JAPANESE youngster Keito Abe will provide a timely boost to the OneXOX TKKR Racing Team in the Supersports 600 class after being signed in time for what will be a fitting debut on homeground in Round 3 of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship at the Sugo International Racing Course in Japan on Aug 12-14.
The 19-year old is already in his third year of racing the Yamaha YZF-R6, having competed in the MFJ All- Japan Road Race Championship ST600 the past two years, finishing eighth in the standings in 2020 and fifth last year and is looking forward to breaking into the Asian scene.
“I am excited to be able to race in ARRC at SUGO with a great team. A new team in a new Championship for me, is a challenge I like,” said Abe, the Tokyo-born who concurrently is also competing in this season’s MFJ All-Japan Road Race Championship ST600 class where he is ranked fifth.
His local knowledge and familiarity with the SUGO Circuit will also be of benefit to 20-year old Malaysian teammate Muhammad Izam Ikmal, who has yet to really get his season off the ground, currently ranked 13th in the Supersports 600 class, no thanks to two non-finishes, a seventh and a sixth place in the first two rounds of the season at the Chang International Circuit and Sepang.
“SUGO is obviously not new to me. If I can also be of help to the team in this aspect, I would be more than happy to. I thank the team for welcoming me, and to all of my supporters that made it possible for this to happen,” said Abe.
OneXOX TKKR Racing Team principal Bobie Farid Shamsudin said the team was happy to finally welcome a talented rider to fill their second slot in the Supersport 600 class and Abe’s reputation as the fastest Yamaha rider in the All Japan Road Race Championship meant that it was an ideal fit.
“Since 2020, we have been looking for suitable riders to fill our seats in the SS600 class. In 2021, we persuaded Khairul Idham Pawi to come out of retirement to ride with us in the Malaysian Superbike Championship, with a view of running him in the ARRC this year. However, Khairul Idham decided that the grass in Honda’s camp was greener and thus he went there. We managed to get Izam to replace him,” said Bobie.
“I have been following the progress of riders around Asia including the All-Japan Series. Keito is one of those riders I have been monitoring. And being the fastest Yamaha guy, he certainly ticks all the boxes. I hope that both Keito and Izam would work together to achieve good results for the team.”
RIDER PROFILE
Keito Abe
Birth date: September 13, 2003 Birth place: Tokyo, Japan Height: 168cm
Career Highlights
2007 Starts racing at the age of 4, on a pocket bike (Daijiro74) 2011 Step up to Mini-bikes
2015 Tsukuba Roadrace S80 category
2017 Tsukuba Roadrace J-JP3 Ranked 2nd;
2018 MFJ All Japan Road Race Championship J-GP2 Ranked 14th
2019 MFJ All Japan Road Race Championship J-GP2 Ranked 8th
2020 MFJ All Japan Road Race Championship ST600 Ranked 8th
2021 MFJ All Japan Road Race Championship ST600 Ranked 5th
Latest news at asiaroadracing.com