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MARIO BORBON JR. WINS THE FIRST RACE OF THE SAC SAC 2017 SEASON

2017, 2017 Round1, Latest News, Suzuki Asian Challenge /

Day 2 of the season opener started in hot and humid weather, but rain hits the circuit right before Race 1 of the SUZUKI ASIAN CHALLENGE (SAC). Qualifying took place in the morning in hot weather. As the riders took their laps, each started to go faster, as they got used to the track condition. #16 April King Mascardo (Philippines) took the pole position with a super lap of 1’57.660, breaking the course record of last year by close to 2 seconds. #11 Ahmad Saugi Muchtar (Indonesia) ran a 1’57.723 to qualify 2nd, and #22 Eane Jaye S. Sobretodo (Philippines) filled the front row with a lap time of 1’58.053. Rain started to fall right before start of Race 1, making it a wet race. The riders made a good start, but the rain gradually got stronger as the race progressed. #76 Chepy Armansyah (Indonesia) took the lead at start, and gradually started to made a gap with the others. However, a little mistake on the 2nd lap forced him out of the race. The race carried on with Muchtar, #27 Nur Al Fath Sam Ahmad (Indonesia), and #46 Aaron Gunawardena (Sri Lanka) running away from the pack. With several lead changes by them, it seemed at one point that one of them would take the win. The surprise came when #29 Mario Borbon Jr. (Philippines) closed in on the leaders in the latter laps of the race. Once Borbon caught up with the group, he took no time to take the lead, and won SAC’s first race of the 2017 season.

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ZAQHWAN PICKS UP FIRST WIN OF THE SEASON

2017, 2017 Round1, Latest News, Supersports 600 /

SuperSports 600cc defending champion Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi picked up the first win of the season as the 2017 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship kicked off at the Johor Circuit on April 1, 2017. The 22-year-old Malaysian rider had gone from strength to strength as the first round progressed at the 3.86km circuit. Zaqhwan earned the right to start the first race from the coveted pole position when he delivered on his promise of a new lap record with a time of 1’30.612s. Subsequently, a good start in Race 1 gave the MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda rider the holeshot. However, Decha Kraisart of Yamaha Thailand Racing quickly made his presence felt when he successfully challenged Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman and then took the lead from Zaqhwan on Lap 3. The Malaysian rider was contented to shadow his Thai rival for the majority of the race. Zaqhwan only made his move on Lap 10, and succeeded in taking the lead from Decha. Behind the duelling leaders, 18-year-old Taiga Hada gave a remarkably solid performance as he picked his way up the field to arrive within the leading group. On Lap 12, Decha tried to get on the outside of Yamaha Racing’s Yuki Ito, only to run out of tarmac and dropped to fourth position. With Decha gone, Hada quickly caught up with Zaqhwan but could not find a way past his more experienced rival. Zaqhwan led the pack to the finish line with a time of 24’48.515s while a grinning Hada skipped up to the second podium spot with a total time of 24’49.254s. In third place, Yuki Ito signalled the possibility of a strong Yamaha comeback with a time of 24’52.067s. “Decha was very strong at the start of the race. When he got into the lead, I found it very difficult to retaliate. So I decided to hang back, manage my tyres, and bide my time for the perfect opportunity. Once I overtook Decha on Lap 10, I switched mental gears in order to remain constant and focused on my riding. I was really shocked when I suddenly realized that Hada was right behind me. Luckily, that was during the closing laps of the race and I was able to keep my win,” said Zaqhwan.

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GERRY TAKE FIRST 250 WIN FOR ASTRA HONDA

2017, 2017 Round1, Asia Production 250, Latest News /

Indonesian rider Gerry Salim became the first Indonesian to win the Asia Production 250cc category after an inch-perfect performance in Race 1 of the season opener at the Johor Circuit. Starting the 12-lap race from third on the grid, Gerry grabbed the holeshot ahead of polesitter Anupab Sarmoon from team Yamaha Thailand Racing. Gerry, along with Anupab and 2015 250cc champion Takehiro Yamamoto quickly established themselves as the leaders of the race. Despite the frequent overtaking around the 3.86km circuit, Gerry was consistently in the lead when the pack crossed the start/finish line. The Indonesian rider kept a cool head and defeated the rigorous assault from Yamamoto to clinch the win with a time of 20’52.279s, only 0.055s in front of the Sidrap Honda Ikazuchi rider. Anupab ended the race in third place with 20’52.738s. “The bike was really good and I must thank my team for their hard work. The only thing that put a damper on our race was the weather. It was really difficult conditions out there. I hope the skies will clear up so that we can have a better race in Race 2,” said Gerry who was also the only rider to have won both SuperSports 600cc and Asia Production 250cc races in the Asian series so far. Behind the leading trio, Astra Honda’s debutants Rheza Danica Ahrens and Awhin Sanjaya put in creditable performances with a fourth and fifth place finish respectively. Rheza stopped the clock at 20’58.657s while Awhin posted 21’01.623s at the head of the second group. Former SuperSports 600cc rider, Tomoyoshi Koyama ended his first 250cc race in seventh place while the sole Kawasaki on the grid finished eighth.

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PHOTO-FINISH ENDS IN FAKHRUSY’S FAVOUR

2017, 2017 Round1, Latest News, Underbone 150 /

Johor-born Fakhrusy Syakirin Rostam celebrated a victory on home ground in Race 1 of the Underbone 150cc category. The lanky SCK Rapido Hi-Rev Honda Racing rider pipped rival Mohd Akid Aziz to win the first Underbone 150cc race of the season. The tight competition in the South East Asian heritage class resulted in a photo-finish that saw Fakhrusy crossing the finish line 0.004s ahead of Akid. The race quickly took on familiar Underbone characteristics as the entire group of riders bunched up together in the hunt for the lead. However, the pack was split on Lap 6 when Anggi Setiawan crashed out of the race, taking defending champion Wahyu Aji Trilaksana with him. Without the strong challenge from the Indonesian camp, the Underbone 150cc podium was an all-Malaysian affair. Fakhrusy won with a time of 14’55.380s, Akid in second place with 14’55.384s while Mohd Haziq Mohd Fairues finished third with 14’55.663s. Meanwhile, Mohd Helmi Azman, representing newcomer team Onexox TKKR Racing, gave good account of himself in fourth place. Tengku Amirul Haffiruddin rounded up the top five. The Underbone class had always been an Indonesian-Malaysian affair. But in Race 1, Vietnamese rider Cao Viet Nam did himself proud when he finished ninth with 15’03.302s. Chinese rider Yuan Ji Bo, picked up three points in his first experience in Underbone racing.

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AHMAD SAUGI CONTINUES INDONESIAN DOMINANCE IN SUZUKI ASIAN CHALLENGE

2017, 2017 Round1, Latest News, Suzuki Asian Challenge /

Introduced in 2015, the Suzuki Asian Challenge developmental platform had continually been dominated by riders from the Indonesian archipelago. First won by Andreas Gunawan in 2015 and then by Jefri Tosema in 2016, the latest edition of the Suzuki Asian Challenge could be shaping up to be yet another Indonesian affair. Ahmad Saugi was the rider of the day during the free practice sessions. He clocked fastest in the first practice with 1’58.507s, half a second faster than Thailand’s Punchana Kulrojchalalai who posted 1’59.037s. India’s Arunagiri Prabhu was third fastest with 1’59.056s. Unfortunately for the Suzuki Asian Challenge riders, the plans and strategems to better their laptimes during the second free practice was washed out after the session was red flagged and subsequently cancelled due to an electrical storm at the 3.86km circuit.

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POSITIVE START FOR ZAQHWAN DESPITE TRICKY CONDITIONS

2017, 2017 Round1, Latest News, Supersports 600 /

Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi’s title defense campaign had gotten off to a positive start. At the Johor Circuit for the first day of free practices for the season opener of the 2017 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship, the MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda rider was fastest in two of the three free practice sessions and ended the day as the fastest rider with a time of 1’31.063s. In the hunt for his third SuperSports 600cc Asian title, Zaqhwan looked comfortable as he shouldered the role of lead rider for the Malaysian racing team. However, the 2-times SuperSports 600cc champion expressed surprise that the rest of the field were not as fast as their pre-season laptimes. “The weather condition made things a little tricky for us. Due to the rain on the previous day, there were patches of mud on the track. I think the uncertainty about grip slowed everyone down. The weather condition will play a big role in the qualifying and race outcome tomorrow (Saturday),” he said. Meanwhile, teenage hotshot Taiga Hada served up a surprise when he posted the second fastest time in class with 1’31.519s. The 18-year-old RAMA Honda NTS T.Pro Ten10 rider outpaced early favourites Decha Kraisart and Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman. The two senior riders were third and fourth fastest respectively with 1’31.812s and 1’32.074s. Azlan’s new team mate Ahmad Yudhistira rounded up the top five with 1’32.079s.

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ANUPAB SARMOON QUICKEST IN FIRST DAY OF PRACTICE

2017, 2017 Round1, Asia Production 250, Latest News /

Yamaha Thailand’s Anupab Sarmoon extended his dominating pace on the first day of Asia Production 250cc free practice as Round 1 of the 2017 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship gets underway at the 3.86km Johor Circuit. Anupab, who was consistently one of the fastest riders during the official pre-season test, ended the day as the quickest 250cc rider with a time of 1’44.202s. However, Anupab will have a tough fight on his hands, especially from his closest Honda rival – Gerry Salim. The Indonesian rider clocked 1’44.584s, only 0.382 seconds off Anupab’s pace. 2015 250cc champion Takehiro Yamamoto was third fastest with 1’44.964s. Elsewhere, Yamaha Indonesian duo Imanuel Putra Pratna and Galang Hendra Pratama rounded up the top five of the day with times of 1’45.290s and 1’45.319s respectively.

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CLOSE QUALIFYING TIMES IN NEW UNDERBONE 150cc CLASS

2017, 2017 Round1, Latest News, Underbone 150 /

The new Underbone 150cc class promises to be even more exciting than the previous 130cc category. In the qualifying session held for the first round at the Johor Circuit on March 31, 2017, a total of seven riders clocked within the same second. Team Yuzy Honda Vietnam Racing’s Azroy Hakeem Anuar topped the timesheets in the qualifyer with 1’49.115s, narrowly edging out defending champion Wahyu Aji Trilaksana who was second fastest with 1’49.336s. Malaysian debutant, Mohd Akid Aziz from team Uma Racing Yamaha Maju Motor made an impactful first qualifying when he posted third fastest with 1’49.338s. However, the top-10 grid of the Underbone 150cc class is yet to be finalized. The final grid will only be confirmed after the Underbone 150cc SuperPole that will take place in the morning before the first race. Then, the top Underbone riders will be put to the test without the benefit of the slipstream from the other competitors on the track.

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EXTRA TYRES FOR A TOUGH SEASON OPENER

2017 Round1, Asia Production 250, Latest News, Supersports 600 /

The SuperSports 600cc and Asia Production 250cc riders competing in Round 1 of the 2017 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship at the Johor Circuit this weekend, will be receiving extra tyres for the race weekend. The SuperSports 600cc riders will receive an extra full set each while the Asia Production 250cc riders will be allocated an extra rear tyre. This decision was made to maintain the competitive level of the races, while taking into consideration, the track surface conditions and its wear and tear on the tyres.

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RATTHAPONG RARING TO GO AFTER CORRECTIVE WRIST SURGERY

2017 Round1, Latest News, Supersports 600 /

AP Honda rider Ratthapong Wilairot is pumped up for the first leg of the 2017 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship, especially now that the persistent pain in his wrist had finally been resolved. Ratthapong, who only managed to cobble together a 14th overall ranking in 2016, revealed that he had not been able to ride to his full potential. “I was suffering from a persistent pain in my wrist that severely impacted my hand movements and subsequently, my riding performance. But because of our packed racing schedule, I didn’t have the chance to get a proper diagnostics until the year-end season break. The X-Ray showed that the screw that was implanted to fix my broken wrist, had shifted its position and causing the pain. My doctors have since removed the screw, and already I’m feeling much more positive about this season,” explained Ratthapong.

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