Supersports 600

Zaqhwan Zaidi’s victory at the Chang International Circuit handed a fifth consecutive FIM Asian title into the hands of team MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda Racing. The 21-year-old rider continued a five-year trend of the Malaysian racing outfit’s reign at the top of the Asian motorcycle racing arena. Team MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda’s rising star began with Ryuichi Kiyonari in 2012, followed by Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman in 2013, Zaqhwan Zaidi in 2014, and Yuki Takahashi in 2015. Zaqhwan became the first rider from the Honda marquee to win the title twice. “Out of the five championship titles that we had won, this year’s battle reminded us of 2014. Coming into the final race, we knew that the odds were very slim. When the first practice started and we saw how well prepared the Yamaha Thailand team was, we had to face the reality that not only the podium was out of reach, but Zaqhwan had to finish three spots ahead of Koyama,” said Zulhelmi Ahmad, team manager of team MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda. “While the team did the best we could to prepare the bikes for Zaqhwan and Yuki Takahashi, we did not apply undue pressure on either riders. At this level of competition, the riders themselves want the win as badly as we do. Any extra pressure could lead to disastrous results. A good example was how Takahashi’s fighting spirit led him into crashing out of Lap 1, all because he was too eager to catch up to the front and opened up on the gas too early at the exit of Turn 2.” “This year’s title was one of the most difficult. There was simply no room for mistake. On paper, it looked like our team had an easy time dominating the championship for five whole years. But in reality, each title was hard won as the level of competition kept increasing from year to year. This time, we learnt a very valuable lesson – not to take the wildcards for granted. Decha Kraisart and Chalermpol Polamai’s dominating performance at the Chang International Circuit almost changed the course of the title chase.”

MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda rider Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi became the FIM Asian SuperSports 600cc champion for the second time in his career when he did just enough to lift the 2016 trophy at the final leg of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship in Buriram, Thailand. When the race weekend began, the 21-year-old Malaysian was one of four riders within shot of the title. The unexpected results from Race 1 on Saturday whittled the field down to only two when defending champion Yuki Takahashi and Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman were eliminated from the title chase. As the 19 SuperSports 600cc riders lined up on the grid for Race 2, there were only six points separating championship leader Tomoyoshi Koyama to Zaqhwan. In order for Koyama to win the title, all he had to do was shadow Zaqhwan for the entirety of the 18-lap race. On the other hand, Zaqhwan would need to hunt down a 6-point advantage over his Japanese rival. The final race of the season flagged off with Zaqhwan starting from seventh on the grid. Ahead of him, team Yamaha Thailand Racing stamped their authority on the Chang International Circuit when long-time collaborators Decha Kraisart and Chalermpol Polamai effortlessly swept into the lead. As the two Thai riders created a gap at the front of the field, Azlan Shah lost third position to Australian Anthony West. While the leading group sped away at the front, Zaqhwan and Koyama were initially stranded within the third group, fighting against Indonesians Ahmad Yudhistira and Dimas Ekky Pratama. Koyama stuck close to Zaqhwan’s bike for the first eight laps. At that point, the Japanese rider would have won the title. Unfortunately for Koyama, disaster struck at the midway point of the race. The Japanese rider was forced to the side of the track when his engine malfunctioned at the start of Lap 9. This automatically handed the title to Zaqhwan, on the condition that the MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda rider must finish the race within the top 10. Zaqhwan was well within target, pacing consistently in ninth position. A second windfall at the last corner, when Zaqhwan’s own team mate Yuki Takahashi ran wide, boosted the Malaysian rider’s position and allowed him to better his finishing position in sixth place. The results from Race 2 brought Zaqhwan’s points haul to a total of 162 points. Koyama is second overall with 158 points while Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman ended the season in third overall with 142 points. “I honestly did not know that I had won the title. There was no information on my pit board and I was unaware that Koyama had retired halfway through the race. I was just focusing on pacing myself and making sure that I finished as high as I could. I was surprised to be greeted by the pitlane marshalls and instructed to ride to the podium. That was when I saw my team celebrating our fifth Asian win,” said Zaqhwan. The final race was won by Decha Kraisart with a time of 29’56.605s, Chalermpol in second place with 29’57.533s and Anthony West in third with 29’59.565s.

In keeping with the Yamaha momentum in Round 6 of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship, compatriots and team mates Decha Kraisart, Chalermpol Polamai and Anucha Nakcharoensri reigned supreme on their home track during Race 1 of the SuperSports 600cc. However, all eyes were on the four title contenders who were fighting to become the 2016 FIM Asian Champion. As Decha and his team mates raced uncontested at the front of the 600cc grid, title defender Yuki Takahashi looked strong at the start of the 18-lap race until he crashed out at the exit of Turn 2 on Lap 1. Behind the Yamaha trio, Malaysian rider Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman was embroiled in a big fight against Anthony West and Indonesia’s Dimas Ekky Pratama. Further down the field, championship leaders Tomoyoshi Koyama and Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi found themselves fighting for track position against Yuki Ito and Ahmad Yudhistira. The battle royale between the four riders would have a big impact on the title chase. Fully aware of the situation, Koyama and Zaqhwan put in superb performances as they jousted against each other to get ahead. When the chequered flag came down for Decha at 30’00.113s, Azlan pipped West to the finish line to finish fourth. However, this was not enough to keep him in the title hunt. In Race 2, Azlan will be expected to fight against Yuki Takahashi to defend third overall position. Zaqhwan gained a small reprieve when he finished seventh ahead of Koyama. After Race 1, Koyama now leads with 158 points followed by Zaqhwan with 152 points. The 6-point margin between the two riders meant that, should Zaqhwan win Race 2, Koyama must finish second in order to take his first Asian title. “Before this race, everyone was saying that the wildcards could not impact the championship. This is clearly untrue. They can easily spoil the party for us if I cannot match or outrun the pace of the Yamaha machines,” said Zaqhwan. Elsewhere in the SuperSports 600cc results sheet, Round 5 double winner Anthony West finished fifth, followed by Dimas Ekky in sixth. Wildcard Hikari Okubo took 12th place while Zulfahmi Khairuddin finished 15th. In the preoccupation over the riders’ title chase in the SuperSports 600cc class, many had overlooked that the Team Award title had fallen into team MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda for the fifth consecutive time. Even though defending champion Yuki Takahashi dropped out of Race 1 in the final leg of the 2016 season, Zaqhwan Zaidi’s seventh place finish was enough to hand the title back to the Malaysian racing outfit.

Team Yamaha Thailand Racing has had a great day during the qualifying session for Round 6 of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. After taking Apiwat Wongthananon to pole position in the Asia Production 250cc class, the team’s SuperSports 600cc riders effectively locked out the front row, setting the stage for what could be a Yamaha domination in the two races ahead. The combination of Chalermpol Polamai and Decha Kraisart proved to be lethal. The lap record was broken again and again by the two seasoned campaigners. As the chequered flag came down, Chalermpol Polamai held the advantage when he clocked in at 01’38.547s – setting a new lap record in the process. Decha Kraisart is scheduled to park his bike on second grid with 01’38.569s while the team’s junior rider Anuchai Nakcharoensri proved that he could hold his own against the swarm of 600cc riders by posting third fastest with 01’39.226s. Anthony West extended the Yamaha momentum with the fourth fastest time of 01’39.182s. This leaves the four title contenders scrabbling for the best starting position they could find. Defending champion Yuki Takahashi was the best performing rider of the four, qualifying fifth fastest with 01’39.377s. Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman will take up the last spot on second row with 01’39.411s. Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi will start the race from third row, after qualifying seventh fastest with 01’39.476s. And championship leader Tomoyoshi Koyama had the worst luck of all when he crashed out 25 minutes into the qualifying session. Koyama placed himself 8th on the grid with 01’39.506s. Even though Chalermpol’s new lap record was almost a second faster than Takahashi’s previous record, the All Japan heavyweight still expressed that he would need to work on his consistency during the race. “Today’s qualifying time is due to the right combination of tyre and our team settings. But this is a one-off qualifying strategy. I will need a good start and more constant laptimes if I want to win the race in front of my home crowd. I am really wary of the four title hunters. All of them have had international racing experience in some form or another, and out of the four, three have already won the SuperSports 600cc title once before,” said Chalermpol.

The Thai riders have fired the opening salvo as the final round of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship got underway at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand this weekend. Yamaha Racing Thailand’s Decha Kraisart was the fastest SuperSports 600cc rider of the day, setting a benchmark of 01’39.586s during the second free practice session. Decha can expect to face stiff competition from the main title contenders. Zaqhwan Zaidi posted second fastest with 01’39.716s followed by wildcard entry Chalermpol Polamai in third with 01’39.830s. Current championship leader Tomoyoshi Koyama was fourth fastest with 01’39.889s while Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman netted the fifth fastest time when he stopped the clock at 01’39.898s. The lap record of 01’39.3s, notched in under the name of Yuki Takahashi, remains unbroken as the lap record holder himself paced sixth fastest in the first day of practice with 01’40.076s. “Today was just the start. With so many top riders on the grid this weekend, I’m sure the level of competition will skyrocket by tomorrow,” said the provisional pole sitter Decha, who is also 2007 and 2010 SuperSports 600cc champion. “We had a team practice here two weeks ago, but the weather conditions were very different then. I can’t say that I am satisfied just yet because my target for the first day of practice was to break the 600cc lap record. Ideally, my target lap time is inside 01’38s. If I can achieve that, I am confident I can win the race.” Further down the order, Decha’s compatriots are clearly at ease on their home track. Most of the Thai riders made it into the top-10 with Thitipong Warokorn, Anucha Nakcharoensri and Rattaphong Wilairot crowding in at seventh, eighth and ninth fastest respectively. Malaysian wildcard rider Zulfahmi Khairuddin ended the first day of practice in 10th fastest, 0.7 seconds off Decha’s best pace. Ahmad Yudhistira was the best performing Indonesian rider, clocking 01’40.418s to land in 11th spot. The previous round’s double winner, Anthony West, posted the 12th fastest time of 01’40.780s.

It may be the final leg of the 2016 season in the Asia Road Racing Championship, but the SuperSports 600cc provisional entry list looks to be promising a cracker of a race on December 3 and 4. At the top of the agenda, is of course, the 4-way fight for the SuperSports 600cc title. Tomoyoshi Koyama, Zaqhwan Zaidi, Yuki Takahashi and Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman are still scrabbling for the ultimate Asian motorcycling prize. Apart from Koyama, the other three protagonists have all won the titles in previous years. Takahashi is the defending champion while Zaqhwan took the honours in 2014, Azlan in 2013. Statistically, Takahashi has the best track record at the Chang International Circuit. In 2015, the MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda rider was unbeatable on this battlefield – with four wins to his name. But earlier this year, both Koyama and Zaqhwan have taken one win each during the second round. But title fight aside, a number of interesting wildcards and replacement entries will be adding spice to an already exciting race. Current WSS riders Zulfahmi Khairuddin and Hikari Okubo will be making an appearance. The Malaysian rider will wildcard as Azlan’s team mate for team BikeART Racing Kawasaki. Okubo, the first Asia Dream Cup Champion in 2012, will be replacement rider for T.Pro Yuzy Honda NTS WoW, taking the place of Sarath Kumar who was injured during the Indian round. Yamaha Thailand has brought in 2009 champion Chalermpol Polamai who had just wrapped up the All Japan Championship as the vice-champion in the JRR ST600 class. He will be racing alongside long-time team mate Decha Kraisart and Anucha Nakcharoensri. AP Honda Racing Thailand has also decided to add a wildcard with Japanese ace Tatsuya Yamaguchi. Andhi Farid Izdihar will be filling in for Gerry Salim who was injured in a national championship prior to the ARRC finale.

Zulfahmi Khairuddin will be participating as a wildcard entry in the final round of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. The Malaysian World SuperSports (WSS) rider will be racing on board the Kawasaki ZX-6R as part of team BikeART Racing Kawasaki. This will make him team mates with Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman for the weekend at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand. “I am looking forward to pitting my skills against the best riders in Asia. For me, this is a great opportunity to hone my race craft as part of the off-season preparations for the 2017 season. Racing against the riders in the ARRC will certainly keep me on my toes,” said Zulfahmi. This will be the Zulfahmi’s ARRC debut. Unlike most of his peers, Zulfahmi was one of the lucky few who were able to jump straight from the Malaysian Cub Prix to the MotoGP. “The team has set no targets for me. As a wildcard, I think they view this as an opportunity to test the limits of their machine without dealing with the pressure of winning the Asian title. For me, I just hope to hold my own against the front group,” he added. credit photo : WSBK

Team Musashi Boon Siew Honda’s Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi will need to win big this weekend during the Asia Road Racing Championship finale at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand. Currently trailing the SuperSports 600cc championship leader Tomoyoshi Koyama by seven points, Zaqhwan will need to elevate his game to an even higher level. “There’s no way around it. To confirm the title, I must win both races (Race 1 and Race 2). There is literally no room for mistakes because Koyama has also consistently delivered strong performances in Buriram,” said the MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda rider who also won the SuperSports 600cc crown in 2014. Zaqhwan is one of four riders still in contention for the top honours in the premiere class. Tomoyoshi Koyama leads by 150 points followed by Zaqhwan with 143 points. Defending champion Yuki Takahashi is currently third with 128 points while Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman who is fourth with 116 points still holds an outside chance of overturning the odds. “I will have to win this one on my own. Back in 2014, I had help from Mohd Zamri Baba. This time, my own team mate (Yuki Takahashi) is also a title contender. We will each have to win on our own merits because team orders will not be forthcoming,” said Zaqhwan. The 21-year-old Malaysian rider will also have to contend with a crowded SuperSports 600cc grid due to a high number of strong wildcard entries. “In addition to the season regulars, the SuperSports 600cc class will see wildcard performances from riders like Hikari Okubo (2012 Asia Dream Cup Champion and current WSS rider), Zulfahmi Khairuddin (WSS), Chalermpol Polamai (All Japan Champion), as well as Tatsuya Yamaguchi (former Moto2 rider). If I were a fan of Asian motorcycle racing, I will be glued in front of my television this weekend. Where else would you see so many strong Asian riders competing together on a single track? It would be fun for the fans; but less fun for us riders,” Zaqhwan added in jest.

Team Akeno Speed WJR Racing had plenty to celebrate at the Buddh International Circuit when their high profile international rider Anthony West ended his ARRC winning drought in spectacular style. The Australian rider extended his domination at the Formula 1 circuit with a second convincing win in Race 2 of the SuperSports 600cc class. Kicking off the race from pole position, West’s sole competitor in the 16-lap race was Yamaha Thailand Racing’s Decha Kraisart. The 2007 and 2010 SuperSports 600cc champion was the only one able to match West pace-for-pace for at least two thirds of the race. By Lap 13, West was able to carve out a 1-second gap ahead of the field and he rode unchallenged to his second ARRC victory with a time of 31’06.383s. Decha crossed the line 3.199s behind to take second place. Meanwhile, BikeART Kawasaki Racing’s Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman rode a defensive race to complete his comeback in third place. “Race 2 was a whole different race. It was a lot tougher because the other teams had obviously caught up with us and improved their setup. The race was also longer today but I’m glad I was able to still hang on in the front to win,” said West. West’s domination at the Buddh International Circuit has thrown a spoke into the wheels of the championship table. As the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship heads to its finale at the Buriram International Circuit this December, four riders are now in contention for the SuperSports 600cc title. Koyama leads the pack with 150 points while Zaqhwan Zaidi is only seven points behind in second place. Defending champion Yuki Takahashi is third with 128 points and Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman bettered his ranking to fourth overall with 116 points. Indonesian rider Dimas Ekky Pratama and Anthony West, courtesy of his double win, are tied in fifth with 99 points apiece. In the team standings, the unexpected results from Buddh had also dashed team MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda’s hopes of winning the Team Award title with a round to spare. The Malaysian outfit still leads with 186 points but will have to be wary of team T.Pro Yuzy Honda NTS with Wow who are closing in with 150 points.