Toyota Korea announced on the 26th that it has signed a business agreement with Super Race to establish the ‘Prius Plug-in Hybrid Class.’
The ‘Prius PHEV Class’ consists solely of the 5th generation Prius PHEV model and will be conducted as a One-Make Race over the next three years at the O-NE Super Race Championship. The new competition will kick off with an opening event on April 20 and 21, continuing through a total of six rounds until November.
The signing ceremony for the Prius PHEV Class agreement was held at Everland Speedway in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, attended by various officials including Manabu Konyama, the representative of Toyota Korea, and Dong-bin Kim, the representative of Super Race.
A total of 18 drivers are set to compete in the Prius PHEV Class. They plan to begin serious preparations for the season with training covering class introduction, track driving, and sports regulations at the ‘Prius Master Academy’ held at Inje Speedium in Gangwon Province on the 6th of next month.
Additionally, the Prius PHEV Class will also operate the ‘GR Kids Super Race School.’
The GR Kids Super Race School is a driving education program for children aged 5 and over (height restriction of 140cm), targeting 800 participants. This program focuses on driving education using GR electric karts, allowing children to experience safe traffic culture and the fun of racing simultaneously. The GR Kids Super Race School will allow on-site registration for participation, with a total of four rounds planned, starting from the opening event.
Manabu Konyama, representative of Toyota Korea, expressed, “We expect that the Prius PHEV Class, prepared together with Super Race, will provide motorsport fans and participants with a unique experience and differentiated fun. We hope this opportunity will help spread the value of motorsport culture, along with the appeal of the Prius including its design, driving performance, and fuel efficiency.”
Furthermore, starting in April, Toyota Korea will begin selling dedicated accessories to enhance the performance of the Prius, the ‘Prius GR Parts.’ The Prius GR Parts include a total of five types: ▲GR Front Spoiler ▲GR Tailgate Spoiler ▲GR Door Stabilizer ▲GR Performance Damper Set ▲GR Emblem, allowing for vehicle styling that caters to various preferences of Prius customers. Moreover, these parts will also be available for purchase in package form with discounts through the ‘GR Spoiler Package’ and ‘GR Performance Package.’
Meanwhile, to activate domestic motorsports, Toyota Korea has been participating as the official cowl sponsor of the ‘CJ Logistics Super Race Championship Super 6000 Class’ since 2020, applying the exterior design of the GR Supra to the racing cars. In February, they renewed their sponsorship contract with Super Race and the Super 6000 Class Body Sponsor, continuing as a sponsor for five consecutive years.
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr