The Indonesian flag raised at the podium post SuperSports 600cc of the IDEMITSU FIM Asia Road Racing Championship was a testament to the wit and grit of Indonesian riders, Md Adenanta Putra and Herjun Atna Firdaus of ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM who graced the top spot in Race 1 and 2 respectively at their home-ground. The real question is though, while Adenanta has tamed his machine on various circuit grounds, can Herjun trail his footsteps and ward off the pressure from home-boys in Round 5 that will be held at Sepang International Circuit?
It was unfortunate that Adenanta slipped and fell in Race 2 at Mandalika before savouring the sweet success of a double-win but his teammate, Herjun was quick to fill in his space to ensure the 25-points remain intact within their team. The heat of rivalry is bound to get hotter for the Indonesian lad who has just found his fame, especially on a circuit ground more familiar to aggressive players such as Kasma Daniel of HONG LEONG YAMAHA RACING and Md Helmi Azman of IDEMITSU HONDA RACING MALAYSIA who have clocked not only impressive lap times but also marked victorious in their pursuit.
In Round 2, Kasma bagged the second spot in Race 1 and Helmi took the winning prize in Race 2. The capacities of the riders are clearly undeniable especially in a game where mileage adds up to their advantage. Between the duo, Kasma has whipped up a storm throughout the season and sits pretty at the third spot overall with only a 1-point difference with his closest contender, Anupab Sarmoon of YAMAHA THAILAND RACING TEAM. Helmi, although his light has dimmed a little this season, his competitive stride is nevertheless evident in all races and is expected to fire up once again on his home-soil.
Commenting on the race, Helmi said, “This year would be considered the toughest season for me because as we have observed, there are many competitors who are closing in really fast in terms of machine performance. We definitely have more to improve on the capacities of the machine so that we can remain competitive among the top scorers. As for myself, hard work is always a must and that is what I will be doing to be on par with the counterparts. Sepang being my home-ground does not make it easier for me but I am for a double-win. I have to take advantage of the home-ground factor if I want to see better results, more so after the struggles we have faced in the last couple of rounds. I believe that we can make a comeback.”
“Having said that, I know it will require some new strategies. Although Sepang is my home-ground, other riders are also quite familiar with the track layout. Most importantly, the goal is not to over-pressure myself. I hope to remain calm and composed throughout the weekend and ride through the familiarity, without any major issues with the machine. There are also added value for me here. I will surely have the support of my fans and family members so, with that in mind, I hope to draw some courage and do better. Preparations are as usual – the workouts to build my physique and my mental capacities. The team has also given us some mileage through bike trainings. So, let’s see how it goes. Since on paper, I can still fight for the top three positions, that will be aim for now and I will do my best to ensure I’ve given my all.”