EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD racing protégé Ralph Kenneth Torres proved his mettle at the KTM RC Cup Asia held recently at the Sepang International Circuit despite his absence in the first round of the race.
The Philippines’ first sponsored rider to the prestigious competition, Torres figured strongly after competing against riders from Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, China, and Thailand.
The KTM RC Cup Asia has two class categories where contenders competed in two races for the second of five rounds of the cup held at the 5.543-km Sepang Circuit, putting premium focus on the KTM “Orange” class category, which aims to encourage and empower emerging young talent into becoming future world champions. Torres, who competed at the Orange Class category for the first time, faced no easy feat considering his unfamiliarity with the track and limited practice time.
Starting in fifth position in the grid in Race 1, Torres accelerated to an early lead against top contenders Ibrahim Norrodin, Ahmad Idham Khairuddin, and Izam Ikmal Izamli.
Clocking in the best Race 1 lap time of 2:35.218, Torres placed fifth in the standings after two rounds, eventually ranking ninth over-all among the 26 competing young riders in the two categories of the cup—a remarkable achievement given his absence in the first round of the race.
“It was a great weekend for me and for my team for having a podium [finish] for both races, especially since it’s only my first race in the KTM RC Cup Asia,” shared Torres in a Facebook post immediately following the race.
The KTM RC Cup, which is being staged in the Asia region for the first time, has been held across Europe and United States to showcase and exploit the capabilities of the KTM RC 390 sports motorcycles, which is known for its speed, agility, and spectacular handling. The Orange class is open to riders aged 14 to 22 using the same bike but without any modifications.