2018 Round2

ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM DUO LEADS INTO FIRST DAY OF AP250 PRACTICE

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Astra Honda Racing Team duo Rheza Danica Ahrens and Mario Suryo Aji were in dominating form as Round 2 of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship got underway at The Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia.   The two Indonesian riders were quickest to adapt to the demands of the new 4.9km circuit. Rheza, the more seasoned of the two, set the pace in the Asia Production 250cc class with a swift 2’08.675s. The team’s rookie rider Mario Suryo Aji continued to impress with 2’08.724s.   Meanwhile, Thai rider Muklada Sarapuech is clearly on fire after her first win in Round 1. The AP Honda Racing Thailand rider clocked third fastest, 2’08.846s, after the first day of practice.   Yamaha Thailand Racing Team’s Anupab Sarmoon posted the fourth fastest time, 2’09.014s followed by Kawasaki rider Andy Muhammad Fadly in fifth with 2’09.535s.

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WILDCARD MCKINLEY SHINES AT FIRST DAY OF UNDERBONE PRACTICE

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UMA Racing Yamaha Maju Motor Asia Team’s wildcard, Mckinley Kyle Paz surpassed all expectations as the Underbone 150 riders took their first crack at The Bend Motorsport Park, host venue for Round 2 of the 2018 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship.   The Filipino’s entry to Round 2 had been a highly anticipated affair, particularly after his impressive performance during the pre-season test a few months ago. Presented with a level playing field at a new host venue, Mckinley wasted no time to demonstrate his abilities against that of his more experienced peers.   He clocked the fastest Underbone laptime of the day, 2’18.393s in the second free practice session. Championship leader Mohd Helmi Azman came closest to match Mckinley’s pace. The SCK Rapido Hi Rev Honda Racing Team rider checked in second fastest with 2’18.737s.   Indonesia’s Wahyu Aji Trilaksana, whose season opening results had been handicapped by several sanctions, posted third fastest with 2’18.922s. Wahyu would be looking to make up for lost ground at Round 2 in order to gain the upper hand in the 2018 title chase.   The formidable UMA Racing Yamaha Maju Motor Asia Team, also defending team champion in the Underbone class, managed to put three riders in the top five. Defending champion Mohd Akid Aziz stopped the clock at 2’19.326s and his team mate Mohd Haziq Mohd Fairues ended the day fifth fastest with 2’19.640s.

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ANUPAB UNDER PRESSURE

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Thailand’s Anupab Sarmoon is under intense pressure this season, fighting to keep his title lead in the Asia Production 250cc.   As one of the most experienced rider in the sophomore class of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship, the 25-year-old Yamaha Thailand Racing Team rider is expected to be a shoo-in for the 250cc title in 2018. However, the results from the season opener at the Chang International Circuit has indicated that Anupab will need to be on his toes all season long to avoid being swamped by the rising tide of young talents eager to make their mark in the 250cc class.   With only a 5-point lead under his belt, Anupab’s main competition is expected to come from Muklada Sarapuech, Rafid Topan Sucipto, Peerapong Boonlert, Mario Suryo Aji and Kanatat Jaiman.   Over the past four seasons, the 2017 Suzuka 4 Hours Champion has watched many of his peers depart for the talent developmental circuits in Europe. 2016 winner Apiwat Wongthananon and 2017 champion Gerry Salim are both racing in the CEV this year. Indonesia’s Galang Hendra Pratama has also been moved to the World Supersport 300cc.   The Australian Round 2 will be Anupab’s best chance to extend his title lead. By the time the Asian series moves to Suzuka for its mid-season round, 2015 champion Takehiro Yamamoto will be crafting a comeback with the Trickstar team.

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BSB RIDER JOE FRANCIS TO REPLACE ANT WEST

2018, 2018 Round2, Latest News, Supersports 600 /

British Supersport rider Joe Francis is team Webike IKAZUCHI Racing’s pick to replace the absent Anthony West on the SuperSports 600cc grid.   The 21-year-old Brit has been progressing up the British Superbike Championship ranks in recent years, and finished 7thoverall in the Dickies British Supersport in 2016.   Other riders that were under consideration to fill in for West included the likes of Gino Rea, Augustus Fernandez. photo : joefrancisracing.com

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ZAQHWAN STICKS TO HIS TRAINING GOALS

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Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi will be sticking to his training goals as a scheduling clash between the Asia Road Racing Championship and the All Japan Road Race forces the MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda rider into a catch-22 situation.   However, the team’s directives for Zaqhwan had been clear right from the start of 2018. Zaqhwan’s main focus for 2018 will be the JSB1000 class of the All Japan Road Race. This is considered as training to hone his race craft with the objective of winning the first ASB1000 title when the class is introduced into the ARRC roster in 2019.   Therefore, Zaqhwan will be taking a leave of absence from the Australian grid in Round 2. To uphold team honours in the upcoming race, team MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda will be banking on their latest recruit, Tomoyoshi Koyama who will be flying to Australia fresh from his recent ST600 win in the All Japan’s opening race.   Zaqhwan’s full season debut in the JSB1000 got off to a rocky start at the season opener in Motegi. Qualifying under cold, rainy and slippery conditions was a tough challenge and he was disappointed when he only managed to qualify 28thon the grid. Zaqhwan managed to make up for lost ground during the race as he finished 19thin Race 1 and picked up a couple of points in Race 2 by coming home 14th.

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UMA RACING’S ROTATING WILDCARD SYSTEM

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Underbone 150cc defending champions, Uma Racing Yamaha Maju Motor Asia Team, has implemented a unique rotating wildcard system this season. Under this new initiative, the Malaysian-based outfit will systematically field a succession of wildcard riders from Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia.   According to team principal Yong Ying Hoe, this initiative is a precursor towards the final objective of establishing a bonafide multi-national Asian team in 2019.   “Our goal is to promote diversity in racing. There are plenty of promising young riders out there waiting for the resources to bring them to the regional level. Eventually, we hope to create a pool of talent that will comprise of riders from Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines and of course, Indonesia,” said Yong.   “This idea is still in the developmental stage. For 2018, our wildcards are actually auditioning for a spot on the team in the future.”   In Round 1 at the Chang International Circuit, the Uma Racing Yamaha Maju Motor Asia Team introduced Vietnamese Huynh Minh Sang into the class. Huynh finished 10thin Race 1 but mechanical gremlins prevented him from starting in Race 2.   The team’s Round 2 wildcard, McKinley Kyle Paz, is the most highly anticipated. The Filipino rider was particularly impressive during the pre-season test and there are high expectations for his debut in Australia.

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RAFID TOPAN SUCIPTO: THE UNDERDOG

2018, 2018 Round2, Asia Production 250, Latest News /

He was once the toast of the Asian paddock, especially in 2011 when he won the Underbone title. Since then, Rafid Topan Sucipto’s racing career has had more than its fair share of ups and downs.   After his Underbone title-winning performance, Rafid was given the opportunity to jump straight into the Moto2 class in 2012 and 2013. With little time to prepare himself, Rafid found it hard to make an impact. He disappeared off the radar in 2014 and 2015 but re-emerged in 2016 when he raced in the CEV.   2018 brought Rafid back to the ARRC where he is making a comeback in the Asia Production 250cc class with team Yamaha Yamalube KYT TJM WR Super Battery.   Unlike his previous international moves, this homecoming had been relatively low-key. His on-track performance, however, spoke volumes at the opening round in Thailand. While the flamboyant Thai riders stole the limelight, Rafid put up a stunning ride by finishing 5thin Race 1 and a podium 2ndin Race 2.   Following that creditable performance from Round 1, Rafid may not stay as the underdog for much longer. He shares the 2ndoverall rung with Muklada Sarapuech with 31 points apiece, only 5 points adrift of championship leader Anupab Sarmoon. After six turbulent years on the world stage, perhaps this could finally be the turning point for Rafid Topan’s career.

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THE BEND MOTORSPORTS PARK – THE ULTIMATE MOTORSPORT PARK

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The Bend Motorsport Park is one of the most significant developments in Australian motorsport history. A state of the art, world-class motorsport facility, The Bend will deliver an exhilarating experience for competitors, enthusiasts and spectators alike.   Developed and primarily funded by the Peregrine Corporation, South Australia’s largest private company, construction started on The Bend in early 2016. The ARRC-ASBK double-header this April 19 to 22 will be the first major motorcycling event to be held at the facility.   The full track layout, also known as the GT Circuit, is 7.77km long, but the flexible configuration of The Bend Motorsport Park makes it ideal for different racing genres. From this full configuration, the circuit can be shortened to 4.95km. This is known as the International Circuit and will be ideal for Supercars, Superbikes, national series events, state racing, club racing, and private hire.

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NO HOME RACE FOR WEST

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The first Australian race for the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship will flag off without its most high-profile Australian rider – Anthony West.   The 37-year-old MotoGP and WSSP rider will skip the opportunity to race in front of his home fans as he heads to Aragon in order to fulfill previous contractual obligations in the World SuperSports series.   West runs his own team in the World SSP, team EAB AntWest Racing. He is currently 10thon the standings.

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AZLAN EYES CHANCE TO GAIN 600cc TITLE LEAD

2018, 2018 Round2, Latest News, Supersports 600 /

The FIM Asia Road Racing Championship’s second round at The Bend Motorsport Park will be Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman’s best chance to gain the SuperSports 600cc title lead.   The newly-opened 4.9km circuit in South Australia represents a level playing field for teams and riders alike. The FIM Asia Road Racing Championship, together with the Australian Superbike Championship, will be the first major motorcycle race events to take place at The Bend.   The Manual Tech KYT Kawasaki Racing rider, who is also the defending champion of the premiere class, scored two third place finishes in Round 1 at the Chang International Circuit and is presently second on the championship ladder behind Anthony West.   However, the top-end of the SuperSports 600cc grid in Australia will see a number of absentees. Notably, championship leader Anthony West who has World SSP duties and Zaqhwan Zaidi whose focus this year would be the All Japan JSB1000 in preparation for the eventual introduction of the ASB1000 class in 2019.   “Rider adaptability and ability to give accurate data and feedback to their respective team engineers will be the key to winning this race. In that sense, the senior riders would probably have a slight advantage over the younger set,” said Azlan.   The Malaysian’s key competitors are expected to be Thailand’s Decha Kraisart, and Japanese duo Tomoyoshi Koyama as well as Yuki Ito.

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