2016 Round5

WEST SCORES FIRST ARRC PROVISIONAL POLE AT BUDDH

2016, 2016 Round5, Supersports 600 /

Australian rider Anthony West finally bagged his first provisional pole in the SuperSports 600cc class of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. Racing at Round 5 at the Buddh International Circuit in New Delhi this weekend, West was the only rider on the 20-rider grid to post below 1 minute 56 seconds. The Akeno Speed WJR Racing Team rider clocked 1’55.912s and will be looking to confirm his pole position during the qualifying practice on Saturday morning before the start of Race 1. West’s performance eclipsed that of Thai ace Decha Kraisart who was the pace setter for the first and second practice sessions. However, Decha was able to leapfrog over Yuki Takahashi to post second fastest with 1’56.367s. Takahashi was third fastest with 1’56.667s while Malaysian Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi scrapped into the 1’56s zone with 1’56.989s. Ahmad Yudhistira from Indonesia provisionally leads what would be the second group with 1’57.025s in fifth spot. “My laptimes during the first two practice sessions were terrible. There were a lot of problems with the bike so I didn’t get a lot of laps in. But this circuit is very similar to the GP circuits – it’s fast, flowing and more to what I am used to. I was so angry about this morning that in the third session, I was motivated to just go out and ride,” said West. “I like this circuit a lot. I think the Yamaha will have a bit of an advantage here because it’s strong in the top end speed and likes fast flowing tracks like these.” Further down the field, the returning Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman checked in at ninth fastest with 1’57.364s. At this rate, Azlan would have his work cut out for him recouping the loss he suffered when injuries forced him out of Round 4 in Sentul. As the SuperSports 600cc grid took shape, Indian rider Sarath Kumar suffered a huge disappointment when he crashed out at Turn 1 during the third practice session. Sarath is suspected to have suffered a broken collar bone and may not be able to race in front of his home fans this weekend.

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APIWAT ON FIRE

2016, 2016 Round5, Asia Production 250 /

Fresh from a week-long training stint at the Yamaha-VR46 MasterCamp in Italy, Thai rider Apiwat Wongthananon continues his winning ways. The Thai Yamaha rider posted the fastest time of the day with 2’15.251s in the third free practice session of the Asia Production 250cc class, making a quick comeback after trailing Somkiat Chantra and Ayumu Tanaka in the first two sessions. Apiwat, who is leading the AP250 class by 36 points, stands a mathematical chance of securing the title with a round to spare. However, the 22-year-old Thai rider is still wary of the competition. “The track is in great condition but the long straight here means plenty of opportunities to slipstream. I expect the race to be tricky with a big group fighting for position,” said Apiwat. Behind Apiwat, AP Honda’s Somkiat Chantra posted second fastest with 2’15.555s. Apiwat’s team mate provisionally joins him on the front row with the third fastest time of the day, 2’16.485s. Defending champion Takehiro Yamamoto astride the Trickstar Kawasaki was only fourth fastest with 2’16.653s while Imanuel Putra Pratna was the best performing Indonesian with 2’16.673s.

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MALAYSIA AIRLINES LEFT RIDERS STRANDED

2016, 2016 Round5 /

Malaysian riders Mohd Fitri Ashraf Razali and Mohd Haziq Fairues endured a hellish journey from Kuala Lumpur to New Delhi where they were headed for Round 5 of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship at the Buddh International Circuit. What was supposed to be a five hour flight turned into an endless journey of delays and reroutes. Both riders were booked on Malaysia Airlines flight MH 0190 scheduled to depart from KLIA at 6.25pm on Tuesday, September 27. “When we arrived at the KLIA on Tuesday to check in, we were surprised to be informed at the counter that the flight was overbooked. Haziq and I, along with 10 of our team engineers and mechanics, were shunted into a Malaysian Airlines flight to Bangkok where we were supposed to catch a connecting Thai Airways flight to Delhi,” said Fitri who races for team Yamaha Racing in the SuperSports 600cc class. “Unfortunately, the coordination by Malaysia Airlines on our behalf with their One World alliance members were less than ideal. When we arrived in Bangkok, we were informed by Thai Airways that they only had four seats for us. Of course, our team members all elected to stay together. The Malaysia Airlines officials in Bangkok then informed us that they have booked us for a separate flight via Jet Airways scheduled to depart on Wednesday morning. When we returned to the Bangkok Airport, Jet Airways refused to accept our tickets, leaving us no choice but to accept seats from Thai Airways in the afternoon,” Fitri told of his ordeal. “By the time we arrived in New Delhi, we had been on the road for more than 24 hours. The entire team is tired and stressed. This is not a good way for either of us to start a weekend of tough competition,” Haziq chipped in. Haziq races for team UMA Racing Yamaha Maju Motor in the Underbone 130cc.

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THEFT PUTS A DAMPER ON ENTHUSIASM PRIOR TO ROUND 5

2016, 2016 Round5 /

The excitement of preparing for a new race venue at the Buddh International Circuit in New Delhi, India was dampened when many of the teams found items stolen from their respective freight containers. Among those who fell victim to the theft were Noriyuki Haga, Decha Kraisart and Apiwat Wongthananon who lost their racing suits and helmets. Though unconfirmed pending further investigations, it is believed that the theft occurred in Indonesia during the long duration in which the ARRC containers waited for shipment. The race promoters, Two Wheels Motor Racing, had lodged a police and insurance report on the matter.

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THE BIG BOYS ARE BACK

2016, 2016 Round5, Supersports 600 /

The spate of injuries that scourged through the SuperSports 600cc class during Round 4 in Sentul has thankfully come to an end. With Round 5 soon to take off at the Buddh International Circuit in India this October 1 and 2, the big guns are finally back on the grid, and raring to go. Most significant would be the return of title contenders Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman and defending champion Yuki Takahashi. Both pulled out before the commencement of Round 4 due to injuries sustained in previous races. This allowed MUSASHI Boon Siew Honda’s Zaqhwan Zaidi and T.Pro Yuzy Honda NTS with Wow’s Tomoyoshi Koyama to turn the title chase around. Both riders currently share the top spot with 131 points apiece. Yuki Takahashi has dropped to third overall with 104 points, needing to make up a 27-point deficit in order to be back in title contention. Takahashi is on a dual mission this season – to bring home team MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda’s fifth consecutive Asian title as well as to become the first rider since 2006 to win the SuperSports 600cc crown back to back. Azlan Shah fared worse, falling to fifth overall with 89 points. Azlan would have his work cut out for him and will literally need to string together four wins in the remaining two rounds just to keep the slim thread of hope alive. The only piece of good news for Azlan is that there will be one less rider in his way at the Indian leg of the season. Dimas Ekky Pratama is forced to skip the Indian round due to conflicting race schedules.

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VR46 PLUS ONE

2016, 2016 Round5, Asia Production 250 /

If he wasn’t already a force to be reckoned with, expect Thai ace Apiwat Wongthananon to be even more formidable in the Indian round of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. Apiwat’s noteworthy performance in the Asia Production 250cc class this season has prompted Yamaha to send him for the second edition of the Yamaha-VR46 Master Camp. 22 year old Apiwat missed out on the first training camp due to the imposed age limit for the participants of the camp. However, the Yamaha motorsports management team had obviously taken note of Apiwat’s results this season. To his delight, Apiwat joined Peerapong Loiboonpeng, Galang Hendra Pratama, Imanuel Putra Pratna, Soichiro Minamimoto and Kasma Daniel Kasmayuddin for the second Yamaha-VR46 Master Camp held in Tavullia, Italy from September 15 to 19, 2016. “For me, it was the first time to come here and experience the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp. I felt I was increasing my level and doing better day by day. I will go back to Thailand to develop myself there and benefit from everything I learned. I want to thank Yamaha and VR46 for this incredible opportunity of coming here. Today I felt that I was able to take the next step and I want to thank everyone who helped me do so.

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IZZAT ZAIDI TO STRADDLE TWO CLASSES IN INDIA

2016, 2016 Round5, Asia Production 250, Underbone 130 /

Underbone 130cc rider Mohd Izzat Zaidi, currently third overall in the FIM Asia Road Racing table, will be saddled with the responsibility of representing his team in two distinct categories at the penultimate round of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship this weekend. Racing at the 5.15km Buddh International Circuit, Izzat will have a tough weekend ahead of him as he fills in for the injured Tengku Amirul Haffiruddin in the Asia Production 250cc class while still in contention for the Underbone crown. In a letter addressed to the Race Direction of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship, team principal YY Pang explained, “Tengku Amirul was injured during the PETRONAS AAM Malaysian Cub Prix Championship last week. He fractured three metacarpal bones in his right hand and had been successfully treated at the Tung Shin Hospital. Unfortunately, with the ARRC coming hot on the heels of the Cub Prix race, this means that Tengku will not be able to recover in time to race in India.” “At this late stage, it would be difficult for the team to find a replacement for Tengku Amirul in the Asia Production 250cc class. There isn’t enough time to apply for the Indian visa. So Izzat will need to do double duty in the coming race weekend.” “On the positive side, it would be good exposure for Izzat as the 250cc class is really very competitive. We are confident that he is fit enough to be able to handle the physical demands of both classes,” YY Pang concluded.

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SHIFTING BATTLE LINES

2016, 2016 Round5, Underbone 130 /

The race to supremacy in the Underbone 130cc class of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship this season has been one of the closest fought to date. With Underbone ace and defending champion Gupita Kresna now racing in the Asia Production 250cc class, the race to clinch the 2016 title has been wide open since the start of the season, with battle lines shifting with every race venue. Wahyu Aji Trilaksana of team TPK48 BKMS is riding on a mission to bring the Underbone 130cc title back to Indonesia for the seventh consecutive year. Should he succeed, Wahyu will become the ninth Indonesian champion in the South East Asian heritage class. He will be carving his name alongside other Underbone greats such as M. Fadli Immammuddin, Doni Tata Pradita, Gilang Pratama Sukma, Wahyu Widodo, Owie Nurhuda, Hadi Wijaya, Rafid Topan and most recently, Gupita Kresna Wardhana. However, the Malaysian contingent would like to have a say in the matter as well. Mohd Amirul Ariff Musa, Mohd Izzat Zaidi, Ahmad Fazli Sham and even young rookie Mohd Helmi Azman have all put in competitive performances strong enough to prevent a runaway lead by their Indonesian rivals. The last time a Malaysian rider won the Underbone title was in 2009 when Mohd Affendi Rosli caught everyone off guard by breaking the Indonesian stronghold astride a Suzuki. The title chase in the Underbone 130cc has an added layer of significance this year. This will be the final season of the Underbone 130cc. By 2017, the class will be replaced by the 150cc Super-Underbone or SuperCub category.With positions among the top 10 riders changing with every round, strong results will be crucial for a rider’s points-bank as they lay the foundation for an all-out final battle in Buriram in December.

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NAKAMURA BEGINNING TO REAP THE ASIA DREAM CUP REWARDS

2016, 2016 Round5, Asia Dream Cup /

17-year-old Japanese rider Hiroki Nakamura is beginning to catch a glimpse of the potential rewards that may come his way as the fifth Asia Dream Cup Champion. Prior to Round 5 of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship in India, Nakamura was given the opportunity to race in the J-GP3 class of the All Japan with Honda Team Asia. Additionally, he had also been confirmed for a wildcard ride in the Spanish National Championship (CEV) in Valencia at the end of the year. Depending on the outcome of his wildcard entries, this could potentially be Nakamura’s big break with Honda Team Asia that had successfully brought about the rise of Asian riders in the international arena. Nakamura would be hoping to follow in the footsteps of former champions Hiroki Ono and Khairul Idham Pawi.

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BUDDH INTRO

2016, 2016 Round5 /

The 5.14-Km long Buddh International Circuit has been designed by World-renowed German architect and racetrack designer, Herman Tilke, who has also responsible for other world-class race circuits in Malaysia, Bahrain, China, Turkey, Indonesia, the UAE, South Africa, South Korea and the US. Buddh International Circuit was conceptualized as one of the fastest, most exciting motor racing circuits in the World, and is well suited to the requirements of powerful, high-spec racing cars and motorcycles. The track’s combination of 16 corners, high speed straights, and dramatic changes in elevation has been designed to provide ample opportunies for overtaking, which is what makes motor racing exciting. 2016 marks the Asia Road Racing Championship’s debut at this prestigious Indian circuit.

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