Azlan Menang Perlumbaan 1 ARRC

Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman membuktikan dirinya masih antara pelumba terbaik di Asia apabila berjaya mengungguli Perlumbaan 1 SuperSports 600cc Kejuaraan Motosikal Asia FIM (ARRC) yang berlangsung di Litar Johor, Pasir Gudang, Johor, hari ini.

Kemenangan Azlan sekaligus menjulang pasukan Bikeart Kawasaki Racing untuk gelaran pertama dalam kelas perdana itu yang juga merupakan kemenangan pertama jenama Kawasaki sejak kali terakhir dimenangi oleh H.A Yudhistira di Litar Sentul, Indonesia musim lepas.

Azlan yang bermula dari petak ketiga berjaya menggunakan kelebihan tayar ‘slick’ jenis lembut untuk mendahului kedudukan sebaik pelumba dilepaskan dan berjaya menamatkan 16 pusingan dengan masa keseluruhan 25’00.806s, 0.795s di hadapan Tomoyoshi Koyama (T. Pro Yuzy Honda NTS) yang muncul naib juara dengan masa 25’01.601s.

“Perlumbaan hari ini sangat mencabar kerana cuaca yang panas dan saingan sengit pelumba kelompok hadapan,” jelas juara musim 2013 itu sebelum melangkah ke saingan Moto2 Grand Prix Dunia pada musim 2014 dan 2015.

“Sebelum perlumbaan, saya membuat keputusan untuk menggunakan tayar jenis lembut dan ia agak berisiko kerana permukaan litar yang agak kasar di tambah dengan cuaca yang sangat panas. Saya tidak menyangka strategi tersebut berjaya dan memenangi perlumbaan,” jelas Azlan.

Bercakap tentang sasaran untuk Perlumbaan 2, esok, Azlan berkata, “Semua bergantung pada strategi pasukan, faktor cuaca memainkan peranan dan kami perlu sekali lagi memilih penggunaan tayar yang tepat.”

Sementara itu, saingan Asia Production 250cc dikuasai oleh trio Yamaha Thailand Racing Team yang menguasai kedudukan podium dengan Apiwat Wongthananon yang bermula dari petak kelapan muncul juara apabila berjaya menamatkan 12 pusingan perlumbaan dengan masa keseluruhan 21’30.906s.

Tempat kedua milik Peerapong Loiboonpeng dengan masa 21’31.386s dan Anupab Sarmoon ketiga, 21’31.895s.

Saingan Underbone 130cc menjadi milik Md Amirul Ariff Musa (T. Pro Yuzy Honda NTS) yang menamatkan lapan pusingan perlumbaan dengan masa 15’27.398s diikuti Md Izzat Zaidi Salehan (RCB Kage Motobatt Yamaha YY Pang), 15’27.554s dan ketiga, Md Haziq Fairues (Uma Racing Yamaha Maju Motor), 15’27.662s.

Keputusan Perlumbaan 1:

SuperSports 600cc

1. Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman (MAS) 25’00.806s 2.Tomoyoshi Koyama (JPN) 25’01.601s 3. Md Zaqhwan Zaidi (MAS) 25’02.573s 4. Dimas Ekky Pratama (INA) 25’03.806s 5. Taiga Hada (JPN) 25’03.904s

Asia Production 250cc

1. Apiwat Wongthananon (THA) 21’30.906s 2. Peerapong Loiboonpeng (THA) 21’31.386s 3. Anupab Sarmoon (THA) 21’31.895s 4. Yusuke Nakamura (JPN) 21’32.254s 5. Takehiro Yamamoto (JPN) 21’32.255s

Underbone 130cc

1. Md Amirul Ariff Musa (MAS) 15’27.398s 2. Md Izzat Zaidi Salehan (MAS) 15’27.554s 3. Md Haziq Fairues (MAS) 15’27.662s 4. Nazirul Izzat Md Baharuddin (MAS) 15’27.844s 5. Wahyu Aji Trilaksana (INA) 15’27.881s

TYRE STRATEGY PAYS OFF FOR AZLAN

Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman crafted a spectacular Asia Road Racing Championship comeback when he piloted his Kawasaki to victory at Round 1 of the 2016 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. Held at the Johor Circuit on April 1 and 2, 2016, Azlan displayed a near-perfect performance to win the SuperSports 600cc Race 1 with a total time of 26’00.806s.

As Round 1 commenced, it was all about the tyre in the SuperSports 600cc class. New tyre rules for the 2016 season brought the element of slick tyres into the Asian premiere category and was a game-changer in more ways than one. Azlan started the race third on the grid, but his choice of hard compound for his front tyre and soft compound for the rear gave him the speed he needed to power his way into the hole shot.

For the remainder of the 16-lap race, Azlan controlled the race pace at the front of the pack.

“I worked really hard to save my tyre while keeping the rest of the competition at bay. During the first half of the race, I thought that the other riders who had opted for medium rear tyres were biding their time, waiting for my tyres to degrade before they made their move. This turned out to be the right strategy. When Koyama finally attempted to overtake on Lap 11, I still had enough grip left to respond aggressively,” said Azlan who has signed on with BikeART Racing Kawasaki this season. Azlan’s win ended a 9-month Kawasaki drought in the SuperSports 600cc category. The last time a Kawasaki rider won the premiere class of the ARRC was Ahmad Yudhistira who took first place at the Sentul International Circuit last year.

0.795s behind Azlan, T Pro Yuzy Honda NTS rider Tomoyoshi Koyama ended the race in second place. Pole-sitter Zaqhwan Zaidi admitted that he was still grappling with the idea of tyre strategies when he finished third with 25’02.573s.

“Both Yuki Takahashi and I opted for a hard-medium combination. But despite our prime starting position at the front row, we were unable to defend that advantage,” said Zaqhwan.

Indonesian rider Dimas Ekky Pratama was fourth after a hard-won battle against fifth-placed Taiga Hada. Ratthapong Wilairot finished sixth. Anthony West went from 10th to seventh in his first exposure in SuperSports 600cc racing.

In the Asia Production 250cc class, Race 1 began with chaos and commotion when 21 riders out of the 28-bike grid were penalized for dangerous riding behaviour during the qualifying session. 

The 21 riders, including provisional leader Apiwat Wongthananon, flouted explicit rules that forbade slow riding during the qualifying session. All the riders were penalized with 15 seconds added to their fastest time. This resulted in a topsy-turvy Race 1 grid with the top runners pushed to the middle of the grid. Malaysian rider Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin found himself the unexpected pole man in Race 1.

However, Kasma’s advantage was short-lived as Apiwat and his team mates quickly made up for lost ground in the early part of the race. By lap four, Apiwat, Anupab Sarmoon and Yusuke Nakamura successfully challenged Kasma for the lead. The remaining eight laps of the 12-lap race saw a constant change of leaders at the front of the pack.

The Thai riders’ excellence in team strategy emerged at the end of the race. In a move that was reminiscent of the exact same tactic used in 2015, Apiwat led his Yamaha Thailand Racing team mates past Nakamura to score a perfect podium for the team’s full-season entry in the Asia Production 250cc class.

Apiwat won the race with 21’30.906s. Peerapong Loiboonpeng and Anupab Sarmoon were second and third with 21’31.386s and 21’31.895s. Yusuke Nakamura and defending champion Takehiro Yamamoto rounded up the top five. Kasma who started from pole, was only able to secure a seventh place finishing for himself.

“The 15-second penalty did not affect my performance at all. This is a great start with a great team. So far, in just a few short months, they have shown tremendous dedication and commitment towards our common goal – which is to win the title in the team’s first season in this class,” said Apiwat.

Finally, Malaysian rider Mohd Amirul Ariff Musa got his 2016 Underbone 130cc campaign off on the right foot when he went from ninth on the grid to first place at the chequered flag in Race 1. 

Racing against a grid stacked with rookie riders, Amirul used his wealth of experience to good advantage at the final leg of the 8-lap race. He successfully sidestepped Md Izzat Zaidi and Md Haziq Md Fairues to be the first across the chequered flag with a time of 15’27.398s. 

“I have not had much success during the second half of 2015. This win means a lot to me because it has given my confidence a much-needed push. I want to thank team T Pro Yuzy Honda NTS for their faith in me,” said Amirul.

Nazirul Izzat Md Bahauddin and Indonesian rider Wahyu Aji Trilaksana finished the race in fourth and fifth places.

Results Race 1:

SuperSports 600cc

1. Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman (MAS) 25’00.806s 2.Tomoyoshi Koyama (JPN) 25’01.601s 3. Md Zaqhwan Zaidi (MAS) 25’02.573s 4. Dimas Ekky Pratama (INA) 25’03.806s 5. Taiga Hada (JPN) 25’03.904s

Asia Production 250cc

1. Apiwat Wongthananon (THA) 21’30.906s 2. Peerapong Loiboonpeng (THA) 21’31.386s 3. Anupab Sarmoon (THA) 21’31.895s 4. Yusuke Nakamura (JPN) 21’32.254s 5. Takehiro Yamamoto (JPN) 21’32.255s

Underbone 130cc

1. Md Amirul Ariff Musa (MAS) 15’27.398s 2. Md Izzat Zaidi Salehan (MAS) 15’27.554s 3. Md Haziq Fairues (MAS) 15’27.662s 4. Nazirul Izzat Md Baharuddin (MAS) 15’27.844s 5. Wahyu Aji Trilaksana (INA) 15’27.881s

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