Honda PH's Sablaya finishes strong at IRGP XIV

Alfred Jakob Sablaya finished strong at the recently concluded Inside Racing Grand Prix (IRGP) XIV at Tarlac Circuit Hill.

The 16-year-old rider from Antipolo, who represents Honda Philippines Inc. (HPI), placed third in the Motul MotoIR 2 Grand Prix and fourth at the Denoo Motor Oil Underbone Sealed Grand Prix.

In a statement shared by the Japanese motorcycle marque’s local distributor, Sablaya is thankful for the support given to him.

Meanwhile, HPI MC Planning Department Manager Hervic Villa is happy with Sablaya’s achievements. 

The HPI executive added that HPI will continue to invest in young Filipino talents like Sablaya. “For a Filipino child whose dream is to become a professional racer and a world champion, Honda has the means to make that dream come true,” he said.

“For riders to become professional and World Champions, they need to start young and strengthen their skills to be able to compete with the best of the world. Honda has the programs and capability to bring them to the World such as the  Honda Pilipinas Dream Cup (HPDC), Thailand Talent Cup, and Asia Talent Cup,” he shared.

Meanwhile, Sablaya urged fellow riders who wanted to follow his path in racing to keep on striving hard and constantly practice to reach the goal.

The company, for its part, said that it has plans for Sablaya to join more races locally. 

It also noted that it has been “a vital part of Sablaya’s young motoring career,” citing that in 2019, Sablaya joined HPDC where he won back-to-back titles. The aforementioned grassroots program designed to discover young riders with exemplary skills for motor racing. Back then, Sablaya was the team’s youngest rider. 

“It’s been nothing but a fruitful partnership between HPI and Sablaya ever since,” HPI shared.

Sablaya used the all-new Honda CBR150R for the Motul MotoIR 2 Grand Prix. The single-cylinder sport bike features a four-stroke, four-valve, double overhead cam (DOHC) liquid-cooled 149cc engine. Priced at P159,000, the all-new Honda CBR150R comes in Winning Red (Honda Tri-Color) color option.

Sablaya rode the Supra GTR150 for the Denoo Motor Oil Underbone Sealed Grand Prix. The underbone ride is equipped with a six-speed DOHC, four-valve liquid-cooled 150cc power mill. The Supra GTR150 is offered in two hues, valiant red and black, with a price tag of P102,900.

Photos from Honda Philippines, Inc.

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