Last November 2022, Honda Philippines Inc. (HPI) announced to the public its Off-Road Motorsports Strategy for 2023. In line with that, HPI revealed its motorsports plans at a press conference held this weekend (January 28th) at the Honda Safety Driving Center (HSDC).
HPI intends to strengthen its commitment to motorsports with a series of collaborations that aim to intensify its racing brand as it revealed its plans for the local and international circuit racing scene this year.
“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,” said HPI president Susumu Mitsuishi.
For international racing competitions, HPI will continue supporting racing teams with other Honda subsidiaries in Asia. These include Moto 2 and 3 Idemitsu Honda Team Asia and Honda Asia Dream Racing with Showa. The latter will be joining the Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) ASB1000 class and the Suzuka 8 Hour race with the participation of the first and only Filipino mechanic to join the crew.
Young Filipino racers like 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 last year’s domestic racing competitions using the Supra GTR150 and CBR150R.
The Honda Supra GTR150 race bike.
HPI will also continue to discover and support riders with the same level, quality of skills, and talent by continuing to join local racing competitions such as:
IRGP (Inside Racing Grand Prix)
MotoIR Championship Super Series
HPI also aims to discover a new set of young aspiring riders through Honda Pilipinas Dream Cup (HPDC) program, with tryouts scheduled to begin this 2023.
Learning from the best
HPI is also collaborating with HARC – PRO Ph and will continue to participate in ARRC under the team name SDG ( SHOWA DENKI GROUP) MS HARC- PRO Honda Philippines, with its Japanese riders in ASB1000, #73 Haruki Naguchi and AP250, #27 Chihiro Ishii.
Left to right: Shigeki Honda (Harc-Pro), Susumu Mitsuishi (HPI president), Jakob Sablaya, Alfonsi Daquigan, Jomel Jerezo (HPI VP for Motorcycle Sales and Supply Chain).
Also, they will be nurturing young riders through scholarship training with their 2023 Honda Young Riders Training Program (HYRTP) starting this February 2023 at the Tarlac Circuit Hill using the CBR300R racing bikes.
“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,” adds Mitsuishi.
The professional racing team HARC-PRO, which originated in Japan, is famous 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, who is competing in MotoGP and is a former Japan Road Racing Champion
Former MotoGP World Champions like Casey Stoner, Nicky Hayden, and Jack Miller
World Superbike’s (WSBK) Michael Van der Mark and Leon Haslam, who are also former HARC – PRO Suzuka 8-Hour Riders
Former Moto 3 rider Yuki Kunii
HARC-PRO established its operations in the Philippines in 2021 at Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija.
To stay updated on all things Honda, visit www.hondaph.com. Check out HPI’s newest products and promos by following Honda Philippines, Inc. on Facebook and Instagram (@hondaph_mc) or by contacting (02)-8581-6700 to 6799 and 0917-884-6632.
A moto-journo who spends most of his time on the saddle unless otherwise saddled with desk work. His curious nature and poor sense of direction often take him on unplanned adventures.
