the Nürburgring GP in the GR Supra Race car for round two and culminating in the iconic Le Mans Circuit de la Sarthe with the powerful 952-horsepower TS GR010 Hypercar in round three. In round one, viewers were treated to a spectacular drive by N. Sirigaya who capitalized on Moreno Pratama's (Indonesia) mistake to take the lead on Lap three. Despite starting at the top of the grid, M. Pratama was unable to secure a seat on the podium with N. Sirigaya holding on for a victory in round one, while T. Aiman and M. Pratama finished second and third respectively.
In the second round, on the final lap, there was a close fight for first place between I. Suji and N. Sirigaya with A. Rama M. and T. Aiman battling it out for third position. Although N. Sirigaya continued to pile pressure on I. Suji throughout the race, wet weather expert I. Suji managed to fend off N. Sirigaya and edged him out for the win. In the final round, Y.T. Chou found himself back in the leading position to claim victory for the final race while defending champion N. Sirigaya fought hard to clinch third place in the final lap, sealing his championship title and pipping second place A. Rama M. to the title by just three points.
As with 2021's edition, prizes were also awarded to the top three country teams and the top three racers. Team Malaysia took home the winning team honour with 120 points, followed by Team Indonesia in second place with 110 points, and Team Thailand in third place with 104 points.
To re-watch the Regional Finals for TGR GT Cup ASIA 2022, please click here.
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About the TGR GT Cup ASIA 2022
TGR GT Cup ASIA 2022 is the regional online race, which will bring together the top Sim racers from each of the participating countries in Asia to pit their skills against each other.
Players will race in "Gran Turismo 7" on their PlayStation®4*1 (PS4®) or PlayStation®5*1 (PS5®) in a selected Toyota GR line-up. Global qualifying races will be held from May to August 2022, with the top Sim racers coming together in the final championship showdown in the Global Finals of TGR GT Cup 2022 in November.
Under the global vision of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing, e-Motorsports has evolved to be one of the key pillars of TGR motorsport activities and is an exclusive platform to engage with the increasing motorsport-lovers around the world.
About TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR)
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR) is TOYOTA's racing company where motorsports activities are a key pursuit of product development. Its ethos builds on a heritage of more than 60 years in excellence in "making ever-better cars". With this aim, the company takes into account feedback and learnings gained on tough racing roads under harsh environments to create thrill and joy of racing Toyota GR cars for everyone.
About Toyota Motor Asia Pacific
Toyota Motor Asia Pacific [TMAP] is incorporated in Singapore and is the regional corporate headquarters and subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation. TMAP leads and supports the Asia Pacific region in sales and marketing activities, service parts, accessories and customer services, thus contributing to the overall development of auto industry and the growing economies in the region.
Toyota envisions the future mobility society to bring freedom of movement to all. Moving forward, Toyota will provide a diverse range of mobility services and transportation solutions to people around the world as we transform Toyota into a mobility company.
