Pelumba Malaysia, Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi menamatkan tiga hari sesi ujian pra-musim Kejuaraan Motosikal Asia FIM (ARRC) dengan mencatat masa terpantas dalam kategori SuperSports 600cc di Litar Johor, Pasir Gudang, hari ini.
Pelumba Musashi Boon Siew Honda Racing itu melakukan catatan terbaik 1’31.112s pada hari terakhir mengatasi catatan seorang lagi pelumba Malaysia, Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman yang mendahului catatan terpantas sepanjang dua hari lepas.
Azlan yang turun ke litar pada hari ketiga dengan objektif yang berbeza kekal dengan masa terbaik peribadi, 1’31.616s diikuti Tomoyoshi Koyama (T.Pro Yuzy Honda NTS) mencatat masa ketiga terbaik, 1’31.773s.
“Saya gembira dengan keseluruhan sesi ujian pra-musim minggu ini. Lebih memberikan cabaran dimana saingan SuperSports 600cc tahun ini menggunakan tayar ‘slick’ sepenuhnya. Saya sukakan karakter tayar ini dan membantu meningkatkan lagi prestasi saya sendiri. Namun dengan permukaan litar yang agak kasar di sini, pasukan kami banyak mencuba beberapa kombinasi untuk mendapatkan pelarasan dan strategi terbaik,” jelas Zaqhwan yang juga merupakan juara SuperSports 600cc tahun 2014.
“Saya agak terkejut kerana berjaya mencatat masa terpantas memandangkan semua pelumba terus memperbaiki catatan mereka dalam setiap sesi. Sebagai contoh, rakan sepasukan saya, Yuki Takahashi merakamkan masa terbaik 1’32.924s yang merupakan catatan ketiga terbaik pada hari pertama. Yuki tidak beraksi pada hari kedua dan ketiga, dan pada hari ini catatan tersebut hanya berada di kedudukan ke-14. Saya percaya suasana pada minggu perlumbaan sebenar nanti pasti sangat sengit terutama dengan kehadiran ramai pelumba yang berpengalaman beraksi di pelbagai peringkat kejuaraan antarabangsa yang lain.”
Sementara itu, juara bertahan kelas Asia Production 250cc, Takehiro Yamamoto sekali lagi bersaing sengit dengan pelumba Thailand, Apiwat Wongthananon (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team) namun pelumba Jepun itu percaya saingan musim ini tidak begitu sengit berbanding cabaran sewaktu kelas tersebut mula diperkenalkan pada musim lepas.
Saingan musim 2015 menyaksikan Yamamoto menerima tentangan hebat trio AP Honda, Apiwat dan Nakarin Atiratphuvapat serta Vorapong Malahuan. Bagaimanapun musim ini Nakarin beralih ke siri Kejuaraan Motosikal Sepanyol manakala Apiwat beralih ke pasukan Yamaha.
Sesi tiga hari kelas Asia Production 250ccdikuasai oleh Apiwat dengan masa terbaik 1’45.057s diikuti Yamamoto ketinggalan 0.4s di belakang dengan masa 1’45.402s. Gandingan baharu Apiwat musim ini, Anupab Sarmoon dan Peerapong Loiboonpeng mencatat masa ketiga dan keempat terbaik.
Dalam saingan Underboon 130cc, duo RCB AGE Motobatt Yamaha YY Pang, Md Adib Rosley dan Md Izzat Zaidi mengetuai barisan pelumba lain dengan catatan terbaik 1’53.146s dan 1’53.343s. Pelumba FELDA PB Racing, Md Shah Khairil Hisham ketiga, 1’54.744s.
Pada masa sama, promoter kejuaraan turut mengumumkan kalendar bagi musim 2016 yang juga merupakan musim ke-21 bagi siri kejuaraan Asia ini.
Saingan pusingan pertama akan kembali ke Litar Johor, Pasir Gudang pada 1 dan 2April ini dimana kali terakhir ARRC berlangsung di litar sepanjang 3.86km ini pada tahun 2007.
Pusingan kedua akan berlangsung di Litar Antarabangsa Chang, Buriram, Thailand diikuti Litar Suzuka dan kemudiannya pusingan keempat di Litar Sentul, Indonesia. Pusingan 5 akan berlangsung di litar baharu, Litar Antarabangsa Buddh di New Delhi sebelum kelbali ke Thailand sebagai pusingan penutup pada Disember nanti.
Kalendar Kejuaraan Motosikal Asia FIM 2016:
Pusingan Venue Tarikh
Pusingan 1 Litar Johor Circuit, MALAYSIA April 1 & 2, 2016
Pusingan 2 Litar Antarabangsa Chang, THAILAND May 7 & 8, 2016
Pusingan 3 Litar Suzuka, JEPUN June 4 & 5, 2016
Pusingan 4 Litar Sentul INDONESIA August 6 & 7, 2016
Pusingan 5 Litar Buddh, INDIA October 1 & 2, 2016
Pusingan 6 Litar Antarabangsa Chang, THAILAND December 3 & 4, 2016
Keputusan:
SuperSports 600cc:
1. Md Zaqhwan Zaidi (MAS), 1’31.112s; 2. Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman (MAS), 1’31.616s; 3. Tomoyoshi Koyama (JPN), 1’31.773s; 4. Decha Kraisart (THA), 1’31.779s; 5. Ratthapong Wilairot (THA), 1’32.233s; 6. Ahmad Yudhistira (INA), 1’32.243; 7. Taiga Hada (JPN), 1’32.501s; 8. Jakkrit Sawangswat (THA), 1’32.508s; 9. Thitipong Warokorn (THA), 1’32.520s; 10. Andy Muhammad Fadly (INA), 1’32.525s
Asia Production 250cc:
1. Apiwat Wongthananon (THA), 1’45.057s; 2. Takehiro Yamamoto (JPN), 1’45.402; 3. Anupab Sarmoon (THA), 1’45.611s; 4. Peerapong Loiboonpeng (THA), 1’45.620s; 5. Somkiat Chantra (THA), 1’45.781s; 6. Ayumu Tanaka (JPN), 1’45.853s; 7. Vorapong Malahuan (THA), 1’45.917s; 8. Suhathai Chaemsap (THA), 1’45.989s; 9. Galang Hendra Pratama (INA), 1’46.013s; 10. Sitthisak Onchawiang (THA), 1’46.185s
Underbone 130cc:
1. Md Adib Rosley (MAS), 1’53.146s; 2. Md Izzat Zaidi (MAS), 1’53.343s; 3. Md Shah Khairil Hisham (MAS), 1’54.744s; 4. Iqbal Amri Malik (MAS), 1’55.089s; 5. Azroy Hakeem Anuar (MAS), 1’55.466s
ZAQHWAN COMPLETED THREE DAY PRE-SEASON TEST AS FASTEST 600cc RIDER
Malaysian rider Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi completed three days of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship pre-season test as the fastest SuperSports 600cc rider on the grid. The MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda rider clocked 1’31.112s on the final day of the pre-season tests, wresting the lead from Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman who had been the pace setter of the 600cc class during the first two days of the test sessions.
Azlan, who had a different test objective on Day 3, did not improve on his personal best time, and remains second on the timesheet with 1’31.616s. Tomoyoshi Koyama of team T.Pro Yuzy Honda NTS posted the third quickest time of 1’31.773s.
“I really like how the season opener is shaping up. Most exciting was the fact that the SuperSports 600cc are now fully on slick tyres this year. I really like the tyre characteristics and how it improves my performance. But at the Johor Circuit, the rough surface requires the team to try out more set-up combinations in order to get the ideal tyre strategy,” said Zaqhwan who is also 2014 SuperSports 600cc Champion.
“Frankly, I was surprised that I had managed to clock the fastest time because everyone kept getting progressively faster. Let’s use my team mate Yuki Takahashi’s best time as a benchmark. On Day 1, Takahashi clocked the third fastest time, 1’32.924s. He was absent from the test on Day 2 and Day 3. He has now dropped to 14th fastest. The race next week is bound to be a tightly contested race, especially with the news of more international calibre riders entering the fray.”
Meanwhile, defending Asia Production 250cc champion Takehiro Yamamoto is set to resume his rivalry with Thai ace Apiwat Wongthananon. However, Yamamoto believes that defending the title may be easier than winning it for the first time last season.
Yamamoto spent an entire year fending off repeated attacks from then AP Honda trio comprising of Apiwat, Nakarin Atiratphuvapat, and Vorapong Malahuan. This season, Nakarin has left the Asian series for a slot in the Spanish National Championship. Vorapong is the only seasoned rider left in the Honda team because Apiwat has switched over to Yamaha. The 23-year Yamamoto believes that 2016 may turn out to be a two horse race with Apiwat.
The results from the official pre-season test of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship lends credence to Yamamoto’s assumptions. Apiwat set the Asia Production 250cc benchmark with a time of 1’45.057s. Yamamoto, second fastest, was 0.4 seconds off with 1’45.402s. Apiwat’s new team mates Anupab Sarmoon and Peerapong Loiboonpeng were third and fourth fastest respectively.
Team RCB KAGE Motobatt Yamaha YY Pang’s Md Adib Rosley and Md Izzat Zaidi gained in confidence when they completed the three-day practice as the two fastest riders in the Underbone 130cc category.
Adib led the group with 1’53.146s. Izzat was second fastest with 1’53.343s. FELDA PB Racing’s Md Shah Khairil Hisham was officially third fastest with 1’54.744s.
In other developments, the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) finally released its 2016 calendar which will feature a combination of familiar and new circuits as the 21st season of the Asian series get underway.
The season will open with a return to the Johor Circuit in Pasir Gudang, Johor, Malaysia on April 1 and 2, 2016. The last time the 3.86km Johor Circuit hosted the ARRC was in 2007. The second leg will take place at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand followed by Suzuka Circuit in Japan and the Sentul Circuit in Indonesia as hosts for the third and fourth rounds respectively. Round 5 will take place at a new venue – the Buddh International Circuit in New Delhi, India. Thailand’s Chang Circuit will close off the 2016 season in December.
2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship Calendar (Provisional)
Round Venue Date
Round 1 Johor Circuit, MALAYSIA April 1 & 2, 2016
Round 2 Chang International Circuit, THAILAND May 7 & 8, 2016
Round 3 Suzuka Circuit, JAPAN June 4 & 5, 2016
Round 4 Sentul Circuit, INDONESIA August 6 & 7, 2016
Round 5 Buddh Circuit, INDIA October 1 & 2, 2016
Round 6 Chang International Circuit, THAILAND December 3 & 4, 2016
Note: All dates and venues are subject to change.
Combined SuperSports 600cc Practice Results:
1. Md Zaqhwan Zaidi (MAS), 1’31.112s; 2. Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman (MAS), 1’31.616s; 3. Tomoyoshi Koyama (JPN), 1’31.773s; 4. Decha Kraisart (THA), 1’31.779s; 5. Ratthapong Wilairot (THA), 1’32.233s; 6. Ahmad Yudhistira (INA), 1’32.243; 7. Taiga Hada (JPN), 1’32.501s; 8. Jakkrit Sawangswat (THA), 1’32.508s; 9. Thitipong Warokorn (THA), 1’32.520s; 10. Andy Muhammad Fadly (INA), 1’32.525s
Combined Asia Production 250cc Practice Results:
1. Apiwat Wongthananon (THA), 1’45.057s; 2. Takehiro Yamamoto (JPN), 1’45.402; 3. Anupab Sarmoon (THA), 1’45.611s; 4. Peerapong Loiboonpeng (THA), 1’45.620s; 5. Somkiat Chantra (THA), 1’45.781s; 6. Ayumu Tanaka (JPN), 1’45.853s; 7. Vorapong Malahuan (THA), 1’45.917s; 8. Suhathai Chaemsap (THA), 1’45.989s; 9. Galang Hendra Pratama (INA), 1’46.013s; 10. Sitthisak Onchawiang (THA), 1’46.185s
Combined Underbone 130cc Practice Results:
1. Md Adib Rosley (MAS), 1’53.146s; 2. Md Izzat Zaidi (MAS), 1’53.343s; 3. Md Shah Khairil Hisham (MAS), 1’54.744s; 4. Iqbal Amri Malik (MAS), 1’55.089s; 5. Azroy Hakeem Anuar (MAS), 1’55.466s
