Underbone 130cc contender, Norizman Ismail is looking to fight for the podium again in Round 3 of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship at the Suzuka Circuit in Japan this weekend.
Fresh from his recent victory in Indonesia earlier this month, the Harian Metro Y-TEQ SCK Honda Racing rider heads to the historical circuit, one of his favourite venues on the calendar with high hopes of bridging the gap with reigning Underbone 130cc champion, Gupita Kresna.
Gupita currently leads the standings with 70 points, 16-points ahead of Norizman who sits in third overall with 54 points while Ferlando Herdian is sandwiched between the two with 56 points.
Norizman is further boosted having achieved a podium finish at the 5.807 kilometre track last year.
“Indonesia marked one of my best races of the season so far and we need to build on that momentum at Suzuka which is my favourite track. It’s fast and flowing with a couple of tight corners that suits our bike. The aim is to start the weekend strong and then, in the race, try my best to pull away early and finish the race first,” said Norizman.
Although confident he has what it takes to battle for the podium, Norizman is under no illusion the upcoming race will be easy as it requires both in-depth technical knowledge and sharp riding skills to master.
“Suzuka is different compared to other tracks for underbone riders. Because of the uphill and long straight roads, it is very hard to choose to right gearbox ratio. Even if your bike is fast, sometimes you still can’t win because the last corner is a tricky section and you will need to use your wit to get ahead of rivals. However, I’ve finished on the podium there before and the uphill section of the track suits my riding style perfectly and I’m sure I can use this to my advantage,” he added.
