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ASB1000 defending champion Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman is under no illusion about just how challenging the year ahead is going to be. The Malaysian rider who entered the history books as the first ASB1000 champion in 2019, has renewed his partnership with the ONEXOX BMW TKKR SAG Team for the 2020 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. Even as Azlan prepares to don the green-and-black of TKKR for one more season, there had been many changes within the team’s structure and also in the ASB1000 class itself. Azlan’s success in 2019 had brought BMW factory support to the ONEXOX BMW TKKR SAG Team. Along with the factory support comes a team mate, WSBK rider Markus Reiterberger who will certainly be arriving with his eyes on the main prize. “I’m very sure the 2020 season will be a fight from start to finish. Look at the quality of bikes and riders listed in the Entry List. We have WSBK riders like Markus and Lorenzo Zanetti entering the Asian race. Domestically, my compatriot Zaqhwan Zaidi will be competing astride the latest Honda CBR1000RR R Fireblade,” said Azlan. In fact, nearly half the 15-rider ASB1000 grid will be competing on the latest bike models. Zaqhwan’s team mate Gerry Salim will also be similarly equipped. Riders from the factory Yamahas – Broc Parkes, Yuki Ito, Apiwat Wongthananon and Anupab Sarmoon will take to the tarmac with the 2020 Yamaha YZF-R1M. For Team BMW, Azlan and his team mate Markus will be competing on the 2020 BMW S1000 RR. Azlan will need to bank on his strong track record at the 5.5km Sepang International Circuit to keep his winning edge. The BMW rider had won three out of four ASB1000 races held in Sepang to date.

Access Plus Racing-Okada Manila has confirmed that Lorenzo Zanetti will join their ASB1000 lineup this weekend at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia. The Ducati test rider was called as a stand in for Federico Sandi who’ll be unavailable during the Asia Road Racing Championship’s (ARRC) season opener on March 6 to 8. The Italian is a test rider for Ducati and contributed to the development of Panigale V4R for competition, thus making him a fitting substitute for Sandi. He brings with him over two decades’ worth of experience, with six seasons in the 125GP World Championship and nine in the Superbike World Championship where he landed 16 career podium finishes. With his vast knowledge on the Panigale V4R, Zanetti aims to provide reliable feedback to the team’s technicians. He also looks forward to bring the fight to the front on his ARRC debut with teammate Timothy Joseph “TJ” Alberto. The Asia Road Racing Championship’s 2020 calendar kicks off with a Pre-Season Test from March 2 to 4 at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia. The first of seven rounds then follows from March 6 to 8 on the same venue. Lorenzo Zanetti: “It’s a pleasure to join the first round of ARRC this 2020 with Access Plus Racing. When the team and Ducati offered me this opportunity, I immediately accepted the offer. Although it’s not easy to come to the series just for one race, I believe that it’s possible to fight for a good position with help from Ducati. Thank you to the team for allowing me to race with them in Malaysia.” Access Plus Racing-Okada Manila is sponsored by Okada Manila, Essenza, Macbeth, Öhlins Philippines, AELLA, Lv8, and Standard Insurance, with Ducati Philippines for the team’s entry in ASB1000. For more info and the latest updates about the team, follow www.facebook.com/AccessPlusRacingPH/ on Facebook and riders www.facebook.com/TjAlberto7, www.facebook.com/Fedesandi23, and https://www.facebook.com/lorenzozanettiofficial/. [Photo courtesy of Ducati]