The FIM Asia Road Racing Championship has released a provisional calendar for the 2021 season comprising of six rounds.
In a cautious move to give plenty of buffer for any lingering pandemic-related travel restrictions, the 2021 season will start late, beginning only in June.
The Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia is expected to host the first two season openers with Round 1 taking place from June 4 to 6, followed quickly by Round 2 from June 11 to 13, 2021.
The circus will then travel to the Zhuhai International Circuit in China for Round 3 from July 30 to August 1 followed by the fourth leg at The Bend Motorsport Park in Australia from September 23 to 26.
The fourth leg of the ARRC will be held at The Bend Motorsport Park in Australia from September 23 to 26, alongside ASBK
Two more consecutive rounds at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand will wrap up the season with Round 5 scheduled from November 19 to 21 followed by the season finale from November 26 to 28, 2021.
Ron Hogg – Director Two Wheels Motor Racing
“2020 has been a challenging year for all sporting events. As the promoters of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship, we are grateful to all the racing teams and our corporate partners for their kind understanding and support. While the calendar is still subject to more changes, we are really looking forward to a great comeback season in 2021.”
The FIM, IRTA and Dorna Sports have announced the cancellation of the 2020 OR Thailand Grand Prix and 2020 Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix. Previously postponed, the ongoing coronavirus outbreak and resulting complications have now sadly obliged the cancellation of each Grand Prix to be confirmed.
Both events were set to host a round of the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup, and the cancellations of the two Grands Prix also oblige the cancellation of the corresponding ATC rounds at the same events.
The previously postponed ATC Round alongside ASBK, set to be held at The Bend Motorsport Park in Australia, will also not be able to take place in 2020, as Australian borders are expected to remain closed until the end of the year.
The previously postponed Malaysian ATC Round alongside MSBK, set to be held at Sepang International Circuit, would therefore be the only event remaining from the original 2020 calendar. However, due to travel restrictions for staff and riders who travel from across Asia and Europe to each ATC event, this round must regrettably also be cancelled.
Therefore, the 2020 ATC would only consist of the single round that has already taken place at the Grand Prix of Qatar in March. Given it is only two races, this cannot be classed as a full ATC season. Consequently, FIM Asia and Dorna sadly announce that the 2020 Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup must be cancelled.
Billy Van Eerde leading an Asia Talent Cup race in Qatar in 2018
However, every rider who was set to compete in the Cup this season will automatically have an available spot on the 2021 grid. Any remaining places in the 2021 Cup will be filled by riders from national championships or racing schools across Asia and Oceania, with competitors chosen by the ATC Selection Committee. This is due to the fact that the 2021 Selection Event, set to be held before the Malaysian GP in October at Sepang, cannot take place this season.
A 2021 Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup calendar will be announced following publication of 2021 dates or calendars for the Championships alongside which the ATC often race, such as MotoGP™, MSBK and ASBK.
In 2020, the focus for the riders will now move from on-track battles to virtual workshops aimed at improving some important skills off the bike. These CHAMPS Virtual Workshops focus on communication and social media, as well the importance of the English language for those who are not native speakers. The first two workshops took place mid-July, with more organised for the coming weeks as the grid gear up for 2021. The ATC will also continue to have a vibrant presence on social media, and the homepage of the Cup will continue to publish updates on current events, as well as showcase the best of the ATC and some of the closest racing on two wheels.
The organisation of the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup would like to extend a special thank you to all the partners, sponsors and people who make the ATC possible. One of the most successful paths on the Road to MotoGP, the Cup has already helped to foster some incredible talents that now line up in the Moto3 and Moto2 World Championships, with pole positions, podiums and Grand Prix wins to their name.
The ATC very much looks forward to continuing this journey when we return to race in 2021.
Earlier today Motorcycling Australia announced the postponement of the second round of the 2020 mi-bike Australian Superbike Championship at Goulburn’s Wakefield Park Raceway.
Obviously the viability of ASBK round three at The Bend is also under consideration.
The Bend event would see ASBK once again joined by the Asian Road Racing Championships at the South Australian venue.
This year an Asia Talent Cup round was also to be held for the first time on Australian soil. This series was also slated to be held as part of The Bend event which is promoted by organisers as the 2020 International MotoFest.
This afternoon though the Asia Talent Cup organisation confirmed their withdrawal from the event on its currently scheduled dates of May 8-10. Their statement below indicates however that their involvement is postponed rather than cancelled.
ASBK was also to join the V8 Supercars on the following weekend at Western Australia’s Barbagallo Raceway. Earlier today V8 Supercars management announced that the Barbagallo event, originally scheduled for the weekend of May 17th, had been postponed.
Those observations suggest that not only the Wakefield Park round of the ASBK Championship will be postponed as annnounced, but also the South Australian and Western Australian events on the calendar are also being evaluated by Motorcycling Australia, with official announcements expected to be forthcoming in due course.
Asia Talent Cup Statement
Due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, the Australian Round of the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup has been postponed.
The round was set to take place at The Bend Motorsport Park from the 8th to the 10th of May 2020, alongside the Australian Superbike Championship and the Asia Road Racing Championship.
Aided by the support of government health authorities, Dorna Sports is closely monitoring the ongoing outbreak. A new calendar with a rescheduled date will be published as soon as available.
Gold Coast teenager Harrison Voight has claimed his maiden Asia Talent Cup (ATC) podium, finishing third in Race 2 of the series opener at Losail International Circuit as part of the MotoGP of Qatar.
Harrison Voight (right) on the Race 2 Podium in Qatar
13-year-old Voight recorded his best ever qualifying result at the season opener, which marks his second season competing in the Asia Talent Cup. The Australian, who was the youngest rider in the field in 2019, qualified second for the two 14 lap races over the weekend.
A mistake in Race 1 saw Voight come off at Turn 6, re-joining the race at the rear of the field, and still finishing the race, salvaging valuable championship points.
Harrison Voight #18
Shaking off the nerves from Saturday’s incident, Voight endured a tough battle to the flag on Sunday, dropping back to fifth mid race. A five-way battle ensured over the closing laps of the race, Voight moved into the lead at turn one on the final lap eventually taking third.
Harrison Voight
“It was a good feeling to finally get a podium in the ATC. The racing was tough and it all came down two the last two laps. Thankfully I have had some experience at this track so when I rolled out all I had to worry about was the setting up of the bike. The competition this year is a lot harder than last year as the Japanese riders are very fast and the pace is faster. Hopefully we can achieve more podiums and even a win this year. My goal is to finish the year in the top 3. I am very thankful to Dorna and the ATC for giving me this opportunity.”
Harrison Voight
The Gold Coast rider currently sits fifth in the championship standings with the next event to be held at The Bend in South Australia on 8-10 May 2020, alongside ASBK.
Voight started out racing flat track at the Mike Hatcher Junior Motorcycle Club at Arundel at the age of 8 and continues to race at the club in between his international commitments. In addition to the Asia Talent Cup, Voight will also contest the European Talent Cup as part of the Sic58 Squadra Course team.
We didn’t have to wait long to find out how a decent World Superbike rider would fare ARRC’s competitive cauldron. Markus Reiterberger – who alongside Tom Sykes, rode a BMW S 1000 RR for Shaun Muir Racing in 2019 – followed up a lap record breaking performance in pre-season testing at Sepang with a dominant performance in Friday’s free practice for round one.
Markus Reiterberger
The German, who turns 26 this week, looked at ease aboard the ONEXOX TKKR BMW, topping all three sessions by more than six tenths. His best time was 2’04.950, set midway through FP1.
The chase was led at different times by Kawasaki Thailand’s Thitipong Warakorn, Yamaha Racing ASEAN’s Broc Parkes and Yamaha Thailand’s Apiwat Wongthananon, who ended up second on the day, with a best time of 2’05.764 in FP3, more than eight tenths adrift of Markus. Broc put in a good day’s work to finish third on combined times, with a lap of 2’05.928.
Apiwat Wongthananon
The only other rider to get into the 2’05s and therefore within a second of Markus, was Lorenzo Zanetti, on the Access Plus Racing Okada Ducati Panigale. Standing in for Frederico Sandi, Zanetti, who is an official Ducati test rider, finished just ahead of Thitipong, Yuki Ito and defending champion Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman, who lagged his new team-mate by 1.810s to end up seventh.
Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman
ASB debutant, Anuparb Sarmoon, made a good account of himself to finish the day eighth for Yamaha Thailand, while Kawasaki Thailand’s class rookie, Ryosuke Iwato and Access Plus Okada’s TJ Alberto completed the top ten.
ASB Qualifying and Race 1
During Saturday morning qualifying, the pattern of pre-season testing and free practice repeated, with nobody able to get within striking distance of the ONEXOX TKKR SAG BMW of Markus Reiterberger, who claimed pole position with a lap of 2’04.762.
Broc Parkes got to within 1.4 seconds of the German to put himself second from Yamaha Thailand’s Apiwat Wongthananon, who always seems to qualify on the front row. Broc’s team-mate, Yuki Ito was fourth, to lead the second row from the Access Plus Ducati of Lorenzo Zanetti.
Yuki Ito
Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman was seventh, ahead of Thitipong Warakorn. The Thai rider had his session disrupted when he crashed on water that had seeped onto the track at Turn 4. The incident brought out the red flag and there was a lengthy delay while marshals mopped and dried the surface.
As it often does, an electric storm hit Sepang later in the afternoon, causing a delay of around 45 minutes to the start of the race.
Azlan Shah
With racing on a wet track being a new experience for the 2020 BMW, the possibility of Markus being beaten began to look realistic. He got away at the front, but, ominously, Yuki Ito tucked in behind him and snatched the lead midway round lap one. Meanwhile, Apiwat was well-placed in third, just ahead of Broc, who went through at turn 15 and then passed Markus for second.
Broc Parkes, Apiwat Wongthananon, Anuparb Sarmoon, Markus Reiterberger
By lap three out of 12, Yuki had found his rhythm and was three seconds clear at the front. Markus ran wide and Yamaha Thailand’s Apiwat and Anuparb Sarmoon went through to third and fourth. Some five seconds further back, Lorenzo was battling with Farid Badrul and Azlan for sixth place, while Thitipong looked unhappy further back in tenth.
By half distance the race was looking settled, with Yuki hitting his marks smoothly and stretching his lead every lap. In contrast Broc was having to fend off the advances of a determined Apiwat, with both machines twitching and threatening to spit off their riders at every turn.
Yuki Ito claims the Race 1 win
These two were well clear of Anuparb, who was making a very respectable debut. Broc succumbed to Apiwat’s pressure on lap 11, going over the highside of his R1 and snapping his handlebars, to register a highly undesirable DNF.
Despite a leisurely trundle from turn 15 to the chequered flag, Yuki crossed the line 7.6 seconds ahead of Apiwat and Anuparb, who was 15 seconds behind his Yamaha Thailand team-mate. Markus came in a safe fourth from Zanetti, Azlan and Badrul.
Yuki Ito celebrates the Race 1 win
ASB Race 2
Storm clouds that had again looked threatening during the afternoon began to disperse as the Asia Superbike grid formed for race two.
Sitting on pole position, ONEXOX TKKR SAG’s Markus Reiterberger looked a lot more relaxed than he had 24 hours earlier for Saturday’s wet race, next to Yamaha Racing ASEAN’s Broc Parkes, who was feeling sore after high-siding out of second position in race one. Despite the setbacks, the Australian was determined to get the start of his ARRC season launched with a degree of success.
Markus Reiterberger
utside him, Yamaha Thailand’s Apiwat Wongthananon, who had hounded Broc the previous day and then benefited from the previous day’s crash, set his sights on another strong result.
Markus checked out at the start, pulling a few lengths clear as he got to the first corner. Broc was the best of the rest for a few corners until he got mugged by Apiwat, who fancied his chances of chasing down the German at the front. More discomfort followed for the Hunter Valley man, as he found himself under pressure from Yamaha Thailand’s Anuparb Sarmoon and Access Plus Okada Ducati’s Lorenzo Zanetti.
Kawasaki Thailand’s Thitipong Warakorn was next, with race one winner, Yuki Ito and Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman completing a group of seven. On lap three, Lorenzo, who had predicted a podium finish, moved past Anuparb and Apiwat into second.
Apiwat Wongthananon, Broc Parkes, Lorenzo Zanetti, Anuparb Sarmoon
With half the 12-lap race done, Markus was 6.8 seconds clear and Lorenzo and Apiwat made up the provisional podium from Anuparb and Broc. Then Azlan seemed to finally gell with the 2020 Beemer and made his way through the group and up into second from Apiwat and Lorenzo. Anuparb crashed out of contention on lap seven.
With two laps left, a mistake by Azlan saw him hit the floor, while Broc and Thitipong, who had also taken a few knocks during the weekend got a lot more serious about their finishing positions. Broc moved onto the back of a twitchy-looking Ducati, but was unable to find a way past until the Italian appeared to miss a gear as he charged out of turn 15 towards the finish line. Broc narrowly avoided rear-ending him and took third place behind Markus and Apiwat. Zanetti came through to fourth in front of Thitipong and Yuki.
ASB Race 2 Podium
Apiwat’s brace of second places means that he leaves Sepang atop the standings with 40 points to Markus’s 38. Yuki lies third on 35 from Zanetti (24) and Thitipong (18). Broc’s DNF and third place finish put him sixth and level on points with Anuparb.
The Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup season kicked off with Race 1 at Losail International Circuit over the weekend, alongside the Qatar MotoGP round, with Kanta Hamada duelling superstar rookie Taiyo Furusato right to the wire, and the two crossing the line just hundredths apart.
2020 Asia Talent Cup – Round 1 Qatar
It was the more experienced Hamada who came out on top to take his first win after some perfectly pitched slip-streaming, with the podium completed by Syarifuddin Azman after a solid ride from the Malaysian to open his account in 2020.
Syarifuddin Azman came out on top in Race 2, the Malaysian winning a five-way battle for victory to take his second win in the series and first of the year. Race 1 winner Kanta Hamada keeps the points lead after he came home in second, just 0.049 off, with the podium completed by Harrison Voight as the Australian made his first visit to the IATC rostrum.
It was a mixed weekend for Voight who had to recover from a Race 1 mishap to finish 12th, before the podium position in Race 2, and completed the weekend in fifth place overall, on 20 championship points.
Fellow Australians Carter Thompson and Max Gibbons also put in a strong showing, with Gibbons claiming tenth in Race 1 and sixth in Race 2, for a total of 16 championship points, leaving him placed seventh into Round 2.
Max Gibbons
Carter Thompson finished in ninth and 11th across the two races, for 12 championship points and holds 12th in the standings and looks forward to Round 2 at The Bend in Australia.
Carter Thompson
“Race 2 I finished P11. Happy with taking more off my times, made some silly mistakes during the race and work is needed on my starts but am very happy overall with my weekend. Learnt so much and it is all experience. Want to say a huge congrats to Harrison Voight Racing #29H on an awesome race, podium well deserved and also to Max Gibbons Racing for a great race as well with a great result. Home tomorrow, and can’t wait for Round 2 in Australia at The Bend.”
Carter Thompson
Race 1
Off the line it was Furusato who got an almost perfect start from pole, with the Japanese rider streaking away with a good number of bike lengths in hand. Australian Harrison Voight got bogged down slightly from second on the grid, and the likes of Hamada and Azman needed no invitation to make their way through and take over the chase. Voight then slid out, leaving one favourite for the podium facing a fight back.
2020 Asia Talent Cup – Round 1 Qatar
Back at the front, Furusato was cool and collected, maintaining his gap for a while, but the number 8 of Hamada had his head down and began chipping away at the lead until it was most definitely a duel. Azman, meanwhile, had managed to pull away from those just behind, but the Malaysian didn’t seem to have much in his pocket to take on the two men ahead of him. Furusato and Hamada were, after all, the only men capable of putting in the 2:11s.
Lap by lap it was a classic game of chess and tactics between the two at the front, with a few dices here and there but the game a patient one until the latter third of the race. From around five laps to go it was all go, however, with the moves coming thick and fast and both putting on a fantastic show – as well as doing some research, it seemed, into how to play their cards come the end of the race.
2020 Asia Talent Cup – Round 1 Qatar – Race 1
Hamada had tried out the slipstream exiting the final corner on a number of occasions before it was crunch time, just ahead over the line on each attempt, but after heading wide into Turn 1 on the final lap the number 8 suddenly had more of a mountain to climb. Not long after, however, it was Furusato’s turn to head a little wide and sure enough, the two were locked back together as the final few corners beckoned.
Hamada was in position to play the hand he seemed to have prepared, and just like earlier in the race the slipstream paid off to perfection. Tucked in behind Furusato right next to the grass before pulling out to make the move just before the line, Hamada took his first IATC win in style and by just 0.032. Furusato can be proud of an incredible debut in the series, however, and Race 2 will surely be one to watch as the two could well face off again…
2020 Asia Talent Cup – Round 1 Qatar – Race 1 finish line
Azman took third and his first podium of the year in a bit of clear air, but another duel to the wire decided fourth and fifth. Rookie Gun Mie took it in the end, just 0.009 ahead of Shoki Igarashi as the two crossed the line almost bumping elbows.
2020 Asia Talent Cup – Round 1 Qatar – Race 1 Podium
It was also incredibly close in the fight for sixth, with just over a second covering P6 down to P11. Malaysian Sharul Sharil come out on top in the group fight as he took that sixth, ahead of the Japanese duo of Masaya Hongo and Rei Wakamatsu, forcing Australians Carter Thompson and Max Gibbons to settle for ninth and tenth, respectively. Indian rider Mikail Salih come home in 11th on his debut, just a tenth further behind.
Voight, after managing to rejoin the race following his crash, took twelfth and some valuable points despite his time deficit to the top. He could be one to watch on Sunday in Race 2 after not getting chance to show his full hand.
Race 2
It was polesitter Taiyo Furusato who once again took the holeshot from the front, the Japanese rookie putting in another stunner off the line, but this time those just behind him were able to stay in slightly better touch from the off. And from that off, a lead group of five emerged as it became clear Race 2 was going to be more than a duel – with Hamada, Azman, Gun Mie and Voight all able to make it a five-man contest.
2020 Asia Talent Cup – Round 1 Qatar – Race 2 Start
That’s the way it stayed on Sunday, with some stunning moves, a few wobbles and plenty of overtaking spicing up the fight at the front, and the high speed chess of Race 1 replaced by a gloves-off battle. Coming into the final corner, Furusato once again chose to remain in the lead – once again having led for many laps of the race too – but once again it didn’t quite work out. The slipstream was going to decide the race, but this time there were five.
As Furusato gunned it towards the line, those behind were gaining and it was Azman who got the drive. The Malaysian timed it perfectly to pull alongside and then past, making it to the line just half a tenth clear of the man on his tail – Hamada, as the number 8 also got past Furusato. As did Voight, with Furusato forced to settle for fourth despite having put in so much leg work.
2020 Asia Talent Cup – Round 1 Qatar – Race 2 Podium
Gun Mie ended up a couple of tenths back but nevertheless made it a debut weekend to remember as he followed up fourth in Race 1 with another top five on Sunday, with an even closer battle raging behind him for sixth. Australian Max Gibbons won it by just 11 hundredths, fighting off Shoki Igarashi as the Japanese rider was shuffled back to P7.
Rei Wakamatsu took eighth and a step forward on Sunday, gaining himself some clear air from those on the chase, as another close contest deciding ninth. Indian rider Mikail Salih took that P9, getting the better of Malaysian Sharul Sharil by just half a tenth. Carter Thompson was 11th and Masaya Hongo 12th, but both still within a second of Salih.
That’s a wrap from Round 1, with a little longer wait for the next track action after the calendar change. But that’s time to reset and recharge, with more IATC action waiting in the wings.
2020 Asia Talent Cup Calendar (Updated)
March 6-8 – Races 1 & 2 – MotoGP Grand Prix of Qatar – LOSAIL, QATAR
May 8-10 Races 3 & 4 – ASBK – THE BEND, AUSTRALIA
August 7-9 Races 5 & 6 – Malaysian Superbike Championship – SEPANG, MALAYSIA
October 2-4 Races 7 & 8 – MotoGP Grand Prix of Thailand – BURIRAM, THAILAND
October 16-18 Races 9 & 10 – MotoGP Grand Prix of Japan – MOTEGI JAPAN
Oct/Nov 30-1 Races 11 & 12 – MotoGP Grand Prix of Malaysia – SEPANG, MALAYSIA
Markus Reiterberger logged a 2’05.388s during the 2020 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship pre-season tests to best Thitipong Warokorn’s year-old record of 2’05.505s logged in Round 1 last year, and that had survived through Round 6 at the same venue.
Markus Reiterberger
Reiterberger will be the first German rider to race in the Asian series and is competing under the ONEXOX BMW TKKR SAG TEAM banner when the 2020 series gets underway this weeked with round one at Sepang.
Markus Reiterberger
Broc Parkes is returning for his second attempt at the Asian title with Yamaha Racing Team ASEAN, the Australian ended the pre-season tests second quickest in the ASB1000 class. Broc trailed Reiterberger’s lap by 0.284s. The 38-year-old’s best lap-time, recorded in Practice 3, was 2’05.672s.
Broc Parkes
Defending champion Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman was third fastest on 2’06.009s followed by Apiwat Wongthananon (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team) fourth on 2’06.231s.
Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman
Federico Sandi’s replacement in the Access Plus Racing-Okada-Team, Lorenzo Zanetti, rounded out the top five in the pre-season tests with 2’06.734s.
Lorenzo Zanetti
ASB 1000 Day 1 + Day 2 Overall Practice Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Time/Gap
1
Markus Reiterberger
S1000 RR
2m05.338
2
Broc Parkes
YZF-R1M
+0.284
3
Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman
S1000 RR
+0.621
4
Apiwath Wongthananon
YZF-R1M
+0.843
5
Lorenzo Demetrio Zanetti
V4 R
+1.346
6
Test Bike 1
/
+1.364
7
Anupab Sarmoon
YZF-R1M
+1.426
8
Yuki Ito
YZF-R1M
+1.485
9
Thitipong Warokorn
ZX-10RR
+1.497
10
Dimas Ekky Pratama
YZF-R1
+2.414
11
Timothy Joseph C.Alberto
V4 R
+2.996
12
Ryosuke Iwato
ZX-10RR
+3.035
13
Yamaha Test Bike
YZF-R1
+4.751
14
Ahmad Daniel Haiqal
YZF-R1
+5.236
Adam Norrodin leads 600 Supersport
Pachi ZK Racing’s Adam Norrodin has set a new Sepang benchmark in the SuperSports 600cc class when he bested Kasma Daniel Kasmayuddin’s 2019 lap record by 0.689 seconds. The Malaysian rider posted 2’09.029s in Practice 4 during the 2020 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship pre-season tests.
Top contenders for the 2020 crown are beginning to emerge after two days of testing at the 5.5km Sepang International Circuit, with teams Pachi ZK Racing and Boon Siew Honda Racing Team identified as early favourites ahead of the season opener.
The two teams seemed to have the front row on lock down with Adam, his younger brother Ibrahim Norrodin, as well as Boon Siew Honda Racing Team’s Azroy Hakeem Anuar and Helmi Azman consistently lapping within the top four in the class.
Azroy Hakeem Anuar
Yamah Gen Blu Racing Team’s Ahmad Afif Amran closed the two day pre-season test as the fifth quickest in class. Afif’s best time was 2’10.547s while SS600 rookie McKinley Kyle Paz was 13th fastest with 2’12.552s.
Senior SS600 riders Ratthapong Wilairot and Ahmad Yudhistira have yet to make their moves… for now. Ratthapong posted sixth overall with 2’10.610s and Yudhistira seventh with 2’10.846s.
Japanese duo Yusuke Nakamura and Soichiro Minamimoto from Akeno Speed Yamaha Racing placed eighth and ninth fastest in the tests. Yamaha Racing Indonesia’s Faerozi Toreqottullah rounded up the top 10 in the SuperSports 600cc class.
Supersports 600 Day 1 + Day 2 Overall Practice Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Time/Gap
1
Md Adam Md Norrodin
YZF-R6
2m09.029
2
Azroy Hakeem Anuar
CBR600RR
+1.075
3
Md Ibrahim Md Norrodin
YZF-R6
+1.108
4
Md Helmi Azman
CBR600RR
+1.195
5
Ahmad Afif Amran
YZF-R6
+1.518
6
Ratthapong Wilairot
YZF-R6
+1.581
7
Ahmad Yudhistira
YZF-R6
+1.817
8
Yusuke Nakamura
YZF-R6
+2.244
9
Soichiro Minamimoto
YZF-R6
+2.576
10
Md Faerozi Toreqottullah
YZF-R6
+2.919
11
Md Ramdan Rosli
YZF-R6
+3.049
12
Troy Jacob Cua Alberto
CBR600RR
+3.362
13
McKinley Kyle Paz
YZF-R6
+3.523
14
Rei Toshima
YZF-R6
+3.638
15
Nazirul Izzat Md Bahaudin
YZF-R6
+4.495
16
Sota Furuyama
YZF-R6
+6.735
ARRC AP250
The ONEXOX TKKR SAG TEAM wrapped up the 2020 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship pre-season tests on a positive note with three of their riders topping the timesheets in their respective classes.
Rey Ratukore also gave early indication that the team is on the right track for the 2020 season opener in Sepang when he posted the fastest time in the Asia Production 250cc category – 2’26.150s.
Rey Ratukore
Malaysian Izam Ikmal from the IDEMITSU Boon Siew Honda Racing Team was the second fastest man on the track with 2’26.214s while defending champion Andy Fadly posted third with 2’26.253s on his Kawasaki.
YAMAHA Racing Indonesia’s Anggi Setiawan was fifth fastest, trailing fourth placed Aiki Iyoshi by 0.126 seconds.
Of note, Mohd Danial Syahmi, back to active racing after recovering from his injuries, was ninth fastest in the group. Vorapong Malahuan took his TVS Apache RR310 to 10th quickest with 2’28.678s.
AP250 Day 1 + Day 2 Overall Practice Results
Pos
Rider
Bike
Time/Gap
1
Reynaldo C. Ratukore
YZF-R25
2:26.150
2
Muhammad Izam Ikmal
CBR250 RR
+0.064
3
Andy Muhammad Fadly
NINJA 250
+0.103
4
Aiki Iyoshi
NINJA 250
+0.345
5
Anggi Setiawan
YZF-R25
+0.471
6
Md Muzakkir Mohamed
YZF-R25
+0.618
7
Shahrol Syazras Yuzy
CBR250 RR
+0.946
8
WahyuÿNugroho
YZF-R25
+0.958
9
Md Idlan Haqimi Raduan
CBR250 RR
+1.697
10
Md. Danial Syahmi
NINJA 250
+1.975
11
Vorapong Malahuan
RR310
+2.528
12
Syafieq Aiman Fauzi
YZF-R25
+2.691
13
Jagan Kumar
RR310
+4.053
ARRC Underbone 150
Wahyu Aji Trilaksana came up tops in the Underbone 150 pre-season tests when he stopped the clock at 2’32.440s during the pre-season tests. Although still about a second off Akid Aziz’s 2019 lap record, Wahyu has shown early indications that he is ramping up his Underbone campaign in a bid to end his 3-year title drought in the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship.
Wahyu Aji Trilaksana
Wahyu is trailed by compatriot Wawan Wello. The SND Factory Racing Rapido rider posted second quickest in the pre-season tests with 2’32.848s.
A trio of Malaysians followed. Akid Aziz was third fastest with 2’32.910s followed by Izzat Zaidi and Ahmad Fazli Sham.
Newcomer team 4S1M YAMAHA Racing Team has gotten off to an optimistic start when Gupita Kresna placed seventh with a competitive time of 2’33.454s.
Broc Parkes confirms ARRC campaign Entries surge for 2020 opener
With Barry Russell
The FIM Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) starts its 25th season on March 5, with more entries and more international attention than at any time since in its history. A total of 80 riders from 12 different countries will contest the seven-round, 14 race-championship.
The introduction of the Asia Superbike (ASB) class in 2019 replaced Supersport 600 as the series flagship. This move attracted European manufacturers for the first time and added a whole new level of racing to the series.
The Asia Superbike class provided close racing in 2019, with a championship battle that went down to the last race of the season between Broc Parkes and ultimate winner, Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman. The contrast in styles and machinery between the top two protagonists made the seven-round, 14-race battle especially entertaining.
Broc Parkes and Yuki Ito
Broc will again partner Japan’s Yuki Ito in the Yamaha Racing ASEAN squad to face Azlan, as well as a much deeper field of potential champions.
The Malaysian stays with the ONEXOX TKKR SAG BMW with additional motivation on the other side of the garage in the shape of his new team-mate, former European Superstock champion and WSBK rider, Markus Reiterberger.
Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman
Third in the 2019 standings was Zaqhwan Zaidi, who made Honda Asia Dream Racing with Showa’s vintage Fireblade go much faster than it should have. This year Zaqhwan will be on the brand-new Honda and carrying the marque’s expectations for the title.
Thitipong Warakorn
Kawasaki Thailand’s Thitipong Warakorn, who had his 2019 championship chances curtailed by horrific back injuries, starts the new season fit, determined and leading the charge for Team Green. Katsuake Fujiwara continues as team manager, bringing in rookie Ryusuke Iwato, following his impressive showing in the Japan Superbike (JSB) 1000 class last season.
Ryusuke Iwato (pictured) joins Thitipong Warakorn with Kawasaki Thailand
Yamaha Thailand’s Apiwat Wongthananon is another frontrunner from the land of smiles. The 2016 AP250 champion earned himself two seasons in the CEV Junior Moto3 World Championship with the VR46 Academy before returning home to partner Ratthapong Wilairot in ASB’s inaugural season.
He got up to speed quickly, qualifying on the front row at The Bend in round two and bothering the men at the front during the early laps. Mastering the YZF R1’s electronics over race distance took a little longer, but he scored a brace of thirds at Buriram in round three and at Sepang in round six.
Anuparb Sarmoon, Apiwat Wongthananon & Ratthapong Wilairot who will compete in Supersport
Former Thai superstock champion, the highly rated Anuparb Sarmoon, joins Apiwat in the premier class for 2020, after some impressive CEV Moto2 outings. Ratthapong, meanwhile returns to Supersport 600 as a former champion, having won the title in 2018.
Anuparb could quickly establish himself at the front. Although he is known in ARRC circles as a top AP 250 rider, he is supremely confident on a superbike and fans are in for a treat as they watch him wringing the neck of the YZF R1.
Anuparb Sarmoon
Meanwhile, another AP 250 champion, Indonesia’s Gerry Salim, returns from his CEV Moto2 adventures to partner Zaqhwan in the Honda Asia Dream Racing with Showa squad. Team manager, Makoto Tamada, made no secret of his desire to run two ASB riders and is rewarded accordingly for last season’s results.
Zaqhwan Zaidi and Gerry Salim
It will be Gerry’s first campaign on a one-litre machine, so Honda’s management and his legions of Indonesian fans will be watching to see how quickly he can get to grips with the marque’s new flagship superbike.
Staying with Honda, Musashi, a well-known name in ARRC, comes in with a brand new team, Musashi HARC-PRO.HPI.ASIA and one of Japan’s most exciting riders, Ikuhiro Enokido. The 21-year-old finished second in the J-GP2 class of the All Japan Road Race Championship in 2019. The Japanese series is known for producing fast, tough riders and Musashi is no stranger to winning in ARRC, with a fair few fistfuls of Supersport titles already on the shelf.
Ducati Philippines added a great deal more than a touch of glamour to the grid in 2019. The team worked hard to find the right direction for the development of the Panigale and improved results steadily through the season with TJ Alberto finishing 11th in the standings.
The most conspicuous highlight was the sight of Italian wildcard, Frederico Sandi, leading race one at Sepang in round six before dropping back with tyre wear. Good news for the 2020 grid is that Sandi has signed to do the full season in 2020, so his participation is eagerly anticipated.
Mazspeedingrods Chieton China Racing Team
The much-anticipated entry of Mazspeedingrods Chieton China Racing Team is likely to be curtailed by travel restrictions following the spread of the nova coronavirus. With a pair of gleaming red BMW S 1000s ready for Ma Sai and Huang Zhi Zhao we can only wait and hope for a fast end to the prevailing global health crisis. The appearance of another Chinese superbike star, Li Zheng Peng, who has signed for Victor Racing Team, also looks likely to be delayed.
The official pre-season test, now less than two weeks away, will provide clues to how the season will pan out. Australian fans can note that a strong showing by Broc in the 2019 test, was followed by third and fifth place finishes, so the Hunter Valley man will be looking to get his 2020 title campaign off to a stronger start and to add to his tally of three ASB race wins. Round two will be at Tailem Bend, May 7-10, and will again be a double bill with ASBK. Last year Broc scored second and first place finishes at his first visit to the track.
Azlan, meanwhile, will be out to continue the winning run that earned him the 2019 championship and to get ahead of his new team-mate. Then there’s Zaqhwan, Thitipong, Apiwat and Anuparb, all with their own markers to put down.
The 2020 ARRC Superbike Calendar
2020 Asia Superbike 1000 Entry List
Here’s a look at the final standings in the 2019 Asia Superbike 1000 championship, for reference.
Pos.
Rider
Nat.
Points
1
Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman
MAS
238
2
Broc Parkes
AUS
225
3
Md Zaqhwan Zaidi
MAS
211
4
Apiwat Wongthananon
THA
161
5
Yuki Ito
JPN
160
6
Thitipong Warokorn
THA
139
7
Ratthapong Wilairot
THA
116
8
Ahmad Yudhistira
INA
83
9
Bryan Staring
AUS
79
10
Chaiwichit Nisakul
THA
79
11
Timothy Joseph Cua Alberto
PHI
69
12
Federico Sandi
ITA
40
13
Farid Badrul Hisham
MAS
35
14
Kazuma Tsuda
JPN
35
15
Shinichi Nakatomi
JPN
32
16
Ali Andriansyah Rusmiputro
INA
30
17
Jonathan Serrapica
SUI
27
18
Li Zheng Peng
CHN
15
19
Bastien Mackels
BEL
12
20
Huang Zi Zhao
CHN
12
21
Mark Aitchison
AUS
10
22
Shahrulnizam Ramli
MAS
10
23
Masahiro Shinjo
JPN
9
24
Yannis Shaw
AUS
8
25
K. Rajini Krishnan
IND
8
26
Lachlan Epis
AUS
6
27
Stephanie Redman
AUS
4
28
Robert Daniel Kruger
CAN
4
29
Koji Teramoto
JPN
2
30
Chen Peng Yuan
CHN
1
2020 Asia Road Racing Championship Calendar
Pre-Season Test – Sepang International Circuit, MALAYSIA – March 2–4, 2020
Round 1 – Sepang International Circuit, MALAYSIA – March 6–8, 2020
Round 2 – The Bend Motorsports Park, AUSTRALIA – May 7–10, 2020
Round 3 – Suzuka Circuit, JAPAN – June 26–28, 2020
Round 4 – Zhuhai International Circuit, CHINA – July 24–26, 2020
Round 5 – Chang International Circuit, THAILAND – August 21–23, 2020
Round 6 – Sepang International Circuit, MALAYSIA – September 25–27, 2020
Round 7 – Chang International Circuit, THAILAND – November 27–29, 2020
Supersport shapes up for an epic season after ARRC lifts age cap
With Barry Russell
Having been ARRC’s premier class for 18 years, Supersport was repositioned in 2019 as a stepping stone for riders on their way up to ASB. In the process, an upper age limit of 25 was introduced.
The development category experiment was successful to the extent that stars like runaway champion, Peerapong Boonlert, Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin, and Andi Farid Izdihar found themselves drawn into CEV and Moto2 championships.
Zaqhwan Zaidi
The downside was that it thinned out the field. To ensure the ongoing health of the class promoter, TWMR has lifted the age cap to make it a true intermediate category. So, looking back at 2019 won’t tell you a thing about what could happen in 2020.
Teams have welcomed the move by springing surprises that promise a year of unpredictable, hard-fought battles. The result is also that out of 19 entries, 12 are riders who were not on the 600 grid in 2019. Of those, just three are above the erstwhile age limit.
Soichiro Minamimoto
Starting at what, for now, is the top, Yamaha Thailand are replacing 2019 champion Peerapong with their 2018 champion, Ratthapong Wilairot, who moves back to 600s after an indifferent year in ASB.
Next on the list comes Soichiro Minamimoto, the rider who, as a wildcard, broke Peerapong’s 2019 six race winning streak in round four at Suzuka. The 20-year-old will again be aboard the Akeno Speed Yamaha and starts the season as a top contender. Joining him is Yusuke Nakamura.
Soichiro Minamimoto and Yusuke Nakamura
Another promising young Japanese rider, Rei Toshima, emerges from the Japanese Superbike (JSB) paddock to join the grid for the evocatively monikered Speed Heart DOGFIGHT Racing Yamaha team. He has previously had outings in AP 250 and ran as a wildcard at Suzuka in 2019.
Perhaps one of the biggest surprises is Victor Racing’s Ahmad Yudhistira, who was the stand-out ASB privateer in 2019. As with other international and top-level domestic series, factory involvement in ASB makes it difficult for those without it to compete at the front. It is less of a factor in Supersport, which gives a rider of Yudhistira’s quality a real shot at the title.
Adam Norrodin and Ibrahim Norrodin
Zulfahmi Kairuddin’s Sepang-based team takes on a slightly new name, IUSB ZK Racing, and doubles in size, signing both Adam and Ibrahim Norrodin for 2020. Adam was the team’s regular rider in 2019, causing all kinds of discomfort to Peerapong, scoring seven podiums from 12 starts, including wins in China and Thailand. Ibrahim stepped in for his big brother in Australia and surprised everyone with brilliant fourth and third place finishes. Sibling rivalry should keep both riders well and truly focused.
Yamaha Indonesia has promoted former AP 250 rider, Faerozi Toreqotullah to the intermediate class for 2020. Although always fast on a 250, Faerozi didn’t quite get into title contention and could well be one of those riders who goes better on bigger capacity bikes.
Kyle Paz and Afif Amran
Cross border collaboration between Hong Leong Yamaha and Yamaha Motor Philippines brings together Filipino prodigy, McKinley Kyle Paz and 2019’s highest scoring class rookie, Afif Amran. Under the Yamaha GENBLU Racing Team banner, the hugely popular UB 150 champion is expected to harness the extra horses quickly, as well as drawing thousands of extra eyeballs to the championship, while Afif should continue build on his impressive debut season.
He is sure to enjoy the additional 450cc and should work his way quickly into contention. At the time of writing there is speculation that another Filipino could join the class. If that indeed proves to be true, then expect to see McKinley’s erstwhile UB150 partner, Fernando Masato included in an announcement about the team they’ll be riding for.
ONEXOX TKKR SAG have just announced their full line-up for 2020. Ramdan Rosli is the only top rider from 2019 to reappear and he’ll be joined by Nazirul Izzat, whom the team promotes from AP 250. He’s a rider who showed good speed and was marked out as one to watch by some of us, despite a lack of consistency.
Muklada Sarapuech
With all the riders mentioned so far being Yamaha-mounted, the question has to be asked whether Honda can be competitive with its ageing CBR600RR. During 2019 there was an almost perfect split in qualifying and finishing positions, with Yamaha’s continually upgraded YZF-R1 occupying the top half, so it’s to be hoped that Honda will be helping their teams to find more speed.
There are some hugely talented riders aiming to break Yamaha’s stranglehold on the class, led, at least in terms of media attention, by AP Honda Racing Thailand’s Muklada Sarapuech. The 2015 Asia Dream Cup champion, having spent the last few seasons showing her male counterparts how to ride a 250, steps into the 600 class. The 26-year-old already has glittering supersport credentials, having won the Suzuka 4 Hours in 2019 and will immediately be on the pace.
Muklada is joined by Passawit Thitiwararak, who returns for a third season in the class. He established himself as one of the quickest Honda riders in 2019, finishing sixth overall in the standings.
Irfan Ardiansyah & Rheza Danica Ahrens
One of the most exciting riders to move up is Irfan Ardiansyah, who is rewarded by Astra Honda for his third place finish in the 2019 AP 250 championship. The young Indonesian has the maturity and confidence of a champion as well as the physical size to dominate a bigger machine, so expect him to get up to pace quickly. Rheza Danica Ahrens, the 2018 AP 250 champion, starts his second year in the class looking for strong results after a lacklustre inaugural season.
Musashi Boon Siew Honda are again fielding Malaysian underbone graduates, Azroy Hakeem Anuar and Helmi Azman, who won the UB150 title in 2018. Azroy, who starts his third supersport season, was the best of the Honda contingent in 2019, finishing fourth in the standings and will again be looking to get amongst the Yamahas and onto the podium. Helmi had a difficult first season after sustaining a nasty leg injury in round two. He should start 2020 with his fitness and confidence restored and will be aiming to mix it up with the leaders.
Azroy Hakeem Anuar and Helmi Azman
Another new team, Honda Philippines Okada Manila Access Plus Racing, will be in the next garage to the Ducati team of almost the same name. On board will be Troy Jacob Cua Alberto, younger brother of Timothy Joseph ‘TJ’ Cua Alberto. Troy, 18, has had some decent outings in the Asia Talent Cup and the Thailand Talent Cup and entered SS600 rounds last year at Sepang and Zhuhai for Yuzy Honda.
2020 ARRC Supersport 600 Entry List
With the age cap lifted, it could be anyone’s game, however here’s a look at the final standings in the 2019 Supersport 600 category.
2019 ARRC Supersport 600 Final Standings
Pos.
Rider
Nat.
Points
1
Peerapong Boonlert
THA
300
2
Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin
MAS
224
3
Muhamad Adam Mohd Norrodin
MAS
170
4
Azroy Hakeem Anuar
MAS
125
5
Andi Farid Izdihar
INA
115
6
Passawit Thitivararak
THA
108
7
Md Helmi Azman
MAS
105
8
Ahmad Afif Amran
MAS
105
9
Md Ramdan Rosli
MAS
90
10
Javier Orellana Malloy
ESP
78
11
Rheza Danica Ahrens
INA
78
12
Kritchaporn Kaewsonthi
THA
68
13
Fakhrusy Syakirin Rostam
MAS
52
14
Soichiro Minamimoto
JPN
41
15
Ma Sai
CHN
36
16
Liam Taylor MacDonald
NZL
34
17
Kyusuke Okude
JPN
30
18
Md Ibrahim Md Norrodin
MAS
29
19
Yuto Sano
JPN
23
20
Muhammad Izam Ikmal
MAS
20
21
Katsuto Sano
JPN
12
22
Nazirul Izzat Md Bahaudin
MAS
11
23
Md Akid Aziz
MAS
11
24
Sha Juntong
CHN
9
25
Ao Leong Fu
MAC
8
26
Chen Hpng Yan
CHN
8
27
Kota Arakawa
JPN
7
28
Chen Yuan Hang
CHN
5
29
Md Khairul Ikhwan Ajis
MAS
4
30
Rei Toshima
JPN
1
2020 Asia Road Racing Championship Calendar
Pre-Season Test – Sepang International Circuit, MALAYSIA – March 2–4, 2020
Round 1 – Sepang International Circuit, MALAYSIA – March 6–8, 2020
Round 2 – The Bend Motorsports Park, AUSTRALIA – May 7–10, 2020
Round 3 – Suzuka Circuit, JAPAN – June 26–28, 2020
Round 4 – Zhuhai International Circuit, CHINA – July 24–26, 2020
Round 5 – Chang International Circuit, THAILAND – August 21–23, 2020
Round 6 – Sepang International Circuit, MALAYSIA – September 25–27, 2020
Round 7 – Chang International Circuit, THAILAND – November 27–29, 2020
Predictions for the AP250 are practically impossible, with big gaps in team announcements and some top riders moving up to Supersport.
Andy Fadly
After much off-season uncertainty, it was confirmed last week that Manual Tech Kawasaki will return with their 2019 pairing of reigning champion Andy Fadly and Aiki Aiyoshi. That makes Fadly only the second AP 250 champion to defend his title.
Indonesia’s Astra Honda have announced three riders again, with Lucky Hendriansyah now leading the line, chased by class rookies, Herjun Atna Firdaus and Adenanta Putra.
Lucky Hendriansyah, Herjun Atna Firdaus and Adenanta Putra
With Muklada Sarapuech moving to the 600s, AP Honda Racing Thailand keep the promising Piyawat Patoomyos and bring in rookie, Kantapat Yakantai. Piyawat scored his first class win in the very last race of 2019 and has been tasked with breaking Indonesia’s stranglehold on the championship.
ONEXOX TKKR SAG are fielding three entries, keeping frontrunners, Muzakkir Mohamed and Rey Ratukore and bringing in Syafieq Aiman.
Rafid Topan Sucipto is a potential title winner who has yet to make an announcement. His fans will be hoping to see him on the Bike Corner Honda once again, which transformed his 2019 season following his switch from Yamaha.
Rafid Topan Sucipto is another rider yet to announce a ride
Anggi Setiawan is in again for Yamaha Indonesia, joined this year by Wahyu Nugroho, one of the most exciting Underbone riders we saw in 2019. Although he managed only one podium appearance, Nugroho’s speed is beyond doubt and he should grow as an all-round racer in AP250.
Yamaha Thailand will not have any AP250 entries this year. For now, the team is delegating young rider development to satellite outfit, Yamaha HiSpeed, which is expected to run wildcards at selected races. The team made their mark in the last race of the season, when Vorapong Malahuan brought his banana-yellow R25 through to second place behind AP Honda’s Piyawat.
Cao Viet Nam
Turning to some of the sport’s emerging countries in the region, the highly rated Cao Viet Nam joins the class for another year. The 2019 Thailand Talent Cup champion clearly has the ability to run at the front, so will be hoping for the full support of Honda Vietnam.
Meanwhile, Honda India are going for continuity with Sethu Rajiv and Senthil Chandrasekaran and Victor Racing bring in Chinese rider, Leong Nang Tse.
Asia Production 250
Finally, and as widely expected, Indian motorcycle giant TVS is in for 2020. The company’s racing division put a large toe in the water at Buriram last December, when they contracted World Supersport star Hikari Okubo to take the Apache 310RR for a spin in the final round. What they learned there will be taken forward by Vorapong Malahuan.
The popular Thai has a bagful of AP 250 trophies from several seasons with AP Honda and it’s hard to think of a more capable development rider. There are plenty of challenges for the mono-powered machine, such as rear wheel locking and chassis and suspension development, but there is no doubting the commitment and resources of TVS, so we should see their results on an upward curve during the season.
2019 AP250 Standings – Top 15
Pos.
Rider
Nat.
Points
1
Andy Muhammad Fadly
INA
214
2
Awhin Sanjaya
INA
198
3
Irfan Ardiansyah
INA
187
4
Muklada Sarapuech
THA
143
5
Lucky Hendriansya
INA
133
6
Reynaldo Christiano Ratukore
INA
126
7
Tatchakorn Buasri
THA
118
8
Rafid Topan
INA
112
9
Piyawat Patoomyos
THA
108
10
Aiki Iyoshi
JPN
104
11
Muhammad Faerozy Toreqqotullah
INA
86
12
Md Muzakkir Mohamed
MAS
75
13
Nazirul Izzat Mohd Bahauddin
MAS
52
14
Cao Viet Nam
VIE
50
15
Anggi Setiawan
INA
44
Late announcements leave pieces missing in UB150 jigsaw
Underbone racing fans know that this is a class apart. While many racers from Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand go on to international fame and fortune from Underbones, for many more, racing these hopped-up family bikes is what they end up doing for a living.
Underbone 150cc
The ARRC Underbone 150 class is the pinnacle of Underbone racing and a place where we get to see a mixture of young, ambitious teenagers fight it out with fast, clever riders, who are in some cases, older than their parents. It provides heart-stopping on-track competition that thrills and fascinates fans from far beyond the geographical limits of South East Asia.
While much of the interest comes straight from the intensity of the racing, Underbones also evoke a gone and golden age of racing, when you would buy a street machine, strip it, add the lightest, trickest parts you can find and tune the engine to breaking point.
Underbone 150cc
UMA Racing Yamaha (Philippines), which took the 2019 championship with McKInley Kyle Paz, return with Fernando Masato, who won race two in the first round, and the highly-rated Kerwin Chang.
Meanwhile, UMA Racing Yamaha (Malaysia) are back in with former champion Akid Aziz and Haziq Fairues, who gave notice of his potential last season by taking his first victory in round six at Sepang. Akid finished just two points behind McKinley in 2019, after two DNFs from mechanical failures in the final round.
Wawan Wello, who was in title contention until a foul run of luck at the end of 2019, has re-signed for SND Factory Racing. The team, which has parted company with former double champion, Gupita Kresna, also announced the signing of rookie, Hildan Kusuma.
Gupita Kresna
Gupita himself, who was has been dogged by a mix of bad luck and inconsistency in the past two seasons, joins Philippines outfit 41SM, where he will run together with John Emerson Inguito. It should be a good match – 41SM has strong domestic underbone credentials and the Indonesian’s experience and quality should help the team step up to international competition and enable him to set his sights on a third title.
Team One for All keeps its rider line-up for 2020, with another former champion, Malaysia’s Affendi Rosley and Thailand’s Peerapong Luiboonpeng. The pair will once again be making their presence felt under the watchful eye of 125 GP legend and team owner, Youichi Ui.
ONEXOX TKKR SAG is fielding a mix of established and emerging talent. Indonesian double champion, Wahyu Aji Trilaksana and the evergreen, ever-threatening Ahmad Fazli Sham are joined by Hafiza Rofa, who proved himself as a front-runner in 2019 and newcomer, Faiz Zekri.
Fazli Sham and Wahyu Aji
Aldi Satya Mahendra, the youngest rider in the class at 13, and who sensationally won a wet race two at Suzuka in 2019, will be flying the flag for Yamaha Indonesia. He is sure to cause plenty more upsets for senior riders this season.
Cardinals Racing Malaysia brings in two new riders, Fazrul Sham and Iqbal Amri from the Petronas Cub Prix talent pool for 2020.
RCB Yamaha YY Pang Racing are fielding three riders with Vietnam’s To Ha Dong Nghi joining regular frontrunners, Izzat Zaidi and Adib Rosley.
Proliner RCB 549 Kaboci Racing Team also have a three rider team, with Richard Taroreh, Iswandi Muis and Aldy Taufil.
Conspicuous by their absence are UMA Racing Yamaha’s 2018 champion, Akid Aziz and team mate Haziq Fairues. The duo just missed out to McKInley Kyle Paz in 2019, finishing second and third in the standings and it is hoped they will squeeze themselves onto the entry list within the next few days.
2019 UB150 Standings – Top 15
Pos.
Rider
Nat.
Points
1
McKinley Kyle Paz
PHI
121
2
Md Akid Aziz
MAS
119
3
Md Haziq Md Fairues
MAS
113
4
Wahyu Aji Trilaksana
INA
110
5
Ahmad Fazli Sham
MAS
106
6
Aldi Satya Mahendra
INA
96
7
Wawan Wello
INA
94
8
Fernando Masato
PHI
93
9
Richard Richie Taroreh
INA
78
10
Md Affendi Rosli
MAS
72
11
Peerapong Luiboonpeng
THA
71
12
Wahyu Nugroho
INA
69
13
Md Amirul Ariff Musa
MAS
65
14
Md Faiz Zekri Sabri
MAS
60
15
Rozaiman Md Said
MAS
54
–
…31
Travis Hall
AUS
5
2020 Asia Road Racing Championship Calendar
Pre-Season Test – Sepang International Circuit, MALAYSIA – March 2–4, 2020
Round 1 – Sepang International Circuit, MALAYSIA – March 6–8, 2020
Round 2 – The Bend Motorsports Park, AUSTRALIA – May 7–10, 2020
Round 3 – Suzuka Circuit, JAPAN – June 26–28, 2020
Round 4 – Zhuhai International Circuit, CHINA – July 24–26, 2020
Round 5 – Chang International Circuit, THAILAND – August 21–23, 2020
Round 6 – Sepang International Circuit, MALAYSIA – September 25–27, 2020
Round 7 – Chang International Circuit, THAILAND – November 27–29, 2020
