Round 4 of the IDEMITSU FIM Asia Road Racing Championship roared into action today at the Mandalika International Circuit, Indonesia, where the ASB1000 class delivered an electrifying start. Across three practice sessions, the battle for supremacy was fierce, with lap times tumbling as riders adapted quickly to the technical 4.31km track.
It was Apiwath Wongthananon of A1 ENERGY BMW RACING TEAM who emerged as the fastest overall, setting a blistering 1’35.592s in Practice 3. His commanding pace placed him just 0.026s ahead of Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah of JDT RACING TEAM, who pushed hard throughout the day and clocked his best at 1’35.618s.
Adding to the intensity, young Australian sensation Cameron Dunker of MOTOGO YAMAHA RACING TEAM stormed into the top 3 with a remarkable 1’35.743s, showcasing his rapid adaptation to the premier class. Nakarin Atiratphuvapat of HONDA RACING THAILAND stayed consistent across sessions to secure fourth with 1’35.772s, while experienced campaigner Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman of A1 ENERGY BMW RACING TEAM completed the top 5 at 1’35.874s.
Apiwath shared, “Today was a good day for me. At the start of Practice 1, I went out with new tyres and a new compound to learn the track. Midway through the session, I had a problem with the ECU, but we got the information we needed for Practice 2. In Practice 2, I used the main setup that was similar to Japan and finished in P5. I also tried the new tyre with the hard compound, and it gave me a good feeling. In Practice 3, I pushed a little more and managed to take P1. Overall, today everything was good for me.”
With less than three tenths of a second separating the top 5, the ASB1000 category is primed for a thrilling qualifying showdown tomorrow.
TOP 5 FASTEST – PRACTICE (COMBINED)
- APIWATH WONGTHANANON – A1 ENERGY BMW RACING TEAM (1’35.592s)
- HAFIZH SYAHRIN ABDULLAH – JDT RACING TEAM (1’35.618s)
- CAMERON DUNKER – MOTOGO YAMAHA RACING TEAM (1’35.743s)
- NAKARIN ATIRATPHUVAPAT – HONDA RACING THAILAND (1’35.772s)
- AZLAN SHAH KAMARUZAMAN – A1 ENERGY BMW RACING TEAM (1’35.874s)