TVS is going international, with the announcement of a new One-Make Championship to help find and develop young talent across Southeast Asia. The TVS Asia One Make Championship will run alongside the Asia Road Racing Championship and race in four different countries. It will use a race-specced Apache RR310 and hope to attract the best young riders in the region. This is a historic announcement, as TVS becomes the first Indian manufacturer to start an Asian One Make Racing Championship.
The championship will race on four tracks in Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan and Thailand, following the ARRC season. Sixteen riders will be selected for the championship, all riding the same race-prepped TVS Apache RR310. The first test will be on April 27 at the Sepang circuit in Malaysia, where TVS will shortlist riders for the championship. Eight of them will come from various countries including Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, Australia and the Philippines, among others, while eight will be selected independently by TVS Racing.
The TVS Apache RR310 has been heavily modified to bring it up to race spec, with changes to the engine, frame, bodywork and suspension. The modifications to the 312cc engine include forged pistons, titanium valves and HLHD Cams that work together to produce a higher power output than the road bike. A RAM air intake system is also installed to help the race bike reach a higher top speed. The bodywork has been extensively reworked to reduce drag and help increase the top speed further. It also makes extensive use of carbon fibre, resulting in a dramatic decrease in weight. The suspension is a custom-built and adjustable Ohlins setup, and the bike runs on Dunlop soft compound race tyres. TVS says the bike has been inspired by the Akula concept that they showcased at the 2016 Auto Expo. Knowing what we know of the stock TVS Apache RR310, this is sure to be one heck of a beast on the racetrack!
Speaking about the announcement, Vimal Sumbly, Head of Premium Business, TVS Motor Company said, “The engineering and performance prowess in our race machines has been derived from TVS Racing’s race-bred pedigree on the track, proving its mettle across a host of racing formats and has put us on the global map. We are excited about carving our success story internationally. The TVS Asia One Make Championship will play a pivotal role as a milestone in our global journey for TVS Racing. We take this as an opportunity to take our learnings from the Indian tracks and demonstrate our capabilities internationally. We also look forward to having international racers atop our TVS Asia One Make Apache RR 310 motorcycles competing in the future championships.”
Here’s a look at the calendar:
Round 1
May 27-29, 2022
Malaysia
Sepang International Circuit
Round 2
July 1-3, 2022
Indonesia
Mandalika International Circuit
Round 3
August 12-14, 2022
Japan
Sugo International Circuit
Round 4
November 18-20, 2022
Thailand
Chang International Circuit