Kakeru Okunuki clinches Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Asia Pacific Championship at The Bend
There was joy for 17-year-old Kakeru Okunuki in South Australia, as he sealed the 2024 Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Asia Pacific Championship by taking a convincing victory in Race 1, while his closest rivals for the title didn’t make it to the podium. It was his fifth win of the season, and followed equally dominant performances in free practice and qualifying. His first error came when he crashed out of the lead in Race 2, which left spectators gripped by a thrilling battle between 13-year-old wildcard Hunter Corney and contenders for the number two spot in the standings.
Championships are rarely won easily, however, and served up plenty of challenges its 22 young hopefuls. Kakeru’s journey was one of the hardest, putting on display the grit, courage and persistence needed to triumph over the arc of a full season against some of the best young riders in Asia and Oceana. He had to overcome a nasty crash which broke his pelvis in Round 2, as well as superb performances from Australia’s Ryan Larkin, Thailand’s Tanakit Pratumtong and Sakchai Kongduangdee, and New Zealand’s Haydn Fordyce. So, the title was by no means a foregone conclusion when the series arrived in Australia. Kakeru handled the pressure with maturity, learned the circuit quickly and converted his first match point in Race 1 to become champion.
There had been a taste of racing in Europe too. Before the last round, the organizers sent Kakeru and Sakchai to Estoril for the bLU cRU European SuperFinale at Estoril, during the penultimate round of the World Superbike Championship. Kakeru acquitted himself particularly well, qualifying sixth and looking like a possible winner in Race 1, before being speared from behind and taken out by another rider. He recovered well to finish 10th in Race 2.
The big prize for the newly-minted champion is two seasons of full support to compete in the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU FIM World Cup, which is held in conjunction with the FIM Superbike World Championship. From there lies a path to World Supersport 300 and onwards to Superbikes.
Every rider in the championship has improved over the season, benefiting from coaching by top racers and data engineers. The Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Asia Pacific Championship has caught the attention of riders and team managers from all over the region and is set for another spectacular year in 2025.