2017

PRESS RELEASE: GERRY SALIM TAKES ANOTHER VICTORY AS RHEZA CLAIMS FIRST PODIUM

2017, 2017 Round2, Asia Production 250, Latest News, Supersports 600 /

Starting from the second place of the starting grid, Gerry has shown a solid performance since the beginning of the race. After the start, Gerry immediately led the way and outperformed their rivals, having a tight battle until the mid-race. He lost his position, but could remain in the front group and in the last five laps, Rheza also emerged as a new contender for top three. Rheza could even take the first place on Lap 7, before being overtaken by Gerry. The battle became tighter in the final corner. Gerry managed to overcome his rival and take the win. This is the third consecutive victory for Gerry at the beginning of 2017 in the AP250 class and continues to lead the championship overall with 75 points. The 3rd place reached by Rheza means his first podium finish and also the first for a rider who debuts in AP250 class, riding the competitive bike Honda CBR250RR. Awhin Sanjaya also took an impressive result finishing 5th, despite being down in 11th place in the early laps. Meanwhile, in SuperSports 600cc class, Irfan Ardiansyah finished in 8th place. During a tough race, the Indonesian rider fought hard in the middle group. Irfan is now in sixth position of the championship standings with 32 points. Race 2 will be held on Saturday, starting from 13:00 Western Indonesian Time.   QUOTES “I want to say thank you to my parents, the Astra Honda Racing Team and Indonesian people. Today the weather was very hot and the wind was quite strong. I tried to push in the early laps, but I couldn’t break the group and I changed my strategy to attack in the last three laps. This victory is thanks to the CBR250RR bike, and also to the hard work from the team to achieve the best result.” Gerry Salim | AHRT ASIA PRODUCTION 250CC RIDER   “Thank you to the Astra Honda Racing Team, all mechanics and especially my parents. Today we had a very tight race since the start until the finish. I tried to follow the other riders lap by lap. I could keep a constant pace and I finally was able to get my first podium by riding my CBR250RR bike. I will try to even improve in the second race.” Rheza Danica | AHRT ASIA PRODUCTION 250CC RIDER   “I’m quite happy with this first race result. I have found the right set-up for my bike to race in Chang Circuit. But there were some points where I still made some mistakes during the race and I will to try to fix it in the future. Although I started from ninth place I could finish in fifth.” Awhin Sanjaya | AHRT ASIA PRODUCTION 250CC RIDER   “I’m so happy for the result in this first race. I’m thankful also to all who has supported me, especially my family and Astra Honda Racing Team, as well as the mechanics who have worked hard to find the right set-up for my bike. Although I crashed during qualifying I fought hard during the race, little by little I got the rhythm and finally was able to finish in eighth position.” Irfan Ardiansyah | AHRT SUPERSPORTS 600CC RIDER

PRESS RELEASE: GERRY SALIM TAKES ANOTHER VICTORY AS RHEZA CLAIMS FIRST PODIUM Read More »

AZLAN RACES SMART TO BRING HOME THE GOLD

2017, 2017 Round2, Latest News, Supersports 600 /

Azlan Shah rose above a series of challenges in Race 1 to take a well deserved win in Race 1 at Chang International Circuit. The race got off to a false start when green lights were mistakenly shown. The race was immediately red flagged and the riders brought back to the line for another warm-up lap and a restart to a race shortened by two laps to 16. A determined Decha Kraisart capitalised on his pole position to take the holeshot and lead the first six in the order they qualified for the starting grid over the first few laps. Azlan Shah showed good pace behind, holding off the leader’s Yamaha Thailand team mate, Chalermpol Polamai and the second Manual Tech Kawasaki of Ahmad Yudhistira. These four opened a gap of three seconds to the chasing pack, which consisted of Zaqhwan Zaidi, Yuki Ito and Anthony West. Decha’s race ended in a heart-stopping moment at the beginning of lap 7, when the front of his R6 tucked going into Turn 1, leaving him in the middle of the track. As he got up to find safety, he ran directly into the path of Zaqhwan, who had got clear of Ito and West. The Malaysian somehow missed him, running wide in the process and losing his hard won race position. Meanwhile, West got the upper hand on Yudhistira to create a comfortable position for himself in third place. Back at the front, Chalermpol kept pushing the leading Kawasaki, briefly getting in front on lap 12, only for Azlan to snatch it back. The Thai rider made a bold lunge for the lead at Turn 4 on the final lap, but went in too hot and gave Azlan, who had not put a foot wrong, a clear margin to take to the chequered flag, Behind Anthony West, Yudhistira took fourth place, with Zaqhwan and Ito evenly spaced behind. While the indomitable Decha will be kicking himself for losing a clear chance of victory, he will also be thankful for today’s lucky escape and is sure come back strongly for Race 2.

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GERRY WINS AND ANUPAB SPOILS THE HONDA PARTY IN RACE 1

2017, 2017 Round2, Asia Production 250, Latest News /

After his convincing qualifying performance, pole man Takehiro Yamamoto bogged down his twin engined Honda on the line, dropping down to eighth position during lap 1 as Gerry Salim, Anuparb Sarmoon, Boonlert, Luiboonpeng and Galang Hendra Pratama rushed past. The 2015 champion recovered by lap 3 to get briefly to the front of the leading pack of six bikes, which had begun to create a gap back to Pratama. Behind them Tomoyoshi Koyama led the second group which, by lap six had engulfed Boonlert and Luiboonpeng as the two Astra Hondas of Salim and Rheza, the Sidrap Honda of Yamamoto and the Yamaha Thailand R25 of Anuparb got away at the front. Despite the lead swapping continuously, it was Salim who looked the most convincing during his stints in the lead.  From Turn 4 on the last lap Salim and Anuparb created a small gap to Rheza and Yamamoto, but, as they got to Chang International’s formidable final corner, they bunched together once again. As the four bikes squirmed under braking it could have been anyone’s victory, but it was Salim who got the power down best to take a narrow win from Anuparb, with Rheza getting half a wheel in front of Yamamoto to take third place. The next group was 8.5 seconds further back and led over the line by the Astra Honda of Awhin Sanjaya, just in front of the RAMA Honda of Koyama who made it five Hondas in the top six.  Despite the exceptional performance of Anuparb, Yamaha will spend the evening pouring over data from today’s race to find more than one an answer to the dominance of Honda’s parallel twin powered CBR250RR.

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CLEAN WIN FOR AZROY IN ROUND 2 RACE 1

2017, 2017 Round2, Latest News, Underbone 150 /

Malaysian rider Azroy Hakeem Anuar clinched a clear win in Race 1 of the Underbone 150cc category. The Yuzy Honda Vietnam rider emerged from a dramatic race as the winner of the day with a time of 16’54.800s. Race 1 of the Underbone 150cc category had been full of drama since the free practice. Defending champion Wahyu Aji Trilaksana and Round 1 winner Mohd Akid Aziz were both excluded from the qualifying results when they were found to be under the minimum weight. Although both riders still went out for the SuperPole, they were relegated to the back of the grid for the race start. Things took a turn for the worse for both these riders. Akid’s bike failed on him on Lap 1 while Wahyu retired on Lap 5. It was also a bad day at the office for Norizman Ismail. the ONEXOX TKKR Racing rider had to leave the starting grid when his bike couldn’t turn over. In exiting from the pitlane to rejoin the group, Norizman was found to have exceeded the track limit and was penalized with a ride-through penalty. Norizman ignored the penalty and was subsequently blackflagged on Lap 6. As the riders dropped out of the top group, Azroy tucked in and stayed out of trouble. In the final corner mad dash to the finish line, Azroy stayed on the racing line while many of the front runners ran wide at the apex. Even though the results were immediately placed under investigation by the jury, Azroy’s win was confirmed. Fellow Malaysians Mohd Izzat Zaidi and Mohd Helmi Azman also made it to the podium in second and third places respectively.

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APRIL KING DOUBLES UP AT THE SUZUKI ASIAN CHALLENGE

2017, 2017 Round2, Latest News, Suzuki Asian Challenge /

Having gotten a taste of winning in Round 1 of the 2017 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship, April King Mascardo gave an encore performance during the Race 1 of the Suzuki Asian Challenge. April King pipped the 6-rider lead group to the finish line with a margin of 0.387s, chalking up a second win for Team Philippines with a time of 16’03.480s. Behind the Filipino rider, Nur Al Fath Sam Ahmad from Indonesia and local rider Punchana Kulrojchalalai took second and third place with times of 16’03.387s and 16’03.934s respectively. Indian rider KY Ahamed did himself proud when he finished fourth with 16’04.020s, even leading the pack several times during the race. Returning wildcard rider Patis Chooprathet powered his way into the top five.

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DECHA UNASSAILABLE IN ROUND 2 QUALIFYING

2017, 2017 Round2, Latest News, Supersports 600 /

In Supersport 600 Qualifying Azlan Shah showed his class early in the session, running in the early 1:39s, ahead of Yamaha Thailand’s Decha Kraisart and Chalermpol Polamai, Ahmad Yudhistira, Zaqhwan Zaidi and Anthony West, who carried their strong form through from Free Practice. With 12 minutes remaining, Decha pulled out a sensational lap of 1:38.641 to go half a second clear of Azlan. Sensing it was enough, he pulled into the pits, took his helmet off and watched the rest of the session on the TV monitors. Chalermpol edged to within a few thousandths of the Malaysian’s Kawasaki, shadowed by Yuki Ito, who looked like he was trying to work out where the Thai former champion was getting his half second advantage on the 4.5 kilometre circuit. Decha’s best lap did indeed prove to be unassailable and he is joined on the front row by Azlan and Chalermpol. The Manual Tech Kawasaki of Yudhistra ended up fourth ahead of the MUSASHI Boon Siew Honda of Zaqhwan and the ever threatening Akeno Speed Yamaha of Anthony West. Taiga Hada was seventh fastest with a lap of 1:39.640 on his RAMA Honda, just a few hundredths faster than AP Honda’s Ratthapong and Yamaha Racing’s Yuki Ito, who make up Row 3. Decha will be looking to delight his home fans in Race 1 by following up his recent World Supersport second place at Chang International Circuit with a win this afternoon. Despite his qualifying performance, the pace of Azlan Shah throughout the event so far and the sheer speed of Chalermpol, mean that Decha will be facing a stern test. The injured Zaqhwan will also be looking for a podium position, while the quality and experience Anthony West keeps him squarely in the frame. Yudhistira is also capable of making the top three on his day.

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YAMAMOTO KEEPS CLEAR OF TEAM BATTLES TO TAKE POLE POSITION

2017, 2017 Round2, Asia Production 250, Latest News /

Qualifying for Round 2 of Asia Production 250cc was red flagged early in the session when a dog tried to join the action, but at the restart it was the two cylinder Honda CBR of Takehiro Yamamoto that immediately set the pace, banking a time of 1:53.464 on his eighth lap. As his leading rivals got down to business, it was Gerry Salim, Rheza Danica Ahrens and the three Thai Yamahas of Anuparb Sarmoon, Peerapong Boonlert and Peerapong Luiboonpeng who led the chase for the front row positions. Close behind them were Galang Hendra Pratama for Yamaha Indonesia and AP Honda’s Vorapong Malahuan who continued to wring  impressive times out of the single cylinder CBR. Yamamoto’s early lap was good enough for pole position, with the other in-form riders, Salim and Anuparb joining him on the front row. In what could turn out to be a tactical team battle, the Astra Honda of Rheza leads the second row ahead of Yamaha Thailand’s Luiboonpeng and Boonlert. Row three consists of Pratama, Vorapong and the third Astra Honda of Awhin Sanjaya.

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DECHA AND CHALERMPOL GRAB HOME ADVANTAGE IN FREE PRACTICE

2017, 2017 Round2, Latest News, Supersports 600, Uncategorized /

Yamaha Thailand’s dynamic duo, Decha Kraisart and Chalerpol Polamai, banked an early home advantage on day one of the Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) Round 2 at Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand. Early in Free Practice 1 AP Honda’s Ratthapong Wilairot joined his compatriots at the top of the timing screens, but was pushed down during the second half of the 40 minute session as the Manual Tech Kawasakis of Azlan Shah and Ahmad Yudhistira got into their groove, along with Anthony West, who looked as likely as ever to stir things up on the Akeno Speed Racing Yamaha. 2016 champion, Zaqhwan Zaidi, riding with a painful foot injury after his crash two weeks earlier in Johor, looked out of sorts and was almost two seconds off the pace of the front runners. At the chequered flag, it was Chalermpol who took the honours with a late charge that clocked up a lap of 1:40.341, 0.099 of a second ahead of Yudhistira. Decha, Azlan and West, all under 1:41. With air and track temperatures rising for Free Practice 2, Azlan set the early pace, chased by Decha and Chalermpol. Behind them, Zaqhwan quickly sliced a second off his FP1 time, stopping after six laps to make further adjustments. When he rejoined he took another full second of with his first flying lap and jumped to the top of the board, a full four tenths clear of Azlan. The response from the Thai Yamahas was fast and decisive, with Chalermpol and Decha making the first breaks into the 1:39s. They remained at the top until the end of the session, ahead of Zaqhwan, Azlan and West, with the Yamaha of Yuki Ito and the RAMA Honda of Taiga Hada being the last riders below 1:41. A more business like atmosphere prevailed in Free Practice 3, as riders fined fine tuned their settings. This time it was Decha who finished top with a lap of 1:39.583, the best of the day and 0.117 seconds faster than Chalermpol. Zaqhwan was next with 1:39.937, ahead of the Kawasakis of Azlan and Yudhistira and the Yamaha of West, who maintained his watch in the top six. While Yamaha Thailand will be aiming to build on their advantage in tomorrow morning’s qualifying session, they are sure to be tested to their limits by the Manual Tech Kawasakis and the veteran Australian on the canary yellow Yamaha.

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PRESS RELEASE: ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM AIM TO CONTINUE GOOD DYNAMIC IN THAILAND

2017, 2017 Round2, Asia Production 250, Latest News, Supersports 600 /

Gerry Salim arrives at the Chang International Circuit as the leader of the Asia Production 250cc class, after making history in Johor. In the SuperSports 600cc category, Irfan Ardiansyah will look to continue his progress after achieving his first podium in the inaugural race. After a fantastic start to the campaign in Malaysia, the Astra Honda Racing Team (AHRT) travels to Thailand this weekend for the second round of the Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC). In an historic inaugural event of the season, Gerry claimed the first victories for an Indonesian rider in the AP250 class, whilst Irfan made his podium debut in SS600. Now the team faces a new challenge at the Chang International Circuit, with the ambition of maintaining the positive momentum and fighting for the top positions in both classes. Gerry and Irfan have previous experience in Thailand thanks to their time in both the Asia Talent Cup (ATC) and the ARRC itself. Gerry took two podium finishes -2nd in 2016 and 3rd in 2015- in the ATC, and last season he finished 6th in both races at Chang in the ARRC. Irfan’s best placing is 8th in the ATC (in both 2016 and 2017), although this round will be his debut there in the SS600 class. Rheza Danica and Awhin Sanjaya will start from scratch at the Thai track, focusing on adapting as quickly as possible to a new circuit onboard their Honda CBR250RR bikes. Last year, the team’s best result in Thailand was that of Dimas Ekky, who placed fifth in the sixth round of the season. This year’s visit to the Chang International Circuit will be held on April 14-15th, with two races held on Friday and Saturday.     QUOTES “I’m very excited about this second round of the ARRC in Thailand. Having two victories in the opening round and also good experience from the ATC’s round in Thailand gives me confidence to fight against the local riders. They are tough and have further experience riding in the Chang Circuit. In addition, the support from the Indonesian people will give me additional energy to achieve the best result.” Gerry Salim | AHRT ASIA PRODUCTION 250CC RIDER     “I couldn’t finish on the podium in the opening round in Johor, but I want to make it up in this second round. It won’t be easy, because the circuit is new for me and local riders will perform strongly. But I believe that with the CBR250RR bike I will be able to fight again in the front group. I won’t disappoint the people who have supported me.” Rheza Danica | AHRT ASIA PRODUCTION 250CC RIDER     “I couldn’t finish on the podium in the opening round in Johor, but I want to make it up in this second round. It won’t be easy, because the circuit is new for me and local riders will perform strongly. But I believe that with the CBR250RR bike I will be able to fight again in the front group. I won’t disappoint the people who have supported me.” Awhin Sanjaya | AHRT ASIA PRODUCTION 250CC RIDER     “The experience in Johor was so memorable for me. Fighting in the front group and being able to finish on the podium was nice. I want to repeat it in this second round. The team have given his maximum contribution to improve my bike, and now it’s my turn to put the Honda CBR600RR among the front riders. I hope I could make history for AHRT. Thank you all for your support.” Irfan Ardiansyah | AHRT SUPERSPORTS 600CC RIDER        

PRESS RELEASE: ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM AIM TO CONTINUE GOOD DYNAMIC IN THAILAND Read More »

PAIN IS NOTHING FOR GRITTY ZAQHWAN

2017, 2017 Round2, Latest News, Supersports 600 /

Three cracked toes on his right foot is hardly a deterrent for Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi as he revs up his title defense in the SuperSports 600cc category of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. The gritty Malaysian rider is determined to press on with his gruelling race schedule in spite of the injury he sustained during Round 1 of the Asian series held at the Johor Circuit in Malaysia. “Riders have won races with all kinds of injury. The pain is nothing. I’m already at a disadvantage because I did not pick up any points from Race 2 in Round 1,” said Zaqhwan who crashed out on Lap 2 while fighting for the race lead and is currently third overall on the standings with 25 points. “I must overcome the points deficit in Round 2 at Buriram this weekend.” There will be no rest for the intrepid Malaysian rider in April. Immediately after Round 2 of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship wraps up on April 15 in Thailand, Zaqhwan will be heading east to take part in the Suzuka 2&4 Race in Japan onApril 22 and 23. “The Suzuka 2&4 Race is part of our training regime for the Suzuka 8-hour Endurance in July. If I miss the coming event, I will lose out on valuable track time,” Zaqhwan explained.

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