- First round to be held on 23 June in Bangalore
- To shortlist candidates between 13 and 18 years of age
- Finalists will race in CBR150R One Make Cup at MMRT
Honda is going to conduct the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup in India to hunt for young motorcycle racers, aged between 13 and 18 years. The first round of the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup will be held in Bangalore on 23 June. The finalists will be trained by experts from Honda and get a chance to compete in the CBR 150R One Make races at the MMRT race track in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Speaking to BikeWale, Prabhu Nagaraj, VP, brand and communication, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India admitted that although Honda has been conducting One Make races in India for the last 10 years, there have hardly been any young riders competing in these. The company has now set up a new structure that has paved the path to identify young racers and groom them to enter professional racing, right up to the Moto3 championship. Besides, a major chunk of the racers are currently from the south and the west parts of our country. With a nation-wide competition, Honda wants to encourage competitors from other regions as well.
17-year-old Honda rider, Senthil Kumar, is leading the CBR 250R One Make Championship
The Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup rounds will be conducted in 10 cities across the country. Honda will set up specialised tracks at each venue, where a panel of professional racers and trainers will evaluate the contestants. They will be put through a series of tests on the Honda Navi and the CRF50 to check their riding capabilities. The contestants will also be evaluated for their aptitude and physical fitness.
By the end of this year, Honda aims to have a pool of 20 riders. As and when the riders from each city are shortlisted, they will be trained by Honda Ten10 Academy and entered into the CBR 150R One Make championship. There would be a training session for the contestants before every race. Depending upon how they progress, Honda aims to pick up the most promising racers and groom them for international racing championships. Honda will soon be announcing the dates for the selection rounds in nine other cities. Mr Nagaraj further mentioned that they would also be accepting entries from riders below 13 years of age, although the selection criteria would be the same as for the rest.
