February 1 - 15, 2016
PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY
B3
MOTORING NEWS
Pinoy racer in
MotoGP wanted
Five-time
MotoGP
champion, Jorge Lorenzo,
is known by the racing
community as a person who
seldom smiles, is always
serious, and seemingly
pragmatic before, during
and after a race.
But when he arrived at
the Carmona Racing Circuit
in Cavite last week, as part of
his three-day visit to Manila,
the ace Spaniard rider had
his smile locked from ear to
ear. A big throng of Lorenzo
fans warmly welcomed him
to the Philippines, thanks
to the Yamaha Motor
Philippines-sponsored tour.
It was the first time that
the 26-year-old Spanish
rider set foot on Philippine
soil. He is the 2006
and 2007 250cc World
Champion, and the 2010,
2012 and 2015 MotoGP
World Champion.
Accompanied by YMP
President, Toru Osugi, and
other company executives,
Lorenzo quickly donned
his official Team Movistar
Yamaha racing leathers and
mounted himself on a raceprepared Yamaha YZF R-15
— a hot selling 150cc sport
bike — and hit the 1.2kilometer race track.
In clear view of
the
motorbike
racing
enthusiasts,
Lorenzo
ferociously attacked the
corners of the racing circuit
just how the real champion
racer should — quick,
rhythmic and flawless.
Accompanied by Osugi,
Lorenzo graced the opening
of the first leg of the Yamaha
Grand Prix where the “best
of the best” Pinoy riders
battled for a podium finish.
“I hope that one day, I get
to race with the first Filipino
MotoGP rider,” Lorenzo
said, after completing a 10lap run while braving the
noontime heat.
While
he
enjoyed
the quick laps, Lorenzo
couldn’t help but notice
the difference between the
Carmona Racing Circuit
and the MotoGP race tracks
where he raced since 2002
when he was just 15 years
old.
“I tried the track and
track is very tricky. A lot of
bumps so you be careful,”
he cautioned the Pinoy
motorbike competitors.
After
the
sizzling
exhibition run, Lorenzo
dashed to the grandstand,
staged a tire burnout and
approached the crowd,
most of them wearing the
Yamaha team shirts with
that familiar “No. 99.” He
also distributed Yamaha
caps and T-shirts to his
well-wishers. The Carmon
exhibition run was only one
of the official events he
attended during his threeday stay in the country.
Upon his arrival at the
Ninoy Aquino International
Airport early evening, last
Friday, Lorenzo was escorted
to the Marco Polo Hotel in
Ortigas, Pasig City where
he was joined by Yamaha
officials led by Osugi,
dealers and media. There,
the fans ha BF