Asia Superbike 1000

EPIC FIRST WIN FOR SOICHIRO!

Race 2 of Round 4 IDEMITSU FIM Asia Road Racing Championship in the Asia Superbike 1000cc category witnessed high-speed drama. Soichiro Minamimoto of YAMAHA TEKHNE Racing Team ASIA celebrating his first win at PERTAMINA Mandalika International Circuit, Indonesia. As the race started, Yuki Kunii of SDG Team HARC―PRO Honda Ph. immediately took the lead. Behind him, Soichiro and Lachlan Epis of Evolution Sports Group followed closely with attempt to take over the top spot. On lap 3, Soichiro overtook Yuki but Yuki was quick to reclaim the top position. However, Soichiro did not stop trying to overtake Yuki again. On lap 6, Soichiro managed to overtake Yuki and picked up his pace to keep the distance with the riders behind him. At P2 was Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah of JDT RACING TEAM and Andi Farid Izdihar of Honda Asia-Dream Racing with Astemo. The position of top three riders remains the same. Soichiro maintained his pace and made it to the top of the podium at 20’55:484s. Soichiro said, “I’m overjoyed! I set a strong lap time during qualifying yesterday, but I made some mistakes that led to damage to the bike. Despite this, our team’s dedication and hard work were exceptional. We faced some issues with the bike, but thanks to our efforts, we managed to resolve them this morning. During the race, I felt great about my performance and truly enjoyed the experience. It’s incredibly rewarding to be on the top of the podium. I’m thrilled and want to extend my heartfelt thanks to my team and all the crew for their hard work and support.” Second place went to Hafizh who concluded the race at 20’57:923s, while Andi clocked 20’58:878s to take third spot on the podium. TOP 5 FASTEST – RACE 2ASB1000

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ANDI EXCEL IN HOME RACE

Race 1 of Round 4 IDEMITSU FIM Asia Road Racing Championship in the Asia Superbike 1000cc category at PERTAMINA Mandalika International Circuit, Indonesia today, Andi Farid Izdihar of Honda Asia-Dream Racing with Astemo emerged victorious, clinching the top spot on the podium. Earlier in the Qualifying session, Soichiro Minamimoto of YAMAHA TEKHNE Racing Team ASIA secured pole position with a blistering lap time of 1’35:426s. At the second grid position was Yuki Kunii of SDG Team HARC-PRO Honda Ph. at 1’35:789s followed by Andi in third grid position at 1’35:933s. Yuki stormed into the lead as soon as the race started. Behind him was Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah of JDT RACING TEAM, and Lachlan Epis of Evolution Sports Group. In lap 4, while Yuki maintained at top spot, Andi made his way from P4 up to P3 and overtook Hafizh at P2. Behind them was Nakarin Atiratphuvapat of Honda Asia-Dream Racing with Astemo and Soichiro at P5. During the race, Andi raced fiercely in attempt to challenge Yuki’s top position. His effort did not go to waste when he overtook Yuki at P1 on lap 10. Behind them was Nakarin and Lachlan at P3 and P4. On lap 11, Lachlan managed to overtake Nakarin at P3, and raced his way to reduce the gap with Yuki at P2. On the final lap, Andi sped after the finishing line at 20’56:409s to take victory in his home circuit. Andi said, “I’m absolutely happy with this result. This victory is dedicated to all the team members who worked tirelessly to ensure everything was perfectly prepared for this race. Competing in my home race added an extra layer of motivation, and while I didn’t set an extraordinary target, my goal was simply to give my best performance. I’m delighted that we achieved that goal. For now, I just want to savor this success and stay focused on delivering another strong performance on tomorrow’s race.” Second place went to Yuki who concluded the race at 20’58:305s, while Lachlan finished clocked 20’58:758s to take third spot on the podium. TOP 5 FASTEST – RACE 1ASB1000

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SOICHIRO FASTEST IN ASB1000

The Asia Superbike 1000cc has begun at the PERTAMINA Mandalika International Circuit, Indoesia in Round 4 of the Idemitsu FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. Round 3 saw Soichiro Minamimoto of YAMAHA TEKHNE Racing Team ASEAN stood out on the circuit consequently taking lead in the overall standings. During Practice 1, Andi Farid Izdihar of Honda Asia-Dream Racing with Astemo emerged fastest, marking at 1’36:546s. Soichiro Minamimoto of YAMAHA TEKHNE Racing Team ASEAN made the second fastest at 1’36:957s. At the third fastest, it was Yuki Kunii of SDG Team HARC-PRO Honda Ph. at 1’37:200s. In Practice 2, Soichiro topped the session by clocking fastest lap time of 1’36:598s. Yuki and Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah of JDT RACING TEAM round up the top three position at the best lap time of 1’36:974s and 1’37:170s respectively. In Practice 3, Soichiro clocked the fastest lap time of 1’36:305s watched him made it top of the pack, Hafizh placed second spot at 1’36:482s and Andi at third with the best lap time of 1’36:519s. The combined practice results, Soichiro emerged as the fastest overall, while Yuki and Hafizh took the second and third spots respectively. Soichiro said, “Today, my overall feeling with the bike was okay, but not good enough. I finished practice session at P1 today and I’m very happy with the results because we had been struggling until the last round. We made some changes to the bike, which showed positive results today. Additionally, our machine is performing well on this Mandalika track, which happens to be my favorite. For tomorrow, I hope I can maintain this momentum and win the race.” Fastest Lap Time:Practice Session (Combined)

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WHAT A COMEBACK, YUKI!

Race 2 of Round 3 IDEMITSU FIM Asia Road Racing Championship in the Asia Superbike 1000cc category showcased high-speed drama. Yuki Kunii of SDG Team HARC―PRO Honda Ph. made an great comeback, clinching the his first win at home ground. As the race started, Sho immediately took the lead. Behind him, Yuki raced fiercely to challenge Sho’s position and overtook the Race 1 winner at P1. Trailed closely behind was Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah of JDT RACING TEAM followed by Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman of TKKR BMW Racing Team and Andi Farid Izdihar of Honda Asia-Dream Racing with Astemo at P5. The riders position maintained before Sho crash on lap 7, watched him out of the race. Hafizh took P2 followed by Azlan and Andi. Yuki at P1 picked up his pace lap by lap, leaving Hafizh at P2 5 seconds behind. On last lap, Yuki maintained his pace and made it to the top of the podium at 24’03:081s. Yuki said, “To be honest, I’m overjoyed. It’s my first win and podium, and it meant the world to me. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my team. Yesterday, when the engine broke, it felt like a setback, but they worked tirelessly to fix the bike, never losing faith in me. It’s their support that got us here today. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to my team, my family, and all the fans who believed in me. Words can’t express my gratitude, but thank you all immensely!” Second place went to Hafizh who concluded the race at 24’08:208s, while Nakarin finished clocked 24’13:578s to take third spot on the podium. TOP 5 FASTEST – RACE 1ASB1000

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SHO EXCELLENT IN JAPAN

Race 1 of Round 3 IDEMITSU FIM Asia Road Racing Championship in the Asia Superbike 1000cc category showcased high-speed drama and exhilarating moments for fans. Sho Nishimura of TKKR BMW Racing Team emerged victorious, clinching the top spot on the podium. Earlier in the Qualifying session, Yuki Kunii of SDG Team HARC-PRO Honda Ph. secured pole position with a blistering lap time of 1’49:444s. At the second grid position was Sho at 1’49:467s followed by Soichiro Minamimoto of YAMAHA TEKHNE Racing Team ASIA at 1’49:916s. Sho Stormed into the lead as soon as the race started. Behind him, Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah of JDT RACING TEAM, Nakarin Atiratphuvapat of Honda Asia-Dream Racing with Astemo and Yuki raced fiercely to challenge Sho’s position at the front. Unfortunately, on lap 3, a crash occurred due to a collision between Yuki and Nakarin. A red flag came up during the race. After a brief interruption, the race resumed with 9 laps. The battle was thrilling as soon as the race started, While Hafizh leading the race, Sho went on to pressure Hafizh and managed to overtake Hafizh on lap 4. Behind them, Azlan followed closely with Nakarin at P4. On lap 6, Nakarin managed to overtake Azlan at P3, while Sho and Hafizh maintained at P1 and P2 respectively. The intensity inscreased as the gap between top 3 riders became tight. On the final lap, Hafizh overtook Sho but the latter made his way to reclaim the position and sped after the finishing line at 16’44:222s to take victory. Sho stated, “This race was incredibly challenging, particularly due to the hazardous conditions on the second lap of Race 1, where I had to navigate through oil spills. Despite the initial setback and the subsequent red flag, I managed to regain my focus and executed a very good start. I am very happy to clinched the victory. For tomorrow, I’m determined to maintain my focus and strive for another victory in Race 2.” Second place went to Nakarin who concluded the race at 16’44:314s, while Hafizh finished clocked 16’44:803s to take third spot on the podium. TOP 5 FASTEST – RACE 1ASB1000

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YUKI FASTEST IN ASB1000

The Asia Superbike 1000cc has begun at the Mobility Resort Motegi, Japan as riders gear up for Round 3 of the Idemitsu FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. Round 3 saw Yuki Kunii of SDG Team HARC-PRO Honda Ph. stood out on the circuit consequently taking lead in the overall standings. During Practice 1, Yuki emerged fastest, marking at 1’50:814s. Andi Farid Izdihar of Honda Asia-Dream Racing with Astemo made the second fastest at 1’51:832s. At the third fastest, it was Sho Nishimura of TKKR BMW Racing Team at 1’51:980s. In Practice 2, Yuki asserted his dominance by clocking fastest lap time of 1’50:143s, securing the top spot once again. Sho Nishimura of TKKR BMW Racing Team and Andi Farid Izdihar of Honda Asia-Dream Racing with Astemo round up the top three position at the best lap time of 1’51:002s and 1’51:437s respectively. In Practice 3, Sho clocked the fastest lap time of 1’50:597s watched him made it top of the pack, putting Round 2 winner, Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah of JDT RACING TEAM at second spot at 1’50:72s and Yuki at third with the best time of 1’50:880s. The combined practice results, Yuki emerged as the fastest overall, while Sho and Hafizh took the second and third spots respectively. Yuki said, “I’m happy with my results today. During practice sessions, lap by lap my team made a lot of improvements. But this is just the beginning. I am targeting to win the race tomorrow and get the podium.” Fastest Lap Time:Practice Session (Combined)

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HAFIZH TOPPED OVERALL 1000CC

The roaring of the Asia Superbike 1000cc has begun at the Zhuhai International Circuit as riders gear up for Round 2 of the Idemitsu FIM Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC). Round 1 saw Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah of JDT RACING TEAM stood out on the circuit consequently taking lead in the overall standings. During Practice 1, Yuki Kunii of SDG Team HARC-PRO Honda Ph. seem to have gained confidence when emerged fastest, marking at 1’42:898s. Andi Farid Izdihar of  Honda Asia-Dream Racing with Astemo  made the second fastest at 1’43:194s. At the third fastest, it was Passawit Thitivararak – Astemo SI Racing with Thai Honda at 1’43:205s. In Practice 2, Md Zaqhwan Zaidi of Honda Asia-Dream Racing with Astemo clocked the fastest lap time of 1’42:068s to secure top spot. Andi and Yukii rounded up the top three position at the fastest lap time of 1’43:388s and 1’43:477s respectively. In Practice 3, Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah of JDT RACING TEAM took his time to get adjusted to the pace, made it on top at 1’34:789s while Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman of TKKR BMW Racing Team kept up his momentum and took the second place with the fastest lap time of 1’34:889s followed by Andi at 1’34:908s. The fastest lap time recorded by the top three riders in Practice 3 appeared on the top three fastest overall on the combined result. Hafizh said “Alhamdulillah, I am happy that we got the fastest overall today. For dry track, we know it well. But due to wet track condition, we took some time to understand the electronics in order to go faster and smoother. And it has been 11 years since I raced on this track, so overall I am quite satisfied with the result. For tomorrow, I will give my 100% effort regardless of the track condition and strive for the best result we can possibly achieve.” Fastest Lap Time:Practice Session (Combined) Connect with Us! Latest news at asiaroadracing.com

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MAKE OR BREAK?

The Asia Superbike 1000cc race category went on a blistering start despite the minor hiccups of what is known as the season opener jitters. However, taking dominance and setting his target straight was Andi Farid Izdihar of Honda-Asia Dream Racing with Astemo who made quite an impression with a double-podium at Chang circuit. What would it be like for him in Round 2 of the Idemitsu FIM Asia Road Racing Championship at Zhuhai Internation Circuit this weekend? Well, it seems like Zhuhai circuit will not be a major problem for the Indonesia rider who took the fourth place in both races last season considering being only a debutante in the race category back then or will it? For someone fresh in the game, he had quite the appetite for a bigger chunk of pie and he pulled out all the stops to reward himself with the second runner-up position at the end of the season. Andi Farid reigned champion of the SuperSports 600cc race category in Season 2022 and is definitely playing his cards right this season in the ASB1000 with eyes on the prize. Running for a second term, it is not just about learning and managing the machine but it also includes integrating strategies and aiming for an outcome worthy of applause. Andi went straight for the kill in Race 2 when he grabbed the opportunity to strike his closest contender and that was an ability that comes with complete focus and anticipation of “what could possibly happen”, a quality that makes good sportsmanship. Andi went on to complete the remaining laps and bagged his first win for the season. Commenting on the race, Andi said, “It was a great start for me this season but to be honest, I struggled quite a bit in Round from the very beginning. It was very difficult to find the right setting of the machine but we kept on trying. Finally, we manged to find the right setup and continued to work on it until I felt really good about it. In Race 1, I did exactly in the way I have targeted which is to push from the very beginning and it worked out really well. Unfortunately, the tyre wore out in the last 4-3 laps which gave Azlan to opportunity to catch up. In Race 2, I changed my strategies to make sure that I save up on the tyres. I followed the troop and waited for the right time to attack and it was a profound finish.” “The machine is a completely different one and it definitely requires time to find the right settings. But once the settings are achieved, the outcome is nothing but positive. The machine is much lighter than the older version. While struggling, we have also been analysing the previous data from the very beginning and finally found the direction. Zhuhai is not my favourite circuit. Last season was very difficult for me but it is good to get back there and challenge myself further. I have to make the most from the race and be better off than the last time. I can’t wait to be there, frankly.” On a team of three riders, Andi said, “It has been really good to have three riders in the team. We learn a lot together, progressively and we try to help each other improve. We share our thoughts about the machine and also the circuit. Different perspectives are good and important so that we see things from different lenses. When you have a strong teammate, it makes it easier to step up in the game. The entry list for this season is a tough one. Everyone is of high-calibre although each one of us have our own individual strengths and weaknesses. Somehow, that makes it even more interesting and it sparks the will to excel further. The target for me is to be on the podium this time around in Zhuhai. Last season, as I said was a struggle but I am fully motivated and energised to take the leap. So, keeping my fingers crossed!” Connect with Us! Latest news at asiaroadracing.com

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GOOD NIGHT ANDI

It was a victorious moment for the Indonesian rider when Andi Farid Izdihar of Honda Asia-Dream Racing with Astemo nailed the top spot of the podium for the Asia Superbike 1000cc of Race 2 in Round 1 IDEMITSU FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. The scene started with Nakarin Atiratphuvapat from Honda Asia-Dream Racing with Astemo leading the pack, closely pursued by JDT RACING TEAM rider, Hafizh Syahrin, Andi, and Yuki Kunii of SDG Team HARC-PRO Honda Ph. As the laps unfolded, Hafizh surged to the front, with Yuki and Andi close behind. However, Hafizh maintained his lead through the early stages of the race. Despite the fierce competition, Hafizh continued to dominate the race, maintaining his position at the front. However from behind, Andi closed the gap and eventually overtook Hafizh on the ninth lap. With Andi then leading, Hafizh fought fiercely to reclaim his position, but Andi thwarted his attempts. Although followed closely by Hafizh and Nakarin, Andi maintained his lead, crossing the finish line in first place at 20’49:192s. Andi commented, “It was a challenging race, I tried to go to the front spot at the beginning but I was struggling with the front tyre so I decided to wait for the right moment and then try my best to get to the top spot. Also, this win is for yesterday’s fault, and I couldn’t sleep well last night. And not forgetting to thank my team for all the hard work, this is for them.” At second place, it was Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah of JDT RACING TEAM marking his best at 20’49:963s. Nakarin Atiratphuvapat of Honda Asia-Dream Racing with Astemo made it to third place at 20’50:001s. Top 5 Fastest – Race 2 Connect with Us! Latest news at asiaroadracing.com

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AZLAN, PROVEN GOLD

Round 1 of IDEMITSU FIM Asia Road Racing Championship reached new heights with Race 1 in the fiercely contested Asia Superbike 1000cc category at Chang International Circuit. In a stunning display of skill and determination, Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman of TKKR BMW Racing Team emerged triumphant, thrilling spectators with his remarkable performance on the track. Azlan began fifth on the grid with his fastest lap time at 1’34:978s behind Nakarin Atiratphuvapat and Andi Farid Izdihar of Honda Asia-Dream Racing with Astemo who finished in first and second at 1’34:287s and 1’34:603s. Hafizh Syahrin from JDT RACING TEAM took third on the grid at 1’34:733s. As the race started, Nakarin took an early lead, setting a blistering pace at the front of the pack. Behind him, Andi and Yuki closely trailed, eager to challenge the top positions. By the fourth lap, Azlan made a remarkable surge from P7 steadily climbing up the ranks and showcasing his determination to vie for victory. With each lap, Azlan continued his ascent, overtaking competitors and steadily closing in on the leaders. In a breathtaking series of maneuvers, Azlan overtook Nakarin and Yuki to secure P2 by the ninth lap, setting his sights on leader Andi. With relentless determination, Azlan closed the gap, eventually overtaking Andi in the last corner of the race and crossing the finish line in first place with the total time of 20’50:147s. Azlan expressed, “I pushed too hard initially and lost a few positions, but I managed to regroup and maintain my pace while controlling the tire wear. In the end, I was able to pass Andi in the last corner, and I am overjoyed with the result. Thanks to the team, the bike performed exceptionally well today, despite being last year’s model and engine.” Top 5 Fastest – Race 1  Connect with Us! Latest news at asiaroadracing.com

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