The SS600 category provided a spectacular finish to Race 2 at the Mandalika International Circuit, Indonesia, with Anupab Sarmoon of YAMAHA THAILAND RACING TEAM taking a brilliant victory in Round 4 of LFN FIM Asia Road Racing Championship 2026 after a last-lap incident completely altered the top three.
Race 2 in SS600 category at the Mandalika International Circuit during Round 4 of the LFN FIM Asia Road Racing Championship 2026. Anupab Sarmoon of YAMAHA THAILAND RACING TEAM secured a brilliant victory after a dramatic final-lap incident completely reshaped the podium.
At the start, Wahyu Nugroho of YAMAHA RACING INDONESIA took the early lead, but Mckinley Kyle Paz of HONG LEONG YAMAHA RACING quickly stole the spotlight. Launching from seventh on the grid, Mckinley surged forward to claim the top spot by the end of Lap 1. Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin of HONG LEONG YAMAHA RACING and Thanat Laoongplio of HONDA RACING THAILAND followed closely behind to keep the pressure high.
The lead changed hands frequently in the early stages. Wahyu reclaimed the front on Lap 4, setting a fast lap of 1’38.658s. However, Thanat responded immediately on Lap 5 with a 1’38.205s, taking the lead on Lap 6. Meanwhile, Anupab began his quiet but steady charge. After dropping to fifth early on, Anupab found his rhythm, dropping back-to-back fastest laps 1’38.074s and 1’37.929s to pull himself into second place behind Thanat by Lap 8.
On Lap 11, As Kasma made a decisive move to overtake Thanat for the lead, Thanat aggressively defended his line. Seizing the perfect opportunity, Anupab capitalized on their duel, slipping past both riders to take control of the race. Disaster struck on the final lap when Kasma and Thanat crashed out together, shaking up the championship standings.
Anupab crossed the finish line to take the win at 19’44.949s. Mckinley held steady to finish second at 19’45.242s, while Herjun Atna Firdaus of ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM completed the podium in third at 19’46.586s.
Anupab shared, “I want to express my deepest gratitude to my team and everyone who has supported me through the highs and lows. Today’s race was incredibly challenging right from the beginning of race. I didn’t get the best launch and ended up losing ground early on, slipping back into fifth. It was frustrating, but instead of panicking, I decided to stay calm, and study the situation.”
“I was in a leading group filled with exceptionally fast riders. The pace at the front was absolutely relentless, so I used the bulk of the race to learn their lines and adapt my own riding with every passing lap. When it came down to the final laps, I knew it was time to put everything on the line. The biggest takeaway from today is just how fantastic our overall package is. I am genuinely so happy, relieved, and proud of how everything came together. I cannot thank my team enough for making this unforgettable result possible.”
TOP 5 FASTEST – RACE 2
1. ANUPAB SARMOON – YAMAHA THAILAND RACING TEAM (19’44.949s)
2. MCKINLEY KYLE PAZ – HONG LEONG YAMAHA RACING (19’45.242s)
3. HERJUN ATNA FIRDAUS – ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM (19’46.586s)
4. WAHYU NUGROHO – YAMAHA RACING INDONESIA (19’46.638s)
5. MUHAMMAD HELMI AZMAN – IDEMITSU HONDA RACING MALAYSIA (19’46.939s)