Round 1 April 19, 2015  Asia Production 250

Top finishes of 7th for ASEAN R25 riders in both races of season opener
Teams gain experience and verify issues for better finishes in round 2

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

RACE DATA

Circuit

Sepang International Circuit (Malaysia)

Condition

Dry

Air Temp. (Race 1/Race 2)

29℃/33℃

Track Temp. (Race 1/Race 2)

44℃/59℃

PP

Apiwat Wongthananon(1'15.849/Honda)

FL (Race 1)

Apiwat Wongthananon(1'16.566/Honda)

FL (Race 2)

Nakarin Atiratphuvapat(1'16.848/Honda)

REPORT

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC). This 2015 season sees the start of the new "Asia Production 250" class in an effort to promote the spread and development of motorsport and the popularity of sport models in the countries of Asia. In 2014, Yamaha Motor released its "R-Series" YZF-R25 global supersport model and also announced its participation in this class as part of a step-up program to encourage the progress of Asian riders hoping to advance to competition on the world stage. This season, 13 riders from six teams run and supported by regional Yamaha Motor group companies and others are racing full-time in this class with the R25. Furthermore, other R25 machines entered by independent teams are in the series as well (total of 18 R25s of 29 machines on the grid), and all went into the first round aiming for victory in their quest for the new class' first championship title.

The venue for the opening round of the series was the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia that also hosts a round of MotoGP and other big events. In conditions that saw the temperature rise above 30 °C on a daily basis, the ASEAN R25 riders worked hard to get accustomed to the new machine and, for most, the new experience of competing on an international circuit. Many of the teams' staff members also lacked experience, but through the three official practice sessions and qualifying, both the riders and the teams made steady progress. The difference in racing experience was also a factor; although the best performances by Yamaha-supported R25 riders were 7th places in both Race 1 and Race 2, the season opener was a big step forward in terms of the invaluable experience gained and the new issues found to tackle in preparation for round two of the series.

Race 1
For the first race of the season, 18 Yamaha team riders, most in their late teens and early twenties, lined up on the starting grid on their new R25 machines. Leading the Yamaha teams on the starting grid were Galang Hendra Pratama (#99, Yamaha Factory Racing Indonesia) in 6th position and Li Zheng Pang (#26, YAMAHA MLT RACING TEAM) in 7th position.
With the start, however, two rival competitors quickly pulled away from the pack to lead the race. Meanwhile, the leading Yamaha riders fought it out for 3rd place in the second group of five or six machines. Amid the continuously tight, close-in battles that typify lower displacement class races, competitors used each other's slipstreams to pass each other in the corners and on the straights, bringing dramatic position changes with every lap.
Among the Yamaha team riders, Li Zheng Pang (#26) drew on his wealth of experience in world championship competitions on machines like the YZF-R6 to lead the group battling for 3rd position. However, in the middle stages of the race, he began to fall off the pace and was eventually replaced by up-and-coming Thai rider, Peerapong Boonlert (#45, Yamaha Thailand Racing Team). Boonlert had worked his way up through the second group to lead it at one point with a solid shot at a podium finish. Also working their way into the second group were Peerapong Loiboonpeng (#14, Yamaha Thailand Racing Team), Galang Hendra Pratama (#99), and the winner of the 2014 Suzuka 4 Hours Endurance Road Race, Imanuel Putra Pratna (#34, Yamaha Factory Racing Indonesia), who had dashed up through the order from a 17th-position start. This put a determined group of R25 riders in position to vie for the third spot on the podium.
The fierce competition continued into the final stages of the race, but in the end, the rival competitors proved hard to crack and the top finish for a R25 rider in this race was 6th place by Ayumu Tanaka (#82, Akeno Speed Racing). Following in 7th place was Peerapong Boonlert (#45), while other R25 riders swept the positions down to 12th place.

Race 2
Roughly five hours after Race 1, the competitors were lined up for the start of Race 2. Once again, the competition would prove tough for the R25 riders. Four rival machines jumped into the lead at the start and began lapping the course at a blistering pace. The R25 riders were unable to match their pace, and as the lead group gradually pulled away, it was Ayumu Tanaka (#82) who lead the second group in 5th position, followed by Fitriansyah Kete (#93, Faito Factory Racing) in 7th place and 15-year-old Malaysian rider Kasma Daniel Bin Kasmayudin (#127, Yamaha Finson Racing) in 8th position, leading the third group.
Entering the middle stages of the race, ASEAN R25 riders comprised the third group led by Peerapong Boonlert (#45) in 7th, followed by Kasma Daniel Bin Kasmayudin (#127), Imanuel Putra Pratna (#34), Galang Hendra Pratama (#99) and Rusman Fadhil (#27, Yamaha Yamalube KYT Tunggal Jaya Racing).
Running at a pace roughly one second slower than the 1'17 lap times of the lead group, it was proving hard to make any gains. Still, with a spurt of laps in the 1'17 range--the same lap time as the lead group--Imanuel Putra Pratna (#34) managed to move up into 7th position but he was soon passed by Galang Hendra Pratam (#99). Next it was Rusman Fadhil (#27) who battled into 7th position with a string of fast laps. The race positions continued to change frequently in the tightly packed rush for the checkers.
In the end, the best finish for an R25 rider was the same as Race 1 with Ayumu Tanaka (#82) taking 6th place. Following him came four ASEAN R25 riders in a row, led by Rusman Fadhil (#27) in 7th place, and the opening round of the series came to an end with five R25 riders in the top ten.

The second round of the series will be held in Indonesia from June 5 to 7 at the Sentul International Circuit on the outskirts of Jakarta.

RIDER RANKING

COMMENT

• #34 Imanuel Putra Pratna (10th/9th) Yamaha Factory Racing Indonesia
  "It's all thanks to the team that I was able to finish in the top ten, which was our minimum target. Personally, I'm relieved, but from the standpoint of the team's goals, this isn't a satisfying result at all. This is because the top group was quite a bit ahead of us. But, the next race will be on my home course and I hope that there, I can repay the team for their efforts. I want to get a podium finish and prove the strength of the R25 and our team."
• #99 Galang Hendra Pratama (11th/10th) Yamaha Factory Racing Indonesia
  "Firstly, I couldn't get a good time in qualifying and thus a good position on the grid, so this is an issue I have to work on. Also, in the chaos right after the start, I was unable to get out toward the front and got stuck in the lower group for the race. I also made some mistakes in the race, which is a shame because the machine was in such good condition. So for next time, I'll do my best to get a good position on the starting grid and come out on top of battles so I can live up to the expectations of the team and get a podium finish."
• Team Manager Yusuke Koizumi (Yamaha Factory Racing Indonesia)
  All I can say is that we have a lot to reflect on. Although this is simply making excuses, I have to say that in the limited time we had, we weren't able to get a good machine setup. It's because our team and riders both don't have enough understanding of the R25 yet. Our rivals are very strong, but they aren't unbeatable. Imanuel's efforts to move up and Galang's times are proof of that. Still, we simply need a little more time. In order to show the strength of Yamaha and the potential of the R25, we are going to keep running tests and improving our understanding of the R25, and then we'll get a podium finish for sure."
• #45 Peerapong Boonlert (7th/DNF) Yamaha Thailand Racing Team
  "Considering that this was my first race and my first time on the machine, a 7th place in Race 1 may be a fairly good finish. But to tell the truth, I was pushing with all my might not to let the competition beat me, so I thought I could get a podium finish. Then in the second race, I had a collision with another machine and had to drop out of the race. It leaves me filled only with regrets. In the next round in Indonesia, I'll be challenging to get the podium finish I couldn't get this time and shake off the frustration from today."
• #14 Peerapong Loiboonpeng (8th/DNF) Yamaha Thailand Racing Team
  "I got 8th place in the first race, but just sticking with the second group, let alone catching the lead group, was all I could do. In the second race, I had a collision with another rider and was pushed off on the gravel and had to drop out of the race. It wasn't easy racing today, but all I can do is accept this reality and get ready for the next round. Round 2 will be held in Sentul. I've raced there several times in the YAMAHA ASEAN CUP and I've won there before, so I'll be confident in trying for a better finish."
• Team Manager Korathat Kanjanda (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team)
  "Our rivals are very experienced. Our team has new riders, machines and staff members, and we lack experience. We can't be satisfied with today's results, but we were aiming for finishing in the top ten, so I feel everyone did well. From here, we aim to work up in steps to finish among the leaders. By the third round, our aim is to finish in the top five and to get a podium by the final round. To do that, we'll have to improve the level of everything, from our race strategy to the riders' potential. In order to do that, we'll be running a two-week training camp during the break before the next race. We intend to be one rank improved when we get to Indonesia."
• #127 Kasma Daniel Bin Kasmayudin (9th/8th) Yamaha Finson Racing
  "The performance of the R25 was very good. But now I see that my skills aren't good enough yet. I learned a lot battling with our rivals today and I was able to fulfill our goal of finishing in the top ten, so I think this is a good start to the series. My next goals are to finish in the top five and then get a podium finish. It won't be easy, but I'm going to do my best to finish higher up than today."
• #21 Brandon Paul Demmery (15th/19th) Yamaha Finson Racing
  "I got a good start in Race 1, but I failed to make a pass on the first corner and gradually lost position, and after that, I couldn't recover. My start in the second race was bad and then I lost my rhythm riding in the pack, which caused me to lose ground again and the race ended before I could make a recovery. My original goal was to finish in the top ten, so I just have to say that the results were disappointing. But that's also why I have to learn from today's experience, get to know the machine better and simply move up to the next level."
• Team Manager Eddy Saputra (Yamaha Finson Racing)
  "Today's goal was to have both of our riders finish in the top ten, but we weren't able to accomplish that. However, our young rider Kasmayudin finished both races in the top ten and that's great. Our present issue now is improving the engine settings. This will be essential in order to reach our goals, and since we have Yamaha's support, I'm certain that things will go well. For our riders, we are planning to run several tests in Indonesia before the next race, so we can make progress toward our next goal of finishing in the top five."
• #27 Rusman Fadhil (14th/7th) Yamaha Yamalube KYT Tunggal Jaya Racing
  "I'm very happy that I was able to finish 7th in the second race. I knew it wasn't going to be easy starting from 18th position on the grid, but the R25 ran very well and I think that's why I was able to keep pushing hard throughout the race. My aim is to get a podium finish but things aren't perfect yet in areas like the engine feeling. The next round will be our home race in Indonesia. Before that, I'll be getting in some riding time on a motocrosser and doing other training so I can sharpen my own riding skills. At the same time, we'll be adjusting the machine settings so that we can do better than today."
• #32 Muhamad Hasyim Zaki Adil (DNF/15th) Yamaha Yamalube KYT Tunggal Jaya Racing
  "The whole team was working together to find a good direction for today, but in the end we didn't make enough progress. It's unfortunate but that is the reality, so I believe that it's important to first accept that reality. The next round will be our home race in Indonesia. I know the lines of the track well so we'll just have to make as much progress as we can with the machine, and then I think we'll be able to finish among the leaders."
• Team Manager Rudy Ariano (Yamaha Yamalube KYT Tunggal Jaya Racing)
  "As you can tell from the riders' comments, we weren't able to bring out enough of the machine's potential in this first round. We were also surprised by the high potential of the Japanese and Thai riders. Yamaha has supported us very well, so from here on it's important that we do a better job with the engine management and give the riders performance that will give them a competitive chance. If we can do that, we should be able to get a better result than today's 7th place. We are looking forward to the races ahead."
• #26 Li Zheng Pang (12th/14th) YAMAHA MLT RACING TEAM
  "I came to Malaysia feeling that I could go for a podium finish, but our experienced rivals from the other Asian countries were faster than we expected. Early on in Race 1, I was able to enjoy battling with the other riders. But I had a collision with another rider and just keeping up with the pack took everything I had, so I finished in 12th place. In Race 2, I had another collision with a machine at the second corner and wasn't able to catch up after that. In the next round in Indonesia, I'll first of all be doing my best to keep up with the lead pack."
• #28 Meng Xing Bin (18th/20th) YAMAHA MLT RACING TEAM
  "For me, this was my first time competing overseas. It was also my first time moving up from scooter racing to the R25, so I was very nervous before the racing started. Still, I was able to enjoy the racing. There are a lot of areas I have to improve before the next round, but I'll be working hard together with the team to make progress."
• Team Manager Louis Mok (YAMAHA MLT RACING TEAM)
  "For Li, who has a lot of experience racing in China, and for Bin, who was taking on the challenge of racing overseas for the first time, there wasn't much time for them to gain experience in the pre-season tests and this opening round, but they have shown steady progress. This experience of participating in the Asia Road Racing Championship will also be beneficial for future Chinese Yamaha riders. And, we'll be working hard to bring what we learn here back to China so that eventually we can prove that Chinese riders can compete on the international level."
• #52 Hogon Lim (19th/23rd) TEAM YSK Korea
  "It turned out to be a difficult day, with a collision with another machine and suffering damage to my machine. Still, I was certainly able to enjoy the racing and experience how tough it is battling with many top-class riders from around Asia. It taught me many lessons that I'll be able to take to the next round. For Indonesia, I want to push my machine harder and battle more competitively. Finally, I want to say that I'm grateful to the team for helping me get through this first round successfully. It's a very good team and I'm happy to be able to race with them."
• #88 Minseok Baik (21st/25th) TEAM YSK Korea
  "It was a great experience battling with the other competitors. But it made me realize that my riding skills clearly aren't up to their level yet. Also, the match between the machine and my weight isn't the best. I presently weigh 77 kg, so I'll have to go on a diet in order to bring out the full potential of the R25. My goal is to lose 10 kg. That won't be easy, but I'm going to do my best so I can get up within the top 15."
• Team Manager Kibok Ku (TEAM YSK Korea)
  "Lim was able to improve his times steadily throughout the week, and Baik was suffering from pain in his right leg, but fortunately he was able to keep riding to the end. However, in Korea, the two of them are competing on 1,000cc and 600cc machines, so they still aren't able to ride their best on the R25. Also, this intense heat has been another big obstacle to overcome. Of course, we need to work to deal with all of these obstacles and get stronger. We have many issues to face, but we're going to keep our motivation high and work hard."