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