The SS600 category delivered another closely contested race at the Chang International Circuit, Buriram, Thailandas Thanat Laoongplio of HONDA RACING THAILAND fought back from a Long Lap Penalty to secure victory in Race 2 of Round 2 in the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship 2026.
The race got underway with Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin of HONG LEONG YAMAHA RACING making a good launch, but a slight wheelie off the start slowed him down, allowing Anupab Sarmoon of HONDA RACING THAILAND to move into the lead. Kasma quickly settled into second, followed by Thanat in third, McKinley Kyle Paz of HONG LEONG YAMAHA RACING in fourth and Muhammad Helmi Azman of IDEMITSU HONDA RACING MALAYSIA in fifth.
By Lap 2, Kasma had taken over at the front, leading ahead of Thanat and Anupab. However, the race took an unexpected turn when Thanat was handed a Long Lap Penalty, dropping the Thai rider down to 11th position after rejoining the race.
At the front, the battle remained intense between Kasma and Anupab, with both riders exchanging positions while keeping the pace high. Anupab set the fastest lap time of 1’39.841s on Lap 3 as he continued to pressure Kasma. Behind them, McKinley, Helmi and Muhammad Faerozi Toreqottullah of YAMAHA RACING INDONESIA remained in contention.
Thanat meanwhile began his recovery ride. The Thai rider steadily worked his way back through the field, setting the fastest lap time of 1’39.604s on Lap 4 before improving further with a 1’39.586s on Lap 7 and a 1’39.529s on Lap 8. By Lap 9, Thanat had rejoined the leading group and quickly moved into third position before overtaking Kasma for second on Lap 10.
With two laps remaining, Anupab and Thanat pulled slightly clear of the chasing riders, setting up a close battle for victory. On the final lap, Thanat made his move at the final corner, going around the outside of Anupab before racing to the finish line to complete an impressive comeback win.
Thanat crossed the line first in 20’02.096s to secure victory on home soil, with Anupab finishing just 0.130s behind in second at 20’02.226s. Behind them, McKinley made a bold final-corner move on Kasma to secure third place in 20’02.673s, relegating the Malaysian rider to fourth.
Thanat expressed, “When I first found out that I had to take the long lap penalty, honestly, I lost some confidence and felt a bit discouraged. In a race like this, every second matters, so naturally I was worried about how much it would affect my chances. But my team kept encouraging me and telling me that I can do it and their belief gave me the confidence to keep fighting.
In the end, I told myself to stay calm and focus on the race, and thankfully, the long lap was not a problem for me. I managed to recover, keep pushing, and achieve this result. I’m really happy and emotional because it has been such a long time since I last won here, and to finally do it again means so much to me. Honestly, it’s difficult to even describe how I feel right now.
I just want to sincerely thank everyone who has supported me throughout this journey, my team, supporters, and everyone who kept believing in me. This moment means a lot, and I’m truly grateful.”
Top 5 Fastest – Race 2
1. THANAT LAOONGPLIO – HONDA RACING THAILAND (20’02.096s)
2. ANUPAB SARMOON – YAMAHA THAILAND RACING TEAM (20’02.226s)
3. MCKINLEY KYLE PAZ – HONG LEONG YAMAHA RACING (20’02.673s)
4. KASMA DANIEL KASMAYUDIN – HONG LEONG YAMAHA RACING (20’02.865s)
5. MUHAMMAD FAEROZI TOREQOTTULLAH – YAMAHA RACING INDONESIA (20’06.674s)