The Idemitsu Honda Racing India team wrapped up the opening round of the 2022 Asia Road Racing Championship with his highest ever points haul in a single round. The duo of Rajiv Sethu and Senthil Kumar together scored a total of 11 points at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand.
Moreover, 15-year-old Sarthak Chavan had a strong showing in the Thai Talent Cup.
- Sarthak Chavan scores 13 points in Thai Talent Cup
- Kavin Quintal sat out due to illness
Sethu and Kumar score valuable points
Competing in the AP250 class, Honda Racing India’s seasoned rider Rajiv Sethu lost a few positions and dropped to 16th at the start of the first race. But he managed to climb up to 13th by the end to score three points. He added five more points to that tally after finishing the next race in 11th place.
Despite a strong start, Senthil Kumar crashed out in the first race. He had to start Race 2 from 16th (second last) on the grid. After enjoying another strong getaway, he finished 13th to pick up three points.
The team still has its work cut out, though. It’s currently eighth overall in the championship, ahead of Idemitsu Boon Siew Honda Racing Team.
Chavan 7th in Thai Talent Cup race
Sarthak Chavan and Kavin Quintal, both of whom are part of Honda India’s rider development programme, are also competing in the Thai Talent Cup. The series is part of Honda’s development programme for Asian riders and is run on Moto-3 spec NSF250R bikes.
Unfortunately, Quintal had to sit out the opening round due to poor health. As the sole rider representing Honda India, the pressure was on Chavan. He climbed from ninth to seventh in the race, taking his points tally up to 13 in the opening round.
Commenting on the team’s performance, Prabhu Nagaraj, vice president – Brand and Communications, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, said: “I am happy with the performance of our riders today who made India proud on international soil. Both Rajiv and Senthil well utilised their strategies and machines to achieve the highest single round points for the team. On the other hand, Sarthak Chavan, the face of new, confident and aggressive young Indian riders finished in the top seven today in Thai Talent Cup and grabbed a total 13 points in Round 1 itself. I am confident that our riders will bring back the same motivation and strength to perform best to their abilities in the upcoming rounds.”
Dipan Sur
