Round 3 of the 2025 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship got underway today at the Mobility Resort Motegi, Japan, where Malaysia’s Muhammad Helmi Azman of IDEMITSU HONDA RACING MALAYSIA asserted his dominance as the fastest rider in the SS600 combined practice sessions.
Helmi made an early impact in Practice 1, setting the pace with a 1’54.825s lap. Wahyu Nugroho of YAMAHA RACING INDONESIA was close behind at 1’54.844s, while Helmi’s teammate, Khairul Idham Pawi, clocked 1’54.931s for third.
In Practice 2, Helmi remained untouchable, again leading the field with a 1’54.938s. Mckinley Kyle Paz of HONG LEONG YAMAHA RACING was second at 1’55.070s, followed by Mohammad Adenanta Putra with 1’55.082s.
Helmi sealed the day with an electrifying lap of 1’54.236s in Practice 3—his fastest yet. Kasma Daniel took second with a 1’54.416s, while Mckinley stayed consistent with 1’54.574s for third.
With unmatched consistency and pace across all sessions, Helmi ended the day atop the combined standings. Kasma and Mckinley rounded out the top three, as the field gears up for a high-stakes qualifying round.
Helmi said, “Overall, I’m very happy with my performance today. I had a good rhythm on the bike and felt strong especially in cornering. Unfortunately, I crashed twice in the last practice session. I understand the issues—the first crash was my mistake, and the second was due to the cold track temperature. But everything is fine, and I’m okay too. I want to maintain this momentum and performance. Hopefully, tomorrow and Race 2 on Sunday will be even better.”
TOP 5 FASTEST – COMBINED PRACTICE
- Muhammad Helmi Azman – IDEMITSU HONDA RACING MALAYSIA (1’54.236s)
- Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin – HONG LEONG YAMAHA RACING (1’54.416s)
- McKinley Kyle Paz – HONG LEONG YAMAHA RACING (1’54.574s)
- Wahyu Nugroho – YAMAHA RACING INDONESIA (1’54.844s)
- Khairul Idham Pawi – IDEMITSU HONDA RACING MALAYSIA (1’54.931s)