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The Indonesian riders in the Asia Production 250cc class enjoyed tremendous success on their first outing at The Bend Motorsport Park, host to Round 2 of the 2018 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. Rheza Danica Ahrens and Mario Suryo Aji from the Astra Honda Racing Team, along with Andy Muhammad Fadly from the Kawasaki camp, ended the day triumphant with a clean sweep of the Race 1 podium.   Poleman Rheza Danica Ahrens fell under pressure from the start of the race, particularly from Mario Suryo Aji. In the absence of team orders, the two team mates swapped leads for the bulk of the 9-lap race. The blistering pace set by the two lead riders pushed them ahead of the chasing pack. As the chequered flag came down, Rheza slipstreamed past Mario at the last minute to secure his first win of the season with 19’18.357s. A mere .079s behind, Mario stormed home for his third P2 position of the season with 19’18.436s.   Astra Honda Racing Team’s third rider, Awhin Sanjaya who started the race third on the grid, lost touch with his team mates and found himself in the thick of the battle for P3 against Andy Muhammad Fadly and Anupab Sarmoon. Under intense heat for the last spot on the podium, Awhin overcooked the last corner and crashed out of the race, denying the Astra Honda Racing Team the coveted 1-2-3 finish that they had been working towards.   A much improved Andy Muhammad Fadly took full advantage of Awhin’s crash to bring his Kawasaki home in third place with 19’18.357s.   Championship leader Anupab Sarmoon and compatriot Muklada Sarapuech ended the race in P4 and P5 respectively.   Other riders in the top 10 included Kritchaporn Kaewsonthi, Anggi Setiawan, Rafid Topan Sucipto, M. Faerozi and Ahmad Afif Amran.

Astra Honda Racing Team trio, Rheza Danica Ahrens, Mario Suryo Aji, and Awhin Sanjaya has got the Asia Production 250cc front row locked down tight as Round 2 of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship got down to the business end of its race weekend at The Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia.   Rheza, who had been consistently among the top runners during the free practice session, confirmed his right to park on pole position with a fast 2’08.039s. Rheza’s rookie team mate, young Mario Suryo Aji, was able to match Rheza pace-for-pace with 2’08.561s. Awhin got onto the front row during the  closing minutes of the qualifying session. Thanks to a little bit of a tow from Mario, Awhin shaved more than a second off his personal best time to secure P3 with 2’08.773s.   Apart from Rheza, Mario and Awhin, the rest of the Indonesians on the field had also taken well to the 4.9km Bend Motorsport Park. Rafid Topan Sucipto will lead the second row with the fourth fastest time on the grid, 2’09.004s. Anupab Sarmoon is one of three Thai riders in the top-10, qualifying P5 with 2’09.004s. Anupab will start the race sandwiched between Rafid Topan and M. Faerozi who will start the race from P6 with 2’09.086s.   Andy Muhammad Fadly and Anggi Setiawan qualified within the top 10 – P7 with 2’09.166s and P8 with 2’09.482s respectively. Muklada Sarapuech’s qualifying strategy unraveled when her bike malfunctioned in the last few minutes of the qualifier. The AP Honda Racing Thailand rider will be starting both races from P9, just ahead of her P10 team mate, Kritchaporn Kaewsonthi.

Astra Honda Racing Team duo Rheza Danica Ahrens and Mario Suryo Aji were in dominating form as Round 2 of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship got underway at The Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia.   The two Indonesian riders were quickest to adapt to the demands of the new 4.9km circuit. Rheza, the more seasoned of the two, set the pace in the Asia Production 250cc class with a swift 2’08.675s. The team’s rookie rider Mario Suryo Aji continued to impress with 2’08.724s.   Meanwhile, Thai rider Muklada Sarapuech is clearly on fire after her first win in Round 1. The AP Honda Racing Thailand rider clocked third fastest, 2’08.846s, after the first day of practice.   Yamaha Thailand Racing Team’s Anupab Sarmoon posted the fourth fastest time, 2’09.014s followed by Kawasaki rider Andy Muhammad Fadly in fifth with 2’09.535s.

Thailand’s Anupab Sarmoon is under intense pressure this season, fighting to keep his title lead in the Asia Production 250cc.   As one of the most experienced rider in the sophomore class of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship, the 25-year-old Yamaha Thailand Racing Team rider is expected to be a shoo-in for the 250cc title in 2018. However, the results from the season opener at the Chang International Circuit has indicated that Anupab will need to be on his toes all season long to avoid being swamped by the rising tide of young talents eager to make their mark in the 250cc class.   With only a 5-point lead under his belt, Anupab’s main competition is expected to come from Muklada Sarapuech, Rafid Topan Sucipto, Peerapong Boonlert, Mario Suryo Aji and Kanatat Jaiman.   Over the past four seasons, the 2017 Suzuka 4 Hours Champion has watched many of his peers depart for the talent developmental circuits in Europe. 2016 winner Apiwat Wongthananon and 2017 champion Gerry Salim are both racing in the CEV this year. Indonesia’s Galang Hendra Pratama has also been moved to the World Supersport 300cc.   The Australian Round 2 will be Anupab’s best chance to extend his title lead. By the time the Asian series moves to Suzuka for its mid-season round, 2015 champion Takehiro Yamamoto will be crafting a comeback with the Trickstar team.