“Of course, my dream is to embark on the same footsteps of my hero, Marc Marquez and to be the champion in MotoGP.”
He has carved successes in the world of motorsports but the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship is by far his first. Yet, he never failed to make waves each time he takes a stride. Haruki Noguchi of SDG Motor Sports HARC-PRO Ph. is the man of the hour in the Asia Superbike 1000cc category.
Undoubtedly, Haruki has flaunted upon a strong mastery in his riding techniques which not only gave him total control of his machine in every circuit but also a strong positioning in the game. Rewinding to the beginning of the season, Haruki was seen consistently fleeting ahead in a bolt with confidence.
The Nara, Japan born racer was romanticizing the idea of being on top of two-wheel machine since he was 5 years old. “My father raced minibikes and I usually followed him to the circuits to watch him race. Also, each time I watched the MotoGP on TV, it spiked my interest even more. Then, I decided to give it a go on the Terminator Kids when I was five.”
“To be honest, motorsport is not my only favourite sport as a child. I used to be tuned to the rhythm of tennis, baseball, table-tennis and basketball. Somehow, after trying some of these sports, my heart took a leap forward with speed and bikes. When I started my motorbike life, all I ever wanted was to do the “Knee Down” just like Marquez who inspired me with his graceful act. At that time, it seemed like he was crashing all the time yet he wasn’t. He locks the rear into every corner at nearly full lean and you might think, “How did he even get away with that?” That curiosity to learn more tickled my nerves and here I am today and I am confident that I will be there one day,” said Haruki, armed with confidence.
Haruki stormed into the world of motorsports professionally when he completed the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup in 2016 and the All Japan Road Race Championship in 2018. The 21-year-old lad made his first podium in 2017 at his home-ground, Suzuka. He said, “There was a lot of pressure in that race. I am good at the slow corners like in the Suzuka’s chicane. I passed my contender who was leading the Race 1 at Suzuka in 2017. At that time, I made the most perfect braking in my entire race career. So, I will always remember that time.”
He went on reminiscing, “Throughout my journey and to this very day, my family has been my biggest pillar of strength. My parents gifted me a motorbike and they supported with wholeheartedly. My father is a mechanic so he helps me on the maintenance of the machine while my mother takes care of my food intake and training routines. They have also managed all expenses for each race.”
The homester made Japan proud when he bagged victory in the both races of the ASB1000 category, Round 3 which was held at Sugo International Racing Course. Putting aside the advantage of home-ground, Haruki showcased control over machine and techniques of dominating the scene with fiery moves that left fans and spectators awed.
Commenting on his spectacular performances in Round 3, Haruki said, “Before Round 3 took place, I was four points behind Zaqhwan but after the race, I was overjoyed to have swapped places with him. I definitely would like to thank my team for working on the machine and finding the best setup for my machine. The machine was in extremely good condition and that was a major push towards my achievements.”
“For the next round, I am not very sure if I will be able to maintain my standing as it is the home-ground of my main contender and also Kasma Daniel who is up and coming. So, it is not going to be an easy race for sure. However, I have some pertinent data from Round 2 at Sepang. We hope that that would help us with the right setup for the machine. I intend to collect maximum points in every race from here onwards and if I can win the championship, it would be a big bonus,” said Haruki. Haruki currently leads the standing with a total of 124 points while Zaqhwan takes second with a total of 111 points. In third place, another Malaysian rider, Kasma Daniel Kasmayuddin with a total of 84 points.
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