Reiterberger wraps up ARRC season with double win in China

2023 FIM Asia Road Racing Championships
Round Four – Mandalika, Indonesia

Asia Superbike 1000cc Race 1

The opening race for the Asia Superbike 1000cc class at the at Zhuhai International Circuit in China over the weekend saw Markus Reiterberger of ONEXOX BMW TKKR take a dominant win.  Australia’s Lachlan Epis has to settle for ninth after being collected by another rider.

Reiterberger had earlier taken pole ahead of Honda Asia-Dream Racing’s Andi Farid and Zaqhwan Zaidi.

It was a fantastic start for Zaqhwan who went right into the lead with the duo of TKKR riders trailing. Only seconds into the race Kasma lost control and collided with Epis.  Reiterberger made his move to pass Zaqhwan towards the end of lap two while Azlan slid in ahead of Zaqhwan up the inside on the following lap.

By the end of lap 8, Reiterberger was 1.176s clear from Azlan and with each lap the German pulled further away from the trailing trio. With three laps to go, Azlan lost some pace and Zaqhwan immediately took advantage. From there Zaqhwan Zaidi held on to that second place all the way to the flag.

Markus Reiterberger

“It was a tough race. Like I have expected, the test on the brakes were really very strong. But I was not 100 per cent sure if I could speed away because the others were also very strong and fast. To me, in order to do the lap time, I have to push harder. In the middle of the race, I managed to draw some gap but I hit the track limits twice. I wasn’t very sure but someone showed me two track limits but I wasn’t sure. I kept calm till the end and luckily it was not track limits. I am really happy and there is another race tomorrow. I will do my best!”

Asia Superbike 1000 cc Race 1 Results

Asia Superbike 1000cc Race 2

Reiterberger took victory once again in the second bout and cleaned up with the Asia Superbike Championship Title.

Reiterberger had taken a somewhat relaxed approached on the first lap as he trailed Zaqhwan, with Azlan in third but on the second lap Azlan relegated Zaqhwan to third and the trio maintained these positions for the bulk of the 13-lap race before Azlan slowed towards the end, which allowed Zaqhwan to clinch second place.

Markus Reiterberger

“My start was ok. But I was really late on the brake at the first corner and I almost went out but luckily, I managed to stay within the line. I saw Zaqhwan on the inside and I know that he was really trying very hard today, maybe even more than yesterday. So, I really pushed hard today and tried to be as fast as I can on each lap. As soon as I had a little bit of gap, I cut off because I had two high moments and then he came back. So, I had to push myself again and until the end. I thank my team. The machine is really a beautiful one and we will try to keep pushing!”

It was a DNF for Lachlan Epis in race two, which saw him finish ninth in the overall standings.

The final championship tally for the top five was Reiterberger on 205.5-points, Zaqwan Bin Zaidi on 150, Andi Fraid on 133.5, Azlah Shah on 125.5 and Haruki Noguchi on 113.

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Asia Superbike 1000 cc Race 2 Results

Asia Superbike 1000 cc Standings

SuperSports 600 cc Race 1

Helmi got off to a fantastic start, immediately taking the lead followed by Soichiro and Azroy. Adenanta started off in P3 but dropped one position into P4, Khairul who started P10 working his way into P5.

By mid-race, Khairul had closed in on the trio ahead of him. Azroy in the lead and team-mate Helmi exchanging positions with Soichiro.

Just as the battle heated up, the red flag was raised. Soichiro grabbed the lead at the restart with Azroy trailing. Khairul in third but with Helmi hot on his tail.

Azroy came out ahead by just 0.037s, Soichiro completing the podium, just ahead of Khairul.

Azroy Hakeem Anuar

“I thank everyone for the hard work. It has been a long time since I made it to the podium. It has been quite unlucky for me this season with tire and machine issues. It is a mixed emotion for me. There is joy and sadness. But this victory is dedicated to my beloved mother who recently passed away. This time around, I had nothing to lose and I pushed beyond the limits. The championship is far-fetched but I hope to complete the season with more wins.”

SuperSports 600 cc Race 1 Results

SuperSports 600 cc Race 2

Ratthapong Wilairot’s machine failed early on in the race and while Azroy led confidently for four laps it was shortlived as he then crashed out and ended up in the gravel trap.

Nakarin Atiratphuvapat won out in a close contest with Minamimoto and Azman.

Nakarin Atiratphuvapat

“Amazing race today. I was totally pumped up. I lost yesterday so today, I made sure that I was in full form, ready to be on top of my game. I kept up with my pace and maintained my position so that I don’t lose the momentum. It worked very well for me. I thank everyone who has supported me especially my Thai fans and team. More importantly, I wanted to make sure that my points were maximised. It is an awesome day for me. Thank you, all!”

The final tally of the season was close, Khairul Idham on 163-points, to Nakarin’s 156 – tied with Minamimoto, Helmi Azman on 149-points in fourth, and Keito Abe on 125.

SuperSports 600 cc Race 2 Results

SuperSports 600 cc Standings

Asia Production 250 cc Race 1

Muklada claimied her first victory. Rheza was 0.199s off in second, and Jakkreephat was third.

Muklada Sarapuech

“Rheza and Jakkreephat were really strong. It was a fierce fight with them all the way. We had the advantage at the long straight towards the end of the race today. Of course, I hope to make it again tomorrow. I thank my team members, crew, family and friends for their support and let’s see how it goes tomorrow.”

Asia Production 250 cc Race 1 Results

Asia Production 250 cc Race 2

Mid-race, the duo in front were pacing with no pressure, but the intensity among the back troop ramped up, as Herjun took the lead with Faerozi and Viet Nam chasing aggressively for third.

With three laps to go Veda was 4.8 seconds ahead of Jakkreephat but that gap had grown to more than nine-seconds by the chequered flag.

Veda Ega Pratama

“Race 1 didn’t work out for me because of the ride through. So, this was my time to make up for my loss yesterday. I did my best to stay focused and keep up with my pace. With that, I managed to draw a good big gap and avoided all threats from the back. I thank my team, crew members and everyone who have supported me throughout!”

As the dust settled, Rheza Danica Ahrens finished the season on 188-points, Herjun Firdaus on 165 and Vega Ega Pratama on 135.

Asia Production 250 cc Race 2 Results

Asia Production 250 cc Standings

Underbone 150 cc Race 1

The Underbone 150 cc class saw Md. Akid Aziz take out a close fought win. Nothing separated the top 13 or so riders, with Ahmad Fazrul Sham and Md. Shafiq Rasol taking out second and third.

Md. Akid Aziz

“I am truly happy today for the win. Thanks to the team, my family and friends who have been a great support system to me. There is another race tomorrow and I am keeping my fingers crossed, hoping that I would have the same opportunity once again. Thank you all and please don’t forget to keep our Malaysian friend, Izzat Zaidi in your prayers.”

Underbone 150 cc Race 1 Results

Underbone 150 cc Race 2

We saw a different victor for Race 2, Md. Shafiq Rasol taking the win by a narrow 0.009s from Murobbill Vittoni, Wawan Wello not far behind, and in turn chased by Fahmi Basam who fell out of podium contention as a result.

Md. Shafiq Rasol

“I would first like to say a big thanks to the team and crew for their hard work and endless support. This was an amazing race for me. In fact, the weekend was truly an awesome one. I took third yesterday and being able to win today is a great achievement for me. During the race earlier, I tried to stay ahead of the troop from the beginning but I was left out mid-race. At the final lap, I tried as much as possible to get back ahead and I managed to get it right!”

For a series known for tight fought racing, Bahauddin took a dominant win in the standings on 156-points, closest was Shafiq Rasol on 112, followed by Murobbill Vittoni on 101.

Underbone 150 cc Race 2 Results

Underbone 150 cc Standings – Top 25

TVS Asia One Make Championship Race 1

Hiroki Ono claimed the TVS Asia One Make Race 1 win in China, leading home Md Muzakkir Mohamed of Malaysia by 3/10ths of a second, while Taiyo Saito rounded out the podium.

Vorapong had been inching closer to Ramdan before the two crashed out, ending their run.

Hiroki Ono

“The race today was not easy at all. I had to push 100% on each lap. The other guy behind me was extremely good too. I had to keep watch. But the last lap, it was easy because I have a lot of experience and I managed to make it. I am very happy for the win today. There is another race tomorrow, so, we shall see!”

TVS Asia One Make Championship Race 1 Results

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TVS Asia One Make Championship Race 2

Hiroki went two-for-two in China, claiming the second TVS Asia One Make win by a much larger margin of 3s, Muzakkir Mohame and Ramdan Rosli both of Malaysa battling it out for second and finishing in that order, just 0.063s between the duo. It was a much bigger gap back to next finisher Taiyo Saito in fourth.

Hiroki Ono

“Today was great. I kept to my lap time well. I have made five wins in total out of the six races since my entry into this race category. I thank my Japanese sponsors for that and I thank TVS Asia team for the wonderful opportunity given to me. My ultimate goal and drive every round were to take a win, nothing more and nothing less. That’s how I motivate myself to push beyond the limits. It is not so much of the championship title. This weekend has definitely been a wonderful one!”

Muzakkir Hohamed ended the TVS Asia One Make season on top, claiming 148-points, Ramdan Rosli second on 134, and Vorapong Malahuan third on 130, although Decky Aldy (128) and Hiroli Ono (125) were not far off.

TVS Asia One Make Championship Race 2 Results

TVS Asia One Make Championship Standings