Jakarta – Toyota Gazoo Racing Indonesia has secured the 2026 Indonesian National Rally Championship title after a dramatic weekend at Simalungun, North Sumatra. Driving the GR Yaris Rally2, Ryan Nirwan and navigator Adi Indiarto recovered from a crash during the rally to finish second overall and collect enough points to seal the national championship.
The fourth round of the 2026 Indonesian National Rally Championship was held on August 8-9 and also served as Round 3 of the 2026 Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC). The result gave TGRI its first national rally championship title of the 2026 season.
The achievement was particularly notable because the team had to overcome a significant setback during the event. After dominating the opening stages, the GR Yaris Rally2 suffered an accident on Special Stage 7, costing the crew around five minutes while repairs were carried out.
Instead of allowing the setback to determine the outcome, Nirwan and Indiarto returned to the fight and won the following stages from SS8 through SS12.
Six Straight Stage Wins Put TGRI in Control
Ryan Nirwan and Adi Indiarto entered the Simalungun round as the championship leaders following victories in the opening two rounds in Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan, in May.
That momentum continued into the latest event.
The TGRI crew immediately showed the pace of the GR Yaris Rally2 by winning all six opening special stages on Saturday. The performance gave them a strong advantage heading into the second day of competition.
The rally changed dramatically on Sunday when the crew encountered trouble on SS7.
The accident forced the team to spend approximately five minutes repairing the rally car, creating a significant deficit in the overall classification.
In rallying, a delay of several minutes can be extremely difficult to recover because competitors are separated by relatively small margins across multiple stages. TGRI, however, managed to put the GR Yaris Rally2 back into competitive condition.
GR Yaris Rally2 Fights Back
Following the repairs, Nirwan and Indiarto immediately returned to their earlier pace.
The pair won SS8, followed by victories in SS9, SS10, SS11 and SS12. The run effectively demonstrated that the accident had not prevented the GR Yaris Rally2 from returning to competitive form.
Although the five-minute delay meant that the crew could not reclaim the overall victory, the recovery was enough to secure second place overall.
More importantly, the result delivered the points required for TGRI to clinch the 2026 National Rally Championship.
The team finished the campaign with 53 championship points, giving Toyota its first national rally title of the season.
Ryan Nirwan credited the team’s engineers for restoring the GR Yaris Rally2 after the incident and allowing the crew to continue fighting for the championship.
“We greatly appreciate the hard work of the TGRI engineering team, who were able to restore the GR Yaris Rally2 after the accident on SS7,” Nirwan said.
He added that preserving the vehicle’s competitiveness was crucial because the championship was within reach. With the car repaired, the team was able to return to the front and secure the title.
TGRI’s First National Rally Crown of 2026
The championship is significant for TGRI because it represents the team’s first national rally title of the 2026 season.
The rally calendar had already faced disruption earlier in the year after the third round in South Sumatra was canceled. That left the Simalungun event as an especially important round for the championship contenders.
TGRI entered the event with momentum from its victories in the first and second rounds. The team then converted that advantage into the championship despite the dramatic setback on the second day.
The result also demonstrates the importance of consistency in rally competition. A single stage can dramatically alter the standings, but a strong championship campaign is ultimately determined by the ability to accumulate points across multiple events.
For Nirwan and Indiarto, the second-place finish in Simalungun was therefore enough to achieve the larger objective.
Three Racing Programs in One Weekend
The rally championship was not the only competition involving Toyota Gazoo Racing Indonesia during the August 8-9 weekend.
TGRI was simultaneously competing in three national and regional racing events.
In Semarang, the team participated in the second round of the 2026 National Slalom Championship at Mijen Circuit. TGRI collected several podium finishes, including first place in the National Team A and Team F categories.
The team also secured second and third positions in the National Group F category, second place in the National Women’s category and second place in the National Tandem Team competition.
The TGRI drivers also dominated the A2 class podium, further strengthening the team’s position in the championship standings.
As a result, TGRI continued to hold the lead in the Group F, Team A and Tandem classifications.
TGRI Continues Its Regional Campaign in Japan
While the rally and slalom programs were taking place in Indonesia, TGRI driver Jordan Johan was competing in Japan.
Johan participated in Round 4 of the 2026 GR86 Cup at Tokachi International Speedway on August 8-9. He finished seventh in the Clubman Series.
The result added another international racing appearance to TGRI’s 2026 program and reflects Toyota’s broader approach of using motorsport to develop Indonesian driving talent.
TGRI says its participation in national and regional competitions is not solely focused on collecting trophies. The racing program is also intended to develop drivers and provide engineering teams with experience that can contribute to vehicle development.
The GR Yaris Rally2 Delivers Under Pressure
The Simalungun result highlights the role of the GR Yaris Rally2 in TGRI’s rally campaign.
The car demonstrated strong pace throughout the event, winning the first six special stages before the SS7 accident. After repairs, it returned to win all five remaining stages from SS8 to SS12.
That performance suggests the championship was not secured simply through avoiding mistakes. TGRI had to recover from a major setback and still produce enough stage wins and overall points to protect its championship lead.
The result also gives the team momentum heading into the remainder of its 2026 motorsport campaign.
With the national rally championship now secured, TGRI’s next objective is to pursue the National Sprint Rally Championship while continuing its slalom and regional racing programs.
For Toyota Gazoo Racing Indonesia, the Simalungun weekend ultimately became a test of both speed and resilience. The GR Yaris Rally2 may have lost five minutes in one stage, but its subsequent comeback helped turn a difficult rally into a championship-clinching result.