Interview with Taiyo Aksu
Taiyo Aksu, 16, has been racing at the National level for the past two seasons, finishing third in both the ASBK Supersport 300 and Yamaha YZF R3 Cup categories in 2022 here.
During his few years at the ASBK training ground, Taiyo proved popular with his peers and always seemed to have a smile on his face and a cheerful disposition. It is those qualities, coupled with his speed on the track, that will surely give him the edge for his new challenge.
This year, Taiyo contracted with a team in Japan to race in the All-Japan Road Racing Championship, competing in the JP250 as part of Yamaha’s bLU cRU effort to outdo the best. of Honda in the championship. This category allows for much more extensive modification than is allowed in the ASBK Supersport 300 category. The JP250 has the same specifications as the AP250 category of the Asian Road Racing Championship where bicycles run. larger throttle body, better performance, free ECU option, improved cooling system and lighter aftermarket wheels.
We reached out to Taiyo this week to find out how he will continue this exciting new journey.
Trev: So how did the move to Japan go?
Taiyo Aksu: “Last year there was some talk about doing the Suzuka Four-Hour with a team here, and that team also participated in the All Japan Championship, and one of the scouts you can say, they did in Australia and come see me. in Morgan Park in 300 and thought I might be fit to do JP 250 on R3s. Yamaha is looking for a couple of riders that will come, nurture in Japan and take it from the grassroots level into an international race, I guess.”
Trev: Tell us about that category in Japan, it took place as part of the Japan Road Racing Championship, as a support class, how many participants did they have recently?
Taiyo Aksu: “I think the first round had 39 participants, so it was a pretty hectic field, but this year’s competition was tougher than ever, even in the first round we beat the pace. The record of the lap is about one second. So it was a shock.
Trev: Where is Round One?
Taiyo Aksu: “At Motegi.”
Trev: Nice lap, and where next?
Taiyo Aksu: “Sugo, next month the 20th [of May].”
Trev: I guess if the team was looking for drivers overseas, it would be a pretty good team, isn’t that a good sign? How professional were the teams there in that championship?
Taiyo Aksu: “They are the best, this team is Yamaha’s number one satellite team in the Superstock category, and this year they just started in JP250 as a Yamaha-backed team, which is a satellite team. different, but I’d say it’s one of the top teams in the competition, so I’m really excited to be where I am now.”
Trev: And you’re driving the YZF-R3 right?
Taiyo Aksu: “So the majority of the bikes here, especially in my class, are mostly Honda, this is a very competitive type of bike here, as you can see in the Asian Circuit championship. .
“Yamaha introduced the bLU cRU program in Japan and there are six riders that they are training through these satellite teams, so the bike is provided by Yamaha.
“We are all running the same ECU and they are taking all that data and analyzing what I guess. And the rider that Yamaha thinks is the fastest of the six riders will have the opportunity to go further in this program.
“So there’s a little bit – we’re racing alone with other Yamaha riders – but we’re also trying to win the JP250 championship.”
Trev: And how have you gone so far?
Taiyo Aksu: “The first round was a bit difficult, the first two days the team and I arranged the bikes, then the qualifying wasn’t too bad, we qualified in tenth, third place against the Yamahas.
“Then in the race, I got to fifth place for the first time, lost my place to a Honda in the back and then on the first corner another Yamaha hit the back of the bike. mine and put me on the sidelines, so I tore the AC joint in my right shoulder, so I’m still recovering after that, but will be back to cycling next week in Tsukuba.”
Trev: So this year you are living and working in Japan?
Taiyo Aksu: “So I actually moved out, no family with me, I’m living in a homestay, the rest of my family has moved back to Australia on the Gold Coast. I’m working six days a week, as my budget is tight, to help as much as I can.”
Trev: What are you doing for work?
Taiyo Aksu: “I work at a used car dealership, taking care of cars in detail and getting them clean and ready for the showroom floor.”
Trev: Do you have any family connections to Japan or anything like that?
Taiyo Aksu: “Yes, I am half Japanese, so my mother is Japanese and father is Turkish, but my mother’s family is here. They don’t know that I race, which is probably a good idea. It’s not that they’re trying to hide it from them, it’s that we don’t want to stress them more. They knew I was racing when I was a lot younger, when I was just starting out and they thought it was dangerous and kept asking me to stop. So we just told them I stopped, but I really didn’t.”
Trev: *Laughs* That’s funny. We miss your smiling faces around the ASBK paddock. All the best for the rest of the season, maybe we’ll meet again in the next round or two.
Taiyo Aksu: “Thanks Trevor.”
