IT’S a checkered flag for Honda Philippines, Inc.’s road racing plans for 2023, as company president Susumu Mitsuishi announced last week at an unveiling event at the Honda Safety Driving Center in Sucat, Parañaque.
The number one motorcycle producer and seller in the Philippine is now on track with its plan to develop local racing talents towards national, regional and world championships. The on-road racing plan announcement comes in the heels of the disclosure of its Off-Road Motorsports Strategy last November 2022, the focal point of which is the cooperation with the JMC motocross school and the coaching to be provided by motocross legend Jovie Saulog.
“In this program, Filipino riders will now have a chance to achieve their dream to become World Class competitive riders participating in International races in the future.” Mitsuishi remarked at the unveiling of the program, while he highlights strategies launch Filipino riders marked with a strong challenging spirit, determination to win, self-discipline, and perseverance as they compete in the World Championships.
With the company’s long and proud history in motorsports since 1959, Honda has been considered a force in motorsports, winning trophies both in local and international competitions.
In International racing competitions, HPI will continue to support racing teams together with other Honda Subsidiaries in Asia. Moto 2 and 3 Idemitsu Honda Team Asia. Honda Asia Dream Racing with Showa that will be joining the Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) ASB1000 class and the Suzuka 8 Hour with the participation of the first and only Filipino mechanic to join the crew.
The inspiring young Filipino racers Jakob Sablaya, NAMSSA’s 2022 Rider of the Year and Alfonsi Daquigan, TSR’s (Team Spirit Racing) Overall Champion were given a Plaque of Appreciation for their performance in the last year’s domestic racing competitions using the SupraGTR150 and CBR150R. “The “Honda racing spirit” is a testament to our commitment to winning by developing our people and technologies. With this in mind, we take on the exciting journey of training and developing Filipino young racers, in collaboration with SDG (Showa Denki Group) MS HARC-PRO Honda Ph,” says Mitsuishi.
As local racing activities will be the base for reaching the “Road to Champion / World Class” races, HPI will continue to discover and support riders with the same level and quality of skills and talent by continuing to join domestic racing competitions such as IRGP (Inside Racing Grand Prix), MotoIR Championship, Super Series, competitions, that young and aspiring riders will be able to improve their skills and develop their self – confidence in riding, competing with the other brands. And will be discovering a new set of young aspiring riders thru Honda Pilipinas Dream Cup (HPDC) program starting with the Try-Outs this 2023.
HARC-PRO, headed by Shigeki Honda was introduced and unveiled the collaboration with HPI during the event. The professional racing team, originated in Japan is popular for producing World Class talents such as Hiroshi Aoyama former GP250 World Champion and now Honda Team Asia’s Team Manager; Takaaki Nakagami of LCR Honda Team competing in MotoGP and a former Japan Road Racing Champion, and other famous and former MotoGP World Champions Casey Stoner, Nicky Hayden and Jack Miller including World Superbike’s (WSBK) Michael Van der Mark and Leon Haslam are also former HARC—PRO Suzuka 8 Hour Riders including former Moto 3 rider Yuki Kunii to name some few personalities. In the Philippines, it was established last 2021 located at Cabanatuan City Nueva Ecija.
HARC—PRO Ph in collaboration and support from HPI will be continuing to participate in ARRC under the team name SDG ( SHOWA DENKI GROUP) MS HARC- PRO Honda Philippines with their Japanese riders in ASB1000, #73 Haruki Naguchi and AP250, #27 Chihiro Ishii. Also, they will be nurturing the very best young riders through scholarship training, one of the first for HPI, the 2023 Honda Young Riders Training Program (HYRTP) that will be instructed by World Class riders Yuki Kunii and Haruki Noguchi sharing their skills respectively starting this February 2023 at the Tarlac Circuit Hill using the CBR300R racing bikes.
