Embarking on a historic journey for the development of motorsport in the State of Kuwait and encourage young and affluent drivers to come forward and participate in unique events, Mohamed Naser Al Sayer & Sons Est Co. has announced the launch of Gazoo Racing (GR) Yaris Cup supported by Toyota Motor Corporation in association with Kuwait Motor Town and Suffix Sports.

The event was attended by Faisal Bader Al Sayer Chairman, Bengt Schultz COO, Martin Aherne Senior Business Director Toyota Group Sales, Hamad Al Fouzan Senior Manager Toyota Sales Administration, Group Business Heads and Senior Manager, representatives from the sponsoring brands in the presence of members of the press and media.

The Fédération Internationale de l ‘Automobile (FIA) certified event will be the first grass root level one-make race initiated by an automotive distributor in the region and will feature 10 Kuwaiti racing drivers backed by a strong track record of achievements in the field of motorsports.

According to Martin Aherne Senior Business Director Toyota Sales “We are excited to introduce a thrilling new season for all the racing enthusiasts with GR Yaris Cup. Toyota and AlSayer are reaching out to support aspiring Kuwaiti racers who are looking forward to accelerating their racing career, winners of Karting competition progressing towards rally and circuit racing. For the debut season, we are fortunate to have 15 top class drivers with us for the first edition. Our vision is to make this a regional championship in the future with the support of other Toyota distributors. Further we are also planning to branch out this championship to other GR models in the coming years”.

Ahmad AlMajed Chief Operating Officer Suffix Sports said “Suffix is proud to be involved in the event with AlSayer, a collaboration that seeks to redefine the realm of motorsports awareness, extending it beyond conventional sports boundaries. SUFFIX and AlSayer are committed to elevating motorsports into a lifestyle, culture, and passion. By fusing their expertise into the event as it aims to bridge the gap between motorsport enthusiasts and newcomers, delivering unprecedented international standard results. This groundbreaking initiative underscores SUFFIX’s dedication to pioneering concepts and their ambition to be part of remarkable endeavors”.

The inaugural race of the GR is scheduled will be held during 16th to 18th November at Kuwait Motor Town followed by races during the months of December, January, February, and the final race scheduled in March. Visitors will be treated with a unique spectacle by experiencing a thrilling atmosphere at the venue. Additionally, each event will also feature a GR village which will showcase the latest GR models in addition to unique Toyota models such as the Mirai, GR Corolla, BZ4X, Rav4 PHEV.

Motorsports enthusiasts will get a chance to interact with the Chief Engineer of the GR Yaris and the Chief Manager from TGR All Japan Rally Team for the round 2 race which will be held in December along with a unique drift session by a leading GR World Rally Championship driver.

GR Yaris is true sports car developed by experts at the Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team and the 10 units which are part of the GR Yaris Cup are being race prepared under FIA regulations, in-house with skill and precision by service technicians at Al Sayer Ahmadi Performance. Carefully selected race specific components are added to the impressive standard specification to create a car at home circuit in the cutthroat environment of a one-make competition.

Each car features adjustable race shocks, race exhaust, race brake pads with braided lines, and 18-inch alloy wheels, fitted with Yokohama A050 tires. Inside is equipped with race logger to log the car’s performance data so drivers can identify areas of improvement. The driver’s safety environment is all race car, with a Recaro pole position car race seat, six-point safety harness, Race fire suppression system and race steering wheel all fitted inside an FIA six-point roll cage. Control parts ensure the championship remains competitive and fair. Only officially built GR Yaris cars are eligible for the championship.

All units of GR Yaris will be exclusively branded for the affluent sponsoring brands in Kuwait which consists of leading banks, food chains, media houses as well as a leading tire brand.

Over the years, Toyota has participated in many different motorsports forms, including Formula One, the World Endurance Championship (WEC), and the Nürburgring 24 Hours endurance race. Toyota’s participation in these events was overseen by separate entities within the company until April 2015, when Toyota established TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR) to consolidate all of its motorsport’s activities under one in-house brand. Representing Toyota’s belief that ‘the roads build the people, and the people build the cars,’ TGR highlights the role of motorsports as a fundamental pillar of Toyota’s commitment to making ‘ever-better’ cars.

Harnessing years of experience gained under the extreme conditions of various motorsports events, TGR aims to forge new technologies and solutions that bring the freedom, adventure, and joy of driving to everyone.

For more information visit toyota.com.kw, call 1803803, or follow @toyotakw on Instagram.