INDIA in F1

Tag: Idemitsu Honda Talent Hunt

  • MIC set to host Round 3 of National 2W Racing Championship

    MIC set to host Round 3 of National 2W Racing Championship

    Chennai, 3 August 2023: The MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2023, boasting of over 150 entries, moves into its crucial phase this weekend as the third round gets underway at the Madras International Circuit here on August 4-6 with front-runners looking to consolidate their positions on the leaderboard with a clutch of challengers snapping at their heels. 

    The two premier Pro-Stock categories – 301-400cc Open and 165cc Open – will undoubtedly headline the card that includes Stock 165cc, Girls classes and a support race for Novice (301-400cc) riders, besides the Petronas TVS One-Make Championship and the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup, both organised by promoter Madras Motor Sports Club which is celebrating its 70th anniversary. A total of 16 races, besides practice and qualifying sessions, are scheduled for the weekend.

    The ongoing season has seen the emergence of a new generation of teenaged riders who have come through the ranks and some of whom have benefitted from exposure at the Asian level. As such, the established stars are feeling the heat as these young guns are unafraid to race wheel-to-wheel with their seniors, thus scripting some thrilling and knife-edge contests. 

    MMSC President Ajit Thomas said: “Presently, it is an extremely exciting scenario where the old guard is being pushed by a new crop of talented youngsters who are fast making a mark in the championship. Further, the entries are not any more metro-centric as the championship is attracting riders from smaller towns across India, and their numbers are growing. While MMSC has striven hard to promote and popularise the sport, kudos to the manufacturers TVS and Honda, besides our title sponsors MRF Tyres, for providing a platform for the talent to be nurtured and groomed.”  

    As for the championship standings in various categories, not much separates the title contenders. Rajiv Sethu (RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate) leads both premier Pro-Stock Open fields. He enjoys a 46-point cushion against Petronas TVS Racing’s new recruit Sarthak Chavan, a 16-year-old from Pune, in the 301-400cc Open class, having won all four races in his debut season in this category. 

    Sethu also heads the 165cc Open category with a 10-point lead over Pacer Yamaha’s 2022 champion Mathana Kumar, who scored a double in the first round in Coimbatore but failed to secure any points in the next outing last month following a disqualification (technical infringement) and a non-start. Behind this pair are Sarthak Chavan, winner of one race, and three other Petronas TVS Racing riders – Chiranth Vishwanath, the 16-year-old from Bengaluru, KY Ahamed and multiple National champion Jagan Kumar. Just 19 points separate the top six. 

    In the Novice class, Hyderabad’s 19-year-old Vignesh Goud (Race’ists Motorcycle Club), winner of all four races over two rounds, has a healthy 40-point advantage over Bengaluru teenager Savion Sabu (Axor Sparks Racing) while Alpha Racing’s Ann Jennifer, a former National champion, tops the Girls category, albeit by just three points over Puducherry’s Lani Fernandez (RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate), both having won a race apiece. 

    Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup (NSF 250): Chennai teenager Kavin Samaar Quintal, with three wins in four starts this season, is firmly entrenched at the top of the points table, some 19 points clear of Steel City’s Prakash Kamath with another local rider, Rakshith Dave, only 14, a further two points adrift. 

    Petronas TVS One-Make Championship: Two Chennai riders, Alwin Sundar (78 points) and Manoj Yesuadiyan (70) are locked in a close battle in the Open (RR 310) category. Shreyas Hareesh, a 13-year-old from Bengaluru), with four wins from as many starts, heads the Rookie (RTR 200) class, 37 points ahead of Chennai’s Nandanan. Another Bengaluru rider, Nithila Das, 13, leads Nadine Faith Balaji from Chennai, by 14 points in the Girls (RTR 200) category. 

    The races will be streamed live on various social platforms. 

  • Sarthak Chavan first Indian to get a podium at Thailand Talent Cup

    Sarthak Chavan first Indian to get a podium at Thailand Talent Cup

    Buriram, 8 May 2022: Pune’s 15-year old Sarthak Chavan became the first Indian Honda racer to take a podium at the Thailand Talent Cup. On Sunday, the young racer won a third place in the TTC, the Thailand Honda Talent Cup which was held as part of the larger Thailand’s most popular two-wheel championship, the OR BRIC Superbike Championship 2022 at the famous Chang International Circuit here on Sunday.

    Well versed with the Moto3 spec machine NSF250R after taking part in the National races at Chennai, Sarthak confidently took on the best of the Talent in the Asian region and came out with flying colours in the first race on Sunday. “I am delighted to get this podium and thrilled to learn that this is the first by an Indian in the Thailand Cup. I thank Honda India for the bike as I really enjoyed racing here. I am blessed with the support from family and the team and all my mechs,” said a beaming Sarthak, to INDIAinF1 from Buriram.

    Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India congratulated the racer and celebrated his victory in their social media handles acclaiming the podium as “A proud moment for Honda Racing India. Sarthak Chavan wins the first ever Indian podium in Thailand Talent Cup.” The other rider from India who took part inthe competition was Kavin Quintal from Chennai.

    Sarthak Chavan with his trophy after becoming the first Indian to win at theThailand Talent Cup on Sunday. Photo by Chavan for INDIAinF1.com

    Earlier in March, as the season of International racing resumed after two years of enforced inactivity, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India announced its international racing team for the 2022 season. Along with the team for Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC), two riders were also selected for the Thailand Talent Cup (TTC). The experienced rider Rajiv Sethu and 20-year-old rider Senthil Kumar, were named for another road racing championship in Asia. For Thailand Talent Cup, Honda pitched 16-year-old Kavin Quintal from Chennai and Sarthak Chavan.

    For the 2022 Thailand Talent Cup, Honda has pinned hopes on the racing duo of 2021 Honda India Talent Cup winner Kavin Quintal, and 2020 Honda India Talent Cup champion, Sarthak Chavan. Both riders are well versed with the Moto3 spec machine NSF250R and are confident of taking on the best of the Talent in the Asian region.

  • Rajiv Sethu, Senthil ready for ARRC final round in Buriram; Kritik Habib for Talent Cup

    Rajiv Sethu, Senthil ready for ARRC final round in Buriram; Kritik Habib for Talent Cup

    Rajiv Sethu after completing another win in the Indian domestic races at MMRT recently. Photo by Anand Philar 

    Buriram (Thailand), 28 Nov 2019: The fight for Asia Production 250cc class title has now reached Thai soil for the finale round of 2019 Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) at Chang International Circuit, Thailand. After winning points in each of the 6 rounds till now, ‘Idemitsu Honda Racing India’- the only Indian team in Asia Production 250 class enters the finale round firmly in Top 9 out of 20 teams. 

    Honda’s Indian riders, Rajiv and Senthil, are looking forward to the final round. In his third ARRC season, Rajiv enters last round of AP 250 class with 33 points under his belt. For the 21-year-old, Chang International Circuit holds a history of good performances. In 2018, he scored his maiden international point here. In 2019, Rajiv upped his game during the 3rd ARRC round becoming the first Indian rider to qualify in top-7, new fastest lap time (1:53:573) and over 33% reduction in total race time gap with lead rider from 18 seconds to just 5 seconds within the 10-lap race. Rajiv is already in top 16 out of the 40 riders in AP 250 class, which is an improvement from his overall 27th position in 2018. But he is determined for a repeat top-10 finish this weekend. Meanwhile, Senthil is gunning for a top-25 finish in his maiden ARRC season.

    Prabhu Nagaraj, Vice President, Brand and Communication, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Private Limited said, “This year has been a great year for Idemitsu Honda Racing India team. With two top-10 and eight top-15 finishes, Rajiv is now consistently riding with the top bunch. It was at Chang only that Rajiv had qualified in 7th earlier this year. Now we are confident that Rajiv is ready to better his record and close the 2019 season with a good performance. Senthil too has improved his race-craft and gained points in his debut season itself. As the 2019 season wraps up this weekend, we are looking for a strong finish.”

    This weekend, it will be a clash of titans as the AP250 class grid will see 32 riders from 8 Asia Oceania nations (Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taipei, HongKong, India). Expect fireworks this weekend with 5 of the top-8 under equalizer rule. With 4 of the top-5 riders chasing title coming from Honda stables, the Indonesian rider Irfan Ardiansyah must finish second to be crowned the 2019 AP250 FIM Asian Champion. The AP 250 title fight heads for a tie-breaker as Indonesian riders Irfan Ardiansyah and Andy Muhammad are both tied at the top with 176 points each. But with the double equaliser cut of 1000rpm on the top runners, the championship may see new challenge from the next 3 riders on the scoreboard (Awhin Sanjaya, Muklada Sarapuech and Aiki Iyoshi).

    Looking forward to last round of ARRC, Rajiv Sethu, said, “Chang International Circuit is like a second home to me. This circuit has brought good fortune for my team and me in the past. I’m much more confident of my riding style here. This weekend is about being in prime form, strategically moving ahead on the grid and avoiding any riding mistake which can push me back. While Thai riders have the home-ground advantage here and 6 wildcards will heat up the competition even more, my aim is to be in top 10 here.”

    Sharing his thoughts, Senthil Kumar said, “I am excited to return to Buriram (Thailand). In my last visit, I finished in Top 20. As I feel much more comfortable on this track and my machine, I now aim to go full throttle and aim for points for the solo Indian team once again.”

    Parallelly, the marquee Asia SuperBike 1000cc (ASB) class of ARRC 2019 will see the podium contender Malaysian rider Zaqhwan Zaidi of Honda Asia-Dream Racing with SHOWA team (ranked 4th) return in full form. The team has top personnel from Honda subsidiaries across Asia & Oceania, including a race technician from India.

    The final round of Thailand Talent Cup, Honda’s development program for Asian riders, will also be held this weekend. Representing the next breed of Indian young racers going global with Honda will be Kritik Habib from Gadag, Karnataka. He is ranked 21.

    In its 24th year, the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) is Asia’s most competitive motorcycle road racing championship. The 2019 season sees the battle play out in 7 rounds across 5 countries (Malaysia* 2, Australia, Thailand * 2, Japan & China) in 4 classes ASB1000, SuperSports 600 (SS600), AP250 and Underbone (UB150).

  • Afridza Munandar killed in Sepang accident during Idemitsu Talent Cup

    Sepang, 2 Nov 2019: Following an incident in the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup race at Sepang International Circuit on Saturday, it is with great sadness that we report the passing of Afridza Munandar.

    The incident occurred at Turn 10 on Lap 1, with the race Red Flagged immediately thereafter. The 20-year-old Indonesian first received medical attention by the side of the track before being transferred to Kuala Lumpur Hospital by helicopter.

    Despite the best efforts of circuit medical staff and those at the hospital, Munandar sadly succumbed to his injuries shortly thereafter.

    Munandar was a standout rider in the 2019 Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup (IATC) season, taking two wins, two second places and two third-place finishes in a season that had seen him poised to fight for the Championship this weekend.

    The FIM, FIM Asia, Dorna Sports, and all those in the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup pass on our deepest condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of Munandar.

    The Repsol Honda Team would like to extend their deepest condolences to the friends and family of Indonesia’s Afridza Munandar, who passed away today while racing in the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup at the Sepang International Circuit.

    The INDIAinF1 team sends its deepest condolences to the bereaved family and to the entire racing fraternity and friends of the talented Indonesian rider.

  • Honda kicks off second season of Idemitsu Talent Hunt from Chennai

    Honda kicks off second season of Idemitsu Talent Hunt from Chennai

    Honda 2wheelers India commences 2nd season of ‘Idemitsu Honda India Talent Hunt’ in Chennai recently. A Honda image

    Chennai, 29 July 2019: The Idemitsu Honda India Talent Hunt received a huge response and after a lengthy process 19 talented youngsters were selected and these riders from across India will be trained and groomed for Season 2 at the home of Indian racing, Chennai.

     The Idemitsu Talent Hunt is Honda’s unique initiative which aims to identify racers starting as young as 12 years. Honda 2Wheelers India uses this platform to groom the best of young Indian riders for a racing career both at national and international level.

    The first round in Chennai saw an overwhelming participation of 18 youngsters from Kolhapur, Mumbai, Satara, Puducherry, Tirur, Bengaluru, Patna, Bokaro, and Vizag. The candidates went through rigourous tests at 3 levels. Starting with their physical fitness, and then moving to race orientation and riding skills for the race track, they were judged and selected. This was followed by a one-on-one interview with candidates and parents/guardians to understand both their motorsport passion and family support.

    Md Mikail on a Honda NSF 250R during a race week-end at MMRT, Chennai, recently.

    After shortlisting in phase 1, the top candidates of the Talent Hunt of Delhi and NCR would be trained and given an opportunity to ride on the track in Phase II. It is from this pool of talent that Honda will pick up the best talent for future development. These final riders will then join the 12 selected riders to race in the Honda Talent Cup CBR 150R category in the 2019 season.

    Sharing an overview on Honda’s aim for developing ‘Iconic Indian Riders’, Prabhu Nagaraj, Vice-President, Brand & Communication, Honda Motorcycle, and Scooter India said: “In 2018 we took a big leap to develop racers at a young age on our structural development path. The young talent which we got from last year are already showing phenomenal results. To accelerate their development, we are constantly providing them exposure and have brought the Moto3 machine NSF250R to India. Looking at the immense passion and potential of these riders, we further extend our leap and start the second edition of the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Hunt. This year, the Talent Hunt will travel to four more cities after Chennai to identify India’s next big racing sensations. I am confident that these budding riders will change the scenario of motorsports in India and make the nation proud at the international podiums as well.”

    IDEMITSU Honda India Talent Hunt 2018 and way forward

    Introduced in 2018, Honda conducted the ‘Idemitsu Honda India Talent Hunt’ in seven cities and identified top 19 young riders with immense potential. As the first step for rider development, 11 of these top riders are now part of the India Talent Cup, the CBR150R class. These riders are already proving their potential on the racetrack. Parallelly, the remaining 8 riders are riding the same Honda machine as Moto3 champions in Talent Cup – NSF250R class. Further, Honda fast-tracked the development of top 2 riders from 2018 Honda Talent Hunt to Asia level at Thai Talent Cup.