Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah of JDT RACING TEAM delivered an inspiring ride to claim his first victory of the season, bringing the Malaysian flag to the top step of the ASB1000 podium in Round 3 of the 2025 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship at the Mobility Resort Motegi, Japan.
As the lights went out, Hafizh launched well off the line, immediately taking the lead with Keito Abe of SDG HARC―PRO. HONDA PHILIPPINES close on his tail and Sho Nishimura of JAPAN POSTHonda Racing in third. Drama struck early when championship leader Azroy Hakeem Anuar of IDEMITSU HONDA RACING MALAYSIA crashed out following contact with Apiwath Wongthananon of A1 ENERGY BMW RACING TEAM, forcing both riders into an early and frustrating retirement.
By lap 3, Muhammad Zaqhwan Zaidi of IDEMITSU HONDA RACING MALAYSIA made a smooth move on Sho to slot into fourth and began hunting down Nakarin Atiratphuvapat of HONDA RACING THAILAND for third.
Up front, Hafizh maintained his lead as Keito shadowed him relentlessly, waiting for his chance to strike. That moment came on lap 6 when Keito made a decisive move to take over the lead.
The final lap delivered a nail-biting duel as Hafizh and Keito traded overtakes in a heart-stopping battle for the win. With a bold move in a section where he knew he was strongest, Hafizh reclaimed the lead and unleashed everything he had, charging past the chequered flag to seal a memorable victory in 24’09.165s. Keito crossed just behind in 24’09.378s, while Sho Nishimura completed the podium in third at 24’12.201s.
Hafizh reflected on his comeback, “I had a good start, but yesterday didn’t end well for me. Even this morning, I almost lost all my confidence because I wasn’t pushing, I was just riding with my rhythm but suddenly lost the front at Turn 9, which really made me doubt my bike. I didn’t understand why I lost grip so easily, so it shook my confidence heading into Race 2. Today, I got another good start but I didn’t feel ready to push 100%, maybe just 95%. When Keito overtook me, I decided to just follow him, save my energy, and keep the tyre in good shape. On the last lap, I attacked him in the place where I knew I was really strong, and we got the win. This isn’t a perfect weekend, but it’s still a good one. There are 14 people behind me who made this possible, so this win is for them.”
TOP 5 FASTEST – RACE 2
- Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah – JDT RACING TEAM (24’09.165s)
- Keito Abe – SDG HARC―PRO. HONDA PHILIPPINES (24’09.378s)
- Sho Nishimura – JAPAN POSTHonda Racing (24’12.201s)
- Nakarin Atiratphuvapat – HONDA RACING THAILAND (24’13.226s)
- Muhammad Zaqhwan Zaidi – IDEMITSU HONDA RACING MALAYSIA (24’15.292s)