The SuperSports 600cc race category captivated fans as riders went on an awe-inspiring ride this evening in Race 1 of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) held at Chang International Circuit. Khairul Idham Pawi of BOON SIEW HONDA RACING TEAM appeared steady and strong aboard the Honda CBR600RR as he strode swiftly ahead to the finish line.
During the qualifying session, Khairul Idham Pawi of BOON SIEW HONDA RACING TEAM once again topped the chart with the best lap time at 1’39:000s. Thai lad Nakarin Atiratphuvapat of HONDA RACING THAILAND recorded second fastest at 1’39:015s while Malaysian, Muhammad Helmi Azman of BOON SIEW HONDA RACING TEAM made third fastest at 1’39:061s.
The riders were off to a flying start as the race flagged off. Nakarin immediately made a swift move on the inside and took lead at turn 1 however, Khairul was quick to recover his position. At P3, Soichiro stayed calm which Helmi trailed him closely. With the riders aligned quite comfortably in their positions, it was a matter of closing the gaps between Khairul and Nakarin however the former was steadily leading the race. At P4 on the other hand, Helmi upped his pace and switched places with Soichiro at the end of lap 4.
At the end of lap 6, the trio in front was keeping it consistent. Behind them, Ratthapong inched his way into P4 while Soichiro slowly began losing his momentum. Gerry Salim was moving upwards with Keito Abe close by. Super KIP was on his best in a long time and was fired up by the chase. He kept his contender at bay and steered away from even a minor slip.
With 3 more laps to go, Helmi was playing catch up with Nakarin but the latter pushed himself further towards Khairul. During the last lap, Nakarin placed intense pressure on Khairul, trying his best to overtake and he did it at turn 5. The heated battle continued as Khairul strategized to make his comeback. At the last turn, Khairul worked his magic and grabbed the opportunity from the inside before bolting ahead towards victory at 20’03:796s.
Commenting on the race, Khairul said, “My team worked really hard for this weekend. In the beginning of the race, I tried to pull away with about 0.5s gap however by the sixth and seventh lap, I did not have much grip on the tires so I calmed down a little and tried to manage the rider behind me. However, Cip managed to overtake me and I followed him closely. Unfortunately, he braked a little too late and that was my shot to victory.”
Nakarin Atiratphuvapat of HONDA RACING THAILAND succumbed to the second spot on the podium at 20’04:082s.
Muhammad Helmi Azman of BOON SIEW HONDA RACING TEAM clocked in third at 20’04:186s.
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