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#asiapower AT THE SUZUKA 8 HOURS

40th Suzuka 8-Hour Endurance Road Race /

  Five rounds in each season of the Endurance World Championship calendar – Bol D’or, Le Mans 24 hours, 8 hours of Oschersleben, 8 hours of Slovakia Ring, and the Suzuka 8hours. Of the five, the Suzuka leg of the championship often carried a vibe of its own. As the backyard to all the Japanese motorcycle manufacturers, the Suzuka 8 hours is where they pull out all the stops. 2017 marks the 40th anniversary of this iconic race. Fittingly, Suzuka will be the grand finale of the 2016-2017 season of the EWC. This year’s meet has attracted a host of racing superstars, including a large number of top Asian riders. Below are the list of current and former Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) riders who will be taking part in the Suzuka 4 hour and 8 hour Endurance: Suzuka 4 Hours The Suzuka 4 Hours, which takes place on Saturday morning, is the 600cc version of the 8 hours. The 4 Hours is split into two classes – International and National.             Suzuka 8 Hours The Suzuka 8 hours also contains two sub-categories – the Endurance World Championship class (EWC) and the SuperStock class (SST). These lists are based on entry list published on July 16, 2017. Riders in bold are current or former ARRC riders. Watch this space for further updates!  

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ANNOUNCEMENT: CHANGE OF DATE AND VENUE FOR ROUND 5

2017, Latest News /

There has been a slight change to the 2017 calendar, specifically pertaining to the Indian leg of the series (Round 5). The FIM Asia Road Racing Championship would like to announce that Round 5 will be held at the Madras Motor Race Track in Chennai from September 22 to 24, 2017. Originally slated to be held again at the Buddh Circuit in New Delhi, the venue is not available due to circumstances outside of the championship’s control. The latest calendar is now as follows: 2017 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship Race Calendar Round 1 – April 1 & 2, 2017 – Johor Circuit, Malaysia Round 2 – April 14 & 15, 2017 – Chang International Circuit, Thailand Round 3 – June 3 & 4, 2017 – Suzuka Circuit, Japan Round 4 – August 12 & 13, 2017 – Sentul Circuit, Indonesia Round 5 – September 23 & 24, 2017 – Madras Motor Race Track, India Round 6 – December 2 & 3, 2017 – Chang International Circuit, Thailand

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STRONG COMEBACK FROM WEST; BUT KAGAYAMA STEALS THE SPOTLIGHT

2017, 2017 Round3, Latest News, Supersports 600 /

A controversial second round in Thailand behind him, Australian rider Anthony West made a strong comeback into the SuperSports 600cc class of the 2017 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship when he bagged a double win at the Suzuka Circuit in Japan. The Akeno Speed rider put in a smart performance throughout the 13-lap race. A slow start placed him squarely in the middle of the chasing swarm but the experienced rider took his time as he picked one competitor off after another. The race pace heated up on Lap 4 when West arrived at the sharp end of the pack. The lead changed hands several times but on Lap 11, West was able to create a small gap at the front while Japanese compatriots Yuki Ito and Taiga Hada were engrossed with fighting for P2. The Australian rider finally crossed the finish line with a time of 28’56.621s to clinch a double victory at the Suzuka Circuit.  Yamaha Racing’s Yuki Ito had been strong throughout the Suzuka weekend, consistently making it to the front end of the timesheets. However, Ito was unable to hold back West’s progress in both races, and eventually settled for a double podium in second place with 28’56.985s. However, it was Yukio Kagayama who really stole the limelight in the second race. He entered as a wildcard entry, but none of the riders had ever discounted his abilities to score big. In Race 2, Kagayama lived up to his top billings with a stunning performance that saw him go from 10th on the grid to third at the flag. Kagayama popped up among the top five on Lap 9. His superior experience and race craft was clearly evident as he finessed his way around the difficult Suzuka Circuit. While Ito and young Japanese rider Taiga Hada tried to put up a spirited defense, Kagayama outwitted the younger riders at the last chicane when he nipped into third place and raced to the chequered flag with a time of 28’57.588s. Taiga Hada was relegated to fourth, followed by Chalermpol Polamai in fifth. Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi finished sixth, one spot ahead of polesitter Ikuhiro Enokido. AP Honda Racing duo Tatsuya Yamaguchi and Ratthapong Wilairot occupied eighth and ninth spots respectively. Meanwhile, Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman whose performance clearly suffered due to his injured hand, finished 10th, enough to keep him at the top of the championship standings with a total of 102 points. Yuki Ito climbed to second overall position with 83 points followed by MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda’s Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi third with 80 points. Team Manual Tech KYT Kawasaki Racing continues to hold down the fort at the top of the team standings with 102 points. Title defenders MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda is now ranked second with 88 points and team RAMA Honda by NTS T.Pro Ten 10 third with 84 points.

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DOUBLE WIN FOR GERRY SALIM

2017, 2017 Round3, Asia Production 250, Latest News /

Gerry Salim’s decision to stay focused on his title chase in the Asia Production 250cc class paid off in a big way at Round 3 in the Suzuka Circuit. After a convincing win in Round 1, Gerry followed up with a double victory to cap off a successful weekend. Race 2 of the Asia Production 250cc class sped off with Gerry in the holeshot. This time, Takehiro Yamamoto made an early bid for the lead. This time, there was no waiting around for the final lap. Gerry and Yamamoto went at it tongs and hammers fighting for the lead at every single corner. On Lap 4, Rheza Danica Ahrens, team mate of Gerry Salim, snuck into the fray and turned the fight into a three-way battle. Behind the group, Yamaha Thailand’s Anupab Sarmoon rode the wheels off his R25 trying to keep pace with the speedier Hondas. The battle went right down to the wire with five riders neck-to-neck at the final chicane. Rheza out-braked himself and crashed heavily at the last corner, inadvertently taking out Yamamoto with him. Gerry gunned the throttle to his second double victory with a time of 19’58.335s, 0.709s ahead of the rest of the field. With Yamamoto and Rheza out of the picture, Anupab Sarmoon celebrated his fifth podium finish of the season in second place with 19’59.044s. Team RAMA Honda’s Tomoyoshi Koyama finished third with 19’59.074s. After Round 3, Gerry has successfully extended his lead at the top of the standings, holding 125 points against Takehiro Yamamoto who is second overall with 105 points. Anupab Sarmoon, who has been consistent throughout the first half of the 2017 season, is third overall with 92 points. Gerry’s win also translated to continued domination for team Astra Honda Racing. The Indonesian factory race outfit leads the team title chase with 145 points. Team Sidrap Honda Ikazuchi is second with 105 points and Yamaha Thailand Racing third with 92 points.

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SCK 1-2 AT THE FRONT OF AN ALL-MALAYSIAN UNDERBONE PODIUM

2017, 2017 Round3, Latest News, Underbone 150 /

Malaysian duo Fakhrusy Syakirin Rostam and Mohd Muzakkir Mohamed triumphed in a dramatic Underbone 150cc Race 2, bringing home a much needed boost for team SCK Rapido Hi-Rev Honda Racing. The 6-lap Underbone 150cc race got off with championship leader Wahyu Aji Trilaksana at the helm. The Indonesian Yamaha rider raced at a conservative pace in the first part of the race. With an extra second in his pocket, Wahyu could afford to pace himself while his chief rival Mohd Akid Aziz tried desperately to gain the upper hand. On Lap 3, Wahyu made an attempt to break away, but was quickly reeled back in by the charging horde. At the last lap, Akid had the reins in his hands, while Wahyu found himself sandwiched between the two SCK riders. As the swarm flew down the back straight, Wahyu pushed beyond his limits in an effort to gain some leverage at the final chicane. Unfortunately, Wahyu was unable to fully control his bike and crashed heavily at the entrance of the chicane, taking Akid Aziz out with him. Fakhrusy and Muzakkir narrowly avoided the same catastrophe. Fakhrusy had almost lost control, but made an impressive save and continued racing towards the finish line in first place with 16’03.866s. Muzakkir scored his first ARRC podium in second place with 16’03.940s and Mohd Haziq Mohd Fairues completed the all-Malaysian podium in third place with 16’04.649s. Both Wahyu and Akid were able to get back on their bikes in time to finish within the top 10. Akid finished eighth, and earned enough points to stay at the head of the title hunt with 93 points. The unfortunate Wahyu finished the race in seventh but is still second on the standings with 79 points. Haziq is third with 73 points.

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WEST WINS RACE 1 AT SUZUKA

2017, 2017 Round3, Latest News, Supersports 600 /

Australian GP rider Anthony West won the SuperSports 600cc Race 1 at the Suzuka Circuit, host to the third leg of the 2017 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. After a dramatic morning of qualifying practices, the 600cc race finally took off with wildcard rider Ikuhiro Enokido as pole sitter. Malaysian ace, Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman injured himself during the qualifying session but still made it to the grid with a heavily bandaged hand. Azlan sped to the holeshot at the start of the 600cc race, but soon lost his position as the pain from his injury hampered his performance. Yamaha Racing’s Yuki Ito stole most of the limelight as he led the 19-rider grid for 10 straight laps. Behind Ito, West clawed his way up to the leading group, eventually putting his yellow Akeno bike right on Ito’s tail. The Australian made a decisive move on Lap 11 and led a train of four to the chequered flag with a time of 28’56.056s. Yuki Ito finished second with 28’56.140s while Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi claimed the final spot on the podium with 28’57.346s. Azlan still managed a creditable fourth place finishing, and extends his championship lead to 96 points. Zaqhwan ranked second after Race 1 with 70 points followed by Taiga Hada third with 65 points. Further down the field, poleman Enokido finally ended the race in fifth place. The remaining five places in the top ten were taken up by the home Japanese riders with Taiga Hada in sixth; Noriyuki Haga in seventh after popping up to second for a short while at the start of the race; Yukio Kagayama eighth, Tatsuya Yamaguchi ninth and Keisuke Maeda tenth. Yamaha Thailand Racing’s Chalermpol Polamai was on course for a podium position until an unfortunate last-lap incident with Ratthapong Wilairot sent him sprawling into the gravel. Ratthapong was disqualified for having caused the accident.

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GERRY BACK ON TOP

2017, 2017 Round3, Asia Production 250, Latest News /

The frustrations of sitting out Race 2 at Buriram behind him, Indonesian rider Gerry Salim came back in a big way with an uncontested win at Race 1 of Round 3 in Suzuka. The Astra Honda Racing rider was the star of a dramatic qualifying when he clinched the pole position at the very last minutes of the session. Starting from pole position, Gerry easily captured the holeshot and went on to lead the 8-lap race. The first five laps were particularly intense as Gerry fought off persistent attacks from Takehiro Yamamoto and Tomoyoshi Koyama. The young Indonesian tried to pull away on Lap 5 but was soon reeled back in again. The battle continued neck-to-neck up to the chequered flag. Gerry bagged his fourth win of the season with 20’01.909s and was escorted up the podium by Yamamoto in second place with 20’01.978s and Tomoyoshi Koyama third with 20’02.415s. Gerry’s team mate, Rheza Danica Ahrens again lived up to his top billings by finishing fourth. Racing astride the new model CBR250RR, AP Honda Racing Thailand’s Muklada Sarapuech completed the Suzuka race in fifth place. Andy Muhammad Fadly astride the sole factory Kawasaki on the 250cc grid finished sixth ahead of Vorapong Malahuan, Soichiro Minamimoto, Rey Ratukore and Ashin Sanjaya who completed the top ten. Gerry now holds 100 points at the top of the standings. Yamamoto was second with 94 points and Rheza Danica Ahrens third overall with 73 points.

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BACK-TO-BACK WIN FOR WAHYU

2017, 2017 Round3, Latest News, Underbone 150 /

Yamaha Racing Indonesia’s Wahyu Aji Trilaksana seems unstoppable now that he has found his rhythm. Qualifying for pole position with a full second ahead of his closest competitors, Wahyu looked like a shoo-in for the top spot of the podium in Race 1. The Indonesian rider rocketed off to a strong start with Malaysian riders Mohd Akid Aziz and Fakhrusy Syakirin Rostam hot on his tail. The more experienced Wahyu allowed Fakhrusy to overtake on Lap 2, only to watch as the SCK rider dive in too deep at the chicane and crash out of the race. Akid Aziz took a turn at the front on Lap 3 before Wahyu reclaimed his position. Wahyu grabbed his second back-to-back victory with a time of 16’05.294s. Malaysian team mates Mohd Akid Aziz and Mohd Haziq Mohd Fairues of team UMA Racing Yamaha Maju Motor picked up second and third places respectively. Anggi Setiawan and Mohd Adib Rosley completed the top five.  Wahyu, the defending champion in the Underbone category, has narrowed the gap against Akid on the championship ladder. The Malaysian rider still leads with 85 points but Wahyu is now only 15 points shy, with 70 points in the bag. Mohd Izzat Zaidi is third overall with 61 points.

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AZLAN SCORES NEW LAP RECORD AT SUZUKA

2017, 2017 Round3, Latest News, Underbone 150 /

Buoyed by news that he will be a part of the famed Team Green in the upcoming Suzuka 8-Hour World Endurance Race this coming July, Malaysian SuperSports 600cc rider Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman came out strong in the first day of free practices at Round 3 of the 2017 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship currently underway at the Suzuka Circuit in Japan. The Kawasaki rider scraped 0.02s off Yuki Takahashi’s 2016 lap record when he posted 2’12.341s to emerge as the fastest SuperSports 600cc rider of the day. The Manual Tech Kawasaki Racing rider was pleased that the day had gone according to script even though he is still trying to shake off the vestiges of a bad cold. Wildcard rider Ikuhiro Enokido posted second fastest with 2’12.771s followed by Thailand’s Chalermpol Polamai third fastest with 2’12.793s. Another wildcard, Keisuke Maeda piloted his Yamaha to fourth fastest with 2’12.907s. Anthony West clocked fifth fastest with 2’12.955s. Yamaha Racing’s Yuki Ito was strong in the first practice session but dropped to sixth fastest with 2’12.975s by the end of the day as the pace increased. Defending champion Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi was seventh fastest with 2’13.076s after spending the first day running in a new engine and electing to go for race distance during the rest of the sessions instead of fast time.  Thailand’s Ratthapong Wilairot clocked eighth fastest with 2’13.367s, Teppei Nagoe was ninth fastest with 2’13.789s. The sole Indonesian rider in the SuperSports 600cc class this round, Ahmad Yudhistira, crashed out in the closing minutes of the third practice session and was tenth fastest with 2’13.803s. On a more interesting side note, legendary rider Yukio Kagayama completed his first SuperSports 600cc practice sessions 15th fastest with 2’14.250s

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YAMAMOTO AT HOME ON THE SUZUKA CIRCUIT

2017, 2017 Round3, Asia Production 250, Latest News /

Homeboy Takehiro Yamamoto found his rhythm at the top of the timesheets when he posted the day’s fastest lap time of 2’29.488s. Indonesian rider and current championship leader Gerry Salim was second fastest with 2’29.651s while Tomoyoshi Koyama ended the day in third with 2’30.218s. However, the previous season’s lap record, also logged by Yamamoto, remains unbroken as yet. Thailand’s Anupab Sarmoon continued to exert his presence among the top five when he stopped the clock at 2’30.616s, making him the fourth fastest rider of the day. Gerry’s team mate Rheza Danica Ahrens was fifth fastest with 2’31.220s. Unlike the power wildcards in the SuperSports 600cc category, the wildcards in the 250cc class had yet to make an impact among the front runners for the podium. Meanwhile, all eyes would be on the AP Honda Racing duo Vorapong Malahuan and Muklada Sarapuech who had just made the transition to the new Honda CBR250RR.

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