During the Shoot-Out session earlier this morning, Gupita Kresna of 4S1M EVO YAMAHA Racing Team clocked in fastest at 1’55:116s, giving him the added advantage as the pole man. At second spot on the grid was Akid Aziz of CARDINALS FACTORY RACING TEAM ARRC who marked his best at 1’55:407s while Shafiq Rasol of ONEXOX TKKR Racing Team took the third spot on the grid at 1’55:550s.

As soon as the race started, Gupita took lead at the first turn but seconds into the race, the riders exchanged positions before the first lap ended with Wahyu Aji at P1 followed by wildcard rider Aditya at P2 and John at P3. The feisty race category went on with riders, slip-streaming to progress ahead of

their nearest contenders. With a wide circuit, the challenge was much greater with more opportunities for riders to strike.

By mid-race and between changes of positions among riders, Nazirul Izzat who currently is leading on the overall standings emerged to the lead position followed by Haziq and Lombokian rider, Arai Agaska. While the UB150 race category is undeniably tricky, the most important skill is to maintain position among the front troop. By the end of lap 6, Nazirul emerged at the lead position once again. The Malaysian lad has been smart in his moves as he worked his strategy.

With one more lap to go, Aditya took lead but Akid emerged out of nowhere into the front troop. At the last turn, Nazirul moved from the inside and took lead with Akid chasing furiously. Aiming to slip stream, it was a close bet between Nazirul and Akid with both clocking in at 15’36:338s.

Commenting on the race, Nazirul said, “I am extremely happy with the win today. It was truly a tough one especially at the last turn, knowing that another rider was close behind. Nevertheless, I am glad that my strategy worked today. It was all about being among the front troop and maintaining the momentum. There is another race to go tomorrow and so we shall see how that goes.”

Md Akid Aziz of CARDINALS FACTORY RACING TEAM ARRC took the second spot.

At the third place was John Emerson Inguito of 4S1M EVO YAMAHA Racing Team at 15’36:675s.

During the qualifying session that was held earlier this morning, Herjun Atna of ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM took pole position at 1’47:258s. Aiki Iyoshi of Motul Sniper Manual Tech Team made it to the second spot on the grid at 1’47:479s followed by Aldi Satya Mahendra of YAMAHA Racing Indonesia took the third spot on the grid at 1’47:561s.

It was a great start for Herjun before Aldi overtook him at turn one. At P3 was Kawasaki Ninja rider, Aiki Iyoshi, appearing strongly before superseding the duo ahead of him into P1. Herjun seemed to have lost his momentum for a moment but find his footing once again before taking lead towards the end of lap 2 with Faerozi close behind and Aldi at P3. By the end of lap 3, Herjun has picked up speed and drawn a gap of 0.9 seconds.

As Herjun went on to create an impossible gap, Aldi overtook Faerozi. At P4, Wahyu tried to close the gaps with Faerozi as Rheza moved into P5. The current championship lead, while he managed to move into P4 from P7, he seemed to be struggling with his momentum as Wahyu inched closer, placing immense pressure. With another four laps to go, Herjun was speeding way ahead of the troop. In that moment, Rheza found the opportunity to strike and he crossed the two riders ahead into P2. By then, Rheza was seen picking up speed and he went on a chase to close the gaps with his teammate. The three robust Yamaha riders behind him went on to pump in pressure.

With two more laps to go, the ASTRA HONDA riders were determined to make the best in their home- ground. Rheza embraced the continuous pressure as he guarded his position. At the final lap, Herjun was on his way towards victory but his teammate began feeling the intensity. At the last turn, Rheza gave in to the challenge as the two Yamaha riders moved ahead into P2 and P3 before claiming the spots on the podium.

Herjun Atna Firdaus madfe an impressive finish at 17’59:708s.

Commenting on the race, Herjun said, “In the beginning of the race, I tried to manage my tire but at the same time, I enjoyed the race and went on a good speed to ensure that there is a comfortable gap between me and the rider behind me. It was a good race to be honest, taking the win at my home- circuit. There is another race tomorrow so, will keep my fingers crossed.”

Teammates Aldi Satya Mahendra and Wahyu Nugroho of YAMAHA Racing Indonesian made it second and third at 18’00:278s and 18’00:762s respectively.

During the qualifying session earlier, Hiroki Ono added on the pole position to his advantage when he clocked in the fastest lap time at 1’45:113s. He said, “I improved a little bit from the FP sessions yesterday because I did some changes to the settings. But let’s see how it goes during the race.” Ramdan Rosli of Malaysia took the second spot on the grid in preparation for the race at 1’45:465s followed by Taiyo Saito of Japan at 1’45:731s.

Taking the lead at the very beginning was Hiroki Ono followed by Ramdan at P2. As the race picked up, Ramdan switched positions with Decky for a moment at the end of lap 2. As Hiroki went on to dominate the circuit ahead of the troop, the battle continued between Ramdan and Decky with Vorapong trailing

close behind. Muzakkir who started at the ninth spot on the grid closed up the gaps and moved into P5.

By mid-race, Hiroki was leading with a 3.8s gap. Meanwhile, Decky overtook Ramdan but the latter furiously chased to close the gaps. Vorapong seemed to have lost his momentum before Taiyo took over P4. With a bold move, Taiyo then sled ahead of Decky and Ramdan from the outside. With another 3 laps to go, Hiroki has drawn up a huge gap with the troop behind while Ramdan found a loop hole from the inside before superseding Taiyo.

At the final lap, it was all about keeping up with the momentum for Hiroki as he sailed towards victory. Behind him, the battle continued between Taiyo who by then overtook Ramdan. Vorapong moved into P4. The chase was heated up as Ramdan tried to challenge Taiyo. Taiyo however was resistant to pressure as he picked up speed and raced towards the second spot on the podium.

Hiroki celebrated victory at 14’07:383s with a gap of 7.3s.

Commenting on the race, Hiroki said, “As the race began, I pushed 100% and in the middle of the race, I made sure that I kept a distance with the troop behind. It was not very easy and I have to keep the tires for Race 2. I foresee that it would be much tougher tomorrow. Overall, I am very happy to be back here and join the team for yet another excellent challenge.”

At the second spot was fellow countrymen, Taiyo Saito who clocked in at 14’14:735s.

Md Ramdan Rosli of Malaysia took the third place with his best time at 14’14:991s.

Yesterday witnessed the rush of adrenaline among its riders as they fumbled between positions to take lead. Striking among them were Nazirul and Akid. While Nazirul played the strategy of maintaining position and momentum among the front troop, Akid took a different approach of making a grand entrance from the back troop. At the final lap, the duo entangled in a battle of speed as they raced towards the finish line.

Today’s race saw Aditya picking up speed and moving ahead of the troop at the first turn with the other riders lining up in a long straight line, waiting for the right moment to strike. By the third lap, Race 1 winner who was in the back troop made his way into the top 5 but strikingly impressive were Husni Zainul and Fazrul Sham who maintained their top 2 positions for two laps. Nazirul played smart as he utilised his strength and strategy to move up into P3 by the end of lap 6. Wildcard rider, Husni did not budge.

However, the UB150 race category, as tricky as it can be, saw changes as the 7th lap ended. Fazrul made it into P1 followed by Arai at P2 and Gupita at P3. With another two laps to go, the riders went on a wild chase and exchanged positions once again. At the final lap, ONEXOX rider, Shafiq took lead for a moment before one last chase down the circuit. As the race grew intense, Nazirul and Arai entangled in one last heated battle for P1. At the last turn, the duo emerged ahead of the riders at a close contact and barged towards the finish line.

Local Indonesian rider, Arai Agaska took the win at 15’37:299s.

Commenting on the race, Arai said, “I thank Pak Haji Putra for gifting me this wildcard opportunity. For that reason, I did not want to disappoint the team. It was a tough battle with many extremely good riders and I could only do my best. I am very happy with the win today.”

At the second spot was Nazirul Izzat Bahauddin of UMA Racing YAMAHA Maju Motor Asia Team, clocking it at 15’37.299s

Third place went to Husni Zainul of ZIEAR ARL RACING at 15’37:355s.

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.

In yesterday’s race, Hiroki dominated the circuit from the start to completion. The real battle was seen between Ramdan and Decky who were competing aggressively to take the next position in line in the first few laps. In the heat of the moment, Taiyo added on to the pressure before Decky lost his chances. As Hiroki went on to form a huge gap, Ramdan and Taiyo fought one last battle in the final lap before speeding towards the finish line.

Today’s race began with Hiroki sprinting ahead of the troop and taking lead once again. Behind him was Ramdan at P2 and Vorapong at P3. Before the lap ended, Vorapong took a shot ahead of Ramdan for a moment before they switched positions into lap 2. Meanwhile, Indonesian rider Decky was finding his pace at P4 followed by Taiyo at P5. As the race progressed, Hiroki began opening up gap with Ramdan. Vorapong tried to close the gaps with Ramdan but the latter stayed focused and glided on confidently. By mid-race, Hiroki was once again at a far distance with a gap of 1.186s. The battle heated up between Ramdan and Vorapong, both with the aim of taking the next spot on the podium but Ramdan stayed within the racing lines, careful not to make any mistakes.

Vorapong was seen finding for a loop-hole to slide ahead of Ramdan. With two more laps to go, Hiroki has drawn a 2.778s gap with Ramdan. Decky remained at P4 while Rusman moved into P5. Before the lap ended, Ramdan managed to pull away from Vorapong’s force as he picked up speed while Taiyo took back P5. By then, Hiroki was on his way to earning a double win. In a twist of fate, Ramdan’s machine that gave way towards the last turn opened up a pathway for Vorapong. In that moment, Vorapong struck and glided towards P2 at the finish line.

Hiroki Ono completed the race with a 5-second gap at 14’03:365s and with a new lap record at 1’44:651s.

Commenting on the race, Hiroki said, “I am so happy today to have made a new lap record at 44. But Race 2 was very easy for me as I began pushing 100% from the start. With that, I managed to draw a fine gap ahead of the troop. This weekend started difficult for me to be honest but I changed some settings and also my riding techniques which helped me during the qualifying session. I am very happy and thanks to the TVS Team as well as my Japanese fans and sponsors.”

At second, Vorapong Malahuan of Thailand clocked in at 14’08:408s.

Ramdan Rosli of Malaysia made third at 14’08:971s.