Honda Philippines Motorsports 2023: An Examination of a Challenging Year

Here’s a quick summary of the company’s contribution to motorsports in 2023.

The top motorbike manufacturer in the nation, Honda Philippines, Inc. (HPI), had yet another successful year in the motorsports industry. HPI has made significant strides to promote the growth and professionalism of motorsports in both domestic and international on-and off-road championships. In fact, the business succeeded in implementing its goals for On-Road and Off-Road Racing, strengthening its racing brand with initiatives like the Honda Pilipinas Dream Cup. Let’s take a moment to review the noteworthy accomplishments Honda made in 2023 as it works to improve both home and international motorsports.

On Road International Racing.

Aside from MotoGP, one of the most prestigious international motorcycle racing events is Moto2. Somkiat Chantra, a rider with Idemitsu Team Honda Asia from Thailand, finished sixth overall in this event. Ai Ogura, his colleague from Japan, came in a solid ninth place overall. Honda Team Asia competed in the Moto3 class as well. The team included Mario Suryo Aji of Indonesia, who finished 31st overall, and Taiyo Furusato of Japan, who finished the year ranked 16th overall.

Besides Moto2 & Moto3, Honda also sponsored a team for the ARRC (Asia Road Racing Championship) in the ASB 1000 Category. For this competition, Team HADR (Honda Asia Dream Racing with Showa) saw Malaysian Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi 2^nd in overall position with his teammate Andi Farid Izdihar of Indonesia is in 3^rd place overall. Team HADR with Showa team also participated in the Suzuka 8 Hours Challenge where their racers finished in 7^th position.

5Off-Road International Racing.

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.

Let’s take a look at how motorsports in 2023 turned out and how Honda has been a part of its evolution in supporting domestic motorsports.

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. Mr. Sablaya 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, Jakob rode a Honda CBR150R converted to race bike motorcycle.

The 2023 IRGP was another race that was well represented by Honda. In this competition, Alfonsi Daquigan was able to showcase his skill when he took Pole Position for the race.

Meanwhile, Mr. Sablaya also competed with the later particularly in the race’s Super Sports 300 and MOTOIR2 GP categories. He placed 2nd in the Super Sports 300 category riding a Honda CBR300R and 3rd 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 local Motocross legend Jovie Saulog, placed 2nd 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, making his presence in local races increases seeing his potential with his determination and skills in off-road riding and with Jing Leongson took 2nd Overall and 3rd Overall Champion 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. 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 Jakob Sablaya who will ride for SDG Team HARC-PRO Honda PH in the 2024 ARRC, AP250 Category.

More importantly, HPI will keep working to improve both the quality of mobility solutions and the state of On-Road and Off-Road motorsports in the Philippines. This is achieved by giving ambitious Filipino motorsport riders additional chances to hone their divinely endowed skills.

To learn more, go to www.hondaph.com. Follow Honda Philippines, Inc. on Facebook (facebook.com/hondaph), Instagram (instagram.com/hondaph_mc/), YouTube (HondaPhilippines_Motorcycle), and Tiktok (tiktok.com/@hondaphilippines) to stay up to date on the company’s newest offerings. You can also reach them by calling (02)-8581-6700 to 6799 and 0917-884-6632.