2016

JEF TOSEMA TOPS FIRST DAY OF PRACTICE AT SUZUKA

2016, 2016 Round3, Suzuki Asian Challenge /

Indonesian rider Jefri Tosema came up tops during the first day of practice for the Suzuki Asian Challenge riders at Round 3 of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship held at the Suzuka Circuit. Despite his unfamiliarity with the legendary circuit, Jef was one of the fastest to come to grips with the tricky track layout – topping the timesheets in both Practice 1 and Practice 2 of the Suzuki Asian Challenge. The Indonesian lad rounded up the day as the fastest rider astride the Suzuki FU150 with a time of 2’54.054s. Meanwhile, championship leader Mohd Rozaliman Zakaria, was almost two seconds off Tosema’s pace as the second fastest rider with a time of 2’55.935s. Another Indonesian rider, Muhammad Sapril, rounded up the provisional front row with the third fastest time of 2’56.387s. Tentatively booking their spots for second row are April King Mascardo from the Philippines, India’s Jagan Kumar and Philipino rider Eane Jaye Sobretodo. Singaporean rider Arsyad Rusydi Shaharum, Maxi Hattori from Japan, Indonesia’s Rizal Feriyadi and Mario J. Borbon from the Philippines rounded up the top ten from Day 1.

JEF TOSEMA TOPS FIRST DAY OF PRACTICE AT SUZUKA Read More »

DISAPPOINTMENT FOR FASTEST NAKAMURA-HAFIZ COMBO

2016, 2016 Round3, Asia Dream Cup /

Hiroki Nakamura and Hafiz Nor Azman, two of the brightest talents in the 2016 edition of the Asia Dream Cup, lived up to their top billings in the annual Asia Dream Endurance Race. Their combined expertise placed them fastest during the third free practice of the class with a time of 2’41.900s, 0.919s seconds ahead of defending champions Seiji Maeda and Yoshiharu Okada. Unfortunately for the duo, their promising results fizzled out when Hafiz suffered a big crash which resulted in a hairline fracture. The disappointed young Malaysian rider and his Japanese team mate have been forced to pull out of the 2-hour Endurance race. Each year at the Suzuka Challenge, the Asia Dream Cup changes its format from a sprint race to a 2-hour Endurance race and is rebranded as the Asia Dream Endurance. This race is open to other competitors and opens up the opportunity for the Asia Dream Cup riders to sharpen their talents against other Japanese competitors. Other Asia Dream Cup combinations that had made it to the top 10 from the first day of practice included third fastest Broc Pearson and Mohd Febriansyah with 2’43.978s as well as Koko Tadachi and Chisato Katayama posted sixth fastest with 2’44.260s

DISAPPOINTMENT FOR FASTEST NAKAMURA-HAFIZ COMBO Read More »

IT’S TIME FOR THE ASIA DREAM ENDURANCE RACE AGAIN

2016, 2016 Round3, Asia Dream Cup /

The success of the inaugural Asia Dream Endurance Race in 2015 has convinced race promoters that the 2-hour Endurance race should be a permanent fixture every time the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship visits the Suzuka Circuit. With the historic circuit set to hold Round 3 this June 3 to 5, the young Asia Dream Cup class of 2016 will be pairing up for their first taste of endurance racing. The Asia Dream Endurance is an annual event to coincide with the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. The endurance format only happens at Suzuka. What better way to expose the young riders to endurance racing than at the circuit that is famous for this type of motorsports events. However, the Asia Dream Cup riders form only a small percentage of the total participants. They will be competing against other young Japanese teams and riders who will also be taking part in the event. In 2015, the top three podium positions fell to the combinations of Seiji Maeda and Yoshiharu Okada; Seiji Yasutomi and Kouji Fukui; and third place Naoaki Kubo and Kouji Nishizawa. The best-performing Asia Dream Cup pairing came from Hiroki Nakamura and Yusuke Nakamura who finished seventh in the race followed by Broc Pearson and Kazuki Tomita. Unlike the previous year, the 2016 riders’ pairing will be based on their championship rankings as opposed to country : ADC 2016 Round 3 – Entry List

IT’S TIME FOR THE ASIA DREAM ENDURANCE RACE AGAIN Read More »

LONGER 600cc RACES

2016, 2016 Round2, Latest News, Supersports 600 /

The introduction of slick tyres into the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship has allowed for the race duration in the premiere SuperSports 600cc class to be extended. With effect from Round 2 at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand, the SuperSports 600cc race duration had been increased from 80km to 90km. This averages out to an extra two laps per race for the SuperSports 600cc riders. “The Dunlop KR149 and KR133 tyres are living up to their top billings,” said Ron Hogg, Director of Two Wheels Motor Racing. “At Buriram last month, the fastest lap of the race was clocked at the last lap for many of the top riders. This shows that the durability and performance of the new slick tyres are up to the task of an extended race distance.” The latest direction for the SuperSports 600cc had earned the thumbs up from the top riders. Here’s what they have to say: Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman (Kawasaki, BikeART Racing Kawasaki) “I like it. A longer race means more room for rider and team strategy.” Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi (Honda, MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda) “It’s exhausting! Longer races equal more fighting.” Tomoyoshi Koyama (Honda, T.Pro Yuzy Honda NTS with WoW) “I’m OK with the extra 2 laps. It’s more exciting for everyone.” Yuki Takahashi (Honda, MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda) “What extra two laps? I barely noticed them.” Dimas Ekky Pratama (Honda, Astra Honda) “It’s good for the riders. The teams will need to re-strategize, especially on fuel and tyre strategies.

LONGER 600cc RACES Read More »

OFFICIAL STATEMENT: AP250cc

2016, 2016 Round2, Asia Production 250 /

Official Statement FIM Asia Road Racing Championship On Sunday May 8, 2016 during Race 2 of the Asia Production 250cc, the Race Direction received an official protest from Yamaha Finson Racing team manager that Rider #24 Apiwat Wongthananon produced unsporting behavior towards Rider #127 Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin. A Race Direction hearing was convened with the rider #24 and the team manager in attendance. The Race Direction, after deliberation, sanctioned Rider number #24 of the Asia Production 250cc with the deduction of 5 Championship points and the race position will remain. Within 30 minutes rider #24 and his team manager made an official appeal to the Jury panel. The Jury panel consisting of Mr. Onny Padmo (Jury President), Mr. Amit Arora (Jury member) and Mr. Barry Russell (FMNR Jury member) then held a hearing with the attendance of rider #24 and team manager. After the hearing, the Jury panel’s decision was to cancel Race Direction’s decision and reinstate the 5 championship points to rider #24 as a race incident with no intention. The Race Direction has 5 days from 8th of May to appeal to FIM Asia Disciplinary Board on the decision of the Jury Panel.

OFFICIAL STATEMENT: AP250cc Read More »

EXCITING CHANGES IN STORE

2016, Latest News, Supersports 600, Underbone 130, Underbone 150 /

Only two rounds into the 2016 season and the stakeholders in the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship are already mulling exciting developments for the coming years. In a meeting held with the manufacturers and team owners, Two Wheels Motor Racing, the race promoters of the ARRC, have tabled two proposals for their consideration. Of immediate concern, the 2016 season would be the last season of the Underbone 130cc category. In keeping with market trends, the most likely race class to take its place would be the 150cc machines. This new class is expected to debut in 2017. “For fans of Underbone racing, the 150cc class will be even more exciting. The bikes are deemed as “Super Underbone” with liquid cool engines, 6-speed gearboxes as well as monoshock suspension,” said Ron Hogg, Director of Two Wheels Motor Racing “While the Underbone class is a heritage category for South East Asia, we need to keep abreast of market sentiments and technological developments. In the past, the regulations of the ARRC Underbone class was the benchmark for most underbone racing championships in Asia. The reason for this was to create a standard platform of racing in each country and thereby consistently bring up the level of racing to a common platform. After 21 seasons, that objective had been achieved and it is now time for the Underbone class of the ARRC to take up its role as the next step-up level for Asian riders. By heading in the direction of the 150cc class, it would become a natural next step for Asian champions graduating from their respective national championships,” Hogg explained. The next change will come in 2018 where the Superbike 1000cc class is now being considered as a replacement for the SuperSports 600cc category. “The Asia Road Racing Championship has raced 600cc as the premiere class since 2000. The reasons we had stuck to this class were many – running costs for teams, market trends, and most importantly, riders standard of racing. In the past, the pool of Asian talents were not yet big enough for us to make that jump into Superbikes. But now it is different. The standard of racing in all classes is very high. The only way to move forward is to take everyone to the ultimate platform – which is Superbike racing.” “This move will open the doors to a wider field of manufacturing competitors and thus creating strong competitive racing. The decision for this class (whether to remain at 600cc or move to 1000cc by 2018, will be made by the end of this year,” Hogg concluded.

EXCITING CHANGES IN STORE Read More »

SOLID WIN FROM ROZALIMAN IN SUZUKI ASIAN CHALLENGE

2016, 2016 Round2, Suzuki Asian Challenge /

A solid start placed Malaysian polesitter Mohd Rozaliman Zakaria in good standing to win Race 2 of the Suzuki Asian Challenge in the second leg of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship season in Thailand. Six riders battled for the win throughout the 7-lap race. As the board counted down to the final lap, it was Race 1 winner Muhammad Sapril who first showed his hand by leaping into the lead. Sapril was soon challenged by April King Mascardo from the Philippines and the lead-swapping continued right up to the final corner which had been the determining point of every single race at the Chang International Circuit. Rozaliman managed to get on to the inside line and succeeded in keeping his winning position at the finish line with a time of 15’58.964s. Muhammad Sapril was forced to settle for second place with 15’59.028s and Jefri Tosema third with 15’59.028s. The Malaysian rider’s second win of the season has earned him the lead in the riders standings with 76 points. Muhammad Sapril stands second overall with 67 points while Jef ranked third with 61 points.

SOLID WIN FROM ROZALIMAN IN SUZUKI ASIAN CHALLENGE Read More »

NAKAMURA EXTENDS ASIA DREAM CUP LEAD

2016, 2016 Round2, Asia Dream Cup /

As Race 2 for the second leg of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship got underway for the Asia Dream Cup riders, Hiroki Nakamura raced a smart 8-lap race to clinch his third victory of the new season with a time of 16’52.634s The race got off to its usual mayhem. Racing on similar machines, nine riders were bunched together in the lead group even as the 8-lap race went past its midway mark. Race 1 winner Muhd Febriansyah’s crash on Lap 2 did nothing to ease the tension. However, even amidst the melee, three new riders stood out. Vietnamese rider Bui Duy Thong rode a phenomenal race as he mixed it up with the front runners and stood a shot of taking a podium finish if not for a crash at the last corner. Another amazing performance came from India’s Hari Krishnan who led through the final lap but his lack of experience robbed him of the win at the last corner. Hari brought the Indian flag with him to the podium in second place with 16’52.792s. Finally, Australian talent Broc Pearson dedicated his third place finish to his mother as a Mother’s Day present when he crossed the line with 16’52.811s. The Asia Dream Cup riders will be gearing up for their annual 2-hour endurance style race when the championship goes to Suzuka for Round 3. Nakamura is in a strong position, leading with 95 points. Hafiz Nor Azman is second with 66 points and Broc ranked third with 46 points.

NAKAMURA EXTENDS ASIA DREAM CUP LEAD Read More »

WILY FAZLI STEALS UNDERBONE 130cc WIN

2016, 2016 Round2, Underbone 130 /

Wily Malaysian rider Ahmad Fazli Sham stole the Underbone 130cc Race 2 win in Round 2 of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. In this instance, Fazli’s wealth of experience clearly counted when it mattered most. A slow start placed Fazli deep in the group as Amirul Ariff Musa and Race 1 winner Wahyu Trilaksana stole the holeshot. However, Fazli quickly overcame the disadvantage and appeared to be fighting for the lead midway through the 8-lap race. However, Race 2 did not go entirely to script. Instead of the usual swarm of riders jostling for P1, the riders were split into two main groups with five riders in the first group and another five in the second pack. Given more room to manoeuvre , Fazli nipped into Wahyu’s slipstream as the riders approached the last corner, deftly managed the tricky last corner by hugging the apex, and won the photo-finish battle against Wahyu by only 0.021 seconds. Fazli’s win was recorded at 17’36.626s while Wahyu finished second with 17’36.647s and Florianus Roy third with 17’36.748s. “It’s really gratifying when your strategy works out,” grinned a delighted Fazli Sham. “I thought I could break away, but it was obvious that racing solo would cause too much strain on the engine. This way was more of a gamble, but the split group of riders certainly helped.” Underbone 130cc championship leader Mohd Izzat Zaidi finished fourth in Race 1 and fifth in Race 2 to stay in front with 69 points. Amirul Ariff Musa came in within the top-6 in both races and is second overall with 57 points. Wahyu Aji Trilaksana’s double podium from Round 2 placed him third with 56 points.

WILY FAZLI STEALS UNDERBONE 130cc WIN Read More »

YAMAMOTO ENDS APIWAT’S WINNING STREAK

2016, 2016 Round2, Asia Production 250 /

Apiwat Wongthananon’s winning streak in the Asia Production 250cc class finally came to an end. Unfortunately, the defeat came at the worst possible moment – in front of his home crowd at Round 2 of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship in Buriram, Thailand. Buoyed by three straight wins, Apiwat and his team mate enjoyed a dream start to Race 2 of the Asia Production 250cc. However, it was hardly a nightmare for the rest of the grid. While the Yamaha Thailand Racing trio tried to put up an impenetrable wall at the front of the group, their defences were slowly but surely chipped away by Kawasaki duo Takehiro Yamamoto and Ayumu Tanaka as well as Indonesia’s Galang Hendra Pratama. While the Yamaha riders were clearly more prominent in the race, there was no denying that they were under a lot of pressure with a lead group comprising of 11 riders, all racing within one second of each other. The Kawasaki riders’ bid for 1-2 position was almost destroyed on Lap 8 when Ayumu Tanaka crashed out heavily. Left alone on a hostile grid, Yamamoto relied heavily on Galang’s presence to force the Thai riders’ attention away from him. The Japanese defending champion managed to tuck into a slipstream at the last corner and slingshot into his first victory of the season with a time of 19’30.632s. Galang Hendra Pratama netted Indonesia’s first AP250 podium in second place with 19’31.018s followed by Peerapong Loiboonpeng in third with 19’31.319s “Ayumu and I constantly discussed how to break through the Yamaha riders’ defenses. While I am sorry he crashed out, I am pleased to find that the strategy had worked. Galang’s presence also helped tremendously,” said the TRICKSTAR Racing winner.

YAMAMOTO ENDS APIWAT’S WINNING STREAK Read More »