Supersports 600

Welcoming a new born baby boy into the Kraisart family had provided the extra impetus for Decha Kraisart to push through the psychological barrier of a comeback and win his first SuperSports 600cc victory in the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship since 2010. The 35-year-old Thai rider persevered through a race of attrition in Race 1 of the Suzuka leg of the 2016 season. Qualifying third fastest on the grid, Decha carried the fight to Yuki Takahashi in the first five laps of the SuperSports 600cc Race 1. However, the race was red-flagged on Lap 5 when Anucha Nakcharoensri’s crash at the final chicane caused his bike to burst into flames. The riders were reassembled for a shortened race, and at the end of the combined race times, Decha Kraisart was declared as the winner with a time of 20’01.675s. Yuki Takahashi placed second with 20’02.003s while Tomoyoshi Koyama was third with 20’03.420s. “The latest addition to our family was born yesterday (June 3). When I received the good news, I felt super charged and confident that I could handle anything. By coincidence, I named my son Japan Kraisart because I loved the years I spent racing in the All Japan Championship. It may be a coincidence but I feel like my son had brought me good luck in this race. A few years ago, I named my firstborn daughter Asia Kraisart, in tribute to the Asia Road Racing Championship,” said Decha who had formerly been crowned SuperSports 600cc champion in 2007 and 2010. Championship leader Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman picked up 11 points in fifth place to stay at the front with 89 points. Tomoyoshi Koyama’s podium finish at Suzuka placed him second overall with 85 points while Zaqhwan Zaidi hung on to third place with 84 points despite finishing only ninth in Race 1.

Two rounds without a win and currently fourth in the SuperSports 600cc title chase, defending champion Yuki Takahashi is plotting a comeback at the Suzuka Circuit this weekend, host to Round 3 of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. During the first day of free practices for the SuperSports 600cc class, Takahashi was clearly the man to beat as he topped the timesheets for each practice session and ended the day by breaking his own lap record to set a new 2’12.793s record on the 5.807km circuit. The top five saw a mix of riders from different nationalities producing good results at the tricky circuit. Thailand’s Ratthapong Wilairot clocked second fastest with 2’12.904s followed by Indonesia’s Ahmad Yudhistira third fastest with 2’13.019s. Young 600cc rookie Taiga Hada was fourth fastest with 2’13.276s followed by current championship leader Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman posting the fifth fastest time of 2’13.386s. The MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda rider had always relied on his home venue to turn his title hopes around. Takahashi currently trails Azlan by 19 points and will need maximum input from the Suzuka leg to boost his title defense campaign.

Malaysian rider Zaqhwan Zaidi took top honours in Race 2 of the SuperSports 600cc class after surviving a wheel-to-wheel battle against compatriot Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman as the second leg of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship wrapped up at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand. The 21-year-old flew into the lead at the start of the race, with 20 fierce competitors hot on his tail. The MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda rider barely had time to settle into his racing as Ahmad Yudhistira, Tomoyoshi Koyama, Ratthapong Wilairot, and Azlan Shah made their presence felt in the leading pack. The battle for P1 raged on for the first six laps. Yudhistira was particularly aggressive but the arrival of Anthony West on Lap 7 distracted the Indonesian rider from his relentless pursuit of the lead. This allowed Zaqhwan and Azlan to carve out some daylight between them and the 5-rider battle for P3. Meanwhile, Yuki Takahashi who was pushed wide at the start of the race, arrived at P3 after successfully overtaking 17 other riders in a determined 9-lap charge. Even as Takahashi stole the spotlight for his achievement, the battle at the front intensified. Two laps to go and Azlan began to put pressure on Zaqhwan. However, learning from his experience at the Johor Circuit in Round 1, Zaqhwan was not so easily intimidated. Azlan took the lead at the hairpin corner during the final lap, but Zaqhwan was quick to slip through his defenses. Both riders were neck-to-neck through the last corner until Zaqhwan’s momentum carried him to victory with a time of 30’05.166s. An exhausted Azlan had to settle for second place with 30’05.950s while Takahashi rounded up the winning trio in third place with 30’07.239. “I knew that my bike had the best pace and I tried really hard to pull away at the start of the race. That was impossible, so I quickly changed my race approach. During the closing stages of the race, I knew that Azlan was going to make a move at the last corner and I slammed the door on him just at the right time to disrupt his rolling speed and force him on the brakes,” said Zaqhwan. Koyama’s victory in Race 1 and Zaqhwan’s win in Race 2 had brought the SuperSports 600cc title chase back to square one. Azlan still leads with 78 points but Zaqhwan is now only 1 point behind with 77 points. Koyama stands third with 69 points. Things are looking a little less tense in the team awards category. Strong performances by both Zaqhwan and Takahashi had placed team MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda at the lead with 91 points. Team BikeART Racing Kawasaki, having only Azlan to rely on, is now second with 78 points while Tomoyoshi Koyama had brought team T.Pro Yuzy Honda NTS with WoW into third position with 69 points.

Four years into the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship and Tomoyoshi Koyama finally ended his winning drought with a faultless performance in Race 1 of the SuperSports 600cc at the Chang International Circuit. The win came as the first set of races got underway for Round 2 of the 2016 season this weekend. The 33-year-old Japanese rider started the race from third on the grid, filing up beside pole sitter Zaqhwan Zaidi and Ratthapong Wilairot on the front row. A rocket start catapulted Koyama into the lead. Throughout the extended 18-lap race, Koyama held steady through a number of challenges – first from Decha Kraisart, Zaqhwan Zaidi and Anucha Nakcharoensri. Behind Koyama, the treacherous track conditions and pressure of the race whittled down the 21-man grid. The competition intensified in the final lap when 600cc rookie Anucha finally made a move on Koyama. Despite his exhaustion, Koyama dug deep and found the extra reserves to hold his course. Anucha’s challenge ended in disappointment when his aggressive moves caused him to crash on the last corner. The T.Pro Yuzy Honda NTS with WOW rider celebrated his first Asian victory with a total race time of 30’08.402s. Meanwhile, Anucha’s crash gifted second and third place podium finishes to MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda team mates Zaqhwan Zaidi and Yuki Takahashi. “This must be one of the toughest races I have ever endured. The heat, the competition, the extra long race, everything was a challenge. Throughout most of the race, all I could think of was that I had to win the race. It was the only thought in my mind. The final two extra laps were pure torture. I had already reached the end of my physical endurance and vomited into my helmet. Still I persevered and I am really happy with this win,” said Koyama. Championship leader Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman struggled at the 4.554km Chang circuit, picking up only eight points to stay marginally in the lead with 58 points. Race winner Koyama is now second overall with 56 points and Zaqhwan third with 52 points.

MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda’s Zaqhwan Zaidi is revelling in the heat of the Chang International Circuit while SuperSports 600cc championship leader Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman struggles to get on pace. The Malaysian rider who is second overall in the title chase was quickest during the first day of practice for Round 2 of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship underway in Thailand this weekend. Despite playing second fiddle behind team mate Yuki Takahashi during the first two practice sessions, Zaqhwan came out with guns blazing at the third session with 1’40.249, the fastest lap of the day. Decha Kraisart and Tomoyoshi Koyama posted 1’40.255s and 1’40.376s respectively to round up the top three. Meanwhile, Takahashi’s pristine record at the Chang International Circuit was marred by a crash at Turn 1 during the second free practice session. Takahashi ended the first day fourth fastest with 1’40.468s followed by Ratthapong Wilairot with 1’40.655s. “The track surface is heating up as the day wears on and we are getting less traction than ever. I took an unexpected tumble during FP2, but sustained only minor damages to the bike. I am still confident that my results will hold up well for the qualifying and subsequent races,” said Takahashi who is looking to revive his title defense here in Buriram. Meanwhile, class leader Azlan Shah struggled to produce the laptimes on an unfamiliar circuit. “The tarmac was really slippy and to be absolutely honest, these types of track layouts with a lot of stop-and-go are never high on my favourites list,” said Azlan who was 11th fastest in FP1, 10th fastest in FP2, and eventually 9th fastest in FP3. Qualifying for the SuperSports 600cc will take place on Saturday morning to be followed by Race 1 in the afternoon. Catch the live stream of the races on www.eversport.tv starting from 0505hrs GMT.

The 4.554km Chang International Circuit, Thailand’s first FIM Grade A circuit, can be a deceptively difficult race course for rookie riders. For Malaysian rider Mohd Fitri Ashraff Razali, currently in his third season in the premiere class of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship, the circuit located in Buriram is the most important race track in the 2016 title chase. “The Chang International Circuit will host the ARRC twice this season. Therefore, the ability to score big points here becomes doubly important. This is not an easy race track to master. It looks easy on paper but there are two big trouble spots that could have a big impact on riders’ performance. Turn 4 happens as we descend from a slight elevation and we have to make an immediate left hand dive. Because of the elevation, we won’t be able to sight the corner prior to the turn and the method to tackle this turn must be memorized and ingrained into our muscles and reactions. Turn 12, the last corner, is also another tricky spot. It is a sharp right-hander and any mistake here will send the rider out onto the runoff area, effectively killing our race pace,” said Fitri. The 22-year-old Malaysian rider has much to prove this season, especially after landing a coveted ride with factory team Yamaha Racing. In a field of factory-supported satellite teams, Team Yamaha Racing is the only factory outfit in the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. “Turn 4 and 12 have always been the hardest part of the circuit for me. I have not had good results here in 2015. This season, I must overcome those blocks. I need to improve on my rankings to secure my seat in the team,” he said. Fitri ranked 32nd overall in 2014, his maiden season in the SuperSports 600cc class. In his sophomore year in 2015, he climbed up the ladder to finish 25th overall. After one round of competition in 2016, Fitri is currently 14th overall.

23-year-old Indian rider Sarath Kumar is set to take on a new chapter in his racing career. With backing from the WOW Digit Company, the former Asia Dream Cup graduate will be making his SuperSports 600cc debut at Round 2 of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. Scheduled to be held at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand on May 7 – 8, 2016, Sarath will be running mates with two Japanese aces – Moto2 rider Tomoyoshi Koyama and upcoming hotshot Taiga Hada. Sarath was the first Indian rider to be accepted in the Honda-driven Asia Dream Cup. He ranked ninth overall in 2014 but slipped down to 13th in 2015. While Sarath will not be the first Indian to race in the Supersports 600cc class (that distinction has already been taken by K. Rajini), his participation in the class becomes that much more anticipated with the Buddh International Circuit set to host the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship later this year. “This is a perfect time for me to move from 250 class to the 600 class and I am so happy that I will be representing India in ARRC SS600. I have been riding the smaller bikes for over 8 years and because of my physic I had to move up the cc class but I did not expect the opportunity to come so soon that to at such a high level of competition. ARRC SS600 is one of the toughest grid in the world and I want to learn a lot this year before I start thinking about results. Riding with teammates like Koyoma will be a great learning opportunity for me and I hope I can get adjusted with the motorcycle fast. I really want to thank Honda Motorcycles & Scooters India, HM Japan our sponsors Mr. John Sudheer, WOW Digit Company and Mr. Ramji Govindarajan, Ten10 Racing who came forward to support the entire team for the season,” said Sarath. The Asia Dream Cup is an intermediary development programme meant to bridge the distance between the national championships and the regional and international levels. A fully sponsored programme, the Asia Dream Cup has become a much coveted opportunity among young hopefuls from around the region. Within five short years, the Asia Dream Cup had clocked tremendous success with their proteges now making waves around the world. 2012 winner Hikari Okubo is now a full-season World Superbike rider racing the 1000cc, 2013 and 2014 winners Hiroki Ono and Khairul Idham Pawi form a team in the Moto3 World Championships, 2015 winner Mukhlada Sarapuech is now being trained in Japan. Other luminaries from the Asia Dream Cup platform include Australian rider Josh Hook, now a WSBK rider with Hikari Okubo; as well as Indonesian Gerry Salim who is beginning to make big strides in the SuperSports 600cc class of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. The Asia Dream Cup gained global prominence recently when Malaysian rider Khairul Idham Pawi became the first South East Asian to win the Moto3 race. Khairul accomplished his feat at the Argentinian Grand Prix on April 3

Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman made a big comeback to the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship with a double victory in the season opener held at the Johor Circuit on April 1 and 2, 2016. The Malaysian rider followed up his commanding performance in Race 1 with an unexpected change of tyre strategy. Even though the soft compound rear tyre netted him good results on Friday, Azlan opted for the hard compound for Race 2. With track temperature close to 55 degrees Celcius, the choice was disadvantageous at the start of the race. Pole-sitter Zaqhwan Zaidi and Yuki Takahashi both opted for soft compound rears for Race 2. The MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda duo were quick to capitalize on their prime starting position on the front row. However, Azlan was never far behind. As the 16-lap race progressed, tyre wear rapidly became a serious issue. Takahashi was content to stay in third place, allowing the two Malaysians to battle it out in front of their home crowd. In trying to fend off constant attacks from an increasingly aggressive Azlan on the final lap, Zaqhwan committed a critical error on Turn 3. As Zaqhwan ran wide, Azlan raced through and held the lead right to the chequered flag. Azlan brought the flag down at 24’56.627s, followed by Yuki Takahashi second with 24’57.612s. Zaqhwan recovered fast enough to squeak through onto the podium in third place. Behind the leading trio, former Asia Dream Cup rider Gerry Salim rode an impressive ride in fourth place. The young Indonesian rider successfully edged out Tomoyoshi Koyama, Ahmad Yudhistira, Dimas Ekky Pratama and Anthony West. Maximum points from Race 1 has Azlan leading the SuperSports 600cc title chase. Zaqhwan Zaidi is currently second overall with 32 points and Tomoyoshi Koyama’s consistency placed him third in the rankings with 31 points. Rider Quotes: Azlan Shah: “I was playing it safe at the start. I had identified Turn 3 as one of the possibilities for an overtaking move. My patience paid off when Zaqhwan ran wide right on cue. This double win was unexpected and I have my new team to thank for it.” Yuki Takahashi: “Today’s results was certainly better than Race 1. My performance suffered because I was only able to do one day of testing during the pre-season official tests. Because of that, I don’t have enough data with the new tyre and ended up making the wrong tyre choice in Race 1. To be honest, I really didn’t have any specific strategy in mind. I just wanted to follow Zaqhwan and push hard to overtake.” Zaqhwan: “Of course I am disappointed. I had a good start and led the majority of the 16 laps. My mistake at Turn 3 was painful. I guess I would have to be satisfied with two podium finishes this round.”