Supersports 600

PRESS RELEASE: THE ASIA ROAD RACING CHAMPIONSHIP, A STEPPING STONE TO NEW OPPORTUNITIES

2017, 2017 Round2, Asia Production 250, Latest News, Supersports 600 /

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) is the regional motorcycle road racing championship for Asia, which is being held since 1996 as an Asian-wide initiative to boost the development of the sport of motorcycle racing in the continent. This championship is part of the production-based category of racing, similar to the Superbike World Championship, British Supersport Championship and AMA Supersport Championship. Modified versions of road-going motorcycles which are available to the public are featured in the races. The Championship structure The championship is currently divided into three open-make classes and one mono-brand developmental classes. The open-make categories are the SuperSports 600cc, Asia Production 250cc and Underbone 150cc. Since 1997 the ARRC has been recognised for the Federation Internationale Motocyclisme (FIM) as the Asian continental championship for the FIM and has received its endorsement. The commercial rights are owned by Two Wheels Motor Racing, with FIM Asia as the sports sanctioning body. Each season consists of six rounds with two races organised per round. The championship tours in Asia but it is open to riders from all nationalities. ARRC 2017 season consists of 12 races at 5 circuits in 5 different Asian countries: Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Indonesia and India. Dreaming of the MotoGP World Championship AHRT is at this moment participating in its fourth consecutive season in the ARRC. In the team’s first appearance in the AP250 class this year, Gerry Salim is leading the overall standings with 75 points and three wins out from four races. In the SS600 category, Irfan Ardiansyah has taken his first personal podium in the ARRC and is placing 7th in the general standings, with 35 points. For Anggono Iriawan, Senior Manager Safety Riding & Motor Sports PT. Astra Honda Motor (AHM), the team performance “is getting better. Not only are the riders improving their skills, but also the mechanics, which are mostly from Indonesia. For this season, we are certainly targeting the Asia Production 250cc class, where our goal is to become champions. ARRC is the best championship in Asia for road racing, with several circuits being used for world championships. I think the ARRC is a bridge for the riders to get to the World Championship. People may get to know them from national championships and then climb to the World Championship –and the highest championship in Asia is ARRC.” The leader’s ambition ARRC it is useful as a stepping stone for young riders, for instance Gerry Salim, who has started the season in an amazing form. This is how the AHRT rider evaluates de Asian competition: “This championship is great for the young riders development. For me, to perform in the AP250 class is a challenge; as I hope to become champion this season. It will be difficult as many top Asian riders also are competing in this class. Maybe if I am able to be the best in this Asian class, I will get the chance to go to Europe, as my dream is to race in MotoGP. I am also motivated to improve my skills and stamina, so that I could achieve the target which I have set for myself.” Two promising rookies His teammates in the AP250 class are Rheza Danica and Awhin Sanjaya, who are having great results in their first year in the championship. For Rheza, who took his first two podiums last weekend at the Chang International Circuit, the ARRC “is my first international racing event, after I competed in the Suzuka endurance race –but that’s only one series. Last season I raced in the National Championship so being in the ARRC means a step forward for me. To take part in the ARRC is quite meaningful, because not that often you can get a chance from Astra Honda Motor to race in Asia. I certainly will make the most of this opportunity.” “For sure, I am happy to get this opportunity, because the ARRC is a good championship in Asia. As a young rider, here I can improve my skills and gain a lot of experience. I am also trying to improve my results in every race. There is a lot of great Asian riders who compete in this championship, and racing against them can give me further experience. I hope that racing in the ARRC can open me the opportunity to compete in Europe and, especially, in the World Championship” Awhin says, as he had also arrived to the ARRC after taking part in the National Championship last year. Learning and improving Finally, there is the team’s only competitor in the SuperSports 600cc, Irfan Ardiansyah, who claims that “being in this class is a challenge for me; I want to give the best result possible to the Astra Honda Racing Team. The ARRC is very helpful for the young riders, as it is a way to improve your skills and gain experience by racing in international events and competing against experienced riders. But this also motivates me. Being able to take part in the ARRC is very meaningful to me. This will give me more experience for my racing career in the future, as I hope to compete in Europe and World Championship in the future.” Now the ARRC will take a break until June 3rd-4th, when the AHRT will meet again in the Suzuka International Circuit, Japan.   Photos from AHRT Media[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][vc_single_image source=”external_link” onclick=”img_link_large” img_link_target=”_blank” custom_src=”http://www.prensasport.com/astrahonda/comunicado/links/chang22.jpg”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][vc_single_image source=”external_link” onclick=”img_link_large” img_link_target=”_blank” custom_src=”http://www.prensasport.com/astrahonda/comunicado/links/johor18.jpg”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][vc_single_image source=”external_link” onclick=”img_link_large” img_link_target=”_blank” custom_src=”http://www.prensasport.com/astrahonda/comunicado/links/origin12.jpg”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/4″][vc_single_image source=”external_link” onclick=”img_link_large” img_link_target=”_blank” custom_src=”http://www.prensasport.com/astrahonda/comunicado/links/johor19.jpg”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]

PRESS RELEASE: THE ASIA ROAD RACING CHAMPIONSHIP, A STEPPING STONE TO NEW OPPORTUNITIES Read More »

OFFICIAL STATEMENT – FIM ASIA

2017, 2017 Round2, Latest News, Supersports 600 /

FIM Asia Official Statement   ANTHONY WEST DAMPER AS TEAM AKENO SPEED REFUSES TO STRIP THE BIKE   SuperSports 600cc Bike No. 13, Anthony West (Akeno Speed Racing), was excluded from the results of Race 1 and Race 2 in Round 2 of the 2017 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship that took place at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand on April 14 and 15, 2017.   Team Akeno Speed Racing had refused to strip the motorcycle at parc ferme for post-race scrutineering. This was an infringement of the technical procedures and was the cause for the disqualification.   The breakdown of the incident at Round 2 ARRC in Thailand was as follows:   1. Post-Race SuperSports 600cc   Time: 1600hrs ICT Race Category: SuperSports 600cc Location: Parc Ferme   After the SuperSports 600cc Race 2, the top three bikes (Bike No. 13, Bike No. 25 and Bike No. 24) were told to provide various parts of their engine for post-race scrutineering, a common procedure done at the end of every race weekend. There was no protest made by any of the teams with regards to the post-race scrutineering.   Team Mechanics for Bike No. 13 were against the order to do so.   2. Post-Scrutineering SuperSports 600cc   Time: 1705hrs ICT Race Category: SuperSports 600cc Location: Parc Ferme   At the end of the time stipulated to strip their engines, Team Mechanics for Bike No. 13 rolled the bike out of the scrutineering area in full comprehension that if they do so without stripping their engine, they will be disqualified.   Throughout the hour-long stipulated time, not a single bolt was removed from Bike No. 13.   Post-race Scrutineering finished with Bike No. 25 and Bike No. 24 – both teams had provided the necessary parts for inspection.       3. Issuance of Race Results   Provisional results were issued at 1548 hrs ICT pending the end of protest time.   An amended result was issued at 1723 hrs ICT for Race 2 at Round 2. Subsequently, an amended result for Race 1 at Round 2 was also made, because the post race scrutineering affects both races as the engines are sealed. Hence, any infringement on the technical side would affect results in both Race 1 and Race 2.   When the amended results were issued at 1723 hrs ICT, no protest were made against the amended results.     4. Technical Director   The Technical Director walked out therefore resigning his position at 1350 ICT during the post-race scrutineering for the Underbone 150cc motorcycles and prior to the SuperSports 600cc race. He was not present during the SuperSports 600cc Race 2.   His duties were continued by Mr. Somchow Thanawin, a licensed FIM Technical Steward (License No: 11344) for the remainder of the races.   5. FIM Asia Road Racing Championship   The FIM Asia Road Racing Championship is organized to the standards as laid down by the FIM and the FIM Asia.  There was no injustice caused in any way to any participant or team. It is equally disappointing when accusations and assumptions were made without full understanding of the facts and proper processes of the rules laid in Motorsports that emphasizes the highest standards for sportsmanship and professionalism.     FIM ORIGINAL STATEMENT  

OFFICIAL STATEMENT – FIM ASIA Read More »

PRESS RELEASE: BACK-TO-BACK PODIUMS FOR RHEZA DANICA IN THAILAND

2017, 2017 Round2, Asia Production 250, Latest News, Supersports 600 /

Rheza stole the show during a 10-laps-race in the Chang International Circuit, Buriram, on Saturday. Starting from 4th position, he moved forward and had a battle for the victory with other two riders. Despite being a rookie in this class, Rheza was able to give fierce battle to his rivals. He even took eventually the lead on Lap 7. On the final lap, there were several overtaking actions between Rheza and his rivals. Right in the final corner, Rheza succeeded on beating one of his rivals and snatched the second place. This is the second podium in a row for the Indonesian rider, as he had finished third in yesterday’s first race. Awhin Sanjaya also had a good performance. Starting from 9th, the Indonesian rider was able to move up to 5th when entering Lap 3. In the last five laps, he took the 4th position and was able to maintain this place until he crossed the finish line. Meanwhile, Gerry Salim had an unfortunate day. He couldn’t participate in the second race due to a technical problem in his bike. However, he is still leading the championship standings with 75 points. Rheza moves up to 4th with 60 points, and Awhin to 5th with 43 points. Irfan Ardiansyah faced a tough race in the SuperSports 600cc class, but he kept motivated and was able to finish in 14th and take home two points. Irfan is now in 7th position of the championship standings with 35 points. The third round of ARRC will be held at Suzuka International Circuit, Japan, on June 3rd and 4th, 2017.   QUOTES “I’m very sad with the unfortunate event that occured today ahead of the second race. The team worked hard to prepare my bike, but I found out that my bike had problems during the out lap to the starting grid. This is racing, anything can happen and I will keep my spirit to be better in the next round.” Gerry Salim | AHRT ASIA PRODUCTION 250CC RIDER     “I’m so glad to finish second this race. The race was very hard from the beginning, I had several fights with the other riders. In the last lap, I made a mistake and was down to third. But finally in the last corner I was able to overtake one rider and take the second place. I will try to improve this result in the next race.” Rheza Danica | AHRT ASIA PRODUCTION 250CC RIDER     “I’m quite happy with today’s race, because the result is better than in the first one. I had evaluated my mistakes from the first race and the results were quite good. Thank you to all mechanics and team who have prepared my bike. And also thank you to all partners: IDEMITSU, KYT, FIFAstra, NGK, Showa, for the support.” Awhin Sanjaya | AHRT ASIA PRODUCTION 250CC RIDER     “The second race wasn’t like I had planned. I had technical problems on my bike, so I had to start from the pit lane. I tried my best and never gave up despite coming from behind. I tried also to give the best result to AHRT team and to my country, Indonesia. Thank you for all the support, I will try harder in the next round.” Irfan Ardiansyah | AHRT ASIASUPERSPORTS 600CC RIDER

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WEST DISQUALIFIED; AZLAN IS BIG WINNER FROM ROUND 2

2017, 2017 Round2, Latest News, Supersports 600 /

With air temperatures of 36 degrees and a track temperature of 45 degrees, Race 2 looked likely to deliver another drama at the Chang International Circuit, Round 2 host venue of the 2017 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. There was plenty of drama from the onset of the race. Astra Honda’s Irfan Ardiansyah endured a nail-biting wait in the pitlane as his team engineers worked frantically for him to join the race from pitlane. Thai rider Chalermpol Polamai jumped the start from the outside for the front row, streaking away from the rest of the field. Manual Tech Kawasaki’s Ahmad Yudhistira tucked his Kawasaki into second position but was constantly harassed by Yamaha Thailand rider Decha Kraisart and Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi of MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda. Chalermpol came in for his ride-through penalty on lap three and Decha pushed his way past the leading Kawasaki as they came through the final turn to begin lap 4. Yudhistira fought back hard, but the determined Decha had enough pace to stretch out a half second lead as they began lap 5. Meanwhile Azlan, Zaidi and Yuki Ito got past Yudhistira, who recovered quickly to push his way back into third in front of Ito, Anthony West and Zaqhwan, these being seven seconds clear of Ratthapong Wilairot in seventh position. Looking like a man with a plan for the second half of the race, West got through to a secure third began to close on Azlan, passing the Malaysian cleanly on the brakes into Turn 4 on lap 12. The Australian kept his pace up and closed in on Decha, taking the lead on the brakes at the end of the same lap into turn 12. He was unable to break away, however, with Decha and Azlan pushing him hard all around the circuit. On the last lap, Azlan slid up the inside of Decha into Turn 4 to take second, but they were three abreast as they squeezed the brakes hard into the final corner. Decha put everything on the line, but ran wide leaving West and Azlan to take first and second. However, the Australian rider was subsequently disqualified from the results of both Race 1 and Race 2 due to an infringement of technical procedure. This left Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman as the big winner from Round 2. Having won Race 1 on Friday, Azlan was promoted to the top of the timesheets for Race 2 with a time of 30’00.670s. Decha Kraisart went from third to second with 30’01.825s. Zaqhwan Zaidi won a tense battle for third with 30’03.201s, ahead of Ahmad Yudhistira and Yuki Ito.  Taiga Hada finished sixth, 18 seconds further behind, with Keminth Kubo, Tatsuya Yamaguchi, Ratthapong Wilairot and Tatsuya Yamaguchi completing the top ten. Chalermpol fought back to 14thafter his penalty, 38 seconds behind the winner and took the honours for fastest lap with a time of 1:39.755.

WEST DISQUALIFIED; AZLAN IS BIG WINNER FROM ROUND 2 Read More »

PRESS RELEASE: GERRY SALIM TAKES ANOTHER VICTORY AS RHEZA CLAIMS FIRST PODIUM

2017, 2017 Round2, Asia Production 250, Latest News, Supersports 600 /

Starting from the second place of the starting grid, Gerry has shown a solid performance since the beginning of the race. After the start, Gerry immediately led the way and outperformed their rivals, having a tight battle until the mid-race. He lost his position, but could remain in the front group and in the last five laps, Rheza also emerged as a new contender for top three. Rheza could even take the first place on Lap 7, before being overtaken by Gerry. The battle became tighter in the final corner. Gerry managed to overcome his rival and take the win. This is the third consecutive victory for Gerry at the beginning of 2017 in the AP250 class and continues to lead the championship overall with 75 points. The 3rd place reached by Rheza means his first podium finish and also the first for a rider who debuts in AP250 class, riding the competitive bike Honda CBR250RR. Awhin Sanjaya also took an impressive result finishing 5th, despite being down in 11th place in the early laps. Meanwhile, in SuperSports 600cc class, Irfan Ardiansyah finished in 8th place. During a tough race, the Indonesian rider fought hard in the middle group. Irfan is now in sixth position of the championship standings with 32 points. Race 2 will be held on Saturday, starting from 13:00 Western Indonesian Time.   QUOTES “I want to say thank you to my parents, the Astra Honda Racing Team and Indonesian people. Today the weather was very hot and the wind was quite strong. I tried to push in the early laps, but I couldn’t break the group and I changed my strategy to attack in the last three laps. This victory is thanks to the CBR250RR bike, and also to the hard work from the team to achieve the best result.” Gerry Salim | AHRT ASIA PRODUCTION 250CC RIDER   “Thank you to the Astra Honda Racing Team, all mechanics and especially my parents. Today we had a very tight race since the start until the finish. I tried to follow the other riders lap by lap. I could keep a constant pace and I finally was able to get my first podium by riding my CBR250RR bike. I will try to even improve in the second race.” Rheza Danica | AHRT ASIA PRODUCTION 250CC RIDER   “I’m quite happy with this first race result. I have found the right set-up for my bike to race in Chang Circuit. But there were some points where I still made some mistakes during the race and I will to try to fix it in the future. Although I started from ninth place I could finish in fifth.” Awhin Sanjaya | AHRT ASIA PRODUCTION 250CC RIDER   “I’m so happy for the result in this first race. I’m thankful also to all who has supported me, especially my family and Astra Honda Racing Team, as well as the mechanics who have worked hard to find the right set-up for my bike. Although I crashed during qualifying I fought hard during the race, little by little I got the rhythm and finally was able to finish in eighth position.” Irfan Ardiansyah | AHRT SUPERSPORTS 600CC RIDER

PRESS RELEASE: GERRY SALIM TAKES ANOTHER VICTORY AS RHEZA CLAIMS FIRST PODIUM Read More »

AZLAN RACES SMART TO BRING HOME THE GOLD

2017, 2017 Round2, Latest News, Supersports 600 /

Azlan Shah rose above a series of challenges in Race 1 to take a well deserved win in Race 1 at Chang International Circuit. The race got off to a false start when green lights were mistakenly shown. The race was immediately red flagged and the riders brought back to the line for another warm-up lap and a restart to a race shortened by two laps to 16. A determined Decha Kraisart capitalised on his pole position to take the holeshot and lead the first six in the order they qualified for the starting grid over the first few laps. Azlan Shah showed good pace behind, holding off the leader’s Yamaha Thailand team mate, Chalermpol Polamai and the second Manual Tech Kawasaki of Ahmad Yudhistira. These four opened a gap of three seconds to the chasing pack, which consisted of Zaqhwan Zaidi, Yuki Ito and Anthony West. Decha’s race ended in a heart-stopping moment at the beginning of lap 7, when the front of his R6 tucked going into Turn 1, leaving him in the middle of the track. As he got up to find safety, he ran directly into the path of Zaqhwan, who had got clear of Ito and West. The Malaysian somehow missed him, running wide in the process and losing his hard won race position. Meanwhile, West got the upper hand on Yudhistira to create a comfortable position for himself in third place. Back at the front, Chalermpol kept pushing the leading Kawasaki, briefly getting in front on lap 12, only for Azlan to snatch it back. The Thai rider made a bold lunge for the lead at Turn 4 on the final lap, but went in too hot and gave Azlan, who had not put a foot wrong, a clear margin to take to the chequered flag, Behind Anthony West, Yudhistira took fourth place, with Zaqhwan and Ito evenly spaced behind. While the indomitable Decha will be kicking himself for losing a clear chance of victory, he will also be thankful for today’s lucky escape and is sure come back strongly for Race 2.

AZLAN RACES SMART TO BRING HOME THE GOLD Read More »

DECHA UNASSAILABLE IN ROUND 2 QUALIFYING

2017, 2017 Round2, Latest News, Supersports 600 /

In Supersport 600 Qualifying Azlan Shah showed his class early in the session, running in the early 1:39s, ahead of Yamaha Thailand’s Decha Kraisart and Chalermpol Polamai, Ahmad Yudhistira, Zaqhwan Zaidi and Anthony West, who carried their strong form through from Free Practice. With 12 minutes remaining, Decha pulled out a sensational lap of 1:38.641 to go half a second clear of Azlan. Sensing it was enough, he pulled into the pits, took his helmet off and watched the rest of the session on the TV monitors. Chalermpol edged to within a few thousandths of the Malaysian’s Kawasaki, shadowed by Yuki Ito, who looked like he was trying to work out where the Thai former champion was getting his half second advantage on the 4.5 kilometre circuit. Decha’s best lap did indeed prove to be unassailable and he is joined on the front row by Azlan and Chalermpol. The Manual Tech Kawasaki of Yudhistra ended up fourth ahead of the MUSASHI Boon Siew Honda of Zaqhwan and the ever threatening Akeno Speed Yamaha of Anthony West. Taiga Hada was seventh fastest with a lap of 1:39.640 on his RAMA Honda, just a few hundredths faster than AP Honda’s Ratthapong and Yamaha Racing’s Yuki Ito, who make up Row 3. Decha will be looking to delight his home fans in Race 1 by following up his recent World Supersport second place at Chang International Circuit with a win this afternoon. Despite his qualifying performance, the pace of Azlan Shah throughout the event so far and the sheer speed of Chalermpol, mean that Decha will be facing a stern test. The injured Zaqhwan will also be looking for a podium position, while the quality and experience Anthony West keeps him squarely in the frame. Yudhistira is also capable of making the top three on his day.

DECHA UNASSAILABLE IN ROUND 2 QUALIFYING Read More »

DECHA AND CHALERMPOL GRAB HOME ADVANTAGE IN FREE PRACTICE

2017, 2017 Round2, Latest News, Supersports 600, Uncategorized /

Yamaha Thailand’s dynamic duo, Decha Kraisart and Chalerpol Polamai, banked an early home advantage on day one of the Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) Round 2 at Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand. Early in Free Practice 1 AP Honda’s Ratthapong Wilairot joined his compatriots at the top of the timing screens, but was pushed down during the second half of the 40 minute session as the Manual Tech Kawasakis of Azlan Shah and Ahmad Yudhistira got into their groove, along with Anthony West, who looked as likely as ever to stir things up on the Akeno Speed Racing Yamaha. 2016 champion, Zaqhwan Zaidi, riding with a painful foot injury after his crash two weeks earlier in Johor, looked out of sorts and was almost two seconds off the pace of the front runners. At the chequered flag, it was Chalermpol who took the honours with a late charge that clocked up a lap of 1:40.341, 0.099 of a second ahead of Yudhistira. Decha, Azlan and West, all under 1:41. With air and track temperatures rising for Free Practice 2, Azlan set the early pace, chased by Decha and Chalermpol. Behind them, Zaqhwan quickly sliced a second off his FP1 time, stopping after six laps to make further adjustments. When he rejoined he took another full second of with his first flying lap and jumped to the top of the board, a full four tenths clear of Azlan. The response from the Thai Yamahas was fast and decisive, with Chalermpol and Decha making the first breaks into the 1:39s. They remained at the top until the end of the session, ahead of Zaqhwan, Azlan and West, with the Yamaha of Yuki Ito and the RAMA Honda of Taiga Hada being the last riders below 1:41. A more business like atmosphere prevailed in Free Practice 3, as riders fined fine tuned their settings. This time it was Decha who finished top with a lap of 1:39.583, the best of the day and 0.117 seconds faster than Chalermpol. Zaqhwan was next with 1:39.937, ahead of the Kawasakis of Azlan and Yudhistira and the Yamaha of West, who maintained his watch in the top six. While Yamaha Thailand will be aiming to build on their advantage in tomorrow morning’s qualifying session, they are sure to be tested to their limits by the Manual Tech Kawasakis and the veteran Australian on the canary yellow Yamaha.

DECHA AND CHALERMPOL GRAB HOME ADVANTAGE IN FREE PRACTICE Read More »

PRESS RELEASE: ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM AIM TO CONTINUE GOOD DYNAMIC IN THAILAND

2017, 2017 Round2, Asia Production 250, Latest News, Supersports 600 /

Gerry Salim arrives at the Chang International Circuit as the leader of the Asia Production 250cc class, after making history in Johor. In the SuperSports 600cc category, Irfan Ardiansyah will look to continue his progress after achieving his first podium in the inaugural race. After a fantastic start to the campaign in Malaysia, the Astra Honda Racing Team (AHRT) travels to Thailand this weekend for the second round of the Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC). In an historic inaugural event of the season, Gerry claimed the first victories for an Indonesian rider in the AP250 class, whilst Irfan made his podium debut in SS600. Now the team faces a new challenge at the Chang International Circuit, with the ambition of maintaining the positive momentum and fighting for the top positions in both classes. Gerry and Irfan have previous experience in Thailand thanks to their time in both the Asia Talent Cup (ATC) and the ARRC itself. Gerry took two podium finishes -2nd in 2016 and 3rd in 2015- in the ATC, and last season he finished 6th in both races at Chang in the ARRC. Irfan’s best placing is 8th in the ATC (in both 2016 and 2017), although this round will be his debut there in the SS600 class. Rheza Danica and Awhin Sanjaya will start from scratch at the Thai track, focusing on adapting as quickly as possible to a new circuit onboard their Honda CBR250RR bikes. Last year, the team’s best result in Thailand was that of Dimas Ekky, who placed fifth in the sixth round of the season. This year’s visit to the Chang International Circuit will be held on April 14-15th, with two races held on Friday and Saturday.     QUOTES “I’m very excited about this second round of the ARRC in Thailand. Having two victories in the opening round and also good experience from the ATC’s round in Thailand gives me confidence to fight against the local riders. They are tough and have further experience riding in the Chang Circuit. In addition, the support from the Indonesian people will give me additional energy to achieve the best result.” Gerry Salim | AHRT ASIA PRODUCTION 250CC RIDER     “I couldn’t finish on the podium in the opening round in Johor, but I want to make it up in this second round. It won’t be easy, because the circuit is new for me and local riders will perform strongly. But I believe that with the CBR250RR bike I will be able to fight again in the front group. I won’t disappoint the people who have supported me.” Rheza Danica | AHRT ASIA PRODUCTION 250CC RIDER     “I couldn’t finish on the podium in the opening round in Johor, but I want to make it up in this second round. It won’t be easy, because the circuit is new for me and local riders will perform strongly. But I believe that with the CBR250RR bike I will be able to fight again in the front group. I won’t disappoint the people who have supported me.” Awhin Sanjaya | AHRT ASIA PRODUCTION 250CC RIDER     “The experience in Johor was so memorable for me. Fighting in the front group and being able to finish on the podium was nice. I want to repeat it in this second round. The team have given his maximum contribution to improve my bike, and now it’s my turn to put the Honda CBR600RR among the front riders. I hope I could make history for AHRT. Thank you all for your support.” Irfan Ardiansyah | AHRT SUPERSPORTS 600CC RIDER        

PRESS RELEASE: ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM AIM TO CONTINUE GOOD DYNAMIC IN THAILAND Read More »

PAIN IS NOTHING FOR GRITTY ZAQHWAN

2017, 2017 Round2, Latest News, Supersports 600 /

Three cracked toes on his right foot is hardly a deterrent for Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi as he revs up his title defense in the SuperSports 600cc category of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. The gritty Malaysian rider is determined to press on with his gruelling race schedule in spite of the injury he sustained during Round 1 of the Asian series held at the Johor Circuit in Malaysia. “Riders have won races with all kinds of injury. The pain is nothing. I’m already at a disadvantage because I did not pick up any points from Race 2 in Round 1,” said Zaqhwan who crashed out on Lap 2 while fighting for the race lead and is currently third overall on the standings with 25 points. “I must overcome the points deficit in Round 2 at Buriram this weekend.” There will be no rest for the intrepid Malaysian rider in April. Immediately after Round 2 of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship wraps up on April 15 in Thailand, Zaqhwan will be heading east to take part in the Suzuka 2&4 Race in Japan onApril 22 and 23. “The Suzuka 2&4 Race is part of our training regime for the Suzuka 8-hour Endurance in July. If I miss the coming event, I will lose out on valuable track time,” Zaqhwan explained.

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