A late-session charge from Thailand’s Anupab Sarmoon saw the Yamaha Thailand Racing Team rider snatch top honours in the SS600 combined practice standings as Round 3 of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) 2026 happened at Mobility Resort Motegi, Japan on Friday.
Separated by just 0.202 seconds, Anupab set a blistering 1’53.882s in Practice 3 to leapfrog local favourite Hikari Okubo and Malaysian star Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin of Hong Leong Yamaha Racing in one of the closest practice battles.
The day began with Kasma setting the pace in Practice 1. Kasma laid down an early marker with a lap of 1’54.084s, leading a tightly packed field that featured Okubo, Anupab, Herjun Atna Firdaus and Khairul Idham Pawi all within a second of the benchmark time. The Malaysian also showcased impressive straight-line speed, reaching 248.848kph around the fast and flowing Motegi circuit.
However, conditions changed in Practice 2 as weather changed to rain condition, forcing riders to adapt quickly. Anupab proved master of the wet conditions, topping the session with a commanding 2’11.207s while rivals struggled to match his pace. Thailand continued to shine with Thanat Laoongplio of HONDA RACING THAILAND securing second, while Md Izam Ikmal of VICTOR RACING TEAM and Muhammad Faerozi Toreqottullah of YAMAHA RACING INDONESIA also featured prominently.
Track drying once again for Practice 3 saw the battle back into life. Home hero Okubo looked set to delight the Japanese fans after producing a stunning 1’53.952s. But Anupab responded with the fastest lap of the day, edging ahead by a mere 0.070s to secure the top spot in the combined standings.
Kasma remained firmly in contention, finishing third overall and just 0.202s adrift of the benchmark, ensuring the fight for pole position remains wide open heading into qualifying.
Behind the leading trio, Indonesia’s Herjun Atna Firdaus of ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM continued his impressive form in fourth, while Khairul Idham Pawi of IDEMITSU HONDA RACING MALAYSIA rounded out the top five after consistently featuring among the frontrunners throughout all three sessions.
Anupab said, “Today I felt really comfortable with the bike. We made some important changes, including fitting a new rear suspension and making further adjustments to the front suspension settings. In Practice 3, I was able to finish in P1, and I had a very good feeling with the bike throughout the session. We will review the data with the team, but at the moment we are planning to keep this setup for tomorrow. I expect the Japanese riders to be very strong and capable of maintaining a fast pace at their home circuit. My plan is to stay with the leading group, manage my race pace carefully, and then try to make my move in the closing stages. If everything goes according to plan, I hope to break away in the final laps and fight for the best possible result.”
TOP 5 FASTEST – COMBINED PRACTICE
1. ANUPAB SARMOON – YAMAHA THAILAND RACING TEAM (1’53.882s)
2. HIKARI OKUBO – SANWA RACING TEAM (1’53.952s)
3. KASMA DANIEL KASMAYUDIN – HONG LEONG YAMAHA RACING (1’54.084s)
4. HERJUN ATNA FIRDAUS – ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM (1’54.631s)
5. KHAIRUL IDHAM PAWI – IDEMITSU HONDA RACING MALAYSIA (1’54.699s)