Honda’s Drive Towards Advancing Motorsport Initiatives

HVN initiated its sponsorship of a series of motorcycle racing events in various provinces throughout Vietnam in 2015. These events not only bring excitement and joy to customers through thrilling challenges but also contribute to the promotion of the sports bike segment in Vietnam. In 2018, with high expectations and a strong determination to professionalize the sport of motorcycle racing comprehensively in Vietnam, HVN officially sponsored the Vietnam Motorcycle Racing Championship (VMRC). This sponsorship aims to timely discover and train potential racers who will represent Vietnam in international competitions, as well as create a competitive platform with clear rankings for racers to showcase their tactics and talents.

The Vietnam Motorcycle Racing Championship (VMRC) is a season-based racing series where riders compete in point-based stages at large-scale and professional racing tracks such as 2K Circuit (Binh Duong) and Dai Nam Circuit (Binh Duong). Up to the present time, VMRC has established itself as the most professional motorcycle racing championship in Vietnam, with 3 consecutive seasons. This championship contributes significantly to the healthy and professional development of motorcycle racing in Vietnam.

Vietnam Talent Cup – featuring the NSF100 sportbike model for racers aged 15-17

Since its inception, VMRC has gained increasing attraction, affirming its high level of professionalism and organization. In the 2020 season, the championship introduced the Vietnam Talent Cup category, which features the NSF100 sportbike model for racers aged 15-17. This addition provides young racers, aged 15 and above, with opportunities to compete and contribute to the early identification and training of talented racers for further development of their international racing careers.

Two young racers, Nguyen Ton Anh Phu (champion of the Vietnam Talent Cup category) and Nguyen Tran Duc Tai, have been selected by the organizers of the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup (IATC) to participate in the rider selection round for the 2022 season.

Built on the foundation provided by VMRC, with the strong support of HVN, two talented riders, Nguyen Ton Anh Phu (champion of the Vietnam Talent Cup category) and Nguyen Tran Duc Tai, have expanded their horizons to the international racing arena. They have been selected by the organizers of the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup (IATC) to participate in the rider selection round for the 2022 season. The IATC, organized by Dorna Sport (the organizer of MotoGP), is a racing series exclusively for young and talented Asian riders. It serves as a stepping stone for riders to compete in the Moto3, Moto2, and MotoGP categories of the prestigious MotoGP championship. Thus, being selected for the rider selection round of the 2022 IATC season is a significant milestone for Vietnamese racers.

The IATC provides a platform for riders to compete in MotoGP.

Starting from the VMRC platform, with primary support from HVN, the two racers, Anh Phu and Duc Tai, have officially expanded their horizons to the international racing arena. They have surpassed over 400 profiles to be among the top 100 young racers in Asia who are being considered for selection. The initial selection schedule was planned for late October at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic situation, the selection schedule has been officially canceled. The organizers will instead select riders based on their registration profiles, with the results expected to be announced at the end of November 2021.

Not only Anh Phu and Duc Tai, but many other Vietnamese riders, such as Nguyen Duc Thanh, Nguyen Vu Thanh, Nguyen Anh Tuan, Le Khanh Loc, etc., have also risen through domestic races and participated in international competitions. Through the VMRC, HVN aims to make motorcycle racing more accessible to the Vietnamese people and nurture the dream of developing Vietnamese motorcycle racing on the international stage.

Anh Quan (forum.autodaily.vn)