The 8th YAMAHA ASEAN CUP RACE

Overall Team Winner: Saeful Anwar, Indonesia Team Manager

"The host country Malaysia brought a stronger team than ever to this race with experienced young riders, and with the strong support of the local fans we expected the competition to be tough. So, I am very happy that we were able to win the Expert Class Rider title and the overall Team title. This is all thanks to great teamwork. Racing is very popular in Indonesia and we have a strong connection between in racing and brand strength in the market. In addition to the effect of this competition in nurturing young riders, we also expect to use this victory for promotional purposes in Indonesia."

Expert Class Winner: Florianus Roy (age:27)

"Today's victory was not mine alone but a championship won by the whole team. In the first race I was lucky to be able to pass the leading contender on the first corner right after the start. In the second race the team made a formation and worked to help me. I believe that is why I was able to win the championship. The last time I won the YAMAHA ASEAN CUP RACE title was when the event was held in my home country, Indonesia. This time I am happy that I was able to win these exciting races here in Malaysia. There are a lot of young riders coming up in our national series as well as in this YAMAHA ASEAN CUP RACE, so I am going to work hard on physical training to stay competitive."

Novice Class Winner: Kannasoot Sitthisena (age: 19)

"When I won the first race in last year's ASEAN CUP I was just in a whirl and riding desperately. But this time, being my second ASEAN CUP, I could stay calm and think as I raced, watching the others around me and seeing what lines would be open. I was able to win the championship because of everyone on our team. It was also a big help because an older rider who competed in the YAMAHA ASEAN CUP RACE before and now works as a safety instructor came along to support us. In Thailand there are riders we look up to who have competed in the YAMAHA ASEAN CUP RACE and then gone on to do well in the Asian Championships and the All Japan Championships. I want to compete in the Expert Class next year and continue working to become a rider who can compete on the world-class level."

Host Country Representative: Leong King Choon, General Manager of Hong Leong Yamaha Sales & Marketing

"I want to thank all the people who helped make this event such a success - Yamaha Motor Company, the dealers, the teams from each country, the historic city of Malacca that served as the venue this time, the related officials and representatives and of course the riders who thrilled us with such exciting racing. This event wouldn't have been possible without your help.
It's too bad that the Malaysian team couldn't win here this time, but we are now working to nurture young riders by doing things like setting an age limit of 17 on our domestic Yamaha one-make races. This was an event where the performances of such promising young riders stood out. In this year's Malaysia GP round of the MotoGP, a former YAMAHA ASEAN CUP RACE rider was able to enter the Moto2 class as a wild-card entry. We look forward to the day when riders who have competed here in the YAMAHA ASEAN CUP RACE will be stars in the world's top competitions.
Besides the exciting racing, thanks to the cooperation of Yamaha Motor Company and Yamaha Corporation we were able to offer visitors the opportunity to see and test ride an array of Yamaha products, ranging from the electrically power assisted PAS bicycles and the electric-powered commuter motorcycle EC-03. I'm sure that this was a great opportunity for many people to experience products from the Yamaha family brand. I am also glad that we were able to offer a range of attractions such as a trial riding demonstration by Mr. Kuroyama from Japan and a variety of stalls selling custom parts and wear for the enjoyment of the spectators. I hope that they all came away with a deepened appreciation of the enjoyment that motorcycles can bring to our lives."

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. Representative: Hiroyuki Seto, General Manager of Commuter Vehicle Sales Division, Sales Section, Motorcycle Business Operations, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.

We hope that someday riders who started in the YAMAHA ASEAN CUP RACE will become stars of World GP racing, and we ask that all of the participating countries join with us to make sure this event will continue in the future as a place for sharing Kando.

*Kando is a Japanese word for the simultaneous feeling of deep satisfaction and intense excitement that people experience when they encounter something of exceptional value.