Underbone 150
It is hard to miss out the long line of riders in the Underbone 150cc race category as they work their machines to take lead at the Sepang International Circuit. Wawan Wello of Pitsbike JRT Tech 2 OneWay Racing Team found his rhythm this weekend in Race 1, Round 2 of the Idemitsu FIM Asia Road Racing Championship when he emerged first at the finish line.
During the qualifying session earlier this morning, Md Haziq Fairues of UMA RACING YAMAHA MAJU MOTOR ASIA TEAM clocked in the fastest at 2’33:149s followed by Md Shafiq Rasol of ONEXOX TKKR RACING TEAM 2’33:166s and Md Shahrol Syazras of ESTREMO YUZY HONDA TEAM at 2’34:168s. During the Superpole however, Wawan bagged the pole position at 2’34:532s. Wahyu Aji Trilaksana of RACETECH SIXTY RACING took the second spot at 2’34:554s and Md Hafiza Rofa of ONEXOX TKKR RACING TEAM made his best at 2’35:055s.
It was a good start for the riders as soon as the race flagged off. Flocking together in a tight line, the riders seemed quite confident on the circuit. While every one of them were relentlessly pursuing a steady pace, Wawan went on to take lead before he dropped down the line at the end of lap 2. Fazli Sham went to on take lead before passing on the baton to Haziq Fairues at the end of the third lap.
By the end of lap 4, Fazli Sham emerged back at the lead position, playing his games well to avoid losing momentum. By then Pilipino riders John Emerson and April King began following close. The highly competitive stride went on for another lap and Fazli Sham retained his position. With one more lap to go, tension brewed further and towards the last turn, a casualty occurred with a bunch or riders going down. The doors for victory opened up for Wawan and Murobbil. Inches away, Wawan clocked in ahead at 15’41:697s.
Commenting on the race, Wawan said, “I felt very easy today as I have found the right setup for my machine from the very beginning for today’s race. I believed in my machine and I went on with the rhythm throughout the race. At the last turn, I enhanced my speed but Murobbil somehow moved in to the left but thankfully, we did not collide. For tomorrow, I hope that I could repeat the same victorious move.”
At the second spot was M Murrobil Vittoni of LFN H.PUTRA 969 INDONESIA RACING TEAM, clocking in at 15’41:729s.
Gupita Kresna of 4S1M EVO YAMAHA RACING TEAM made it third at 15’41:941s.
Asia Production 250
Confidence and determination described the Asia Production 250cc riders as they glided with great dexterity to attain the winning title. Herjun Atna Firdaus of ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM however stood up best in his performance when he bagged the top spot in Race 1, Round 2 of the Idemitsu FIM Asia Road Racing Championship held at Sepang International Circuit this evening.
In the qualifying session this morning, trio of ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM made the top three fastest positions with Rheza Danica Ahrens taking lead at 2’22:498s followed by Veda Ega Pratama at 2’22:895s and Herjun Atna Firdaus at 2’22:901s.
It is not surprising that the trio went on to makes waves around the circuit. In the first lap, Veda went on a strong front but he was then superseded by rising AP250 star, Rheza with Herjun shadowing closely behind. At the last corner of lap 2, Herjun managed to slide ahead of Rheza. Only for a moment before Rheza barged back ahead.
Meanwhile, Jakhreephat was comfortably pacing at P4 with Irfan trailing behind. As one after another lap went down, the Indonesia trio were strongly grounded ahead with a wide gap. By the end of lap 5, Irfan Ardiansyah made it to P4 as the troop behind began picking up speed. With 3 more laps to go, it seemed almost impossible for rider at P4 to speed up into the top three position.
The battle for the winning title went on among the teammates as they exchanged positions rapidly. With one more lap to go, the battle became stiff among the trio. Herjun took lead at the last lap and while Rheza tried to pursue the position, the former was adamant in securing the win. By the last turn, Herjun managed to build a little gap as he fled to the finish line. He marked his best at 19’17:057s.
Commenting on the race, Herjun said, “I am extremely happy. I enjoyed the ride throughout. The circuit condition was good including the newly resurfaced asphalt which makes the race even more exciting. Today, my teammates and I did a pretty excellent job and it was fun to have had a good fight with them. I am truly proud that we bagged all three spots. It’s a proud moment for Indonesians however I hope to ride competitively with the other riders as well. As for tomorrow, I am not sure if I can get the same result considering my very robust teammates however, I will try my best.”
Rheza finished the race at 19’17:231s.
At third, Veda Ega Pratama clocked in at 19’17:292s.
TVS Asia One Make Championship
The blue and white hue of the TVS Apache machines set a stunning sight at the Sepang International Circuit as riders went on a feat to further accentuate its character. Among them, Md Muzakkir Mohamed of Malaysia made a striking remark when he emerged with a winning move in Race 1, Round 2 of the Idemitsu FIM Asia Road Racing Championship.
In the qualifying session earlier this morning, Malaysian duo Md Ramdan Rosli and Md Muzakkir Mohamed emerged with the top two fastest lap time at 2’21:772s and 2’21:809s respectively which placed them at a good position on the grid for the race. Following suit at the third position was Vorapong Malahuan when he clocked in at 2’22:212s.
When the race began, Muzakkir pulled strength from his 2nd spot on the grid and raced ahead to take lead with Ramdan close behind. By lap 2, a huge gap was formed between Malaysian duo and Indonesian rider, Decky. At the end of lap 2, Piyawat broke into P3. The leader of the troop seemed poised as he went on drawing gap with the equally strong contender at P2.
By the end of lap 4, Malaysian duo teamed up with Thai rider, Piyawat as they together formed a gap in between the troop behind. Meanwhile, Fugo Tanaka, Decky and Vorapong were trying to close the gap however the chances were slim. By the end of lap 5, Muzakkir has established his position firmly at the lead position. Piyawat who overtook Ramdan started making his move against Muzakkir and succeeded making a swipe past. Muzakkir was not about to be defeated. At the last turn, the battle heated up as the top trio bolted ahead and in what was a tight fight, Muzakkir hit it ahead of the rest at 14’19:677s.
Commenting on the race, Muzakkir said, “Today is an extremely special day for me because my last win was in 2020 in the CP150 race category. With the increase in age, I had to work hard. I do my training everyday without fail and that has become a routine. Therefore, I am truly grateful for the victory today and I am proud to have presented the nation, family, friends and the team with a win. For tomorrow, I will do my best. We can’t go very fast like today as we will be using the same tires as today’s but I will try to maintain my momentum in the front troop and perhaps work towards the podium at the last lap.”
“The atmosphere is definitely different when riding the AP250 because we fight it with different teams. Here, we are one team except that we are from different countries. So, there is a different kind of feel to it. It is fair and square here and we draw lots to decide on the machines for the week. The TVS Apache is an extremely stable machine and TVS has definitely done an amazing job on the machine. The technology is world-class and each part are selected carefully to ensure the standards are of the best. Compared to the AP250, this machine is probably about a second faster and I am confident that this machine will continue to develop for the better in motorsports.”
At the second spot was Md Ramdan Rosli of Malaysia, clocking in at 14’19:689s.
Third place went to Piyawat Patoomyos of Thailand, logging in at 14’19:735s.
