JOINThailand hosted the RMC International Trophy Asia on January 19. This marked first race of the 2025 season that got RMC Grand Finals tickets up for grabs. In DD2, Taiwan’s Simon Hong beat a Rotax World Champion on his way to victory.
Simon Hong celebrated victory in RMC International Trophy Asia in DD2 category by 2.2 seconds after a 22 lap final on Sunday in Pattaya. The Taiwanese champion started from pole to lead his Finnish rival and 2019 Rotax World Champion Axel Saarniala into turn 1. Simon maintained consistent pace throughout the race, stretching the gap with each following lap. The team and driver considered a correct tyre strategy and machine-like driving from Hong to be the key to securing victory.
The Road to Victory
The weekend looked dominant from Hong’s side, after winning the qualifying practice and heats. The challenge, however, was always breathing down his neck. In the Superheat, he was beaten to victory by Saarniala, who was hindered by bad qualifying earlier in the heats. The performance in the final race took a lot of planning and a great deal of self-confidence from the driver. Hong escaped his rivals with a stunning drive to take his first victory in RMC International Trophy Asia.
Young described the weekend lively: “We had Veerus on the phone every night, discussing potential strategies and setups. We had Kimber come up with the tyre pressure strategy for the final. I sent the engine to Italy weeks before the race to have the best package. I slept 15 hours across all 4 days. This was such a team effort!”
Hong: “We put more than 100% to my driving, setup, carb, strategy and tire management. I still remember day and night discussions with Veerus and Kimber for settings and strategy. Can’t describe the feeling, but we did it! A fantastic victory for the whole team, I’m grateful for the people who helped and supported me.”
