Recapping the action from Asia Road Racing Round Two in China

2024 IDEMITSU FIM Asia Road Racing Championships
Round Two  – Zhuhai International Circuit, China

Race Two cancelled due to a typhoon warning

Sunday’s second Asia Superbike bout at Zhuhai International Circuit was cancelled due to a typhoon warning.

Asia Superbike 1000cc Race 1

When the flag dropped Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah immediately asserted his dominance, storming into the lead, chased by Nakarin and Azlan fighting fiercely for the opportunity to challenge Hafizh’s position at the front.

Hafizh demonstrated exceptional control and skill, maintaining a steady pace and holding off his rivals despite increasing pressure. Behind him Andi Farid Izdihar made his way from P7 to P3, mounting a relentless pursuit, but Hafizh held firm, defending his position.

In the final lap, Andi closed in on and overtook Azlan for second. Hafizh crossed the finish line in first place, securing a well-deserved victory.

Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah

“Today’s race was incredibly challenging, especially in the last few turns where my tyre started to become unstable. I had to dig deep and focus on maintaining control. I want to thank my team for their hard work and support, and I dedicate this win to my baby. Tomorrow, we’ll strive for even better stability and performance.”

Australia’s Lachlan Epis finished sixth on the Evolution Sports Group BMW M 1000 RR, 6.590s behind the victor.  Epis now sits eighth overall in the ASB1000 standings.

Asia Superbike 1000 cc Race 1 Results

Asia Superbike 1000 cc Standings

SuperSports 600 cc Race 1

Azroy Hakeem Anuar wasted no time when the lights went out, surging to the front of the pack with Apiwath Wongthananon hot on his heels. In a stunning maneuver at the second turn, Apiwath briefly overtook Azroy, setting the stage for an intense battle for the lead.

We saw a flurry of position changes as Azroy and Apiwath traded places, but despite the pressure, Azroy remained resolute, reclaiming the lead multiple times.

On the fifth lap, a crash involving Rheza Danica Ahrens allowed Thanat Laoongplio to climb into fifth position.

As the race reached its climax, Azroy faced a fierce challenge from Apiwath, who made a valiant effort to overtake him in the final lap.

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However, Azroy held firm, crossing the finish line in first place, closely followed by Apiwath in second and Muhammad Helmi Azman rounded out the podium.

Azroy Hakeem Anuar

“I am out of words. Last round in Buriram, I didn’t finish both Race 1 and Race 2. That put me in a bad mood and all I wished for this round was just to complete the race. But when the race started, I saw my lap time was good. Behind me, sometimes I could hear Apiwath close to me, sometime I couldn’t. That’s when I realized that my pace was strong. Apiwath is a dangerous rider. When he overtook me at turn 6, I thought he would win this race but I didn’t want to give up easily, so I kept attacking to pressure him and I won the race. I’m really thankful for my team for putting up the good work, and I will try my best to keep this momentum going for tomorrow’s race 2.”

SuperSports 600 cc Race 1 Results

SuperSports 600 cc Standings

Asia Production 250 cc Race 1

Qualifying set the stage for an electrifying race as Arai Agaska Dibani Laksana claimed pole position with a blistering lap time of 1’51:261s, closely followed by Muhammad Faerozi Toreqottullah and Md Syarifuddin Azman.

Faerozi was quick to surge to the front and lead the charge however, followed by Arai, Syarifuddin, Cao Viet Nam, and Herjun Atna Firdaus.

The race took a series of intense turns as positions changed frequently. By the second lap, Viet Nam was second but Arai reclaimed the lead by lap four, with Faerozi and Viet Nam in hot pursuit.

In a dramatic turn of events on the eighth lap, Herjun grabbed the lead, Faerozi and Viet Nam close behind. However, a crash involving Arai ended his race.

As the race entered the final lap, Herjun held his lead, Faerozi second and Viet Nam in third, the overtaking attempts continuing.

The race ended with Faerozi in first place clocking a total time of 18’42:054ss, followed by Herjun and Viet Nam. However, a video review showed Faerozi pushing Viet Nam out of the lane near the finish line, resulting in a decision by the race direction, to place Viet Nam on the winning pedestal and Faerozi dropped to second.

Cao Viet Nam

“I am overjoyed with this victory. I’ve been racing since 2016, and finally, my hard work has paid off. Today feels like a gift from the heaven. I would like to thank my team for their support and everyone who has believed in me. This win means everything, and I’m determined to carry this momentum forward.”

Asia Production 250 cc Race 1

Asia Production 250 cc Standings

Underbone 150 cc Race 1

When racing commenced, Adytya Fauzi led the charge, closely pursued by Nazirul Izzat Md Bahauddin and Murobbil Vittoni.

The race took a dramatic turn on the second lap when Farres Putra Mohd Fadhill collided with Afif Amran, drastically altering the dynamics of the race.

The lead changed hands frequently, with different riders racing their way to be in front. Dimas Juli Atmoko briefly seized the lead, followed by Gupita Kresna Wardhana, Nazirul, Adytya Fauzi, and Fazrul Sham.

In a captivating finale, Gian Carlo Mauricio pounced ahead on the final lap, clinching victory in a thrilling finish. The victory marked a five-year wait, since Mauricio’s last win in the UB150 class. Gupita secured second, closely followed by Md Akid Aziz in third.

Gian Carlo Mauricio

“I didn’t expect to win! After 2 years, I finally made it to the top. All the plans were executed properly, that is why I could focus on displaying my skills as well as riding safely, and I managed to get this position without any error. No words can describe how I feel right.”

Underbone 150 cc Race 1 – Top 10

Underbone 150 cc Standings – Top 25

TVS Asia One Make Championship Race 1

Hiroki Ono from Japan took charge as race one kicked off, leading the pack with Mohd Ramdan Rosli close behind, in turn followed by Md Muzakkir Mohamed.

As the race progressed, Hiroki maintained his lead while Ramdan held onto P2 until Riichi Takahira made a bold move to claim P2, Muzakkir in P4. The top four riders formed a front group, distancing themselves from the rest of the pack by at least a second.

By the sixth lap, Riichi Takahira had secured P2, overtaking Ramdan, before Ramdan struck back as they entered the final two laps, setting the stage for a gripping battle between him and Hiroki.

In a heart-stopping moment on the final lap, Hiroki Ono maintained his composure and crossed the finish line in first leading Rosli by just 0.120s.

Hiroki Ono

“In today’s qualifying, other riders were marking me, so it was difficult to time my time attack. The race got intense but I didn’t care and only focused on my riding. I’m happy that I was able to get pole position by a small margin on the last lap. This was the first race of the weekend on dry tires, and I had no idea how it would turn out. It was a battle with Ramdan until the very end, but I’m glad I came out victorious. I will fight to win tomorrow’s race too, whether the track condition is dry or wet.”

Takahira rounded out the podium.

TVS Asia One Make Championship Race 1 Results

TVS Asia One Make Championship Standings