Asia Production 250

In the Asia Production 250cc category, Yamaha Thailand Racing’s Anupab Sarmoon continued in the on-going trend of first-time winners during Race 1 for the final leg of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. Often overshadowed by his more flamboyant team mate Apiwat Wongthananon, Anupab Sarmoon finally came into his own when he deftly sidestepped a big collision among the front runners to emerge winner of Race 1 with 19’38.679s. Anupab paced consistently within the front group in the Asia Production 250cc Race 1, even as Takehiro Yamamoto, Apiwat Wongthananon, and Malaysia’s Kasma Daniel Kasmayuddin stole the limelight with their lead-swapping from one corner to another. The aggressive riding in the front group eventually saw a big crash two corners to the chequered flag involving Kasma, Yamamoto and Apiwat. Anupab brought the rest of the group to the finish line, trailed by team mate Peerapong Loiboonpeng and Yusuke Nakamura who finished second and third with race times of 19’38.897s and 19’39.440s respectively. “I think that I was really lucky to avoid the crash. I was at the right place, at the right time, to take full advantage of the situation,” said Anupab. The Thai rider’s first win of the season has propelled him to second overall in the riders’ standings with 153 points. 2015 champion Yamamoto dropped to third overall with 151 points.

There were no surprises in store for the Asia Production 250cc riders. Apiwat Wongthananon, clearly in a league of his own, qualified uncontested at the top of the timing sheets. The Yamaha Thailand Racing star rider went progressively faster throughout the qualifying session, ending the 30-minute session with 01’55.203s as the pole sitter for the final races of the 2016 season. A last-minute dash to the chequered flag saw Takehiro Yamamoto pip Indonesia’s Galang Hendra Pratama to the finish line. Yamamoto will start the race from second on the grid with 01’55.427s, relegating Galang to third spot with 01’55.809s. “The grid was too crowded, that is why I couldn’t beat the time I set during the free practice. I had barely enough room to enter the corners. Everyone was crowding me,” said Apiwat. The Thai rider further explained that he is still working so hard because he wants to dedicate the double victory to Thailand’s new King On second row, Vorapong Malahuan will be facing competition from two strong Japanese riders. Ayumu Tanaka who was fifth fastest of the day would be eager to help his team mate retain his second overall position. Akeno Speed’s Soichiro Minamimoto, clocked sixth fastest with 01’56.008s.

2016 Asia Production 250cc Champion notwithstanding, Yamaha Thailand Racing’s Apiwat Wongthananon has entered the final leg of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship with guns blazing. Not one for resting on his laurels, Apiwat looks set to extend his winning margin when he posted the fastest lap time during the first day of free practice. At 01’53.920s, Apiwat’s best lap has placed him a hefty 1.674 seconds faster than the rest of the grid. Indonesia’s Galang Hendra Pratama, who finished the day as the second fastest rider of the intermediate class, posted only 01’55.594s. 2015 champion Takehiro Yamamoto crossed the finish line as the third fastest rider with 01’55.968s. However, the 22-year-old Apiwat has admitted that he is still in search of more speed. “We decided to use a new engine for the second practice. Getting the set up right was a bit of a challenge but it looks like we may have found the right combination for the track condition at this time of the year. I am very satisfied with our progress today and I’m looking forward to squeezing out an even faster time during the qualifying session,” said Apiwat. Behind the top three riders, AP Honda’s Sitthisak Onchawiang posted fourth fastest with 01’55.976s while Yamamoto’s team mate, Ayumu Tanaka, rounded up the top five with 01’56.059s.

The Buddh debut of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship attracted a positive response from Indian motorsports fans who were delighted when Apiwat Wongthananon was crowned Asia Production 250cc champion before their eyes. In Race 2 of Round 5 at the Buddh International Circuit, the Asia Production 250cc riders thrilled the crowd with a 9-lap battle that saw as many as 11 riders fighting for the win. The lead at the sharp end of the grid changed hands with every successive lap. Apart from Indonesia’s Galang Hendra Pratama, none of the riders were able to defend the sharp end of the pack for more than one lap. Galang held the reins on Lap 7 and Lap 8 but was quickly engulfed by the horde during the final mad sprint to the finish. Apiwat Wongthananon, needing only six points to secure the championship, broke clear of the group at the at the exit of the final corner. An overjoyed Apiwat added his eighth victory of the season to his name, effectively ending the Asia Production 250cc title hunt when he brought his points haul to a grand total of 221 points. “I’ve been waiting for this day for a very long time. Today is so important for me and my team because we achieved what we set out to do at the start of the season. This is a great achievement for us,” said Apiwat. Defending champion Takehiro Yamamoto was disappointed when mechanical gremlins forced him back into the pit on Lap 5. The 2015 Asia Production 250cc champion is now second overall with 151 points. Unfortunately for Yamamoto, his battles are not over yet. At the coming round in Buriram, Yamamoto will have to defend his second overall position especially from Thai riders Anupab Sarmoon and Peerapong Loiboonpeng who will naturally have a huge advantage on home ground.

Yamaha Thailand Racing’s Apiwat Wongthananon is only six points shy of taking the Asia Production 250cc title. At the Buddh International Circuit for Round 5 of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship, Apiwat was very much in a league of his own. Race 1 started with Apiwat diving into Turn 1 but was unable to make a quick getaway as the rest of the group quickly caught up. Four laps into the 9-lap race, there were still 10 riders fighting for elbow space in the front group. While the lead changed hands numerous times, Apiwat stayed hunkered down in the middle of the pack. The action was hot and furious for the remainder of the race as first Takehiro Yamamoto, Anupab Sarmoon, and Ayumu Tanaka all made a bid for the win. But it was Apiwat who took a last minute win when he broke out of Tanaka’s slipstream at the last corner and dashed to his seventh victory out of nine races with a time of 20’35.958s. Apiwat’s team mate Anupab Sarmoon finished second with 20’36.163s and Takehiro Yamamoto third with 20’37.473s. Apiwat now holds 196 points while defending champion Yamamoto is second with 151 points. A top ten finish in Race 2 will see the title falling into Apiwat’s hands.

Fresh from a week-long training stint at the Yamaha-VR46 MasterCamp in Italy, Thai rider Apiwat Wongthananon continues his winning ways. The Thai Yamaha rider posted the fastest time of the day with 2’15.251s in the third free practice session of the Asia Production 250cc class, making a quick comeback after trailing Somkiat Chantra and Ayumu Tanaka in the first two sessions. Apiwat, who is leading the AP250 class by 36 points, stands a mathematical chance of securing the title with a round to spare. However, the 22-year-old Thai rider is still wary of the competition. “The track is in great condition but the long straight here means plenty of opportunities to slipstream. I expect the race to be tricky with a big group fighting for position,” said Apiwat. Behind Apiwat, AP Honda’s Somkiat Chantra posted second fastest with 2’15.555s. Apiwat’s team mate provisionally joins him on the front row with the third fastest time of the day, 2’16.485s. Defending champion Takehiro Yamamoto astride the Trickstar Kawasaki was only fourth fastest with 2’16.653s while Imanuel Putra Pratna was the best performing Indonesian with 2’16.673s.

If he wasn’t already a force to be reckoned with, expect Thai ace Apiwat Wongthananon to be even more formidable in the Indian round of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. Apiwat’s noteworthy performance in the Asia Production 250cc class this season has prompted Yamaha to send him for the second edition of the Yamaha-VR46 Master Camp. 22 year old Apiwat missed out on the first training camp due to the imposed age limit for the participants of the camp. However, the Yamaha motorsports management team had obviously taken note of Apiwat’s results this season. To his delight, Apiwat joined Peerapong Loiboonpeng, Galang Hendra Pratama, Imanuel Putra Pratna, Soichiro Minamimoto and Kasma Daniel Kasmayuddin for the second Yamaha-VR46 Master Camp held in Tavullia, Italy from September 15 to 19, 2016. “For me, it was the first time to come here and experience the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp. I felt I was increasing my level and doing better day by day. I will go back to Thailand to develop myself there and benefit from everything I learned. I want to thank Yamaha and VR46 for this incredible opportunity of coming here. Today I felt that I was able to take the next step and I want to thank everyone who helped me do so.

Overview: Thai ace Apiwat Wongthananon was made to work hard for his victory in Round 2 of the Asia Production 250cc. However, the Yamaha Racing Thailand rider was made to work hard for his sixth win of the season, having to overcome strong opposition from his Japanese and Indonesian rivals. The drama in the Asia Production 250cc Race 2 began even before the race start when Galang Hendra Pratama was seen to pit-in at the end of the sighting lap. Luckily for the Yamaha Racing Indonesia rider, he was able to re-enter the track before the pit lane was closed, and managed to return to his spot in the middle of the front row. Race Start: Galang got off to a great start when he led the group into Turn 1 but Apiwat managed to muscle past. Lap 1: Galang, Apiwat and Vorapong Malahuan were the early leaders in the race. Gupita Kresna Wardhana of Manual Tech KYT Kawasaki Racing suffered an engine failure and was forced to return to the pit. Ayumu Tanaka lost control and slipped out of the race. The TRICKSTAR Racing rider was able to get back on board, but was left far behind by the group. Lap 2 and Lap 3: Galang retains his lead position across the finish line. After all, this was the circuit where Galang learnt to race. Imanuel Putra Pratna, Apiwat Wongthananon, Takehiro Yamamoto and Anupab Sarmoon made up the rest of the leading group were in hot pursuit. Yamamoto managed to squeeze his way into the lead, taking Anupab with him. Galang lost his position even as the action hots up when Imanuel sprinted past Anupab while Apiwat also injects himself into the mayhem. Lap 4: Yamamoto gained a small advantage as he led the group at the end of Lap 4. But Apiwat soon begins to apply pressure on his Japanese rival, eventually taking over the lead for a few corners. Lap 5: After a strong start, Galang had disappeared from the radar but another Indonesian rider, Imanuel Putra Pratna, stepped up to the plate. Imanuel led Apiwat, Yamamoto, Vorapong and Yusuke Nakamura across the finish line. At Turn 1, Nakamura edged into second place but was unable to retaliate when Apiwat took back the position and made it stick. Lap 6: Still trying hard, Nakamura broke out of the slip stream and dived for the lead at Turn 1, carrying Yamamoto in his slipstream. At Turn 2, Yamamoto who was racing in a very pro-active manner, pushed past Nakamura. By now, the riders at the front end of the battle had undergone a complete change. Galang Hendra Pratana showed up at the front for a few brief moments but it is now the Japanese riders who are dominant on the Sentul track. Lap 7: With a mere 0.355s lead, Yamamoto was having a hard time keeping his Yamaha rivals at bay. Lap 7 saw Imanuel and Apiwat taking over the front end. Lap 8: The battle for P1 was fought out among 12 riders. Yamamoto responded to the Yamaha charge but had a hard time running away from Apiwat and Imanuel. Lap 9 to 11: The race finally settled into a familiar formation with Yamamoto and Apiwat once again duking it out for the win while Imanuel Putra Pratna and Yusuke Nakamura hovered in the background hoping to take advantage of any opening in either lead rider’s racing line. At the last lap, Apiwat braked hard into the chicane, arguably the hardest part of the course. Yamamoto had no response for that daring move. Lap 12: After shaking Yamamoto loose, Apiwat sprinted to the finish line in first place with 21’51.097s, only 0.098s ahead of second-placed Yamamoto. In third place, Nakamura outwitted Imanuel Putra Pratna for the final spot on the podium. Championship Standings: Apiwat is now a full 36 points ahead in the Asia Production 250cc standings. The Yamaha Thailand Racing rider holds 171 points to Yamamoto’s 135 points. Peerapong Loiboonpeng is third overall with 104 points. Riders Quote: Apiwat Wongthananon, Yamaha Thailand Racing, Winner: I am very happy I was able to make a comeback after yesterday’s engine failure. Everything went perfectly to script today and I want to thank everyone for their support. Takehiro Yamamoto, TRICKSTAR Racing, 2nd place: All throughout the race, Apiwat was braking very hard. He was also shadowing me everywhere. I tried to out-brake him, but at the final lap, I didn’t have enough time to respond. Yusuke Nakamura, Akeno Speed WJR Racing, 3rd place: My first podium of the season! This had been a tough but satisfactory race for me.

TRICKSTAR Racing’s Takehiro Yamamoto got in touch with his aggressive side and pulled off a stunning win during Race 1 for the Asia Production 250cc class in Sentul, Indonesia. Starting the race from pole position, Yamamoto was unable to retain his lead against strong competition from Vorapong Malahuan, Imanuel Putra and Galang Hendra Pratama. The Japanese rider hunkered down into the leading group as one by one, riders dropped out in the heat of the race. Five laps in, Galang Hendra Pratama who stunned the grid with his blazing fast pace during the first day of practice retired on Lap 5 due to engine failure. Championship leader Apiwat Wongthananon who was challenging for the lead in the early stages of the race lost pace during the last few laps. With 5 laps remaining on the pit wall, Yamamoto emerged from the group to mount a campaign for the win. The position-swapping among the 6-rider lead group continued right up to the final lap. With one last burst of speed, Yamamoto managed to break out of the slipstream and sprinted to the finish line to steal his second win of the season with a time of 21’21.719s. In his wake, Thai team mates Vorapong Malahuan and Somkiat Chantra from AP Honda Racing Thailand finished second and third respectively. Apiwat Wongthananon is still in the lead with 146 points when he finished sixth in the race. Yamamoto also stays in second overall with 115 points followed by Peerapong Loiboonpeng third overall with 93 points.