One-make racing is great—just look at the Mazda MX-5 Cup. That series puts on some of the most exciting motorsport you’ll ever see. Equal machinery with little to no room for adjustments forces drivers to hone their skills and battle each other on merit, and that’s exactly why the Toyota Prius PHEV Racing Series also recently caught my attention.
First off, I must admit that I was unaware that there was a spec Prius cup. Perhaps that’s because it’s limited to just South Korea, which is a bit odd. It looks like the series runs in support of the Superrace Championship, and it held its first race in April at the Everland Speedway in Yongin-si. It expanded across the country over the past year, hitting up various road courses including two separate rounds at the Korea International Circuit, a former Formula 1 venue.
The championship’s YouTube channel does a great job documenting each race and is the greatest source of information on the Prius PHEV Class I could find. After watching several of the rounds (some of them in the rain), it looks like the average field size varies from 15 to 17 entrants, though it hit 18 on two occasions. Driver experience appears to range from veterans to rookies, but that’s just my assessment from watching these videos. The guys at the front show real skill when it comes to driving lines, handling the car, and passing maneuvers, while the guys at the very back are often on the wrong side of the track when approaching a corner.
But what about the car? All competitors are in the latest-generation Toyota Prius, which, as we already know, is a stunner in its own right. I wasn’t able to find anything specific about their racing modifications, but after watching several of these, it’s obvious that they’re running performance (Bridgestone) tires, brakes, suspension, and alignment. Zoom in a little closer and you’ll see a full cage with proper racing seats and harnesses. As far as performance, while the hybrids aren’t slow, they’re certainly no touring cars. They’re definitely hustling, though. I don’t believe their power or torque credentials have been altered for competition, so they likely remain at the stock 194 horsepower sent to the front wheels only.
Regardless, a spec series with run-of-the-mill cars isn’t about power, it’s about handling (and about having fun)—and the Prius PHEV Class achieves that. Most of the races are very entertaining and I loved seeing those Prii getting whipped around like they’re in some DTM race. Kudos to the drivers, organizers, and Toyota of South Korea for putting this thing together. Just one thing: Please bring this series to the United States. Please!
As a former kart racer and the proud owner of two Honda Civics, I’m a true believer in “slow car fast is way more fun than fast car slow.” Driving a car that requires keeping up momentum, finesse with braking, and millimeter-perfect steering is one of the greatest joys in life.
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