Supersports 600

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.

Australian rider Anthony West continued to dominate at the Buddh International Circuit, host to Round 5 of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. The international rider who has had vast experience in the WSBK and MotoGP, clocked fastest during the first day of practice and secured his maiden ARRC pole position on Saturday morning with 1’55.528s. The 35-year-old went on to convert his start position into his first ARRC win. The SuperSports 600cc race was eventful at the start, especially when Thai rookie Patis Chooprathet crashed on the front straight at the end of Lap 1. Though the rider was uninjured, the incident brought out the red flag. The race was eventually restarted but reduced to 13 laps from its original 16. Only Thai rider Decha Kraisart was able to match West’s pace on the 5.15km circuit. Behind them, Indonesian rider Ahmad Yudhistira was also prominent as he rapidly closed in on the leading duo. On the long and wide track where top end speed was the winning factor, West rode unchallenged to the chequered flag with a time of 25’21.592s followed by Decha Kraisart in second place and Yudhistira in third. “I feel very comfortable on this track. It wasn’t an easy win even though I was four seconds in front of the others. I was able to take advantage when the riders behind me were fighting each other and slowing themselves down. In this race class, starting from pole position and a good run into the hole shot is essential to enjoy an easy race. If you were to start in the middle group, it would be hard to fight your way to the front,” said West. However, West’s win has had minimal impact on the championship table. Tomoyoshi Koyama picked up ten points in sixth place, and extended his lead to 141 points. Zaqhwan Zaidi is now second overall with 133 points. Early title contenders Yuki Takahashi and Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman were third and fourth respectively with 117 points and 100 points each.

Australian rider Anthony West finally bagged his first provisional pole in the SuperSports 600cc class of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. Racing at Round 5 at the Buddh International Circuit in New Delhi this weekend, West was the only rider on the 20-rider grid to post below 1 minute 56 seconds. The Akeno Speed WJR Racing Team rider clocked 1’55.912s and will be looking to confirm his pole position during the qualifying practice on Saturday morning before the start of Race 1. West’s performance eclipsed that of Thai ace Decha Kraisart who was the pace setter for the first and second practice sessions. However, Decha was able to leapfrog over Yuki Takahashi to post second fastest with 1’56.367s. Takahashi was third fastest with 1’56.667s while Malaysian Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi scrapped into the 1’56s zone with 1’56.989s. Ahmad Yudhistira from Indonesia provisionally leads what would be the second group with 1’57.025s in fifth spot. “My laptimes during the first two practice sessions were terrible. There were a lot of problems with the bike so I didn’t get a lot of laps in. But this circuit is very similar to the GP circuits – it’s fast, flowing and more to what I am used to. I was so angry about this morning that in the third session, I was motivated to just go out and ride,” said West. “I like this circuit a lot. I think the Yamaha will have a bit of an advantage here because it’s strong in the top end speed and likes fast flowing tracks like these.” Further down the field, the returning Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman checked in at ninth fastest with 1’57.364s. At this rate, Azlan would have his work cut out for him recouping the loss he suffered when injuries forced him out of Round 4 in Sentul. As the SuperSports 600cc grid took shape, Indian rider Sarath Kumar suffered a huge disappointment when he crashed out at Turn 1 during the third practice session. Sarath is suspected to have suffered a broken collar bone and may not be able to race in front of his home fans this weekend.

The spate of injuries that scourged through the SuperSports 600cc class during Round 4 in Sentul has thankfully come to an end. With Round 5 soon to take off at the Buddh International Circuit in India this October 1 and 2, the big guns are finally back on the grid, and raring to go. Most significant would be the return of title contenders Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman and defending champion Yuki Takahashi. Both pulled out before the commencement of Round 4 due to injuries sustained in previous races. This allowed MUSASHI Boon Siew Honda’s Zaqhwan Zaidi and T.Pro Yuzy Honda NTS with Wow’s Tomoyoshi Koyama to turn the title chase around. Both riders currently share the top spot with 131 points apiece. Yuki Takahashi has dropped to third overall with 104 points, needing to make up a 27-point deficit in order to be back in title contention. Takahashi is on a dual mission this season – to bring home team MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda’s fifth consecutive Asian title as well as to become the first rider since 2006 to win the SuperSports 600cc crown back to back. Azlan Shah fared worse, falling to fifth overall with 89 points. Azlan would have his work cut out for him and will literally need to string together four wins in the remaining two rounds just to keep the slim thread of hope alive. The only piece of good news for Azlan is that there will be one less rider in his way at the Indian leg of the season. Dimas Ekky Pratama is forced to skip the Indian round due to conflicting race schedules.

Overview: The SuperSports 600cc race at the Sentul Circuit may have lost some stars to injury (Yuki Takahashi, Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman and Ratthapong Wilairot did not compete), but the outcome of the race showed that there was no shortage of star potential. The local heroes certainly knew their way around the 3.864km circuit as they grabbed four out of seven wins on the table at the fourth leg of the season. In the SuperSports 600cc category, it was young Gerry Salim’s time to shine. Race Start: A clean start from poleman Gerry saw the Indonesian hotshot lead Ahmad Yudhistira and Tomoyoshi Koyama into the first corner. Two turns into the race, and already six overtaking moves among the top group had been spotted. Lap 1 to Lap 2: Gerry easily absorbed the pressure of race-leader as he, Yudhistira, Koyama and Dimas Ekky Pratama rapidly broke away from the second pack. MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda’s Zaqhwan Zaidi was left alone in fifth place while Jakkrit Sawangswat and Thitipong Warokorn made the third group. Behind the action, Decha Kraisart took a tumble out of the race. Lap 3: Inch perfect every step of the day, Gerry was able to tackle the bumpy Sentul circuit with finesse, creating a 0.5 seconds lead ahead of Yudhisitra. Lap 4 to 8: No change in position at the front. By Lap 7, the four rampaging riders were 2.4 seconds ahead of fifth-placed Zaqhwan. At the midway point of the race, it looked difficult for Zaqhwan to catch up. Lap 9: Behind the top five, Jakkrit was the leader in the battle for P6, fighting against Noriyuki Haga, Taiga Hada and Anthony West. Lap 10: Gerry, Yudhistira and Dimas are still on course for an all-Indonesian 1-2-3 in front of the packed grandstand. Lap 11: Koyama finally tires of sitting at the end of the leading group and makes his first move. As Dimas slows down to deal with the aggressive Koyama, Gerry got the break he needed to run away at the front of the field. Lap 12: The battle for second place intensified. With Yudhistira, Dimas and Koyama intent on fighting each other, none of the riders noticed that Zaqhwan had overcome a 2.5-second deficit to attach himself to their tail. With four laps to go, Gerry leads by 1.169 seconds. Lap 13 to 14: Koyama starts to look for a way past Yudhistira who is absorbing an enormous amount of pressure from Dimas. Lap 15: The level of aggression got higher. Dimas risked a move on the inside of Turn 2 but promptly lost it to Yudhistira on Turn 3 while Koyama looks on from the outside. The position swapping continued until Zaqhwan pulled of a surprising move two corners before the finish line. While the three riders were intent on fighting each other, Zaqhwan pulled out of the racing line, gunned his engine and managed to overtake all three in one move. It was a win-all-or-lose-all gamble which paid off when Zaqhwan managed to make it stick. Lap 16: Gerry celebrated his double victory on home ground with a time of 24’17.743s while Zaqhwan’s bid for the podium succeeded in placing him second with 24’19.395s. A surprised Dimas pulled in third with 24’19.593s. Championship Standings: Tomoyoshi Koyama once again missed out on the podium in fourth place and he is now tied with Zaqhwan at the top of the riders rankings. Both riders have 131 points a piece. The absent Yuki Takahashi dropped to third with 104 points followed by Dimas Ekky Pratama and Gerry Salim moving up the ladder to fourth and fifth overall respectively. Team Standings: MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda leads the team standings with 162 points, 31 points in front of T.Pro Yuzy Honda NTS with WoW. Gerry and Dimas’s podium finishes at Sentul has boosted team Astra Honda Racing’s position to third overall with 119 points. Rider Quotes: Gerry Salim, Astra Honda Racing, Winner: I am thrilled to be a double winner this weekend. This is my home track and I have been consistently winning here in the local championships. I was glad to have been able to use that intimate knowledge of the track to my advantage. Zaqhwan Zaidi, MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda, 2nd place: I was pushing hard at the start of the race but a slow start off the grid had me at a disadvantage. I tried to stay in touch with the lead group but quite a distance away in fifth position. Luckily, Dimas, Tomoyoshi Koyama and Ahmad Yudhistira were so engrossed with fighting each other at the closing stage of the race that they failed to notice that their pace was slowing down. I decided to blindside the three riders with that risky move. In fact, I almost high sided during that corner but it was a huge gamble that paid off. Dimas Ekky Pratama, Astra Honda Racing, 3rd place: Yudhistira was the biggest stumbling block for me. I was trying to make it to second place when Zaqhwan suddenly showed up out of nowhere. I didn’t have enough time to respond so I guess I just had to be happy with 3rd place. At least we managed to give our team two double podiums this weekend.

Indonesian rookie Gerry Salim enjoyed a phenomenal Race 1 during Round 4 of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship in Sentul, Indonesia. The young Astra Honda Racing Team rider not only clinched his first SuperSports 600cc pole position but also his maiden win in front of his delighted home crowd. Malaysian rider Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi who was the fastest rider during the first day of practice, lost the coveted pole position to high-flying Gerry. Dimas Ekky Pratama also clocked second fastest during the qualifying to lock out the second grid. Zaqhwan parked his bike on the last spot of the front row. As the 16-lap race flagged off, the Astra duo were quick to steal the holeshot but was unable to keep Kawasaki’s Ahmad Yudhistira from charging into the lead. The thee Indonesian riders set the pace for the first 10 laps of the race but Yudhistira lost his hard won position on Lap 11 when he lost the front tyre and slid out of the race. With Yudhistira out of the way, the two team mates continued to duel for the lead, not realizing that Zaqhwan had narrowed the gap behind them. One lap to the chequered flag, Zaqhwan showed his hand at the first corner as he slid under Dimas Ekky Pratama’s defenses to take the lead. Unfortunately, the Malaysian rider made his move too soon and he was unable to react when both Dimas and Gerry mounted a counter-attack. The 16-lap race ended with Gerry Salim taking his maiden SuperSports 600cc win with a time of 24’27.838s. Dimas made it an Indonesian 1-2 when he finished second with 24’27.932s. Zaqhwan had to be content with third place, clocking 24’28.161s. Championship leader Tomoyoshi Koyama managed to keep his championship lead by finishing 4th and currently holds 118 points to his name. Zaqhwan is second overall with 111 points while the absent Yuki Takahashi and Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman dropped to third and fourth overall respectively. Rider Quotes: Gerry Salim: I am so happy that I feel speechless right now. I just want to take this opportunity to thank Astra Honda Racing for believing in me. I dedicate this team to my team mechanics and engineers for their hard work to prepare an amazing race bike for me. Dimas Ekky Pratama: It feels good to be fighting at the front. I tried to go for the win, but somehow just couldn’t make it stick. Of course, I am happy for Gerry to win his first SuperSports 600cc race. It is also great that we were able to deliver a 1-2 finish for team Astra Honda. Zaqhwan Zaidi: It was an exciting race for everyone. I overtook Koyama on Lap 11, just at the same time as when Ahmad Yudhistira crashed out of the lead. Over the next two laps, I noticed that Gerry and Dimas seemed to be fighting each other so I decided to join in the party. I made a mistake at the double right-hander during the last corner. I was just a little off pace at that part of the track. It allowed Gerry and Dimas to ride through. By then, it was too late to make another overtaking attempt. So I would say that I am alright with third place in Race 1.

Malaysian rider Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi interrupted what would be a full-Indonesian domination in the first day of practice for the SuperSports 600cc class at Round 4 of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship in Sentul, Indonesia. A last-minute dash to the finish line netted a blazing quick time of 1’29.936s for the MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda rider and spoiled the party for the Indonesian riders who were on course for a top-five monopoly. In the process, Zaqhwan also erased the 2015 record set by Mohd Zamri Baba (1’29.984s). However, the 22-year-old is bracing for a tough battle ahead. “I went all out just to squeeze that extra 0.019 seconds out of my laptime to get in front of Gerry’s time. The home advantage is particularly important at this track because of its challenging track surface. The local riders, having raced here more often, would naturally be more confident during the heat of the battle. If this formation continues with the four Indonesian riders surrounding me at the starting grid, I will have a tough battle on my hands,” said Zaqhwan. Behind Zaqhwan, the local heroes featured prominently on the timesheets. Team Astra Honda Racing’s rookie Gerry Salim, was phenomenally fast in the second practice session, clocking 1’29.955s. Dimas Ekky Pratama, Andy Muhammad Fadly and Ahmad Yudhistira look set to lock out the remainder of the first and second row as they posted third, fourth and fifth fastest respectively. In the absence of two other title contenders Yuki Takahashi and Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman, championship leader Tomoyoshi Koyama could afford to take it easy on the first day. He was seventh fastest with 1’30.696s. Qualifying for the SuperSports 600cc class will take place on the morning of the second day, ahead of Race 1.