The Vietnam Motorcycle Racing Championship (VMRC), sponsored by Honda Vietnam (HVN), has been held since 2018 and has established itself as the largest and most professional racing event in the country. It has become a must-see for speed enthusiasts.
VMRC 2020 officially kicked off at 2K race track in Binh Duong province.
The VMRC 2020 season features an expanded competition format, with the introduction of the Vietnam Talent Cup category for racers aged 15-18. This is the only category that does not use the Underbone bike model, but instead features the sporty NSF100 design. For the first time in Vietnam, a professional racing event is using a sports motorcycle model.
Prior to the season, the organizers conducted tryouts for each category. The official racers for the VMRC 2020 season will be issued certification cards as members of the Vietnam Motorcycle Sports Association – a new feature of this year’s competition.
A panoramic view of the 2K race track.
Before the start of the new season, the organizing committee awarded prizes to the winners of each category in the 2019 season (pictured is the Winner 150 category winner Nguyen Anh Tuan).
The top 4 racers in the MSX 125 category, with Nguyen Ngoc Nhan clinching the championship.
Racers in the Blade 110 category, with Nguyen Duc Thanh taking the championship.
The UB 130 category, with Le Trong Vinh claiming the championship.
The organizing committee and racers pose for a commemorative photo before the start of the VMRC 2020 season.
Debut of the Vietnam Talent Cup
Returning to the main highlights of Round 1 of VMRC 2020, as expected, the Vietnam Talent Cup received special attention from fans. From training and qualifying to the official race, the appearance of 7 “teenage” racers on the NSF100 bikes thrilled and cheered the audience at the 2K race track. This is a positive sign, and in the future, the Vietnam Talent Cup could become a meeting point for young racers in the region, similar to the Thailand Talent Cup where racer Cao Viet Nam became the 2019 season champion.
The Vietnam Talent Cup is a new category in VMRC.
During the qualifying session, the top 3 positions belonged to Nguyen Ton Anh Phu (number 10), Tran Le Minh Tu (number 14), and William Vinh Schulz (number 15), a racer of Vietnamese-American heritage. However, heavy rain in the afternoon made the front starting positions less advantageous. At this point, the racer with the best skills in maneuvering on a slippery track would have the opportunity to win.
William Vinh Schulz (number 15), a racer of Vietnamese-American heritage.
As expected, at the end of 10 racing laps, racer Phung Cao Nguyen (number 16), who started in 4th position, managed to overtake and secure the first place, followed by Nguyen Tran Duc Tai (number 12) and Tran Le Minh Tu.
The top 3 racers in the Vietnam Talent Cup category
Blade 110 category: New rising stars
With Nguyen Duc Thanh (champion of the Blade 110 category in the 2019 season) moving up to compete in the MSX 125 category, the remaining racers had the opportunity to shine.
The top 3 positions in the qualifying session belonged to Phan Minh Phung (number 26), Pham Duc Phuc (number 25), and Tran Nguyen Phuong An (number 35).
During the official race, the top 3 positions remained unchanged, although at one point it seemed that racer Ho Van Tuan (number 24) would challenge for the runner-up position, but a cornering mistake caused Tuan to fall behind.
The top 3 racers in the Blade 110 category.
Phan Minh Phung secured his first position on the podium, with Duc Phuc and Phuong An satisfied with their second and third positions, respectively.
MSX 125 category: First win for Nhat Truong
After participating in the Blade 110 and MSX 125 categories for two seasons, Nguyen Nhat Truong, despite significant progress and multiple podium finishes, had never claimed the top spot. Therefore, in the 2020 season, this racer showed determination and set the goal of winning the MSX 125 category before taking on the Winner 150 category in the future.
Nhat Truong (number 41) competes with Duc Thanh (number 39).
However, Nhat Truong’s biggest competitor was Duc Thanh (number 39), the champion of the Blade 110 category in the 2019 season. This was evident in the qualifying session, where Duc Thanh grabbed the first position, followed by Nhat Truong and Le Hoang Phi Phung (number 43).
Nhat Truong speeds to the finish line for his first win.
In the official race, taking advantage of a chaotic moment when a racer fell, Nhat Truong overtook Duc Thanh to secure the first position and crossed the finish line in first place. Duc Thanh finished in second place, while Pham Thanh Bao made an effort and secured the third position overall.
The top 3 racers on the podium for the MSX 125 category.
Winner 150 category: Unexpected win for Dong Nghi
Tô Ha Dong Nghi, a veteran in the racing scene, had not claimed the top spot on the podium for a long time. However, everything changed when the duo of Nguyen Anh Tuan and Le Hung Huu Tin (champion and runner-up of the Winner 150 category in the 2019 season) moved up to compete in the UB 130 category.
With the absence of strong competitors, Dong Nghi (number 27) took the lead in the qualifying session and also claimed first place in the official race. The second and third positions went to Nguyen Nhat Linh (number 58) and Nguyen Hoang Dang Khoa (number 17).
Dong Nghi wins Race 1 in the Winner 150 category.
Meanwhile, the champion of the MSX 125 category in the 2019 season, Nguyen Ngoc Nhan, finished in 5th place overall.
UB 130 category: Full of drama
As usual, the UB 130 category, with its modified “wave” bikes, always showcases intense and dramatic racing. In this year’s season, the competition became even fiercer with the introduction of new racers. In the qualifying session, the top 3 starting positions belonged to Le Phung (number 13), Nguyen Anh Tuan (number 78, moved up from the Winner 150 category), and Huynh Minh Sang (number 28).
The UB 130 category is always intense and captivating.
However, the results of the official race saw a change, with Le Hung Huu Tin (number 11) unexpectedly securing the top spot on the podium, followed by Le Phung and Le Trong Vinh (number 23).
The top 3 positions in the UB 130 category for Race 1.
Thus, Round 1 of VMRC 2020 concluded successfully amidst the joy of the organizers, racers, and fans. The presence of the thousands of enthusiastic spectators braving the rain to witness the race is an encouraging sign, promising a successful season both in terms of competition and organization.
Anh Quan (forum.autodaily.vn)
