Yamaha Motor PH Team looks to bring back UB150 ARRC crown

MANILA: The UMA Racing MMR Yamaha Philippines team is looking to bring back the elusive UB150 Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) crown to the country this coming 2024 season.

According to Yamaha Motor Philippines (YMPH), the last time the UB150 ARRC Championship was in the hands of Filipinos was in 2019, back when McKinley Kyle Paz dominated the category.

The team — currently made up of April King Mascardo and Gian Carlo Mauricio — is hungry for another victory, especially after encountering multiple setbacks this year.

Returning race veterans, for example, made the competition tougher for the Filipino racers and raised the bar of the championship to a whole new level.

Mascardo (who was third overall in the 2022 season) could not replicate his performance from last year. An injury caused him to miss the third round in the Sportsland SUGO International Circuit in Japan, which cost him valuable points as well as his momentum for the season.

Per YMPH, the number 43 rider typically finishes somewhere in fifth or 10th place, but after the injury, he had to settle for lower positions.

Looking at Mascrdo’s record in 2023, he had a Did Not Finish (DNF) in Race 2 of Round 4 and Round 5 of this year’s UB150 ARRC Championship. He fell back to as low as 16th place at a point in this season but finished as high as 5th in Race 1 of the final round.

The same thing can be said for Mauricio, who struggled against a stronger field of riders in the track.

Mauricio, who wanted to have a better outing in 2023 — after finishing 25th overall in 2022 — was hampered by a string of DNFs at the start of the season.

The number 27 rider experienced a difficult campaign. Mauricio’s only taste of a top-10 finish this year was in Race 1 of the third round when he landed in the sixth spot. He showed an impressive performance in Race 2, where he recorded the fastest lap, but was then unfortunately forced to retire from the race.

The much-needed break from the race could prove to be beneficial for the Filipino motorbike racing duo, allowing them to get ready for a reset next year. YMPH pointed out that the interval will be important for the two as they prepare for the rigors of a new season where their category is packed with the best talents in Asia.

“The Yamaha Philippines racing team will now use this break to get themselves back on track and prepare for the 2024 racing season. They will be back with a vengeance in the ARRC and will do everything possible to return to the top,” YMPH wrote in a press release.

Photos from Yamaha Motor Philippines

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