Asia Production 250

Astra Honda Racing Team duo Rheza Danica Ahrens and Mario Suryo Aji were in dominating form as Round 2 of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship got underway at The Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia.   The two Indonesian riders were quickest to adapt to the demands of the new 4.9km circuit. Rheza, the more seasoned of the two, set the pace in the Asia Production 250cc class with a swift 2’08.675s. The team’s rookie rider Mario Suryo Aji continued to impress with 2’08.724s.   Meanwhile, Thai rider Muklada Sarapuech is clearly on fire after her first win in Round 1. The AP Honda Racing Thailand rider clocked third fastest, 2’08.846s, after the first day of practice.   Yamaha Thailand Racing Team’s Anupab Sarmoon posted the fourth fastest time, 2’09.014s followed by Kawasaki rider Andy Muhammad Fadly in fifth with 2’09.535s.

Thailand’s Anupab Sarmoon is under intense pressure this season, fighting to keep his title lead in the Asia Production 250cc.   As one of the most experienced rider in the sophomore class of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship, the 25-year-old Yamaha Thailand Racing Team rider is expected to be a shoo-in for the 250cc title in 2018. However, the results from the season opener at the Chang International Circuit has indicated that Anupab will need to be on his toes all season long to avoid being swamped by the rising tide of young talents eager to make their mark in the 250cc class.   With only a 5-point lead under his belt, Anupab’s main competition is expected to come from Muklada Sarapuech, Rafid Topan Sucipto, Peerapong Boonlert, Mario Suryo Aji and Kanatat Jaiman.   Over the past four seasons, the 2017 Suzuka 4 Hours Champion has watched many of his peers depart for the talent developmental circuits in Europe. 2016 winner Apiwat Wongthananon and 2017 champion Gerry Salim are both racing in the CEV this year. Indonesia’s Galang Hendra Pratama has also been moved to the World Supersport 300cc.   The Australian Round 2 will be Anupab’s best chance to extend his title lead. By the time the Asian series moves to Suzuka for its mid-season round, 2015 champion Takehiro Yamamoto will be crafting a comeback with the Trickstar team.

He was once the toast of the Asian paddock, especially in 2011 when he won the Underbone title. Since then, Rafid Topan Sucipto’s racing career has had more than its fair share of ups and downs.   After his Underbone title-winning performance, Rafid was given the opportunity to jump straight into the Moto2 class in 2012 and 2013. With little time to prepare himself, Rafid found it hard to make an impact. He disappeared off the radar in 2014 and 2015 but re-emerged in 2016 when he raced in the CEV.   2018 brought Rafid back to the ARRC where he is making a comeback in the Asia Production 250cc class with team Yamaha Yamalube KYT TJM WR Super Battery.   Unlike his previous international moves, this homecoming had been relatively low-key. His on-track performance, however, spoke volumes at the opening round in Thailand. While the flamboyant Thai riders stole the limelight, Rafid put up a stunning ride by finishing 5thin Race 1 and a podium 2ndin Race 2.   Following that creditable performance from Round 1, Rafid may not stay as the underdog for much longer. He shares the 2ndoverall rung with Muklada Sarapuech with 31 points apiece, only 5 points adrift of championship leader Anupab Sarmoon. After six turbulent years on the world stage, perhaps this could finally be the turning point for Rafid Topan’s career.

Every year, a trickling of Chinese-Taipei riders find their way to the Asian series. For most, it would be journey of many ‘firsts’ – their first time racing in a foreign environment, their first experience on an FIM-graded track, their first taste of competition at the regional level.   In 2018, 35-year-old Chiou Ke Lung was the latest arrival, eager to test his skills against his peers. Having gained previous experience in the Okayama Endurance and the Suzuka 4 Hour Endurance, Chiou looked to be the best-prepared Chinese-Taipei entry in recent years.   His chosen field was the Asia Production 250cc category, one of the hardest race categories to debut in. The largest grid of the Asia Road Racing Championship, the AP250 class is always a dogfight from start to finish.   Newcomers are often drowned out as they struggle to keep pace with their more flamboyant peers. But Chiou, looked to have gotten off on a solid footing.   Within the space of a week, and with the help of more track time thanks to the pre-season tests, Chiou managed to dock almost three seconds from his laptimes. At the end of the season opener at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand, Chiou was about 4.1 seconds off the pace-leader.   The following table illustrates Chiou’s progress in Round 1:   Session Best Laptime Diff Pre-Season Practice 1 2’00.792 +5.520 Pre-Season Practice 2 1’59.932 +6.752 Pre-Season Practice 3 1’57.410 +4.137 Pre-Season Practice 4 1’58.766 +5.644 Pre-Season Practice 5 1’57.924 +4.986 Pre-Season Practice 6 1’57.811 +4.650 Round 1 Free Practice 1 1’58.303 +4.743 Round 1 Free Practice 2 1’58.477 +5.371 Round 1 Qualifying 1’57.198 +4.134   Chiou’s next challenge would be to cut his laptimes by two more seconds for a chance to finish within the points.   The venue for Round 2, The Bend Motorsports Park in South Australia, will be a good environment for the newcomers. A new addition to the Asian race calendar, The Bend offers a completely level playing field, negating any advantage the other competitors might have in terms of data or experience.   For riders from countries without a strong motorsports culture, progress can sometimes feel frustratingly slow. It would take a rider of strong mental capacity to withstand the inevitable national pressure to win while honing his race craft step by step.   加油Chiou Ke-Lung!

AP Honda Racing Thailand’s Muklada Sarapuech continues to make waves. The 2015 Asia Dream Cup Champion made history again in Round 1 of the 2018 Idemitsu FIM Asia Road Racing Championship at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand when she became the first female rider to win the Asia Production 250cc class. Muklada, who received two sanctions after Race 1, put in a clean and faultless performance in Race 2 as she weaved, dodged, feinted and parried against the rest of the boys. The AP Honda Thailand rider led the group across the start/finish line from Lap 2 to Lap 6. The pressure sent her off the track limits on Lap 7. But this time, Muklada was careful to rejoin without gaining any advantage. That single mistake had sent Muklada from third to eleventh. With only two laps to go, Muklada overtook three riders to reach P7 on the penultimate lap, and another five riders to take the win with 19’11.671s. Rafid Topan Sucipto crafted a great comeback by finishing second followed by Kanatat Jaiman in third. Peerapong Boonlert, the fastest rider in Race 2, ended the race in fourth. Race 1 winner Anupab Sarmoon crossed the finish line in fifth. As the season opener drew to a close, Anupab Sarmoon holds the championship lead with 36 points. Muklada is tied in second with Rafid Topan – each with 31 points apiece.   Asia Production 250cc Fastest Lap Summary FP Mario Suryo Aji 1’53.106 QP Anupab Sarmoon 1’53.064 R1 Mario Suryo Aji 1’53.603 R2 Peerapong Boonlert 1’53.356

Yamaha Thailand Racing Team’s Anupab Sarmoon, a fourth-season contender in the Asia Production 250cc class, drew on every ounce of his experience to come up tops in the first race of the season. The Asia Production 250cc class had always been notorious for its no-holds-barred dogfight at the sharp end of the grid. With 13 riders battling for P1 in a 10-lap melee to the finish line, the polesitter found himself fending off attacks at every corner from the likes of Muklada Sarapuech, newcomer Kritchaporn Kaewsonthi, Indonesia’s Rheza Danica Ahrens, and Andy Muhammad Fadly. With no particular rider dominating the 10-lap race, the notorious last corner at the Chang International Circuit became the deciding factor of the race. Anupab nimbly avoided a particularly aggressive move from Muklada Sarapuech who had earlier succeeded in forcing Mario Suryo Aji off the racing line. The Yamaha rider then neatly held his lines to the finish line to pick up his first win of the season with 19’14.601s. Muklada was second across the chequered flag followed by MarioSuryo Aji. However, Muklada’s actions from Turn 9 to Turn 10 had prompted an immediate investigation into the results. Consequently, race officials penalized the AP Honda Thailand rider and she dropped five positions to P7. Muklada was further fined with a 3-point championship points deduction for unsporting behaviour. Mario was promoted to P2, followed by his team mate Rheza Danica Ahrens in third.

Just one day into the 2018 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship, and Asia Production 250cc debutant Mario Suryo Aji has earned a new nickname from Asian racing fans – Super Mario. Officially the youngest rider to ever race in the Asia Production 250cc class, the Astra Honda Racing Team rookie pulled off a double-stunner during the free practice sessions. Not only did he post the fastest time in the intermediary class – 1’53.106s – but he also created a new circuit record in the process. This was the first time a debutant had entered the competitive race category and created such big waves. Anupab Sarmoon, heavily tipped as the hot favourite for the title this season, was second quickest with 1’53.250s. Former Moto2 rider Rafid Topan Sucipto was third fastest with 1’53.389s. Mario’s performance has again put much pressure on his senior team mate Rheza Danica Ahrens, viewed by many as the successor to Gerry Salim’s title. Rheza was fourth fastest at the end of the free practice sessions with 1’53.466s followed by Muklada Sarapuech fifth fastest. In fact, all the ten fastest riders in the class were only separated by a single second. Kanata Jaiman, Peerapong Boonlert, Kritchaporn Kaewsonthi, Andy Muhammad Fadly and AwhinSanjaya piled into the second half of the top ten.

With the top honours in the Asia Production 250cc category taken up by Astra Honda Racing Team’s Gerry Salim, former title contenders Anupab Sarmoon (Yamaha Thailand Racing) and Tomoyoshi Koyama (RAMA Honda) were left squabbling for second overall position.   Race 2 of the Asia Production 250cc category flagged off without Race 1 winner Rheza Danica Ahrens. The Astra Honda Racing Team rider, team mate to Gerry Salim, crashed during the Sunday morning warmup. The resulting broken collarbone kept him off the racing track.   Without the pressure of the title chase on his shoulders, Gerry Salim looked supremely relaxed for the last race of the season. Meanwhile, Anupab and Koyama braced for a titanic battle in the race to finish second overall.   Anupab leapt into the holeshot but was unable to keep his advantage for more than a corner. Despite starting the race from second row, Koyama was able to challenge Anupab for the lead by the middle of the first lap. The two familiar rivals locked horns for the full 10 laps, racing side-by-side to the finish line. Koyama stormed into the win in first place with 19’09.799s, a mere 0.040 seconds ahead of Anupab.   Behind the two riders, AP Honda Racing Team’s Muklada Sarapuech gave her best ARRC performance to date. Muklada held her own in a 7-bike swarm consisting of Gerry Salim, Peerapong Luiboonpeng, Peerapong Boonlert, Vorapong Malahuan, Awhin Sanjaya, and Galang Hendra Pratama. Muklada would have scored her first Asia Production 250cc podium at Race 2 if not for a mistake that ran her wide on the final lap.   Gerry Salim capitalized on Muklada’s mistake and slipped into third place with 19’17.532s. Peerapong Luiboonpeng, Peerapong Boonlert, Vorapong Malahuan and Awhin Sanjaya finished fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh respectively. Muklada dropped to eighth.   Gerry’s third place finish, his eighth podium of the season, solidified his status as 2017 Asia Production 250cc champion with 215 points. Koyama and Anupab tied with 188 points each but the Japanese rider won second overall position after having secured two wins ahead of Anupab’s one.   The Astra Honda Racing Team, 2017 Asia Production 250cc Team Champions, brought their points haul to a total of 257 points at the final count. Teams Rama Honda and Yamaha Thailand Racing were also tied with 188 points but the advantage went to the Honda outfit with more wins.