2019 Round2

Australian Broc Parkes ended his homecoming race at Round 2 of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship at The Bend Motorsport Park on a high note when he picked up his first ARRC win on the 4.95km circuit. Riding for the YAMAHA Racing Team ASEAN in the Asian series, the poleman went out on Race 2 with a different strategy after losing out to compatriot Bryan Staring in the previous race. A better start placed the R1 expert in the front group behind race leader Bryan and Apiwat Wongthananon. Broc passed Apiwat on Lap 5 and began to close in on the leading Kawasaki. The gap between the two Aussie riders continued to narrow until Broc, having had enough of following Bryan around the track, powered his way into the lead at Turn 17 on Lap 10. Broc kept his leading position to the chequered flag with a time of 22’54.902s. “Today, I decided not to punish my tyre too early. Even so, I had a couple of hairy moments in the last two laps. Nevertheless, I’m very pleased with my first win in the ARRC,” said Broc in a post-race interview. The weekend was also a tremendous success for second-placed Bryan Staring. The Kawasaki rider picked up four out of the five wins available at The Bend – one win in the ASB1000 Race 1 and all three race wins in the ASBK. Yuki Ito also closed a successful weekend with a double podium in third place. Broc Parkes has brought his points haul to 72 points. Malaysian Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi, who finished fourth in both races, is second overall with 51 points. While the Yamaha Racing Team ASEAN rider had taken control of the title chase, super-sub Bryan Staring had succeeded in his mission to keep Kawasaki Thailand Racing at the top of the team standings. The Thai outfit, led by the colourful Katsuaki Fujiwara, stands at the top of the team ladder with 85 points.

Bryan Staring succeeded in his mission to keep the points momentum going for the Kawasaki Thailand Racing Team. At The Bend Motorsport Park for Round 2 of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship, Bryan stamped his dominance on the ASB1000 class which he won by 2.117 seconds. Bryan started the race from second on the grid. A blazing start sent the Kawasaki sub into the lead at Turn 1 while poleman Broc Parkes dropped to fourth on the first lap. Broc made a successful bid for the lead on Lap 2 but could not sustain his momentum beyond Lap 8 when Bryan came riding past. The Kawasaki Thailand Racing Team super-sub finished the 12-lap ASB1000 Race 1 with 22’50.710s. Later in the day, Bryan followed up on his ASB1000 win with another win at the ASBK Race 1. Broc had to be content in second with 22’52.827s, which gave him enough points to take over the points-lead in the ASB1000 class. Behind the two Australians, Yuki Ito triumphed over Zaqhwan Zaidi to clinch the last spot on the podium with 22’58.793s.

Australian rider Broc Parkes claimed his first ARRC pole in his homecoming race at The Bend Motorsport Park. Following a mediocre outing at the opening round in Sepang last month, Broc returned to the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship with a vengeance.   Broc has been quick to take control of the 4.95km The Bend Motorsport Park circuit and is looking good ahead of the races on pole position with 1’52.581s.   The Yamaha Racing Team Asean rider will line up alongside fellow Australian rider Bryan Staring. Bryan had been pulling a double shift at the Australian round this weekend and is one of the few riders who is racing in both the ASBK and the ARRC. The experienced Kawasaki rider is replacing injured championship leader Thitipong Warokorn. He posted 1’53.223s, the second fastest time in the ASB1000.   Meanwhile, Malaysian Zaqhwan Zaidi ran into trouble when his fastest lap was excluded from the final results for exceeding the track limits. This promoted Apiwat Wongthananon to third on the grid with 1’53.546s.   Yuki Ito will line up fourth on the grid while Zaqhwan dropped to the middle of the third row with 1’54.340s, ahead of compatriot Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman.   Ahmad Yudhistira brought his privateer Yamaha to seventh on the grid with 1’55.041s. Ratthapong Wilairot, Chaiwichit Nisakul and TJ Alberto made up the rest of the top-10.

Much as he did at the 2019 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship curtain raiser at Sepang, Yamaha Racing Team Asean’s Broc Parkes is off to yet another sizzling start in Round 2. The second leg of the Asian series is a homecoming race of sorts for the seasoned Australian rider. Though racing for the first time at The Bend Motorsports Park, Broc has been the quickest to get on pace. He set the benchmark for the ASB1000 with 1’53.855s.   Fellow Aussie rider Bryan Staring has shown himself to be a competitive replacement for championship leader Thitipong Warokorn. The Kawasaki rider clocked a very close second with 1’53.859s.   Malaysian rider Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi was third in the combined results with 1’54.315s followed by Ahmad Yudhistira fourth with 1’55.823s.   Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman is fighting off an injury this weekend. The ONEXOX TKKR SAG Racing Team rider suffered a broken rib from his previous engagement in the CEV. Azlan logged sixth fastest in the first day of practice with 1’56.072s.   Thai riders Apiwat Wongthananon, Ratthapong Wilairot and Chaiwichit Nisakul have placed themselves provisionally on Row 3 as they completed Day 1 in seventh, eighth and ninth respectively. Finally, wildcard Stephanie Redman, the sole female rider on the ASB1000 grid, put in an impressive first day in 10th place with 1’58.510s.