2016 Round2

THAI-JAPANESE BATTLE IN 250cc

2016, 2016 Round2, Asia Production 250 /

The Asia Production 250cc Race 1 for Round 2 of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship was a battle between two countries as the Japanese and Thai riders set aside their brand identities to fight for honours at the Chang International Circuit. After topping the timesheets throughout the first day of free practice, Yamaha Thailand Racing Team’s Apiwat Wongthananon lost the pole position to team mate Peerapong Loiboonpeng. At the same time, Trickstar Racing’s Ayumu Tanaka managed to snare a spot on the front row and effectively set the stage for the 10-lap showdown that was to come. As the lights went off for the start of the race, Apiwat leapt into the front but was unable to break free of the chasing group. A nine-bike front group leant plenty of racing excitement as compatriots Tanaka, Takehiro Yamamoto and Yusuke Nakamura banded together to challenge the might of the Yamaha Thailand trio. The Kawasaki bikes had the better top speed, but the Yamahas were superior at the corners. The lead swapping continued right up to the last lap with neither group willing to back down. Yamamoto managed to sneak into the lead at the final lap but crashed out with Anupab Sarmoon right at the critical moment. The crash resulted in the expected all-Thai podium. Apiwat and Peerapong secured a 1-2 finish for team Yamaha Thailand Racing with 19’33.867s and 19’34.484s respectively. AP Honda Racing Thailand’s Somkiat Chantra broke up the Yamaha domination and climbed onto the third step of the podium with 19’34.732s. Apiwat’s hattrick secured his position at the top of the rider standings with the maximum 75 points. Peerapong Loiboonpeng, who also netted three consecutive second-place finishes, holds 60 points in second overall.

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DETERMINATION WINS THE DAY FOR TOMOYOSHI KOYAMA

2016, 2016 Round2, Supersports 600 /

Four years into the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship and Tomoyoshi Koyama finally ended his winning drought with a faultless performance in Race 1 of the SuperSports 600cc at the Chang International Circuit. The win came as the first set of races got underway for Round 2 of the 2016 season this weekend. The 33-year-old Japanese rider started the race from third on the grid, filing up beside pole sitter Zaqhwan Zaidi and Ratthapong Wilairot on the front row. A rocket start catapulted Koyama into the lead. Throughout the extended 18-lap race, Koyama held steady through a number of challenges – first from Decha Kraisart, Zaqhwan Zaidi and Anucha Nakcharoensri. Behind Koyama, the treacherous track conditions and pressure of the race whittled down the 21-man grid. The competition intensified in the final lap when 600cc rookie Anucha finally made a move on Koyama. Despite his exhaustion, Koyama dug deep and found the extra reserves to hold his course. Anucha’s challenge ended in disappointment when his aggressive moves caused him to crash on the last corner. The T.Pro Yuzy Honda NTS with WOW rider celebrated his first Asian victory with a total race time of 30’08.402s. Meanwhile, Anucha’s crash gifted second and third place podium finishes to MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda team mates Zaqhwan Zaidi and Yuki Takahashi. “This must be one of the toughest races I have ever endured. The heat, the competition, the extra long race, everything was a challenge. Throughout most of the race, all I could think of was that I had to win the race. It was the only thought in my mind. The final two extra laps were pure torture. I had already reached the end of my physical endurance and vomited into my helmet. Still I persevered and I am really happy with this win,” said Koyama. Championship leader Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman struggled at the 4.554km Chang circuit, picking up only eight points to stay marginally in the lead with 58 points. Race winner Koyama is now second overall with 56 points and Zaqhwan third with 52 points.

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ROZALIMAN BAGS PROVISIONAL POLE AHEAD OF JEFF TOSEMA

2016, 2016 Round2, Suzuki Asian Challenge /

Mohd Rozaliman Zakaria has taken early control of the Suzuki Asian Challenge as Round 2 goes underway at the Chang International Circuit. The Malaysian rider posted 2’17.760s in the first practice session, a benchmark that no one had been able to break in the second practice. Meanwhile, Indonesia’s Jefri Tosema, trying hard to make up for lost points caused by his mechanic’s faux pas in Round 1, was second fastest with 2’17.981s, only 0.221s off Rozaliman’s pace. Singapore’s Arsyad Rusydi Shaharum was a distant third with 2’18.400s as his best lap.

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TRIPLE-H POWER IN ASIA DREAM CUP

2016, 2016 Round2, Asia Dream Cup /

Hafizh Nor Azman, Hiroki Nakamura and Harith Farhan Baharin emerged as the three fastest riders in the Asia Dream Cup as the first day of free practices concluded for Round 2 of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship at the Chang International Circuit. Hafizh was consistent throughout the two practice sessions, topping the timesheet with his best lap of 2’05.240s. Nakamura shaved three seconds off his laptimes to finish the day as the second fastest rider with 2’05.446s while Harith Farhan had to be content with the third best time, 2’05.588s. With still a qualifying session left to go, the three riders look set to take the provisional front row.

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ADIB TAKES POLE IN UNDERBONE 130

2016, 2016 Round2, Underbone 130 /

Team RCB KAGE Motobatt Yamaha YY Pang’s Mohd Adib Rosley booked his slot on pole position when he lapped almost a second faster than the rest of the field in the Underbone 130cc SuperPole. Adib was the only rider to post 2’09.678s and was 0.7s quicker than his competitors. Adib will lead the front row comprising of Mohd Amirul Ariff Musa who posted 2’10.405s and Wahyu Aji Trilaksana, third fastest with 2’10.779s. The second row of the Underbone 130cc race features another mixed bag of riders featuring Florianus Roy, championship leader Mohd Izzat Zaidi and Mohd Haziq Mohd Fairues. While pleased with the pole position, Adib is not feeling secure. “In Underbone 130cc, it’s not the bike power that counts. It’s all that jostling, strategizing and slipstreaming that will win or lose a race,” he said.

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ALL-THAI LOCKOUT PROJECTED IN 250cc

2016, 2016 Round2, Asia Production 250 /

The anticipated all-Thai lockout at the front grid of the Asia Production 250cc category is shaping up with Apiwat Wongthananon leading the charge. The trio from Yamaha Thailand Racing dominated the first day of practice with the top three best times in the class. Apiwat was clearly in a league of his own as the only rider to lap below the 1’56s mark. The Thai rider set the bar high for the rest of the field when he logged a blistering 1’55.089s. Anupab Sarmoon and Peerapong Loiboonpeng were second and third fastest with times of 1’56.381s and 1’56.734s. Another set of team mates rounded up the top five – TRICKSTAR Racing’s Ayumu Tanaka and defending champion Takehiro Yamamoto posted 1’56.805s and 1’56.950s to stand fourth and fifth fastest in the day’s efforts.

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ZAQHWAN REVELS IN THE HEAT; AZLAN’S FEELS THE HEAT

2016, 2016 Round2, Supersports 600 /

MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda’s Zaqhwan Zaidi is revelling in the heat of the Chang International Circuit while SuperSports 600cc championship leader Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman struggles to get on pace. The Malaysian rider who is second overall in the title chase was quickest during the first day of practice for Round 2 of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship underway in Thailand this weekend. Despite playing second fiddle behind team mate Yuki Takahashi during the first two practice sessions, Zaqhwan came out with guns blazing at the third session with 1’40.249, the fastest lap of the day. Decha Kraisart and Tomoyoshi Koyama posted 1’40.255s and 1’40.376s respectively to round up the top three. Meanwhile, Takahashi’s pristine record at the Chang International Circuit was marred by a crash at Turn 1 during the second free practice session. Takahashi ended the first day fourth fastest with 1’40.468s followed by Ratthapong Wilairot with 1’40.655s. “The track surface is heating up as the day wears on and we are getting less traction than ever. I took an unexpected tumble during FP2, but sustained only minor damages to the bike. I am still confident that my results will hold up well for the qualifying and subsequent races,” said Takahashi who is looking to revive his title defense here in Buriram. Meanwhile, class leader Azlan Shah struggled to produce the laptimes on an unfamiliar circuit. “The tarmac was really slippy and to be absolutely honest, these types of track layouts with a lot of stop-and-go are never high on my favourites list,” said Azlan who was 11th fastest in FP1, 10th fastest in FP2, and eventually 9th fastest in FP3. Qualifying for the SuperSports 600cc will take place on Saturday morning to be followed by Race 1 in the afternoon. Catch the live stream of the races on www.eversport.tv starting from 0505hrs GMT.

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AHMAD FUAD: TEAM IUGB AFB TECH CONFIRMED FOR FULL SEASON OF ARRC

2016, 2016 Round2, Underbone 130 /

2-times Malaysian Cub Prix Champion and now team owner of AFB Tech Racing Team, Ahmad Fuad Baharudin, is feeling positive with the insertion of a new corporate sponsor into his team. Presently into its fourth year of operations, team AFB Tech has signed on IUGB (I Usahawan Global Berhad) as the title sponsor of the team. As a result, the team has spread its wings beyond the national borders and has confirmed its participation in the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. “When I decided to hang up my racing boots in 2014 and made the leap into team management, I had been lucky throughout that we have been able to secure good sponsors for the team. This year, we are proud to work with the IUGB group,” said the 37-year-old team owner. The IUGB-AFB partnership got off to a podium-worthy start when Mohd Helmi Azman scored a second place finish in Round 3 of the 2016 PETRONAS AAM Malaysian Cub Prix Championship. “Thanks to that strong start, IUGB decided to expand their sponsorship and bring the team into the Asian series as well. We raced as wildcards during the first leg at Pasir Gudang. Here in Thailand for Round 2, the team will race full season in the Underbone 130cc category with Md Fareez Afeez and Md Irfan Rosnizam. Fareez especially did very well during the first leg where he is currently eighth overall despite his rookie status in the class,” said Fuad. “IUGB’s involvement is particularly important because they are one of the first non-bike related corporate bodies to enter the sport. We hope that their involvement will create awareness among other corporate bodies that motorsports is a strong marketing platform. As the sport grows, we need more corporate sponsor involvement. The industry cannot just continue to survive on the players in the motorcycle market alone,” Fuad concluded.

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GUPITA: OF PRESSURE, PATIENCE AND OPTIMISM

2016, 2016 Round2, Asia Production 250 /

Picking up zero championship points is an unusual occurrence for 2-time Underbone 130cc champion Gupita Kresna Wardhana. A podium regular during his Underbone racing days, the 27-year-old Indonesian ace is feeling the pressure in his Asia Production 250cc debut season of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. “The Asia Production 250cc is a huge challenge. It is a tough competition with a large number of entrants. Even getting into the points was really difficult at Round 1,” said Gupita who finished 18th in Race 1 and 16th in Race 2 at Pasir Gudang. Gupita’s problems are compounded by the fact that he has not been able to ride on the 250cc bike since the opening round. “I have only been able to do physical training in between Round 1 and Round 2. I have not ridden the bike since.” Achieving better results will be Gupita’s goal for Round 2 in Thailand on May 7 and 8. “I have spent many years dominating the Underbone categories and I felt ready for bigger challenges. As this is my debut season, I will have to patiently sort out the problems that come my way. Podium finishes are not going to happen overnight, that’s for sure.” However, the Indonesian ace is optimistic that he will make it to the top ranks of the class. “The Hondas and Yamahas are really fast in this class. But our team has plans to improve on our bike. This gives me confidence that I will at least be able to follow the leading groups better in Round 2.”

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FITRI’S MISSION: TO TAME BURIRAM ONCE AND FOR ALL

2016, 2016 Round2, Supersports 600 /

The 4.554km Chang International Circuit, Thailand’s first FIM Grade A circuit, can be a deceptively difficult race course for rookie riders. For Malaysian rider Mohd Fitri Ashraff Razali, currently in his third season in the premiere class of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship, the circuit located in Buriram is the most important race track in the 2016 title chase. “The Chang International Circuit will host the ARRC twice this season. Therefore, the ability to score big points here becomes doubly important. This is not an easy race track to master. It looks easy on paper but there are two big trouble spots that could have a big impact on riders’ performance. Turn 4 happens as we descend from a slight elevation and we have to make an immediate left hand dive. Because of the elevation, we won’t be able to sight the corner prior to the turn and the method to tackle this turn must be memorized and ingrained into our muscles and reactions. Turn 12, the last corner, is also another tricky spot. It is a sharp right-hander and any mistake here will send the rider out onto the runoff area, effectively killing our race pace,” said Fitri. The 22-year-old Malaysian rider has much to prove this season, especially after landing a coveted ride with factory team Yamaha Racing. In a field of factory-supported satellite teams, Team Yamaha Racing is the only factory outfit in the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. “Turn 4 and 12 have always been the hardest part of the circuit for me. I have not had good results here in 2015. This season, I must overcome those blocks. I need to improve on my rankings to secure my seat in the team,” he said. Fitri ranked 32nd overall in 2014, his maiden season in the SuperSports 600cc class. In his sophomore year in 2015, he climbed up the ladder to finish 25th overall. After one round of competition in 2016, Fitri is currently 14th overall.

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