Sarath Kumar, has become the first-ever Indian to register a podium finish at the Honda Asia Dream Cup. The 22-year old racer from Chennai scored a second place in the final race of Honda Asia Dream Cup Road Racing Championship at the Losial International Circuit in Qatar, thereby securing a ninth position in the overall standings.
The Honda Asia Dream Cup represents the Japanese manufacturer’s attempts at promoting motorsports for budding racers from Asia. The championship saw 18 racers from 10 countries compete against each other on specially modified Honda CBR 250Rs.
The championship took place on some of the best racetracks in Asia and saw the participation of three racers from India. All three racers from India – Sarath Kumar, Sumit Loucs Toppo and Arunagiri Prabhu were sponsored by Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI). Both Sumit and Sarath scored a commendable 89 points in the championship, finishing eighth and ninth respectively, while a string of crashes and injuries saw Arunagiri finish 17th.
Speaking about the Indian contingent’s performance, Mr Keita Muramatsu, president and CEO, HMSI said, “All three Indian riders put in a lot of hard work this season. We are delighted to see the marked improvement in their overall position in the Championship. We congratulate Sarath, Sumit and Prabhu for their racing success. Honda will nurture Indian racers in future too.”
