Entertaining at its best, the riders of the Asia Production 250cc has taken the game up a notch with their mind-blowing performances. Rising above it all are duo of ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM, Rheza Danica Ahrens and Herjun Atna Firdaus who can’t seem to get enough as they navigate through the challenges of rivalry to be the best. The Indonesians are just one round away from making it in their games. But between them, who would hail as champion? It’s all happening this weekend in Round 6 of the Idemitsu FIM Asia Road Racing Championship at the Chang International Circuit.
Taking a double-win at the season opener, Rheza immediately awed the audience with his extraordinary performances but his teammate Herjun began getting his grip from round 2 onwards before darting a bullseye with a hat-trick in round 3 and round 4. The two key riders of ASTRA HONDA are undeniably well equipped with the ideals of a perfect rider and although the 23-point difference holds them apart with Rheza having the upper-hand, it is a matter of time before mastery and fate collides and the narratives takes an entirely different direction.
Commenting on the coming race, Rheza said, “It was a fantastic start for us at Chang International Circuit, to be honest. Then, as expected, there was a cut of 500 in RPM after Malaysia and another 500 in Sugo. That was devastating and challenging at the same time. I struggled a little bit in that situation but to be frank, the team got over it almost immediately and did a great job to make sure that I was still competitive and fast on the circuit. Without challenges, where is the fun in racing, isn’t it? I still am very happy with our performances and I do hope that luck would be on my side in the coming last two races at Chang. The circuit is one of my favourites in the ARRC calendar. So, definitely I look forward to the coming round with the hope that it will go as planned without any major setbacks.”
The ever-positive spirited lad continued, “I have a lot of confidence in my team and I am pretty certain that I have a big chance for the title win this season. It all boils down to effort as well. I can’t afford to sit back and relax. It is hard work from the beginning till the end. The machine is a complete package and has been complemented me well throughout the season. It is undoubtedly fast and that is one of its best features, thanks to my crew. I enjoyed every moment aboard the machine. When it comes to my teammate, we share a lot of things about the race during the race week. We brainstorm where we can and work out on issues pertaining to the circuit. I am fully motivated for the next season and I hope to be just as competitive like this season. I have learnt a lot throughout this season and I will move forward with that knowledge for a better outcome.”
Herjun on the other hand said, “This is the second season that I have been making my mark in the AP250 race category. It gives me great honour to be in the fight for the Asia Champion title this season. Personally, my most memorable moment was Round 4 in Mandalika where I took the double win in the presence of my parents. That win was priceless. In Zhuhai however, I had a bad time in Race 1 which cost me valuable points. I made a mistake at that time in the first lap, at the last corner. It was a tough time as I had to deal with my emotions to make it back on the podium. In Race 2, I managed to
embrace it and made it third. So, the overall experiences that I had in the last two rounds has been somewhat a bitter-sweet memory for me and I am grateful for it.”
He went on to say, “I understand that my biggest rival are my teammates who are really good in their games. But whatever said and done, I am focused on my own achievements. I believe that if I do well, it will benefit the team overall. This time around, I think I have improved tremendously and that has worked well for the machine too. So, it is a combination of man and machine. Definitely, our crew has been a great addition and support in our overall achievement’s throughout. For the coming round, I am aware that the challenges are inevitable. The part that will be tough in my opinion is the two long straights, even more so with the RPM cut of 1000 which will surely make a whole lot of difference. Nevertheless, I have speed in sector three, so there is an upside! The team has been ever supportive, be it when I won or lost. They have been my backbone. I will do my best as a rider. Buriram, here I come!”
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