Pasukan Hong Leong Yamaha mengampil keputusan untuk meletakkan pelumba mereka, Ahmad Afif Amran bersaing dalam kelas Asia Production 250cc bagi menghadapi saingan Kejuaraan Motosikal Asia FIM (ARRC) musim 2016 yang akan berlangsung di Litar Johor, Pasir Gudang, Johor pada 31 Mac hingga 2 April ini.
Keputusan tersebut agak mengejutkan Afif yang telah beraksi selama dua musim dalam kelas lebih tinggi, SuperSports 600cc dan sepanjang dua hari sesi ujian pra-musim yang berlangsung di Litar Johor bermula semalam, jelas pelumba muda itu masih belum mendapatkan keserasian menggunakan jentera Yamaha YZF R25 itu.
Afif terpaksa bekerja lebih keras untuk menyaingi kehandalan pelumba lebih berpengalaman dari Thailand, Jepun dan Indonesia apabila sekadar mencatat masa ke-22 terpantas dengan masa 1’48.766s, tiga saat di belakang pelumba terpantas, Apiwat Wongthananon yang mencatatkan masa terbaik 1’45.057s.
“Saingan kelas Asia Production 250cc merupakan kelas yang semakin digemari dalam saingan di Asia ini. Tahun ini Hong Leong Yamaha membuat keputusan untuk menyertai kategori ini buat pertama kali dan keputusan tersebut agak mengejutkan. Kami kekurangan masa untuk membuat persiapan secukupnya. Tidak dinafikan kami agak ketinggalan berbanding pasukan lain yang cukup bersedia dan telah menyertai kategori ini sejak tahun lepas lagi,” jelas Afif.
“Secara realistik, kami memerlukan sekurang-kurangnya tiga pusingan sebelum kami mampu menyaingi kemampuan pasukan lain. Secara peribadi, saya gembira dengan peluang ini kerana jentera 250cc ini lebih mudah untuk dikendalikan berbanding jentera SuperSports 600cc yang lebih besar dan berat.
Sementara itu, saingan hari kedua sesi ujian pra-musim menyaksikan dua pelumba Malaysia, Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman (BikeArt Racing Kawasaki) dan Md Zaqhwan Zaidi (Musashi Boon Siew Honda Racing) sekali lagi mendominasi dengan catatan terpantas 1’31.616s dan Zaqhwan dengan amsa 1’31.790s.
Dalam kelas Underbone 130cc, duo RCB Kage Motobatt Yamaha YY Pang, Md Adib Rosley dan Md Izzat Zaidi muncul pelumba terpantas dengan masa 1’53.146s dan 1’53.343s diikuti Md Shah Khairil Hisham (Felda PB Racing) ketiga, 1’54.744s.
Keputusan Hari ke-2 Ujian Pra Musim:
SuperSports 600cc
1. Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman (MAS), 1’31.616s; 2. Md Zaqhwan Zaidi (MAS), 1’31.790s; 3. Tomoyoshi Koyama (JPN), 1’32.052s; 4. Jakkrit Sawangswat (THA), 1’32.508s; 5. Ratthapong Wilairot (THA), 1’32.511s; 6. Andy Muhammad Fadly (INA), 1’32.525s; 7. Ahmad Yudhistira (INA), 1’32.551s; 8. Thitipong Warokorn (THA), 1’32.618s; 9. Yuki Takahashi (JPN), 1’32.924s; 10. Dimas Ekky Pratama (INA), 1’32.942s
Asia Production 250cc
1. Apitwat Wongthananon (THA), 1’45.057s; 2. Takehiro Yamamoto (JPN), 1’45.513s; 3. Peerapong Loiboonpeng (THA), 1’45.620s; 4. Ayumu Tanaka (JPN), 1’45.853s; 5. Suhathai Chaemsap (THA), 1’45.989s; 6. Galang Hendra Pratama (INA), 1’46.013s; 7. Somkiat Chatra (THA), 1’46.054s; 8. Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin (MAS), 1’46.350s; 9. Soichiro Minamimoto (JPN), 1’46.493s; 10. Md Muzakkir Mohd (MAS), 1’46.633s
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
Afif struggles with 250cc switch
Malaysian team Hong Leong Yamaha’s decision to field Ahmad Afif Amran in the Asia Production 250cc class of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship has caught the former SuperSports 600cc rider by surprise. Getting on board the Yamaha R25 for the first time during the official pre-season test at the Johor Circuit, Afif struggled to get on pace with an unfamiliar bike.
While the Thai and Japanese riders topped the timesheets in the AP250cc class, Afif had to work doubly hard to help his team engineers get the bike ready in time for the season opener next week. After two days on track, Afif averaged 22nd fastest with a personal best of 1’48.766s – three seconds off frontrunner Apiwat Wongthananon’s pace which was 1’45.057s.
“The Asia Production 250cc class is currently the most popular class in the Asian series. This will be team Hong Leong Yamaha’s first entry into the class and we are racing against time to prepare the bike. We are further disadvantaged in the fact that our competitors have had a whole year in which to develop their bikes while we start from scratch,” said Afif.
“Realistically, I think it will take us at least three rounds before we can even think of podium finishes. But from a personal point of view, I am enjoying this opportunity to race the 250cc production bike. I find it very easy to handle as opposed to the bulkier SuperSports 600cc.”
Meanwhile, in the SuperSports 600cc premiere class, Malaysian duo Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman and Md Zaqhwan Zaidi maintained their dominance at the top of the timesheets for a second consecutive day. Azlan improved on his fastest lap when he clocked 1’31.616s. Zaqhwan also punched through the 1 minute 32 second barrier when he posted 1’31.790s as the second fastest rider on Day 2.
In the Underbone 130cc, team YY Pang’s Md Adib Rosley and Md Izzat Zaidi were the two fastest Underbone riders with 1’53.146s and 1’53.343s respectively. Md Shah Khairil Hisham of FELDA PB Racing posted third fastest with 1’54.744s.
Day 2 Pre-Season Test Results:
SuperSports 600cc
1. Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman (MAS), 1’31.616s; 2. Md Zaqhwan Zaidi (MAS), 1’31.790s; 3. Tomoyoshi Koyama (JPN), 1’32.052s; 4. Jakkrit Sawangswat (THA), 1’32.508s; 5. Ratthapong Wilairot (THA), 1’32.511s; 6. Andy Muhammad Fadly (INA), 1’32.525s; 7. Ahmad Yudhistira (INA), 1’32.551s; 8. Thitipong Warokorn (THA), 1’32.618s; 9. Yuki Takahashi (JPN), 1’32.924s; 10. Dimas Ekky Pratama (INA), 1’32.942s
Asia Production 250cc
1. Apitwat Wongthananon (THA), 1’45.057s; 2. Takehiro Yamamoto (JPN), 1’45.513s; 3. Peerapong Loiboonpeng (THA), 1’45.620s; 4. Ayumu Tanaka (JPN), 1’45.853s; 5. Suhathai Chaemsap (THA), 1’45.989s; 6. Galang Hendra Pratama (INA), 1’46.013s; 7. Somkiat Chatra (THA), 1’46.054s; 8. Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin (MAS), 1’46.350s; 9. Soichiro Minamimoto (JPN), 1’46.493s; 10. Md Muzakkir Mohd (MAS), 1’46.633s
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
