Indonesian rider Wahyu Aji Trilaksana took early control of the Underbone 130cc category when he posted the fastest time in all three practice sessions on Day 1. Comfortable racing at the Sentul Circuit, host to Round 4 of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship, Wahyu confirmed his pole position with a time of 1’55.802s.
For the 24-year-old rider who is third overall in the standings, his home race would be the best chance to turn the tables on championship leaders Mohd Izzat Zaidi and Amirul Ariff Musa. However, Wahyu is shrugging off the pressure, intent on enjoying the upcoming race.
“It is good to start from pole position but let’s not forget that in Underbone racing, even those at the back of the grid stand a chance to catch up to the lead. I just want to relax, stay focused, and have fun this weekend racing in front of our home fans. Hopefully we can deliver good results for them,” said Wahyu.
Alongside Wahyu on the front straight are two Malaysian rivals – Mohd Amirul Ariff Musa who posted second fastest with 1’55.985s and Ahmad Fazli Sham third fastest with 1’56.135s. Conversely, it is the two Malaysians who will feel the most pressure at the starting grid, especially when the second row is completely filled by the home ground heroes. Wahyu Nugraha leads the second row with 1’56.731s, followed by wildcard Richard Taroreh fifth fastest with 1’56.742s and Florianus Roy sixth with 1’57.481s.