Honda Announces Indian Team For Asia Road Racing Championship

Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) has announced an all-Indian team to participate in the 2018 season of the Asian Road Racing Championship. This is the first time Honda is promoting Indian riders in an Indian team in the international motorsports arena. The Idemitsu Honda Racing Team will see two promising riders - second timer Rajiv Sethu and rookie Anish D Shetty battle it out with 23 other Asian riders in the Asia production 250 cc class. The decision was announced together with Honda's new direction to nurture and develop Indian riders of international stature.

"Honda Two-Wheelers India is proud to announce for the first time, an Indian team will be participating solo in the 23rd season of Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) 2018. It is our next step towards realising the dream to develop iconic Indian riders for not only national but also for international racing championships. My best wishes to the 'IDEMITSU Honda Racing India' by T Pro Ten10 and the two riders Rajiv Sethu and Anish D. Shetty," said Minoru Kato, President and CEO, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Private Limited.

The SuperSport 600 cc class will see the team's third rider, 23-year-old Japanese rider Taiga Hada compete with 21 other riders. Hada was overall 3rd in SuperSports 600cc in 2017 FIM ARRC season and is placed 7th in the first qualifying of 2018 season.

Sponsored by Idemitsu Lube India Pvt. Ltd., HMSI will oversee overall team management of the first ever Indian team at the ARRC. The team's rider management will be undertaken by Ten10 Racing Pvt. Ltd. while technical support including bike performance management, modification, data analysis, maintenance and repairs will be looked after by T-Pro Innovation, a professional Japanese team.

The first round of the 2018 Asia Road Racing Championship has already kicked off last weekend. The race will then move to Adelaide, Australia from April 19-22. Japan's iconic Suzuka circuit will be the third battleground from June 1-3. The second half of the season will see the Indian contingent race on home ground as ARRC will return to the Madras Motor Race Track, Chennai from August 3-5. This will be followed by the penultimate round at Indonesia (October 12-14) and the season finale in Thailand from November 30 till December 2, 2018.