The thrill of the SuperSports 600cc race category, apart from the carefully engineered machine which functions perfectly at full speed is the highly competitive riders who are never complacent. Andi Farid Izdihar of ASTRA HONDA Racing Team today showcased extreme prowess in his domain as he dashed towards victory in Race 2 at Chang International Circuit.
As soon as the race begun, Irfan made a strong move into the lead position. Not expecting the move by his rival, Kritchaporn went on to make his chase from P2. Andi Farid who lost his footing in the first lap landed in P4 however he was quick to make his recovery.
By the end of the third lap, the winner of Race 1 made his comeback into P1 while Kritchaporn battled with Nakarin who was eager to make his move. Meanwhile, Ratthapong was lurking close behind. By the end of the fifth lap, Ratthapong superseded Kritchaporn and took P3. Meanwhile, leading with a wide gap ahead, Andi was riding fearlessly.
Into the seventh lap, Ratthapong managed to slide ahead of Nakarin. Closing in behind the latter, Kritchaporn was waiting to strike. By then, Andi was fully in charge with a gap of 2.3s from his rival who was working very hard to close the gap.
Meanwhile, Helmi Azman who began from the tenth spot on the grid managed to pick up speed and moved into the front troop at P5. The Malaysian rider who was leading in the overall standings seemed to have grappled with his pace however he was determined to make his cut.
With one more lap to go, Ratthapong began picking up speed and succeeded in closing the gaps as he swiftly switched places with Andi. However, Andi was not about to give up. The ASTRA HONDA rider was quick to find the opportunity and at the last turn, he grabbed P1. Ratthapong lost control of his machine but made a quick move only to be defeated by Andi who dashed confidently to the finish line.
Andi clocked in at 21’49:924s consequently making him the Asian Champion of the SuperSports 600cc for year 2022.
Commenting on the race, “I don’t know what to say but first of all, I would like to thank my family for being my pillar and also the Indonesian fans who have supported me endlessly. I am grateful to my team who has been there to lift me up through my ups and downs. This season was challenging but they never gave up. Thank you.”
Ratthapong Wilairot of YAMAHA Thailand Racing Team logged in his best at 21’50:474s.
Kritchaporn Kaewsonthi of HONDA Racing Thailand took his first podium at the third spot with his best at 21’57:730s.