2020 Test

TIME TO PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THE SS600 QUALIFYING

2020, 2020 Round1, 2020 Test, Latest News, Supersports 600 /

Expect last-minute time attacks in the SuperSports 600cc category this season as ARRC official tyre supplier Dunlop brings a new element to their tyre allocations.   Last year, the 600cc riders crafted their qualifying and race strategies around an allocation with 5 medium compound fronts and 5 medium rears. Now in 2020, the riders find an additional soft rear added to that allocation.   Here’s the comparison breakdown for easy reference:   TYRE MODEL/COMPOUND 2019 ALLOCATION 2020 ALLOCATION KR149 (Front) (Medium) 5 5 KR133 (Rear) (Medium) 5 5 KR133 (Rear) (Soft) 0 1   The outcome of the amendment was immediately apparent as Adam Norrodin from PACHI ZK Racing punched in a new SS600 lap record during the pre-season tests.     QUOTE: KENTARO KOBAYASHI, MANAGEMENT AND SERVICE ENGINEER, SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES LTD (DUNLOP)   “The SuperSports 600cc class was supposed to be more developmental in nature. But the teams have requested to make the class more competitive. As a result, the age limit in the SS600 (25 years) was removed.   This is Dunlop’s contribution to make the SuperSports 600cc more exciting and more competitive. We can now expect to see last minute time attacks in the closing minutes of the qualifier.”

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NEW ASB1000 SEPANG LAP RECORD, COURTESY OF MARKUS REITERBERGER

2020, 2020 Test, Asia Superbike 1000, Latest News /

The ASB1000 class has a new lap record at the Sepang International Circuit, courtesy of Markus Reiterberger who logged 2’05.388s during the 2020 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship pre-season tests.   Thitipong Warokorn’s year-old record of 2’05.505s was logged in Round 1 last year, and had remained unbeaten through Round 6 at the same venue.   Markus will be the first German rider to race in the Asian series. He will be competing under the ONEXOX BMW TKKR SAG TEAM banner.   Meanwhile, Australian rider Broc Parkes, returning for his second attempt at the Asian title with YAMAHA Racing Team ASEAN, ended the pre-season tests as the second quickest in the ASB1000 class. Broc trailed Markus’s lap record by 0.284s. His best laptime, recorded in Practice 3, was 2’05.672s.   Defending champion Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman was third fastest with 2’06.009s followed by Apiwat Wongthananon (YAMAHA Thailand Racing Team) fourth with 2’06.231s. Federico Sandi’s replacement in the Access Plus Racing-Okada-Team, Lorenzo Zanetti, rounded up the top five in the pre-season tests with 2’06.734s.     2020 Lap Record: 2’05.388 – Markus Reiterberger (GER) (BMW)   Day 1 + Day 2 Overall Practice Results Markus Reiterberger (GER) (BMW)                   2’05.388s Broc Parkes (AUS) (Yamaha)                               2’05.672s Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman (MAS) (BMW)              2’06.009s Apiwat Wongthananon (THA) (Yamaha)              2’06.231s Lorenzo Zanetti (ITA) (Ducati)                            2’06.734s  

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ADAM SETS NEW SEPANG BENCHMARK IN THE SUPERSPORTS 600 CLASS

2020, 2020 Test, Latest News, Supersports 600 /

PACHI ZK Racing’s Adam Norrodin has set a new Sepang benchmark in the SuperSports 600cc class when he bested Kasma Daniel Kasmayuddin’s 2019 lap record by 0.689 seconds. The Malaysian rider posted 2’09.029s in Practice 4 during the 2020 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship pre-season tests.   Top contenders for the 2020 crown are beginning to emerge after two days of nonstop testing at the 5.5km Sepang International Circuit, with teams PACHI ZK Racing and Boon Siew HONDA Racing Team identified as early favourites ahead of the season opener.   The two teams seemed to have the front row on lock down with Adam, his younger brother Ibrahim Norrodin, as well as Boon Siew HONDA Racing Team’s Azroy Hakeem Anuar and Helmi Azman consistently lapping within the top four in the class.   YAMAHA GEN BLU Racing Team’s Ahmad Afif Amran closed the two day pre-season test as the fifth quickest in class. Afif’s best time was 2’10.547s while SS600 rookie McKinley Kyle Paz was 13th fastest with 2’12.552s.   Senior SS600 riders Ratthapong Wilairot and Ahmad Yudhistira have yet to make their moves… for now. Ratthapong posted sixth overall with 2’10.610s and Yudhistira seventh with 2’10.846s.   Japanese duo Yusuke Nakamura and Soichiro Minamimoto from Akeno Speed YAMAHA Racing placed eighth and ninth fastest in the tests. YAMAHA RACING INDONESIA’s Faerozi Toreqottullah rounded up the top 10 in the SuperSports 600cc class.     2020 Lap Record: 2’09.029s – Adam Norrodin (MAS) (Yamaha)   Day 1 + Day 2 Overall Practice Results Adam Norrodin (MAS) (Yamaha)                        2’09.029s Azroy Hakeem Anuar (MAS) (Honda)                 2’10.104s Ibrahim Norrodin (MAS) (Yamaha)                    2’10.137s Helmi Azman (MAS) (Honda)                              2’10.224s Ahmad Afif Amran (MAS) (Yamaha)                   2’10.547s

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REY SEALS SUCCESSFUL PRE-SEASON TESTS FOR ONEXOX TKKR SAG TEAM

2020, 2020 Test, Asia Production 250, Latest News /

The ONEXOX TKKR SAG TEAM wrapped up the 2020 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship pre-season tests on a positive note with three of their riders topping the timesheets in their respective classes. Earlier in the day, Markus Reiterberger posted a new lap record in the ASB1000 while Wahyu Aji Trilaksana topped the Underbone 150 class.   Rey Ratukore also gave early indication that the team is on the right track for the 2020 season opener in Sepang when he posted the fastest time in the Asia Production 250cc category – 2’26.150s.   Malaysian Izam Ikmal from the IDEMITSU Boon Siew Honda Racing Team was the second fastest man on the track with 2’26.214s while defending champion Andy Fadly posted third with 2’26.253s on his Kawasaki.   YAMAHA Racing Indonesia’s Anggi Setiawan was fifth fastest, trailing fourth placed Aiki Iyoshi by 0.126 seconds.   Of note, Mohd Danial Syahmi, back to active racing after recovering from his injuries, was ninth fastest in the group. Vorapong Malahuan took his TVS Apache RR310 to 10th quickest with 2’28.678s.     2019 Lap Record: 2’24.783s – Muklada Sarapuech (THA) (Honda)   Day 1 + Day 2 Overall Practice Results Rey Ratukore (INA) (Yamaha)               2’26.150s Izam Ikmal (MAS) (Honda)                    2’26.214s Andy Fadly (INA) (Kawasaki)                 2’26.253s Aiki Iyoshi (JPN) (Kawasaki)                  2’26.495s Anggi Setiawan (INA) (Yamaha)            2’26.621s

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WAHYU AJI TOPS UNDERBONE PRE-SEASON

2020, 2020 Test, Latest News, Underbone 150 /

Wahyu Aji Trilaksana came up tops in the Underbone 150 pre-season tests when he stopped the clock at 2’32.440s during the pre-season tests. Although still about a second off Akid Aziz’s 2019 lap record, Wahyu has shown early indications that he is ramping up his Underbone campaign in a bid to end his 3-year title drought in the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship.   Wahyu is trailed by compatriot Wawan Wello. The SND Factory Racing Rapido rider posted second quickest in the pre-season tests with 2’32.848s.   A trio of Malaysians followed. Akid Aziz was third fastest with 2’32.910s followed by Izzat Zaidi and Ahmad Fazli Sham.   Newcomer team 4S1M YAMAHA Racing Team has gotten off to an optimistic start when Gupita Kresna placed seventh with a competitive time of 2’33.454s.     2019 Lap Record: 2’31.525s – Akid Aziz (MAS) (Yamaha)   Day 1 + Day 2 Overall Practice Results Wahyu Aji Trilaksana (INA) (Yamaha)                2’32.440s Wawan Wello (INA) (Yamaha)                            2’32.848s Akid Aziz (MAS) (Yamaha)                                   2’32.910s Izzat Zaidi (MAS) (Yamaha)                                 2’32.997s Ahmad Fazli Sham (MAS) (Yamaha)                   2’33.094s

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BROC, MARKUS ZEROES IN ON THITIPONG’S LAP RECORD

2020, 2020 Test, Asia Superbike 1000, Latest News /

Only one day into the pre-season tests for the 2020 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship and all signs are pointing towards the possibility of a new lap record in the ASB1000. Yamaha Racing ASEAN’s Broc Parkes had wasted no time zeroing in on the 2’05.505s benchmark set by Thitipong Warokorn in 2019. The Australian rider posted 2’05.672s on board his brand new Yamaha RZF-R1M in Practice 3, narrowly missing out on the lap record by 0.167s. ONEXOX BMW TKKR SAG Team’s Markus Reiterberger was the only rider to match Broc’s pace in the first day. The German rider’s best time was also charted in Practice 3, a time of 2’05.719s. Apiwat Wongthananon, ASB1000 defending champion Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman, and Yuki Ito lapped within the same second. Apiwat leads the trio with 2’06.388s followed by 2’06.903s from Azlan and Yuki landed fifth fastest of the day with 2’06.982s. Lorenzo Zanetti, logged a personal best of 2’07.521s on board team Access Plus Racing-Okada-Team’s Ducati Panigale V4R, and closed the day sixth fastest.

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NORRODIN BROTHERS TOPS FIRST DAY OF PRE-SEASON

2020, 2020 Test, Latest News, Supersports 600 /

Siblings Mohd Ibrahim Norrodin and Mohd Adam Norrodin are living up to their reputations as Sepang experts as the first day of pre-season tests got underway for the SS600 class at the Sepang International Circuit. The two brothers, racing under the PACHI ZK Racing banner, are proteges of the SIC talent development programme and have spent countless hours honing their art at the 5.5km Malaysian circuit. The duo were easily a second faster than the competition, despite missing out on Practice 1. Ibrahim was the faster of the two, with 2’10.515s against elder brother Adam’s 2’10.867s. Boon Siew HONDA Racing Team’s Helmi Azman and Azroy Hakeem Anuar were also adept at turning their mileage at the Sepang Circuit into fast laps. The two Honda riders posted 3rd and 4th fastest respectively with 2’11.325s and 2’11.364s. Kasma Daniels’ lap record, 2’09.712s, remains untouched. Meanwhile, all eyes were on Ratthapong Wilairot and Ahmad Yudhistira, both returning to the SS600 after a season in the ASB1000 premiere class. However, the two experienced riders were clearly taking their time to get their bikes into race pace. Ratthapong posted a best time of 2’11.595s while Yudhis clocked 2’12.979s.

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ROOKIE IZAM IKMAL LEADS INTO FIRST DAY OF PRE-SEASON

2020, 2020 Test, Asia Production 250, Latest News /

IDEMITSU Boon Siew Honda Racing Team’s latest recruit, Muhammad Izam Ikmal ended the first day of pre-season tests at the top of the AP250 when he posted 2’26.214s in Practice 2. Izam edged out AP250 defending champion Andy Fadly by 0.608s, though still about 1.5 seconds shy of beating Muklada’s 2019 lap record. Fadly posted 2’26.822s astride his Kawasaki Ninja 250, followed by Anggi Setiawan from YAMAHA Racing Indonesia third with 2’27.329s. TVS Racing officially makes its full season debut in the AP250 class this season. The team’s three-rider line-up comprises of Thai rider Vorapong Malahuan, andIndian riders Jagan Kumar and KY Ahmed. Vorapong posted the team’s best time from the pre-season test, a time of 2’30.270s, but will need to coax an extra four seconds from his TVS Apache RR310 if he hopes to finish the first round within the top 10.

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AMENDMENTS IN UB150 TEAM AWARD RULES; AKID AND FAZLI SETS UB150 BENCHMARK

2020, 2020 Test, Latest News, Underbone 150 /

The FIM Asia Road Racing Championship will introduce a key amendment in the way team award points are tabulated in the Underbone 150cc category. With effect from season 2020, each team must nominate two riders whose points will contribute towards the team’s ranking. The team will be allowed to appoint new riders only if one of the two riders are unable to race for valid reasons. Meanwhile, back at the pre-season test, former Underbone champions Mohd Akid Aziz and Ahmad Fazli Sham are dictating the pace in the UB150 class as the pre-season tests for season 2020 gets underway at the Sepang International Circuit. Akid posted 2’33.015s in Practice 3 to take the lead in Day 1. Five other riders posted within the same second. ONEXOX TKKR SAG Racing Team trio Ahmad FazliSham, Mohd Hafiza Rofa and Wahyu Aji Trilaksana logged 2’33.094s, 2’33.199s and 2’33.258s to sit second, third and fourth on the timesheets respectively. Gupita Kresna, now signed with Filipino UB150 team 4S1M YAMAHA Racing Team, clocked 2’33.565s in fifth place while Wawan Wello checked in sixth with 2’33.868s. UMA Racing YAMAHA Philippine Team’s Fernando Masato and Kerwin Chang got off to a slow start. The two Filipino riders were 21st and 23rd respectively on the timesheets.

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