Round 4 August 29, 2015  Asia Production 250

28,000 Fans Watch Japan's Tanaka (#82) Finish Race 1 in 5th and Thai Rider Boonlert (#45) Take Season-Best of 4th In Race 2

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RACE DATA

Circuit

Thailand/Chang International Circuit

Condition

Dry

PP

Nakarin Atiratphuvapat(1'59.995/Honda)

Race 1 FL

Apiwat Wongthananon(1'58.437/Honda)

Race 2 FL

Takehiro Yamamoto(1'58.623/Kawasaki)

REPORT

Marking the beginning of the latter half of the season, Round 4 of the 2015 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) was held at the Chang International Circuit located about five hours drive east of Bangkok near the Cambodian border in Buriram Province, Thailand. The circuit was opened in 2014 and is one of the leading racetracks in the ASEAN region, already hosting a round of the World Superbike Championship. It also neighbors the home stadium of the local professional football team, making the track a new symbol of Buriram. A large number of spectators came to the event, including many local motorcycle riders and race fans.
Yamaha used the Chang International Circuit as the venue for the YZF-R3 model launch in February this year with Yamaha MotoGP riders Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo as guest celebrities. Furthermore, the circuit is being used for a variety of activities promoting the fun of Yamaha’s lineup of sports models, ranging from the YZF-R15 to the YZF-R1. In the process, the track has gained recognition as a motorsports mecca among Yamaha users. This was evident as user club members of the popular R3 and R15 rode about 400 of them to attend this event from places like Bangkok and the surrounding Buriram area. They all came to cheer for the Yamaha riders competing on the same models that they ride daily and to enjoy the highest level of motorcycle racing in Asia.

Race 1
As with the previous round in Japan, the qualifying sessions and Race 1 were held on Saturday, and Race 2 was held on Sunday. On the first day alone, some 9,000 fans turned out to watch the action at Chang International Circuit. Among them were several hundred R3 and R15 user club members who came to cheer on the Yamaha teams.
With the exception of the Thai riders, this would be the first time for most of the Yamaha riders in the Asia Production 250cc class to compete at the circuit, as had been the case with the first three rounds of series. Being a less difficult track than Japan’s high-speed and technically challenging Suzuka Circuit used in Round 3, many of the riders were quick to familiarize themselves with the Thai circuit and began to improve their lap times in practice. However, in Race 1, it was two Thai riders from the rival manufacturers’ teams that proved dominant from the early stages of the race. These two leaders were followed by a second group of five machines and a third group slightly behind them as the race continued.
The YZF-R25 riders in the second group were Japan’s Ayumu Tanaka (#82) and Yamaha Thailand Racing Team’s wildcard entry Rathapong Boonlert (#44). The riders in this group battled back and forth through the first half of the race, but in the second half, one of the rival riders broke away. Tanaka and Boonlert gave chase but they also had to deal with increasing competition from the other riders of the group. Then on the last lap, Tanaka entered the last corner in 4th position only to be overtaken on the straight and take the checkers in 5th place. Meanwhile, riding in his first ARRC race, Boonlert would stay with the second group to the end and finish in 7th place.
Meanwhile, in the third group, it was Galang Hendra Pratama (#99) and the other Yamaha riders that led the remainder of the field. It was a fierce battle between R25 riders that lasted all the way to the last corner; no one could say who would reach the line first among them. As with the second group, the battle came down to the last corner of the last lap. But this time, there was an accident involving the three lead machines in the group, taking out Yamaha riders Galang (#99) and Sigit Purno Harjono (#630) and leaving Thai Yamaha rider Peerapong Boonlert (#45) to finish 11th.
As for the SuperSports 600cc class competition, Japanese rider Yuki Ito (#76) came back in the later half after losing ground initially to finish in 5th place. In the Underbone 130cc class race, two Malaysian Yamaha riders barely missed a win but finished on the podium in 2nd and 3rd.

Race 2
While Saturday’s racing had attracted some 9,000 spectators, a much bigger crowd of around 19,000 came to see the action on Sunday. In addition to being able to enjoy Asia’s top motorcycle road racing event, the spectators had fun visiting fan booths set up by the various manufacturers in the paddock area and attending a number of events taking place around the circuit. As the time approached for the start of the second race for the Asia Production 250 class, the grandstands began to fill with spectators ready to cheer on the riders of the different competing manufacturers. These included a large contingent of Yamaha fans ready to root for the three Thai riders and the other R25 riders.
Race 2 began with four rival riders taking the lead, followed by a large second group consisting of more than 10 machines. The competition in this group was tight and intense, with constant nose-to-tail and side-by-side battles taking place. Racing so close together, there were machines bumping into each other, causing riders to run wide and off the track as well as some falls. It was all about surviving the clashes, and eventually the leaders of the second group began to emerge. The several machines that made it through the battle started the final lap of the race as one group. Once again, it would be the last corner that would decide who made it across the finish line first.
As the four machines in the top group approached the final section of the track, one crashed out trying to make a move on the last corner. Meanwhile, several R25 riders remained at the front of the second group now aiming to take 4th place. Cheered on by the local fans, it was Peerapong Boonlert (#45) who triumphed in the last corner and dashed into the straight to take the checkered flag and 4th place leading by a head. It was his best finish to date in the ARRC series. Furthermore, Thai rider Rathapong Boonlert (#44) finished 6th, Indonesian rider Rusman Fadhil (#27) 7th, Malaysian rider Kasma Daniel Bin Kasmayudin (#127) 8th and Indonesian rider Galang (#99) finished 9th to put five R25 riders in the top ten. Among these, three are under 20 years of age, offering solid proof of the progress being made by young riders in the first four rounds of the ARRC series.
In the SuperSports 600cc class, Ito (#76) finished in 4th and was the top Yamaha rider as he had been in Race 1. In the Underbone 130cc class, an Indonesian Yamaha rider mounted the podium with a 3rd place finish.

Round 5 of the series will be held from October 1 to 3 at the Qatar International Circuit, the racetrack that serves as the venue for the MotoGP World Championship season opener.

RIDER RANKING

COMMENT

• Yamaha Factory Racing Indonesia
  #99 Galang Hendra Pratama (DNF/9th)
  “Both Race 1 and Race 2 were total free-for-alls where the key was what position you entered the last corner in on the last lap. In the races, I focused on riding a defensive line to keep my position. There were times when I made it work and times when I couldn’t; both races were really difficult. In Race 1, I highsided in the last corner from opening the throttle before the bike had settled. In Race 2, I came together with another rider in the first lap and ran off track. That dropped me to the very back of the pack. Still, we managed to recover 9th place so that’s positive. The next round in Qatar will be my first visit to the circuit. All I can do is prepare myself as best I can and go for it. Next time, I’ll definitely stand on the podium.”
• #630 Sigit Purno Harjono (DNF/13th)
  “This wasn’t a result I can be satisfied with. In both races I couldn’t stay with the lead group and in Race 1, I crashed in the final corner. In Race 2, a rider in front of me crashed so I had to swerve to avoid hitting him and was forced off the track. It’s definitely a big risk to ride in a group. My plan was to stay just behind the lead rider of the group and attack at the end of the race to finish first, but since the other riders had the same strategy it ended up as a difficult race. Ideally, I wanted to pull away from the group and escape, but that’s not so easy to do either. One positive to take away from this round was that our machine setup has improved even more. My goal for the next round in Qatar is the top 5. I’m looking forward to it!”
• #34 Imanuel Putra Pratna (14th/15th)
  “Our bike has definitely improved, but there are two things I’m struggling with now: one is luck and the other is my own ability. I’m working hard and the bike is getting better, but the reality is that this still isn’t leading to good enough results. I was engaged in a group battle this time, so I focused on trying to make solid passes on other riders one by one. My times were good so though there were times when things went well, there were also times when they didn’t. There were also a few accidents in front of me that forced me off track. The racing here is really tough. I’ve ridden the R6 around the Qatar circuit a few times, so I plan to use that to my advantage and aim for a great result in the next round.”
• Team Managing Director Yusuke Koizumi
  “Unfortunately, our qualifying results had a big effect on the races. All three riders had bad grid positions to deal with, so though they were able to make good starts, they weren’t able to challenge for the top spots since the leaders had already gotten away. In qualifying, the team order was given to ride in a group to take advantage of each other’s slipstreams to get better times. But a big group of ten bikes formed, making quick lap times difficult. Looking back, it would have been better to gauge the situation and given the riders a different order. Still, our lap times during the race were good, no one was disheartened and all three riders fought bravely in the group. We also got some valuable data for the teams. At the next round in Qatar and the final round in Thailand, we plan to put this weekend’s experiences to good use and aim for top finishes.”
• Yamaha Thailand Racing Team
  #45 Peerapong Boonlert (11th/4th)
  “I only placed 18th in qualifying, so I rode as hard as I could in Race 1, but there’s very little time between qualifying and the race, so we also weren’t able to improve the bike’s settings enough and we couldn’t get a good result. My goal for Race 2 was to finish in the top 10. Thanks to reflecting on what happened in Race 1, listening to the team’s advice and hearing the crowd’s cheers, I was able to take my personal best finish with 4th place and fulfill my goal. I’ll be visiting the Qatar circuit for the first time at the next round, so my plan is to gather as much information on it as possible, and practice with that in mind at circuits here in Thailand.”
• #14 Peerapong Loiboonpeng (DNF/11th)
  “I was able to slot into a good position when Race 1 started, but I was rammed from behind by another rider near the end of the race and crashed. I was really unlucky. We changed the bike’s setup for Race 2 but I felt that it lacked a little power in the corners, and I slowly dropped down the order to finish 11th. I was fired up with this being my home race, but my results weren’t what I wanted so I’m disappointed. For the next round in Qatar, we want to improve the machine’s settings even more. Since it’ll be a 12 lap race and I need to be able to fight to the end, I’ll also be working on improving my physical fitness.”
• #44 Rathapong Boonlert (7th/6th)
  “This was my first ARRC race so I was really nervous, but I focused as much as possible and did my best. The bike’s setup was already in place for the races, but because of my lack of experience in the ARRC, I made a few mistakes and wasn’t able to latch onto the top group. Still, I did manage to stick with the second group and finish in the top 10 in both races, so I’m really happy!”
• Theerapong Opaskornkul Senior General Manager Sales & Marketing Suport
  “Since this was our home race, our team staff and riders gave their all toward achieving great results. We had a few crashes and other problems, but all three riders fought until the end without giving up. After an especially tough Race 1, we decided to re-work our engine settings and in Race 2, Peerapong Boonlert was able to take 4th place. We achieved better results than we had expected and were able to show the many Yamaha fans that came out to support us the high performance of the R25 and how exciting road racing can be. I want to say a big thank you to all those fans from the bottom of my heart.”
• Yamaha Finson Racing
  #127 Kasma Daniel Bin Kasmayudin (DNF/8th)
  “Unfortunately, I crashed shortly after Race 1 began. That left me very motivated to shoot for the top 10 in Race 2. In the race I was able to control myself and do what I set out to do by taking 8th place. I know it still isn’t enough, but I’m glad that I could make good on my desire to finish in the top 10. But to get better results I need to improve my riding technique and become a better rider. In the final two races I plan to put in a big effort so I can claim a better result.”
• #21 Brandon Paul Demmery (25th/20th)
  “This weekend I was able to run in 15th place during free practice, so we got started on a very positive note. The team worked hard on the setup and gave me an excellent machine for the race. Though I only finished in 25th and 20th, considering my current skills, this is acceptable. In Qatar, I’ll try harder to finish in the top 20 and get some points.”
• Team Manager Eddy Saputra
  “Kasma got caught up in an accident in Race 1 that led to his DNF. But in Race 2, he was able to push until the end in a free-for-all battle, resulting in a top 10 finish with 8th. It’s all thanks to the great support we’ve received from Yamaha. We’ll keep trying hard so we can have another strong finish in the next race.”
• Yamaha Yamalube KYT Tunggal Jaya Racing
  #27 Rusman Fadhil (12th/7th)
  “I finished 7th in Race 2, but 5th had been our objective so I’m a little disappointed. The reason for this was that we still don’t have the perfect machine setup. From the first round, the bike’s handling in particular hasn’t been perfect and this means other riders get past me. This is an area we need to improve going forward. I’ve raced once at the Qatar circuit in the Underbone 130cc class. The corners there are wide so corner speed will be the deciding factor. I’m quite confident in that area, so I’ll be looking for a top 5 finish, hopefully on the podium.”
• #32 Muhamad Hasyim Zaki Adil (16th/14th)
  “I was in a good position in the early part of Race 1, but I later had some front brake stability issues. I wasn’t able to fully concentrate on racing or making passes and I started dropping positions. The result was the race ending without me being able to give my all. In Race 2, my gearing was off so I lacked the top speed I needed to be competitive. That was my own mistake. I did take a lesson from it for the next race though. For Qatar, I’ve lapped the circuit there on an R6 before so I’m confident about my speed in the corners. There also won’t be any local riders to contend with in Qatar, which should really help. It would be great to stand on the podium, but first I need to concentrate on securing my personal best finish of the season.”
• Team Manager Rudy Ariano
  “Fadhil had a great race to finish 7th in Race 2. However, that still isn’t where we want to be; we’re confident that we can be further up the order. The team needs to provide solid support so our riders can do all they can, but we weren’t able to do that this weekend, especially with the settings. Both of our riders have experience in Qatar. Judging from the races until now, we know it won’t be easy, but the whole team will be working hard to finish in the top 5.”
• YAMAHA MLT RACING TEAM)
  #26 Li Zheng Pang (15th/DNF)
  “The circuit layout wasn’t that difficult so I learned the racing lines quickly. I slotted into a good position in the first race and planned to stick with the second group. In the end, I wasn’t able to improve on that position but finished in 15th and took some points. The second race had a big group of about 15 bikes. We were all banging into each other and it was tough. I managed to keep a good position throughout the race but on the final lap, I made contact with another rider and went down. We could have made it into the top 10 this weekend so I’m really disappointed. The next round in Qatar will also be my first time to ride on the track there, but like this round in Thailand, the circuit has wide corners and high speeds. After how this weekend went, I feel like I can aim for the top 10. I’ll give it my best.”
• #28 Meng Xing Bin (22nd/18th)
  “Overall, my feeling in the races was good. I think my riding skill in the high-speed corners in particular has really improved and I was able to negotiate them smoothly. In Race 1, although the result doesn’t reflect it, I think I was able to ride quite aggressively. But in Race 2, the combination of the heat and the less-than-ideal feeling from my machine didn’t allow me to stay with the second group. I‘m not satisfied with my overall performance in the second race. The next round will be another new circuit for me. I’ll try to finish in the top 15 and take away some points. To do that, I’ll work on my physical condition, try to quickly find the best lines and do my utmost to achieve my goal.”
• Team Manager Louis Mok
  “It helped that the circuit was relatively easy to grasp, so our riders were constantly at full intensity and rode well this weekend, especially Li. He took a 15th place finish in Race 1, and although he crashed in Race 2, he showed us that he had the pace to run in the top 10 and bring the fight to his rivals. His speed and racing skills steadily improved throughout practice and qualifying as well. I think Li will be able to challenge the top 15 at the next round as well. To prepare for Qatar, both our riders will of course be practicing on the R25, but also working on their physical conditioning while competing in local races. I’d like to see Li in the top 10 and Meng in the top 15 in Qatar.”
• TEAM YSK Korea
  #52 Lim Hogon (23rd/19th)
  “My goal for this event was to at least be inside the top 20 in both races and to try for some points. But because I got injured, I wasn’t able to participate in qualifying and had to start from the back of the grid. My race was then about playing catch-up. I couldn’t make it inside the top 15, but considering the circumstances of starting from the back and being injured, I think I did okay to finish 23rd in the first race and 19th in the second. The final round of the season will also be held here in Buriram, so I got some valuable experience and confidence that I can use to go for points the next time we come here. Qatar is also a big and new circuit for me, so first, I need to study it in order to be able to push my machine to its limits like I did this weekend, and try to finish in the points.”
• #88 Minseok Baik (DNF/25th)
  “After some positive results at home in South Korea, I felt mentally and physically prepared for this round. Unfortunately, the races turned out to be very hard. I crashed out of Race 1 and in Race 2, I finished in 25th. But, I felt good on the bike and I was happy to at least take the checkered flag. I heard the next round in Qatar will be a night race, so it will be even tougher than this weekend I think. It’s also a long trip to get there, so I’ll need to take care of my health and prepare myself so I can compete at my best.”
• Team Manager Kibok Ku
  “Every event this season has been at new and completely unknown circuits for our riders. Just getting started means getting used to the different environments and this makes things very difficult. We then need to collect data, analyze it and figure out our settings for the bike, but with the limited amount of time available, perfecting that has proven to be a challenge. Amidst all this, the riders still gave their best but a few crashes made it an even more challenging situation for the team. For the next races, we’ll try to get the riders more seat time on the R25 and it’s important they’re in peak physical shape so we can focus on finishing in the points.”