Shortly after introducing their racing teams and declaring their goal to win it all, Yamaha Motor Philippines is off to a good start in round 1 of the Asia Road Racing Championship by securing podium finishes in both the SS600 and UB150 categories. The victories show the efficiency of an upgraded racing program to further develop riders and machines to compete at the highest level and create champions.
Bannering the Circuit Racing Team is McKinley Kyle Paz who is now racing under the Yamaha Tekhne Racing Team Asia in the SS600 Category. After an average showing in Race 1 where he finished 9th, the ARRC commentators were quick to note that with his talent he will surely get better as the season progresses. But ‘The WonderBoy’ would not wait that long as he churned out a 3rd place finish in race 2 which stunned his competitors. In a race which was halted due to consecutive crashes he came through unscathed and with a spot on the podium. It was not a regular season win because it marks the first ever podium finish by a Filipino in the category, another trailblazing accolade for the 22-year-old Paz.
In an interview, he revealed that he became very emotional right after crossing the finish line. With tears in his eyes, he stated ‘Pagtawid ko ng finish line, di ako makapaniwala. matagal ko pinangarap to yung maka podium sa six hundred. Matagal ko pinangarap to kaya pag tawid na pag tawid ko kusa na ako na iyak.’ (When I crossed the finish line, I couldn’t believe it. I’ve been dreaming of this for a long time to podium in six hundred. I really longed for this so when I crossed, I just started to cry.) Paz holds the 4th overall spot in the SS600 category after the 1st round.
In the UB150 category, it was the same case for April King Mascardo who is still seeking to bring back the UB150 title to Filipino hands. The “RocketBoy’ had a steady showing in Race 2 where he finished 8th but it was in Race 1 that demonstrated his explosive ability. Starting 7th on the grid in the always unpredictable UB150 category, it was an up-and-down race for April gradually going in and out of the top 10. But just like his monicker, he blasted through a final corner crash in the final lap and carved his way to third place. It was a good start for the UMA MMR Yamaha Philippines Racing Team.
Teammate Gian Carlo Mauricio faced his own set of challenges during the weekend tourney but managed a 13th-place finish in Race 2 and currently sits 17th overall with Mascardo at 6th overall after the 1st round of the UB150 Category.
The Yamaha Philippines Racing Team will have a short break on home soil before focusing on Round 2 at the Zhuhai International Circuit in China on April 19-21.
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