2016 Round6

Zulfahmi Khairuddin will be participating as a wildcard entry in the final round of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. The Malaysian World SuperSports (WSS) rider will be racing on board the Kawasaki ZX-6R as part of team BikeART Racing Kawasaki. This will make him team mates with Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman for the weekend at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand. “I am looking forward to pitting my skills against the best riders in Asia. For me, this is a great opportunity to hone my race craft as part of the off-season preparations for the 2017 season. Racing against the riders in the ARRC will certainly keep me on my toes,” said Zulfahmi. This will be the Zulfahmi’s ARRC debut. Unlike most of his peers, Zulfahmi was one of the lucky few who were able to jump straight from the Malaysian Cub Prix to the MotoGP. “The team has set no targets for me. As a wildcard, I think they view this as an opportunity to test the limits of their machine without dealing with the pressure of winning the Asian title. For me, I just hope to hold my own against the front group,” he added. credit photo : WSBK

Team Musashi Boon Siew Honda’s Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi will need to win big this weekend during the Asia Road Racing Championship finale at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand. Currently trailing the SuperSports 600cc championship leader Tomoyoshi Koyama by seven points, Zaqhwan will need to elevate his game to an even higher level. “There’s no way around it. To confirm the title, I must win both races (Race 1 and Race 2). There is literally no room for mistakes because Koyama has also consistently delivered strong performances in Buriram,” said the MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda rider who also won the SuperSports 600cc crown in 2014. Zaqhwan is one of four riders still in contention for the top honours in the premiere class. Tomoyoshi Koyama leads by 150 points followed by Zaqhwan with 143 points. Defending champion Yuki Takahashi is currently third with 128 points while Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman who is fourth with 116 points still holds an outside chance of overturning the odds. “I will have to win this one on my own. Back in 2014, I had help from Mohd Zamri Baba. This time, my own team mate (Yuki Takahashi) is also a title contender. We will each have to win on our own merits because team orders will not be forthcoming,” said Zaqhwan. The 21-year-old Malaysian rider will also have to contend with a crowded SuperSports 600cc grid due to a high number of strong wildcard entries. “In addition to the season regulars, the SuperSports 600cc class will see wildcard performances from riders like Hikari Okubo (2012 Asia Dream Cup Champion and current WSS rider), Zulfahmi Khairuddin (WSS), Chalermpol Polamai (All Japan Champion), as well as Tatsuya Yamaguchi (former Moto2 rider). If I were a fan of Asian motorcycle racing, I will be glued in front of my television this weekend. Where else would you see so many strong Asian riders competing together on a single track? It would be fun for the fans; but less fun for us riders,” Zaqhwan added in jest.