Sitthisak Onchiawang

This weekend, the best riders in the world are congregating at the Suzuka Circuit. The clock ticks down to the start of the 40th Suzuka 8hours, the grand finale of the 2016-2017 World Endurance Championship. Based on the entry list published on July 16th, the entry list this year boasts 69 teams and 207 riders. Of these we find 17 riders in the 8 hour list who are current or former ARRC riders. Here’s a brief overview of each rider. SUZUKA 4 HOURS #7 RHEZA DANICA AHRENS Rider: Rheza Danica Ahrens Nationality: Indonesia Age: 19 4Hours Team: Astra Honda Racing Team 4Hours Comp: #7 Current ARRC Rankings: 4th overall in the Asia Production 250cc The most exciting new talent to enter the ARRC in 2017. Rheza has had a successful debut season with two podium finishes to his credit. This will be Rheza’s second appearance in the Suzuka 4 Hours. He is the current defending champion in the Suzuka 4 Hours Category.   #7 AWHIN SANJAYA Rider: Awhin Sanjaya Nationality: Indonesia Age: 19 4Hours Team: Astra Honda Racing Team 4Hours Comp: #7 Current ARRC Rankings: 6th overall in the Asia Production 250cc This will be Awhin’s first appearance in the Suzuka 4 Hours.   #74 DONI TATA PRADITA Rider: Doni Tata Pradita Nationality: Indonesia Age: 27 4Hours Team: Akeno Speed – Yamaha 4Hours Comp: #74 Current ARRC Rankings: Nil Doni was a riding protégé who burst into the Asian motorsports scene circa 2004/2005. He won the Yamaha Asean Cup in 2004 at the age of 14. In 2005, he became the Underbone 115cc Asian Champion of the Asia Road Racing Championship. Doni still holds the record as the youngest rider to win a title in the Asian series. The rider from Yogyakarta was put on the fast track and became the first Indonesian to race full season in the 250cc class of the World Championships. Doni participated in two seasons of the 250cc class (2007 and 2008). 2009 brought Doni to the World SuperSports series. In 2013, Doni got himself back in the spotlight when he secured a full season ride in the Moto2 class of the MotoGP.   #99 ANUPAB SARMOON Rider: Anupab Sarmoon Nationality: Thailand Age: 24 4Hours Team: Yamaha Thailand Racing 4Hours Comp: #99 Current ARRC Rankings: 3rd overall in the Asia Production 250cc class Currently third overall in the Asia Production 250cc class, Anupab is the lone Yamaha rider against a field of Honda rivals. The gutsy Thai rider has clinched five podium finishes out of six races in the 2017 season to date.   This will be his Suzuka 4 Hour debut.   #99 PEERAPONG BOONLERT Rider: Peerapong Boonlert Nationality: Thailand Age: 4Hours Team: Yamaha Thailand Racing 4Hours Comp: #99 Current ARRC Rankings: 12th overall in the Asia Production 250cc class Son of former Underbone ARRC champion Surapong Boonlert, Peerapong is taking part in his first full season of the Asia Road Racing Championship, in the Asia Production 250cc category.   #108 ANDY MUHAMMAD FADLY Rider: Andy Muhammad Fadly Nationality: Indonesia Age: 17 4Hours Team: チーム能塚 & Manual-Tech Kawasaki 4Hours Comp: #108 Current ARRC Rankings: 9th overall in the Asia Production 250cc class   #149 VORAPONG MALAHUAN Rider: Vorapong Malahuan Nationality: Thailand Age: 31 4Hours Team: AP Honda Racing Thailand 4Hours Comp: #149 Current ARRC Rankings: 11th overall in the Asia Production 250cc class   #SITTHISAK ONCHIAWIANG Rider: Sitthisak Onchiawiang Nationality: Thailand Age: 4Hours Team: AP Honda Racing Thailand 4Hours Comp: #149 Current ARRC Rankings: – Sitthisak was 19th overall in the Asia Production 250cc class of the Asia Road Racing Championship in 2016.     SUZUKA 8 HOURS #3 MITSUNORI OKAMURA Rider: Mitsunori Okamura Nationality: Japan Age: 29 8Hours Team KRP Sanyokogyo & RS-Itoh 8Hours Comp: #3 Current ARRC Rankings: – Okamura raced in the SuperSports 600cc class of the Asia Road Racing Championship in 2014 and 2015. In both seasons, he ranked 15th overall.   #11 AZLAN SHAH KAMARUZAMAN Rider: Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman Nationality: Malaysia Age: 33 8Hours Team Kawasaki Team Green 8Hours Comp: #11 Current ARRC Rankings: Championship leader in the SuperSports 600cc class Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman (together with his 2011 team mate Mohd Emir Firdaus Hasan) was the first South East Asian rider to break into the prestigious Suzuka Endurance series. The duo made a high profile 4-hour debut in 2011 when they defied the odds to become the winners of the 4 Hour race that year.   The 2011 4-hour win was a big boost for Azlan, the first major title of his career. He then went on to win the national Malaysian Cub Prix title in 2012, was crowned FIM Asian SuperSports 600cc Champion in 2013, and then embarked on a two-season sojourn in the Moto2 class of the MotoGP.   2016 and 2017 brought Azlan back to the Asia Road Racing Championship. He is the current SuperSports 600cc championship leader.   This will be Azlan’s fourth entry into the Suzuka 8 Hours. In 2012, Azlan competed with team mates Makoto Tamada and Chosun Kameya. They finished 25th.   In 2013, he partnered with Makoto Tamada and Yuki Takahashi. However, disaster struck during the free practices when Tamada suffered an injury following a bad crash. Azlan and Takahashi were left to soldier on. They eventually finished 6th – the only team with a 2-rider strategy.   In 2015, Azlan was a last-minute replacement for the injured Mohd Zamri Baba. Partnering Dimas Ekky Pratama and Ratthapong Wilairot, the team ended their race in 18th place.   This year, Azlan joins factory team Kawasaki Team Green and will race alongside Kazuma Watanabe and British Superbike icon, Leon Haslam (who was also the 2014 Suzuka 8 hour winner).   #13 TEPPEI NAGOE Rider: Teppei Nagoe Nationality: Japan Age: 20 8Hours Team Mistresa with ATJ Racing 8Hours Comp: #13 Current ARRC Rankings: 13th overall in the SuperSports 600cc class Nagoe was 3rd overall in the 2014 Asia Dream Cup which ran as part of the Asia Road Racing Championship.   This season,