Apiwat fastest in Asia Production 250cc
Apiwat Wongthananon

Pendahulu keseluruhan, Yuki Takahashi tidak mengalami masalah untuk menguasai sesi latihan bebas SuperSports 600cc apabila muncul pelumba tunggal yang melakukan catatan di bawah 1’40 saat pada hari pertama pusingan terakhir Kejuaraan Motosikal Asia FIM (ARRC) di Litar Antarabangsa Chang, Buriram, Thailand, hari ini.

Pelumba Musashi Boon Siew Honda Racing itu mencatatkan masa terpantas 1’39.820s pada sesi latihan bebas kedua, 0.266s lebih pantas berbanding pencabar terdekat, Ahmad Yudhistira (Manual Tech KYT Kawasaki) yang mencatatkan masa terbaik 1’40.086s.

Pelumba tuan rumah, Thitipong Warokorn (AP Honda Racing Thailand) merakam masa ketiga terpantas, 1’40.223s.

“Saya menggabungkan pelarasan yang digunakan pada pusingan keempat di litar ini dan juga pelarasan yang digunakan pada pusingan kelima di Qatar pada sesi latihan bebas pertama, namun hasilnya kurang memuaskan,” jelas Takahashi yang sekadar mencatatkan 1’40.674s sewaktu sesi latihan bebas pertama.

Tambahnya, “Pada sesi kedua, saya memilih kembali pelarasan yang digunakan sewaktu pusingan keempat yang juga berlangsung di litar ini dan hasilnya sangat memuaskan. Saya yakin dapat mengatasi catatan rekod litar ini memandangkan kami masih mempunyai banyak masa dalam sesi latihan bebas ketiga dan ujian masa esok. Namun semuanya bergantung kepada keadaan cuaca esok,” jelas Takahashi.

Dalam saingan Asia Production 250cc, dua pelumba AP Honda Racing Thailand, Apiwat Wongthananon dan Vorapong Malahuan menggunakan kelebihan beraksi di halaman sendiri untuk melakukan catatan terpantas, masing-masing dengan masa terbaik 1’57.663s dan 1’57.663s.

Pelumba Jepun yang dalam pemburuan gelaran juara pertama saingan kelas 250cc terbuka yang mula diperkenalkan pada musim ini, Takehiro Yamamoto (TRICKSTAR Racing) mencatat masa ketiga terpantas, 1’57.737s.

Dalam pada itu, pelumba Malaysia, Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin (Yamaha Finson Racing) berjaya melakukan catatan terbaik 1’58.565s.

Sementara itu, saingan Underbone dikuasai oleh dua pelumba pasukan Faito Factory Racing dari Indonesia, Wahji Ayu Trilaksana dan Anggi Permana Putera dimana Wahji dengan catatan 2’08.763s dan 2’09.222s.

Catatan ketiga terbaik milik seorang lagi pelumba Indonesia, Ferlando Herdian (Yamaha BKMS  Indonesia Racing Team) yang mencatatkan masa terbaik 2’09.451s diikuti pelumba Malaysia, Mohd Adib Rosley (RCB Yamaha YY Pang Racing) dengan masa 2’09.471s.

Keputusan 

SuperSports 600cc

  1. Yuki Takahashi (JPN) Honda 1’39.820s
  2. Ahmad Yudhistira (INA) Kawasaki 1’40.086s
  3. Thitipong Warokorn (THA) Honda 1’40.223s
  4. Ratthapong Wilairot (THA) Honda 1’40.242s
  5. Ryuji Yokoe (JPN) Yamaha 1’40.244s

 

Asia Production 250cc

  1. Apiwat Wongthananon (THA) Honda 1’57.637s
  2. Vorapong Malahuan (THA) Honda 1’57.663s
  3. Takehiro Yamamoto (JPN) Kawasaki 1’57.737s
  4. Anupab Sarmoon (THA) Yamaha 1’58.036s
  5. Nakarin Atiratphuvapat (THA) Honda 1’58.062s

 

Underbone 130cc

  1. Wahyu Aji Trilaksana (INA) Yamaha 2’08.763s
  2. Anggi Permana Putera (INA) Yamaha 2’09.222s
  3. Ferlando Herdian (INA) Yamaha 2’09.451s
  4. Mohd Adib Mohd Rosley (MAS) Yamaha 2’09.471s
  5. Elly Idzlianizar Ilias (MAS) Honda 2’09.819s
Yuki Takahashi in action
Yuki Takahashi

THAI-JAPANESE CONFRONTATION ON THE CARDS FOR ARRC FINALE

The four day finale of the 2015 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship revs off with two free practice sessions for the open-make SuperSports 600cc, Asia Production 250cc, and Underbone 130cc classes. From the results of the first day of practice, the weekend is shaping up to a Thai-Japanese confrontation especially in the premiere SuperSports 600cc class.

MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda Racing’s Yuki Takahashi is in strong form, clocking in fastest of the day with 1’39.820s. Behind Takahashi, Kawasaki rider Ahmad Yudhistira was the only Indonesian to make it into the top-10 when he posted the second fastest time of 1’40.086s. Returning former ARRC protege and current Moto2 rider Thitipong Warokorn was third fastest with 1’40.223s followed by Ratthapong Wilairot who was fourth fastest and wildcard rider Ryuiji Yokoe, fifth.

“The Thai riders seem to be in top form this weekend, even the wildcard riders are posting amazing results. We tried out a bunch of different settings during the morning session where I was second fastest. But ultimately, we decided to revert back to our Round 4 configurations as it had yielded the best results for this track. The surface of the tarmac is a little slippery, mainly due to the high number of car races that had been held at this popular circuit. Thanks to the expanded race programme, we now have one extra day in which to fine-tune the machine for the final battle,” said Takahashi.

Other Thai and Japanese riders in the top-10 during the free practice results included Anucha Narkcharoensri, Tomoyoshi Koyama, Decha Kraisart, Hikari Okubo, and Suhathai Chaemsup. The fastest Malaysian rider was Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi who posted 11the fastest with 1’40.999s.

In the Asia Production 250cc class, a similar Thai-Japanese battle seem to be on the cards as Takehiro Yamamoto and Apiwat Wongthananon take their title chase right down the wire to the final round. Needing to overcome the 24-point lead held by Yamamoto, Apiwat shot to the top of the timesheets during the second free practice session with 1’57.637s. Yamamoto was second fastest with 1’57.737s while Vorapong Malahuan and Nakarin Atiratphuvapat were third and fourth fastest respectively.

Finally, Indonesian riders Wahyu Aji Trilaksana and Ferlando Herdian tag-teamed their way to the leadership position during the second free practice session. Wahyu was fastest with 2’08.763s while Ferlando trailed with 2’09.451s. Malaysian rider Mohd Adib Rosley was third fastest with 2’09.471s. Anggi Permana Putera and Elly Idzlianizar Ilias made up the rest of the top-5.

SUPERSPORTS 600cc

Free Practice 1 Results
1. Ratthapong Wilairot (THA), 1’40.307s
2. Yuki Takahashi (JPN), 1’40.674s
3. Ryuji Yokoe (JPN), 1’40.687s
4. Ahmad Yudhistira (INA), 1’40.738s
5. Thitipong Warokorn (THA), 1’40.990s

Free Practice 2 Results
1. Yuki Takahashi (JPN), 1’39.820s
2. Ahmad Yudhistira (INA), 1’40.086s
3. Thitipong Warokorn (THA), 1’40.223s
4. Ratthapong Wilairot (THA), 1’40.242s
5. Ryuji Yokoe (JPN), 1’40.244s

ASIA PRODUCTION 250cc

Free Practice 1 Results
1. Vorapong Malahuan (THA), 1’57.663s
2. Anupab Sarmoon (THA), 1’58.036s
3. Apiwat Wongthananon (THA), 1’58.089s
4. Takehiro Yamamoto (JPN), 1’58.424s
5. Nakarin Atiratphuvapat (THA), 1’58.482s

Free Practice 2 Results
1. Apiwat Wongthananon (THA), 1’57.637s
2. Takehiro Yamamoto (JPN), 1’57.737s
3. Vorapong Malahuan (THA), 1’57.886s
4. Nakarin Atiratphuvapat (THA), 1’58.062s
5. Peerapong Boonlert (THA), 1’58.064s

UNDERBONE 130cc

Free Practice 1 Results
1. Anggi Permana Putera (INA), 2’09.222s
2. Wahyu Aji Trilaksana (INA), 2’10.267s
3. Ferlando Herdian (INA), 2’10.286s
4. Ahmad Fazrul Sham (MAS), 2’10.537s
5. Florianus Roy Brilyan (INA), 2’10.801s

Free Practice 2 Results
1. Wahyu Aji Trilaksana (INA), 2’08.763s
2. Ferlando Herdian (INA), 2’09.451s
3. Md Adib Rosley (MAS), 2’09.471s
4. Anggi Permana Putera (INA), 2’09.709s
5. Elly Idzlianizar Ilias (MAS), 2’09.819s

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