2016 Round1 – Idemitsu FIM Asia Road Racing Championship

DOUBLE VICTORY DELIGHTS NAKAMURA

Japanese rider Hiroki Nakamura was one of three riders who succeeded in clinching the double victory at Round 1 of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship in Johor on April 1 and 2, 2016. The others were Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman in the SuperSports 600cc category and Apiwat Wongthananon in the Asia Production 250cc category. Nakamura was untouchable in Race 1, finishing a huge 5.7 seconds ahead of Hafiz Nor Azman and Mohd Harith Farhan. Race 2 was a closer affair with the two Malaysian riders sticking close to his tail. Nevertheless, Nakamura was able to hang on to the lead and score his second victory of the day with a time of 15’03.620s. Rider Quotes: Hiroki Nakamura: “Race 1 was better. Once I broke away, I knew that it was up to me to do the fast laps by myself. But Race 2 was difficult. The higher level of competition prevented me from running out in front. It forced me to change my riding in order to keep me going up to the finish line. I am very satisfied that I had been able to do so well on this tough race course.” Hafiz Nor Azman: “Harith and I had agreed on a strategy but the pressure at the end of Race 2 caused us to run wide. We were able to sneak back into second and third places, but were helpless to stop Nakamura from taking the chequered flag.” Harith Farhan: “Hafiz and I will continue to work together for the next round in Thailand. We were unable to check Nakamura’s dominance this weekend but we will analyze our mistakes and bounce back stronger for the next competition.”

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HUMAN ERROR COSTS TOSEMA EARLY LEAD IN SUZUKI ASIAN CHALLENGE

2016, 2016 Round1, Suzuki Asian Challenge / admin

A simple human error in Race 2 of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship at the Johor Circuit had cost Indonesian rider Jefri Tosema his hard-won lead in the Suzuki Asian Challenge. The 20-year-old rider was on course to lead the title chase after he put in a wheel-perfect performance in Race 1 where he won with a time of 14’12.283s, half a second ahead of his competitors. However, in Race 2, Tosema’s mechanic mistook a black flag meant for Philippines rider Mario Borbon Junior as being directed at Tosema. The mechanic then instructed Tosema to pit in. The Indonesian rider who was leading the 7-lap race duly pitted at the last lap, much to the confusion of his closest rivals – only to find out that it had just been a miscommunication. Tosema’s confusion gifted the win to Malaysian rider Rozaliman Zakaria who was escorted onto the podium by April King Mascardo and Rizal Feriyadi. Rozaliman leads the Suzuki Asian Challenge with 45 points. April Mascardo and Rizal Feriyadi were also able to rank above Tosema in second and third places respectively. Tosema, with only 25 points won from Race 1, will go to Round 2 in fourth ranking. Rider Quotes: Jefri Tosema: “He (my mechanic) thought that the black flag was meant for me. I can’t express how disappointed I am because I fought so hard to lead the race. I simply cannot imagine how he could have mistaken the number 29 for my number 20!” Rozaliman Zakaria: “I am thankful that I have shown good results in my first year of the Suzuki Asian Challenge. It is a good feeling after a long hiatus from professional racing.” April King Mascardo: “This podium is for my country. I will continue to push hard and work on improving my riding.” Rizal Feriyadi: “To be honest, I almost followed Jefri into the pit because I was so confused about what he was doing. Luckily, good sense prevailed and I carried on with the race. Otherwise, I too would be suffering from disappointment.”

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YOUNG IZZAT SURPRISED AT JOHOR WIN

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21-year-old Mohd Izzat Zaidi professed surprise when he defeated more experienced Underbone 130cc riders to win Race 2 in the opening leg of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship at the Johor Circuit. As always in the Underbone 130cc class, the riders spent seven out of eight laps jockeying for position at each corner. When the race intensified in the last lap, Izzat timed his break out of the last corner slipstream to perfection. The RCB KAGE Motobatt YY Pang rider slingshot into the win with a time of 15’32.282s. Senior rider Norizman Ismail claimed second place with 15’32.420s and FELDA PB Racing’s Iqbal Amri Malik took third spot with 15’32.455s. Rider Quotes: Md Izzat Zaidi: “I would like to thank my team for a great start to the ARRC season. My strategy to wait for the last moment before mounting an attack went really well. I hope that I will be able to maintain my momentum in the coming rounds.” Norizman Ismail: “We made a mistake in our bike settings for Race 1. Our efforts to rectify the problem in Race 2 seemed to have worked in the early part of the race, but problems started cropping up after the halfway mark. Since there was nothing I could do about mechanical errors in the middle of the race, I just stayed focus on consistency and sticking to the main group. I was lucky to finish second.” Iqbal Amri Malik: “This is my first season in the ARRC and I am feeling a bit pressured. This race had been a big learning experience for me.”

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TAG-TEAM STRATEGY PAYS OFF AGAIN FOR YAMAHA THAILAND

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The Asia Production 250cc Thai riders continued to demonstrate that they had their tag-team strategy down pat. In Race 2 at the first leg in the Johor Circuit, Yamaha Thailand Racing Team trio Apiwat Wongthananon, Peerapong Loiboonpeng and Anupab Sarmoon, put up a strong defense wall at the front of the 28-rider grid. Starting the race from the front of the grid, the three team mates produced a near-perfect display of team work as they alternately towed and slipstreamed each other throughout the 12-lap race. The Thai riders dominated the top five spots on the timesheets – Apiwat in first place with 21’25.861s, Peerapong in second with 21’27.112s and Anupab third with 21’27.269s. Indonesian rider Galang Hendra Pratama punched his way through a huge second pack to finish fourth with 21’27.621s. Suhathai Chaemsap, returning to the ARRC on a 250cc wildcard ticket, also gave a good performance in fifth place with 21’28.014s. Like Azlan Shah in the SuperSports 600cc, Apiwat’s double win has given him a big advantage in the championship standings. He leads by a 10-point margin against Peerapong Loiboonpeng. Meanwhile, Johor-born Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin initially enjoyed a good run among the leading pack, but was soon engulfed by a swarm of riders in the second half of the race. Kasma eventually finished eighth behind Yusuke Nakamura and Takehiro Yamamoto. Rider Quotes: Apiwat Wongthananon: “We approached Race 2 like how we did Race 1. The objective was to win and win big. I wanted to drag all my team mates onto the podium with me. What felt different was that I was more confident and relaxed. All the competitors in the Asia Production 250cc class were good riders but I wasn’t worried because I believe that I had a strong team backing me.” Peerapoing Loibonpeng: “Without a great team and strong sense of team work, this incredible feat that we had just accomplished would have been impossible. Now I’m feeling even more excited for Round 2 which will be a home race for us.”

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AZLAN BACK TO HIS WINNING WAYS

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Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman made a big comeback to the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship with a double victory in the season opener held at the Johor Circuit on April 1 and 2, 2016. The Malaysian rider followed up his commanding performance in Race 1 with an unexpected change of tyre strategy. Even though the soft compound rear tyre netted him good results on Friday, Azlan opted for the hard compound for Race 2. With track temperature close to 55 degrees Celcius, the choice was disadvantageous at the start of the race. Pole-sitter Zaqhwan Zaidi and Yuki Takahashi both opted for soft compound rears for Race 2. The MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda duo were quick to capitalize on their prime starting position on the front row. However, Azlan was never far behind. As the 16-lap race progressed, tyre wear rapidly became a serious issue. Takahashi was content to stay in third place, allowing the two Malaysians to battle it out in front of their home crowd. In trying to fend off constant attacks from an increasingly aggressive Azlan on the final lap, Zaqhwan committed a critical error on Turn 3. As Zaqhwan ran wide, Azlan raced through and held the lead right to the chequered flag. Azlan brought the flag down at 24’56.627s, followed by Yuki Takahashi second with 24’57.612s. Zaqhwan recovered fast enough to squeak through onto the podium in third place. Behind the leading trio, former Asia Dream Cup rider Gerry Salim rode an impressive ride in fourth place. The young Indonesian rider successfully edged out Tomoyoshi Koyama, Ahmad Yudhistira, Dimas Ekky Pratama and Anthony West. Maximum points from Race 1 has Azlan leading the SuperSports 600cc title chase. Zaqhwan Zaidi is currently second overall with 32 points and Tomoyoshi Koyama’s consistency placed him third in the rankings with 31 points. Rider Quotes: Azlan Shah: “I was playing it safe at the start. I had identified Turn 3 as one of the possibilities for an overtaking move. My patience paid off when Zaqhwan ran wide right on cue. This double win was unexpected and I have my new team to thank for it.” Yuki Takahashi: “Today’s results was certainly better than Race 1. My performance suffered because I was only able to do one day of testing during the pre-season official tests. Because of that, I don’t have enough data with the new tyre and ended up making the wrong tyre choice in Race 1. To be honest, I really didn’t have any specific strategy in mind. I just wanted to follow Zaqhwan and push hard to overtake.” Zaqhwan: “Of course I am disappointed. I had a good start and led the majority of the 16 laps. My mistake at Turn 3 was painful. I guess I would have to be satisfied with two podium finishes this round.”

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DETERMINED NAKAMURA AIMS FOR MORE PODIUMS

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Hiroki Nakamura returned to the Asia Dream Cup for his second season in the Honda developmental platform determined to win the coveted title and its benefits this year. The 23-year-old Japanese rider secured the pole position for Round 1 with his best lap of 1’50.773s and will lead a front row comprising of Hafiz Nor Azman and Australian Broc Pearson. Rider Quotes: Hiroki Nakamura: “I was second overall last year so I must be the winner this season. I am aiming for podium finishes in every single race this year. I may have been fastest during the qualifying but I am still not satisfied with my lap times. I believe that my performance and consistency can still be improved.” Hafiz Nor Azman: “I was more focused on race distance during the qualifying. I already know that my bike has the pace. It was more important for me to learn how the tyre characteristics will change during the course of the race.”

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JEFRI TOSEMA STILL CONSISTENT IN SUZUKI ASIAN CHALLENGE

2016, 2016 Round1, Suzuki Asian Challenge / admin

Indonesian rider Jefri Tosema clocked the fastest time in the Suzuki Asian Challenge for the second consecutive day and earned himself the right to park his bike on pole for the upcoming race. Checking home with a time of 1’50.352s, the freshman rider successfully wrested the pole position away from April King Mascardo who is in his second season of the Suzuki talent development programme. “I am proud to start the race on pole. This may be my first year in the Suzuki Asian Challenge, but I certainly don’t consider myself a rookie as I have won numerous races back home,” said Jefri. “However, I must admit that the level of competition is higher here, and certainly much more interesting as I get to race against riders from so many countries. I know it will be a tight race tomorrow and my strategy is to maintain my cool and stay focused,” he said. April King Mascardo, second fastest in the qualifying with 1’59.460s will also line up on the front row together with Rizal Feriyadi who clocked the third fastest time.

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CHAOS AND COMMOTION IN THE ASIA PRODUCTION 250cc

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The first race for the Asia Production 250cc class began with chaos and commotion when 21 riders out of the 28-bike grid were penalized for dangerous riding behaviour during the qualifying session. The 21 riders, including provisional leader Apiwat Wongthananon, flouted explicit rules that forbade slow riding during the qualifying session. All the riders were penalized with 15 seconds added to their fastest time. This resulted in a topsy-turvy Race 1 grid with the top runners pushed to the middle of the grid. Malaysian rider Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin found himself the unexpected pole man in Race 1. However, Kasma’s advantage was short-lived as Apiwat and his team mates quickly made up for lost ground in the early part of the race. By lap four, Apiwat, Anupab Sarmoon and Yusuke Nakamura successfully challenged Kasma for the lead. The remaining eight laps of the 12-lap race saw a constant change of leaders at the front of the pack. The Thai riders’ excellence in team strategy emerged at the end of the race. In a move that was reminiscent of the exact same tactic used in 2015, Apiwat led his Yamaha Thailand Racing team mates past Nakamura to score a perfect podium for the team’s full-season entry in the Asia Production 250cc class. Apiwat won the race with 21’30.906s. Peerapong Loiboonpeng and Anupab Sarmoon were second and third with 21’31.386s and 21’31.895s. Yusuke Nakamura and defending champion Takehiro Yamamoto rounded up the top five. Kasma who started from pole, was only able to secure a seventh place finishing for himself. “The 15-second penalty did not affect my performance at all. This is a great start with a great team. So far, in just a few short months, they have shown tremendous dedication and commitment towards our common goal – which is to win the title in the team’s first season in this class,” said Apiwat.

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TYRE STRATEGY PAYS OFF FOR AZLAN

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Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman crafted a spectacular Asia Road Racing Championship comeback when he piloted his Kawasaki to victory at Round 1 of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. Held at the Johor Circuit on April 1 and 2, 2016, Azlan displayed a near-perfect performance to win the SuperSports 600cc Race 1 with a total time of 26’00.806s. As Round 1 commenced, it was all about the tyre in the SuperSports 600cc class. New tyre rules for the 2016 season brought the element of slick tyres into the Asian premiere category and was a game-changer in more ways than one. Azlan started the race third on the grid, but his choice of hard compound for his front tyre and soft compound for the rear gave him the speed he needed to power his way into the hole shot. For the remainder of the 16-lap race, Azlan controlled the race pace at the front of the pack. “I worked really hard to save my tyre while keeping the rest of the competition at bay. During the first half of the race, I thought that the other riders who had opted for medium rear tyres were biding their time, waiting for my tyres to degrade before they made their move. This turned out to be the right strategy. When Koyama finally attempted to overtake on Lap 11, I still had enough grip left to respond aggressively,” said Azlan who has signed on with BikeART Racing Kawasaki this season. Azlan’s win ended a 9-month Kawasaki drought in the SuperSports 600cc category. The last time a Kawasaki rider won the premiere class of the ARRC was Ahmad Yudhistira who took first place at the Sentul International Circuit last year. 0.795s behind Azlan, T Pro Yuzy Honda NTS rider Tomoyoshi Koyama ended the race in second place. Pole-sitter Zaqhwan Zaidi admitted that he was still grappling with the idea of tyre strategies when he finished third with 25’02.573s. “Both Yuki Takahashi and I opted for a hard-medium combination. But despite our prime starting position at the front row, we were unable to defend that advantage,” said Zaqhwan. Indonesian rider Dimas Ekky Pratama was fourth after a hard-won battle against fifth-placed Taiga Hada. Ratthapong Wilairot finished sixth. Anthony West went from 10th to seventh in his first exposure in SuperSports 600cc racing.

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INDONESIAN FRESHMAN JEFRI TOSEMA PUTS IN STRONG EARLY PERFORMANCE

2016, 2016 Round1, Suzuki Asian Challenge / admin

After a dominating performance by Indonesian Andreas Gunawan in the 2015 edition of the Suzuki Asian Challenge, another rider from the archipelago seems set to follow in his footsteps. Jefri Tosema blazed through the competition when he alone clocked 2’00.732s among the 15-rider line-up. Philippine’s April King Mascardo who is repeating a second season in the Suzuki Asian Challenge posted the second fastest time of 2’01.062s followed by countryman Eane Jaye Solacito Sobreto who was third fastest with 2’01.091s. Indonesia’s Rizal Feriyadi and Muhammad Sapril were also timed within the same second – the two riders checked in with 2’01.270s and 2’01.356s respectively.

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