Kato secures 2025 Asian Buggy Championships

Infinity’s Kouki Kato has been crowned the Nitro Buggy Champion for the 2025 Team Cayote Asian Buggy Championships.  With the final of the four-round championship, which was due to take place last weekend, called off due to civil unrest in Indonesia, Kato’s Championship was based on the best two from three completed rounds, the Japanese star backing up his popular win at the Philippine Masters with a second placed finish at the rain impacted third round of the series at Pine Hills Dirt Racing in Australia.  The series had earlier opened at the popular Counties RC in New Zealand.  A win at that Pine Hills round was enough to promote Australia’s Alex Bernadzik (Team Associated) to second in the series, with compatriot Caleb Noble (Tekno) wrapping the top three overall, just one point clear of Finland’s Pekko Iivonen (Mayako), with Pekko’s Australian team-mate Jayden Edmunds, winner at the opening round at Counties RC in New Zealand, a close-up fifth.

In eBuggy, Bernadzik did enough across his two appearances (Philippines and Australia) to secure the championship for Team Associated, a solitary point separating he and Mayako’s Pekko Iivonen.  Kiwi HB pilot Logan Toia wrapped up the overall podium, a tie-break getting him clear of Caleb Noble (Tekno), with Japanese superstar Atsushi Hara fifth for the series with his Sworkz ride.  The Masters/45+ Nitro category is the other category in which Asian Buggy Championship series points are awarded, and Australian veteran Ben Panic, a strong supporter of the series, takes top spot for Team Associated, making it two years running for Panic.  It was a single-point win over long-time Australian rival Darren Perry (Tekno), while for the first time a tie for third could not be split – Philippines Ralph Lorenzo and Australia’s Paul Mason tied, with Aussie Darren Cains round out the top five.  Planning is underway for the 2026 Asian Buggy Championship series, with venues and dates to be announced later this year.

2025 Asian Buggy Championships Fast Facts
– 234 drivers in Nitro Buggy across the three rounds
– 164 drivers in EP Buggy
– 92 drivers in Masters Nitro

Defending (2024) Champions:
Nitro: Christian Wolhuter
EP: Christian Wolhuter
Masters Nitro: Ben Panic

Nitro Buggy Round Winners:
Round 1: Jayden Edmunds
Round 2: Kouki Kato
Round 3: Alex Bernadzik

EP Buggy Round Winners:
Round 1: Kyle McBride
Round 2: Davide Ongaro
Round 3: Kouki Kato

Masters Round Winners:
Round 1: Darren Perry
Round 2: Tony Jeon
Round 3: Ben Panic

Source: Asian Buggy Championships [asianbuggychamps.com]