2016

YASSIIN LOGS FIRST ADC WIN OF THE SEASON

2016, 2016 Round6, Asia Dream Cup /

With the Asia Dream Cup title settled in favour of Hiroki Nakamura, the race for second overall position in the Honda developmental platform was disrupted when Indonesian rider Yassiin Gabriel Somma popped up onto the radar to score his first ADC win. The podium newcomer survived an 8-lap battle against nine other competitors to cross the finish line with a time of 16’56.097s, 0.089 seconds ahead of reigning champion Hiroki Nakamura. The drama of the race started as soon as the lights went off when Koko Tadachi from the Philippines was penalized with a ride-through penalty for jumpstart. A couple of rows ahead of Tadachi, pole sitter Broc Pearson got off to a slow start and was quickly engulfed by the swarm as he dove into Turn 1. A lap later, the Australian rider’s hopes to boost his position on the rider’s standings was dashed when he crashed out of Turn 2. The pack shed a few more riders in the first half of the race. Bui Duy Thong and Tokio Shibuta crashed out on Lap 2 and 4 respectively. As the race gained momentum, Indonesian riders Muhd Febriansyah and Yassiin displayed the most consistent performances within the front group. China’s Zhou Sheng Jun Jie was also prominent for the most part of the race but displayed some weakness in defending his race lines at the critical last corner. In the end, smart positioning and race strategy brought Yassiin his first win of the season. Nakamura managed to slipstream his way into P2 while Muhd Febriansyah muscled his way up the riders’ championship ladder when he finished third with 16’56.186s. “All that to-ing and fro-ing in the first seven laps eventually ended as a last corner battle. All the ADC riders know that very well but this time, I was able to get it exactly spot-on,” said Yassiin whose win has now placed him seventh overall in the Asia Dream Cup standings. Hiroki Nakamura solidified his position at the top of the pile with 203 points followed by Febriansyah in second overall with 130 points. Malaysia’s Hafiz Nor Azman was one of the casualties in the Lap 1 crash but managed to pick up his bike and limped to the finish line in 14th place. The two points he picked up kept him in third overall position with 124 points while Broc Pearson dropped down to fourth overall with 114 points.

YASSIIN LOGS FIRST ADC WIN OF THE SEASON Read More »

BROKEN LAP RECORDS; YAMAHA FRONT ROW LOCK-OUT; ALL TO PLAY FOR IN THE SUPERSPORTS 600cc CLASS

2016, 2016 Round6, Supersports 600 /

Team Yamaha Thailand Racing has had a great day during the qualifying session for Round 6 of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. After taking Apiwat Wongthananon to pole position in the Asia Production 250cc class, the team’s SuperSports 600cc riders effectively locked out the front row, setting the stage for what could be a Yamaha domination in the two races ahead. The combination of Chalermpol Polamai and Decha Kraisart proved to be lethal. The lap record was broken again and again by the two seasoned campaigners. As the chequered flag came down, Chalermpol Polamai held the advantage when he clocked in at 01’38.547s – setting a new lap record in the process. Decha Kraisart is scheduled to park his bike on second grid with 01’38.569s while the team’s junior rider Anuchai Nakcharoensri proved that he could hold his own against the swarm of 600cc riders by posting third fastest with 01’39.226s. Anthony West extended the Yamaha momentum with the fourth fastest time of 01’39.182s. This leaves the four title contenders scrabbling for the best starting position they could find. Defending champion Yuki Takahashi was the best performing rider of the four, qualifying fifth fastest with 01’39.377s. Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman will take up the last spot on second row with 01’39.411s. Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi will start the race from third row, after qualifying seventh fastest with 01’39.476s. And championship leader Tomoyoshi Koyama had the worst luck of all when he crashed out 25 minutes into the qualifying session. Koyama placed himself 8th on the grid with 01’39.506s. Even though Chalermpol’s new lap record was almost a second faster than Takahashi’s previous record, the All Japan heavyweight still expressed that he would need to work on his consistency during the race. “Today’s qualifying time is due to the right combination of tyre and our team settings. But this is a one-off qualifying strategy. I will need a good start and more constant laptimes if I want to win the race in front of my home crowd. I am really wary of the four title hunters. All of them have had international racing experience in some form or another, and out of the four, three have already won the SuperSports 600cc title once before,” said Chalermpol.

BROKEN LAP RECORDS; YAMAHA FRONT ROW LOCK-OUT; ALL TO PLAY FOR IN THE SUPERSPORTS 600cc CLASS Read More »

NO SURPRISE AS APIWAT PARKS ON POLE

2016, 2016 Round6, Asia Production 250 /

There were no surprises in store for the Asia Production 250cc riders. Apiwat Wongthananon, clearly in a league of his own, qualified uncontested at the top of the timing sheets. The Yamaha Thailand Racing star rider went progressively faster throughout the qualifying session, ending the 30-minute session with 01’55.203s as the pole sitter for the final races of the 2016 season. A last-minute dash to the chequered flag saw Takehiro Yamamoto pip Indonesia’s Galang Hendra Pratama to the finish line. Yamamoto will start the race from second on the grid with 01’55.427s, relegating Galang to third spot with 01’55.809s. “The grid was too crowded, that is why I couldn’t beat the time I set during the free practice. I had barely enough room to enter the corners. Everyone was crowding me,” said Apiwat. The Thai rider further explained that he is still working so hard because he wants to dedicate the double victory to Thailand’s new King On second row, Vorapong Malahuan will be facing competition from two strong Japanese riders. Ayumu Tanaka who was fifth fastest of the day would be eager to help his team mate retain his second overall position. Akeno Speed’s Soichiro Minamimoto, clocked sixth fastest with 01’56.008s.

NO SURPRISE AS APIWAT PARKS ON POLE Read More »

ROOKIE HAZIQ PULLS A FAST ONE ON CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDERS

2016, 2016 Round6, Underbone 130 /

While all eyes were on title contenders Wahyu Aji Trilaksana and Ahmad Fazli Sham in the Underbone 130cc qualifying and subsequent SuperPole sessions, Fazli’s young team mate Mohd Haziq Mohd Fairues snuck past their defenses to log the fastest lap in the underbone class. Clocking in at 02’09.533s, the younger and lighter Haziq confirmed himself for pole position for the final two races in the Underbone 130cc category. Both Wahyu and Fazli qualified for front row. The Indonesian ace will start the race in second place with his best solo lap of 02’09.888s. Split seconds off the pace, Fazli will take up the last spot on the front row with 02’10.040s. “It’s great to receive confirmation that our top speed is on par with Wahyu’s bike. I feel no pressure starting the race from pole position. I just hope to be able to help my team mate Fazli to win the Underbone 130cc title,” said the UMA Racing Yamaha Maju Motor rider. On second row, the pressure is increasing for Mohd Amirul Ariff Musa, Florianus Roy and Mohd Izzat Zaidi. Amirul, who is still in with a shot for the Underbone 130cc title, posted the fourth fastest time with 02’10.356s.

ROOKIE HAZIQ PULLS A FAST ONE ON CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDERS Read More »

BROC CLOCKS QUICKEST IN DAY 1 ADC PRACTICE

2016, 2016 Round6, Asia Dream Cup /

Taking his first Asian Dream Cup win in India two months ago has given Broc Pearson the boost of confidence he needed to continue with his winning ways. The lanky Australian rider topped the Asia Dream Cup timesheets in both free practice sessions as the final leg of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship got underway at the Chang International Circuit. Broc set the pace early in the session when he posted 02’04.169s in the first practice. His fastest time held for the second free practice session. The only rider to come close was Malaysian Mohd Hafiz Nor Azman who posted 02’04.236s as the second fastest rider. Indonesian Yassiin Gabriel Somma also showed good progress when he finished third fastest with 02’04.279s. For once, newly minted Asia Dream Cup Champion Hiroki Nakamura took a back seat and logged fourth quickest with 02’04.430s. Nakamura leads the second row comprising of Thai rider Sittipon Srimoontree and China’s Zhou Sheng Jun Jie who were fifth and sixth fastest respectively.

BROC CLOCKS QUICKEST IN DAY 1 ADC PRACTICE Read More »

JEFRI TOSEMA SHOWS HIS TRUE COLOURS

2016, 2016 Round6, Suzuki Asian Challenge /

Indonesian rider Jefri Tosema finally showed his true colours as the final leg of the 2016 Suzuki Asian Challenge flagged off at the Chang International Circuit. Needing to break a tie with Malaysian Mohd Rozaliman Zakaria at the top of the riders’ rankings, Jefri pulled out all the stops to log a blazingly fast time of 02’13.902s in the second free practice session. The spotlight was naturally on Jefri and Rozaliman as they raced against each other to gain an advantage during free practice. But even Rozaliman conceded the day to Jefri when he showed that he was a hefty 0.603 seconds faster than the rest of the grid. Rozaliman’s best time was 02’14.505s. Jagan Kumar rode the third fastest lap of the class with 02’15.368s. Singapore’s Arsyad Rusydi clocked fourth fastest with 02’15.569s. Behind him, title contenders April King Mascardo and Eane Jaye Solacito would need to improve by leaps and bounds if they hope to stop Jefri or Rozaliman from winning the title.

JEFRI TOSEMA SHOWS HIS TRUE COLOURS Read More »

STRONG LOCAL SHOWING FROM DAY 1 PRACTICE

2016, 2016 Round6, Supersports 600 /

The Thai riders have fired the opening salvo as the final round of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship got underway at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand this weekend. Yamaha Racing Thailand’s Decha Kraisart was the fastest SuperSports 600cc rider of the day, setting a benchmark of 01’39.586s during the second free practice session. Decha can expect to face stiff competition from the main title contenders. Zaqhwan Zaidi posted second fastest with 01’39.716s followed by wildcard entry Chalermpol Polamai in third with 01’39.830s. Current championship leader Tomoyoshi Koyama was fourth fastest with 01’39.889s while Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman netted the fifth fastest time when he stopped the clock at 01’39.898s. The lap record of 01’39.3s, notched in under the name of Yuki Takahashi, remains unbroken as the lap record holder himself paced sixth fastest in the first day of practice with 01’40.076s. “Today was just the start. With so many top riders on the grid this weekend, I’m sure the level of competition will skyrocket by tomorrow,” said the provisional pole sitter Decha, who is also 2007 and 2010 SuperSports 600cc champion. “We had a team practice here two weeks ago, but the weather conditions were very different then. I can’t say that I am satisfied just yet because my target for the first day of practice was to break the 600cc lap record. Ideally, my target lap time is inside 01’38s. If I can achieve that, I am confident I can win the race.” Further down the order, Decha’s compatriots are clearly at ease on their home track. Most of the Thai riders made it into the top-10 with Thitipong Warokorn, Anucha Nakcharoensri and Rattaphong Wilairot crowding in at seventh, eighth and ninth fastest respectively. Malaysian wildcard rider Zulfahmi Khairuddin ended the first day of practice in 10th fastest, 0.7 seconds off Decha’s best pace. Ahmad Yudhistira was the best performing Indonesian rider, clocking 01’40.418s to land in 11th spot. The previous round’s double winner, Anthony West, posted the 12th fastest time of 01’40.780s.

STRONG LOCAL SHOWING FROM DAY 1 PRACTICE Read More »

NO EASING UP FROM APIWAT

2016, 2016 Round6, Asia Production 250 /

2016 Asia Production 250cc Champion notwithstanding, Yamaha Thailand Racing’s Apiwat Wongthananon has entered the final leg of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship with guns blazing. Not one for resting on his laurels, Apiwat looks set to extend his winning margin when he posted the fastest lap time during the first day of free practice. At 01’53.920s, Apiwat’s best lap has placed him a hefty 1.674 seconds faster than the rest of the grid. Indonesia’s Galang Hendra Pratama, who finished the day as the second fastest rider of the intermediate class, posted only 01’55.594s. 2015 champion Takehiro Yamamoto crossed the finish line as the third fastest rider with 01’55.968s. However, the 22-year-old Apiwat has admitted that he is still in search of more speed. “We decided to use a new engine for the second practice. Getting the set up right was a bit of a challenge but it looks like we may have found the right combination for the track condition at this time of the year. I am very satisfied with our progress today and I’m looking forward to squeezing out an even faster time during the qualifying session,” said Apiwat. Behind the top three riders, AP Honda’s Sitthisak Onchawiang posted fourth fastest with 01’55.976s while Yamamoto’s team mate, Ayumu Tanaka, rounded up the top five with 01’56.059s.

NO EASING UP FROM APIWAT Read More »

WAHYU LEADS FINAL CHARGE FOR UNDERBONE 130cc TITLE HUNT

2016, 2016 Round6, Underbone 130 /

Indonesian ace rider Wahyu Aji Trilaksana is feeling and looking confident at the head of the Underbone 130cc grid. As the current championship leader in the South East Asian heritage class, Wahyu performed true to form when he posted the fastest lap time of 02’09.309s. “I feel confident about the challenge ahead this weekend. I’ve always had good results here at the Chang International Circuit and I like it here. The fast rolling speed suits my riding style and I absolutely love the asphalt,” he said after the first free practice of the Underbone class. Behind Wahyu, fellow title contender Ahmad Fazli Sham posted second fastest with 02’10.719s while FELDA PB Racing’s rookie Mohd Shah Khairil Hisham continued to improve his race craft and ended the day as the third fastest rider with 02’11.363s. Fazli’s young team mate, ARRC debutant Mohd Haziq Fairues clocked fourth fastest with 02’11.679s. Mohd Adib Rosley, another contender for the CP130 crown, was fifth fastest with 02’12.016s.

WAHYU LEADS FINAL CHARGE FOR UNDERBONE 130cc TITLE HUNT Read More »

GETTING UP TO SPEED IN THE 600cc CLASS

2016, 2016 Round6, Supersports 600 /

It may be the final leg of the 2016 season in the Asia Road Racing Championship, but the SuperSports 600cc provisional entry list looks to be promising a cracker of a race on December 3 and 4. At the top of the agenda, is of course, the 4-way fight for the SuperSports 600cc title. Tomoyoshi Koyama, Zaqhwan Zaidi, Yuki Takahashi and Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman are still scrabbling for the ultimate Asian motorcycling prize. Apart from Koyama, the other three protagonists have all won the titles in previous years. Takahashi is the defending champion while Zaqhwan took the honours in 2014, Azlan in 2013. Statistically, Takahashi has the best track record at the Chang International Circuit. In 2015, the MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda rider was unbeatable on this battlefield – with four wins to his name. But earlier this year, both Koyama and Zaqhwan have taken one win each during the second round. But title fight aside, a number of interesting wildcards and replacement entries will be adding spice to an already exciting race. Current WSS riders Zulfahmi Khairuddin and Hikari Okubo will be making an appearance. The Malaysian rider will wildcard as Azlan’s team mate for team BikeART Racing Kawasaki. Okubo, the first Asia Dream Cup Champion in 2012, will be replacement rider for T.Pro Yuzy Honda NTS WoW, taking the place of Sarath Kumar who was injured during the Indian round. Yamaha Thailand has brought in 2009 champion Chalermpol Polamai who had just wrapped up the All Japan Championship as the vice-champion in the JRR ST600 class. He will be racing alongside long-time team mate Decha Kraisart and Anucha Nakcharoensri. AP Honda Racing Thailand has also decided to add a wildcard with Japanese ace Tatsuya Yamaguchi. Andhi Farid Izdihar will be filling in for Gerry Salim who was injured in a national championship prior to the ARRC finale.

GETTING UP TO SPEED IN THE 600cc CLASS Read More »