Danish wins 2022 Asia Talent Cup | Thompson finishes season fifth

2022 Asia Talent Cup – Round Six
Mandalika, Indonesia

The final round of the 2022 Asia Talent Cup took place at Mandalika in Indonesia over the weekend, alongside WorldSBK, with 15-year-old Malaysian Hakim Danish wrapping up the championship.

Home hero Veda Ega Pratama claimed victory in the opening race on Saturday in commanding fashion at Mandalika, taking the win by more than seven-seconds at the end of the 16-lap race while 14-year-old Aussie Carter Thompson was the best of the chasing pack, clinching second.

The 2022 Asia Talent Cup then went down to a final race showdown on Sunday between Hakim Danish and Shinya Ezawa, with Danish claiming second-place in the final bout to clinch the crown.

Veda Ega Pratama did a popular home double to bring down the curtain on the 2022 campaign.

Of the Aussies, Carter Thompson finished the season in fifth behind Gun Mie, with Marianos Nikolis falling just outside the top-10 in 11th.

Carter Thompson – P5

“Well that’s a wrap for Asia Talent Cup 2022. Last race today didn’t quite go as I planned but I had a go and finished P7. Fought for a spot on the podium the whole race but wasn’t meant to be. I would like to thank the whole ATC team for everything this year. I certainly have put you guys to work. I appreciate everything you do and have done for me and the entire ATC team. Special thanks to Diego (coach), Antonio (mechanic) and to my dad for everything. I finished the 2022 in 5th, which wasn’t where I hoped to finish but after the start to the year I had I am pretty happy with that. To come back and get a couple of poles, be fighting up the front, and finally get some podiums, it’s ok. Congratulations to Hakim Danish on winning the 2022 championship.”

Cameron Swain was 19th overall, despite a DNF in the first race of the weekend.

Asia Talent Cup Race One

The tone of the race was set in the early stages with a lead group of seven riders but this fractured as the race progressed before Pratama broke away completely to claim his second win of the season, this time by more than seven-seconds.

It was a relatively straight forward race for the Indonesian rider as he claimed victory on home soil, while three riders fought it out for second place behind Pratama including two title contenders.

Carter Thompson took home second place after a thrilling fight on the last lap with Danish and Ezawa. Thompson had ran a wide line through Turn 15 and into Turn 16 opening up the right-hand hairpin which proved crucial in the fight.

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Ezawa and Danish were side-by-side on a tighter line than Thompson but both ran wide, which allowed Thompson to then pass both of them for second place after a great tactical race.

With Danish beating Ezawa into third place, the Malaysian rider headed into Sunday’s season finale with a six-point advantage over his title rival.

Ezawa claimed fourth place but lost ground in the title fight. Gun Mie, who needed to win and have results go his way to stay into title contention, was in fifth place at the end of the race which dropped him out of title contention.

Mie had been involved in a three-rider fight for fifth place, as he fended off Aan Riswanto and Jakkreephat Pheuttisan who finished in sixth and seventh respectively.

Amon Odaki took eighth place with the Japanese rider finishing almost four seconds down on Pheuttisan ahead of him, but he had a relatively comfortable margin of just over a second to Rei Wakamatsu in ninth place.

Marianos Nikolis rounded out the top ten, four-seconds behind Wakamatsu at the end of the 16-lap race.

There was late race drama for Putra and Swain as the pair crashed at Turn 10.

Asia Talent Cup Race One Results

Asia Talent Cup Race Two

Marianos Nikolis scored an amazing holeshot and it was an Aussie 1-2 in the early stages with Nikolis leading from Thompson but ultimately both riders drifted back through the pack as the race progressed.

Danish made a move for the lead on Lap 4 from Carter Thompson at Turn 1 before trying to break away.

However, despite his efforts, he had to run with Pratama who was looking to secure third in the standings as well as take a second win on home soil.

With Ezawa in a battle for third place, Danish was able to roll off allowing Pratama a Mandalika double with Danish crowned the 2022 Asia Talent Cup winner with second place.

Behind Pratama and Danish there was a 10-rider scrap for the third and final place on the podium, involving Cup hopeful Ezawa.

It was Ezawa who took third place, some 10 seconds down on Danish ahead and almost 15 seconds behind race winner Pratama.

In what turned into an incredible fight for third, Reykat Fadillah took home fourth and missed out on a second podium of the season by just 0.163s. Farish Hafiy completed the top five, a further tenth down on Fadillah.

Sixth place went to Aan Riswanto who was just a tenth behind Hafiy and narrowly missed out on a spot in the top five, while Carter Thompson, who finished second in Race 1, was seventh; only 0.096s behind Riswanto in what was a tense battle for the podium.

Gun Mie took eighth place with a two-tenths margin to make up to Thompson at the end of the 16-lap race, while Jakkrephat Pheuttisan and Marianos Nikolis rounded out the top ten.

11th place went to Thanat Laoongplio who was just outside the top ten positions but firmly in the podium hunt.

Cameron Swain had a better day, finishing in 14th, beating Lakharn to the line to claim some points.

Asia Talent Cup Race Two Results

Final 2022 Asia Talent Cup Championship Points Standings