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From Asia Road Racing (ARRC) to the Women's World Championship: this is the path taken by Chun Mei Liu, Taiwan's sole representative in the inaugural season of the FIM Women's Circuit Racing World Championship (WorldWCR).
An experienced rider as well as motorcycle mechanic and technician, the 42-year-old born in New Taipei City has accumulated experience in China and Japan between 2019 and 2023, competing against men in the ARRC. He also took part in the Taiwan Motorcycle Road Race Championship in 2021 and the Taiwan Superbike Series in 2022, achieving great success. However, it was on 50- and 125cc motorcycles that the current WT Racing Team Taiwan rider began racing, moving on to more powerful bikes, such as the Yamaha R3 and R7, as her experience grew.
"I ride every kind of bike I can get my hands on! MostlyI ride around Taiwan, because it's a small island and it's easy to get around," she commented . "I do motocross for training, but I've never raced competitively on dirt because there are no organized motocross races in Taiwan. I don't think I will ever run a motocross race competitively because I don't have the level to do it."
Speaking about her first experiences on motorcycles, Liu related, "I first started riding when I was 17 years old and the Yamaha Cygnus was my first bike. I immediately felt excited and thought about being able to ride long distances. I also played basketball, tennis and badminton when I was younger, but it was motorcycles that I was most into. This has always been my passion and something that's in my blood. Compared to other sports, motorcycle racing is the only one I can be truly focused in and concentrate on.”
A sport that is beginning to gain popularity in Taiwan, thanks in part to the 42-year-old's example.
"We don’t have so many tracks for racing like in Europe. Even compared to China or Japan, we’ve only got three or four motorcycle tracks. It’s still hard for people here, the fans, to get into contact with motorcycle races," she explained, "I feel like I’ve made a good contribution to motorcycle racing in Taiwan, because I was really the only one to go overseas for so many races and represent Taiwan. So now my fans and most fans of motorcycle racing in Taiwan have got to know how racing works because of me."
The presence of increasingly powerful motorcycles on his country's roads is also definitely helping to bring motorcyclists closer to the world of racing.
"Motorcycles are a popular means of transportation in Taiwan, not everyone has a car but most people, both men and women, have a motorcycle. Maybe a 50 or 125cc one ," she commented, " Now the interest in the sport is increasing because there are more people interested and there are more powerful motorcycles around. In the past, larger displacement motorcycles were more limited, but now more people are riding bikes of 500cc or more, so it is developing."
Asian motorcycling, however, remains very different from what the rider is experiencing in Europe.
"Racing in Asia is almost like you are at school, but not yet at university. In Europe it’s like you get the racing qualifications so you get into university! With WorldWCR, once you land there the weekend schedule is pretty tight and it’s a mindset of ‘you have to get ready for competitive racing’. With ARRC it feels like you have more time to prepare, you have time to go through free practices and correct your mistakes, whereas I feel like riding in WorldWCR in Europe you just have to be ready," she commented, finding several differences at the paddock level as well: "I made friends right away with members of other teams and they are really nice. I found it completely different from the ARRC, where relationships between riders can be a bit more strained because of the competitiveness. I was always in contact with the same riders in the same teams, so it was harder to make friends in the Asian championship. I hope one day the WorldWCR will come to Asia. I like Misano and the tracks in Spain. I am looking forward to racing the last round in Jerez."
As with the other protagonists in the championship, being able to represent their country in the Women's WorldWCR is a great honor for Liu.
"It means a lot to me because it's what I looked for growing up. I am really grateful for the opportunity to participate in the WorldWCR, it is an amazing experience. I can take this experience with me and share it with people, explaining to other Taiwanese motorcyclists what it's like to race in Europe," she pointed out. "This is definitely one of the most significant milestones in Taiwanese motorsport history. I can encourage and inspire more people of the next generation to participate in the sport and pursue their dreams. The WorldWCR has great potential for drivers all over the World."
Speaking about the figures who have had an important influence on her career, the 42-year-old revealed, "My manager and coach is really the person who has taught me the most in racing. Whenever I make a mistake in training, he doesn't go easy on me! This is one of the reasons I grew up in the sport. He has made me one of the best drivers in Taiwan. In fact, he is my manager, my coach and my mechanic! We have been working together for 23 years."
Turning instead to her role models, two are her all-time favorite riders.
"Casey Stoner in his prime was just riding the Ducati so well. He had some pretty unique skills and he was one of those top, top racers you can learn from," she pointed out. "Of the current riders it’s Marc Marquez. At his best he was unbelievable, he was at the top of his game for a long time. When he’s had crashes and injuries, after his recovery and rehabilitation it’s amazing that he is still one of the very best riders in the world. That’s what makes him so special."
Automatic Translation by DeepL
