Road to Rookies Cup is here to stay

  • Aug 27, 2016
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The Road to Rookies Cup is an opportunity for young Indian riders to not just gain exposure to the racing big leagues but also help improve the domestic motorsports scene

The participants of the Red Bull Road to Rookies Cup

The 2016 season of the Suzuki Gixxer Cup is a lot more special than its inaugural season last year. Suzuki India’s association with energy drink giant Red Bull, who is also into motorsports big time internationally makes the Suzuki Gixxer Cup this year hard to ignore. You see, as part of its global motorsport program, Red Bull organises the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup for rookie motorcycle racers. Here is what makes the 2016 Suzuki Gixxer Cup special. Suzuki India has partnered with Red Bull, and the Gixxer Cup is also now a part of the Red Bull Road to Rookies Cup. To be eligible for it, racers have to be aged between 13-17 years, which means not everyone on the Gixxer Cup grid can compete in the Road to Rookies Cup. The rookies racing here have received support from Suzuki which includes riding gear, bikes, trainers and track time.

The one selected from the Road to Rookies Cup (two from India, one from Sri Lanka) will be flown to Spain and trained for the 2017 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. There, the entire cost of rider training and accommodation will be borne by Red Bull. If they qualify for the Rookies Cup, they will get the same treatment as a factory rider which means their own team of mentor, trainer, nutritionist, mechanics, etc.

We were in attendance at the Chennai round of the national motorcycle racing championship, which also includes various manufacturer-backed one make racing series such as the Suzuki Gixxer Cup. We spoke to a few riders over the weekend and quizzed them about the Road to Rookies Cup that the Suzuki Gixxer Cup is now part of. Interestingly, it includes riders not just from India, but neighbouring countries as well. One such rider is India's S Varun. Varun's diminutive size belies the riding skills he possesses. To give you some perspective, he stood on the podium at the MMRT (Madras Motor Race Track) in his last three races consecutively. We asked him what kept him stuck at third and this is what he said, "My speed has been a limiting factor. More practice would be beneficial for me as I would then be able to go faster."

One of the rookies at the Red Bull Road to Rookies Cup

The surprise kid at the first round of Road to Rookies was Sri Lanka's Aaron Gunawardena who is just 13 years old. Race 1 should have been a forgettable outing for him. But this kid surprised everyone in Race 2 when he started from the last spot and went on to win the race! From there on, he was battling with the more experienced guys in Race 3 of the Gixxer Cup and was the rookie who crossed the finish line first. We asked him how was he able to show so much confidence on a racetrack he's not familiar with? Pat came the reply, "I have raced in the Asia Road Racing Championship and that has helped me immensely. I am looking forward to giving the grown-ups an even tougher fight than today."

Some insight from Suzuki Motorcycle India

The Road to Rookies Cup has revealed the passion for motorcycle racing hidden within the youngsters participating in this championship. We wanted to know more about the Road to Rookies Cup and what's next from the Suzuki-Red Bull partnership. So, we got in touch with Suresh Babu, India Head of Marketing and Product Development at Suzuki Motorcycles India.

We asked Suresh what makes the Road to Rookies Cup special, and he said, "The fact that all these kids come from different backgrounds and are being trained from the start about racing on the track is what makes this championship special. Some of these kids have racing backgrounds but we got them to the MMRT on Wednesday and coached them in theory. Then we made them practice on track. Since then, these kids have been riding for four days straight and learning on the go while unlearning a few of their habits."

When we asked him about the selection criteria for the riders he said, "Points are not our criteria to select the guys here as they would just tell who is the fastest here and now. What we are interested in seeing is who is showing improvement, who has the potential and who is willing to unlearn old habits, learn new ones and get faster. Ultimately, it is racers with an attitude to learn who will be able to hang in the big leagues with folks who have been racing since they were kids."

A rookie displays his skills at the Red Bull Road to Rookies Cup

Lastly, we asked Suresh about the extent to which Suzuki and Red Bull have helped these riders. To this he said, "In terms of assistance, we have not just provided them the bikes but also riding gear and technical support. Our trainers are coaching them on various aspects of track racing. We even have a 12-year-old boy who is not a part of the grid but is being trained nevertheless. This is the kind of involvement that will help us nurture young talent and turn them into world-class racers."

We also had a candid chat with Yoshiaki Harada, Divisional Head of Marketing and Product Development at Suzuki Motorcycles India. On asking him about creating awareness for the Gixxer Cup he pointed at the spectators and said, "When it comes to creating awareness, we thought our dealers and customers are the ones we can take help of. So, we invited some of them here and they are a part of the spectators watching the races. When we tell them about what we have done with the Gixxers to make them track ready, they understand the uniqueness of the product and this is what they pass on to potential customers. It not just connects with customers but also helps us in finding new riders who can be a part of the Gixxer Cup."

In the end, when we asked both Suresh and Harada san about the longevity of the Road to Rookies Cup, they had only one thing to say – it is not a one-off but a permanent affair. No matter how hard we tried not to, the statement still brought a smile to our faces. We sure do hope this stays permanent. Only two rounds of the Gixxer Cup will consist of the selection rounds for the Red Bull Road to Rookies Cup, with the final slated to be held in the first weekend of September. Stay tuned for updates from the final round!

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