Honda Philippines Inc., 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 sixth rank in overall standing. Meanwhile, his teammate Japan’s Ai Ogura finished with a respectable ninth 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.
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.
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. He 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, Sablaya rode a Honda CBR150R converted to race bike motorcycle.
Meanwhile, Sablaya also competed with the latter particularly in the race’s Super Sports 300 and Motoir2 GP categories. He placed second in the Super Sports 300 category riding a Honda CBR300R and third 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 her father, local motocross legend Jovie Saulog, placed second 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 and Jing Leongson taking second overall and third overall 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.
ALFONSI Daquigan shows his skills on the track. | Photographs courtesy of Honda Philippines
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 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.
