Honda Begins Second Season Of Talent Hunt

In a bid to promote two-wheeler racing in India, Honda has announced that it has begun the second season of its ‘IDEMITSU Honda India Talent Hunt’. The first round was held in Chennai and witnessed a total of 18 riders from across the country go through a rigorous training session, including a physical fitness test, race orientation and lessons to improve one’s riding skills.

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The next round will be held in Delhi-NCR after which the shortlisted riders will be given the opportunity to race in the Honda Talent Cup, which is scheduled to be held later this year. Other manufacturers that conduct similar training programs for budding riders is Suzuki with its ‘Red Bull Road to Rookies Cup 2019’. So if you’re a teenager who has dreamt of lifting the prestigious MotoGP championship, then now might be the right time to show your skills and prove your mettle!

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Here’s the official press release from the company:

Honda kicks off 2nd season of ‘IDEMITSU Honda India Talent Hunt’

Hunt for Next-Gen racing talent starts from Chennai

Platform for budding riders to explore opportunities in Indian & International racing
Overwhelming response from 18 youngsters displaying extraordinary talent
Shortlisted candidates to be trained at Honda Ten10 Racing Academy
Top novice riders to be groomed on IDEMITSU Honda India Talent Cup 2019 - CBR 150R

Chennai, 29 July, 2019: After spectacular success in identifying 19 young riders from across India and grooming them in 2018, the ‘IDEMITSU Honda India Talent Hunt’ is now back! Season 2 of the ‘IDEMITSU Honda India Talent Hunt’ started Saturday from the home of Indian racing, Chennai in a much spectacular way.

The IDEMITSU Honda India Talent Hunt is Honda’s unique initiative which aims to identify young racers starting as early as 12 years of age. Through this platform, Honda 2Wheelers India will groom the best of young Indian riders for a racing career spanning national and international championships.

The first round in Chennai saw overwhelming participation of 18 youngsters from Kolhapur, Mumbai, Satara, Puducherry, Tirur, Bengaluru, Patna, Bokaro and Vizag. The candidates went through rigrous 3 levels of tests. First being their physical fitness, second their race orientation and riding skills especially for the race track. This was followed by a one-on-one interview with candidates and parents/guardians to understand both their motorsport passion and family support to become the next iconic rider from India.

After shortlisting in phase 1, the top candidates of the Talent Hunt of Delhi & NCR will be trained and given opportunity to ride on the track in Phase II. It is from this pool of talent that Honda will pick up the best talent for future development. These final riders will then join the 12 selected riders to race in the Honda Talent Cup CBR 150R category in the 2019 season.

Sharing an overview on Honda’s aim for developing ‘Iconic Indian Riders’, Mr. Prabhu Nagaraj, Vice President – Brand & Communication, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. said, “In 2018 we took a big leap to develop racers from young age as our structural development path. The young talent which we got from last year are already showing phenomenal results. To accelerate their development, we are constantly providing them exposure and have brought the Moto3 machine NSF250R to India. Looking at the immense passion and potential of these riders, we further extend our leap and start the second edition of the IDEMITSU Honda India Talent Hunt. This year, the IDEMITSU Honda India Talent Hunt will travel to 4 more cities after Chennai to identify India’s next big racing sensations. I am confident that these budding riders will change the scenario of motorsports in India and make the nation proud at the international podiums as well.”