2018 Round2

OF UNPRONOUNCEABLE NAMES AND UNFAMILIAR RIDERS

2018, 2018 Round2, Latest News /

Who’s who and what to expect this season   As the excitement builds up over the upcoming ARRC-ASBK double-header at The Bend Motorsport Park this April 19 to 22, we’d like to steal a few moments to introduce the ARRC regulars in 2018.   Do remember that some of these names are patronymic in nature, especially the names from Malaysia and certain regions of Indonesia. With the exception of Japanese and non-Asian riders, the ARRC would refer to its riders by their given names.   Who’s Who In The SuperSports 600cc   From Australia: Anthony West, the 2018 Championship leader, requires no introduction. With GP and WSBK credits in his resume, West is a recognizable name in motorsports. However, at the time of writing, the Australian rider had yet to confirm if he will be able to make it for the second round at The Bend due to conflicting race schedules.   From Malaysia: Defending champion (and 2 times Asian champion) Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman is well known to Asian motorcycle racing fans. He was the first South East Asian to win the Suzuka 4 Hour Endurance in 2011. The Malaysian rider’s upward momentum continued in 2012 when he won the SuperSports 600cc title. The win led to his eventual Moto2 debut in 2013 where he would stay for another two seasons. Upon his return to the Asian series, Azlan won the SuperSports 600cc title again in 2017, and effectively ended a seven-year title drought for Kawasaki.   There are eight Malaysian riders in the SuperSports 600cc category this season, many of them upcoming young rookies. Azlan may be the only Malaysian in the leading group at Round 2 as Zaqhwan Zaidi may opt to race in the All Japan that weekend.   From Thailand: Yamaha Thailand Racing duo Decha Kraisart and Ratthapong Wilairot are expected to be among the top performers. Dark horse Keminth Kubo, with Yamaha Racing Asean, may be expected to pull out a surprise or two.   From Japan: Potential podium contenders from the Land of the Rising Sun include Tomoyoshi Koyama, Yuki Ito, and Taiga Hada. Koyama is making a 600cc comeback after spending the previous season in the Asia Production 250cc class. The former Moto2 rider was picked up by team MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda this year as part of the team’s mid-term strategy in preparation for the eventual introduction of the liter-class in the ARRC.   From Indonesia: Indonesia’s presence in the SuperSports 600cc in 2018 is predominantly made up of rookie riders. With talent development efforts revving up in Indonesia, a number of the top Indonesian riders have been sent to other selected regional championships. As such, youngsters Andi Farid Izdihar and Irfan Ardiansyah will be representing their country in the 600cc title hunt.   Who’s Who In The Asia Production 250cc   From Thailand: There has always been a very strong Thai presence in the Asia Production 250cc. When 2016 champion Apiwat Wongthananon (nee Peerawat Wongthananon) left for the Moto3 World Junior Championship, Anupab Sarmoon, Peerapong Boonlert, and Muklada Sarapuech stepped in to fill the void.   Yamaha Thailand Racing’s Anupab Sarmoon and Peerapong Boonlert were Suzuka 4 Hours champions in 2017. Representing the Honda camp, Muklada Sarapuech (AP Honda Racing Thailand) became the first woman to win an AP250 race during the season opener at the Chang International Circuit.   From Indonesia: Unlike the scenario in the SuperSports 600cc, there are eight Indonesian riders in the Asia Production 250cc. Rafid Topan Sucipto’s return to the ARRC will make for an interesting season. The 2012-2013 Moto2 rider was also the Underbone 115cc champion back in 2011. Now racing for team Yamaha Yamalube KYT TJM WR Super Battery, Rafid is ranked third on the championship leader after the first round. Rafid will partner with another experienced Indonesian rider, Anggi Setiawan.   Defending team champion Astra Honda Racing Team had once again opted for a 3-man strategy – Rheza Danica Ahrens, Awhin Sanjaya, and impressive young rookie Mario Suryo Aji. Only one round into 2018, and Mario has already earned himself a new nickname – ‘Super’ Mario – thanks to his spectacular performance at the Chang International Circuit.   Officialy from Yamaha Racing Indonesia, are two entries, Richard Taroreh and M. Faerozi. Kawasaki has a sole representative on the AP250 grid with Andy Muhammad Fadly.   From Malaysia: The AP250 class does not seem to be a part of the Malaysian racing arsenal. This is the one class where Malaysian teams and riders look to be struggling to get on pace. The best performer this year has been Hafiz Nor Azman from the CKJ Yamaha Racing Team.   International grid: Despite the dominance from Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia, the AP250 class has one of the more diverse grids in the ARRC. Other countries represented include India (Sethu Rajiv and Anish Damodara Shetty), Vietnam (Cao Viet Nam), Japan (Suzuki Takashi) and Chinese-Taipei (Chiou Ke Lung)   Who’s Who In The Underbone 150cc   As expected, the Underbone 150cc class is mainly the battleground for the Malaysian and Indonesian riders. While any attempts to predict an eventual champion would be foolhardy in this particular class, there are a number of riders who would warrant a second look. Among them, the five Underbone champions who will be going head-to-head for the 2018 title!   From Malaysia: Championship leader Mohd Helmi Azman was an Asia Talent Cup protégé (2014 and 2015). This year, with the help of the SCK Rapido Hi Rev Honda Racing Team, Helmi looks determined to step out of the shadows. Other key Malaysian riders in the list are 2017 UB150 champion Mohd Akid Aziz, 2009 UB115 champion Mohd Affendi Rosli, and 2004 UB125 champion Ahmad Fazli Sham.   From Indonesia: The Indonesian squad features an exciting mix of talents in 2018. Fiery young debutant Syahrul Amin was the best performer in Round 1, but never discount the wily strategies from seasoned campaigners like 2016 UB130 champion Wahyu Aji Trilaksana, as well as 2014

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HEAD DOWN; ELBOWS OUT

2018, 2018 Round2, Latest News, Underbone 150 /

Underbone Racing For The Uninitiated   Underbone racing is a unique genre of motorsports that began predominantly in South East Asia, primarily, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. In recent years, the popularity of the sport has fired up in other emerging Asian markets such as Vietnam and the Philippines, to name a few.   An Underbone race is renowned for its pack-racing characteristics. It’s always head-down-elbows-out from lights to flag.   It’s NOT A Scooter!   An underbone bike uses structural tube framing and is overlaid by plastic or non-structural body panels. The only characteristics that an Underbone bike shares with a moped or scooter, is the tube framing and the position of the fuel tank.   In terms of wheel size, engine position and power transmission, the underbone bike is functionally identical to conventional motorcycles.   Description Yamaha Y15ZR Honda RS150R Wheel Base: 1290mm 1276mm Weight: 115kg 123kg Gear: 5-speed 6-speed Power Distribution: ECU Fuel Injection Single Cylinder Liquid Cooled 149.7cc 15.4hp @ 8,500 rpm 13.8Nm Torque @7,000 rpm ECU Fuel Injection Single Cylinder Liquid Cooled 149.1cc 15.63hp @ 9,000 rpm 13.5Nm Torque @ 6,500 rpm Race Spec: 23 – 25 hp 23 – 25 hp     The Underbone 150 Category In The Asia Road Racing Championship   The Underbone genre has been a part of the Asia Road Racing Championship since the inception of the series in 1996. Over the years, it has evolved from 2-stroke to the current 4-stroke.   Undoubtedly, this is considered as the highest level of underbone racing anywhere in the world.   Underbone As A Grassroots Platform   Indonesia and Malaysia, in particular, has been successful in developing the sport of Underbone racing into a viable grassroots platform.   The bikes are smaller and lighter, easily managed by kids as young as 13. With less horsepower, rider talent comes to the fore.   The smaller size of the bikes allow underbone races to be held outside of traditional race circuits. Hence, the popularity of street racing in South East Asia. This key point – the mobility of the underbone championships – is one of the reasons for its immense popularity. Instead of relying on fans to travel to a fixed race circuit, these mobile championships bring the excitement of the sport right to the doorsteps of their fans.   The Notables   Every single Malaysian and Indonesian rider currently racing in either the world or European series can trace their roots back to Underbone racing.   These include Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah, Khairul Idham Pawi, Adam Norrodin, Zulfahmi Khairuddin, Doni Tata Pradita, Rafid Topan Sucipto, Dimas Ekky Pratama, and Gerry Salim, to name a few. Other notable names include Red Bull Rookies rider Kazuki Masaki who also spent a couple of years on the Underbones as part of his early training.   It’s Not A Conveyer Belt   However, the image of underbone racing as a conveyer belt that continuously spit out aspiring young riders for the world stage is fictitious at best.   Underbone racing in Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam have become successful racing series in their own rights. Many of the top riders have established lucrative careers, some that span close to a decade.   Some choose to chase after the GP dream. Others don’t. It’s the riders’ decision and freedom to determine the course of their careers. This explains why, in 2018, the Underbone 150cc class features as many as five champions on a single grid.   What’s New In 2018?   The latest announcement on the use of Moto3 tyes in the Underbone 150cc class had ignited a flurry of excitement from Asian fans.   A race class renowned for its close fighting has now been taken to a whole new level as the new tyres allow riders better rolling speed, improved braking points and deeper lean angles.   ARRC Underbone 150cc Tyre Description:     Front Rear Size 90/80R17 150/60ZR17 Pattern Moto3 Moto3 Rec. Rim (in)   2.15 3.00 Rim Range (in) 2.15 – 2.50 2.75 – 3.50 Width (mm) 88 113 Centre Diameter (mm) 578 601 Cold Pressure (kPa) 160 – 210 170 – 220 Hot Pressure (kPa) 180 – 230 190 – 240  

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加油CHIOU KE LUNG

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

Every year, a trickling of Chinese-Taipei riders find their way to the Asian series. For most, it would be journey of many ‘firsts’ – their first time racing in a foreign environment, their first experience on an FIM-graded track, their first taste of competition at the regional level.   In 2018, 35-year-old Chiou Ke Lung was the latest arrival, eager to test his skills against his peers. Having gained previous experience in the Okayama Endurance and the Suzuka 4 Hour Endurance, Chiou looked to be the best-prepared Chinese-Taipei entry in recent years.   His chosen field was the Asia Production 250cc category, one of the hardest race categories to debut in. The largest grid of the Asia Road Racing Championship, the AP250 class is always a dogfight from start to finish.   Newcomers are often drowned out as they struggle to keep pace with their more flamboyant peers. But Chiou, looked to have gotten off on a solid footing.   Within the space of a week, and with the help of more track time thanks to the pre-season tests, Chiou managed to dock almost three seconds from his laptimes. At the end of the season opener at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand, Chiou was about 4.1 seconds off the pace-leader.   The following table illustrates Chiou’s progress in Round 1:   Session Best Laptime Diff Pre-Season Practice 1 2’00.792 +5.520 Pre-Season Practice 2 1’59.932 +6.752 Pre-Season Practice 3 1’57.410 +4.137 Pre-Season Practice 4 1’58.766 +5.644 Pre-Season Practice 5 1’57.924 +4.986 Pre-Season Practice 6 1’57.811 +4.650 Round 1 Free Practice 1 1’58.303 +4.743 Round 1 Free Practice 2 1’58.477 +5.371 Round 1 Qualifying 1’57.198 +4.134   Chiou’s next challenge would be to cut his laptimes by two more seconds for a chance to finish within the points.   The venue for Round 2, The Bend Motorsports Park in South Australia, will be a good environment for the newcomers. A new addition to the Asian race calendar, The Bend offers a completely level playing field, negating any advantage the other competitors might have in terms of data or experience.   For riders from countries without a strong motorsports culture, progress can sometimes feel frustratingly slow. It would take a rider of strong mental capacity to withstand the inevitable national pressure to win while honing his race craft step by step.   加油Chiou Ke-Lung!

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RACE THRILLS GALORE AS ARRC AND ASBK HEAD TO THE BEND

2018, 2018 Round2, Latest News /

Racing fans in South Australia are in for a treat this April 19 to 22 as the best of Asia and Australia head to The Bend Motorsports Park for the first ever ARRC-ASBK double bill.   It will be the first major motorcycling event hosted by The Bend Motorsports Park, the latest motorsports facility to dot the Australian landscape.   Long-time ASBK fans would already be looking forward to watching the likes of Troy Herfoss defending his championship lead against Josh Waters, Wayne Maxwell, the legendary Troy Bayliss and many more.   Coincidentally, the intrepid Anthony West is also the current leader in the ARRC. He will bring with him a flight of top Asian riders like 2-times Asian champion Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman from Malaysia, Thailand powerhouse Decha Kraisart, Japanese topguns Tomoyoshi Koyama and Yuki Ito, as well as Indonesian rising stars Andi Farid Izdihar and Irfan Ardiansyah.   In all, there will be six distinct race classes on the schedule. The ARRC will be presenting the SuperSports 600cc, Asia Production 250cc and Underbone 150cc while the ASBK squad will be racing in the ASBK Superbike class, the ASBK Supersport class and the ASBK Supersport 300.   For more information and ticket details, please visit www.thebend.com.au

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FIVE AUSTRALIAN RIDERS TO WILDCARD IN ARRC ROUND 2

2018, 2018 Round2, Latest News /

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Motorcycling Australia (MA) is pleased to announce Broc Pearson, Tom Toparis, Scott Nicholson, Zac Levy and Locky Taylor have secured wildcard entries for the 2018 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship Round 2 at The Bend Motorsport Park (April 19-22). Wildcard rides offer an excellent opportunity for these young riders to show off their talents in front of the best teams from Asia. All five riders will be pulling double duty throughout the weekend, competing in ARRC and the Yamaha Motor Finance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul Pirelli (ASBK).[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”5203″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]Broc Pearson (Supersports 600) Young star, Pearson (QLD) is no stranger to the ARRC, having previously competed as a wildcard back in 2017. He has also competed in the Asia Dream Cup and has enjoyed a very successful 2018 season so far in the ASBK’s Kawasaki Supersport Class, currently third in class. Pearson; “I’m really happy to be awarded a wildcard spot in the ARRC from MA. It’s definitely going to be a challenge running in both classes but It will be interesting to see the difference that I’ve made over the past few months since I last competed in the ARRC late last year. I managed to finish 17th on that occasion. I’m now racing on a Yamaha and very comfortable with the machine, so I’m hoping to make some improvement. Obviously the top ten will be very competitive, but I’m on my own bike, so I will be aiming for a top five if everything falls my way. “The layout of The Bend is awesome, it took me a few sessions to find my way around. Once I learned the track, I found the elevation changes to be really exciting. There should be more rubber laid for the big weekend and I’m looking forward to it,” Pearson finished.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”5208″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]Tom Toparis (Supersports 600) Cube Racing Team’s Tom Toparis (NSW) rarely passes up the chance to wildcard, having previously competed in Moto3 and WorldSSP. Now the ASBK Kawasaki Supersport class leader will be showing off his talents against Asia’s best. Toparis; “It’s great news to be selected as an ARRC wildcard and another great opportunity. We’ve obviously competed in WorldSSP and Moto3 in the past and have made the most of those appearances. This will also offer another chance to learn the track and put in additional laps. I can’t wait to race with several of the best riders Asia has to offer. The bikes will be very similar to what we race in ASBK, albeit with different tyres. Luckily, I have already taken part in the Official ASBK Test, so I will have some understanding of the track. Hopefully we can fly the flag for Australia next week!” According to Toparis.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”5209″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]Scott Nicholson (Supersports 600) NextGen Motorsports’ Nicholson has made the big step up to the ASBK’s Kawasaki Supersport class this year and has previously competed in the Australian Supersport 300. Nicholson (VIC); “I’m really exciting to be racing in the ARRC alongside ASBK. It should be a great experience going up against the best riders in Asia. It also gets me extra track time for what will be a great learning experience in the long run. I really enjoyed the new track at the test. Its long and flowing, a real jigsaw of several of the best tracks in the world. The ARRC runs pretty much standard bikes and that’s what I’ve been running in Australia. There won’t be much modification necessary to compete in the ARRC class.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”5210″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]Zac Levy (Asia Production 250) The current YMF R3 Cup championship leader and second in the Australian Supersport 300 class, Levy (QLD) is confident heading into his first international wildcard appearance. Levy saying; “Definitely excited to be riding in the ARRC. This will be my first wild card in any major event, so it should be interesting to see what I can do against these fast ARRC competitors. It’s a new track and new bike, but I am confident we will be able to produce good results. I look forward to getting out on track next week!”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”5211″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]Locky Taylor (Underbone 150) Taylor (QLD) started racing at the age of five and has competed in the MRRDA and Moto3 Asia Talent Cup, he now races in the ASBK’s Australian Supersport 300 & YMF R3 Cup classes. Taylor; “We first heard about the opportunity from MA and I thought why not give it a crack. With the ARRC coming down to Australia for the first time, it’s a great chance to try something different. It’s going to be a great experience for sure. I’ll be at a little disadvantage as I did not attend the Official ASBK Test, but it wasn’t possible for me at the time. I’ve actually ridden in the Underbone class before for the Asia Talent Cup selection process. They are a great bike and I should be able to adapt quickly.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]ASBK will return to the track for a motorcycle spectacular with the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) 19-22 April. The best riders from Australia and Asia will be burning rubber, it won’t be one to missed! Fans that wish to catch all the action at The Bend Motorsport Park for the ASBK and ARRC double header can purchase tickets here. Credit : Motorcycling Australia[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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