Honda has started its ‘Talent Hunt’ for aspiring young racers in the country

The ‘IDEMITSU Honda India Talent Hunt’ has kicked started in Bengaluru. The main purpose is to spot and train young, talented racers and provide them with a chance to truly showcase their skills on two wheels. The competing riders will have the opportunity to prove their mettle and open more pathways to racing, both in India and abroad. The talent hunt travels across ten different cities, selecting twenty competitors – aged between 13 and 18 years – in each city, and putting them through a rigorous qualification process. Selected participants will be required to showcase their strength, stamina, agility, riding technique and capability, and history and interpersonal skills. The qualification process, as well as the subsequent training sessions will take place at the Honda Ten10 Racing Academy. The final twenty participants will be put head to head in  the second round of the IDEMITSU Honda Talent Cup 2018, under the category – CBR 150R Novice. The talent hunt will further move to cities including Coimbatore, Chennai, Pune, Delhi NCR, and Bhopal. 

Here’s the full text of the official press release from Honda:

Gurugram, June 25, 2018:  Following its new direction to develop ‘Iconic Indian Riders’ for National & International Championships, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. today kicked off the ‘IDEMITSU Honda India Talent Hunt’ identify, select and mentor young talented riders to compete in national and international racing championships.

The IDEMITSU Honda India Talent Hunt, kicked off from Bengaluru will further travel to other cities namely- Chennai, Hyderabad, Bhubaneshwar, Aizwal (Mizoram), Delhi NCR, Bhopal, Vadodara, Pune and Coimbatore. The eminent jury members include Mr. Prabhu Nagaraj, Vice President- Brand & Communication, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, Mr. Koji Takahashi, Deputy Director- Brand & Communication, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, Mr Yusuke Teshima, Director- T Pro Innovations Japan (Ex- MotoGP rider) and Mr. Ramji Govindrajan, Director- Ten10 Racing

Special selection of 20 riders across 10 cities who possess mettle and passion to create a name in racing will receive professional training at Honda Ten10 Racing Academy. These riders will get an opportunity to compete with each other in the CBR 150R Novice category in the subsequent rounds of IDEMITSU Honda Talent Cup 2018.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Prabhu Nagaraj, Vice President – Brand & Communication, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. said, “The IDEMITSU Honda India Talent Hunt is a part of our new motorsports direction and building a structure to develop young talent. With a dream to represent India in the world Grand Prix Racing, this platform is the beginning of a clear development path and structured approach to nurture riders from a young age. Two of our Indian riders- Rajiv Sethu and Anish Shetty have become center of attraction for the whole world in Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) and we want more riders to represent Indian motorsports to the world. With this round in Bengaluru, we are delighted to see the level of focus and clarity present towards motorsports among the young participants. Honda will provide all support and guidance to the best 20 riders selected in the Talent hunt.”

The participants need to be in the age group of 13 to 18 to register for the talent hunt. To be selected in the final few from each location, riders will undergo a strict and strenuous process. The evaluation for each would be on the basis of below parameters:

Physical Strength – Physical stamina and agility through various activities

Riding Test – Handling and maneuvering capability

Interview Session – Rider interview & additional parent counselling session

IDEMITSU Honda India Talent Hunt- Bengaluru

The opening leg of the conducted in Bengaluru (Karnataka) received a total of 33 registrations ranging in the age group of 13 – 18 years. The top shortlisted candidates will be trained at the Honda 10Ten Racing Academy further to which they will get an opportunity to compete in the CBR 150R Novice category in the IDEMITSU Honda India Talent Cup 2018 Round-2 at Madras Motorsports Race Track in Chennai.

Honda started conducting “HONDA ONE MAKE RACE” in the year 2008. IDEMITSU Honda India Talent is a part of Honda 2Wheelers India’s vision to promote motorsports in India. The races give a unique opportunity for enthusiasts to gain track experience with support from Honda 2Wheelers India.