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AP250: MUKLADA-FADLY TIE-BREAKER ON THE CARDS

2019, 2019 Round4, Asia Production 250, Latest News /

AP Honda Racing Thailand’s Muklada Sarapuech and Manual Tech KYT Kawasaki Racing’s Andy Muhammad Fadly will be heading for a tie-breaker at Round 4 of the 2019 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship in Suzuka, Japan. The two riders tie at the top of the standings with 86 points apiece but Muklada has one more podium finish to her name as compared to Fadly. Here’s a recap of their performances so far: Rider R1/R1 R1/R2 R2/R1 R2/R2 R3/R1 R3/R2 Muklada Sarapuech DNF 1st 3rd 2nd 1st 5th Andy Fadly 2nd 2nd 1st DNF 6th DNF   However, Round 4 will be more than just a showdown between two ferocious competitors. Team play will be very much in evidence as Aiki Iyoshi, currently third in the AP250 standings, seeks to support his Manual Tech KYT Kawasaki Racing team mate while claiming the best possible results for himself. Expect the same from AP Honda Racing Thailand’s Tatchakorn Buasri who proved his race-winning capabilities in the previous round in Buriram. The newly introduced equalizer rule has certainly done its job. Only 12 points separate the top four riders in the series, three of whom are racing with 500 rpm less to their maximum limit.   An AHRT Resurgence In The Making? The Astra Honda Racing Team, a force to be reckoned with over the past two seasons, have been remarkably low-key in 2019. Awhin Sanjaya, Irfan Ardiansyah and Lucky Hendriansya are fifth, sixth and seventh respectively on the championship ladder. While the AP Honda Racing Thailand Team and the Manual Tech KYT Kawasaki Racing Team struggle for dominance in the AP250 class, Indonesian-based Astra Honda Racing Team may be biding their time before making a definitive move. With only four rounds remaining to the end of the season, that move must come soon and the Suzuka Circuit where the team had experienced so much success, may be the perfect arena to launch their attack.   Wildcards Make 33 The AP250 class will see as many as seven wildcards in the Japanese leg, bringing the grid up to a total of 33 riders. The wildcards are:   RIDER TEAM #20 Yuta Kasai TEAM TEC 2 # Shunya Mori TEAM TEC 2 #31 Kazuki Tomita ATJ Racing with NMC #38 Keiji Goto YSS *ANDO Racing Mercury #73 Ryunosuke Nakamura ENDLESS TEAM SHANTI # Nobuteru Sasaki Team KYOEI GO&FUN # Otojirou Tanimoto DOGFITHR RPM YAMAHA

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UB150: UMA RACING DOMINATES AFTER TWO ROUNDS

2019, 2019 Round4, Latest News, Underbone 150 /

The Malaysian-based UMA Racing crew has ramped up their efforts and came out with guns blazing in the Underbone 150 class of the 2019 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. The vaunted team experienced a mediocre season in 2018, with their best ranking coming from 2017 UB150 champion Mohd Akid Aziz who ended his campaign in fifth overall. This season, however, the team runs not just one race outfit in the UB150, but two. The team’s partnership with Yamaha Philippines has effectively doubled Uma Racing’s presence in the class – UMA Racing Philippine Team and UMA Racing Yamaha Maju Motor Asia Team. The crew is obviously up for the challenge as both teams dominate the first half of the 2019 season. A flying start in the season opener gave Uma Racing Yamaha Philippine Team an advantage. They lead the team’s rankings with 65 points. As the circus heads to Suzuka for Round 3, McKinley Kyle Paz is still at the top of the standings but is under increasing pressure to maintain and extend his lead. A disappointing outing in Buriram has cut McKinley’s lead to a 5-point margin against upcoming rider Wawan Wello. UMA Racing Yamaha Maju Motor Asia Team is ranked second on the team’s ladder with 59 points. The bulk of the team’s points-haul has come from Akid Aziz who has picked up two podiums to date. Third on the team’s standings is Team One For All who are back with two familiar riders – Mohd Affendi Rosli and Peerapong Luiboonpeng. Their season got off to a challenging start when the team’s assets were stolen a week before the opening round. Even so, the crew run by former MotoGP rider Youichi Ui were able to overcome the devastating loss. Affendi has managed two podium finishes after Round 2 and the team is ranked third with 57 points. SND Factory Racing Rapido’s trio of Indonesian racing stars – Wawan Wello, Gupita Kresna Wardhana and Syahrul Amin – are still trying to get into the rhythm. Wawan Wello has been the team’s best performer so far. Wawan has consistently picked up points from the first two rounds. His second place finish in Buriram boosted him up to where he is now in the position to challenge McKinley Kyle Paz for the lead. The ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team experienced a big boost at Buriram when seasoned campaigner Ahmad Fazli Sham picked up the team’s first UB150 win of the season. The team, which has a presence in all classes of the 2019 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship, is ranked fifth with 51 points. Meanwhile, Yamaha Racing Indonesia’s decision to go with young talents this season is beginning to gain momentum. 16-year-old Wahyu Nugroho, in particular, put in a stunning performance in Round 3 when he claimed fourth in Race 1 and second in Race 2. Debutant team Pro-Liner 549 Kaboci Racing Team is currently ranked seventh on the team standings. The team is banking on experienced rider Richard Taroreh to maintain their presence in the limelight while the team continues to train 15-year-old Mohammad Murobbil Vitoni as their next generation of Indonesian talents. 2019 has been challenging for Yuzy Honda Racing this season. After a second-placed podium by Amirul Ariff Musa in Round 1, the team has not been raking in the points. Like many of the Underbone teams, the Yuzy Honda Racing partners an experienced campaigner with a rookie rider. In this case, the team is highly reliant on Amirul’s performance to bring home the championship points. A 30-rider UB150 grid leaves little room for wildcards. At the upcoming Suzuka round, Hi Rev SCK Honda Racing Team’s Gun Mie will be the sole Japanese rider in the class. Ironically, Gun, who is racing in his first full UB150 season this year, has been the team’s best performer. The 13-year-old, one of the youngest riders in the class this season, has consistently picked up points in the first two rounds. Currently ranked 13th on the riders’ standings, Gun Mie would be looking forward to his home race this week. Newcomer team Cardinals Racing Team has managed to break into the top 10. Coming into the ARRC as a new racing outfit, the crew were well aware that they would have their work cut out for them to get into the competitive rhythm. Working with experienced Malaysian riders Fitri Ashraf Razali, Rozaiman Said and Indonesian Chepy Armansyah, the team is ranked 10th to date.

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ZHUHAI TO HOST ROUND 5

2019, 2019 Round5, Latest News /

The Zhuhai International Circuit will host Round 5 of the 2019 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship on August 9 to 11, 2019. This marks the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship’s return to China after a 7-year absence. The last time the ARRC was held at the 4.3km circuit was in 2012. This time, the ARRC will bring along its newest premiere class, the ASB1000 as well as the SuperSports 600cc, Asia Production 250cc and the ever-popular Underbone 150cc. “The Zhuhai International Circuit and ARRC has always maintained a close working relationship even though we have not had the opportunity to race in China for a number of years. We know that road racing has been growing steadily in China. Over the years, there has been a number of wildcard trickling in to the Asian series. We hope that the return of ARRC to China will open a door of opportunity for Chinese teams and riders who are looking to take their racing to the regional stage,” said Ron Hogg, Director of Two Wheels Motor Racing, the race promoters of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. The Zhuhai International Circuit is located in Zhuhai City in southern China. Opened in 1996, it was China’s first permanent motor race track. “It’s very exciting to have ARRC to come back to China, to Zhuhai International Circuit. ARRC is the window for the Chinese motorpsort and Chinese riders to get into a higher platform. It also gives opportunity to the Chinese riders to learn and exchange with the riders from Asia. ZIC is all ready for ARRC” said Stewart Tan, General Manager of the Zhuhai International Circuit.

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AZLAN IS THE MAN OF THE HOUR

2019, 2019 Round3, Asia Superbike 1000, Latest News /

Malaysian rider Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman cemented his status as one of the potential title contenders in the ASB1000 with a phenomenal hard-won double win at Round 3 of the 2019 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship at the Chang International Circuit. After winning Race 1 on Saturday, Azlan again started Race 2 from pole position. A great start from the ONEXOX TKR SAG Team rider gave him a strong lead, but Azlan was initially unable to get away from the Yamaha contingent led by Broc Parkes and local hero Apiwat Wongthananon. Azlan lost the lead on Lap 2 to Broc. While racing wheel-to-wheel against his Australian rival, Azlan also had Apiwat to contend with. A daring pass by Azlan on Lap 10 came to nought when he ran wide on Turn 12 and found himself in the chase again. The Malaysian rider stuck to Broc and Apiwat for the two penultimate rounds of the 13-lap race before making his move on the final lap. Azlan went from 3rd to first within that same lap to take the double. The BMW rider’s gutsy move at the last corner clearly took Broc by surprise. Azlan out-braked Broc into Turn 12, locked out his front wheel, extricated himself from a potentially sticky situation and raced to the finish line with 20’59.735s. 0.135s behind, Broc claimed his fourth ARRC podium of the season while Apiwat Wongthanon had no choice but to settle for third. Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi ended his campaign in fourth place but special mention has to be made about Ahmad Yudhistira who defied the odds and took his near-standard R1 to fifth place ahead of Yuki Ito. With this double win, Azlan closes in on Broc at the top of the standings. The Yamaha Racing Team ASEAN rider leads with 105 points. Azlan trails by 8 points with a total of 97 points. Zaqhwan Zaidi’s consistency kept him in third with 84 points. Thailand’s best performing rider in the ASB1000, Apiwat Wongthananon, stays in fourth with 69 points. The Kawasaki Thailand Racing Team’s replacement rider, Bryan Staring, survived a tough round in Buriram when he finished seventh in both Race 1 and Race 2. While Bryan stands sixth on the rider’s rankings, his points haul from Buriram, coupled with Chaiwichit Nisakul’s absence due to injury, was not enough to keep the team at the top of the team ladder. Yamaha Racing Team ASEAN now leads the team title chase with 110 points.

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NO STOPPING PEERAPONG

2019, 2019 Round3, Latest News, Supersports 600 /

It seems like there is no stopping Peerapong Boonlert in the SuperSports 600cc class! The Yamaha Thailand Racing Team rider has picked up an unprecedented sixth consecutive victory as Round 3 of the 2019 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship drew to a close at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand. A slow start from pole position was no hindrance for the determined Thai rider. Peerapong easily challenged Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin for the lead on the first lap and proceeded to ride imperious to the end of the 11-lap race. Most impressive was Peerapong’s consistently fast laps despite riding solo at the front of the pack. His latest win was clocked at 19’58.199s, a full 3.4 seconds ahead of the rest. Behind Peerapong, Adam Norrodin put in a solid performance to take his second podium of the weekend with 20’01.688s followed by Kasma Daniel in third with 20’05.379s At this point, it would be Peerapong’s championship to lose. He carries the maximum 150 points to the fourth leg at the Suzuka Circuit. The last time a rider had run riot over the 600cc class was in the early days of the category when Toshiyuki Hamaguchi used to dominate the racing. Andi Farid Izdihar from the Astra Honda Racing Team finished fifth in both races to rank second on the championship standings. Azroy Hakeem Anuar is third with 69 points and is tied with Adam Norrodin. Despite Adam’s strong performance in Buriram, his position on the standings had dropped due to his missing out on Round 2.

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TATCHAKORN KEEPS AP HONDA RACING THAILAND SMILING

2019, 2019 Round3, Asia Production 250, Latest News /

Rookie Tatchakorn Buasri capped off a successful weekend at the Chang International Circuit by picking up his first AP250 win in Race 2. As the lights went off for the 10-lap AP250 race, there was a great weight of responsibility on Tatchakorn’s shoulders. His senior team mate and pole sitter, Muklada Sarapuech, having achieved a 25-point lead ahead of the fifth ranked rider in Race 1, had 500 rpm less at her disposal. The young rider lived up to expectations when he proved himself capable of mixing it up with the main contenders of the AP250 class. When Muklada retired on Lap 3 following an unfortunate puncture, Tatchakorn held his own against Irfan Ardiansyah, Awhin Sanjaya, and aggressive Andy Muhammad Fadly and team mate Piyawat Patoomyos. Despite the best efforts from Astra Honda Racing Team trio Irfan, Awhin and Lucky, Tatchakorn was able to pip his rivals to the finish line by 0.310s. The young Thai rider brought home team AP Honda Racing Thailand’s second win of the weekend with 19’04.262s. Awhin Sanjaya finished second, his best performance this season, with 19’04.572s. Behind the two leaders, Yamaha Racing Indonesia’s Muhammad Faerozi Toreqottullah sprung an unexpected surprise at the last corner. Unknown to the leaders who were focused on getting past Turn 12 to the finish line, Faerozi had slipstreamed his way into the leading group and dodged past their defences to claim the first AP250 podium for Yamaha in 2019. Faerozi got himself onto the third step of the podium with 19’04.829s. Interestingly, Andy Muhammad Fadly, Muklada Sarapuech and Aiki Iyoshi, all three riders with the 500 rpm equalizer, are back at the top of the AP250 standings. Fadly tops the standings with 87 points after taking fifth place in Race 1 and Race 2. Despite sitting out for most of Race 2, Muklada Sarapuech is only a point behind with 86 points. Aiki Iyoshi ranked third with 78 points while Tatchakorn’s victory had boosted him up to fourth overall with 74 points.

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FAZLI TAKES FIRST WIN OF THE SEASON

2019, 2019 Round3, Latest News, Underbone 150 /

ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team’s seasoned campaigner, Ahmad Fazli Sham, won a truncated UB150 Race 2 with a resounding victory as Round 3 of the 2019 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship drew to an end at the Chang International Circuit. The race was red flagged on the first lap following a starting grid incident between Mohd Hafiza Rofa, Travis Hall and Le Khanh Loc. All three riders had been reported to be doing fine after the incident. The race was re-started with the number of laps shortened from the original eight to six. The incident had clearly done nothing to dampen the spirits of the rest of the riders. With only six laps on the lapboards, there was even less time for the riders to strategize. The melee was fierce and furious right up to the final lap. Ahmad Fazli Sham got himself into the lead at Turn 10 and benefitted when Wahyu Aji Trilaksana bottled up the rest of the group. Fazli sprinted to the chequered flag with a time of 12’20.355s. Behind Fazli, the Indonesian riders finally revealed their true colours on the Underbone bikes. Wawan Wello took second place with 12’20.769s followed by Wahyu Nugroho third with 12’20.955s. Wahyu Aji Trilaksana finished fourth ahead of Richard Taroreh. Thai rider Peerapong Luiboonpeng made it to sixth place followed by a trio of Malaysians – Mohd Faiz Zekri Sabri, polesitter Mohd Haziq Mohd Fairues and Rozaiman Said. Japanese youngster Gun Mie rounded up the top 10. Filipino rider McKinley Kyle Paz still holds a nominal lead at the top of the championship standings. McKinley finished sixth in Race 1 and 11th in Race 2. He holds 56 points at the front. Wawan Wello is now second on the standings with 51 points while Affendi Rosli is third with 44.

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ASB1000 COMES OF AGE AS AZLAN TAKES RACE 1 WIN IN BURIRAM

2019, 2019 Round3, Asia Superbike 1000, Latest News /

The ASB1000 class looks to have come of age as the riders settle into the new race class. Uncertain weather conditions at the start of Race 1 during the third leg of the 2019 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship at the Chang International Circuit, amped up the level of competition between the riders. Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman lined up on pole after a strong showing in the morning’s qualifier. A great start pushed the BMW rider into the lead, but the Malaysian lost out to Thai contender Apiwat Wongthananon in the middle of the first lap. That marked the start of an on-going battle between the two riders while Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi, Yuki Ito and Broc Parkes fought a battle of their own for P3. The ASB1000 became a 5-man race on Lap 8. Apiwat had barely succeeded in taking over the lead, hotly chased by Azlan in second, Zaqhwan in third and Yuki Ito fourth. Even the Thai riders were not immune to the traps of the infamous Turn 12. Apiwat ran wide on Lap 10 and lost two spots as a consequence. As the chequered flag came down on Lap 13, Azlan stormed to the finish line with 21’07.540s followed by Zaqhwan Zaidi in second with 21’08.165s while Apiwat settled for third. Championship leader Broc Parkes finished fourth – enough to stay at the top of the standings with 85 points. Azlan Shah is now ranked second with 72 points, a single point ahead of Zaqhwan Zaidi.

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PEERAPONG FIVE OUT OF FIVE

2019, 2019 Round3, Latest News, Supersports 600 /

Peerapong Boonlert has finally ended his winning drought at the Chang International Circuit taking five wins out of five races to extend his romp at the front of the SuperSports 600cc. A great start from the Yamaha Thailand Racing Team rider from pole position gave him a gap of a few bike lengths ahead of Kasma Daniel Kasmayuddin. With a long 12 more laps to go, Peerapong was clearly managing his tyres during the opening laps. This gave Kasma the opportunity to take Peerapong by surprise at the end of Lap 1. On Lap 3, Kasma pushed Peerapong wide, opening a big gap on the track for Mohd Ramdan Rosli to slip through. Lap 4 presented a 4-bike fight between Peerapong, Kasma, Ramdan, and Andi Farid Izdihar. It was the first time this season that Peerapong have had to really scramble for position in the 600cc class this season. The battle, however, did not last long. A light drizzle began to fall after the fourth lap, effectively changing the characteristics of the track. Here, Peerapong’s vast experience at the Chang International Circuit gave him a huge advantage. Kasma’s attack fizzled out after Lap 5 and Peerapong was able to consolidate his lead at the front again. By Lap 7, Peerapong was 0.3 seconds clear of Kasma while behind them, Andi, Ramdan and Adam fought a tight race for P3. On Lap 10, Kasma inexplicably ran wide at the infamous Turn 12, instantly giving a five second lead to Peerapong. The Malaysian rider’s incident dropped him back into the second group and he lost more ground when he had no response for the attacks by countrymen Adam Norrodin and Ramdan Rosli. Peerapong’s win was also podium number 34 for the Yamaha Thailand Racing Team, logged with a time of 20’48.186s. Adam took second place after a hard-fought battle with 20’55.344s and Ramdan was clearly satisfied in third place with 20’55.727s. Five out of five has given Peerapong the maximum 125 points on the standings while Andi Farid Izdihar is ranked second with 60 points.

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