Honda Philippines, Inc. (HPI), the No.1 motorcycle manufacturer in the country had another great year in the field of motorsports. HPI has taken great leaps in support of motorsports’ development and professionalism in both on and off-road competitions both international and domestic. Indeed, the company was able to make good on its On-Road and Off-Road Racing plans, thus intensifying its racing brand through efforts like the Honda Pilipinas Dream Cup. As we look back at 2023, let’s see the significant achievements Honda accomplished as it continues to uplift the field of international and domestic motorsports.
On Road International Racing.
Moto2 is one of the most prestigious international motorcycle racing competitions, aside from MotoGP. For this race, Idemitsu Team Honda Asia rider Somkiat Chantra of Thailand attained 6th rank in overall standing. Meanwhile, his teammate Japan’s Ai Ogura finished with a respectable 9th in overall ranking. Honda also participated in Moto3, with Honda Team Asia. The team featured Japan’s Taiyo Furusato who ended the year ranked 16th overall, as well as Indonesian Mario Suryo Aji finishing 31st in overall standing.
Besides Moto2 & Moto3, Honda also sponsored a team for the ARRC (Asia Road Racing Championship) in the ASB 1000 Category. For this competition, Team HADR (Honda Asia Dream Racing with Showa) saw Malaysian Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi 2nd in overall position with his teammate Andi Farid Izdihar of Indonesia is in 3rd place overall. Team HADR with Showa team also participated in the Suzuka 8 Hours Challenge where their racers finished in 7th position.
Off-Road International Racing.
For international off-road racing competition, Team Honda HRC riders and brothers Jett and Hunter Lawrence added the AMA Pro Motocross Championship to their list of achievements. Specifically, Jett Lawrence is the 2023 AMA Pro Motocross 450 Champion, and the 2023 Rider of the Year was awarded to him using the CRF450R motorcycles, while older brother Hunter Lawrence became the 2023 AMA Pro Motocross 250 Champion using the CRF250R motorcycles.
Let’s take a look at how motorsports in 2023 turned out and how Honda has been a part of its evolution in supporting domestic motorsports.
On Road Domestic Racing.
Honda’s “Road to Champion” campaign is the company’s initiative in developing the skills of the next generation of Filipino riders.
One such rider is Jakob Sablaya. Mr. Sablaya participated in the MOTOIR Championship race events. In this race, he placed first overall in both MOTOIR’s Super Sports 300 and MOTOIR 2 GP categories. In both instances, Jakob rode a Honda CBR150R converted to race bike motorcycle.
The 2023 IRGP was another race that was well represented by Honda. In this competition, Alfonsi Daquigan was able to showcase his skill when he took Pole Position for the race.
Meanwhile, Mr. Sablaya also competed with the later particularly in the race’s Super Sports 300 and MOTOIR2 GP categories. He placed 2nd in the Super Sports 300 category riding a Honda CBR300R and 3rd in the MOTOIR2 GP category riding a Honda CBR150R.
Off-Road Domestic Racing.
On the domestic and exciting off-road side, HPI provided support for its JMS – MOS (Man of Steel) Honda Ride Red Racing Team, as its members competed in the 2023 MotorAce Motocross series. The team consisted of Janelle Saulog who became the Overall Champion in the Ladies Category, while local Motocross legend Jovie Saulog, placed 2nd Overall Champion in the Veterans Category. The Father and daughter tandem let us feel the adrenaline rush in motocross using the CRF motorcycle units. On the other hand, Buboy Antonio, making his presence in local races increases seeing his potential with his determination and skills in off-road riding and with Jing Leongson took 2nd Overall and 3rd Overall Champion in the Expert and Veterans Category, respectively using their CRF250R and CRF450R motorcycles.
The Excitement Continues.
As we look forward to 2024, Honda Philippines, Inc. hopes to further reinforce its involvement in supporting the rider’s development and professionalism in Motorsports. Indeed, HPI already has a head start in this endeavor as the company continues to support Alfonsi Daquigan who recently qualified for the 2024 Asia Talent Cup, and Jakob Sablaya who will ride for SDG Team HARC-PRO Honda PH in the 2024 ARRC, AP250 Category.
More significantly, HPI will continue to put as much effort in strengthening the state of On-Road and Off-Road motorsports in the Philippines as providing quality mobility solutions. This is accomplished by providing more opportunities for aspiring Filipino motorsport riders to develop their God-given talents.