THAILAND:
The fight for Asia Production 250cc class title has now reached Thai soil for the finale round of 2019 Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) at Chang International Circuit, Thailand. After winning points in each of the 6 rounds till now, ‘IDEMITSU Honda Racing India’- the only Indian team in Asia Production 250 class enters the finale round firmly in Top 9 out of 20 teams.
This weekend can just be the game-changer for Honda’s Indian rider duo of Rajiv and Senthil. In his third ARRC season, Rajiv enters last round of AP 250 class with 33 points under his belt. For 21-year-old Rajiv Sethu, Chang International Circuit holds a history of good performances. In 2018, he scored his maiden international point here. In 2019, Rajiv upped his game during the 3 rd ARRC round at Chang circuit recording the first Indian rider Qualifier finish in Top 7, new fastest lap time (1:53:573) and over 33% reduction in total race time gap with lead rider from 18 seconds to just 5 seconds within the 10 lap race. Rajiv is already in top 16 out of the 40 riders in AP 250 class – which is a stark improvement from his overall 27 th position in 2018, but he is determined for a repeat top 10 finish this weekend as well. Meanwhile, this weekend will be the best shot for Senthil to finish Top 25 in his maiden ARRC season, considering he is most familiar with this track.
Speaking on the final round, Prabhu Nagaraj, Vice President – Brand and Communication, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. said, “2019 has been a great year for IDEMITSU Honda Racing India team. With 2 Top-10 and 8 Top-15 finishes, Rajiv is now consistently riding with the top bunch. It was at Chang only that Rajiv had qualified in Top 7 earlier this year. Now we are confident that Rajiv is primed better his record here and close 2019 season with a bang. Senthil too has improved his race-craft and gained points in his debut season itself. IDEMITSU Honda Racing India is ready to take on the Thai challenge. Both our riders know the intricacies of Chang. As the 2019 season wraps up this weekend, we are vying for a strong finish this season.”
This weekend, it will be a clash of titans as the AP250 class grid will see 32 riders from 8 Asia Oceania nations (Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taipei, HongKong, India). Expect fireworks this weekend with 5 of the top 8 under equalizer rule. With 4 of the top 5 riders chasing title coming from Honda stables, the Indonesian rider Irfan Ardiansyah must finish second to be crowned the 2019 AP250 FIM Asian Champion. The AP 250 title fight heads for a tie-breaker as Indonesian riders Irfan Ardiansyah and Andy Muhammad are both tied at the top with 176 points each. But with the double equalizer cut of 1000rpm on the top runners, the championship may see new challenge from the next 3 riders on the scoreboard (Awhin Sanjaya, Muklada Sarapuech and Aiki Iyoshi).
Looking forward to last round of ARRC, Rajiv Sethu, the experienced IDEMITSU Honda Racing India rider said, “Chang International Circuit is like a second home to me. This circuit has brought good fortune for my team and me in the past. I’m much more confident of my riding style here. This weekend is about being in prime form, strategically moving ahead on the grid and avoiding any riding mistake which can push me back. While Thai riders have the home-ground advantage here and 6 wildcards will heat up the competition even more, my aim is to be in top 10 here.”
Sharing his thoughts, Senthil Kumar the rookie IDEMITSU Honda Racing India rider said, “I am excited to return to Buriram (Thailand). In my last visit, I finished in Top 20. As I feel much more comfortable on this track and my machine, I now aim to go full throttle and aim for points for the solo Indian team once again.” Parallelly, the marquee Asia SuperBike 1000cc (ASB) class of ARRC 2019 will see the podium contender Malaysian rider Zaqhwan Zaidi of Honda Asia-Dream Racing with SHOWA team (ranked 4th) return in full form. The team has top personnel from Honda subsidiaries across Asia & Oceania, including a race technician from India.
The Chang International Circuit will also witness the final round of Thailand Talent Cup (Honda’s development program for Asian riders) this weekend. Representing the next breed of Indian young racers going global with Honda will be Kritik Habib from Gadag, Karnataka (ranked 21 st ).
In its 24 th year, the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) is Asia’s most competitive motorcycle road racing championship. The 2019 season sees the battle play out in 7 rounds across 5 countries (Malaysia* 2, Australia, Thailand * 2, Japan & China) in 4 classes ASB1000, SuperSports 600 (SS600), AP250 and Underbone (UB150).
