Honda Announces CRF150R Series at GP's
Monday, October 1, 2012 | 3:20 PM
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PrintHonda is pleased to announce together with Youthstream the Honda 150 European championship, which is a new race series for young riders at Grand Prix events for the next three years.
This exciting new series will be running in conjunction with the FIM MX1 and MX2 championship at a maximum of eight European rounds for youngsters aged 11-14. It is a one-make series, and riders will be provided with the proven CRF150R fourstroke machines to battle it out for championship glory with the race ready package Honda is offering.
The concept is a simple one, as riders only have to focus on the races, they will be able to arrive at each event with Honda staff caring for transportation, maintenance and organisation of the machines, including a hospitality area. Honda staff will ensure the riders have the motorcycles set for the best performance, and a coach will follow their progress from a sporting point of view to help them improve in the competition in a professional way.
The goal of this championship is to establish a professional career ladder and a pyramid style plan to discover young talent, as well as help the federations grow up the next generation of champions. With this in mind, Honda will offer the winner of the Honda 150 European championship the opportunity to race in the EMX250 championship the following season with a supported place in a Honda team. So from 2014 a Honda 150 European Champion will join the EMX250 series from the youth series, which is a first in the MX community.
Finally, as if that isn’t enough, a training school will be offered to the youngsters before the start of the season, and at the end of the year the CRF150R machine used in the series will become the rider’s property with no charge.
Roger Harvey: Honda Motor Europe Off-Road Manager
“This is an exciting time for Honda, as we make the next step in our plan after the success of the Honda Xtreme Academy to grow up young talent. This is a great opportunity for youngsters to compete at Grand Prix tracks from a young age, while learning how to race a fourstroke bike, which is in synergy with the MX1 and MX2 series at the highest level. We will be offering mentoring and coaching to the riders, along with an easily accessible chance to race on similar machinery, so competition should be fierce and totally down to the rider ability. We are also looking forward to welcoming the champion of the series into a Honda team the following year on the bigger bike, as well as allowing riders to showcase their talent in front of the World Championship paddock.”
Giuseppe Luongo: Youthstream President
"We are extremely excited to start this new European Championship with Honda, as this partnership is another important stone for the development of motocross and for giving our young riders more possibilities to race."
More details will follow soon about the cost of taking part in the series and the location of the races, but riders who are considering taking part can register their interest by logging on to: www.honda150championship.com/register
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That's pretty damned cool.
I WANNA RIDE!!!!
The acronym plural of Grand Prix would be GPs...not sure why some think the possessive apostrophe is needed....be careful of spellcheck,my friends.
Definitely some truth in the trash talking MXA always does on Youthstream. Honda had to definitely cough up some serious coin to buy a time slot for their one race series to take place with the MX1/MX2's races. For Youthstream its all about the money, not about the racers.
Let's be sure not to humor the two-strokes, in any fashion. It's important we avoid those lightweight, power-superior, cheaper-to-maintain, consumer friendly, etc., etc., etc.,
Oh, how quickly we forget...
"to establish a professional career ladder and a pyramid style plan to discover young talent"
More likely, "An inventive idea to market the CRF150 as we are the only brand who make them, and to kill off all and every 2 stroke so they no longer exist" MWAAAAAHAHAHHAA!
Good old Honda, doing their best to kill the 2 strokes.
CRF150's should be banned.
My first thought as well, Honda throwing dirt on the 2 stroke coffin just as others are making them cleaner and before we know it, back on the streets and tracks!
Ask the AMA and FIM to lower weight minimums. This will make racing safer for riders, and four strokes will lose some of their displacement advantage. Can you imagine how light they could make a two stroke if they used the same amount of titanium they use on the diesels? Drop it at least ten pounds maybe more. Remember when GP bikes weighed 179?
Heck with all the two stroke vs four stroke nonsense . Why doesnt Honda do something like this in the states were we have the motocross meca ??
It's about time. Now finally other manufacturers will make a mini-four stroke. An aluminum framed EFI 150 Big Wheel would be killer.
what is it with all this two stroke /four stroke stuff? When it was all two strokes and only ccm were building raceable 4 strokes, everybody was saying how great 4 strokes were. its just nostalgic crap. i rode a cr150 about three weeks ago and if i had one of those when i was 14 i would have been in heaven ; it was so much fun. i agree though single make championships are a bit dodgy.
And what happens when your 14 years old and it blows up on you and you cant afford the $1500 repair bill, who's gonna be in heaven now?