Underbone 150

In the Underbone 150cc category, RCB Yamaha YY Pang rider Mohd Izzat Zaidi inherited a surprise win when the three leading riders crashed out ahead of him at the infamous Chang International Circuit last corner.   Adroitly sidestepping the carnage, a delighted Izzat sprinted to the finish line in 16’40.311s followed by Mohd Affendi Rosli in second place and Wahyu Aji Trilaksana in third.   However, both Affendi and Wahyu will be facing penalties in the form of a 3-point championship points deduction for unsporting behavior in Race 1. Defending champion Mohd Akid Aziz finished out of podium position in fourth place followed by polesitter Mohd Helmi Azman. Seasoned underbone riders Amirul Ariff Musa and Ahmad Fazli Sham were sixth and seventh respectively. Indonesian youngster Syahrul Amin came in eighth. Mohd Haiekal Akmalwas ninth. Most impressive was first-time competitor Huynh Minh Sang, a Uma Racing Yamaha Maju Motor Asia Team wildcard from Vietnam.

Mohd Helmi Azman came out tops in the Underbone 150 qualifier as Round 1 of the 2018 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship got underway.   With Moto3 slicks fitted onto the Underbone bikes for the first time, the SCK Rapido Hi Rev Honda Racing Team rider was able to bank on his previous Asia Talent Cup experience to get ahead of the competition. Helmi posted 2’01.998s, the only rider to lap under the 2’02.   “Because I was already familiar with the tyre characteristics, I was able to perform the moment I got on track. There was no need for me to experiment with different settings or lines,” said Helmi who seemed to have fitted in comfortably with his new team. Prior to this weekend, Helmi had been vacillating between several options before finally settling on the SCK outfit.   Helmi’s closest competitor, fellow Malaysian Mohd Amirul Ariff Musa, clocked 2’02.206s. Also within the 2 minute 2 seconds range, were Gupita Kresna Wardhana (third fastest with 2’02.236s) and Mohd Izzat Zaidi fourth with 2’02.786s. Mohd Adib Rosley ended the qualifying session with 2’03.046s and rounded up the top five.   Defending champion, Mohd Akid Aziz, got off to a rocky start but managed to make the top-10 cut for the SuperPole when he qualified eighth fastest with 2’03.273s.   Indonesian ace, Wahyu Aji Trilaksana, was also one of the faster riders on the grid with 2’02.230s but unfortunately his results were excluded due to a technical infringement.   The use of the Moto3 tyres on the Underbone bikes continued to fascinate fans in the region. The specifications of the tyres are as follows:   Front Rear Size 90/80R17 150/60ZR17 Pattern Moto3 Moto3 Rec. Rim (in)   2.15 3.00 Rim Range (in) 2.15 – 2.50 2.75 – 3.50 Width (mm) 88 113 Centre Diameter (mm) 578 601 Cold Pressure (kPa) 160 – 210 170 – 220 Hot Pressure (kPa) 180 – 230 190 – 240

Malaysian rider Mohd Akid Aziz entered the ARRC history books as the first Underbone 150cc Champion. Needing only two more points to secure his position, the UMA Racing Yamaha Maju Motor rider rode a safe Race 2 and did just enough to pick up his first international title.   The race got off with Anggi Setiawan of Yamaha Yamalube KYT TJM Racetech leading the group across the finish line on Lap 1. However, the usual lead-swapping that is characteristic of underbone racing brought UMA Racing wildcard Paitoon Nakthong up to the front of the group on Lap 2 and Lap 3.   The lead then went to Azroy Hakeem Anuar (Yuzy Honda Vietnam Racing Team) on Lap 4. Mohd Helmi Azman (ONEXOX TKKR Racing) took the reins on Lap 5 but lost the position Anggi on Lap 6. Mohd Izzat Zaidi (RCB Kage Motobatt Yamaha YY Pang Racing) popped into the front on Lap 7 but crashed out of the race on that final lap.   The jostling and skirmishing continued as the riders headed home for the chequered flag. Azroy Hakeem Anuar was the first to break out of the slipstream and shot into first place in 16’46.680s. Defending champion Wahyu Aji Trilaksana followed in second place with 16’46.786s while Mohd Helmi Azman was third across the line in 16’46.859s.   With 177 points in his pockets, Akid became the first Malaysian since 2009 to win the Underbone title in the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. The last Malaysian rider to break the Indonesian domination was Mohd Affendi Rosli.   Defending champion Wahyu Aji Trilaksana dropped to second overall with 165 points while Akid’s team mate Mohd Haziq Mohd Fairues ended the season in third with 141 points.

Underbone defending champion Wahyu Aji Trilaksana kept his title hopes alive when he picked up his third victory of the season at Round 6 of the 2017 Idemitsu FIM Asia Road Racing Championship at Buriram, Thailand.   The Yamaha Racing Indonesia rider started Race 1 from third on the grid but wisely stayed tucked in within the leading group while Mohd Haziq Mohd Fairues and Azroy Hakeem Anuar battled for the lead.   The 12-bike leading pack split on Lap 5 when Mohd Akid Aziz slid out of the race after contact with Mohd Azhar Abd Jalil and Mohd Hafieenaz Mohd Ali.   With only four riders left in the first group, Wahyu began racing more strategically. He made sure to get himself into the lead each time the group crossed the finish line. The strategy worked when the Yamaha Racing Indonesia rider managed to pip Mohd Amirul Ariff Musa to the finish line by 0.478s.   Wahyu brought down the chequered flag with a time of 16’50.406s. Amirul finished second with 16’50.884s and Haziq third with 16’50.984s.   Championship leader Akid was able to get back on track and finished 11th to retain his position at the top of the championship standings. The five points from Akid’s 11th place finish had pushed the UMA Racing Yamaha Maju Motor rider’s points haul to 169 points. Wahyu’s win added 25 points to his collection, bringing up his total to 145 points.   To lift the crown, Akid will only need to finish within the top-14 in Race 2.

Yuzy Honda Vietnam Racing Team’s Azroy Hakeem Anuar is set to start the two final Underbone 150cc races of the season from pole position. The young Malaysian rider had been among the top performers of the Underbone class in the final round, clocking second and fourth fastest during the free practice sessions.   Azroy ramped up his efforts during the morning qualifying practice when he lapped fastest with a time of 2’02.431s – a new lap record at the Chang International Circuit. Riding alone without the benefit of the pack during the all-important Underbone 150cc SuperPole, Azroy confirmed his pole position with a time of 2’05.477s.   Indonesian rider Anggi Setiawan will start from front row alongside championship contender Wahyu Aji Trilaksana. The two compatriots posted 2’05.584s and 2’06.480s respectively.   Championship leader Mohd Akid Aziz will start from the middle of the pack – from ninth on the grid. The UMA Racing Yamaha Maju Motor rider was timed at 2’07.782s during the SuperPole.

Indonesian rider Wahyu Aji Trilaksana is obviously going all-out for a podium-worthy finish to his 2017 season. As the first day of practice commenced for Round 6 of the 2017 Idemitsu FIM Asia Road Racing Championship, the Underbone 150cc riders enjoyed an extra practice session, thanks to the four day race programme.   The Yamaha Racing Indonesia rider topped both FP1 and FP2 and came close to breaking the current track record which was clocked by Anggi Setiawan in Round 2 earlier this year. Wahyu posted a conservative 2’05.012s during the morning session but shaved a full two seconds off his laptimes during the second practice session when he lead the timesheets with 2’02.854s – a new Underbone 150cc lap record at the Chang International Cricuit. He was the only rider to clock within 2’02s.   Behind Wahyu, a trio of Honda competitors – Mohd Amirul Ariff Musa, Mohd Muzakkir Mohamed and Azroy Hakeem Anuar – were second, third and fourth fastest respectively. Amirul posted 2’03.897s as the second fastest rider of the day. Muzakkir and Azroy clocked 2’04.124s and 2’04.288s respectively.   Championship leader Mohd Akid Aziz ended the first day with a conservative seventh fastest time of the day – 2’06.247s.   Among the Thai riders, Nattawut Rungkigsawas who is replacing injured Fakhrusy Syakirin Rostam in the SCK Rapido Hi Rev Honda Racing Team this round posted sixth fastest with 2’05.937s.

The title chase in the 2017 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship goes down to the wire. The 4.5km Chang International Circuit, host to the season finale, will be the battleground on which the final champions will be determined.   The Asia Road Racing Championship was the first international-level motorcycle racing series to race at the Chang Circuit in 2014. Since then, this spectator-friendly circuit has become a firm favourite among the teams and riders in the Asian paddock.   The winning record at the Chang International Circuit is held jointly by three riders – Yuki Takahashi (SuperSports 600cc), Nakarin Atiratphuvapat (Asia Production 250cc) and Hiroki Nakamura (Asia Dream Cup). Each of the riders have won four times at the Chang International Circuit respectively. The three record-holders are not racing in the 2017 season of the ARRC.   The only rider who has a chance of creating a new win record at the Chang Circuit is to be found in the Underbone 150cc category. Indonesian rider Wahyu Aji Trilaksana has taken three wins at the Chang International Circuit to date. He could possibly create a new record of winning five races – provided he scores a double win in the coming final round.