The expected thunderstorm forecasted in the 2020 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship season opener at the Sepang International Circuit held off long enough for the ASB1000 Race 2 to get underway.
The dry conditions were much more to Markus Reiterberger’s liking. The German rider, back in his element, made short work of the ASB1000 Race 2 when he scored a lights-to-flag victory in a time of 25’29.725s.
The drama in the ASB1000 class was served up in the battle for P2 and P3 played out between Apiwat Wongthananon, Broc Parkes, Anupab Sarmoon, Lorenzo Zanetti, Thitipong Warokorn, Yuki Ito, and Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman.
Apiwat was consistently strong throughout the 12-lap race. The YAMAHA Thailand Racing Team rider kept his cool even while under attack from Lorenzo Zanetti and Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman.
Access Plus Racing-Okada-Team’s Lorenzo Zanetti showed his mettle when he charged past Apiwat at the last corner of Lap 4.
Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman then stole the limelight from the Ducati test rider when he came storming up from eighth on Lap 1 to second on Lap 6. Azlan stayed in second from Lap 7 to Lap 11 when the Malaysian rider overcooked the south end of the track and crashed out from P2.
One lap remaining, with Azlan out of the race, Apiwat was back in P2. The Thai rider held on to the position and claimed a double podium from the Sepang weekend with 25’37.139s.
Lorenzo Zanetti hunkered down in P3, and would have staked out a first podium finish for Ducati in the ASB1000 class when he ran out of fuel in the final sprint from Turn 15 to the finish line. Broc Parkes neatly avoided a collision with the slowing Ducati, and scrambled across the finish line in third with 25’39.078s.
Apiwat Wongthananon has come up tops from the season opening weekend. With two podiums under his belt, the Thai rider leads the ASB1000 class with 40 points. Markus Reiterberger trails in second with 38 points.
Yuki Ito finished sixth in Race 2, and is now third in the title chase with 35 points.
ASB1000: Top 5 Race 2 Results
- Markus Reiterberger (GER) (BMW) 25’29.725s
- Apiwat Wongthananon (THA) (Yamaha) 25’37.139s
- Broc Parkes (AUS) (Yamaha) 25’39.078s
- Lorenzo Zanetti (ITA) (Ducati) 25’39.163s
- Thitipong Warokorn (THA) (Kawasaki) 25’39.956s
ASB1000: Top 5 Standings After Round 1
- Apiwat Wongthananon (THA) (Yamaha) 40 pts
- Markus Reiterberger (GER) (BMW) 38 pts
- Yuki Ito (JPN) (Yamaha) 35 pts
- Lorenzo Zanetti (ITA) (Ducati) 24 pts
- Thitipong Warokorn (THA) (Kawasaki) 18 pts
ASB1000: Top 5 Team Standings After Round 1
- YAMAHA Thailand Racing Team 56 pts
- ONEXOX BMW TKKR SAG Team 54 pts
- YAMAHA Racing Team ASEAN 51 pts
- KAWASAKI Thailand Racing Team 33 pts
- VICTOR RACING TEAM 32 pts