Japanese riders show they’re the ones to chase on their own track in ARRC

PETALING JAYA: Japanese ASB1000 rider Yuki Kunii made an early impression by posting the fastest time in combined practice for Round 3 of the Idemitsu FIM Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) at the Mobility Resort Motegi in Japan yesterday.

The SDG Team HARC-PRO Honda rider asserted his dominance by posting 1:50.143s in the second practice session.

It eventually turned out to be the fastest lap time for the day.

Kunii was third fastest in the third and final practice with 1:50.880s.

Another Japanese rider, Sho Nishimura of TKKR BMW Racing Team, was fastest in the third practice with 1:50.597s, which eventually put him second overall.

Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah of JDT Racing Team, the Round 2 winner at Zhuhai International Circuit in April, was third overall fastest with 1:50.72s posted in the final practice session.

“I’m happy with my results today. During practice sessions, the team made a lot of improvement lap by lap,” said Kunii.

“But this is just the beginning. I am targeting to win the race tomorrow.’’

Qualifying and Race 1 take place today followed by Race 2 on Sunday.

In the SS600 category, Japanese rider Kengo Nagao of Team Kenken was fastest with 1:53.728s ahead of Malaysia’s Azroy Hakeem Anuar (pic) of Idemitsu Boon Siew Honda Racing (1:54.324s) and Indonesian Mohd Adenanta Putra of Astra Honda Racing Team (1:54.434s).

RESULTS

Combined practice

ASB1000: 1. Yuki Kunii (Jpn) SDG Team HARC-PRO Honda 1:50.143s, 2. Sho Nishimura (Jpn) TKKR BMW Racing Team 1:50.597s, 3. Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah (Mas) JDT Racing Team 1:50.712s.

SS600: 1. Kengo Nagao (Jpn) Team Kenken 1:53.728s, 2.Azroy Hakeem Anuar (Mas) Idemitsu Boon Siew Honda Racing Team 1:54.324s, 3. Mohd Adenanta Putra (Ina) Astra Honda Racing Team 1:54.434s.

AP250: 1. Herjun Atna Firdaus (Ina) Astra Honda Racing Team 2:08.159s, 2. Arai Agaska Dibani Laksana (Ina) Yamaha Racing Indonesia 2:08.213s, 3. Mohd Kiandra Ramadhipa Astra Honda Racing Team 2:08.232s.