The Race 1 of the SS600 category at Round 2 of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship 2026 delivered breathtaking drama at Chang International Circuit, Buriram, Thailand, as Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin of HONG LEONG YAMAHA RACING snatched an extraordinary victory by the slimmest of margins after a nail-biting final-corner showdown.
Kasma emerged victorious in spectacular fashion, edging out Thailand’s Thanat Laoongplio of HONDA RACING THAILAND by a mere 0.003s after a photo-finish sprint to the chequered flag. Kasma crossed the line in 20’06.403s, with Thanat heartbreakingly close at 20’06.406s, while Anupab Sarmoon of YAMAHA THAILAND RACING TEAM completed the podium in 20’06.544s, capping off a fiercely contested all-out battle.
Drama unfolded from the very beginning as Thanat stormed into the lead at lights out before hometown hero Anupab seizing control of the race. Starting from the second row, Kasma quickly settled into the leading pack, while poleman Wahyu Nugroho of YAMAHA RACING INDONESIA, despite starting from the back of the grid following a penalty, carved through the field impressively in the opening laps.
The pace at the front was relentless. Lap after lap, the top contenders traded positions in a relentless chess match at over 250km/h. Anupab led early proceedings before McKinley Kyle Paz of HONG LEONG YAMAHA RACING surged into contention midway through the race, briefly taking control as the front five remained separated by mere tenths of a second.
By Lap 8, tension reached boiling point as McKinley launched repeated attacks on Thanat, eventually muscling his way through, only for the order to shuffle again moments later. Entering the closing laps, it became a four-rider battle involving Thanat, Anupab, Kasma and McKinley, with every braking zone turning into an overtaking opportunity.
On Lap 11, McKinley suffered a costly slide at the final turn while fighting at the sharp end, leaving the battle for victory wide open heading into the final lap.
Thanat looked destined for a memorable home triumph, leading into the final corner with Anupab and Kasma right behind. But Kasma had one final gamble left. Diving aggressively to the inside on a tighter line, the Malaysian rider powered side-by-side with Thanat in a breathtaking drag race to the finish line, winning by the tiniest of margins in one of the closest finishes.
Kasma said: “Honestly, it was a really tough race for me today. We were battling hard from the beginning, and at one point I even dropped to fourth and fifth position as we kept overtaking each other lap after lap. It was a crazy and demanding race. In the first two or three laps, I focused on managing my tyres because I knew if I pushed too hard too early, I would lose performance near the end. So I stayed patient and waited for the right moment to attack. Alhamdulillah, there was a bit of luck for me again in the final corner, just like last year when I won the championship title. At that moment, I told myself, ‘This is the time to attack,’ and thankfully everything worked out. I’m very grateful for today’s result, and tomorrow we will push for even more.”
TOP 5 FASTEST – RACE 1
1. KASMA DANIEL KASMAYUDIN – HONG LEONG YAMAHA RACING (20’06.403s)
2. THANAT LAOONGPLIO – HONDA RACING THAILAND (20’06.406s)
3. ANUPAB SARMOON – YAMAHA THAILAND RACING TEAM (20’06.544s)
4. HERJUN ATNA FIRDAUS – ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM (20’06.743s)
5. WAHYU NUGROHO – YAMAHA RACING INDONESIA (20’07.853s)