It’s season 25 for the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship in 2020. What began as a 3-round event concentrated in South East Asia, has now straddled the entire Asian continent.
As we set the stage for the future of Asian motorcycle racing, here are some interesting facts, figures and trivia from the first 25 years.
The Asian series has logged 642 races in 10 host countries at 16 different race tracks, altogether chalking up a whopping 7,722 laps and 31,225 kilometers of racing. In total, 1,079 riders and 554 racing teams from 28 countries have participated in the ARRC since 1996.
Of the 642 races, 172 had been held in Malaysia, split between the Sepang International Circuit, the Johor Circuit and the now defunct Batu Tiga Circuit in Shah Alam. Indonesia’s Sentul Circuit came a close second with 133 races followed by 108 races in Thailand.
With Malaysia leading the list as the host country with the highest number of races, it is only natural that the Malaysian riders top the list of entries over the past 25 years.
No. of Races by Host Country:
| 1 | Malaysia | 314 |
| 2 | Indonesia | 222 |
| 3 | Japan | 152 |
| 4 | Thailand | 109 |
| 5 | Australia | 49 |
| 6 | Hong Kong | 32 |
| 7 | India | 32 |
| 8 | Philippines | 28 |
| 9 | Singapore | 25 |
| 10 | China | 24 |
Malaysian riders has also scored the highest number of race wins, leading the list by 181 wins, a success rate of 58%. Most impressive are the Japanese riders who chalked up an impressive 96% success rate while Indonesian riders jumped into the top three with a 64% conversion.
No. of Race Wins by Nationality:
| No | Country | Wins |
| 1 | Malaysia | 181 |
| 2 | Japan | 146 |
| 3 | Indonesia | 141 |
| 4 | Thailand | 106 |
| 5 | Australia | 12 |
In looking through the statistics accumulated over the course of 25 years, two riders in particular, stand out.
TOSHIYUKI HAMAGUCHI
Most titles: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008 SS600 Champion
Most wins: 38 wins
Most poles: 19 pole
Most double wins: 13 double wins
AZLAN SHAH KAMARUZAMAN
Most starts: 135 starts
Most Podiums: 72 podiums
Most Points: 1,782 points
THANK YOU
Finally, the staff and management of Two Wheels Motor Racing Sdn Bhd would like to say a big thank you to everyone who had been and continues to be a part of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship.
To the FIM Asia, thank you for your continued trust and mandate. We also thank the individual country federations (FMN) for their continued cooperation.
To our long-time partner Dunlop, Asian riders are where they are today thanks to your support.
We would like to thank the motorcycle manufacturers as well as our many corporate partners who have played a crucial role in the development of Asian riders.
We are also grateful to our circuit partners and we hope to be able to continue working together towards the future.
Not forgetting our friends from the media who had believed in this championship since Day 1, along with the millions of passionate Asian motorsports fans.
Most of all, we thank the Asian teams and riders. Without you, there will be no FIM Asia Road Racing Championship.