Supersports 600

TYRE STRATEGY PAYS OFF FOR AZLAN

2016, 2016 Round1, Supersports 600 /

Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman crafted a spectacular Asia Road Racing Championship comeback when he piloted his Kawasaki to victory at Round 1 of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. Held at the Johor Circuit on April 1 and 2, 2016, Azlan displayed a near-perfect performance to win the SuperSports 600cc Race 1 with a total time of 26’00.806s. As Round 1 commenced, it was all about the tyre in the SuperSports 600cc class. New tyre rules for the 2016 season brought the element of slick tyres into the Asian premiere category and was a game-changer in more ways than one. Azlan started the race third on the grid, but his choice of hard compound for his front tyre and soft compound for the rear gave him the speed he needed to power his way into the hole shot. For the remainder of the 16-lap race, Azlan controlled the race pace at the front of the pack. “I worked really hard to save my tyre while keeping the rest of the competition at bay. During the first half of the race, I thought that the other riders who had opted for medium rear tyres were biding their time, waiting for my tyres to degrade before they made their move. This turned out to be the right strategy. When Koyama finally attempted to overtake on Lap 11, I still had enough grip left to respond aggressively,” said Azlan who has signed on with BikeART Racing Kawasaki this season. Azlan’s win ended a 9-month Kawasaki drought in the SuperSports 600cc category. The last time a Kawasaki rider won the premiere class of the ARRC was Ahmad Yudhistira who took first place at the Sentul International Circuit last year. 0.795s behind Azlan, T Pro Yuzy Honda NTS rider Tomoyoshi Koyama ended the race in second place. Pole-sitter Zaqhwan Zaidi admitted that he was still grappling with the idea of tyre strategies when he finished third with 25’02.573s. “Both Yuki Takahashi and I opted for a hard-medium combination. But despite our prime starting position at the front row, we were unable to defend that advantage,” said Zaqhwan. Indonesian rider Dimas Ekky Pratama was fourth after a hard-won battle against fifth-placed Taiga Hada. Ratthapong Wilairot finished sixth. Anthony West went from 10th to seventh in his first exposure in SuperSports 600cc racing.

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NO SWEAT: ZAQHWAN CONTINUES 600cc DOMINATION

2016, 2016 Round1, Supersports 600 /

The temperature may be soaring at the Johor Circuit, but local boy Zaqhwan Zaidi is not sweating the competition as he faces down a 21-strong SuperSports 600cc grid. The 21-year-old rider secured the provisional pole position for the season opening leg of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship with his fastest time of 1’31.423s. Zaqhwan, who is also 2014 SuperSports 600cc Asian Champion, will expect stiff competition from Japanese rider Tomoyoshi Koyama who was second fastest with 1’31.654s and his former team mate Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman who clocked third fastest with 1’31.902s. The top three riders were the only ones lapping within the 1 minute 31 second barrier. Zaqhwan’s fastest time recorded during the official pre-season test, 1’31.112s, remains as the unofficial lap record at the 3.86km Johor Circuit. “I think everyone was more relaxed today because we have all been able to do many laps during the pre-season test last week. The variables such as track temperature and tarmac condition has remained the same. So, for the free practices, we were able to focus on long runs to find the limits of the new tyres instead of going for speed. I have been able to test out many different compound combinations but we are still fine-tuning our strategy for qualifying and the race. I am expecting a drastic change of results during the qualifying session so we can’t rest on our laurels yet,” said Zaqhwan. Thai riders Ratthapong Wilairot (1’32.130s) and Thitipong Warokorn (1’32.166s) completed the free practices in fourth and fifth places respectively. Indonesian riders Gerry Salim and Ahmad Yudhistira, double 600cc champion Decha Kraisart, 600cc sophomore Taiga Hada and defending champion Yuki Takahashi all made it into the top-10 in the SuperSports 600cc. Moto2 rider Anthony West, was 13th fastest with 1’32.741s, 1.5 seconds off Zaqhwan’s pace.

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ZAQHWAN COMPLETED THREE DAY PRE-SEASON TEST AS FASTEST 600cc RIDER

2016, 2016 Test, Supersports 600 /

Malaysian rider Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi completed three days of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship pre-season test as the fastest SuperSports 600cc rider on the grid. The MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda rider clocked 1’31.112s on the final day of the pre-season tests, wresting the lead from Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman who had been the pace setter of the 600cc class during the first two days of the test sessions. Azlan, who had a different test objective on Day 3, did not improve on his personal best time, and remains second on the timesheet with 1’31.616s. Tomoyoshi Koyama of team T.Pro Yuzy Honda NTS posted the third quickest time of 1’31.773s. “I really like how the season opener is shaping up. Most exciting was the fact that the SuperSports 600cc are now fully on slick tyres this year. I really like the tyre characteristics and how it improves my performance. But at the Johor Circuit, the rough surface requires the team to try out more set-up combinations in order to get the ideal tyre strategy,” said Zaqhwan who is also 2014 SuperSports 600cc Champion. “Frankly, I was surprised that I had managed to clock the fastest time because everyone kept getting progressively faster. Let’s use my team mate Yuki Takahashi’s best time as a benchmark. On Day 1, Takahashi clocked the third fastest time, 1’32.924s. He was absent from the test on Day 2 and Day 3. He has now dropped to 14th fastest. The race next week is bound to be a tightly contested race, especially with the news of more international calibre riders entering the fray.” Combined SuperSports 600cc Practice Results: 1. Md Zaqhwan Zaidi (MAS), 1’31.112s; 2. Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman (MAS), 1’31.616s; 3. Tomoyoshi Koyama (JPN), 1’31.773s; 4. Decha Kraisart (THA), 1’31.779s; 5. Ratthapong Wilairot (THA), 1’32.233s; 6. Ahmad Yudhistira (INA), 1’32.243; 7. Taiga Hada (JPN), 1’32.501s; 8. Jakkrit Sawangswat (THA), 1’32.508s; 9. Thitipong Warokorn (THA), 1’32.520s; 10. Andy Muhammad Fadly (INA), 1’32.525s

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ARRC RELEASES 2016 CALENDAR FEATURING JOHOR CIRCUIT, BURIRAM, SUZUKA, BUDDH AND SENTUL

2016, 2016 Round1, 2016 Test, Asia Dream Cup, Asia Production 250, Latest News, Supersports 600, Suzuki Asian Challenge, Underbone 130 /

The FIM Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) 2016 calendar will feature a combination of familiar and new circuits as the 21st season of the Asian series get underway. The season will open with a return to the Johor Circuit in Pasir Gudang, Johor, Malaysia on April 1 and 2, 2016. The last time the 3.86km Johor Circuit hosted the ARRC was in 2007. The second leg will take place at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand followed by Suzuka Circuit in Japan and the Sentul Circuit in Indonesia as hosts for the third and fourth rounds respectively. Round 5 will take place at a new venue – the Buddh International Circuit in New Delhi, India. Thailand’s Chang Circuit will close off the 2016 season in December. Quote by Ron Hogg – Director, Two Wheels Motor Racing (race promoters of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship) “This year, we are excited at the opportunity to return to the Johor Circuit. The Championship has taken a 10-year leave of absence from Johor and we hope that this homecoming will create a huge impact with the local motorsports fans.” “Even more exciting is the prospect of racing at the Buddh International Circuit in New Delhi, India. The Championship’s previous visits to India were at the southern tip of the continent, the Madras Race Track in Chennai. This time, the riders will be taking on new challenges from the 5.13km Formula 1 circuit.” Round Venue Date Round 1 Johor Circuit, MALAYSIA April 1 & 2, 2016 Round 2 Chang International Circuit, THAILAND May 7 & 8, 2016 Round 3 Suzuka Circuit, JAPAN June 4 & 5, 2016 Round 4 Sentul Circuit, INDONESIA August 6 & 7, 2016 Round 5 Buddh Circuit, INDIA October 1 & 2, 2016 Round 6 Chang International Circuit, THAILAND December 3 & 4, 2016 Note: All dates and venues are subject to change.

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AZLAN AND ZAQHWAN TOPS DAY 2 PRE-SEASON TEST

2016, 2016 Test, Supersports 600 /

Malaysian duo Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman and Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi have emerged as favourites to win the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship season opener at the Johor Circuit in Pasir Gudang, Malaysia. The two former team mates were consistently at the top of the SuperSports 600cc timesheets over the first two days of pre-season tests. Azlan, now racing for team BikeART Kawasaki Racing, have constantly improved his laptimes with each practice session and is now the fastest rider on the grid with 1’31.616s. MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda’s Zaqhwan was the only other rider in the 600cc class to punch through the 1 minute 32 second barrier. Zaqhwan clocked 1’31.790s, the second fastest rider in the class to date. Tomoyoshi Koyama was third fastest with 1’32.052s. Azlan races one of four Kawasaki bikes in the SuperSports 600cc class. Manual Tech KYT Kawasaki Racing’s Andy Muhammad Fadly and Ahmad Yudhistira were 6th and 7th fastest respectively after two days of practice. Meanwhile, defending champion Yuki Takahashi who was third fastest on Day 1, has dropped down to ninth overall position as the majority of riders improved on their lap records. Takahashi was absent on Day 2 of the pre-season test. Quote by Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman: There is still plenty of work to be done. For the second day of the pre-season test, our objective was to go at race pace and test the difference in durability between the medium and soft compound tyres. We also have some more mapping work to do because the bike is responding adversely to the hot weather. Day 2 Pre-Season Test Results: SuperSports 600cc 1. Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman (MAS), 1’31.616s; 2. Md Zaqhwan Zaidi (MAS), 1’31.790s; 3. Tomoyoshi Koyama (JPN), 1’32.052s; 4. Jakkrit Sawangswat (THA), 1’32.508s; 5. Ratthapong Wilairot (THA), 1’32.511s; 6. Andy Muhammad Fadly (INA), 1’32.525s; 7. Ahmad Yudhistira (INA), 1’32.551s; 8. Thitipong Warokorn (THA), 1’32.618s; 9. Yuki Takahashi (JPN), 1’32.924s; 10. Dimas Ekky Pratama (INA), 1’32.942s

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AZLAN NO LONGER NERVOUS AS KAWASAKI’S LEAD RIDER

2016, 2016 Test, Supersports 600 /

Retirement from the MotoGP has not ended Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman’s racing career. In 2016, Azlan is set to take on the responsibility as Kawasaki’s lead rider in the SuperSports 600cc category of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. For the 32-year-old rider who won the SuperSports 600cc title in 2013, it will be a homecoming. Azlan is well aware that the journey back to the Asian series will not be a walk in the park. “The ARRC gets tougher every year. It continues to attract world-level Asian riders and at the same time, has been able to produce a number of strong contenders through the series itself. I have been away from the series for two years and I am not expecting an easy comeback,” said Azlan. After a career spent astride first the Yamaha and then latterly the Honda bike, Azlan takes on the final challenge of taming the Kawasaki. “I tested the bike with my team BikeArt Racing Kawasaki, a few weeks ago and I felt really positive about the results. When I clocked fastest during the pre-season test, it was even more encouraging.” Azlan led the SuperSports 600cc field during Day 1 of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship pre-season test currently underway at the Johor Circuit. The returning champion posted 1’32.311s to set the 600cc benchmark. Azlan was 0.444s ahead of Zaqhwan Zaidi’s pace, clocked at 1’32.755s. Zaqhwan’s team mate Yuki Takahashi was third fastest with 1’32.924s. The season opener of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship will be held at the Johor Circuit on April 1 and 2, 2016. Day 1 Pre-Season Test Results: SuperSports 600cc 1. Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman (MAS), 1’32.311s; 2. Md Zaqhwan Zaidi (MAS), 1’32.755s; 3. Yuki Takahashi (JPN), 1’32.924s; 4. Ratthapong Wilairot (THA), 1’33.100; 5. Decha Kraisart (THA), 1’33.308s; 6. Tomoyoshi Koyama (JPN), 1’33.448s; 7. Ahmad Yudhistira (INA), 1’33.864s; 8. Dimas Ekky Pratama (INA), 1’34.090s; 9. Noriyuki Haga (JPN), 1’34.411s; 10. Andy Muhammad Fadly (INA), 1’34.511s Asia Production 250cc 1. Takehiro Yamamoto (JPN), 1’46.182s; Galang Hendra Pratama (INA), 1’46.795s; 3. Apiwat Wongthananon (THA), 1’46.806s; 4. Md Muzakkir Mohd (MAS), 1’47.083s; 5. Ayumu Tanaka (JPN), 1’47.183s; 6. Vorapong Malahuan (THA), 1’47.309s; 7. Somkiat Chantra (THA), 1’47.424s; 8. Peerapong Loiboonpeng (THA), 1’47.685s; 9. Soichiro Minamimoto (JPN), 1’47.792s; 10. Kasma Daniel Kasmayuddin (MAS), 1’48.008s Underbone 130cc 1. Md Shah Khairil Hisham (MAS), 1’54.525s; 2. Md Adib Rosley (MAS), 1’54.708s; 3. Iqbal Amri Malik (MAS), 1’54.926s

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YUKI TAKAHASHI MAKES IT FIVE IN A ROW IN QATAR

Supersports 600 /

Musashi Boon Siew Honda Racing’s Yuki Takahashi wrapped up the penultimate round of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship on a high note as he bagged his fifth consecutive win in Race 2 of the SuperSports 600cc category at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar. The poleman eased to victory after closest challenger, Yudhistira (Manual Tech KYT Kawasaki) lost pace due to worn out tyres and excessive chatter with five laps remaining while title contender, Tomoyoshi Koyama (T.Pro Yuzy Honda NTS) struggled with a shoulder injury sustained in yesterday’s race. Yuki rounded up the gruelling 15-lap battle in 31’18.704s, a whopping 9.196 seconds gap ahead of Yudhistira in second place with 31’27.900s. Koyama who could only put out a strong pace in the first five laps rode through his pain and finished third with 31’38.809s to keep his championship hopes alive. With this win, Yuki extended his point tally to 177 points, 44 points ahead of Tomoyoshi Koyama (T.Pro Yuzy Honda NTS) followed by Yudhistira third with 123 points. Yuki’s victory at the 5.380 kilometre circuit also meant that Musashi Boon Siew Honda Racing have successfully retain the Best SuperSports 600cc Team Award for a fourth consecutive year with 193 points. “Race 2 was very difficult. I wanted to take advantage of my pole position to steal the holeshot and pull away as quickly possible but Koyama had an amazing start. It was only in the second lap that I managed to get in front but even so, everybody was still quite close. I didn’t want to take any risk so I kept a steady pace and tried my best to hold off Yudhistira,” commented Yuki on the race. “I am proud to take another double win and I am very happy that we succeeded to defend the Best Team Award four years running. It‘s been an unbelievable year from the results to the performance of the bike and this victory is well deserved,” he added.

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EXPANDED FOUR-DAY SCHEDULE FOR ARRC FINALE IN BURIRAM

Supersports 600 /

The 2015 season finale of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship will see an expanded race programme as the Asian series head to Buriram, Thailand for the second time this year. Scheduled to be held from December 3 to 6, 2015, the high level of local interest in the sport has encouraged the race organisers to incrase the number of days in the programme from the usual three day weekend to four. Apart from the five Asia Road Racing classes (SuperSports 600cc, Asia Production 250cc, Underbone 130cc, Asia Draem Cup and Suzuki Asian Challenge), the race programme for the final round in Thailand will be supplemented by three national-level races. These are the Thailand Honda Dream Cup (Groups 1 and 2) as well as the Yamaha R3 Thailand Challenge Cup. “The motorsports industry in Thailand underwent an overnight boom the moment the Chang International Circuit opened in late 2014. The Thais have always had a love for motorcycles and all that racing passion simmering under the surface erupted into a vibrant motorsports industry,” said Ron Hogg, Promotions Director of Two Wheels Motor Racing, the race promoters of the ARRC. Spectator attendance and media interest at Chang are consistently high. Added with a professional management team, the circuit has become the latest must-go destination for many of the world’s top motorsports events. The upcoming final leg of the 2015 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship will be the first time in 20 seasons in which the race weekend is extended into a 4-day event. “More than 200 riders will be racing at the Chang Circuit this weekend and we expect the racing to be competitive and exciting in all the race classes,” Ron added. In the SuperSports 600cc class, MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda’s Yuki Takahashi is but one point away from the title while Gupita Kresna has got the Underbone crown in the bag. But there is still plenty to fight for with riders still contending for points to boost their ranking.

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YUKI NABS POLE FOR HONDA IN HEATED QATAR QUALIFYING

Supersports 600 /

Yuki Takahashi continued his excellent form as he secured pole position in the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship happening at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar this weekend. The Musashi Boon Siew Honda Racing rider left it late into the session to post the fastest lap in 2’04.729s with Ratthapong Wilairot (AP Honda Racing Thailand) and Tomoyoshi Koyama (T.Pro Yuzy Honda NTS) locking out front row with 2’04.912s and 2’05.513s. Ahmad Yudhistira (Manual Tech KYT Kawasaki) is set to mount his podium challenge from second row having clock a personal best of 2’05.558s ahead of Makoto Inagaki (YELLOWCORN Akeno Speed Racing) and Yuki Ito (PETRONAS Hong Leong Yamaha) who timed 2’05.578s and 2’05.868s respectively. Ratthapong’s teammate, Jakkrit Swangswat will start the 15-lap race from third row alongside Taiga Hada (T.Pro Yuzy Honda NTS) and reigning SuperSports 600cc champion, Zaqhwan Zaidi.

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THAI-JAPANESE CONFRONTATION ON THE CARDS

Supersports 600 /

The four day finale of the 2015 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship revs off with two free practice sessions for the open-make SuperSports 600cc, Asia Production 250cc, and Underbone 130cc classes. From the results of the first day of practice, the weekend is shaping up to a Thai-Japanese confrontation especially in the premiere SuperSports 600cc class. MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda Racing’s Yuki Takahashi is in strong form, clocking in fastest of the day with 1’39.820s. Behind Takahashi, Kawasaki rider Ahmad Yudhistira was the only Indonesian to make it into the top-10 when he posted the second fastest time of 1’40.086s. Returning former ARRC protege and current Moto2 rider Thitipong Warokorn was third fastest with 1’40.223s followed by Ratthapong Wilairot who was fourth fastest and wildcard rider Ryuiji Yokoe, fifth. “The Thai riders seem to be in top form this weekend, even the wildcard riders are posting amazing results. We tried out a bunch of different settings during the morning session where I was second fastest. But ultimately, we decided to revert back to our Round 4 configurations as it had yielded the best results for this track. The surface of the tarmac is a little slippery, mainly due to the high number of car races that had been held at this popular circuit. Thanks to the expanded race programme, we now have one extra day in which to fine-tune the machine for the final battle,” said Takahashi. Other Thai and Japanese riders in the top-10 during the free practice results included Anucha Narkcharoensri, Tomoyoshi Koyama, Decha Kraisart, Hikari Okubo, and Suhathai Chaemsup. The fastest Malaysian rider was Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi who posted 11the fastest with 1’40.999s. In the Asia Production 250cc class, a similar Thai-Japanese battle seem to be on the cards as Takehiro Yamamoto and Apiwat Wongthananon take their title chase right down the wire to the final round. Needing to overcome the 24-point lead held by Yamamoto, Apiwat shot to the top of the timesheets during the second free practice session with 1’57.637s. Yamamoto was second fastest with 1’57.737s while Vorapong Malahuan and Nakarin Atiratphuvapat were third and fourth fastest respectively. Finally, Indonesian riders Wahyu Aji Trilaksana and Ferlando Herdian tag-teamed their way to the leadership position during the second free practice session. Wahyu was fastest with 2’08.763s while Ferlando trailed with 2’09.451s. Malaysian rider Mohd Adib Rosley was third fastest with 2’09.471s. Anggi Permana Putera and Elly Idzlianizar Ilias made up the rest of the top-5.

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