Race 2 of Round 4 of the IDEMITSU FIM Asia Road Racing Championship delivered drama at the Mandalika International Circuit today, as Indonesian debutant Herjun Atna Firdaus of ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM stormed to his maiden SS600 victory in front of the home crowd.
The showdown unfolded with Wahyu Nugroho of YAMAHA RACING INDONESIA launching strongly from the start, while Herjun slotted in behind in P2. But just seconds into the opening lap, Herjun’s teammate Mohammad Adenanta Putra slipped past to seize second place, igniting a fierce battle at the sharp end.
By Lap 2, Thailand’s Anupab Sarmoon of YAMAHA THAILAND RACING TEAM began his charge, overtaking Herjun to go after Adenanta. Wahyu continued to set the pace, clocking a fastest lap of 1’38.829s on Lap 5, though he struggled to break away as Adenanta piled on the pressure.
The intensity soared on Lap 6 when Thanat Laoongplio of HONDA RACING THAILAND set the race’s fastest time of 1’38.388s at 244.3km/h, muscling past Herjun for fourth and joining the leading group.
As the laps wound down, the front pack of Wahyu, Adenanta, Anupab, and Thanat looked set for a thrilling finish until Lap 10 produced heartbreak. A dramatic crash saw Wahyu, Adenanta, Anupab, Thanat, and Muhammad Faerozi Toreqottullah of YAMAHA RACING INDONESIA all tumbled out, leaving the battle wide open.
Sensing his moment, Kitsada Tanachot of HONDA RACING THAILAND surged into the lead on the final lap. But the Mandalika crowd erupted when Herjun launched a daring move at the last corner, snatching victory at the line with a time of 19’51.767s, just 0.141s clear of Kitsada. Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin of HONG LEONG YAMAHA RACING completed the podium at 19’51.987s.
Herjun said, “I’m super happy today to take this victory. Yesterday was tough after the crash. It was unlucky, but my team kept supporting me mentally, and I refused to give up. In Race 2, I gave it everything again and it paid off. This win is for Indonesia and for everyone who has supported me.”
TOP 5 FASTEST – RACE 2
- HERJUN ATNA FIRDAUS – ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM (19’51.767s)
- KITSADA TANACHOT – HONDA RACING THAILAND (19’51.908s)
- KASMA DANIEL KASMAYUDIN – HONG LEONG YAMAHA RACING (19’51.987s)
- KHAIRUL IDHAM PAWI – IDEMITSU HONDA RACING MALAYSIA (19’52.099s)
- MUHAMMAD HELMI AZMAN – IDEMITSU HONDA RACING MALAYSIA (19’53.196s)