In the weeks leading up to Round 5 of the 2019 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship at the Zhuhai International Circuit, news began to circulate that rising Chinese star Wang Yi Bo will be taking part in the ZIC Motorbike Race, a support event for the race weekend.
Wang, 22, is a Chinese actor and singer, as well as a member of the South Korean-Chinese boyband UNIQ. His latest work was popular costume drama, The Untamed.
The Asia Road Racing Championship had the opportunity to have a few words with Wang.
Wang Yi-Bo: I had an artiste friend who liked racing very much. That was how I got interested in this sport.
Despite being relatively new to the sport, Wang put up a creditable performance in the Zhuhai Motorbike Race. He was consistently second in the practice sessions and qualified to start both Race 1 and Race 2 on front row.
Wang Yi Bo: I have only participated in 1 race prior to this. That was in Beijing. Other than that, usually I just practice with the team. Learning to race is a lot harder than learning to act. Because here, I have to overcome fear. Luckily, I had a good teacher.
The 22-year-old star, equipped with a Man Lee Tat Yamaha, finished first in his category in both Race 1 and Race 2.
Wang Yi Bo: My fans are very supportive of my racing interests. They will usually come to lend their support – many will wear blue and green. Blue for Yamaha; and green because it is my favourite colour.
And arrived they did. Fans from as far away as Beijing and Hangzhou flew to Zhuhai in the southern tip of China to form a vocal band of supporters every time Wang went out on the tarmac.