Asia Superbike 1000

Honda Asia-Dream Racing with SHOWA rider, Gerry Salim is thrilled to ride at the Sepang International Circuit for Round 2 of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. The dexterous ASB1000 rider has gathered experience from numerous international platforms however riding at the ARRC proved to be an entirely different ballgame for Gerry. It was not his best moment at Round 1 as he struggled with his pace. Gerry scored the 8th and 9th spot for Race 1 and 2 respectively. Commenting on the race in Round 1, Gerry said, “It was not a satisfactory race for me as I encountered issues with the setup of the Honda CBR1000RR R, one of which would have been manageable with more lap time.” “My challenge for Round 2 would be closing the gaps between the riders leading the pack. I intend to pick up some pointers from my teammate Zaqhwan who is more familiar and experienced with the circuit. I look forward to improving my performance at Round 2.” As for the team manager, Mr Makoto Tamada said, “The team is working on the settings of the bike to ensure that safety is of utmost priority while speed is up to the mark.” “Our strategies are designed to heighten the performances of our riders and to achieve the best outcome. We will devise our strategies further once we have received the relevant data.” Connect with Us! Latest news at asiaroadracing.com

Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman of ONEXOX BMW TKKR Team stays positive for Round 2 of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship in Sepang this weekend. Undoubtedly, the season opener foresaw a challenging feat with world class riders pacing to beat the clock. Azlan however was seen consumed by the tensity that the game brought along after a two-year long hiatus as he toiled to set his pace. Azlan succumbed to Race 1 after three laps but made a quick recovery in Race 2, landing himself at the tenth spot despite the mechanical issues that he faced. According to Azlan, “We struggled quite a bit in Round 1 due to the machine’s electronic systems. We certainly did not have a solid base to begin with for our race setup hence the failure to achieve a strong finish.” Azlan has been on the crest of a wave and not being able to immerse himself completely in Round 1 would be the push that he needs to perform better in Round 2. Azlan is no stranger to the Sepang Circuit. In 2019, he bagged the top spot at the podium for races at the circuit and anticipates a better outcome. “For Round 2, we are more confident with the machine as we have gained pertinent data from the race in MSBK in year 2021. The data would go a long way in our progress for Round 2 and I am most certainly eyeing a spot at the podium in Sepang. I think we will nail it!” Connect with Us! Latest news at asiaroadracing.com

The season opener of FIM Asia Road Racing Championship came to a victorious end for the Thais when Apiwath Wongthananon of YAMAHA Thailand Racing Team emerged fastest in the ASB1000 category. The mind-blowing session witnessed the performance of highly competitive riders who ramped up their efforts in the last race of the season to grab the winning title. Apiwath who took the second row on the grid picked up speed in the first three laps while competing with Haruki and Zaqhwan before taking the lead in lap four. The race saw a robust stride between the trio as they took turns to be at the top three position. In lap seven, Apiwath fell behind landing him in fifth position but quickly regained his pace to catch up with his top contenders. While Zaqhwan took the lead and Haruki followed close behind, Anupab glided into the top three position and Apiwat continued to strengthen his pace. By the twelfth lap, Apiwath managed to circle in to the top three position. The final lap saw a hard fight between the three big names and at the final turn, it was a neck-to-neck between Apiwath and Zaqhwan.  Towards the last seconds of the race, the vigorous Yamaha YZF-R1M rider beat Zaqhwan to the draw, clocking in at 21:02:530s. “I made a slip in the mid of the laps however I was quick to pick it up and re-strategise. I am very pleased to have won the race because this was an extremely tough race.” Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi of Honda Asia-Dream Racing with Showa fell to the second spot at the podium, logging in at 21:02:704s. Anupab Sarmoon who was trailing close behind the trio finished third at 21:04:032 presenting a double win for the YAMAHA Thailand Racing Team. Top 5 Riders of ASB1000, Race 2: Apiwath Wongthananon (THA), YAMAHA Thailand Racing Team, 21:02:530s Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi (MAS), Honda Asia-Dream Racing with SHOWA, 21:02:704s Anupab Sarmoon (THA), YAMAHA Thailand Racing Team, 21:04:032s Haruki Noguchi (JPN), SDG Motor Sports HARC-PRO Ph, 21:03: 891s Passawit Thitivararak (THA), Astemo SI Racing with Thai Honda, 21:07:417s Connect with Us! Latest news at asiaroadracing.com

It was a well-planned move by Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi of Honda Asia-Dream Racing with SHOWA when his blistering pace earned him the winner title for the ASB1000 category in the season opener at Chang International Circuit. The much-anticipated race kept everyone at the edge of their seats as Zaqhwan who rode on the Honda CBR1000 RR R showcased his flawless tactics, riding swiftly along the first seven laps before making a calculated move to the top two position.  Towards the end of the race, the heat was on between Zaqhwan and Haruki Noguchi, the poleman who maintained his position at top speed through 11 laps. It was a switch of back and forth between the two before Zaqhwan pulled off his manoeuvring skills at the last turn before speeding off to the winning mark at 21:04:947s. “It was a challenging ride today especially with the high temperature on the circuit. I took a step-by-step approach in taking control of my machine and managing my pace.” “It is an exciting moment to have made a mark at the podium today and I hope that tomorrow’s race would be a better one.” Haruki of SDG Motor Sports HARC-PRO Ph who lost his balance at the last turn made way for Anupab Sarmoon of YAMAHA Thailand Racing Team who logged in at 21:05:471s Haruki made it to the podium at 21:05.480s. Top Riders of Asia Superbike 1000cc: Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi (MAS), Honda Asia-Dream Racing with SHOWA, 21:04.947s Anupab Sarmoon (THA), YAMAHA Thailand Racing Team, 21:05.471s Haruki Noguchi (JPN), SDG Motor Sports HARC-PRO Ph, 21:05.480s Apiwath Wongthananon (THA), YAMAHA Thailand Racing Team, 21:07.258s Passawit Thitivararak (THA), Astemo SI Racing with Thai Honda, 21:07:520s Connect with Us! Latest news at asiaroadracing.com

Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi of Honda Asia-Dream Racing with SHOWA took the fastest position in the final practice of the day when he logged in at 1:35:894s. The Malaysian rider who has been checking in third in both practice 1 and 2 found his pace in the final session, beating his competitors to the draw before retiring for the day. “I feel good with the bike – a positive feeling indeed. The timing seems to have improved even without the use of the qualifying tires. I am confident that with the use of the qualifying tires, it would be better.” “We hope to make it at the pole position tomorrow and keeping our fingers crossed to achieve the best in the Race. Thank you to all for the support extended to us.” Taking the second and third fastest spots are the dynamic duo of YAMAHA Thailand Racing Team, Apiwath Wongthananon and Anupab Sarmoon who clocked in at 1:36:316 and 1:36:377 respectively.  The first time Ducati rider, Thitipong Warokorn of Access Racing Plus came in fourth with 1:36:426 followed by Haruki Noguchi of SDG Motor Sports HARC-PRO Ph at 1:36:719s. Top 5 Fastest in Third Practice: Md Zaqhwan Zaidi (MAS), Honda Asia-Dream Racing with SHOWA, 1:35.894  Apiwath Wongthananon (THA),YAMAHA Thailand Racing Team, 1:36.316  Anupab Sarmoon (THA), YAMAHA Thailand Racing Team, 1:36.377  Thitipong Warokorn (THA), Access Plus Racing, 1:36.426  Haruki Noguchi (JPN), SDG Motor Sports HARC-PRO Ph., 1:36.719 Connect with Us! Latest news at asiaroadracing.com

YAMAHA YZF-R1M rider, Apiwath Wongthananon of YAMAHA Thailand Racing Team emerged the fastest in ASB1000 at the Pre-Season Test of FIM Asia Road Racing Championship in Chang International Circuit when he logged in at 1:36:241s. Apiwath who were challenged consistently by duo, Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi of Honda Asia-Dream Racing with Showa and Anupab Sarmoon of YAMAHA Thailand Racing Team throughout the practices managed to beat the pace when he scraped through the fastest. Clocking in very closely as the second fastest was Zaqhwan who made it at 1:36:478 followed by Anupab Sarmoon of YAMAHA Thailand Racing Team at 1:37:052 at the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship held in Chang International Circuit. Connect with Us! Latest news at asiaroadracing.com

ASB1000 defending champion, Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman, literally waited two whole years to kick off his title-defence campaign. Now, with the season opener of the 2022 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship set to flag off at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand at the end of the month, Azlan can finally don his racing colours and get back on the track again. “You could say that I unofficially became a 3-time ASB1000 champion. In 2019, 2020 and 2021!” Azlan joked. But jokes aside, Azlan recalled the uncertainties and worry of those trying years when the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship was shackled due to the global Covid-19 pandemic. “Of course, it was worrying. I wasn’t getting any younger,” said the 38-year-old Malaysian who races for the ONEXOX BMW TKKR Team. “I wondered if my career would end just like that. But I was heartened when I saw the motorsports industry in Asia working hard to get back in action. So I kept hope.” However, Azlan had not been idle. “I had a stint as a professional commentator. Who knew that I turned out to be quite good at it. But my first love was always motorsports. Unable to race for myself, I turned my attention to establishing the AS25 Racing Academy in the hopes of helping more young riders thrive in the sport. I’m proud to say that our team, the AS25 Racing Academy Team, had just made their debut at Round 1 of the 2022 PETRONAS Malaysian Cub Prix Championship a few weeks ago.” “On a personal note, I’m looking forward to getting the adrenaline going again. Can’t wait to get back in action. See you in Buriram!” Connect with Us! Latest news at asiaroadracing.com