Asia Production 250

Andy Muhammad Fadly made up for a disappointing Race 1 when he triumphed over a battle of wills against his own Motul Manual Tech Racing Team team mate, Aiki Iyoshi in the Asia Production 250cc Race 2.   The AP250 defending champion had a lot of ground to make up for when a failed gear lever at the final lap of Race 1 left him 13th in the race. The 8-lap race flagged off with Fadly again on pole, but the holeshot at Turn 1 was snatched away by Aiki. The two Kawasakis led the first lap with the Hondas of Race 1 winner Idlan Haqimi Raduan and Izam Ikmal in hot pursuit.   Race 2 did not pan out well for the IDEMITSU Boon Siew Honda Racing Team duo when Idlan Haqimi crashed out of Lap 2 at Turn 1. Idlan’s retirement left Izam Ikmal alone and out-numbered by the two Kawasaki team mates who also had the advantage of experience and exposure in AP250 racing tactics.   The leading trio pulled away by a hefty 20 seconds in front of the second group where Wahyu Nugroho, Vorapong Malahuan, Anggi Setiawan and Mohd Muzakkir Mohamed were scrabbling to finish within the top five.   Team orders were obviously not in play within the Motul Manual Tech Racing Team. There were no quarters given between Fadly and Aiki as they swapped leads right up to the final corner. Aiki tried a final move at Turn 15 but failed to dislodge Fadly from his course.   The Indonesian rider sprinted to the finish line to take the win ahead of his team mate with 19’39.574s. Aiki Iyoshi, however, will leave the Sepang International Circuit as the early leader in the AP250 class. The Japanese rider picked up his second P2 finish with 19’39.694s. Izam Ikmal scored at least another podium for debutant IDEMITSU Boon Siew Honda Racing Team in third with 19’39.983s.   Wahyu Nugroho won the battle of the second group in fourth place while Vorapong Malahuan delivered a solid fifth place finish for TVS Racing.       AP250: Top 5 Race 2 Results   Andy Fadly (INA) (Kawasaki)                 2’26.647s Izam Ikmal (MAS) (Honda)                    2’27.546s Aiki Iyoshi (JPN) (Kawasaki)                  2’28.249s Shahrol Syazras Yuzy (MAS) (Honda)   2’29.230s Anggi Setiawan (INA) (Yamaha)            2’29.328s     AP250: Top 5 Standings After Round 1   Aiki Iyoshi (JPN) (Kawasaki)                  40 pts Izam Ikmal (MAS) (Honda)                    32 pts Andy Fadly (INA) (Kawasaki)                 28 pts Wahyu Nugroho (INA) (Yamaha)          26 pts Idlan Haqimi Raduan (MAS) (Honda)   25 pts   AP250: Top 5 Team Standings After Round 1   Motul Manual Tech Racing Team                       68 pts IDEMITSU Boon Siew Honda Racing Team      57 pts YAMAHA Racing Indonesia                                41 pts ONEXOX TKKR SAG Racing Team                    31 pts TVS Racing                                                           30 pts

When the IDEMITSU Boon Siew Honda Racing Team announced their arrival in the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship last year, the team’s objective was to start placing Malaysian riders on the Asia Production 250cc podium.   The team delivered on their promise in a big way at the 2020 season opener in Sepang when rookie rider Mohd Idlan Haqimi Raduan delivered the first Malaysian win in the AP250 class.   The 16-year-old did not enjoy the best of starts when he qualified 11th on the grid. But there was no stopping the determined young rider. By Lap 2, he had caught up with the front runners – Andy Fadly, Aiki Iyoshi and his own team mate Izam Ikmal. As the 8-lap race progressed, it was quickly apparent that it would be a Honda-Kawasaki battle for the podium.   The AP250 Race 1 drama revved up a notch in the final lap when polesitter Andy Fadly lost his gear lever at Turn 2. Unable to change gears, Fadly could only cruise to the finish line in P13.   With Fadly out of the group, Aiki Iyoshi was left to fend off the Honda duo on his own. The three riders took the battle right down the line when Aiki broke out of Idlan’s slipstream at the exit of the final corner. The two riders were neck to neck as they stormed towards the finish line, but the photo finish determined that Idlan had pipped Aiki by a mere 0.001 seconds.   Idlan logged his historic win with 19’40.866s. Aiki settled for second with 19’40.867s while Izam Ikmal gifted the IDEMITSU Boon Siew Honda Racing Team with a second podium finish when he took third place with 19’41.214s.   Behind the four leaders, Wahyu Nugroho, Shahrol Syazras Yuzy, Vorapong Malahuan, Rey Ratukore and Syafieq Aiman   Wahyu Nugroho, Shahrol Syazras Yuzy, Anggi Setiawan, Rey Ratukore and Vorapong Malahuan were caught up in a battle of their own in the second group, with particularly strong debut performance by Vorapong on the TVS.   AP250: Top 5 Qualifying Results   Andy Fadly (INA) (Kawasaki)                 2’26.647s Izam Ikmal (MAS) (Honda)                    2’27.546s Aiki Iyoshi (JPN) (Kawasaki)                  2’28.249s Shahrol Syazras Yuzy (MAS) (Honda)   2’29.230s Anggi Setiawan (INA) (Yamaha)            2’29.328s     AP250: Top 5 Race 1 Results   Idlan Haqimi Raduan (MAS) (Honda)   19’40.866s Aiki Iyoshi (JPN) (Kawasaki)                  19’40.867s Izam Ikmal (MAS) (Honda)                    19’41.214s Wahyu Nugroho (INA) (Yamaha)          19’53.450s Shahrol Syazras Yuzy (INA) (Honda)     19’53.506s  

AP250 defending champion Andy Muhammad Fadly came 0.183 seconds away from smashing Muklada Sarapuech’s Sepang lap record when he posted a 2’24.966s flying lap in the first day of practice at the 2020 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship season opener.   Fadly’s best time was posted early in the day, in Practice 1. The Motul Manual Tech Racing Team rider was the only rider to lap below 2’25 in the first day of practice.   IDEMITSU Boon Siew Honda Racing Team’s Muhammad Izam Ikmal and Fadly’s Manual Tech team mate Aiki Iyoshi have put themselves provisionally on the front row when they posted 2’25.427s and 2’25.694s respectively.   ONEXOX TKKR SAG Racing Team’s Mohd Muzakkir Mohamed put in a solid performance on home ground when he ended the first day fourth fastest with 2’25.916s.   The class rookie, Mohd Idlan Haqimi Raduan from IDEMITSU Boon Siew Honda Racing Team, also looks to be on the right track when he closed at fifth quickest with 2’25.942s.   YAMAHA Racing Indonesia’s Anggi Setiawan was sixth fastest, followed by TVS Racing’s lead rider Vorapong Malahuan who posted seventh with 2’27.059s. Mohd Danial Syahmi, Rey Ratukore and Wahyu Nugroho completed the top-10 of the day.     AP250: Top 5 Practice Results 2019 Lap Record: 2’24.783s – Muklada Sarapuech (THA) (Honda)   Andy Fadly (INA) (Kawasaki)                 2’24.966s Izam Ikmal (MAS) (Honda)                    2’25.427s Aiki Iyoshi (JPN) (Kawasaki)                  2’25.694s Muzakkir Mohamed (MAS) (Yamaha)  2’25.916s Idlan Haqimi Raduan (MAS) (Honda)   2’25.942s

Andy Muhammad Fadly (Manual Tech KYT Kawasaki Racing) has once again proven that the Indonesian riders are still in a league of their own in the Asia Production 250cc class. After a phenomenal win on Saturday, Fadly had to finish ahead of rivals Irfan Ardiansyah and Awhin Sanjaya (Astra Honda Racing Team) in the final race of the season at the Chang International Circuit to end Kawasaki’s 3-year title drought in the AP250 class.   The 10-lap race started with Fadly tucked into the leading group behind a charging Muklada Sarapuech (AP Honda Racing Team). Muklada, freed from the pressures of a title hunt, was intent on winning the race in front of her home crowd. Three successive quick laps from Muklada saw her pull ahead by 2.6 seconds. But Muklada’s rampage came to a premature end on Lap 4 when mechanical failure forced her out of the race.   Muklada’s departure left the three title contenders, Irfan, Awhin and Andy in charge of the top 15-rider group. It wasn’t long before Tatchakorn Buasri (AP Honda Racing Thailand) and Rafid Topan Sucipto (Bike Corner SYS KYT Racing Team) decided to try for the leading position.   While the battle raged on to the final lap, Andy was working hard to stay out of trouble. The Kawasaki rider tried to lead into Turn 3 but ran wide and dropped to P5 from P3. Rapidly running out of time, Andy used the superior grunt of his Kawasaki to get back into the lead at Turn 5. The Kawasaki rider led the group up to Turn 11 but was out-braked by Irfan at the entry into Turn 12. While Andy was trying to get his momentum back for a final sprint to the finish line, Rafid Topan ran wide at the apex and bulldozed into Irfan.   As the two riders skidded out onto the sidelines, Mohd Muzakkir Mohamed (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team) was quick to sprint to the finish line in first place with Piyawat Patoomyos (AP Honda Racing Team) and wildcard Vorapong Malahuan (Yamaha Hispeed Racing Team) in tow. Andy was initially sixth across the line.   However, the Malaysian rider was later penalized for exceeding the track limit at Turn 12. Piyawat Patoomyos was eventually declared the winner of the 10-lap Race 2 with 19’11.373s. Vorapong Malahuan went up to second place and Awhin Sanjaya was third.   Lucky Hendriansya was also penalized for exceeding the track limit. Andy moved up from P6 to P4 on the official timesheets to add 13 more points to this year’s points haul. With 214 points, Andy became the third successive Indonesian to bring home the Asia Production 250cc title.   Irfan and Awhin had to concede the title win to Andy, but Astra Honda Racing Team is still the team to beat in the AP250 class. The Honda team has picked up 274 points out of 14 races and emerged at the top of the team standings, beating Manual Tech KYT Kawasaki Racing by 35 points.

A mere 1000rpm cut handicap in the AP250 class was not going to stop Andy Muhammad Fadly and Irfan Ardiansyah from putting up a fantastic performance in Race 1.   As the final round opened at the Chang International Circuit, all signs were pointing towards an all-Thai domination at the front of the AP250 race while the battle for the title between the two main protagonists would likely happen off the podium.   The expectations were initially borne out at the close of the AP250 qualifying when Muklada Sarapuech unequivocally earned the right to park her bike on pole position followed by Rafid Topan Sucipto and Piyawat Patoomyos on the front row. Andy and Irfan qualified for the second row, on P4 and P6 respectively.   As the 10-lap race flagged off, a brilliant start by Muklada gave her full control of the first lap. As the group swept around the hairpin at Turn 3, Muhammad Faerozi Toreqottullah crashed out, very nearly taking Irfan along with him. The Astra Honda Racing Team rider lost a full five seconds as he narrowly avoided a catastrophic outcome in Race 1, dropping down to P20 at the end of the first lap.   Back in front, Andy Muhammad Fadly was careful to stay within the top group even as Muklada and team mate Piyawat Patoomyos tried to pull ahead on Lap 3. However, the two Thai riders were unable to hold the rest of the riders at bay for long. As of Lap 6, Fadly, Piyawat, Muklada, Rafid Topan, Tatchakorn Buasri, Awhin Sanjaya and Rey Ratukore were still all tangled up in the 7-bike lead group.   By this point, Irfan had managed to get himself back into the points, but was still trailing the front runners by a hefty 5 seconds. Just when it looked like Irfan’s title hopes are fizzling out, the Astra Honda Racing Team rider began a series of quick laps that halved the gap to 2.3 seconds within the space of two laps.   Irfan caught up to the tail end of the leading group on the final lap which was being led by his team mate Awhin Sanjaya and compatriots Rafid Topan Sucipto and Andy Muhammad Fadly. The three frontrunners, however, soon lost the lead to an audacious move by Muklada Sarapuech. The AP Honda Racing Team rider led the group into the last corner but ran wide, almost crashing into Awhin Sanjaya.   Andy Muhammad Fadly took full advantage of the situation and darted into the inside line and successful held the lead to the finish line. Andy scored his third win of the season with 19’03.763s Awhin Sanjaya recovered from the incident in time to take second place while Muklada claimed third place.   Fadly has taken a 14-point lead at the top of the championship standings. Irfan Ardiansyah finished fifth to keep his title hopes alive. Awhin Sanjaya, trailing Fadly by 19 points, also has a strong mathematical chance to lift the crown. However, the second equalizer will also be applied to Awhin for Race 2, leading to a scenario where all three title hunters will be racing on a level playing field.