Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Asia-Pacific Championship
Round One – Chang International Circuit, Thailand
The 2024 Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Asia-Pacific Championship season got underway for twenty young hopefuls earlier this month at Chang International Circuit in Thailand.
The series is open to riders from as young as 12 and provides a stepping stone towards world championship racing. The winner of the six-round Asia-Pacific title will receive full support to race in next year’s Yamaha R3 bLU cRU World Cup, which runs in conjunction with the World Superbike Championship. Following on from that, the World Cup winner gets Yamaha support to race in the FIM World Supersport 300 Championship.
To start the season, contenders from six countries got two days of testing at Chang International ahead of the first round’s free practice, qualifying and races.
As things got serious in qualifying, riders from Thailand, Australia and China took the first three spots on the grid. Tanakit Pratumtong edged pole position from Ryan Larkin, while China’s Huanni Ke put the icing on a strong session to qualify third.
Also showing good pace were Theppitak Kraiyafai, Sakchai Kongduangdee and Chaiyakorn Saeong who filled the next three places, while New Zealand’s Haydn Fordyce pulled out a decent lap last time round to put himself seventh. The much-fancied Kakeru Okunuki fell short of expectations and was ninth.
With a late afternoon air temperature of 41 degrees and the track surface some 12 degrees hotter for Race 1, safety concerns over tyre wear led to the race being reduced from twelve laps to seven.
When the lights went out it was 17-year-old Australian Ryan Larkin who got the best launch from the middle of the front row. His advantage soon vanished as the nineteen starters tore up the long drag to Turn 3.
Tanakit drafted through to lead, and the first six closed up as they came into the 180-degree loop. A pattern quickly formed, and at the end of lap 2 it was Tanakin from Larkin, Kakeru, Sakchai and Huanni, with Fordyce working hard to catch up after starting seventh. It was Kakeru, though, who spent most time with clear air in front of his number 31 machine.
By half distance, Huanni had slipped back as Fordyce replaced him in the leading group. At the start of the final lap, Larkin got through to lead, but all five contenders bunched up as they reached Turn 3 and then slipstreamed their way down to Turn 4. Crucially, Kakeru was first into the technical section at Turn 5, chased hard by Larkin, Tanakit, Sakchai and Fordyce as things got heated through the final sector.
All five fanned out as they arrived for the Turn 12 decider but kept it clean and everyone got through without incident. 14-year-old Kakeru made it count to take the win by 0.082s from Larkin. Sakchai completed the podium as the first five flashed through separated by less than seven tenths.
Race One Results
- Kakeru Okunuki (JPN)
- Ryan Larkin (AUS) +0.082s
- Sakchai Khongduangdee (THA) +0.509s
- Tanakit Pratumtong (THA) +0.551s
- Haydn Fordyce (NZ) +0.666s
- Theppitak Kraiyafai (THA) +2.715s
- Huanni Ke (CHN) +3.154s
- Chayakorn Saeong (THA) +3.714s
- Mytchell Joshua NGO (PHI) +8.812s
- Natthakorn Kammayee (THA) +17.042s
1. Kakeru Okunuki (JPN)
2. Ryan Larkin (AUS) +0.082s
3. Sakchai Khongduangdee (THA) +0.509s
Race Two
A Sunday morning slot for Race 2 meant that ambient and track temperatures were a lot more bearable for riders and tyres alike
Huanni Ke’s challenge from the front row ended before the lights went out when he jumped the start. The rest of the field got away without incident, with Larkin and Tanakit leading through the first three turns. Sakchai and Theppitak closed up, while Kakeru and Fordyce forced their way through from the third row.
Sure enough, the Japanese Race 1 winner was making a nuisance of himself at the front by lap 2. Ominously for his rivals, he was visibly quickest through the all-important third sector and looked very much at ease in the lead. Chayakorn Saeong and Natthakorn Kammayee briefly got amongst the leaders before falling off the pace. By lap four, Fordyce had closed onto the front group to make it a six-way fight for the win.
As they began the last lap the first six were some five-seconds clear of the rest. Kakeru kept it cool, staying in the lead and slicing through Sector 3 fast enough to give himself enough space to choose his own line through the final turn. Behind him, Ryan Larkin darted to the inside, but could not get the drive he needed on the exit, so Tanakit and Sakchai claimed the remaining podium places.
Larkin finished fourth ahead of Theppitak and Fordyce. Less than a second covered the first six across the line.
Race Two Results
- Kakeru Okunuki (JPN)
- Tanakit Pratumtong (THA) +0.403s
- Sakchai Khongduangdee (THA) +0.524s
- Ryan Larkin (AUS) +0.608s
- Theppitak Kraiyafai (THA) +0.624s
- Hayden Fordyce (NZ) +0.974s
- Chayakorn Saeong (THA) +6.064s
- Natthakorn Kammayee (THA) +6.163s
- Chonlasit Rakbumrung (THA) +15.556s
- Moses Gerard Reyes (PHI) +15.775s
Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Asia-Pacific Championship Points
- Kakeru Okunuki (JPN) 40
- Tanakit Pratumtong (THA) 30
- Sakchai Khongduangdee (THA) 30
- Ryan Larkin (AUS) 30
- Theppitak Kraiyafai (THA) 21
- Hayden Fordyce (NZ) 21
The next round of the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Asia Pacific Championship will be in four weeks’ time at Thailand Circuit. Further rounds will be held in July (Chang), August (Sugo) and September (Chang) before the series wraps in Australia, in conjunction with the final round of the Australian Superbike Championship in early November.
