HAFIZH WOWS THE CROWD AHEAD OF 2017 SUZUKA 8 HOUR

webadmin webadmin — Sat, 29 Jul 2017 08:32:15 +0000

Malaysian Moto2 rider Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah had been remarkable in his Suzuka 8 Hour debut so far.

Ahead of the main race on Sunday, Hafizh had already created a strong impression. There were no ‘first time’ excuses from this 23-year-old. It didn’t matter that he had never raced at the Suzuka Circuit. He did not say that he needed time to get used to the unfamiliar Suzuki GSX-R1000 L7. He just got on with the job.

Hafizh was a part of Team Kagayama – a team with strong podium potentials. His team mates were none other than Yukio Kagayama himself and Naomichi Uramoto.

The team clocked 2’09.571s (P11) in the first supplementary practice. In the rainy Free Practice session on Friday, they stopped the clock at 2’13.380 (P10).

Hafizh posted the team’s best time during the riders’ individual qualifying session on Friday afternoon. He clocked 2’09.605 in QP1, and then upped the ante in QP2 with 2’08.023.

The Malaysian rider joined Kagayama on the highly anticipated Top 10 Trials on Saturday where his superpole time of 2’08.616s earned Team Kagayama the right to park their bike ninth on the grid.

SUZUKA 8 HOURS: KNOW YOUR #asiapower RIDERS

webadmin webadmin — Tue, 25 Jul 2017 08:27:11 +0000

This weekend, the best riders in the world are congregating at the Suzuka Circuit. The clock ticks down to the start of the 40^th Suzuka 8hours, the grand finale of the 2016-2017 World Endurance Championship.

Based on the entry list published on July 16^th, 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:	4^th 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:	6^th 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:	3^rd 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:	12^th 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:	9^th 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:	11^th 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 19^th 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 15^th 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 25^th. 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 6^th – 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 18^th 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:	13^th overall in the SuperSports 600cc class
Nagoe was 3^rd overall in the 2014 Asia Dream Cup which ran as part of the Asia Road Racing Championship. This season, he races in the SuperSports 600cc class in the Asian series.

#19 YUKI TAKAHASHI

Rider:	Yuki Takahashi
Nationality:	Japan
Age:	33
8Hours Team	Moriwaki Motul Racing
8Hours Comp:	#19
Current ARRC Rankings:	–
Former GP rider Yuki Takahashi spent more than a decade racing at the world level. In 2001, he made his debut in the 125cc World Championship. From 2002 to 2008, he raced in the 250cc class of the world series. 2009 brought him into the MotoGP class but he went back to the Moto2 category from 2010 to 2013. Takahashi was the 2015 SuperSports 600cc Champion of the Asia Road Racing Championship.

#19 RYUICHI KIYONARI

Rider:	Ryuichi Kiyonari
Nationality:	Japan
Age:	33
8Hours Team	Moriwaki Motul Racing
8Hours Comp:	#19
Current ARRC Rankings:	–
Kiyonari’s career has spanned both the European and Asian continents. He was the British Superbikes Champion in 2006, 2007 and 2010. He won the SuperSports 600cc Asia Road Racing Championship title in 2012. The accomplished Japanese rider also has four Suzuka 8 hours wins to his name – in 2005, 2008, 2010 and 2011.

#22 DIMAS EKKY PRATAMA

Rider:	Dimas Ekky Pratama
Nationality:	Indonesia
Age:	25
8Hours Team	SatuHati Honda Team Asia
8Hours Comp:	#22
Current ARRC Rankings:	–
Dimas was consistently a top-10 ranked rider in the SuperSports 600cc class of the Asia Road Racing Championship. This year, he is competing in the Spanish Championship (CEV) where he is ranked 7^th overall in the Moto2 class with a third place podium to his credit. Dimas was also Suzuka 4-hours winner in 2013. This will be the third Suzuka 8-hour foray of his career. He had previously participated in the race in 2014 and 2016.

#22 RATTHAPONG WILAIROT

Rider:	Ratthapong Wilairot
Nationality:	Thailand
Age:	25
8Hours Team	SatuHati Honda Team Asia
8Hours Comp:	#22
Current ARRC Rankings:	10^th overall in the SuperSports 600cc class
This will be Ratthapong’s second Suzuka 8 hours. His first endurance race was in 2015 when he partnered Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman and Dimas Ekky Pratama. With Makoto Tamada as team coach, they finished 18^th in the 38^th Coca Cola Suzuka 8hours.

#22 MOHD ZAQHWAN ZAIDI

Rider:	Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi
Nationality:	Malaysia
Age:	22
8Hours Team	SatuHati Honda Team Asia
8Hours Comp:	#22
Current ARRC Rankings:	3^rd overall in the SuperSports 600cc class
Only 22, Zaqhwan has emerged as one of the most consistent and talented riders in Asia. He won the Suzuka 4 Hours in 2012. In 2014, he achieved a rare double when he clinched both the Asia Road Racing SuperSports 600cc title and the Malaysian Cub Prix national title in the same year. In 2016, Zaqhwan took back the SuperSports 600cc title after a season-long battle against Tomoyoshi Koyama. This will be Zaqhwan’s second Suzuka 8 hour appearance. In 2016, Zaqhwan partnered Dimas Ekky Pratama to finish 8^th in the race.

#71 YUKIO KAGAYAMA

Rider:	Yukio Kagayama
Nationality:	Japan
Age:	71
8Hours Team	Team Kagayama
8Hours Comp:	#71
Current ARRC Rankings:	–
World Superbike legend Yukio Kagayama is the General Manager of the Suzuki Asian Challenge – a talent development platform that is held in conjunction with the Asia Road Racing Championship. Most recently, Kagayama entered the ARRC SuperSports 600cc class as a wildcard at the Suzuka round where he stole the limelight with a thrilling third place finish. 2017 will be Kagayama’s 16^th campaign in the Suzuka 8 hours. He won the 8hour in 2007, and has 7 podium finishes under his belt.

#71 HAFIZH SYAHRIN ABDULLAH

Rider:	Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah
Nationality:	Malaysia
Age:	23
8Hours Team	Team Kagayama
8Hours Comp:	#71
Current ARRC Rankings:	–
A racing protégé, Hafizh was, at one time, the youngest rider to ever clinch the national Malaysian Cub Prix Championship title. He won the Novice title in 2009 (15 years old) and the Expert title in 2010 when he was 16. In 2010 to 2011, Hafizh raced in the SuperSports 600cc class of the Asia Road Racing Championship where he ranked 4^th overall in 2011. Hafizh’s career took him to the Spanish Championship (CEV) in 2012 and 2013. By 2014, Hafizh earned his full-season stripes in the Moto2 class of the MotoGP. He finished his Moto2 debut season in 19^th overall. In 2015, he ranked 16^th. 2016 brought a big improvement when he ended the year 9^th overall. Hafizh is currently ranked 11^th in the 2017 Moto2 World Championship. This will be Hafizh’s first foray into the Suzuka 8hour race.

#74 MAKOTO INAGAKI

Rider:	Makoto Inagaki
Nationality:	Japan
Age:	42
8Hours Team	Akeno Speed * Yamaha
8Hours Comp:	#74 (SST Class)
Current ARRC Rankings:	–
A long-time competitor in the SuperSports 600cc class of the Asia Road Racing Championship, Inagaki has successfully transitioned as team owner of team Akeno Speed.

#74 ANTHONY WEST

Rider:	Anthony West
Nationality:	Australia
Age:	36
8Hours Team	Akeno Speed * Yamaha
8Hours Comp:	#74 (SST Class)
Current ARRC Rankings:	6^th overall in the SuperSports 600cc class

#79 JOSH HOOK

Rider:	Josh Hook
Nationality:	Australia
Age:	24
8Hours Team	Team SuP Dream Honda
8Hours Comp:	#79
Current ARRC Rankings:	–
Hook was the first batch of riders to take part in the inaugural Asia Dream Cup in 2012 – a talent development initiative by Honda that ran as part of the Asia Road Racing Championship. He finished 3^rd overall behind Hikari Okubo and Hiroki Ono. Hook currently races in the British Superbikes Championship.

#83 MARK AITCHISON

Rider:	Mark Aitchison
Nationality:	Australia
Age:	34
8Hours Team	teamJP, DFR & RS-ITOH
8Hours Comp:	#83
Current ARRC Rankings:	–
WSBK rider Mark Aitchison took part in the 2014 Asia Road Racing Championship.

#090 HIKARI OKUBO

Rider:	Hikari Okubo
Nationality:	Japan
Age:	24
8Hours Team	au & Teluru * Kohara RT
8Hours Comp:	#090
Current ARRC Rankings:	–
Okubo was the first Asia Dream Cup Champion in 2012. He currently races in the World SuperSport Championship and is ranked 12^th after eight rounds.

#104 TOMOYOSHI KOYAMA

Rider:	Tomoyoshi Koyama
Nationality:	Japan
Age:	34
8Hours Team	Honda Dream Racing
8Hours Comp:	#104
Current ARRC Rankings:	6^th overall in the Asia Production 250cc class
Tomoyoshi Koyama finished 3^rd overall in the 2007 GP125 World Championships. He raced in the Moto2 class from 2011 to 2012. He raced in the SuperSports 600cc class of the Asia Road Racing Championship from 2013 to 2016. He twice finished second overall in the Asian premiere class (2015 and 2016).

#104 TATSUYA YAMAGUCHI

Rider:	Tatsuya Yamaguchi
Nationality:	Japan
Age:	41
8Hours Team	Honda Dream Racing
8Hours Comp:	#104
Current ARRC Rankings:	8^th overall in the SuperSports 600cc class
A seasoned campaigner, Yamaguchi had raced in the World SuperSports Championship as well as the Moto2 class of world series. This season, Yamaguchi is contracted to Thai team AP Honda Thailand for the Asia Road Racing Championship.

Editor’s note: With the exception of the ARRC results, much of the information here is culled from online sources. While a lot of effort has been poured into researching so many years of the Suzuka 8hours, we cannot vouch for the full accuracy of the information.

Yukio Kagayama – Idemitsu FIM Asia Road Racing Championship

HAFIZH WOWS THE CROWD AHEAD OF 2017 SUZUKA 8 HOUR

SUZUKA 8 HOURS: KNOW YOUR #asiapower RIDERS