2018

RAFID THRILLER IN AP250 RACE 1

2018, 2018 Round6, Asia Production 250, Latest News /

Former Indonesian GP rider Rafid Topan Sucipto defeated an expected Thai domination in the Asia Production 250cc Race 1 with a superb performance that took many of his competitors by surprise.   While Thai riders Kritchaporn Kaewsonthi and Anupab Sarmoon hogged the proceedings in the Qualifying session, Rafid was constantly clocking within the top 10 but rarely got to the top of the timesheets.   AP Honda Racing Thailand rookie Kritchaporn snatched his first pole position of the season but his lack of experience showed as soon as the 10-lap race got underway. The youngster led into Turn 1 but was soon eclipsed as the more experienced riders got into race rhythm.   Almost like an Underbone race, by midway through the race, there were still 12 riders fighting for the lead. The Thai riders were trying hard to extend a lead, with Anupab Sarmoon and Muklada Sarapuech especially, popping in and out of the lead.   Andy Muhammad Fadly suffered from an engine blow-out on Lap 8 and was forced to retire. By Lap 9, Kritchaporn had gotten himself back into podium position, but lost ground in the final lap.   As Kritchaporn dropped out of sight, Rafid Topan Sucipto bulldozed his way through the pack, going from P5 in Lap 8 to P3 on Lap 9 to arrive at P1 on Lap 10. This would be Rafid’s second AP250 win of the season. He stopped the clock at 19’03.592s   Awhin Sanjaya also managed to streamline his way to second in the race. He stormed to the finish line with 19’03.815s, 0.223s behind his countryman, Rafid Topan.   Muklada Sarapuech survived a last-corner contact against Kritchaporn Kaewsonthi, Mario Suryo Aji and Awhin Sanjaya to finish third across the line with 19’04.217s. Her results was later stricken off (Not Classified) due to the same incident at Turn 12. Muklada will also face a 1-race suspension and will not be allowed to participate in Race 2.   Even though the Asia Production 250cc title is now out of reach, Rafid’s win has placed him in good position to at least finish the season in second overall. The Yamaha Yamalube KYT TJM WR Super Battery team rider is now ranked third with 138 points, only four points behind Anupab Sarmoon.

RAFID THRILLER IN AP250 RACE 1 Read More »

HELMI SEALS UNDERBONE TITLE; WAWAN WELLO TAKES THE WIN

2018, 2018 Round6, Latest News, Underbone 150 /

The Underbone 150cc title chase came to an end at Race 1 of the season finale of the 2018 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. Championship leader, Mohd Helmi Azman, in spite of the handicap of starting the race from P19, powered his way up the 27-rider grid to seal the title with a second place finish.   Indonesian rider Wawan Wello who had breezed through the qualifying and waltzed his way through the SuperPole succeeded in capturing the holeshot. But in typical Underbone fashion, the race got serious as soon as all 27 riders had gotten past Turn 1.   While Wawan dictated the pace at the front, Helmi had made up ten spots by Lap 1. By Lap 2, the SCK Rapido Hi Rev Honda Racing Team rider had gotten up to P8, exactly what he needed to pick up enough points to seal the title.   However, Helmi was not content with a safe finish. Instead, the 19-year-old waded into the top group and fought his way up to the front of the pack.   At the end of the 8-lap race, Wawan picked up a second victory for team Yamaha Yamalube SND Racing with 16’18.788s. Helmi Azman followed Wawan to the finish line in second place with 16’19.362s while Mohd Affendi Rosli was delighted when he placed third with 16’19.544s.   “It was actually safer at the front end of the grid instead of enduring the bumps and jostles in the middle group. Anyway, I really wanted to win the title by finishing on the podium and I thank my team for their hard work this season,” said Helmi who confirmed himself as the 2018 Asian Underbone 150cc Champion with 184 points.   Helmi’s closest title contender, Mohd Izzat Zaidi, didn’t manage to get himself in play in Race 1. The RCB Yamaha YY Pang rider only managed a 14th place in Race 1. Izzat must pick up at least one point in Race 2 to prevent ONEXOX TKKR Racing Team’s Ahmad Fazli Sham from taking the second overall ranking from him.   At the same time, team SCK Rapido Hi Rev Honda Racing has also won the Team Award title in the Underbone 150cc class with 192 points. The last time the Malaysian racing team had won the Asian title was in 2009.

HELMI SEALS UNDERBONE TITLE; WAWAN WELLO TAKES THE WIN Read More »

THAI RIDERS STAND TALL IN 600cc QUALIFYING

2018, 2018 Round6, Latest News, Supersports 600 /

The Thai riders in the SuperSports 600cc are living it up at the Chang International Circuit, host to the season finale of the 2018 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship.   Ratthapong Wilairot, Decha Kraisart and Keminth Kubo locked out the SuperSports 600cc front row with Ratthapong at the sharp end of the grid after posting 1’38.903s. Team play was very much in evidence throughout the 40-minute Qualifier. Ratthapong will park his bike alongside his Yamaha Thailand Racing Team teammate, Decha Kraisart who was second fastest with 1’39.219s. Keminth Kubo from Yamaha Racing Team Asean completed the all-Thai front row with the third fastest time of 1’39.288s. Of the three, only Ratthapong is in contention for the 600cc title.   Manual Tech KYT Kawasaki Racing’s Ahmad Yudhistira qualified fourth with 1’39.288s, followed by Randy Krummenacher (1’39.384s) and Tomoyoshi Koyama (1’39.417s).   Further down the field, Zaqhwan Zaidi qualified seventh with 1’39.520s while a visibly upset Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman will be starting both races from eighth on the grid with 1’39.606s. Azlan will have his work cut out for him if he hopes to finish second in both races in order to keep his SuperSports 600cc title.

THAI RIDERS STAND TALL IN 600cc QUALIFYING Read More »

KRITCHAPORN SNARES FIRST POLE

2018, 2018 Round6, Asia Production 250, Latest News /

AP Honda Racing Thailand rider Kritchaporn Kaewsonthi picked up where he left off from the free practice sessions to clinch his first Asia Production 250cc pole position.   Banking on homeground advantage and a wealth of data from the Chang International Circuit, Kritchaporn dominated the first day of free practice and proceeded to do the same with a new lap record 1’52.339s to take pole position in the Qualifying.   Anupab Sarmoon, fighting to stay in second overall position in the Asia Production 250cc, managed a last-gasp flying lap to join his compatriot on the front row with the second fastest time of 1’52.735s. Only three riders lapped below the 1’53s mark. Andy Muhammad Fadly from the Manual Tech KYT Kawasaki Racing team was the fastest Indonesian on the grid. He qualified third fastest with 1’52.787s.

KRITCHAPORN SNARES FIRST POLE Read More »

WAWAN WELLO WELL AHEAD OF THE PACK

2018, 2018 Round6, Latest News, Underbone 150 /

Indonesian team Yamaha Yamalube SND Factory is pulling no punches in the final leg of the 2018 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. With super-wildcard Wawan Wello astride the team’s striking yellow Yamaha, the team has smashed lap times in the Underbone 150cc class.   Wawan was the only rider to lap below the 2-minute mark during the free practice, and earned the right to park his bike on pole position when he aced the Underbone 150 SuperPole with 2’01.313s.   The front row of the Underbone 150cc class will feature a mixed bag of nationalities. Local rider Peerapong Luiboonpeng qualified second on the grid with 2’02.979s and Malaysian seasoned campaigner Mohd Affendi Rosli third with 2’03.222s. Both riders are racing under the Team One For All colours, owned by former GP rider Youichi Ui.   A blown engine during the qualifying session prevented championship leader Mohd Helmi Azman from making the cut into the SuperPoles. He will start the race from 19th on the grid.

WAWAN WELLO WELL AHEAD OF THE PACK Read More »

RATTHAPONG #ALLIN FOR A SHOT AT THE TITLE

2018, 2018 Round6, Latest News, Supersports 600 /

Thai rider Ratthapong Wilairot is giving it his all at the final round of the 2018 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. Even though the Yamaha Thailand Racing Team rider only has a very slim chance, the 26-year-old rider is prepared to put up everything he’s got.   Ratthapong is one of six riders with a chance to win the SuperSports 600cc title in 2018. Currently ninth on the standings with 91 points, Ratthapong will need a double win on his home track to turn the tables on the other five contenders.   The Thai rider did just that when he aced the first day of free practice sessions by clinching the quickest lap of 1’38.939s. However, Ratthapong has yet to break the existing lap record held by Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi (1’38.469s).   Ratthapong’s compatriot and team mate Decha Kraisart was second fastest with 1’39.226s. Although the seasoned campaigner is no longer in championship contention, team play within the Yamaha Thailand Racing Team could see Decha playing wingman to Ratthapong’s race strategies.   Manual Tech KYT Kawasaki Racing’s Ahmad Yudhistira clocked in third fastest with 1’39.469s. Randy Krummenacher has quickly gotten back into the groove with a fourth quickest time of 1’39.500s.   The main title contender for the weekend, Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman, posted fifth fastest after the first day of practice with 1’39.691s.

RATTHAPONG #ALLIN FOR A SHOT AT THE TITLE Read More »

THAI RIDERS STEAL THE SPOTLIGHT IN AP250 FREE PRACTICE

2018, 2018 Round6, Asia Production 250, Latest News /

The Thai riders on the Asia Production 250cc grid made full use of their homeground advantage to come up tops in the first day of free practices at the final round of the 2018 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship.   Racing at the 4.5km Chang International Circuit, AP Honda Racing Thailand’s Kritchaporn Kaewsonthi topped the timesheets for the first time as the quickest man of the day with 1’52.997s. The Honda rider broke the previous 1’53.064s lap record set by Anupab Sarmoon in Round 1.   Even though the Asia Production 250cc title is now safely in the hands of Rheza Danica Ahrens, the level of competition in the class had not abated. The top-10 riders of the day all managed to lap within a second of each other. Anupab Sarmoon from the Yamaha Thailand Racing Team was second quickest with 1’53.089s followed by Kawasaki’s Andy Muhammad Fadly in third with 1’53.339s.   Mario Suryo Aji, eager to redeem himself after a double crash weekend in the previous round in Indonesia, posted fourth fastest with 1’53.598s. Mario will need to repeat his double podium performance here at the Chang International Circuit to stand a chance of finishing the season in second overall.   Peerapong Boonlert clocked in fifth fastest with 1’53.643s while Round 1 winner Muklada Sarapuech was sixth.   Uncharacteristically, Rheza Danica Ahrens only logged the tenth fastest time of the day with 1’53.859s.

THAI RIDERS STEAL THE SPOTLIGHT IN AP250 FREE PRACTICE Read More »

WAWAN WELLO GOES UNDER THE 2-MIN MARK

2018, 2018 Round6, Latest News, Underbone 150 /

Laptimes continue to tumble in the Underbone 150cc class as the teams bring one years’ worth of developmental efforts back to the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand for the final joust of the 2018 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship.   Championship leader Mohd Helmi Azman broke his own Round 1 lap record (2’01.917s) in the first free practice session with 2’01.359s and upped the ante in the second free practice by lapping 2 minutes flat.   However, the SCK Rapido Hi Rev Honda Racing Team paid a heavy price for that initial burst of speed when Helmi’s bike broke down before he managed to clock a single lap in the Qualifying for SuperPole.   While the SCK engineers raced against time to get Helmi back out on track, wildcard rider Wawan Wello had taken charge at the top of the timesheets. Not only did the Yamaha Yamalube SND Factory rider improve on the lap record, he was the only Underbone 150cc competitor to lap under the 2-minute mark. Wawan has set a new benchmark for the Underbone class at the 4.5km Chang International Circuit with 1’59.998s.   Wawan’s time is followed by a quartet of Malaysian riders. Yuzy Vietnam Honda Racing’s Mohd Amirul Ariff Musa posted the second quickest time with 2’00.198s followed by Team One For All’s Mohd Affendi Rosli third fastest with 2’00.530s, and UMA Racing Yamaha Maju Motor Asia Team’s Mohd Akid Aziz fourth with 2’01.231s. Amirul’s younger team mate, Mohd Aiman Azman clocked home at fifth fastest with 2’01.475s.   Other riders who made the cut into the SuperPole include Reza Fahlevi (sixth with 2’01.503s), title contender Mohd Izzat Zaidi (seventh with 2’01.678s), Fakhrusy Syakirin Rostam (eighth with 2’01.762s), Peerapong Luiboonpeng (ninth with 2’01.931s) and Wahyu Aji Trilaksana (tenth with 2’01.953s).   As a result of the mistake in the Qualifying session, championship leader Helmi Azman will start both Race 1 and Race 2 from 19th on the grid.

WAWAN WELLO GOES UNDER THE 2-MIN MARK Read More »

SIX IN CONTENTION FOR 600cc CROWN

2018, 2018 Round6, Latest News, Supersports 600 /

The SuperSports 600cc title is still wide open with six riders in contention as the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship heads to its season finale at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand this weekend.   Team Webike IKAZUCHI Racing’s Anthony West had been unbeatable in the first half of the season. He has picked up 136 points so far.   Defending champion Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman has had an erratic season. The Manual Tech KYT Kawasaki rider is second on the standings with 102 points. Azlan will face a strong contender in the form of Randy Krummenacher who is set to replace West in the final round. To close the 34-point gap, Azlan must finish second in both Race 1 and Race 2.   Also in the running are Andi Farid Izdihar (Astra Honda Racing Team) and Ahmad Yudhistira (Manual Tech KYT Kawasaki). Both Indonesian riders are tied in third place with 99 points each. For either one to win the title, they must finish at least second in both Race 1 and Race 2, and they must also finish ahead of Azlan.   2014 and 2016 600cc Champion Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi also has a shot of winning his third Asian title. However, currently standing fifth with 94 points, Zaqhwan will need a double win from the Buriram weekend to leapfrog his way up the ladder.   The same goes for Ratthapong Wilairot who is racing under the Yamaha Thailand Racing Team colours this season. The Thai rider is sixth on the standings with 91 points. If Ratthapong can pull off a double win on his home track, he stands a chance of becoming the third Thai rider to win the 600cc crown.

SIX IN CONTENTION FOR 600cc CROWN Read More »

WILL RANDY KRUMMENACHER BE WEBIKE IKAZUCHI’S KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOUR?

2018, 2018 Round6, Latest News, Supersports 600 /

Team Webike IKAZUCHI Racing, the present leader in the SuperSports 600cc category, will be relying on Swiss rider Randy Krummenacher to be their knight in shining armour.   The Singapore-based outfit roped in Liam Taylor MacDonald and Sheridan Morais for the previous round in Indonesia. For the final round, the team has decided that Krummenacher, with his experience in the MotoGP as well as his recent win at the Chang International Circuit in the World SSP, would be the ideal rider to bring home the top prize for them.   Team Webike IKAZUCHI Racing has amassed 149 points at the top of the 600cc team standings. Manual Tech KYT Kawasaki Racing, which fields Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman and Ahmad Yudhistira, trails by only 19 points.   Should the Manual Tech KYT Kawasaki Racing duo dominate the race proceedings in Buriram this weekend, Krummenacher will need to finish third in both races to win the team title by a single point.

WILL RANDY KRUMMENACHER BE WEBIKE IKAZUCHI’S KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOUR? Read More »