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The 2016 Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup application period opens on July 1st and talented young riders are invited to apply for selection. Candidates from Asia, Australia and New Zealand are eligible for participation in what will be the third edition of the competition.

Potential entrants from Asia, Australia and New Zealand have from 1st July 2015 to 15th August 2015 to apply, to be involved in one of the most exciting race series in the world.

The Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup, launched in 2014, is designed to help bring through and develop the best young riding talent in the region, and act as a feeder series to the world of motorcycle racing. The 2016 project aims to give riders from Asia, Australia and New Zealand a formal path into competitive road racing, to help further their careers and skills.

Run by Dorna, the organizers of the MotoGP™ World Championship, the eni FIM Superbike World Championship and the FIM CEV Repsol, as well as co-organizer of the MotoGP Red Bull Rookies Cup, the competition provides a spotlight for the most talented young riders in the region to showcase their skills on identical machines.

Co-managed by successful talent scout Alberto Puig, responsible for nurturing such talents as Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa and leader of the successful MotoGP™ Academy, the competition will sees stars of the future participating in a multi-round series in 2016 again on Honda NSF250R Moto3™ bikes.

The most talented riders who make it through from the 2016 pre-selection event at the Sepang International Circuit from 20th-21st October 2015, before this year’s Malaysian MotoGP™ round, will race in the third edition of the Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup next year.

Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta commented: “We are delighted to be launching the third edition of the Cup, a project designed to identify and develop the best young Asian talent, and make the sport more accessible to future riders. Already we have seen how positive the impact of the Cup has been over its first two seasons, and thanks to the support from Shell and other sponsors, we believe that soon it will bear fruit on the World Championship stage. You just have to look at the competitiveness of the racing to see that we are working in the right direction.”

Andrew Hepher, Shell GM Marketing B2C, added: “Shell is at the forefront of innovation for lubricants in premier international motorcycle sport. By introducing new developments such as Shell Advance Ultra with PurePlus Technology – as used in the Asia Talent Cup - we are providing riders with the most technologically advanced engine lubricants, giving them the best tools to turn their potential into performance. The Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup shares this philosophy, seeking to develop, train and educate young riders from the rich talent pool that exists in Asia, giving them the best chance at the start of their racing careers to unlock their potential. Shell Advance is extremely proud of its commitment to this programme as it now enters the third season recruitment drive and continues the search to find the next talented crop of young riders and potential future world champions.”

Currently there are 22 young riders competing in the 2015 Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup, do not miss your opportunity to join them in 2016!

Riders born between 1st January 1995 and 1st February 2003 are eligible to apply, with the enrolment period for pre-selection running from 1st July 2015 to 15th August 2015.

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