The intensity of Race 1 of Round 2 IDEMITSU FIM Asia Road Racing Championship continued at Zhuhai International Circuit with the highly competitive SuperSport 600cc category as Azroy Hakeem Anuar of IDEMITSU Boon Siew Honda Racing Team emerged victorious, cementing his place at the top of the podium.
In a gripping Qualifying session, Mohammad Adenanta Putra from ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM claimed pole position with a lightning-fast lap time of 1’36:890s, closely pursued by Azroy Hakeem Anuar at 1’37:069s and Apiwath Wongthananon of YAMAHA TEKHNE Racing Team Asia at 1’37:241s.
Azroy wasted no time as the race started by surging to the front of the pack with Apiwath hot on his heels. In a stunning maneuver at the second turn, Apiwath briefly overtook Azroy, setting the stage for an intense battle for the lead.
The race witnessed a flurry of position change as Azroy and Apiwath traded places. Despite the pressure from Apiwath, Azroy remained resolute, reclaiming the lead multiple times throughout the race.
On the fifth lap, a crash involving Rheza Danica Ahrens from ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM allowing Thanat Laoongplio from Honda Racing Thailand to climb into fifth position.
As the race reached its climax, Azroy faced a fierce challenge from Apiwath, who made a valiant effort to overtake him in the final lap. However, Azroy held firm, crossing the finish line in first place at 19’36:159s, closely followed by Apiwath in second with 19’36:542s and Muhammad Helmi Azman from IDEMITSU Boon Siew Honda Racing Team who clocked 19’39:194s in third.
Azroy said “I am out of words. Last round in Buriram, I didn’t finish both Race 1 and Race 2. That put me in a bad mood and all I wished for this round was just to complete the race. But when the race started, I saw my lap time was good. Behind me, sometimes I could hear Apiwath close to me, sometime I couldn’t. That’s when I realized that my pace was strong. Apiwath is a dangerous rider. When he overtook me at turn 6, I thought he would win this race but I didn’t want to give up easily, so I kept attacking to pressure him and I won the race. I’m really thankful for my team for putting up the good work, and I will try my best to keep this momentum going for tomorrow’s race 2.”
TOP 5 FASTEST – RACE 1
SS600
1. Azroy Hakeem Anuar – IDEMITSU Boon Siew Honda Racing Team – 19’36:159s
2. Apiwath Wongthananon – YAMAHA TEKHNE Racing Team Asia – 19’36:542s
3. Muhammad Helmi Azman – IDEMITSU Boon Siew Honda Racing Team – 19’39:194s
4. Mohammad Adenanta Putra – ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM – 19’44:968s
5. Thanat Laoongplio – Honda Racing Thailand – 19’45:298s
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