Asia Superbike 1000

The Asia Superbike 1000cc of the Idemitsu FIM Asia Road Racing Championship went on its showdown, as the curtains closed today in Race 2, Round 6 at Chang International Circuit. Celebrating the victory today was Markus Reiterberger of ONEXOX BWM TKKR Team. Yesterday’s race came with an unexpected twist on the last lap. It was a usual ride with Markus taking lead and teammate, Azlan and duo of Honda Asia-Dream trailing closely behind. As Azlan lost his pace over the laps, Andi and Zaqhwan moved to the top three positions in a bid to maximise their points. Markus was gliding with no pressure ahead of the duo but coming in as a shocker for him was Andi’ appearance right next to him at the last turn, on the last lap. Throwing Markus off guard, he lost control momentarily, taking him off track limit. Although he regained control swiftly, he succumbed to Andi’s victory. Markus took second while Zaqhwan made it third. In today’s race, Zaqhwan took an immediate slide into P1 at the first turn followed by Andi swiftly before he was overtaken by Markus. As Zaqhwan picked up speed, Markus went on to pressure him. At P3, Azlan trailed his teammate closely. Meanwhile, Andi moved into P4. On lap two, Markus tried to slide from the inside but Zaqhwan was quick to counter-attack. There was no giving up for Markus as he went on make his move. Azlan on the other hand lost his momentum when he made a mistake. Five laps down and Zaqhwan went on leading with Markus chasing in fury, attacking from every nook and corner. Zaqhwan was on fire this time around and brilliantly kept to his racing line in a bid to secure the 1st Runner Up title. Markus did not give up. The battle became intense as the star riders went on to make the most of the race. Andi began picking up when Markus finally took a slide ahead of Zaqhwan. At the last turn of the 10th lap, Andi overtook Zaqhwan from the inside and accelerated further. Zaqhwan tried to catch up. With two more laps to go, the red flag was raised and the curtains closed for the season. Markus completed the race with another win at 16’02:482s. Markus said, “After yesterday’s race result, we were not very happy with the decision but this is racing. Luckily it worked out. The crew made some changes to the machine during warm up and I struggled on the front a lot. In the warm up, it was not good but during the race, it was amazing. But Zaqhwan was really strong today and he kept coming back, competitively. Good job from him. But I finally found a way to overtake him before picking up speed. That worked for me well today. Thanks to the team!” Second place went to Andi Farid Izdihar of Honda Asia-Dream Racing with SHOWA at 16’03:618s. Teammate, Md Zaqhwan Zaidi made it third at 16’03:721s. Connect with Us! Latest news at asiaroadracing.com

The Asia Superbike 1000cc witnessed the beat of rivalry once again today at the Chang International Circuit as riders geared up for Race 1, Round 6 of the Idemitsu FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. Taking the grand stand on the podium was Andi Farid Izdihar of Honda Asia-Dream Racing with SHOWA who concluded today’s session with his very first win for the season. Earlier today in the qualifying session, Andi Farid of Honda Asia-Dream Racing with SHOWA made the fastest at 1’34:971s which placed him as the pole-man for the weekend. Second on the grid was his teammate, Zaqhwan who made his fastest lap time at 1’35:053s. Markus of ONEXOX BMW TKKR Team made it third fastest at 1’35:059s. Zaqhwan was quick to take lead but Andi barged from the inside at turn 1 and moved ahead. Seconds into the lap, Azlan and Markus found their footing at P2 and P3 while Zaqhwan trailed at P4. Into lap 2, Markus was quick to take the opportunity to slide ahead of Azlan from the inside before going for Andi and before the lap ended, Markus made it ahead smoothly. Meanwhile, Andi began losing momentum and Azlan grabbed the opportunity to strike. Markus went on to pick up speed and drew a wider gap with his teammate at P2. By mid-race, he was about 1.4s ahead. Behind him, teammates Andi and Zaqhwan went on to pressure Azlan. With six laps to go, Andi overtook Azlan on the long-straight but Azlan quickly recovered his position. Andi did not give up and went at him again. As Azlan began losing speed, Honda teammates grabbed the opportunity to strike and moved into P2 and P3 respectively. Both teammates who are in contention for 1st runner up went on to challenge each other. By then, Markus had already freed himself of the pressure behind him and was way ahead with a 2.6s gap. On the last lap, once again, German rider was on his way towards victory but Andi caught up out of nowhere. At the last turn, Markus who was not aware of Andi’s presence from the inside, was taken aback and lost control for a moment. Markus went off track limit. He regained control but lost to Andi who logged in at 20’53:239s. Commenting on the race, first time ASB1000 winner, Andi said, “It feels amazing. Thanks to the team and their unending hard work. This success is definitely not possible without them. There is another race tomorrow and for now, that would be my ultimate focus. So, keeping my fingers crossed that all will go well tomorrow.” Markus Reiterberger took second at 20’53:151s. Md Zaqhwan Zaidi took third at 20’54:070s. Connect with Us! Latest news at asiaroadracing.com

The Asia Superbike 1000cc is back again in action at the Chang International Circuit. This time around, for the finale of Idemitsu FIM Asia Road Racing Championship, Season 2023. Rocking the circuit today was Markus Reiterberger of ONEXOX BMW TKKR Team who clocked in fastest in the practice sessions, combined. In FP1 that was held towards noon, duo of ONEXOX BMW TKKR Team, Markus Reiterberger and Azlan Shah made striking lap times with their best at 1’35:990s and 1’36:347s respectively. At the third fastest spot was Zaqhwan Zaidi of Honda Asia-Dream Racing with SHOWA with his best lap time at 1’36:459s. In FP2, the positions changed among the super-trio with Zaqhwan in lead with his best lap time at 1’36:268s followed by the teammates Azlan and Markus with their best lap time at 1’36:404s and 1’36:459s respectively. In FP3, Markus did it again with his best lap time at 1’35:640s followed by his fellow teammate Azlan with his best lap time at 1’35:947s. At the third fastest was Zaqhwan with his best lap time at 1’36:088s. Markus may not have had a perfect start at the season opener in Chang but he certainly seems prepared to make up for his imperfection with a perfect end to the season. Commenting on the session, Markus said, “I am still here to win, as usual. But more importantly, we are also using this time to test some things with no pressure. We have a different suspension on the rear and some changes in the chassis. Not forgetting the tires too. It takes a whole day. We made a few good steps but there were also some wrong moves especially in FP2. We still found out way around it but with a little extra push. I struggled a lot in Round 1 and now, I still have to fight hard to stay on top. I was also a sick in the last few days so physically, I had some hard time. I hope tomorrow would be better. In Round 1, there were many things that we had to sort out in terms of the machine but over time, we picked up and it has been good since. Of course, I have issues with my body weight, so I would say that it is not that easy to keep up with the pace. I really enjoy Thailand and I enjoy the layout of the circuit. I also have very good memories here with my best World Superbike results here in 2016.” Second and third fastest in the FP combined went to Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman and Md Zaqhwan Zaid. Connect with Us! Latest news at asiaroadracing.com

What a victorious move it was when ONEXOX BMW TKKR Team’s star rider, Markus Reiterberger hit a home run with a double-win, instantly rewarding him with the Champion title! Where does that leave defending champion Md Zaqhwan Zaidi of Honda Asia-Dream Racing with SHOWA? With his teammate Andi Farid lining up in the attempt for the first runner-up, Round 6 of the Idemitsu FIM Asia Road Racing Championship at Chang International Circuit is bound to get feisty. It was not a bed of roses for the Malaysian rider this season. Finishing on the podium seven times but not a single shot at the winning spot throughout the ten races, the struggle has been quite evident in the presence of the German rider who stole the limelight for the season. Nevertheless, Zaqhwan has put on quite show in all five rounds, grounding himself firmly, next in line. To-date, the all-smiles lad has saved up a total of 150 points and is 16.5 points ahead of his robust teammate who has also demonstrated his ability in handling the big league. It is not an easy task undoubtedly, juggling between the pressure of maintaining his stature and managing the rivalries of the likes but Zaqhwan has certainly has hit the ground running and is up for one last challenge before the curtains close. Commenting on the season, Zaqhwan said, “This has been a pretty tough season for me but I think I can take some credit for my performances overall. I have been quite consistent this season and made it to the podium in most of the races. For that, I am proud of my achievements thus far. The main issues have always been the setup of the suspensions and the electronic matter. During the practice sessions, I have discussed with my crew member, Chip to try and resolve the problem however it has been an on-going matter that I think would require more time and attention. Nevertheless, I have tried to be as competitive as possible with the rivalries. Actually, I have been really happy with my teammate because Andi is a very easy person and communication is made simpler with him. Even when we face a difficult situation, we always speak about it and help each other to improve. Of course, during the race, it is about being the best and in a way, he is also a rival but together, we are stronger. For the coming season, I am not sure what is in the pipeline but I believe that the team has a better plan. So, we just have to wait for it. For now, my goal is to win the final round and gain a better result.” A debutante in the ASB1000 race category but a quick study, Andi Farid has flaunted his moves, striding alongside the seasoned riders. With a total of 133.5 points in hand, the promising Indonesian rider has accomplished the odds throughout the season by positioning himself among the top five riders. Even more striking was his success on the podium twice this season which further accentuated his overall standings. The former champion of SS600 race category, Andi is a perfect semblance of brain behind the brawn. His reserved personality is quite the opposite of his professional capabilities where actions are amplified. Can he take down his teammate at Chang? Commenting on the coming race, Andi Farid said, “To be honest, there is still so much that needs to be done to improve generally especially in the area of suspensions and electronics setup as well as the race pace. But so far, I think I have been improving in every race but it is still not enough to fight competitively especially with the top riders in the game. My goal is to achieve that. There is a lot more to learn and I try to pick up as much as I can, where I can. Zaqhwan has always shared his expertise in the field especially in improving the performances and as a senior in the race category, I have learnt a great deal from him. It is always good to have a strong teammate because without them, we may not recognise our strengths and weaknesses. In terms of the machine, it does not lack much. I think it is in a fantastic condition. Somehow, we still find it difficult to take down Markus. So, that’s where we need to work on. The last round will be at Chang once again. I personally enjoy the layout. During Round 1, we had a good fight until the very last corner. The thrill is unexplainable. I am quite sure that it would be yet another exciting feat in the coming round. Whatever said and done, I am looking forward to that challenge and will be at my best behaviour to ensure a good outcome. As for the future plans, I can’t say much about it for now. Racing in the ASB1000 race category is still new for me and with practice, comes perfection. Whatever plans in the pipeline is entirely Honda’s decision.” Connect with Us! Latest news at asiaroadracing.com

Impressive speed and interesting mastery, the riders of the Asia Superbike 1000cc went on another exciting feat today in Race 2 of Round 5, FIM Asia Road Racing Championship at Zhuhai International Circuit. Markus Reiterberger of ONEXOX BMW TKKR Tea, once again made a grand finish when he crossed the finish line and bagge not just the winning prize for the day but the Championship title for the season. Taking a glance at the performances yesterday, Markus took a relaxed approached on the first lap as he trailed Zaqhwan with Azlan pacing at P3. By lap 2, he made a switch alongside his teammate ahead of Zaqhwan. The trio maintained the position for the bulk of the 13-lap race before Azlan lowered his pace. Zaqhwan seized the opportunity and took a slide ahead into P2. By then, Markus was on his way towards carving yet another victory as Azlan gave one last push to superseded Zaqhwan. Zaqhwan however did not cave in and completed second while Azlan finished third. It was a good start for Markus who fled to take lead at turn 1. He was followed swiftly by Zaqhwan at P2 and Azlan at P3. As the trio went on a blistering speed, group two behind who was led by Kosuke tried to catch up before Andi took over at P4. Markus seemed confident and kept Zaqhwan at bay but the latter went on in an attempt to close the gap. Azlan who was 4.2s away from Andi managed his pace at P3. Four laps down, Zaqhwan inched closer to Markus with a gap of 0.35 seconds but the German rider was determined to strike it big this time around. By the 8th lap, Markus accelerated well to widen the gap. That gave him a breather as he went on with the remaining laps. But the Malaysian rider, also the defending champion was in the game to win. He pursued relentlessly. Ten laps down and the chase went on. Markus had to avoid mistakes at all cost and so he did. He went on the final lap, picked up speed and drew a comfortable gap before taking one final turn towards the finish line, marked his best at 20’10:902s to claim not just a win but the win of glorious victory as the Champion of Season 2023 for the Asia Superbike 1000cc race category! Commenting on the race, Markus said, “My start was ok. But I was really late on the brake at the first corner and I almost went out but luckily, I managed to stay within the line. I saw Zaqhwan on the inside and I know that he was really trying very hard today, maybe even more than yesterday. So, I really pushed hard today and tried to be as fast as I can on each lap. As soon as I had a little bit of gap, I cut off because I had two high moments and then he came back. So, I had to push myself again and until the end. I thank my team. The machine is really a beautiful one and we will try to keep pushing!” Md Zaqhwan Zaidi of Honda Asia-Dream Racing with SHOWA made it second at 20’12:812s. Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman of ONEXOX BMW TKKR Racing made it third at 20’17:344s. Connect with Us! Latest news at asiaroadracing.com

It was a statement of excellence and extraordinary sportsmanship among riders in the Asia Superbike 1000cc as they went on yet another feat in Race 1 of Round 5, FIM Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) at Zhuhai International Circuit. Markus Reiterberger of ONEXOX BMW TKKR Team once again took the limelight with a win. Earlier today, the riders accelerated at their best capacities to secure their comfort zones on the grid in the qualifying session. Markus of ONEXOX BWM TKKR Team seemed to have found moves that worked well for him on the circuit. He took the pole position when he clocked in fastest at 1’32:265s. Teammates, Andi Farid and Zaqhwan Zaidi of Honda Asia-Dream Racing with SHOWA took the second and third spot on the grid when the concluded with their best lap time at 1’32:714s and 1’32:575s. It was a fantastic start for Zaqhwan who went right ahead to take lead with duo of TKKR trailing behind. Seconds into the race, Kasma lost control and collided with Lachlan. At P4, Andi Farid kept well to the momentum. Before lap 2 ended, Markus made his move ahead of Zaqhwan and at turn 1 of lap 3, Azlan took a slide ahead of Zaqhwan from the inside. By the 4th lap, Markus worked on eliminating pressure but Azlan kept up with his pace. Meanwhile, Zaqhwan maintained a close distance with Azlan as Andi kept his cool at P4. With seven more laps to go, Markus tried to widen the gap with his teammate while Andi attempted to close the gap with his teammate. By the end of lap 8, Markus was 1.176s away from Azlan. The positions among the top four riders did not change up until then. Yuki was 14.098s away at P5. With each lap, Markus pulled himself further away from the trio trailing him. With three more laps to go, Azlan lost his pace. Zaqhwan immediately took advantage and paced up at P2 but Azlan went on to pressure his contender. At the final lap, Markus shot ahead towards victory at 20’16:469s. Commenting on the race, Markus said, “It was a tough race. Like I have expected, the test on the brakes were really very strong. But I was not 100% sure if I could speed away because the others were also very strong and fast. To me, in order to do the lap time, I have to push harder. In the middle of the race, I managed to draw some gap but I hit the track limits twice. I wasn’t very sure but someone showed me two track limits but I wasn’t sure. I kept calm till the end and luckily it was not track limits. I am really happy and there is another race tomorrow. I will do my best!” Md Zaqhwan Zaidi of Honda Asia-Dream Racing with SHOWA maintained the momentum and avoided Azlan before landing himself second at 20’19:674s. Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman of ONEXOX BMW TKKR Team followed suit for the third position at 20’19:717s. Connect with Us! Latest news at asiaroadracing.com

Taking their moves to the next level and steadfast in their commitment to achieve their goals, the riders of the Asia Superbike 1000cc once again got their hands dirty on the scenes of Round 5, FIM Asia Road Racing Championship beginning with the free practice sessions at the Zhuhai International Circuit. Making the fastest cut for the day in the sessions combined was Markus Reiterberger of ONEXOX BMW TKKR Team. It was an excellent morning as the riders went on their first FP session. Zaqhwan of Honda Asia-Dream Racing with SHOWA made the fastest lap time at 1’34:028s. Markus of ONEXOX BMW TKKR Team clocked in second fastest at 1’34:289 followed by Kasma Daniel of YAMAHA GEN BLU Racing Team ASEAN with his best lap time at 1’34:571s. During the FP2, Markus geared up and hit the fastest lap time with his best at 1’33:880s. Zaqhwan on the other hand made it second fastest with his best at 1’34:387s. His teammate Andi Farid made some improvements and scored the third fastest at 1’34:553s. In FP3, Markus seemed to have mastered the circuit as he went on at a blistering speed to score a better lap time. He clocked in his best at 1’33:048s. Markus currently leads the overall charts with a total of 155.5 points. The rider may not have had a colourful start in the season opener but has been acing since then and is in contention for winning the championship title on the grounds of Zhuhai. Commenting on the sessions, Markus said, “This is my first time here in ZIC. I did go around the circuit, on a walk and realised that this circuit is really different, for example compared to Mandalika. The other circuits were wider compare to ZIC which is way narrower. The tarmac was a little rough I suppose. But the layout was easy to learn and after a few laps, I was already on top of the chart. The machine is in an excellent condition as always and the team has been working tirelessly to maintain that. The electronics are good, maybe some minor adjustments. Initially, I had some issues at certain areas but I guess we managed to overcome that. It definitely needs a lot of acceleration especially with the others who are much smaller in size, they have better advantage here. I struggled a bit to make the gap wider but I am good at braking, so more or less, I think I will do good. My goal for is to make it at least 1 second better for the qualifying tomorrow and take the championship win here.” Taking the second fastest spot for the day was Zaqhwan Zaidi after FP3 with his best lap time at 1’33:626s. Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman of ONEXOX BMW TKKR Team made it third fastest at 1’33:765s after FP3. Connect with Us! Latest news at asiaroadracing.com

Electrifying and nerve-wrecking, the Asia Superbike 1000cc is all set for another round of white knuckle ride at the Zhuhai International Circuit, China this weekend since its last appearance in 2019.  Taking a bold stance in their performances this season is duo of ONEXOX BWM TKKR Team, Markus  Reiterberger and Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman who are ready to rock the scenes in Round 5 of the FIM  Asia Road Racing Championship.   High on a streak of glorifying achievements, Markus has become a household name among the  community of ARRC this season. Returning to the championship after a long hiatus, he was not only  quick to find his equipoise but also in maintaining a fantastic momentum that has served to up his ante at the forefront of victory. The German born lad has certainly been around the block of the motorcycle  racing domain, undoubtedly and his return to ARRC has not only spiced up the level of competitiveness  but has also tickled the nerves of other riders in the race category.  Commenting on the season, Markus said, “The start was not too good for me, to be honest. At Buriram  specifically but we picked up along the way and it has been great so far. I am pretty satisfied with my  achievements, frankly and it has served the expectations of our team well. We have won many races.  We can already win the championship for sure if we maintain this momentum. The machine is  awesome in the braking area and I think this is the best part of the machine which I love most.  Compared to the other machines, this is an upside for us and I have improved tremendously on that.  Apart from that, the power of the machine is also amazing. We do have our downside especially on  the exit, the line wise, we have to take a wider space at times but we can take up speed which is really  good.”  “The team has been great in ensuring that the machine is always in a good condition. Although it can  be said that we are on our way to making it champion this season, there is no playing safe. We will not  change our strategy but move along with the idea of giving our best shot, to give my 100% in each lap  while enjoying every bit of the moment. At the end of the day, the goal is to win the races and the  championship. To be honest, I have no idea about the Zhuhai circuit because I have never been there.  I watch a couple of on-board races to identify the brake points, gears and layout, to hear the engine  sound. Normally, I am quite fast in picking it up so by the second and third session, I think I will roughly  be able to gauge the performance level. Of course, the challenge would be riding with those who  already know the layout but I am daring, so it should be ok. Azlan has been quite a teammate and he  has helped me to identify the foreseeable challenges for the coming race, so let’s see how it goes!”  Star of 2019, Azlan Shah is not quite bad himself this season. After a tough and frustrating season last  year, Azlan Shah returned to prove his mettle in the ASB1000 race category. The Malaysian rider has  shown remarkable improvements in his riding techniques that not only complemented the qualities of  the machine but also accentuated its visibility with his ability to optimise its strengths. Azlan Shah has  definitely brought his A-game to the circuit scenes this season but it would be steep climb uphill to  make his cut at the top.  Commenting on the season, Azlan Shah said, “Overall, this season has been a good one for me.  Considering the decline in my level of performances last season. So, this year has definitely been a  one-up for me. I think one of the significant achievements for me this season would be making it all  the way up from the back of the grid and finishing podium. That was an awesome achievement for me.  Overall, the machine this season has seen a major transformation. I am able to handle it better and it  comes with greater power which makes acceleration and fighting among the front troop possible.  Personally, my most difficult time was at Sugo. It was a difficult circuit for me and I couldn’t find my  comfort and momentum there.”  “My goal this season would be to try and secure the second position overall. There are four more races  to go and I am currently at the fifth position overall. I still have a fighting chance considering the point  difference which is not that big. If I can work towards finishing the podium in the coming races, there  is a high chance for me to make it to the podium in the overall standings. For the upcoming race, to be  honest, I am not a fan of the Zhuhai circuit. I have raced there many times since my 600cc years. It has  always been the same problem with the tarmac and reduced traction. But I am hoping that it would be different this time around, so let’s see. Markus is a good kid and he is a fast learner. I have learnt a  lot from him and hopefully, we can both be on the podium for the end of the season.” Connect with Us! Latest news at asiaroadracing.com

Dated 17th August 2023, in honour of Haruki Noguchi’s family and team who have requested for a moment of privacy to mourn their loss. It is with great sadness that we report the demise of Haruki Noguchi after three days of intensive treatment at the Public Hospital of Nusa Tenggara Barat. During Round 4 of the FIM Asia Road Championship, 2023 that was held at Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit, Haruki was critically injured following an incident at Turn 10, Lap 4 of the Asia Superbike 1000cc race category. The 22-year-old rider immediately received medical attention at the circuit’s Medical Centre before being transferred to the local hospital. Despite the best efforts of the medical staff, Haruki sadly succumbed to his injuries on 16 August 2023 at 1740H. The FIM Asia President and its Board of Directors, Two Wheels Motor Racing and the FIM Asia Road Racing family extend our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of Haruki Noguchi. – FIM Asia

During Round 4 of Idemitsu FIM Asia Road Racing Championship, an incident occurred at turn 10 involving rider, Haruki Noguchi of SDG MS Harc-Pro. Honda. Ph. Following that, the Asia Superbike 1000cc has been cancelled to prioritise the medical situation of the rider involved. The rider was treated at the track medical centre and stabilised. He has been transferred to the local hospital for further treatment. Haruki’s situation will be updated accordingly in due course. We wish for your kind support and prayers for the speedy recovery of our rider! FIM Asia Connect with Us! Latest news at asiaroadracing.com