2016 Round4

WAHYU TAKES IT EASY AT SENTUL

2016, 2016 Round4, Underbone 130 /

Indonesian rider Wahyu Aji Trilaksana took early control of the Underbone 130cc category when he posted the fastest time in all three practice sessions on Day 1. Comfortable racing at the Sentul Circuit, host to Round 4 of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship, Wahyu confirmed his pole position with a time of 1’55.802s. For the 24-year-old rider who is third overall in the standings, his home race would be the best chance to turn the tables on championship leaders Mohd Izzat Zaidi and Amirul Ariff Musa. However, Wahyu is shrugging off the pressure, intent on enjoying the upcoming race. “It is good to start from pole position but let’s not forget that in Underbone racing, even those at the back of the grid stand a chance to catch up to the lead. I just want to relax, stay focused, and have fun this weekend racing in front of our home fans. Hopefully we can deliver good results for them,” said Wahyu. Alongside Wahyu on the front straight are two Malaysian rivals – Mohd Amirul Ariff Musa who posted second fastest with 1’55.985s and Ahmad Fazli Sham third fastest with 1’56.135s. Conversely, it is the two Malaysians who will feel the most pressure at the starting grid, especially when the second row is completely filled by the home ground heroes. Wahyu Nugraha leads the second row with 1’56.731s, followed by wildcard Richard Taroreh fifth fastest with 1’56.742s and Florianus Roy sixth with 1’57.481s.

WAHYU TAKES IT EASY AT SENTUL Read More »

FEBRIANSYAH QUICKEST IN FIRST DAY OF PRACTICE

2016, 2016 Round4, Asia Dream Cup /

Indonesian Muhd Febriansyah has set the benchmark time in the Asia Dream Cup category as the first day of practice got underway at Round 4 which is held in the Sentul Circuit. Febriansyah posted a time of 1’52.035s as the quickest ADC rider. Laptimes were comparatively slower than previous years as the class of 2016 opted to spend more time on getting familiar with the tricky track conditions than clocking fast times. Championship leader Hiroki Nakamura was second fastest with 1’52.299s. Meanwhile, Indonesian rookie Yaasiin Gabriel Somma rode into prominence for the first time this season as he used his knowledge of the Sentul track to clinch the third fastest time of the day, 1’52.681s. Malaysia’s Hafiz Nor Azman and China’s Zhou Sheng Jun Jie rounded up the top five spots.

FEBRIANSYAH QUICKEST IN FIRST DAY OF PRACTICE Read More »

ROZALIMAN TOPS SUZUKI ASIAN CHALLENGE FIRST PRACTICE

2016, 2016 Round4, Suzuki Asian Challenge /

Muhd Rozaliman Zakaria from Malaysia checked in with the fastest time in the Suzuki Asian Challenge during the first day of practice at Round 4. The rider who is currently second overall in the title chase clocked 2’00.516s at the top of the timesheets. However, Rozaliman will have his work cut out for him in the encounters to come, especially with Indonesian Jefri Tosema a mere 0.082 seconds off Rozaliman’s pace. Jefri was second fastest of the day with 2’00.598s followed by the Philippine’s April King Mascardo in third with 2’01.307s. The 2015 Race 1 winner at Sentul, Jagan Kumar from India, was also strong during the first practice session. He posted fourth fastest with 2’01.453s, beating out Indonesian duo Rizal Feriyadi and Muhammad Sapril.

ROZALIMAN TOPS SUZUKI ASIAN CHALLENGE FIRST PRACTICE Read More »

TOP RIDERS MISSING FROM THE SENTUL GRID

2016, 2016 Round4, Supersports 600 /

The SuperSports 600cc class has been hit by a spate of injuries even before Round 4 takes off at the Sentul Circuit in Indonesia this August 6 and 7. Several of the top riders had been injured in other racing championships during the mid-season break and deemed unfit for racing in Round 4. Defending champion Yuki Takahashi, second in the 2016 riders ranking so far, has confirmed that he is not fit enough to race in Round 4. Takahashi crashed during one of the rounds of the All Japan and his doctors had confirmed that he is not fit to race. Team MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda will bring in wildcard rider Satoru Iwata to take Takahashi’s place. But as a wildcard, Iwata is expected to have little impact on the title chase. Malaysia’s former Moto2 rider Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman suffered a broken leg at the end of the Suzuka round and has also confirmed that he will not be racing in Sentul. “I broke my leg during Round 3 at Suzuka two months ago. The injury was quite serious and I spent more than a month in the hospital in Japan undergoing surgery. The injury is getting better now, but we feel that it would be too risky to resume racing so soon. If I were to crash again in Sentul, the consequences might be even more serious. So while I am disappointed to miss out on the battle in Sentul, I have to agree with my doctors that it is just not worth the risk particularly as a number of the other top riders will also be absent this weekend,” said Azlan. Most recently, Thai rider Ratthapong Wilairot fractured his wrists during the Suzuka 8-Hour Endurance Race and is still recovering from surgery. The spate of injuries suffered by the top flight riders now open up the opportunity for Tomoyoshi Koyama and Zaqhwan Zaidi to change the course of the 2016 title chase. Koyama, who leads Takahashi by one point, could provisionally strengthen his position at the top of the riders’ rankings. Similarly, Zaqhwan now has the opportunity to establish a stronger position for himself. Additionally, the Indonesian riders will also be given a wider berth to dominate the Sentul podium. Dimas Ekky Pratama, Ahmad Yudhistira and Gerry Salim who are fifth, sixth and seventh respectively, would be expected to be in the limelight of their home race.

TOP RIDERS MISSING FROM THE SENTUL GRID Read More »

STATUS QUO FOR ALL CLASSES

2016, 2016 Round4, Supersports 600 /

Extended Races Will Not Apply In Sentul The recent confirmation of longer races in the SuperSports 600cc class will not apply for the Indonesian round this coming August 6 to 7, 2016. Instead of the extra two laps, Race Direction had dialed back the number of race laps to its original 16. In addition, the final races for the open-make class will take place at an earlier time, flagging off at noon on both Saturday and Sunday. This is to ensure that all riders enjoy maximum visibility and the races happen during the brightest time of the day.

STATUS QUO FOR ALL CLASSES Read More »