December 28, 2023—Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. together with Thai Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. are launching the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Asia-Pacific Championship in the 2024 season with the aim of discovering and supporting talented young riders in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Asia-Pacific Championship is an expansion of the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Thailand Cup, which was held in Thailand in 2023. Races will be held not only in Thailand, but also in other countries and regions in the Asia-Pacific.
The objective of this program is to discover and support young riders with potential to race in world-class competitions in the future. To achieve this goal, Yamaha is working to provide an attractive rental package that reduces the cost burden on entrants as part of a strong and well-defined step-up structure.
First, the rider who wins the series title will receive full support to race in the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU FIM World Cup (held in conjunction with the FIM Superbike World Championship or WSBK) for two years from the following season. The Yamaha R3 bLU cRU FIM World Cup provides a valuable opportunity for riders to experience high-level competition with rivals from around the world, preparing them for continental or world championship-level competition. In addition, if a rider wins the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU FIM World Cup title, there is a support program in place to allow that rider to compete in the following year’s FIM Supersport 300 World Championship.
This step-by-step structure laid out by Yamaha provides a great opportunity for riders to become successful on the world stage. Yamaha has positioned the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Asia-Pacific Championship as an opportunity to create local heroes in each country and region, and we are looking forward to many young people from many countries and regions participating.
A tentative outline of the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Asia-Pacific Championship is as follows.
NOTES
Race Calendar (Tentative):
02 Apr | Pre-season Practice (Thailand) |
26-28 Apr | Rd.1 (Chang International Circuit, Thailand) |
17-19 May | Rd.2 (Bira Circuit, Thailand) |
05-07 Jun | Rd.3 (Thailand Circuit) |
Aug | Rd.4 (To Be Confirmed) |
13-15 Sep | Rd.5 (Chang International Circuit, Thailand) |
Oct | Rd.6 (To Be Confirmed) |
Rider Qualifications: Aged 12-18 years old
• Participants must be 12 years old as of the opening race in 2024.
• Those who have participated in any international races are not eligible.
Riders: 20 Eligible Countries and Regions:
Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Singapore, Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos, China, Taiwan, India, South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
Participation fee: USD 10,000
Included in the participation fee:
• Racing Suit, gloves, boots, chest protector, and back protector (can be kept after the season ends)
• Race-ready Yamaha R3 bike to be used during the season (Service, Tires, Fuel included)
• Riding and Technical Coaching for Riders
• Paddock Passes
• Riders’ Lunch
• Paddock Uniforms (Polo Shirt, T-shirt) Rider-paid items:
• FIM NMFP License (National Meeting with Foreign Participants）
• Start Permissions
• Rider Insurance
• One Parent/Caretaker/Guardian for Support
• Helmet (following the R3 bLU cRU Asia-Pacific regulation)
• Flights/Transportation and Accommodation