2017 Round1

POSITIVE START FOR ZAQHWAN DESPITE TRICKY CONDITIONS

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Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi’s title defense campaign had gotten off to a positive start. At the Johor Circuit for the first day of free practices for the season opener of the 2017 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship, the MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda rider was fastest in two of the three free practice sessions and ended the day as the fastest rider with a time of 1’31.063s. In the hunt for his third SuperSports 600cc Asian title, Zaqhwan looked comfortable as he shouldered the role of lead rider for the Malaysian racing team. However, the 2-times SuperSports 600cc champion expressed surprise that the rest of the field were not as fast as their pre-season laptimes. “The weather condition made things a little tricky for us. Due to the rain on the previous day, there were patches of mud on the track. I think the uncertainty about grip slowed everyone down. The weather condition will play a big role in the qualifying and race outcome tomorrow (Saturday),” he said. Meanwhile, teenage hotshot Taiga Hada served up a surprise when he posted the second fastest time in class with 1’31.519s. The 18-year-old RAMA Honda NTS T.Pro Ten10 rider outpaced early favourites Decha Kraisart and Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman. The two senior riders were third and fourth fastest respectively with 1’31.812s and 1’32.074s. Azlan’s new team mate Ahmad Yudhistira rounded up the top five with 1’32.079s.

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ANUPAB SARMOON QUICKEST IN FIRST DAY OF PRACTICE

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Yamaha Thailand’s Anupab Sarmoon extended his dominating pace on the first day of Asia Production 250cc free practice as Round 1 of the 2017 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship gets underway at the 3.86km Johor Circuit. Anupab, who was consistently one of the fastest riders during the official pre-season test, ended the day as the quickest 250cc rider with a time of 1’44.202s. However, Anupab will have a tough fight on his hands, especially from his closest Honda rival – Gerry Salim. The Indonesian rider clocked 1’44.584s, only 0.382 seconds off Anupab’s pace. 2015 250cc champion Takehiro Yamamoto was third fastest with 1’44.964s. Elsewhere, Yamaha Indonesian duo Imanuel Putra Pratna and Galang Hendra Pratama rounded up the top five of the day with times of 1’45.290s and 1’45.319s respectively.

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CLOSE QUALIFYING TIMES IN NEW UNDERBONE 150cc CLASS

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The new Underbone 150cc class promises to be even more exciting than the previous 130cc category. In the qualifying session held for the first round at the Johor Circuit on March 31, 2017, a total of seven riders clocked within the same second. Team Yuzy Honda Vietnam Racing’s Azroy Hakeem Anuar topped the timesheets in the qualifyer with 1’49.115s, narrowly edging out defending champion Wahyu Aji Trilaksana who was second fastest with 1’49.336s. Malaysian debutant, Mohd Akid Aziz from team Uma Racing Yamaha Maju Motor made an impactful first qualifying when he posted third fastest with 1’49.338s. However, the top-10 grid of the Underbone 150cc class is yet to be finalized. The final grid will only be confirmed after the Underbone 150cc SuperPole that will take place in the morning before the first race. Then, the top Underbone riders will be put to the test without the benefit of the slipstream from the other competitors on the track.

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EXTRA TYRES FOR A TOUGH SEASON OPENER

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The SuperSports 600cc and Asia Production 250cc riders competing in Round 1 of the 2017 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship at the Johor Circuit this weekend, will be receiving extra tyres for the race weekend. The SuperSports 600cc riders will receive an extra full set each while the Asia Production 250cc riders will be allocated an extra rear tyre. This decision was made to maintain the competitive level of the races, while taking into consideration, the track surface conditions and its wear and tear on the tyres.

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RATTHAPONG RARING TO GO AFTER CORRECTIVE WRIST SURGERY

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AP Honda rider Ratthapong Wilairot is pumped up for the first leg of the 2017 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship, especially now that the persistent pain in his wrist had finally been resolved. Ratthapong, who only managed to cobble together a 14th overall ranking in 2016, revealed that he had not been able to ride to his full potential. “I was suffering from a persistent pain in my wrist that severely impacted my hand movements and subsequently, my riding performance. But because of our packed racing schedule, I didn’t have the chance to get a proper diagnostics until the year-end season break. The X-Ray showed that the screw that was implanted to fix my broken wrist, had shifted its position and causing the pain. My doctors have since removed the screw, and already I’m feeling much more positive about this season,” explained Ratthapong.

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SUPERSPORTS 600cc: WHAT’S NEW IN 2017

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Getting up to speed with the changes in the paddock as Round 1 flags off at the Johor Circuit on April 1 and 2, 2017.   1.MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda Racing The Malaysian outfit will be going for its 6th consecutive SuperSports 600cc Team Title this season. Yuki Takahashi has exited the team as he will be more focused on the MFJ All Japan Road Race Championship this year. Defending champion Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi will be the senior rider of the team, and will partner with 2014 Asia Dream Cup runner-up Teppei Nagoe.   2. Manual Tech Kawasaki Racing The Manual Tech Kawasaki Racing will put Indonesian rider Ahmad Yudhistira with Malaysian rider Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman.   3. Yamaha Racing Team The Yamaha Racing Team’s 2017 line-up will comprise of Japanese rider Yuki Ito and Thai newcomer Keminth Kubo.   4. RAMA Honda Racing by NTS T.Pro Ten10 Team NTS T.Pro racing undergoes a rebranding. The RAMA Honda Racing by NTS T.Pro Ten10 team will feature Japanese riders TaigaHada, Sena Yamada and India’s Sarath Kumar.   5. AP Honda Racing Thailand Ratthapong Wilairot will continue his SuperSports 600cc campaign in team AP Honda Racing Thailand livery. Ratthapong will be joined by seasoned Japanese campaigner Tatsuya Yamaguchi. Former MotoGP and WSBK rider Makoto Tamada had been appointed as head coach for the AP Honda team. He will be assisted by former Moto2 rider Ratthapark Wilairot.   6. Yamaha Thailand Racing Yamaha Thailand Racing has confirmed that both Decha Kraisart (2007 and 2010 SuperSports 600cc Champion) and Chalermpol Polamai (2009 SuperSports 600cc Champion) will be racing full season in the SuperSports 600cc category. This is one of the most senior rider combinations in the 2017 grid.

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ASIA PRODUCTION 250cc: WHAT’S NEW IN 2017

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Getting up to speed with the changes in the paddock as Round 1 flags off at the Johor Circuit on April 1 and 2, 2017. 1. Missing on The Grid The AP250 class will be racing without a defending champion this year. Apiwat Wongthananon will be spending 2017 in Europe, racing in the Spanish CEV Championship. Similarly, Kasma Daniel Kasmayuddin will take a hiatus from the ARRC to train in the CEV.   2. From the 600cc crew 2016 SuperSports 600cc competitors, Tomoyoshi Koyama, Gerry Salim, Mohd Fitri Ashraf Razali and Andy Muhammad Fadly will be racing in the Asia Production 250cc category.   3. Girl Power In Team One For All Former GP rider, Youichi Ui, has filled his team One For All with two female riders this season. They are Naoko Takasugi (Bike 750) from Japan, and Tran Thi Doan Trang (Bike 16) from Vietnam. With Muklada Sarapuech back in the ARRC, there will be three female riders in the AP250cc at Round 1.   4. Bui Duy Thong moves up Making his debut in the Underbone class last year, Vietnamese rider Bui Duy Thong has confirmed his move to the 250cc category this season.

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UNDERBONE 150cc: WHAT’S NEW IN 2017

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The Underbone 150cc is a new class, replacing the previous Underbone 130cc category that ran from 2012 to 2016.   1.Yamaha Racing Indonesia Wahyu Aji Trilaksana will embark on his title defense with team Yamaha Racing Indonesia. Should he succeed, he will be the first rider in the Underbone class to successfully retain his title despite a change in the technical specifications.   2. Yuzy Honda Vietnam Racing Former Malaysian GP rider Shahrol Yuzy will be collaborating with Honda Vietnam this season. Team Yuzy Honda Vietnam Racing’s role is to guide and expose upcoming Vietnamese riders as they make their international debut. For 2017, the team will field Vietnamese newcomer Cao Viet Nam alongside Malaysian rider Azroy Hakeem Anuar.   3. First Chinese Rider Round 1 of the ARRC will see an unexpected entry in the Underbone 150 class. Chinese rider Yuan Ji Bo will be the first from the People’s Republic of China to race in the Southeast Asian heritage class. Yuan has had substantive experience racing the 600cc bikes back home, but had elected to use the Underbone 150cc category as his debut platform to gain experience before considering a move to higher ccs.   4. UMA Racing Yamaha Maju Motor UMA Racing Yamaha Maju Motor had elected for a double rookie combination in 2017. Seasoned campaigner Ahmad Fazli Sham had been refocused to the national championship. UMA Racing’s assault on the Underbone 150cc title will be undertaken by two teenage hotshots – Mohd Haziq Mohd Fairues (16) and 2016 National Champion, Mohd Akid Aziz (19).   5. New Entry: ONEXOX TKKR Racing The Underbone 150cc will feature a new team entry this season – Malaysian outfit, ONEXOX TKKR Racing. New to the racing scene, the team had been highly active in the Malaysian Cub Prix Championship in 2016. This year, team TKKR expands their horizons to the Asian region with Norizman Ismail and Mohd Helmi Azman.

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