Race 1 of Round 6 IDEMITSU FIM Asia Road Racing Championship in the SS600 category saw Apiwath Wongthananon of YAMAHA TEKHNE Racing Team ASEAN claim victory at his home ground, the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand.
In the qualifying session, Thanat Laoongplio of Honda Racing Thailand secured pole position with a fastest lap time of 1’38:434s. Ratthapong Wilairot of YAMAHA Thailand Racing Team took second position with a time of 1’38:542s, while Apiwath Wongthananon of YAMAHA TEKHNE Racing Team ASEAN qualified in third with a lap time of 1’38:628s.
As the race began, Apiwath made an excellent start and quickly took the lead. Thanat followed closely behind, with Rheza Danica Ahrens of ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM in third position.
Apiwath, the winner of both Race 1 and Race 2 at Round 1, found himself under pressure throughout the race. The only Yamaha rider in the front group, he was surrounded by five Honda riders: Mohammad Adenanta Putra and Rheza of ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM, Muhammad Helmi Azman of IDEMITSU Boon Siew Honda Racing Team, Thanat, and Azroy Hakeem Anuar of IDEMITSU Boon Siew Honda Racing Team. Despite the fierce pressure, Apiwath defended his position well, denying multiple overtaking attempts.
On lap 10, Rheza crashed out of the race, leaving a smaller group battling for the podium positions.
After several attempts, Helmi successfully overtook Apiwath for the lead on lap 9, with Adenanta also making his move to place Apiwath in third. However, on lap 10, Thai rider Thanat crashed, dropping him further down the order.
The top three riders engaged in fierce battles, frequently exchanging positions through the corners. However, Apiwath, known for his strong performance at the Chang International Circuit, demonstrated his experience and reclaimed the race lead in the final lap. He proudly crossed the finish line to take the victory with a time of 20’02:211s.
Apiwath commented, “Incredible! What a race! In the beginning, I tried to push as hard as I could, but after five laps, I saw the board and realized that there was a big group of riders behind me. I stayed calm and kept telling myself to focus. In the final lap, there were two Honda riders ahead of me, so I aimed to overtake them in the last sector, and thankfully, I made it. I feel exhausted now, but this is such a special moment for me.”
Second place went to Adenanta, who finished the race with a time of 20’02:575s, while Helmi secured third place with a time of 20’02:629s.
TOP 5 FASTEST – RACE 1
SS600
- Apiwath Wongthananon – YAMAHA TEKHNE Racing Team ASEAN (20’02:211s)
- Mohammad Adenanta Putra – ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM (20’02:575s)
- Muhammad Helmi Azman – IDEMITSU Boon Siew Honda Racing Team (20’02:629s)
- Azroy Hakeem Anuar – IDEMITSU Boon Siew Honda Racing Team (20’03:033s)
- McKinley Kyle Paz – YAMAHA TEKHNE Racing Team ASEAN (20’04:239s)