Toyota Motorsport heralds Phuket “pulling power’

PHUKET: Engines will be revving at Saphan Hin next weekend, when Phuket hosts the fifth leg of the Toyota Motorsport “Sprint to Win” series.

Toyota executives on Thursday joined Phuket Vice Governor Weerawat Janpen, sexy-model-turned-racer Natalie Davis and other dignitaries at a press conference at the Royal Phuket City Hotel to announce the event.

The Phuket event is the second to last in this year’s series, which had previous stops in Bangkok, Malaysia, Nakhon Ratchasima and Chiang Mai. The final event will take place at Bang Saen Beach in Chonburi in late November.

Racing will be held in three categories:
• VIOS One Make Race/Lady Cup
• VIOS One Make Race
• Yaris One Make Race

Related activities and events will include the arrival of a fleet of 15 hybrid cars driving under the banner: “Prius No One Else Experience”. With luck, the hybrids will drive all the way from Bangkok to Phuket on a single tank of gas to show how efficient Toyota hybrid technology is.

Special Toyota performances will include: Altis Excite Show, Yaris and Vios Battle Show, Super Car Show, and a Vigo Drift Show by Kiki Sak Nana, also known as “Drift King of Thailand”.

A bevy of Thai superstars and youthful “hi-so” (high-society) figures with money to burn and heavy feet will take part in the event, which is expected to draw large crowds of spectators.

Winners will be vying for a chance to take part in the next Toyota “Netz” Cup in Japan.

The event follows by just three weeks a similar racing event at Sahan Hin by arch rivals Honda Racing.

— Chutharat Plerin