2016 Round5

WEST ENDS WINNING DROUGHT IN SPECTACULAR STYLE

2016, 2016 Round5, Supersports 600 /

Team Akeno Speed WJR Racing had plenty to celebrate at the Buddh International Circuit when their high profile international rider Anthony West ended his ARRC winning drought in spectacular style. The Australian rider extended his domination at the Formula 1 circuit with a second convincing win in Race 2 of the SuperSports 600cc class. Kicking off the race from pole position, West’s sole competitor in the 16-lap race was Yamaha Thailand Racing’s Decha Kraisart. The 2007 and 2010 SuperSports 600cc champion was the only one able to match West pace-for-pace for at least two thirds of the race. By Lap 13, West was able to carve out a 1-second gap ahead of the field and he rode unchallenged to his second ARRC victory with a time of 31’06.383s. Decha crossed the line 3.199s behind to take second place. Meanwhile, BikeART Kawasaki Racing’s Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman rode a defensive race to complete his comeback in third place. “Race 2 was a whole different race. It was a lot tougher because the other teams had obviously caught up with us and improved their setup. The race was also longer today but I’m glad I was able to still hang on in the front to win,” said West. West’s domination at the Buddh International Circuit has thrown a spoke into the wheels of the championship table. As the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship heads to its finale at the Buriram International Circuit this December, four riders are now in contention for the SuperSports 600cc title. Koyama leads the pack with 150 points while Zaqhwan Zaidi is only seven points behind in second place. Defending champion Yuki Takahashi is third with 128 points and Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman bettered his ranking to fourth overall with 116 points. Indonesian rider Dimas Ekky Pratama and Anthony West, courtesy of his double win, are tied in fifth with 99 points apiece. In the team standings, the unexpected results from Buddh had also dashed team MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda’s hopes of winning the Team Award title with a round to spare. The Malaysian outfit still leads with 186 points but will have to be wary of team T.Pro Yuzy Honda NTS with Wow who are closing in with 150 points.

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APIWAT CROWNED AS AP250 CHAMPION IN FRONT OF DELIGHTED INDIAN CROWD

2016, 2016 Round5, Asia Production 250 /

The Buddh debut of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship attracted a positive response from Indian motorsports fans who were delighted when Apiwat Wongthananon was crowned Asia Production 250cc champion before their eyes. In Race 2 of Round 5 at the Buddh International Circuit, the Asia Production 250cc riders thrilled the crowd with a 9-lap battle that saw as many as 11 riders fighting for the win. The lead at the sharp end of the grid changed hands with every successive lap. Apart from Indonesia’s Galang Hendra Pratama, none of the riders were able to defend the sharp end of the pack for more than one lap. Galang held the reins on Lap 7 and Lap 8 but was quickly engulfed by the horde during the final mad sprint to the finish. Apiwat Wongthananon, needing only six points to secure the championship, broke clear of the group at the at the exit of the final corner. An overjoyed Apiwat added his eighth victory of the season to his name, effectively ending the Asia Production 250cc title hunt when he brought his points haul to a grand total of 221 points. “I’ve been waiting for this day for a very long time. Today is so important for me and my team because we achieved what we set out to do at the start of the season. This is a great achievement for us,” said Apiwat. Defending champion Takehiro Yamamoto was disappointed when mechanical gremlins forced him back into the pit on Lap 5. The 2015 Asia Production 250cc champion is now second overall with 151 points. Unfortunately for Yamamoto, his battles are not over yet. At the coming round in Buriram, Yamamoto will have to defend his second overall position especially from Thai riders Anupab Sarmoon and Peerapong Loiboonpeng who will naturally have a huge advantage on home ground.

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FAZLI SIMPLY TOO HOT TO HANDLE

2016, 2016 Round5, Underbone 130 /

Even as Round 5 of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship progressed at the Buddh International Circuit, it was soon becoming clear that the Yamaha bikes had a distinct advantage on this wide and flowing circuit. The Yamaha domination extended into the Underbone 130cc category when seasoned campaigner Ahmad Fazli Sham proved himself too hot to handle when he capped off a triumphant weekend with a double win. Race 2 in the Underbone class saw Wahyu Aji Trilaksana taking the hole shot from pole position. Under pressure from the chasing crowd, Wahyu ran wide on Turn 3 but was able to recover his lead ahead of Malaysian riders Norizman Ismail, Mohd Amirul Ariff Musa and Ahmad Fazli Sham. By Lap 4, six riders had split away to form the lead group with Wahyu and Fazli engaged in a psychological warfare as they tested each other’s limits. Also hovering in the background was Florianus Roy, looking to take advantage of any mistakes from the two. As the riders approached the critical last corner, Wahyu held tight to the inside line Fazli pulled off a stunner of an outside overtaking move and dashed to stop the clock at 17’18.598s. Wahyu had to be content in second place, 0.121 seconds behind Fazli while young Haziq Mohd Fairues took third place despite almost crashing when he bumped into Florianus’s rear tyre. “Race 2 was tougher because there was more traffic at the front. When I saw Wahyu in front, I knew I had to try something. On the last lap, Wahyu hugged the inside line too tight. This is such a wide track that I was able to slip by and win the race,” said Fazli. Mohd Amirul Ariff Musa, who was leading the championship after Race 1, was unable to pick up big points in Race 2. Amirul bagged only three points when mechanical failure saw him limping to the finish line. As Round 6 in Buriram looms, only seven points separate the top four riders on the championship table. Wahyu is back as the championship leader with 113 points. Fazli is second overall with 110 points. Malaysian rider Mohd Izzat Zaidi and Amirul are third and fourth with 107 and 106 points apiece.

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EMOTIONAL WIN FOR BROC PEARSON

2016, 2016 Round5, Asia Dream Cup /

Australian riders were obviously in winning mode at Round 5 of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship at India’s Buddh International Circuit. After Anthony West effortlessly scored a double win in the SuperSports 600cc class, the Australian national anthem rang out again when 15-year-old Broc Pearson stepped up onto the top of the Asia Dream Cup podium. Overcoming his height and weight disadvantage, Broc looked extraordinarily determined as he powered his bike into Turn 1 for the hole shot. As Hiroki Nakamura, Sittipon Srimoontree, Hafiz Nor Azman and Mohd Febriansyah rode up to challenge his position, Broc and Nakamura touched on Lap 2 and dropped to fourth and fifth respectively. However, both riders were able to make up for lost time and Broc muscled his way up to the front on Lap 5. In anticipation of the final lap battle, the competition hot up on Lap 6 causing Broc to fumble but was able to recover without losing ground. Gaining confidence from the experience, the determined youngster out-sprinted Sittipon and Hafiz Nor Azman to the finish line with a time of 17’06.185s. “I want to thank my Mom and Dad. I don’t have many sponsors and they are paying for my ride here. It’s all coming out of their wallet. I’m so very happy with this win because it proves that I can still win despite being significantly taller than the rest of the other riders,” said Broc who teared up on the podium. With this win, Broc placed himself in contention for the second overall position in the Asia Dream Cup. Now with 114 points to his name, Broc is tied in third place with Mohd Febriansyah. Hafiz Nor Azman holds an 8-point advantage over the two riders with 122 points in second overall.

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WEST SEALS FIRST 600cc WIN AT BUDDH

2016, 2016 Round5, Supersports 600 /

Australian rider Anthony West continued to dominate at the Buddh International Circuit, host to Round 5 of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. The international rider who has had vast experience in the WSBK and MotoGP, clocked fastest during the first day of practice and secured his maiden ARRC pole position on Saturday morning with 1’55.528s. The 35-year-old went on to convert his start position into his first ARRC win. The SuperSports 600cc race was eventful at the start, especially when Thai rookie Patis Chooprathet crashed on the front straight at the end of Lap 1. Though the rider was uninjured, the incident brought out the red flag. The race was eventually restarted but reduced to 13 laps from its original 16. Only Thai rider Decha Kraisart was able to match West’s pace on the 5.15km circuit. Behind them, Indonesian rider Ahmad Yudhistira was also prominent as he rapidly closed in on the leading duo. On the long and wide track where top end speed was the winning factor, West rode unchallenged to the chequered flag with a time of 25’21.592s followed by Decha Kraisart in second place and Yudhistira in third. “I feel very comfortable on this track. It wasn’t an easy win even though I was four seconds in front of the others. I was able to take advantage when the riders behind me were fighting each other and slowing themselves down. In this race class, starting from pole position and a good run into the hole shot is essential to enjoy an easy race. If you were to start in the middle group, it would be hard to fight your way to the front,” said West. However, West’s win has had minimal impact on the championship table. Tomoyoshi Koyama picked up ten points in sixth place, and extended his lead to 141 points. Zaqhwan Zaidi is now second overall with 133 points. Early title contenders Yuki Takahashi and Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman were third and fourth respectively with 117 points and 100 points each.

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APIWAT ON COURSE TO ENDING ASIA PRODUCTION 250cc TITLE CHASE

2016, 2016 Round5, Asia Production 250 /

Yamaha Thailand Racing’s Apiwat Wongthananon is only six points shy of taking the Asia Production 250cc title. At the Buddh International Circuit for Round 5 of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship, Apiwat was very much in a league of his own. Race 1 started with Apiwat diving into Turn 1 but was unable to make a quick getaway as the rest of the group quickly caught up. Four laps into the 9-lap race, there were still 10 riders fighting for elbow space in the front group. While the lead changed hands numerous times, Apiwat stayed hunkered down in the middle of the pack. The action was hot and furious for the remainder of the race as first Takehiro Yamamoto, Anupab Sarmoon, and Ayumu Tanaka all made a bid for the win. But it was Apiwat who took a last minute win when he broke out of Tanaka’s slipstream at the last corner and dashed to his seventh victory out of nine races with a time of 20’35.958s. Apiwat’s team mate Anupab Sarmoon finished second with 20’36.163s and Takehiro Yamamoto third with 20’37.473s. Apiwat now holds 196 points while defending champion Yamamoto is second with 151 points. A top ten finish in Race 2 will see the title falling into Apiwat’s hands.

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FAZLI ON A WINNING STREAK

2016, 2016 Round5, Underbone 130 /

Malaysia’s senior Underbone 130cc rider Ahmad Fazli Sham put up a masterclass in underbone racing when he won Race 1 during the fifth leg of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. Fazli, who has been on a winning streak of late, snared his second consecutive win in as many weekends. Fazli led an all-Malaysian podium at the Buddh International Circuit comprising of Mohd Amirul Ariff Musa and Mohd Izzat Zaidi who finished second and third places respectively. The Underbone race got off to its usual tussle as soon as the lights went off. Racing again in a group, Fazli was visible throughout as one of the most consistent leaders in the class. On Lap 6, the Uma Yamaha Maju rider fended off an aggressive Florianus Roy to take the final corner. Behind him, Roy crashed out, taking with him Mohd Helmi Azman and Saiful Izman Ahmad. “I think this was a lucky win. I wasn’t able to do much in the early part of the race because Wahyu was just too fast. But when Wahyu developed engine problems midway through, that was when I took full advantage of the situation to push my front wheel ahead of the rest,” said Fazli. The results from Race 1 had again changed the tables. Mohd Amirul Ariff Musa is now the championship leader with 103 points. Mohd Izzat Zaidi is second with 98 points while Wahyu Aji Trilaksana is third with 93 points.

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NAKAMURA IS FIFTH ASIA DREAM CUP CHAMPION

2016, 2016 Round5, Asia Dream Cup /

Hiroki Nakamura has officially etched his name on the Asia Dream Cup trophy as the fifth champion for the Honda talent development platform. Nakamura arrived at the Buddh International Circuit for Round 5 needing only 12 championship points to seal the deal. Starting the race from second on the grid, Nakamura stormed to the finish line 3.584s in front of the competition. Pole sitter Broc Pearson enjoyed a good run in the opening laps of the race, but was soon swallowed up by the horde of the riders fighting for track space. By Lap 2, Nakamura had begun to edge away from the mayhem. Even as he ran away to the finish line, behind him, nine riders were jostling for P2. “It wasn’t an easy win. The weather was hot and very humid so we were racing under tough conditions,” said Nakamura who has amassed 183 points to win the crown. Meanwhile, Indonesian rider Yaassiin Gabriel Sonma would have missed out on the podium due to a fallen transponder. However, Yaassiin was awarded his rightful position on the podium when further investigations by timekeeping determined that he had finished second with 17’05.258s. Muhd Febriansyah completed the podium trio in third place.

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AUSSIES RULE IN INDIA AS BROC ACES FIRST DAY OF PRACTICE

2016, 2016 Round5, Asia Dream Cup /

Australian riders are ruling the roost in the opening practice sessions at Round 5 of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship at the Buddh International Circuit. Just as Ant West chalked up the provisional pole position in the SuperSports 600cc class, young Broc Pearson also climbed to the top of the timesheets in the Asia Dream Cup category. As this is the first time that the ARRC is racing at the Buddh International Circuit, all the riders are competing on an even playing field. None had had any experience at this 5.15km circuit. Broc stopped the clock at 2’24.623s to lead the Asia Dream Cup, half a second faster than championship leader Hiroki Nakamura who posted 2’25.001s. Malaysian rider Mohd Harith Farhan was third fastest with 2’25.735s.

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WAHYU FURTHERS HIS CAUSE IN PURSUIT OF THE UNDERBONE CROWN

2016, 2016 Round5, Underbone 130 /

Team TPK48 BKMS Indonesia rider Wahyu Aji Trilaksana earned the right to park on pole position in the Underbone 130cc class as Round 5 of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship gets underway at the Buddh International Circuit in India. The Indonesian rider who is nominally leading the South East Asian heritage class posted 2’27.911s during the SuperPole, approximately half a second faster than his closest competitor. Joining Wahyu on the front row are Malaysian riders Ahmad Fazli Sham of Uma Yamaha Maju Motor and Mohd Amirul Ariff Musa from team T.Pro Yuzy Honda NTS with Wow. Fazli logged 2’28.667s as the second fastest competitor while Amirul was third with 2’28.890s. “In the Underbone class, pole position doesn’t guarantee an advantage. Riders have been known to win races from the back of the grid. This is especially true on circuits like this. Attacks will be coming from every direction,” said Wahyu.

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