Moving swiftly to the tune of their machines while finding the perfect rhythm for a score, the riders of the SuperSports 600cc are back once again in the game for Round 5 of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship which was held at the Zhuhai International Circuit. Clocking in fastest in the practice sessions combined was Nakarin Atiratphuvapat of Honda Racing Thailand.
FP1 session for the SS600 race category took place this morning with Azroy Hakeem of Boon Siew Honda Racing Team clocking in fastest at 1’37:732s followed by his teammate Khairul with his best lap time at 1’37:981s. Third was Nakarin of Honda Racing Thailand with his best lap time at 1’38:109s. In FP2 session, Khairul made it fastest at 1’38:156s although his lap time increased by almost a second from the earlier lap time. His two other teammates, Azroy and Helmi made it third and second fastest with their best lap time at 1’38:227s and 1’38:340s respectively.
In FP3, Nakarin took a notch up and improved on his lap time, clocking in fastest at 1’37:256s. The Thai rider who currently takes the second spot overall with a total of 120 points was third overall last season. While he has maintained his position quite well for the season, the stakes are high considering his closest contenders who are equally competitive. But Nakarin has surely showcased some strengths on this circuit today.
Commenting on the sessions, Nakarin said, “FP1 and FP2 were merely a test ride for me today. I rode alone to find the right settings. It was only in FP3 that I focused and monitored the lap time. Looks like my settings have worked. I have not raced on this circuit abord the 600cc machine but I have raced here for the Asia Talent Cup in 2015. I have no recollection of the circuit to be honest. But riding on it today, I recognised that it has narrow and high-speed corners which requires hard-braking. I would say that it is a highly technical circuit. That would be a challenge because I cannot afford to make any mistakes there. There are some minor settings to be adjusted for tomorrow’s qualifying session. Overall, I want to win in the both the races here.”
Boon Siew teammates, Helmi and Khairul made it third and second fastest in FP3 and combined with their best lap time at 1’37:326s and 1’37:348s respectively.
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