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The first major tournament of the 2025 K-BOAT season, the SpeedOn Cup, concluded with Cho Sung-in (A1) securing a resounding victory. Making full use of the advantageous inside position in lane one, he executed a flawless Running the Inside move to take the win.
The tournament defied expectations from the outset. Many expected experienced riders Eo Sun-kyu (A1) and Kim Jong-min (A1), both in consistent form this year, to emerge as the frontrunners. With both having been placed in lane one in the heats, their mastery of the inside track led most to believe that they would reach the final with ease.
However, the results told a different story. In Race 14 on Wednesday the 16th, Eo made a rare mistake by failing to secure the critical first corner marker. Cho Sung-in and Lee Dong-jun (A1) seized the opportunity and slipped through to finish first and second respectively. Remarkably, third place went to Kim Eung-sun (A1), who had been assigned the unfavourable lane six. It was a shock to see one of the top picks fail to make the top three despite holding lane one.
Race 15 brought more surprises. Kim Jong-min, known for his clean starts, was disqualified for a false start from lane one – perhaps the result of over-eagerness. Sim Sang-chul (A1), who started from lane five, was also disqualified for a false start. This left Kim Min-jyun (A1), Kim Wan-suck (A1), and Kim Min-cheon (A1) through to the final.
Despite approaching the event with renewed determination, both Eo and Kim failed to reach the final, continuing their multi-year drought in major championship victories. Fellow competitor Joo Eun-seok (A1) also failed to qualify after finishing fourth in his heat, and Moon An-na (B2), the only female competitor in the field, was also eliminated.
The final, held as Race 15 on the 17th, featured Cho Sung-in, Kim Min-jyun, Lee Dong-jun, Kim Wan-suck, Kim Min-cheon, and Kim Eung-sun. Cho took control from the start. He held his line through the first corner and withstood a strong challenge from Kim Min-jyun in the second lane, who pushed hard with a powerful engine. Eventually, Cho defended his lead and crossed the line first. Kim Min-jyun settled for second, while Lee Dong-jun – making his debut in a major final – finished third.
Although Kim Wan-suck, Kim Min-cheon, and Kim Eung-sun all reached the final, they were unable to overcome their unfavourable lane assignments. Cho took home the KRW 10 million prize, Kim Min-jyun KRW 7 million for second place, and Lee Dong-jun KRW 5 million for third.
In the post-race interview, Cho said, "I had a rough start last year, but improved in the second half. This year, I struggled with inconsistent engine assignments early on, so this win means a lot. My goal is to win both the Wangjungwang Championship in the first half of the year and the Grand Prix later this year. I'll keep pushing to fulfil these expectations."
