Trio Yamaha Thailand Racing terus gah menguasai saingan SuperSports 600cc apabila mendominasi ketiga-tiga kedudukan podium pada aksi Perlumbaan 1 Pusingan 6 Kejuaraan Motosikal Asia FIM (ARRC) yang berlangsung di Litar Antarabangsa Chang, Burirm, Thailand, hari ini.
Decha Kraisart yang bermula dari petak kedua memintas rakan sepasukan pada pusingan keempat untuk mendahului perlumbaan sehingga ke garisan penamat untuk menamatkan 18 pusingan perlumbaan dengan masa keseluruhan 30’00.113s diikuti Chalermpol dengan masa 30’00.364s. Rakan sepasukan, Aucha Narkcharoensri yang pada satu ketika berada di kedudukan keempat sebelum juara bertahan, Yuki Takahashi terjatuh pada pusingan keempat melengkapkan dominasi podium dengan masa 30’00.819s.
Pelumba negara, Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman (BikeART Racing Kawasaki) mempamerkan aksi bertenaga untuk tamat di kedudukan keempat dengan masa 30’07.212s manakala masalah angin kuat dan permulaan yang agak perlahan menyaksikan Md Zaqhwan Zaidi (Musashi Boon Siew Honda Racing) terpaksa bergelut untuk menyaingi kelompok hadapan apabila sekadar tamat di kedudukan ketujuh dengan masa 30’10.573s.
Namun begitu, Zaqhwan yang dalam misi mengejar gelaran juara keseluruhan berjaya merapatkan jurang kepada enam mata apabila pendahulu, Tomoyoshi Koyama (T. ProYuzy Honda NTS With WOW) menamatkan perlumbaan di kedudukan kelapan dengan masa 30’10.650s. Selepas Perlumbaan 1, Zaqhwan kini mengumpul 152 mata manakala Koyama 158 mata dan Azlan ketiga dengan 129 mata.
“Saya bermula agak perlahan, di tambah dengan kedudukan yang agak belakang menyebabkan saya sukar untuk mengejar kelompok depan dan menamatkan perlumbaan dengan mengutip lebih banyak mata. Masalah angin kuat juga menyukarkan lagi aksi saya namun mujur masih berjaya tamat di hadapan Koyama,” jelas Zaqhwan.
Tambahnya, “Perlumbaan esok begitu penting. Saya perlu beraksi lebih baik dan tamat di kedudukan yang jauh lebih baik berbanding Koyama. Saya berharap dapat menamatkan perlumbaan di atas podium dan tidak boleh melakukan kesilapan pada permulaan perlumbaan.”
Sementara itu, persaingan memburu gelaran juara keseluruhan dalam kelas Underbone 130cc bertambah sengit apabila dua pelumba negara, Md Haziq Fairues (Uma Racing Yamaha Maju Motor) dan Mohd Amirul Ariff Musa (T. Pro Yuzy Honda NTS) berjaya menamatkan Perlumbaan 1 di atas podium manakala pendahulu keseluruhan, Wahyu Aji Trilaksana (TPK48 BKMS Indonesia) sekadar tamat di kedudukan kelima namun masih kekal di tangga teratas dengan 124 mata.
Md Haziq Fairues menebus duka rakan sepasukan, Ahmad Fazli Sham yang berhasrat untuk muncul juara bagi memintas kedudukan pendahulu namun gagal menamatkan perlumbaan gara-gara masalah mekanikal jenteranya apabila memenangi perlumbaan buat pertama kali pada musim ini dengan masa keseluruhan 17’26.285s. Pelumba Indonesia, Florianus Roy Brilyan (Malioboro City Jogjakarta BKMS) menamatkan perlumbaan di tempat kedua dengan masa 17’26.340s sementara Amirul ketiga, 17’26.480s.
Kedudukan tempat ketiga membantu Amirul naik ke kedudukan kedua keseluruhan dengan 122 mata manakala Md Izzat Zaidi (RCB Kage Motobatt Yamaha YY Pang) yang menamatkan perlumbaan di kedudukan keenam di tangga ketiga dengan 117 mata dan Fazli di kedudukan keempat dengan 110 mata.
Keputusan Perlumbaan 1:
SuperSports 600cc
1. Decha Kraisart (THA) Yamaha 30’00.113s
2. Chalermpol Polamai (THA) Yamaha 30’00.364s
3. Anucha Narkcharoensri (THA) Yamaha 30’00.819s
4. Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman (MAS) Kawasaki 30’07.212s
5. Anthony Keith West (AUS) Yamaha 30’07.272s
Kedudukan keseluruhan:
1. Tomoyoshi Koyama (JPN) Honda 158 mata
2. Md Zaqhwan Zaidi (MAS) Honda 152 mata
3. Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman (MAS) Kawasaki 129 mata
4. Yuki Takahashi (JPN) Honda 128 mata
5. Decha Kraisart (THA) Yamaha 110 mata
Asia Production 250cc
1. Anupab Sarmoon (THA) Yamaha 19’38.679s
2. Peerapong Loiboonpeng (THA) Yamaha 19’38.897s
3. Yusuke Nakamura (JPN) Yamaha 19’39.440s
4. Somkiat Chantra (THA) Honda 19’39.479s
5. Imanuel Putra Pratna (INA) Yamaha 19’39.511s
Kedudukan keseluruhan:
1. Apiwat Wongthananon (THA) Yamaha 221 mata
2. Anupab Sarmoon (THA) Yamaha153 mata
3. Takehiro Yamamoto (JPN) Kawasaki 151 mata
4. Peerapong Loiboonpeng (THA) Yamaha 138 mata
5. Galang Hendra Pratama (INA) Yamaha 106 mata
Underbone 130cc
1. Md Haziq Fairues (MAS) Yamaha 17’26.285s
2. Florianus Roy Brilyan (INA) Yamaha 17’26.340s
3. Md Amirul Ariff Musa (MAS) Honda 17’26.480s
4. Md Shah Khairil Hisham (MAS) Yamaha 17’26.557s
5. Wahyu Aji Trilaksana (INA) Yamaha 17’26.613s
Kedudukan keseluruhan:
1. Wahyu Aji Trilaksana (INA) Yamaha 124 mata
2. Md Amirul Ariff Musa (MAS) Honda 122 mata
3. Md Izzat Zaidi (MAS) Yamaha 117 mata
4. Ahmad Fazli Sham (MAS) Yamaha 110 mata
5. Florianus Roy Brilyan (INA) 85 mata
ZAQHWAN STILL STANDS A CHANCE
Malaysian rider Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi still holds a slim chance of winning his second SuperSports 600cc title as the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship winds down to its final race at the Chang International Circuit this weekend. The MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda rider kept his championship hopes alive when he finished seventh in Race 1 ahead of championship leader Tomoyoshi Koyama.
Starting the race from seventh on the grid, Zaqhwan was unable to catch up with the three local riders who reigned supreme on their home track. As Thai riders Decha Kraisart, Chalermpol Polamai and Anucha Nakcharoensri raced uncontested to a 1-2-3 finish for team Yamaha Thailand Racing, Zaqhwan was caught up in a four way fight against Koyama, Indonesia’s Ahmad Yudhistira and Japanese rider Yuki Ito.
After Race 1, Koyama now leads with 158 points followed by Zaqhwan with 152 points. The 6-point margin between the two riders meant that, should Zaqhwan win Race 2, Koyama must finish second in order to take his first Asian title.
“Before this race, everyone was saying that the wildcards could not impact the championship. This is clearly untrue. They can easily spoil the party for us if I cannot match or outrun the pace of the Yamaha machines,” said Zaqhwan.
Ahead of Zaqhwan, Azlan Shah also did his best to stay relevant in the title chase by pipping Anthony West to the finish line in fourth place. However, this was not enough to keep him in the title hunt. In Race 2, Azlan will be expected to fight against Yuki Takahashi to defend third overall position.
In the preoccupation over the riders’ title chase in the SuperSports 600cc class, many had overlooked that the Team Award title had fallen into team MUSASHi Boon Siew Honda for the fifth consecutive time. Even though defending champion Yuki Takahashi dropped out of Race 1 in the final leg of the 2016 season, Zaqhwan Zaidi’s seventh place finish was enough to hand the title back to the Malaysian racing outfit.
The SuperSports 600cc Race 1 was won by Decha Kraisart with a time of 30’00.113s, followed by Chalermpol Polamai and Anucha Nakcharoensri in second and third places. Elsewhere on the SuperSports 600cc results sheet, Round 5 double winner Anthony West finished fifth, followed by Dimas Ekky in sixth. Wildcard Hikari Okubo took 12th place while Zulfahmi Khairuddin finished 15th.
In the Underbone 130cc category, there is still no clear champion in sight. The race did not go according to script for early title favourites Wahyu Aji Trilaksana and Ahmad Fazli Sham. Instead, it was newcomer Mohd Haziq Mohd Fairues, Indonesian rider Florianus Roy Brilyan and seasoned underbone campaigner Mohd Amirul Ariff Musa who made the appointment with the podium at the end of Race 1.
Haziq took his first Underbone 130cc win with a time of 17’26.285s. 0.055 seconds behind, Florianus Roy crossed the finish line in second place. Mohd Amirul Ariff Musa clocked 17’26.480s in third place.
“I am enjoying a great weekend here. My first pole followed by my first win. I thank my team for an amazing bike set-up and I dedicate this win to my mother. It’s her birthday today,” said the dutiful son.
Haziq’s win has had multiple impact on the championship standings. Denied a chance to extend his championship lead, Wahyu will have to go all out during Race 2 in order to retain a shred of hope to win the title. The Indonesian BKMS rider now leads with 124 points, only 2 points ahead of Mohd Amirul Aziz Musa. Mohd Izzat Zaidi and Ahmad Fazli Sham also retain a mathematical chance of denying Wahyu’s hopes of becoming the last Underbone 130cc champion in the Asia Road Racing Championship.
Within the bigger picture, Haziq’s achievements at the Chang International Circuit has confirmed team UMA Racing Yamaha Maju Motor for the Team Award title in the Underbone 130cc category. The Malaysian outfit has amassed 163 points to date, 38 points ahead of T Pro Yuzy Honda NTS with 125 points. Indonesia’s Team BKMS is third overall with 124 points.
Race 1 Rd 6 ARR Results:
SuperSports 600cc
1. Decha Kraisart (THA) Yamaha 30’00.113s
2. Chalermpol Polamai (THA) Yamaha 30’00.364s
3. Anucha Narkcharoensri (THA) Yamaha 30’00.819s
4. Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman (MAS) Kawasaki 30’07.212s
5. Anthony Keith West (AUS) Yamaha 30’07.272s
Standings:
1. Tomoyoshi Koyama (JPN) Honda 158pts
2. Md Zaqhwan Zaidi (MAS) Honda 152pts
3. Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman (MAS) Kawasaki 129pts
4. Yuki Takahashi (JPN) Honda 128pts
5. Decha Kraisart (THA) Yamaha 110pts
Asia Production 250cc
1. Anupab Sarmoon (THA) Yamaha 19’38.679s
2. Peerapong Loiboonpeng (THA) Yamaha 19’38.897s
3. Yusuke Nakamura (JPN) Yamaha 19’39.440s
4. Somkiat Chantra (THA) Honda 19’39.479s
5. Imanuel Putra Pratna (INA) Yamaha 19’39.511s
Standings:
1. Apiwat Wongthananon (THA) Yamaha 221pts
2. Anupab Sarmoon (THA) Yamaha 153pts
3. Takehiro Yamamoto (JPN) Kawasaki 151pts
4. Peerapong Loiboonpeng (THA) Yamaha 138pts
5. Galang Hendra Pratama (INA) Yamaha 106pts
Underbone 130cc
1. Md Haziq Fairues (MAS) Yamaha 17’26.285s
2. Florianus Roy Brilyan (INA) Yamaha 17’26.340s
3. Md Amirul Ariff Musa (MAS) Honda 17’26.480s
4. Md Shah Khairil Hisham (MAS) Yamaha 17’26.557s
5. Wahyu Aji Trilaksana (INA) Yamaha 17’26.613s
Standings:
1. Wahyu Aji Trilaksana (INA) Yamaha 124pts
2. Md Amirul Ariff Musa (MAS) Honda 122pts
3. Md Izzat Zaidi (MAS) Yamaha 117pts
4. Ahmad Fazli Sham (MAS) Yamaha 110pts
5. Florianus Roy Brilyan (INA) 85pts
