This is the first time a race has been held at the F1 My Dinh race track since the Vietnam Grand Prix was canceled due to the Covid 19 pandemic. The final stage of the track has a total length of 1.8 km, with the longest straight of 600m, and 9 turns (6 left, 3 right). Many drivers showed their excitement before the start because they had their first opportunity to race on an international standard track.
Unlike the previous 3 stages, the final stage took place in 2 Races (similar to the Asian Motorcycle Racing Championship ARRC) and each Race had its own points, from which the overall season champions in each category were determined. This change made the competition among the drivers more intense and contributed to a beautiful ending. The actual race on the track reflects this. Some categories had to wait until the last second before the finish line to determine the winner.
Vietnam Talent Cup (NSF 100)
In the NSF 100 category, Nguyen Vu Phuong (number 03) was a strong name for the overall season championship. This rider scored 42 points after the first 3 stages of the season. With pole position in the final stage, Vu Phuong almost secured the championship.
Indeed, in Race 1, Vu Phuong raced to the finish line without any difficulties. The second and third positions belonged to Tran Gia Huy (number 05) and Nguyen Trung Kien (number 01) respectively.
In Race 2, the order changed. Gia Huy (number 05) had a great race to finish in first place. Following him were Nguyen Huu Tri (number 08) and Nguyen Vu Phuong (number 03).
In the overall results of the season, Nguyen Vu Phuong won the championship with 72 points, just over 1 point ahead of Tran Gia Huy. The third position of the season belonged to Nguyen Huu Tri.
Blade 110 category
Before entering the final stage, the distance between rider Tran Tien Dung (number 30) and the top pursuers was 39 points. Therefore, surprises could happen in the 2 official racing days.
In the qualifying session, the top starting positions belonged to Le Tran Kim Thanh (number 23), Tran Tien Dung (number 30), and Nguyen Hoang Quan (number 29).
However, in Race 1, number 23 couldn’t take advantage of the pole position and was overtaken by competitors. The race became a duel between the trio of Tran Tien Dung, Nguyen Hoai Nam (number 21), and Nguyen Thien Duy (number 20). In the end, Hoai Nam took first place, Tien Dung came in second, and Thiện Duy finished third.
In Race 2, the same scenario played out with Tien Dung and Hoai Nam battling it out. The intense contest took place at turns 8, 9, and the 600m straight, where riders could overtake each other. As a result, Tien Dung emerged as the winner on the podium, with Hoai Nam in second and Hoang Quan in third.
Overall, Tien Dung claimed the championship in the Blade 110 category with 67 points. Nguyen Hoang Quan finished second and Hoai Nam third.
Winner X 150 category
In the Winner X 150 category, the rider in the lead before the final stage was Phan Minh Phung (number 40) with 40 points, 4 points ahead of the chasing group. However, with Nguyen Minh Di (number 31) securing pole position and Vo Huyen Thien Thu (number 32) starting second, surprises could happen.
And indeed, taking advantage of the starting position, Minh Di emerged as the winner in Race 1 after 12 laps. Following him were Minh Phung and Nguyen Minh Tri (number 35). This result made the race for the championship even more thrilling.
In Race 2, Minh Phung showed his leadership by taking the lead from the start, despite starting in fifth place. He maintained his advantage until the end of the race to clinch the first position. The most exciting part of Race 2 was the intense competition between Le Thanh Nhon (number 33) and Minh Di. These two riders truly illuminated the Winner X 150 category. The final result saw Thanh Nhon finishing second, while Minh Di and Minh Tri took third.
Minh Phung became the overall champion of the VMRC 2022 season, with Minh Di in second place and Vo Huyen Thien Thu in third.
CBR 150R category
In the CBR 150R category, Nguyen Nhat Truong (number 64) held the advantage with 37 points. However, he was only 2 points ahead of his strongest rival, Nguyen Vu Thanh (number 61).
In the qualifying session, the top starting position belonged to Nguyen Ton Anh Phu (number 10), followed by Nguyen Nhut Linh (number 58) and Nguyen Nhat Truong (number 64).
In Race 1, it seemed that the pole position advantage would help Anh Phu rise, but he made a mistake and was penalized after the first lap, forcing him to pit. This opened up opportunities for the riders behind him. The final result saw Vu Thanh taking first place, Nguyen Hoang Dang Khoa (number 17) finishing second, and Nhat Truong coming in third. As all 3 riders were leading in the top positions, Race 2 became even more exciting as it would determine the season champion.
In Race 2, the same scenario occurred as in Race 1 when Anh Phu fell and had to retire from the race early. This gave the chance for the riders behind him. Nhat Truong constantly chased and took the lead until the final lap. However, in the final turns, Nguyen Nhut Linh (number 58) overtook and secured the first position. Nhat Truong finished second, and Vu Thanh came in third.
Despite losing the second position to Nhat Truong in the final turns, Vu Thanh still celebrated as he claimed the championship of the season with 62 points, just 1 point ahead of Nhat Truong. Nguyen Hoang Dang Khoa finished third.
UB 150 category
The UB 150 category is always attractive and full of drama. Going into the final stage, the race for the championship was a head-to-head battle between Le Hung Huu Tin (number 11) and Le Phung (number 13).
In the qualifying session, the top starting position belonged to Tran Vu Minh Quoc (number 7), followed by Le Khanh Loc (number 68) in second and Le Phung in third.
With the advantage of starting first, both Minh Quoc and Khanh Loc showed their skills in Race 1. The final result saw Minh Quoc in first place, Khanh Loc in second, and Le Hung Huu Tin in third.
In Race 2, the result remained the same as Minh Quoc finished first, followed by Khanh Loc and Huu Tin.
In the overall standings, Huu Tin claimed the championship in the UB 150 category. Le Phung finished as the runner-up, while Tran Vu Minh Quoc, with victories in both races, climbed to third place overall.
With that, the Vietnam Motor Racing Championship 2022 season has officially come to an end with lots of excitement, surprises, and intensity. The season was complete with the races held at the F1 My Dinh race track as part of the Honda Thanks Day event, which featured various activities as a gesture of gratitude from Honda Vietnam to the fans throughout the year.
Anh Quan (forum.autodaily.vn)
Photos: Hoang Tuan
