It was not a surprise when Hiroki Ono of Japan bagged a double-victory on home-soil in the recent TVS Asia One Make Championship races and it is definitely not new that he still graces the top spot. However, intriguing in the season’s updates are the competitive stride and the upgraded performances of duo Ramdan Rosli of Malaysia and Sartak Chavan of India who now share the same scores on the board. Which one of them would take lead in Round 4 of the IDEMITSU FIM Asia Road Racing Championship at Mandalika International Circuit?
Last season, Hiroki lost his winning streak to Ramdan on the grounds of Mandalika when the Malaysian pulled a stunner in Race 2 to bag his first win for the season. Sartak on the other hand concluded the round third, twice after the massive tug of war among the trio. This season, while Hiroki maintains his superiority in the racing series with an advantage of 16 points, Ramdan and Sartak on the other hand have some scores to settle especially with the growing rivalry between them at 108 points each.
Commenting on the race, Hiroki said, “Round 1 and Round 2 of this season was really but Round 3 on my home-ground was a fantastic race for me. It is definitely not an easy season but that is what that makes the race not just interesting but also a motivational factor for me. As long as my machine is in a good condition and with a perfect setup, I have the potential to win once again this season. So, I am actually not that worried. For Mandalika, I am gearing up as usual. The circuit layout comprises a long-straight so it’s one of the circuits that can easily pull in strong contention from the rivals. I will draw from my strengths however in braking to ensure that I am in a good space and position during the race. The ultimate goal is to make it championship, for two-consecutive years. To achieve that, I truly have to be focused, win and earn as many points as possible.”
Ramdan said, “Last season was really wonderful for me and I have those memories, fresh in my mind. I will continue to do my best and try to emulate the strategies that worked best on the circuit ground, perhaps take another win along the way. The rivalry is as good as it gets which means, the challenges are going to be pretty much the same across the rounds. We have those among the front troop which are the ones to be mindful of as they know their strategies well. I usually don’t compare myself with the other riders but instead, compare my performance on a round-to-round basis to see where I can fix. I know that I have a good pace and I have always enjoyed riding on Mandalika ground. I also like the circuit layout as it is easy to tackle. My goal this season is surely to take the crowning victory but at the same time, it is about re-scaling the benchmarks and marking more wins.”
Sartak on the other hand said, “This season comes with many experiences put into good use. I have implemented different riding styles and techniques which have been really effective especially when managing different circuit grounds with different kinds of challenges and layouts. Just 16 points to the leader and tied points for 2 or 3 position but I don’t want to put myself under any kind of pressure at the moment. I would like to think and work more in achieving the results rather than putting a fixed mark on a particular target. Mandalika is a great ground and my favourite part is the fast sectors of the track. The result in Thailand has really been the highlight this season for me and a motivational factor to push harder. So, I will go all out in the coming round and hope to score something more than the usual. Of course, the goal this season and every other season is to be a champion but again, it is not as easy as it sounds. So, keeping my fingers crossed!”