Underbone 130

As the curtains came down on the Underbone 130cc category for the very last time in the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship, Wahyu Aji Trilaksana proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the 130cc class belonged to the Indonesian riders. Going into Race 2 of the ARRC finale at the Chang International Circuit, Wahyu held a narrow 2-point lead ahead of Malaysian Mohd Amirul Ariff Musa. A very focused BKMS rider approached the starting grid knowing that he needed an outright win to etch his name on the trophy. Wahyu’s odds of winning the championship increased when Ahmad Fazli Sham dropped out of the title chase on Lap 1. As the race progressed, the Indonesian duo displayed impeccable teamwork. By Lap 5, Wahyu was 1.9 seconds in front, all because Florianus Roy played his role as second rider to perfection. The gap between Wahyu and the chasing pack kept increasing until the Indonesian crossed the finish line with a 3.559 second lead. Wahyu’s third win of the season was clocked at 17’16.687s. Florianus Roy finished second with 17’20.286s and Mohd Shah Khairil Hisham third with 17’20.728s. Wahyu Aji Trilaksana became the third Indonesian rider to win the Underbone 130cc title, joining Hadi Wijaya and Gupita Kresna Wardhana on the ARRC honor roll. He will also be the last champion of the category as the Underbone 130cc gives way to the SuperCub 150cc in 2017. “This is the biggest title of my career so far. I am so happy right now. I am speechless!” said a delighted Wahyu who picked up 149 points. Mohd Amirul Ariff Musa ended the season in second overall position with 133 points while Mohd Izzat Zaidi was third with 117 points. At the final count, team UMA Racing Yamaha Maju Motor won the Team Award category with 170 points. Wahyu’s team, team TPK48 BKMS Indonesia, was second overall with 149 points. T Pro Yuzy Honda NTS was third with 136 points.

One race remaining on the call cards for the Underbone 130cc category, yet there is still no clear champion in sight for the South East Asian heritage class. The race did not go according to script for early title favourites Wahyu Aji Trilaksana and Ahmad Fazli Sham. Instead, it was newcomer Mohd Haziq Mohd Fairues, Indonesian rider Florianus Roy Brilyan and seasoned underbone campaigner Mohd Amirul Ariff Musa who made the appointment with the podium at the end of Race 1. The excitement and tension for the Underbone race began even before the lights went off. Mohd Adib Rosley of team RCB KAGE Motobatt Yamaha YY Pang, himself a potential title contender, inadvertently stole the limelight when he couldn’t get his bike started during the warm-up lap. Frenzied work on the pitlane amidst Adib’s agonized pleas was finally rewarded when the bike started in time for Adib to start the race from the pitlane. The YY Pang rider was left to play catch up alone at the tail end of the swarm. Wahyu and Fazli were dominant in the first half of the race. Up to Lap 4, the two main contenders had pushed ahead by 0.8 seconds. However, Fazli’s engine gave out on Lap 5. Racing without the benefit of the slipstream, Wahyu was unable to maintain his solo pace and was quickly engulfed by the group. Attacked from all directions in the final three laps, Wahyu lost out on the last-corner scramble, finishing only fifth behind Haziq, Florianus, Amirul and Mohd Shah Khairil Hisham. Haziq took his first Underbone 130cc win with a time of 17’26.285s. 0.055 seconds behind, Florianus Roy crossed the finish line in second place. Mohd Amirul Ariff Musa clocked 17’26.480s in third place. “I am enjoying a great weekend here. My first pole followed by my first win. I thank my team for an amazing bike set-up and I dedicate this win to my mother. It’s her birthday today,” said the dutiful son. Haziq’s win has had multiple impact on the championship standings. Denied a chance to extend his championship lead, Wahyu will have to go all out during Race 2 in order to retain a shred of hope to win the title. The Indonesian BKMS rider now leads with 124 points, only 2 points ahead of Mohd Amirul Aziz Musa. Mohd Izzat Zaidi and Ahmad Fazli Sham also retain a mathematical chance of denying Wahyu’s hopes of becoming the last Underbone 130cc champion in the Asia Road Racing Championship. Within the bigger picture, Haziq’s achievements at the Chang International Circuit has confirmed team UMA Racing Yamaha Maju Motor for the Team Award title in the Underbone 130cc category. The Malaysian outfit has amassed 163 points to date, 38 points ahead of T Pro Yuzy Honda NTS with 125 points. Indonesia’s Team BKMS is third overall with 124 points.

While all eyes were on title contenders Wahyu Aji Trilaksana and Ahmad Fazli Sham in the Underbone 130cc qualifying and subsequent SuperPole sessions, Fazli’s young team mate Mohd Haziq Mohd Fairues snuck past their defenses to log the fastest lap in the underbone class. Clocking in at 02’09.533s, the younger and lighter Haziq confirmed himself for pole position for the final two races in the Underbone 130cc category. Both Wahyu and Fazli qualified for front row. The Indonesian ace will start the race in second place with his best solo lap of 02’09.888s. Split seconds off the pace, Fazli will take up the last spot on the front row with 02’10.040s. “It’s great to receive confirmation that our top speed is on par with Wahyu’s bike. I feel no pressure starting the race from pole position. I just hope to be able to help my team mate Fazli to win the Underbone 130cc title,” said the UMA Racing Yamaha Maju Motor rider. On second row, the pressure is increasing for Mohd Amirul Ariff Musa, Florianus Roy and Mohd Izzat Zaidi. Amirul, who is still in with a shot for the Underbone 130cc title, posted the fourth fastest time with 02’10.356s.

Indonesian ace rider Wahyu Aji Trilaksana is feeling and looking confident at the head of the Underbone 130cc grid. As the current championship leader in the South East Asian heritage class, Wahyu performed true to form when he posted the fastest lap time of 02’09.309s. “I feel confident about the challenge ahead this weekend. I’ve always had good results here at the Chang International Circuit and I like it here. The fast rolling speed suits my riding style and I absolutely love the asphalt,” he said after the first free practice of the Underbone class. Behind Wahyu, fellow title contender Ahmad Fazli Sham posted second fastest with 02’10.719s while FELDA PB Racing’s rookie Mohd Shah Khairil Hisham continued to improve his race craft and ended the day as the third fastest rider with 02’11.363s. Fazli’s young team mate, ARRC debutant Mohd Haziq Fairues clocked fourth fastest with 02’11.679s. Mohd Adib Rosley, another contender for the CP130 crown, was fifth fastest with 02’12.016s.

Even as Round 5 of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship progressed at the Buddh International Circuit, it was soon becoming clear that the Yamaha bikes had a distinct advantage on this wide and flowing circuit. The Yamaha domination extended into the Underbone 130cc category when seasoned campaigner Ahmad Fazli Sham proved himself too hot to handle when he capped off a triumphant weekend with a double win. Race 2 in the Underbone class saw Wahyu Aji Trilaksana taking the hole shot from pole position. Under pressure from the chasing crowd, Wahyu ran wide on Turn 3 but was able to recover his lead ahead of Malaysian riders Norizman Ismail, Mohd Amirul Ariff Musa and Ahmad Fazli Sham. By Lap 4, six riders had split away to form the lead group with Wahyu and Fazli engaged in a psychological warfare as they tested each other’s limits. Also hovering in the background was Florianus Roy, looking to take advantage of any mistakes from the two. As the riders approached the critical last corner, Wahyu held tight to the inside line Fazli pulled off a stunner of an outside overtaking move and dashed to stop the clock at 17’18.598s. Wahyu had to be content in second place, 0.121 seconds behind Fazli while young Haziq Mohd Fairues took third place despite almost crashing when he bumped into Florianus’s rear tyre. “Race 2 was tougher because there was more traffic at the front. When I saw Wahyu in front, I knew I had to try something. On the last lap, Wahyu hugged the inside line too tight. This is such a wide track that I was able to slip by and win the race,” said Fazli. Mohd Amirul Ariff Musa, who was leading the championship after Race 1, was unable to pick up big points in Race 2. Amirul bagged only three points when mechanical failure saw him limping to the finish line. As Round 6 in Buriram looms, only seven points separate the top four riders on the championship table. Wahyu is back as the championship leader with 113 points. Fazli is second overall with 110 points. Malaysian rider Mohd Izzat Zaidi and Amirul are third and fourth with 107 and 106 points apiece.

Malaysia’s senior Underbone 130cc rider Ahmad Fazli Sham put up a masterclass in underbone racing when he won Race 1 during the fifth leg of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. Fazli, who has been on a winning streak of late, snared his second consecutive win in as many weekends. Fazli led an all-Malaysian podium at the Buddh International Circuit comprising of Mohd Amirul Ariff Musa and Mohd Izzat Zaidi who finished second and third places respectively. The Underbone race got off to its usual tussle as soon as the lights went off. Racing again in a group, Fazli was visible throughout as one of the most consistent leaders in the class. On Lap 6, the Uma Yamaha Maju rider fended off an aggressive Florianus Roy to take the final corner. Behind him, Roy crashed out, taking with him Mohd Helmi Azman and Saiful Izman Ahmad. “I think this was a lucky win. I wasn’t able to do much in the early part of the race because Wahyu was just too fast. But when Wahyu developed engine problems midway through, that was when I took full advantage of the situation to push my front wheel ahead of the rest,” said Fazli. The results from Race 1 had again changed the tables. Mohd Amirul Ariff Musa is now the championship leader with 103 points. Mohd Izzat Zaidi is second with 98 points while Wahyu Aji Trilaksana is third with 93 points.

Team TPK48 BKMS Indonesia rider Wahyu Aji Trilaksana earned the right to park on pole position in the Underbone 130cc class as Round 5 of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship gets underway at the Buddh International Circuit in India. The Indonesian rider who is nominally leading the South East Asian heritage class posted 2’27.911s during the SuperPole, approximately half a second faster than his closest competitor. Joining Wahyu on the front row are Malaysian riders Ahmad Fazli Sham of Uma Yamaha Maju Motor and Mohd Amirul Ariff Musa from team T.Pro Yuzy Honda NTS with Wow. Fazli logged 2’28.667s as the second fastest competitor while Amirul was third with 2’28.890s. “In the Underbone class, pole position doesn’t guarantee an advantage. Riders have been known to win races from the back of the grid. This is especially true on circuits like this. Attacks will be coming from every direction,” said Wahyu.

The race to supremacy in the Underbone 130cc class of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship this season has been one of the closest fought to date. With Underbone ace and defending champion Gupita Kresna now racing in the Asia Production 250cc class, the race to clinch the 2016 title has been wide open since the start of the season, with battle lines shifting with every race venue. Wahyu Aji Trilaksana of team TPK48 BKMS is riding on a mission to bring the Underbone 130cc title back to Indonesia for the seventh consecutive year. Should he succeed, Wahyu will become the ninth Indonesian champion in the South East Asian heritage class. He will be carving his name alongside other Underbone greats such as M. Fadli Immammuddin, Doni Tata Pradita, Gilang Pratama Sukma, Wahyu Widodo, Owie Nurhuda, Hadi Wijaya, Rafid Topan and most recently, Gupita Kresna Wardhana. However, the Malaysian contingent would like to have a say in the matter as well. Mohd Amirul Ariff Musa, Mohd Izzat Zaidi, Ahmad Fazli Sham and even young rookie Mohd Helmi Azman have all put in competitive performances strong enough to prevent a runaway lead by their Indonesian rivals. The last time a Malaysian rider won the Underbone title was in 2009 when Mohd Affendi Rosli caught everyone off guard by breaking the Indonesian stronghold astride a Suzuki. The title chase in the Underbone 130cc has an added layer of significance this year. This will be the final season of the Underbone 130cc. By 2017, the class will be replaced by the 150cc Super-Underbone or SuperCub category.With positions among the top 10 riders changing with every round, strong results will be crucial for a rider’s points-bank as they lay the foundation for an all-out final battle in Buriram in December.