YAMAHA Racing Team ASEAN’s Broc Parkes has positioned himself as the pace-setter in the new ASB1000 class. The Australian rider with seven years worth of racing experience astride the Yamaha R1 went quickest in the first day of pre-season test with 2’06.937s.
Parkes’s time was half a second quicker than that of his closest competitor, Malaysian rider Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman who posted 2’07.537s. Azlan has moved from the Kawasaki camp to Malaysian team ONEXOX TKKR SAG Racing Team this season and will be competing in the ASB1000 class with a BMW S1000 RR.
KAWASAKI Thailand Racing Team’s Thitipong Warokorn also lived up to his top billings by posting third with 2’07.825s.
Parkes’s team mate, Yuki Ito, came home with the fourth fastest time 2’08.227s while YAMAHA Thailand Racing Team’s Apiwat Wongthananon clocked fifth fastest with 2’08.995s.
Amirul Hafiq Azmi, Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi, Ahmad Yudhistira, Chaiwichit Nisakul and Ratthapong Wilairot rounded up the top 10.
Meanwhile, newcomer to the championship, TJ Alberto from the Philippines and his Swiss team mate Jonathan Serrapica spent the first day running in their brand new Ducati Panigale V4 R. The Access Plus Racing DUCATI Philippines Essenza Team riders logged 2’11.070s and 2’16.692s.