Asia Production 250

As the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship marks its return to Zhuhai this weekend, Chinese rider Zhou Sheng Jun Jie will also be staging a comeback into the series. Zhou has confirmed his AP250 wildcard through the Wuyang-Honda Racing Team. Zhou Sheng Jun Jie is an alumni of the Asia Dream Cup (ADC) series initiated by the ARRC as part of its talent development platform from 2012 to 2016. The Chinese rider completed two full seasons in the ADC, finishing 10th overall in 2015 and 7th overall in 2016. Zhou’s best results in the ADC came in 2016 with a double podium at the super-challenging Sentul Circuit in Indonesia. On the AP250 grid, Zhou will find himself reunited with a few familiar faces. Muklada Sarapuech, currently in the chase for the 2019 crown, was the Asia Dream Cup champion in 2015 along with Idemitsu Honda Racing India’s Sethu Rajiv.

Astra Honda’s Awhin Sanjaya was a class apart in a wet race two, keeping his head while many of those around him were losing theirs, to win by a comfortable margin. It was a good day for the Indonesian team, as Irfan Ardiansyah took another second place and a good day for Andy Fadly, as he finished third and benefited from a DNF by championship rival, Muklada Sarapuech. Rafid Topan Sucipto made the most of his pole position to take the lead at the start from Muklada, Irfan, Piyawat Patoomyos, Rey Ratukore and Fadly. AP Honda’s Muklada crashed on lap two after grabbing the front brake too hard, which left Fadly just needing a reasonable to complete his weekend’s work. Ratukore began to fall back at half distance, as Awhin got past Irfan for second and Fadly got ahead of Piyawat for fourth, while Yamaha Thailand’s class rookie, Sawapol Lillabong, moved up to join the fight for second and third. Topan fell out of the lead on lap seven and Awhin pulled clear, leaving the fight behind him and stroked his CBR250RR home four seconds clear of Irfan who took second from Fadly, Piyawat and Suwapol. Aiki Iyoshi stormed through from last on the grid to finish sixth, well ahead of Izam Ikmal, Ratukore and wildcards, Tanimoto and Mori. Fadly’s 41 points from Suzuka bring his total to 127, which is 23 clear of Irfan and Awhin, who are level on 104. Muklada, who went to Suzuka level on points with Fadly, now finds herself fourth on 97 and 30 points from the top.

Andy Fadly continued the form he showed since arriving at Suzuka by leading from the first turn in race one and getting clear with a pace that the rest of the ARRC AP250 field couldn’t get anywhere near. However, the Manual Tech KYT Kawasaki rider didn’t have it all his own way in qualifying, ending up second after a fierce three-way fight with Rafid Topan Sucipto and Irfan Ardiansyah. Sporting his new team’s livery and a change of race number to 911, Topan claimed pole position from Fadly by 31 hundredths of a second by taking his Bike Corner SYS KYT Honda around Suzuka’s 5.8 kilometres in 2’28.714 to edge Fadly out to second. Irfan, who had led much of the 30-minute session, qualified third on 2’29.685. Behind them, Faerozi Toreqotullah came through to lead the second row from Suzuka first-timer, Nazirul Izzat and championship leader, Muklada Sarapuech. Astra Honda’s Lucky Hendriansiya and Awhin Sanjaya qualified seventh and eighth in front of Reynaldo Ratukore. Rafid launched well from the start, but Fadly got the better of him into turn one broke away at the front. Behind him Muklada fought with a group of another five Indonesian riders, who did their best to keep her at bay. All three Astra Honda riders took turns at the front, though it was Irfan who looked the most convincing contender for second place. ONEXOX TKKR SAG’s Rey Ratukore, the sole Yamaha rider in the front group, looked increasingly threatening on the break at the final chicane. Clearly fighting handling problems, Muklada did her best to get to the front of the group, but, as the last lap unwound was unable to get herself into a podium position. As Fadly cruised over the line 2.6 seconds ahead, Irfan put enough distance between himself and the others to claim second without a serious challenge, while Ratukore got the better of Awhin, Muklada and Lucky to cross the line third. Rafid Topan came through in seventh from Piyawat Patoomyos, Faerozi and Sasaki, who completed the top ten.

Andy Muhammad Fadly was fastest in all three free practice sessions today. Despite running with a maximum rev ‘equaliser’ of 500rpm, the Manual Tech KYT Kawasaki rider kept an advantage of more than half a second all day. His best time of 2’28.450 came in a red flag interrupted second session. After a steady start in FP1, Astra Honda’s Irfan Ardiansyah finished second on combined times with a best lap of 2’29.382, which was 0.098s better than Rey Ratukore on the ONEXOX TKKR SAG Yamaha. Fadly’s team mate, Aiki Iyoshi was fourth in front of AP Honda duo, Muklada Sarapuech and Piyawat Patoomyos. Rafid Topan Sucipto, Awhin Sanjaya, Faerozi Toreqotullah and Sethu Rajiv completed the top ten. Round three, race two winner, Tatchkorn Buasri, struggled to match pace of his team mates and crashed hard in the third session. The fastest wildcard was Otojirou Tanimoto with 2’32.501, which placed him 18th overall.

AP Honda Racing Thailand’s Muklada Sarapuech and Manual Tech KYT Kawasaki Racing’s Andy Muhammad Fadly will be heading for a tie-breaker at Round 4 of the 2019 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship in Suzuka, Japan. The two riders tie at the top of the standings with 86 points apiece but Muklada has one more podium finish to her name as compared to Fadly. Here’s a recap of their performances so far: Rider R1/R1 R1/R2 R2/R1 R2/R2 R3/R1 R3/R2 Muklada Sarapuech DNF 1st 3rd 2nd 1st 5th Andy Fadly 2nd 2nd 1st DNF 6th DNF   However, Round 4 will be more than just a showdown between two ferocious competitors. Team play will be very much in evidence as Aiki Iyoshi, currently third in the AP250 standings, seeks to support his Manual Tech KYT Kawasaki Racing team mate while claiming the best possible results for himself. Expect the same from AP Honda Racing Thailand’s Tatchakorn Buasri who proved his race-winning capabilities in the previous round in Buriram. The newly introduced equalizer rule has certainly done its job. Only 12 points separate the top four riders in the series, three of whom are racing with 500 rpm less to their maximum limit.   An AHRT Resurgence In The Making? The Astra Honda Racing Team, a force to be reckoned with over the past two seasons, have been remarkably low-key in 2019. Awhin Sanjaya, Irfan Ardiansyah and Lucky Hendriansya are fifth, sixth and seventh respectively on the championship ladder. While the AP Honda Racing Thailand Team and the Manual Tech KYT Kawasaki Racing Team struggle for dominance in the AP250 class, Indonesian-based Astra Honda Racing Team may be biding their time before making a definitive move. With only four rounds remaining to the end of the season, that move must come soon and the Suzuka Circuit where the team had experienced so much success, may be the perfect arena to launch their attack.   Wildcards Make 33 The AP250 class will see as many as seven wildcards in the Japanese leg, bringing the grid up to a total of 33 riders. The wildcards are:   RIDER TEAM #20 Yuta Kasai TEAM TEC 2 # Shunya Mori TEAM TEC 2 #31 Kazuki Tomita ATJ Racing with NMC #38 Keiji Goto YSS *ANDO Racing Mercury #73 Ryunosuke Nakamura ENDLESS TEAM SHANTI # Nobuteru Sasaki Team KYOEI GO&FUN # Otojirou Tanimoto DOGFITHR RPM YAMAHA

Rookie Tatchakorn Buasri capped off a successful weekend at the Chang International Circuit by picking up his first AP250 win in Race 2. As the lights went off for the 10-lap AP250 race, there was a great weight of responsibility on Tatchakorn’s shoulders. His senior team mate and pole sitter, Muklada Sarapuech, having achieved a 25-point lead ahead of the fifth ranked rider in Race 1, had 500 rpm less at her disposal. The young rider lived up to expectations when he proved himself capable of mixing it up with the main contenders of the AP250 class. When Muklada retired on Lap 3 following an unfortunate puncture, Tatchakorn held his own against Irfan Ardiansyah, Awhin Sanjaya, and aggressive Andy Muhammad Fadly and team mate Piyawat Patoomyos. Despite the best efforts from Astra Honda Racing Team trio Irfan, Awhin and Lucky, Tatchakorn was able to pip his rivals to the finish line by 0.310s. The young Thai rider brought home team AP Honda Racing Thailand’s second win of the weekend with 19’04.262s. Awhin Sanjaya finished second, his best performance this season, with 19’04.572s. Behind the two leaders, Yamaha Racing Indonesia’s Muhammad Faerozi Toreqottullah sprung an unexpected surprise at the last corner. Unknown to the leaders who were focused on getting past Turn 12 to the finish line, Faerozi had slipstreamed his way into the leading group and dodged past their defences to claim the first AP250 podium for Yamaha in 2019. Faerozi got himself onto the third step of the podium with 19’04.829s. Interestingly, Andy Muhammad Fadly, Muklada Sarapuech and Aiki Iyoshi, all three riders with the 500 rpm equalizer, are back at the top of the AP250 standings. Fadly tops the standings with 87 points after taking fifth place in Race 1 and Race 2. Despite sitting out for most of Race 2, Muklada Sarapuech is only a point behind with 86 points. Aiki Iyoshi ranked third with 78 points while Tatchakorn’s victory had boosted him up to fourth overall with 74 points.

Muklada Sarapuech bagged one for the Thai contingent with an uncontested AP250 Race 1 win as Round 3 of the 2019 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship got underway at the Chang International Circuit. Starting the race from pole position, the AP Honda Racing Thailand rider got herself into the front by the first lap, and easily maintained a consistent one-second lead ahead of her rivals to take the win with 19’01.091s. Behind Muklada, her team mate Tatchakorn Buasri made it an AP Honda Racing Thailand 1-2 when he crossed the finish line in second with 19’02.295s While Muklada and Tatchakorn’s race went perfectly to script, what went on behind them was madness. Andy Muhammad Fadly, racing with a 500rpm equalizer, found himself in the thick of battle against Irfan Ardiansyah, Piyawat Patoomyos and Faerozi Toreqottullah for P3. The close fighting among the four riders led to close contact at the last corner of the final lap when Irfan seemed to touch Andy’s bike and somehow, caused Andy’s front wheel to lift. Andy was able to stay on the bike but lost the final sprint to the chequered flag. Irfan Ardiansyah from the Astra Honda Racing Team claimed third place with 19’04.491s. Further down the grid, Cao Viet Nam’s perseverance over the past few seasons seemed to have paid off. The Vietnamese rider recorded his best results in the AP250 to date when he finished ninth ahead of Rafid Topan Sucipto, Suttipat Patchaeetron and Rey Ratukore. Muklada’s win has brought her to the top of the standings with 86 points. She is 34 points in front of fifth ranked rider Irfan Ardiansyah, and will be riding with a -500rpm equalizer in Race 2. Andy Muhammad Fadly finished fifth to climb up to second overall with 76 points. Aiki Iyoshi crashed out of the Race 1 melee and dropped to third with 68 points.

AP Honda Racing Thailand duo Muklada Sarapuech and Piyawat Patoomyos dominated the AP250 proceedings during the free practice sessions as Round 3 of the 2019 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship got underway at the Chang International Circuit. Muklada stopped the clock at 1’53.138s to top the timesheets followed by Piyawat second with 1’53.666s. Muklada’s time, however, is still about a second off the 2018 lap record set by Kritchaporn Kaewsonthi (1’52.339s). Despite riding with a 500 rpm cut, Andy Muhammad Fadly proved to be still competitive, coming in third on the combined timesheets with 1’53.724s. AP Honda Racing Thailand’s third rider Tatchakorn Buasri clocked the fourth quickest time followed by the fastest Yamaha on the grid, Faerozi Toreqottullah who posted fifth fastest with 1’53.850s. Championship leader Aiki Iyoshi, also riding with a 500 rpm cut, paced home at sixth fastest followed by the Astra Honda Racing Team trio Irfan Ardiansyah, Lucky Hendriansya and Awhin Sanjaya.

A new regulation was introduced in the Asia Production 250cc class in 2019. The Balancing Various Motorcycle Concepts rule was created to equality among the competing motorcycles and balance the performances by adjusting the RPM limit. The equaliser rule will apply to the top five riders in the overall championship standings. The first equaliser, a 500rpm reduction to the rev limit, will be applied once any of the top four riders acquire a 25-point lead over the other competitors in the top five. The adjusted RPM limit will stay throughout the season or further adjusted if they are affected by the second or third equaliser. The second equaliser will come into play once a 50-points lead is acquired by the 1st to 4th rider over the other competitors in the top-5. Should a 75-point lead be achieved, a third equaliser will be applied. After two rounds, team Manual Tech KYT Kawasaki Racing’s Andy Muhammad Fadly and Aiki Iyoshi will be the first to achieve First Equaliser status. Fadly’s reduction was executed after Race 1 in Australia while Aiki’s will take effect from Round 3 onwards. The rev limit for each of the manufacturers/bike models are as follows:   Make/Model                           Max RPM Yamaha RS25                           14900 Kawasaki ZXR250                   14750 Honda CBR250RR                    14600

ARRC newcomer Aiki Iyoshi has gotten himself into the lead of the Asia Production 250cc with a convincing Race 2 win at The Bend Motorsport Park. All eyes were on the AP250 class, especially Andy Muhammad Fadly, who will be racing with a 500rpm cut after Race 1. However, the Indonesian rider highsided at the apex of Turn 1 on the opening lap and was unable to complete the second race. Unfazed by the absence of his team mate, Aiki successfully challenged early race leader Muklada Sarapuech and got himself into the lead on Lap 5. Aiki maintained his position to the end of the race with 19’19.635s. Muklada, who was having a tough time controlling a machine with heavy chattering problem in Race 2, gamely tried to narrow the gap against Aiki but was forced to settle for second place with 19’20.826s, 1.191s behind her Kawasaki rival. Muklada’s team mate, Tatchakorn Buasri, presented a double podium to the AP Honda Racing Thailand team in third with 19’21.930s. Aiki is the new AP250 leader with 68 points while Andy Muhammad Fadly dropped to second overall. Muklada is third with 61 points followed by Lucky Hendriansya fourth with 44 points and Awhin Sanjaya fifth with 38 points. The 30-point gap between Aiki and Awhin means that Aiki will be the next rider to carry the 500-rpm cut in the AP250 class. This will certainly change the game in the following round in Muklada’s home track, the Chang International Circuit.