barrygrussell
Senior Member
Source: www.garage49.com
Photo Credits asiaroadracing
Malaysia's Azlan Shah put a marker down in Sepang that he will be challenging Japanese Supersport sumos, Katsuake Fujiwara and Makoto Tamada for championship honours in this year's Asia Road Racing Championship.
The 28 year-old MUSHASHI Boon Siew Honda rider took the win in race one by one second from championship favourite Fujiwara, with Malaysian rival Zamri Baba a further 1.3 seconds back in third place on the Petronas Hong Leong Yamaha. Azlan's Japanese teammates, Ryuta Kobayashi and Makoto Tamada were split by a few hundredths of a second to take fourth and fifth places respectively, while the Fujiwara's Indonesian stablemate, M Fadli was sixth in front of former grand prix racer, Tomoyoshi Koyama.
Race 2 was similarly close-fought, this time with the BEET Kawasaki of Fujiwara trouncing Azlan for the win by 0.065 seconds. Tamada took the final podium spot ahead of Kobayashi, Koyama and Yuki Ito.
Not a good day at the office for Thai star Tingnote
Looking beyond the established stars, former Malaysian Asia Dream Cup racer Sasitharen Sukumaran made a promising debut for MUSHASHI Boon Siew Honda, finishing 15[SUP]th[/SUP] in Race 1 and 11[SUP]th[/SUP] in Race 2, though his results were e was eclipsed by former ADC rival, AP Honda's 'Stamp' Apiwat Wongthananon who led his more experienced teammates home in both races. The 18 year-old Thai took a brace of tenth places ahead of AP Honda's highly rated 'Tingnote' Thitipong Warakorn and Thai Honda's 'Float' Ratthapong Wilairot. Tingnote failed to finish Race 1 and finished 14[SUP]th[/SUP] in Race 2, while Float was 11[SUP]th[/SUP] and 12[SUP]th[/SUP]. Lone Australian Michael Blair was 18[SUP]th[/SUP] and 16[SUP]th[/SUP] for Petronas AHM Malaysia.
The two winners left Sepang with 45 points each, a full 19 points clear of Makoto Tamada who leads the best of the rest.
In the Underbone class, Japan's Kazuki Masaki took a runaway victory in Race 1 from reigning champion Hadi Wijaya and the rest of the field, while Race 2 took a more familiar pattern, with one second separating the first eight. On this occasion Ahmad Afif Amran was the winner from Hadi, with Masaki finishing in 7[SUP]th[/SUP] place in the chasing pack.
Both Asia Dream Cup races were won by last year's championship runner-up, Hiroki Ono. The Japanese ace was joined on the Race 1 podium by AP Honda's duo, Jakkrit Swangsawat and Kanatat Jaiman. The two Thais slipped off when it rained in Race 2, leaving Malaysia's Fitri Ashraf Razali and Khairul Idham Pawi to take second and third places.
ARRC Round 2 will be held at Indonesia's Sentul Circuit from 17-19 May.
Azlan Shah celebrates
Photo Credits asiaroadracing
Malaysia's Azlan Shah put a marker down in Sepang that he will be challenging Japanese Supersport sumos, Katsuake Fujiwara and Makoto Tamada for championship honours in this year's Asia Road Racing Championship.
The 28 year-old MUSHASHI Boon Siew Honda rider took the win in race one by one second from championship favourite Fujiwara, with Malaysian rival Zamri Baba a further 1.3 seconds back in third place on the Petronas Hong Leong Yamaha. Azlan's Japanese teammates, Ryuta Kobayashi and Makoto Tamada were split by a few hundredths of a second to take fourth and fifth places respectively, while the Fujiwara's Indonesian stablemate, M Fadli was sixth in front of former grand prix racer, Tomoyoshi Koyama.
Race 2 was similarly close-fought, this time with the BEET Kawasaki of Fujiwara trouncing Azlan for the win by 0.065 seconds. Tamada took the final podium spot ahead of Kobayashi, Koyama and Yuki Ito.
Not a good day at the office for Thai star Tingnote
Looking beyond the established stars, former Malaysian Asia Dream Cup racer Sasitharen Sukumaran made a promising debut for MUSHASHI Boon Siew Honda, finishing 15[SUP]th[/SUP] in Race 1 and 11[SUP]th[/SUP] in Race 2, though his results were e was eclipsed by former ADC rival, AP Honda's 'Stamp' Apiwat Wongthananon who led his more experienced teammates home in both races. The 18 year-old Thai took a brace of tenth places ahead of AP Honda's highly rated 'Tingnote' Thitipong Warakorn and Thai Honda's 'Float' Ratthapong Wilairot. Tingnote failed to finish Race 1 and finished 14[SUP]th[/SUP] in Race 2, while Float was 11[SUP]th[/SUP] and 12[SUP]th[/SUP]. Lone Australian Michael Blair was 18[SUP]th[/SUP] and 16[SUP]th[/SUP] for Petronas AHM Malaysia.
The two winners left Sepang with 45 points each, a full 19 points clear of Makoto Tamada who leads the best of the rest.
In the Underbone class, Japan's Kazuki Masaki took a runaway victory in Race 1 from reigning champion Hadi Wijaya and the rest of the field, while Race 2 took a more familiar pattern, with one second separating the first eight. On this occasion Ahmad Afif Amran was the winner from Hadi, with Masaki finishing in 7[SUP]th[/SUP] place in the chasing pack.
Both Asia Dream Cup races were won by last year's championship runner-up, Hiroki Ono. The Japanese ace was joined on the Race 1 podium by AP Honda's duo, Jakkrit Swangsawat and Kanatat Jaiman. The two Thais slipped off when it rained in Race 2, leaving Malaysia's Fitri Ashraf Razali and Khairul Idham Pawi to take second and third places.
ARRC Round 2 will be held at Indonesia's Sentul Circuit from 17-19 May.
Azlan Shah celebrates
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