On Wednesday, Indonesia's motorsports federation used its 120-year awards ceremony to signal a strategic shift: from celebrating champions to building motorsports as an engine for regional economic growth. About 300 athletes and industry figures gathered at The Tribrata Dharmawangsa in Jakarta to receive honors from the Ikatan Motor Indonesia (IMI), but the evening's real agenda extended beyond the stage.
Youth and Sports Minister Erick Thohir delivered the challenge directly. Motorsports, he said, must start generating real regional economic growth. He pointed to Mandalika Circuit as proof: since 2022, the MotoGP races held there have funneled trillions of rupiah into surrounding areas while developing local racing talent. "Every country competes for economic growth," Thohir said. "I'm pleased when IMI can help build sport tourism and the motorsports industry."
IMI Chair Moreno Soeprapto sharpened the goal. "We don't just want to create racers," he said. "We want to create automotive entrepreneurs." He framed the evening as more than a ceremony. "IMI Awards 2025 is not just about handing out trophies. It honors everyone in the automotive field. Over 120 years, IMI has been part of Indonesia's long journey in the auto world."
What makes the 120th edition different?
This edition broke from tradition. The awards ceremony became a platform for ecosystem consolidation, bringing together athletes, industry, government, and sponsors with a shared agenda. The goal shifted motorsports from a budget drain to a growth sector. The attendance of the Youth and Sports Minister and repeated references to Mandalika signaled that this ambition now had policy backing.
Scale of awards and highlighted names
The evening honored winners across more than 20 motorsports categories: karting, Mini GP, slalom, drifting, aquabike, rally, sprint rally, city rally, ITCR, MotoPrix, Mandalika Racing Series, speed offroad, adventure offroad, drag racing, motocross, and grasstrack. About 1,000 guests attended from government, industry, athletes, communities, sponsors, and media. The event split into two sessions: an Awarding Session during the day and a Gala Night featuring lifetime achievement awards and a T-Five performance.
Among hundreds of recipients, Rofbell Ardante drew particular attention. The driver, known as Obell, won recognition for his 2025 Drift Pro 2 national championship. "I'm very grateful to receive this award," he said. "Many have supported me, from my family to my entire ASC Monster Drift team." Sean Gelael and Avila Bahar were also on the recipients list.
Tb. Lukman Djajadikusuma, secretary general of KONI (Indonesia's national sports coordinating body), represented the organization's chair, Marciano Norman. He praised IMI's focus on athlete achievement and noted that motorsports holds significant economic potential for Indonesia.
The Mandalika model and unanswered questions
The evening's most powerful argument was Mandalika Circuit. Since 2022, the MotoGP races held there proved that international racing events spark regional growth: hotels filled, transport services thrived, technical jobs opened, and local small businesses moved. But key questions remained unanswered. Which regional racing calendars would be strengthened? Who would fund Soeprapto's promised program to develop automotive entrepreneurs? Was there a concrete pathway for regional athletes like Obell to reach international stages? Djajadikusuma appreciated the potential but made no specific commitments.
The real test will come at the regional circuits where most of the 300 honorees train every week, far from Jakarta's stage.
