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Lewis Shines on the Land of Smile

Lewis Shines on the Land of Smile

04/09/2017, Asia, Motorcycling, FIM ASIA Supermoto Championship, Article # 24010295
Lewis Shines on the Land of Smile
 
 

 

 

LEWIS SHINES ON THE LAND OF SMILE


NAKHON CHAI SI, THAILAND, 3 SEPTEMBER 2017 – Beautiful weather, wonderful circuit, optimum off-road section welcomed the 2017 FIM Asia SuperMoto Championship race day with grace.
 
17 riders from 13 countries prepared the morning with full of focus to win the top three podium race.
 
The morning began with a free practice round where riders took the circuit as though it was a real race, putting their best foot forward, but still kept their little tricks for the main show at 12:00PM.
 
Top three spots during the practice session were dominated by top three contenders namely United Kingdom’s Lewis Cornish, returning champion Thailand’s Trakarn Thangthong and 2016 champion Malaysia’s Muhd Habibullah.
 
The competition to train amongst the trio created a fantastic ambience when full concentration is in place to overtake and shine for the official free practice result.
 
In the end, it was Lewis who stole the top practice slot with the best time of 1:14.594, followed by Trakarn and Habibullah at 1:15.565 and 1:17.019 respectively.
 
Moto 1 Race Report
Moto 1 started with the sun shining directly above the riders on their respective grid. Sweats and anxiety to compete were spotted on their faces.
 
Pole position Lewis Cornish stole the holeshot but was followed tightly by all riders as the race started with a straight tarmac road instead of the diversion to the first turn into the off-road section.
 
The most awaited corner, a tight hairpin turn immediately after a table top has once again proven to be a disadvantage, as riders rushed into the tight turn, changing position between the remaining riders.
 
With Lewis speeding through the empty circuit, Malaysia’s Muhd Habibullah and Thailand’s Trakarn Thangthong pursued the front-runner tightly. Just after a few laps, Lewis was two seconds away from the duo, and the furious battle turned to Habibullah and Trakarn, leaving all rooms for Lewis to continue his lead.
 
The top three positioning continued until five minutes before the end of Moto 1 until Habibullah lost his pace and Trakarn overtook the second seed. With inadequate time to steal the second spot, Habibullah concluded third in Moto 1.
 
Lewis leads Moto 1 with a total time of 22:236.002, followed by Trakarn and Habibullah at 22:42.962 and 23:14.056 respectively.
 
Indonesia’s Farhan Hendro stunned the audiences with an outstanding performance in this race despite a mechanical issues in Friday’s Free Practice and Saturday’s Qualifying round.
 
However, Farhan’s race on the track was not pure without some battle for his position. Japan’s Naoto Takayama and Russia’s Artem Teslenko tailed the Indonesian rider tightly, but Farhan managed to further the gap with a full throttle on the straights and exact precision over the whoops and table top.
 
Farhan was tenth on the grid for Moto 1, but completed in the sixth place with a total time of 23:55.446.
 
Similarly to Farhan, Philippines’ Kenneth San Andres showed significant improvements in his performance on the track. Being a lapper during the Qualifying burned his passion to uplift his status, putting his best foot forward for Moto 1. Kenneth concluded with 17 laps and a total time of 23:10.666.
 
The second Malaysia’s ace Khairi Zakaria started the race threatened by Dutchman Marcel Van Drunen. The duo competed and exchanged position multiple times until Khairi lost his pace at the first off-road section, giving Marcel the opportunity to steal the spot and widen the gap.
 
Another unfortunate incident stumbled upon Japan Takashi Sasaki when a machine malfunction took his chance to compete. The Japanese were seen riding his bike leaving the track on the seventh by a large disappointment.
 
Moto 2 Race Report 
The second race witnessed high intensity on the track as Lewis stole the show with the second holeshot of the day.
 
His familiarity of the circuit over the two days of practices were at the tips of his finger, riding through the track ahead of all riders. Lewis comfortably rode his way to victory, winning at least five seconds ahead of the first runner-up, Thailand’s Trakarn Thangthong.
 
“It was a very technical track. Most of us were using slick tyres to race the track. With the triple dirt section, it feels more like a motocross track instead. I made multiple mistakes in Moto 1 but reduced it in Moto 2. I believe Trakarn and Habibullah made mistakes as well, which gave me an advantage to the race,” said Lewis.
 
“I was fortunate when Habibullah hit on a hole at the third dirt section. That was when I passed him. He grew so much since our last faced off in 2015. I enjoyed riding with all the riders, and hopefully, I can perform better in Indonesia,” said Trakarn.
 
Lewis and Trakarn rode smoothly as the Habibullah and Marcel pursued a battle for the final podium spot, blocking any other riders from moving forward in their position.
 
The goose chase between the Malaysian and Dutchman continued with multiple high risk overtakes on tight corners. Neither was giving up for the third podium spot. The dirt section was always the game changer for the duo, deciding on who leads upon exiting the off-road sections. Lap after lap of their battle soon became fan favourite.
 
It was until the final two laps during the race, Habibullah mistakenly took a detour off course, receiving a penalty that immediately drops his dreams for a podium, a blow to his team and his confidence for the season.
 
“My front and rear brake malfunctioned, and I lost control of my bike. This makes it even harder for me to maintain my pace, especially on this track. Alongside with Marcel eyeing on me, I tried my fullest to ensure that the best performance is delivered in this condition,” said Habibullah.
 
Habibullah landed the sixth spot in Moto 2, clocking a total time of 24:20.495.
 
However, the Malaysia’s dream was not trashed when his counterpart, Khairi Zakaria, took a stunning turn. Khairi has attempted to close the gap with Marcel, but his efforts failed as he continues to make a mistake at the transition and off-road section. Khairi landed fourth in Moto 2, finishing nearly two seconds behind Marcel with a total time of 23:50.924.
 
Instead, Japan’s Naoto Takayama outperformed on Moto 2, with controlled skills and speed that led him to complete the circuit in 24:07.549, landed him the fifth spot in the second race.
 
His Japanese counterpart, Takashi Sasaki, who met with a machine malfunction in Moto 1 finished the course in Moto 2. However, it was a safe play on track instead of sliding at corners and speeding on the straight tarmacs.
 
Newcomers Indonesia’s Farhan Hendro and Philippines’ Kenneth San Andres underperformed with a slower pace and less control on their bikes, giving them the final results of the seventh and eighth spot with a total time of 24:26.555 and 23:35.442 respectively.
 
“It was a perfect and successful race. We would like to congratulate the Asia Supersports Group, FMSCT, all the partners and all the riders. The opening round of the season was exciting, and everything was in order. The track is probably one of the most challenging tracks in the season’s history, but all safety aspects were taken into consideration,” said Stephan P. Carapiet, FIM Asia Safety Officer.
 
The 2017 FIM Asia SuperMoto Championship will commence in Jogjakarta, Indonesia on 7 and 8 October 2017.
 
For more information, visit www.supermotoasia.com or watch the race live for f ree in HD on www.twenty3.tv powered by E-Plus Global Sdn Bhd.
 
FIM Asia SuperMoto Championship is promoted by Asia Supersports Group, a consortium of three companies namely Bikenation Motorsports Sdn Bhd, Trade My Superbike and E-Plus Global Sdn Bhd; sanctioned by FIM Asia and FMSCT; and supported by Malaysia Major Events, a division of Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (an agency under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia), Malay Mail, Kelab Blogger Ben Ashaari and TX Sports.
 
Moto 1 Race Result:
Pos No. Name National Laps Best Time Total Time
1 8 Lewis Cornish GBR 18 1:11.606 22:36.002
2 5 Trakarn Thangthong THA 18 1:12.526 22:42.962
3 1 Muhd Habibullah MAS 18 1:13.472 23:14.056
4 17 Marcel Van Drunen NED 18 1:15.169 23:31.190
5 32 Khairi Zakaria MAS 18 1:14.316 23:33.763
6 162 Farhan Hendro INA 18 1:17.095 23:55.446
7 300 Naoto Takayama JPN 17 1:16.645 22:37.403
8 12 Kenneth San Andres PHI 17 1:18.520 23:10.666
9 28 Natthapat SuksanWatthana THA 17 1:15.368 23:34.965
10 97 Arten Teslenko RUS 17 1:20.359 23:36.386
11 7 Pedro Wuner INA 16 1:19.964 22:39.942
12 77 Hasroy Osman SGP 16 1:18.960 22:40.996
13 720 Lin Chin Pei TPE 16 1:18.960 22:40.996
14 40 Lee Wei TPE 15 1:22.517 22:43.571
DNF 102 Tsang Wai Kei HKG 13 1:30.587 23:46.389
DNF 27 Sun Tong CHN 12 1:25.996 19:4.087
DNF 101 Takashi Sasaki JPN 7 1:18.032 9:30.062
 
Moto 2 Race Result:
Pos No. Name National Laps Best Time Total Time
1 8 Lewis Cornish GBR 18 1:12.459 23:00.233
2 5 Trakarn Thangthong THA 18 1:14.494 23:27.317
3 17 Marcel Van Drunen NED 18 1:15.223 23:48.316
4 32 Khairi Zakaria MAS 18 1:16.522 23:50.924
5 300 Naoto Takayama JPN 18 1:17.768 24:07.549
6 1 Muhd Habibullah MAS 18 1:12.741 2420.495
7 162 Farhan Hendro INA 18 1:18.292 24:26.555
8 12 Kenneth San Andres PHI 17 1:20.493 23:35.442
9 101 Takashi Sasaki JPN 17 1:22.063 23:56.181
10 28 Natthapat Suksanwatthana THA 17 1:18.431 24:03.932
11 7 Pedro Wuner INA 16 1:22.101 23:01.271
12 77 Hasroy Osman SGP 16 1:22.921 23:03.908
13 720 Lin Chin Pei TPE 15 1:25.411 23:32.197
14 27 Sun Tong CHN 15 1:29.510 24:09.029
DNF 102 Tsang Wai Kei HKG 13 1:32.737 23:45.547
DNF 97 Artem Teslenko RUS 11 1:21.761 24:31.701
DNF 40 Lee Wei TPE 5 1:25.683 7:43.684
 
Overall Standing
Pos No. Name National M1 M2 Total Point
1 8 Lewis Cornish GBR 25 25 50
2 5 Trakarn Thangthong THA 22 22 44
3 17 Marcel Van Drunen NED 18 20 38
4 1 Muhd Habibullah MAS 20 15 35
5 32 Khairi Zakaria MAS 16 18 34
6 300 Naoto Takayama JPN 14 16 30
7 162 Farhan Hendro INA 15 14 29
8 12 Kenneth San Andres PHI 13 13 26
9 28 Natthapat Suksanwatthana THA 12 11 23
10 7 Pedro Wuner INA 10 10 20
11 77 Hasroy Osman SGP 9 9 18
12 720 Lin Chin Pei TPE 8 8 16
13 101 Takashi Sasaki JPN 0 12 12
14 97 Artem Teslenko RUS 11 0 11
15 27 Sun Tong CHN 0 7 7
16 40 Lee Wei TPE 7 0 7
17 102 Tsang Wai Kei HKG 0 0 0
Britain's Lewis Cornish Takes Pole

Britain's Lewis Cornish Takes Pole

03/09/2017, Asia, Motorcycling, FIM ASIA Supermoto Championship, Article # 23999946
 
 

 

 

BRITAIN'S LEWIS CORNISH TAKES POLE


Malaysia's Muhd Habibullah Second on Grid

NAKHON CHAI SI, THAILAND, 2 SEPTEMBER 2017 – Gloomy Saturday morning at the renowned Thailand Circuit Motorsport Complex turned to be the main threat for riders on track. The uncertain weather created anxiety within riders as they braved through the toughest track developed for the championship.
 
In addition to the heavy overnight downpour, the rutted off-road section increases the challenges with hard and uneven dirt, creating a fierce battle even for the best riders on track.
 
Free Practice Report
Amidst the opening of the track for practice, riders and team mechanics seemed to faced complications with a slight delay in the entrance to the track. It was only five minutes after the announcement only the first rider appeared.
 
United Kingdom’s Lewis Cornish #8 took the lead with full confidence in conquering the complicated circuit, showing excellent skills and performance that derives from his over ten-year experience on both Motocross and SuperMoto.
 
Soon after his entrance, the second lap witnessed a boisterous brawl between the #8 and Dutchman Marcel Van Drunen #17. The duo put on a stunning performance despite being a free practice session. Neither made way or leaving any gap on the track, posing a brutal exchange in hope to utilise the knowledge as an advantage for the Qualifying round.
 
“The off-road’s condition was different from yesterday. It was difficult, but hopefully, the dirt will dry up before the Qualifying,” said Lewis.
 
Lewis topped the free practice with 1:21.767, followed by Marcel with 1:22.456.
 
Another team battle was witnessed between the Malaysian top duo, 2016 champion Muhd Habibullah #1 and 2013 champion Khairy Zakaria #32. The #32 kept his eyes locked to Habibullah all the time but failed to maintain his pace. Khairy’s disappointment upon his return to the paddock showed a confident look that he will defeat the 2016 champion in Qualifying.

“I am keeping a few tricks up my sleeve for Qualifying, and I will show the crowd and my rivals on my potential on track. My bike is in an optimum form, and hopefully, luck will lead me to the pole position later,” said Khairy.
 
Khairy clocked the free practice at 1:27.501, over a second behind Habibullah that clocked at 1:25.274.
 
Thailand’s ace, Trakarn Thangthong’s (#5) performance on track was a stunning show with stupendous power slides and stable jumps across the whoops. Without taking regard of other riders during the practice session, Trakarn surfed through the track elegantly, crossing lappers including Russia’s Artem Teslenko #97, Taiwan’s Lin Chin Pei #720 and Lee Wei #40, China’s Sun Tong #27 and Hong Kong’s Tsang Wai Kei #102.
 
“I am sure that I am in my best condition after the practice round today. Coming in third in the practice round, I believe that I can perform and bring the first round trophy for the country,” said Trakarn.
 
Trakarn finished the free practice clocking 1:23.079.
 
Qualifying Race Report
Fighting for one of the six entry to SuperChrono had the riders put on the best opening show for the 2017 FIM Asia SuperMoto Championship.
 
The Qualifying round that began at 2:30PM at the Thailand Circuit Motorsport Complex witnessed a change in the riders’ crave for the starting grid positioning tomorrow.
 
The scorching sun returned briefly before the start of qualifying to dry the off-road section, creating a relatively easier track for the riders.
 
While the Qualifying round does not require the riders to compete by the grid, Japan’s Takashi Sasaki #101 kicked-off the round with a tremendous performance on the track, taking advantage of the empty circuit in his attempt to secure the top spot for the race tomorrow.
 
Shortly after, top riders Lewis Cornish, Trakarn Thangthong, Muhd Habibullah, Khairy Zakaria, Marcel Van Drunen, and wild card rider, Thailand’s Natthapat Suksan Watthana entered the track and stole the show.
The battle between Lewis and Marcel was apparent that their rivalry was put on track even after the Free Practice. However, it was Lewis’ experience that aced the circuit as he blocked Marcel from leading the race. The blockage poses a threat for Marcel who ended up two seconds behind Lewis, which resulted in another graveyard battle with former champion Muhd Habibullah.
 
With Lewis securing a spot for SuperChrono, Marcel and Muhd Habibullah battled out for the second and third spot.
 
While the tracks’ condition has improved, the hairpin turn immediately after a table top jump seemed to be the toughest challenged even for the top riders.
 
Malaysia’s Muhd Habibullah and fans’ favourite, Thailand’s Trakarn Thangthong, were troubled with almost slipping off-track during the tight turn, especially when the lappers were met at the corner.
 
Both individuals with motocross experience did not put their best foot forward for the dirt section while trying to redeem their mistake with a full throttle on straight roads.
 
Thailand’s wild card rider Natthapat Suksa Watthana shocked the audience with a favourable performance, landing him the final entry to SuperChrono. The Thailand rider faced multiple complicated mechanical issues during the free practice yesterday. With all eyes on the Thai riders, the host country is likely to secure at least a spot on the podium tomorrow.
 
However, it was a struggle for Indonesia’s Farhan Hendro #162 when a mechanical issue took a toll on the bike, showing him the way out of the track earlier than expected. Despite the downturn, Farhan still secured the tenth grid spot for Moto 1 tomorrow.
  
Another eye opening rider, Philippines’ Kenneth San Andres wowed the spectators and rivals with an overwhelming performance. Steady riding across the circuit oppose his humble performance during Free Practice.
 
SuperChrono Race Report
Circuits were cleared from all riders other than the top six qualifiers, making space for full speed across the track.
 
Six riders - Lewis Cornish, Muhd Habibullah, Marcel Van Drunen, Trakarn Thangthong, Khairi Zakaria and Natthapat Suksan Watthana, competes for the pole position for Moto 1.
 
It was clear that Lewis overpowered the other riders and stole the pole position, clocking with the best time of 1:15.297. Habibullah, on the other hand, tried to fight with speed but his lack of experience and confidence in long tracks landed him second for the grid tomorrow.
 
Malaysia’s Khairy Zakaria’s performance during SuperChrono was slightly disappointing when he held back at all three off-road sections, landing him the fifth grid position.
 
The Thai duos Trakarn Thangthong and Natthapat Suksan Watthana puts on a stable race without much risk to secure the fourth and sixth grid positioning respectively.
 
Moto 1 will commence on Sunday, 3 September 2017, from 12:00PM (+7:00 GMT).
 
For more information, visit www.supermotoasia.com or watch the race live for f ree in HD on www.twenty3.tv powered by E-Plus Global Sdn Bhd.
 
FIM Asia SuperMoto Championship is promoted by Asia Supersports Group, a consortium of three companies namely Bikenation Motorsports Sdn Bhd, Trade My Superbike and E-Plus Global Sdn Bhd; sanctioned by FIM Asia and FMSCT; and supported by Malaysia Major Events, a division of Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (an agency under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia), Malay Mail, Kelab Blogger Ben Ashaari and TX Sports.
 
Qualifying Race Result:
Pos No. Name National Best Time
1 8 Lewis Cornish GBR 1:15.677
2 17 Marcel Van Drunen NED 1:17.305
3 1 Muhd Habibullah MAS 1:17.540
4 5 Trakarn Thangthong THA 1:17.757
5 32 Khairy Zakaria MAS 1:19.313
6 28 Natthapat Suksan Watthana THA 1:20.183
7 300 Naoto Takayama JPN 1:20.436
8 101 Takashi Sasaki JPN 1:20.917
9 12 Kenneth San Andres PHI 1:21.539
10 162 Farhan Hendro INA 1:21.982
11 97 Arten Teslenko RUS 1:23.432
12 7 Pedro Wuner INA 1:23.716
13 77 Hasroy Osman SGP 1:26.791
14 720 Lin Chin Pei TPE 1:26.981
15 27 Sun Tong CHN 1:27.059
16 40 Lee Wei TPE 1:32.497
17 102 Tsang Wai Kei HKG 1:42.129
 
SuperChrono Race Results:
Pos No Name National Best Time
1 8 Lewis Cornish GBR 1:15.297
2 1 Muhd Habibullah MAS 1:16.632
3 17 Marcel Van Drunen NED 1:16.737
4 5 Trakarn Thangthong THA 1:17.047
5 32 Khairy Zakaria MAS 1:19.229
6 28 Natthapat Suksan Watthana THA 1:19.952

 
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GT Asia Series final in Shanghai promises best of season

GT Asia Series final in Shanghai promises best of season

18/10/2016, Asia, Motorsport - Road Racing, GT Asia Series, Article # 19811848
GT Asia Series final in Shanghai promises best of season
GT Asia Series Shang Peng Race of Shanghai
Shanghai International Circuit, China
Rnd#11/12, 2016 GT Asia Series - 19-20 October, 2016
 
• 11 drivers in with a mathematical chance of Series victory in Shanghai
• Just nine points separates the top two teams with 36-points in play
• 2016 will see first time GT Asia Series champions
 
After a season that has seen some of the best GT racing anywhere in the world, the 2016 GT Asia Series will come to its dramatic conclusion later this week with the final two rounds of the championship contested over two 60-minute races at Shanghai International Circuit in China.
 
There’s just nine-points separating the top two teams with 36-points on offer across the two races, and whilst rising young Italian stars Edoardo Liberati and Andrea Amici lead the championship in their stunning black Roger Dubuis Lamborghini Huracan GT3, local heroes Anthony Liu and Davide Rizzo have every chance of turning the tables at their home circuit.
 
Across the 10-races that have so far made up the 2016 season, we’ve seen six different winning combinations, so should either of the top teams falter, there is no shortage of challengers who will take the fight into Thursday afternoon’s final race. 
 
The Series coming down to the wire is not unusual for GT Asia, but in season 2016, the number of drivers capable of claiming the crown has dramatically increased - 11-drivers still in mathematical contention.
 
After a testing few weeks ahead of the conclusion to the 2016 Series, the final event has been forced to concede to a two-day, mid-week format, although nothing will change with the race length, the two final rounds contested across a 60-minute - compulsory pit stop - format, however unlike much of the current season, both races will be held on a single day, something which will have an impact on strategy with the title on the line.
 
“We’re really looking forward to the final event of the season - the ‘GT Asia Series Shang Peng Race of Shanghai’”, Motorsport Asia CEO David Sonenscher admitted. “The depth of competition in the Series this year is incredible - the best in our six-year history - effectively every car in the field is capable of the podium which makes the result completely unpredictable and that also means there’s no guarantee of who will claim the title this year.
 
“It’s great to have Shang Peng join the Series for the final too, and we look forward to providing them, their associates and our legions of fans live on network television and online around the world a race to remember - it will certainly be a fitting conclusion to the season.”
 
Teams will hit the Shanghai circuit for the first time on Wednesday morning (19 October) at 9:00am for the first of two 90-minute practice sessions, the second coming at 11:30am, before the two 15-minute qualifying sessions set the grid for the two races on Thursday, and whilst qualifying is important, in season 2016 the pole-sitter has won only three of the ten rounds contested, so it’s by no means a guarantee of a podium finish..
 
During the August event the pace-setters were Audi, with Phoenix Racing Asia’s Alex Yoong, Marchy Lee and Shaun Thong consistently at the top of the timesheets. Sadly for Lee and Thong a technical issue sidelined them early in opening qualifying forcing two rear of field starts, the duo though working their way from the back to positions inside the top five. Should they carry on that impressive form, they could well surprise the points leaders.
 
Bottom-line is that if you have the ability to watch this event unfold LIVE on FOX Sports Asia or Star TV, or LIVE online, make sure you do, these two races have the foundations to become the greatest GT Asia Series rounds ever contested..!
 
WHO TO WATCH OUT FOR;
If you can predict the race winners and ultimately the championship winners, you’d have to be in possession of a crystal ball because there is no guarantee that the two 60-minute races will provide a predictable result..
 
On points you could argue that the two FFF Racing Team by ACM Lamborghini drivers are in the box seat with their nine point championship lead, but that would be discounting some of the best teams in Asia.
 
The local BBT team are strong in Shanghai, and they’ll be ruing some difficult strategy decisions last time out that saw them leave Shanghai’s tenth round with a nine-point Series deficit - they’re a sharp operation though, and aided by the resources and knowledge of Ferrari’s AF Corse, they will be throwing everything they have at Liu and Rizzo to go after the crown.
 
That said, Marchy Lee and Shaun Thong and the three Bentley Team Absolute cars are all in contention for the crown, and all are having a strong finish to the season, so discount them at your peril..!
 
HOW TO FOLLOW SHANGHAI;
In fantastic news for the category, Fox Sports Asia will broadcast both races live to millions of viewers throughout the Asian region as the action unfolds and for those that miss it with mid-week commitments, they will replay both races in full on the Sunday immediately following the event (check http://tv.foxsportsasia.com/ for scheduled times). In China, Star Sports will also broadcast both races live, whilst China’s popular online network LeTv will also host both races live, the network one of 27-online platforms that saw the fifth event of the season at Shanghai broadcast to more than 6.3-million viewers across China.
 
Of course, both races will also be streamed live online through www.gtasiaseries.com
 
Details of the streams and the broadcast times will be available on the GT Asia Series website - www.gtasiaseries.com - and through social media; www.facebook.com/GTAsiaSeries will also post news, video clips, images and updates, and you can also get involved in the conversation on www.twitter.com/GTAsiaSeries 
 
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SHANGHAI INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT;
Jiading, Shanghai, China
Track length: 5.451-kilometres
Corners: 16
Rotation: clockwise
Designer/Circuit first opened: Hermann Tilke, 2004
GT3 Lap record: 2:06.224 - Race (Maro Engel - Mercedes-AMG GT3, August 2016), 2:05.906  - Qualifying (Alex Yoong - Audi R8 LMS GT3, August 2016)
Number of times GT Asia Series has competed at Sepang previously: 3 (2014/2015/2016)
 
GT ASIA AND SHANGHAI INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT
The final will see GT Asia’s second visit to the 5.5-kilometre Grand Prix circuit this year, and the fourth in the six year history of the Series.
 
During previous visits (2014-2015), the Series competed on the shorter ‘national’ circuit, but last time out in August, teams were treated to the full length 16-turn Formula One layout and the pace was impressive.
 
Qualifying saw 11 cars covered by less than a second over a 2:05-minute lap, whilst the opening race saw three cars - all different marques - cross the line just two tenths of a second apart after 60-minutes of intense racing, and the Series finale should provide nothing less!
 
In the previous three visits to Shanghai, wins have fallen in favour of Darryl O’Young (two wins), Keita Sawa (two wins) and Jonathan Venter (one win), whilst Anthony Liu and Davide Rizzo also have the impressive record of finishing on the podium in four of their six starts their to date, including two wins themselves.
 
HOW THINGS PLAYED OUT LAST TIME AT SHANGHAI..
2016 GT Asia Series - Rnd#9 (60-minutes - 28-laps) - 20 August
Pole position: Alex Yoong (Phoenix Racing Asia Audi R8 LMS GT3) - 2:05.906
1. Davide Rizzo/Anthony Liu (BBT Ferrari 458 Italia GT3)
2. Duncan Tappy/Vutthikorn (Absolute Team Bentley Continental GT3) +0.052
3. Alex Yoong/Alex Au (Phoenix Racing Asia Audi R8 LMS GT3) +0.221
 
2016 GT Asia Series - Rnd#10 (60-minutes - 28-laps) - 20 August
Pole position: Jeroen Mul (FFF Racing Team by ACM Lamborghini GT3) - 2:06.297
1. Keita Sawa/Jonathan Venter (Absolute Team Bentley Continental GT3)
2. Andrea Amici/Edoardo Liberati (FFF Racing Team Lamborghini GT3) +11.515
3. Vutthikorn/Duncan Tappy (Absolute Team Bentley Continental GT3) +13.386
 
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Rnd#11/#12 - 2016 GT Asia Series

Shanghai International Circuit, China
GT Asia Series Shang Peng Race of Shanghai
Schedule (CST - GMT +8)
 
Wednesday, 19 October
09:00 - Practice #1 (90-minutes)
11:30 - Practice #2 (90-minutes)
16:00 - Qualifying #1 (15-minutes)
16:25 - Qualifying #2 (15-minutes)
 
Thursday, 20 October

10:30 - Race#1 (60-minutes)
14:30 - Race#2 (60-minutes)
 
-------------------------------------------------------
 
GT3 Championship points (after ten rounds of 12)
1. Edoardo Liberati/Andrea Amici (119-points), 2. Anthony Liu/Davide Rizzo (110), 3. Vutthikorn Inthrapuvasak (96), 4. Marchy Lee/Shaun Thong (94), 5. Adderly Fong/Andrew Kim (92), 6. Jonathan Venter (91), 7. Keita Sawa, Piti Bhirombhakdi/Carlo Van Dam (84), 8. Duncan Tappy (81), 9. Alex Yoong/Alex Au (80), 10. Frank Yu/Richard Lyons, Tim Sugden (56), 11. Darryl O’Young/Naiyanobh Bhirombhakdi (49), 12. Jono Lester (32), 13. Mok Weng Sun (28), 14. George Miedecke (18), 15. Gianmaria Bruni (15), 16. George Richardson (14), 17. Ashley Walsh, Franky Cheng/JingZu Sun, Richard Wee (13), 18. Philip Ma (10), 19. Andrew Palmer (8), 20. Christer Jöns, Fabian Hamprecht (7), 21. Nathan Morcom (5) 
 
Pro-Am Cup points (after ten rounds of 12)
1. Anthony Liu (123-points), 2. Shaun Thong (119), 3. Vutthikorn Inthrapuvasak (110), 4. Andrew Kim (109), 5. Piti Bhirombhakdi (105), 6. Alex Au (100), 7. Frank Yu (76), 8. Naiyanobh Bhirombhakdi (72), 9. Philip Ma (25), 10. Mok Weng Sun (17), 10. JingZu Sun (16)
 
Pro Cup points (after ten rounds of 12)
1. Edoardo Liberati/Andrea Amici (119), 2. Davide Rizzo (110), 3. Marchy Lee (94), 4. Adderly Fong (92), 5. Jonathan Venter (91), 6. Keita Sawa, Carlo Van Dam (84), 8. Duncan Tappy (81), 9. Alex Yoong (80), 11. Tim Sugden (62), 12. Richard Lyons (56), 13. Darryl O’Young (50), 14. Jono Lester (32), 15. George Miedecke (17), 16. Gianmaria Bruni (15), 17. George Richardson (14), 18. Franky Cheng, Ashley Walsh (13), 20. Andrew Palmer (8), 21. Christer Jöns, Fabian Hamprecht (7), 23. Nathan Morcom (4)
 
GT Cup points (after ten rounds of 12)
1. Kantasak Kusiri/Bhurit Bhirombhakdi (84-points), 3. Voravud Bhirombhakdi/Tin Sritra (34), 5. Aekrat Discharoen (32), 6. Suttiluck Buncharoen, Toshihito Funai/Masayuki Ueda (16), 9. Akihiro Asai/Ken Seto (14)
 
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Shang Peng Gao Ke
Shang Peng Gao Ke is a cross-border e-commerce marketing company, offering IT Applications to individuals and SME businesses, to increase online communications efficiency, productivity and profitability. Shang Peng Health offers an exclusive line of high-performance specialty nutrition products and skin health products developed and made in the USA, for personal use in the PRC.www.ShangPengGaoKe.cn
 
The GT Asia Series is sanctioned by the FIA as an International Series and is clearly recognised as the Region’s leading GT Championship. It is solely managed and promoted by Motorsport Asia Ltd and is backed by Shang Peng, Singha, Michelin, KW Automotive, Motul, Race Room, Panta, YOFC and Tunewear.
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Pole man Kunii secures second successive win

Pole man Kunii secures second successive win

16/10/2016, Asia, Motorcycling, Asia Talent Cup, Article # 19776486
 
Saturday, 15 October 2016
Pole man Kunii secures
second successive win
 
The first race of the weekend in Japan for the riders competing in the 2016 Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup saw home rider Yuki Kunii take his second consecutive victory, doing so from pole in front of the Japanese fans.
 
With the young riders in the Cup racing alongside the stars of MotoGP™ at Motegi as part of the Grand Prix of Japan, Kunii won an exciting race late on Saturday afternoon, to follow up on his win in Race 2 in China at the last round.
 
Having got away in pole position at the head of an all-Japanese front row, which also featured Ryusei Yamanaka and Kazuki Masaki, Kunii went on to win the 15-lap race around the superb 4.8km Twin Ring Motegi track in style.
 
On the back of his excellent weekend in China Ai Ogura made a good start from fourth on the grid, with a large group running together at the front in the early laps. After much shuffling in the lead pack a group of five riders pulled away, including the Japanese quartet of Masaki, Kunii, Ogura and Yamanaka, who were joined by Indonesia’s Andi Izdihar.
 
Eventually Kunii took control of the race to pull away and take maximum points, ahead of Masaki who finished in second place having got the better of Ogura on the last lap. Another close battle on the final lap saw Yamanaka beat Izdihar for fourth.
 
In sixth place was standings leader Somkiat Chantra, whilst another rider in the championship fight, Gerry Salim, finished down in tenth.
 
Reviewing Race 1 in Japan, Alberto Puig, Director of the Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup, commented: “I'm very happy with the first race in Japan. It was very nice, the front group was very fast, faster than last year and we saw an exciting fight. We were happy with the weather, it wasn't too cold, so we hope that tomorrow will be the same.”
 
Track Conditions R1
Air Temperature: 18.4ºC
Track temperature: 32ºC – 20.9ºC
Humidity: 23% - 48%
Wind: 2.5 South West – 1.8 South West
Conditions: Dry
 
The results of Race 1 of the penultimate weekend of the 2016 Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup mean Chantra remains top of the standings with 140 points, Ogura sits second on 135 points, just ahead of Izdihar in third on 133 points. Also in the top six are Salim (126 points), Yamanaka (124 points) and race winner Kunii (119 points).
 
Race 2 of the weekend takes place at 3.30pm local time on Sunday after the MotoGP™ race at the Grand Prix of the Japan. After that the Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup riders will reconvene for their final races of the season at Sepang over the Grand Prix of Malaysia weekend in two weeks time.
 
Download our Media Flyer by clicking here.
Download Race 1 and Championship Standings by clicking here.
 
You can follow all the action from Race 2 Live via this link
Watch Race 1 Highlights by clicking here
 
 
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GT Asia Series reveal Shang Peng as event title sponsor for season finale

GT Asia Series reveal Shang Peng as event title sponsor for season finale

11/10/2016, Asia, Motorsport - Road Racing, GT Asia Series, Article # 19720836
GT Asia Series reveal Shang Peng as event title sponsor for season finale
2016 GT Asia Series
11 October, 2016
 
The 2016 GT Asia Series comes to it’s dramatic conclusion in Shanghai on 19-20 October with news that Shang Peng Gao Ke will be joining the Series as the official event title sponsor - the event will now be known as the ‘GT Asia Series Shang Peng Race of Shanghai’.
 
Shang Peng Gao Ke is a cross-border e-commerce marketing company and their involvement will allow thousands of Shang Peng associates to enjoy the drama and emotion of Asia’s leading GT championship, as six teams battle for the right to become the 2016 Series champions. 
 
Shang Peng associates will also have the opportunity to cheer on their very own team!
 
For the Series final Craft-Bamboo Racing’s Frank Yu and Richard Lyons will wear the colours of Shang Peng on their #88 Porsche GT3 R, providing a great focal point for the fans, and thanks to a striking new livery, the car will be easy to identify and follow with its angular red and white theme that draws inspiration from the Shang Peng corporate colours.
 
As title sponsor of this epic season finale, Shang Peng will enjoy fantastic brand exposure around the race track and grandstand sections. Shang Peng race queens will feature in the paddock, pit lane and on the grid where they will be sure to draw a crowd of both fans and media. A large hospitality tent will also be present to allow visitors to personally connect with Shang Peng and their drivers and collect Shang Peng team memorabilia. They can also get their photos taken with the official Shang Peng race queens as a reminder of what will be an outstanding conclusion to the 2016 season.
 
And in fantastic news for the category, Fox Sports Asia will broadcast both races live to millions of viewers throughout the Asian region as the races unfold, and for those that miss it with mid-week commitments, they will replay both races in full on the Sunday immediately following the event (check http://tv.foxsportsasia.com/ for scheduled times). In China, Star Sports will also broadcast both races live, whilst China’s popular online network LeTv will also host both races live, the network one of 27-online platforms that saw the fifth event of the season at Shanghai (19-21 August) broadcast to more than 6.3-million viewers across China.
 
Of course, both races will also be streamed live online through www.gtasiaseries.com
 
Shang Peng Gao Ke
Shang Peng Gao Ke is a cross-border e-commerce marketing company, offering IT Applications to individuals and SME businesses, to increase online communications efficiency, productivity and profitability. Shang Peng Health offers an exclusive line of high-performance specialty nutrition products and skin health products developed and made in the USA, for personal use in the PRC.www.ShangPengGaoKe.cn
 
Schedule; 2016 GT Asia Series 
FINALE, Shanghai International Circuit, China (19-20 October)
Thursday, 20 October 2016
Race One (60-minutes): 10:30am 
Race Two (60-minutes): 2:30pm
 
The GT Asia Series is sanctioned by the FIA as an International Series and is clearly recognised as the Region’s leading GT Championship. It is solely managed and promoted by Motorsport Asia Ltd and is backed by Singha, Michelin, KW Automotive, Motul, Race Room, Panta, YOFC and Tunewear.
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FIM ASIA SUPERMOTO CHAMPIONSHIP 2016 ROUND 2 RICHARD DIBBEN WINS ROUND 2

FIM ASIA SUPERMOTO CHAMPIONSHIP 2016 ROUND 2 RICHARD DIBBEN WINS ROUND 2

10/10/2016, Asia, Motorcycling, FIM ASIA Supermoto Championship, Article # 19708167
 

 

 

FIM ASIA SUPERMOTO CHAMPIONSHIP 2016 ROUND 2
RICHARD DIBBEN WINS ROUND 2

 
  • Kiwi Richard Dibben swept through Race 1 and Race 2, crowned overall champion in Indonesia
  • Malaysia’s Mohd. Amirul Ashshahid (Gaban) charges to first in Asian Class and third in International Open Class
MALANG, INDONESIA, 9 OCTOBER 2016 – Torrential rain. Buckets of it. Flash floods on track.
 
Those would usually mean a death knell to thrilling racing as riders cut risks. Racing bogs down to a mere procession, but not if it is the FIM Asia Supermoto Championship races.
 
Held at the Kanjuruhan Stadium in the suburbs of Malang City, Indonesia’s first international supermoto event ended on an exhilarating note.
 
As per the usual weather report over the weekend, the day started under intense sunlight and high humidity.
 
Thousands of spectators had thronged to the trackside by early morning, lining every gap in the barricades. There was a particularly high concentration of fans surrounding the offroad section, prompting Race Direction to open it for racing, starting with the support races, despite the dark volcanic being still soppy and certain sections were waterlogged. The fans had no doubt wanted to witness some high-flying action.
 
The support class racers went out and were promptly bogged down, turning the races into an enduro.
 
A couple of FIM Asia Supermoto riders went out to test the dirt and found that it was impractical to race there. If the lighter KLX150s had found the going tough, what more the heavier 450cc supermotos. The section consequently remained unused. Part of the regulation stated that in an event of rain and if the off-road section is deemed muddy, the off-road section shall be closed as the mud will get onto the tarmac.
 
Rain started to fall just as Race 1 got under. The front row riders charged into the Turn One neck-to-neck. As they excited the corner, there was a blur of a bike going sideways followed by a 3-bike pile-up.
 
“Andy (McLiesh) came up on the inside and I was squeezed into Andre (Sondakh). We tangled and all three of us hit the ground,” said Mohd. Al-Amirul (better known as Gaban).
 
Emerging from the fracas was Asian championship leader, Muhd. Habibullah (better known as Gabit), followed by Lewis Cornish and Richard Dibben. Gabit started pushing immediately and opened up a handy lead, leaving his other two rivals to battle it out.
 
Cornish and Dibben passed and re-passed each other numerous times, but it was the latter who prevailed.
 
Gabit had settled into his rhythm by this point, circulating steadily. Cleared of Cornish, Dibben started to put the hammer down, gradually closing the gap to Gabit, but the plucky Malaysian kept the gap at 1-second.
 
The high pace of the leaders brought them into contact with backmarkers just five laps later. Engrossed in their own battle for track position, Gabit couldn’t find a safe passage through. Dibben saw his chance and bore down on his hapless prey.
 
Dibben outbraked Gabit into the last turn. Gabit held on and both riders exited side-by-side, almost on top of one another. A huge roar went up around the track. Both riders gunned their throttles at the exact time, but Gabit’s rear squirmed and slid sideways, costing him the all-important drive onto the long front straight.
 
Still, Gabit kept Dibben in check like a prey turned hunter.
 
The rain now picked up and turned the front straight into a yellow-coloured river.
 
“We had only dry weather tyres to play with. The closest to rain tyres were intermediates. I could keep up when entering the corners and but kept losing drive coming out,” said Gabit.
 
Gabit came closest to retaking the lead when the pair again ran into a group of three backmarkers. Oblivious to the faster riders, the leading rider of the group closed the door going into a righthander. Dibben almost slammed into the rider, while Gabit split the two other riders and managed to show his front wheel next to Dibben.
 
From then on Gabit kept the pressure up but the 20-minutes + 2 laps race was up.
 
Dibben pipped Gabit to the line, and Gaban finished in a lonely 3rd.
 
The intense action was not only limited to the front runners. Competition was so fierce a rider snagged one of the straw bags lining the track, strewing its contents. Another rider rode up a tyre barrier but his reflexes helped him to bunny hop off it. Spectators were similarly wowed by watching the bikes slip, slide, squirm throughout the race.
 
Although the rain subsided slightly by Race 2, it was still heavy by any measure.
 
The charge down into Turn One was a heart-stopping, all-or-nothing affair, but it was Gaban who held his nerve and claimed the holeshot.
 
In his typical style, Gaban gave it everything, pulling away from Gabit rapidly, followed by the usual suspects Cornish and Dibben.
Just at the moment when it looked like he was going to dominate flag-to-flag, his rear tyre almost went under him, but it regained traction and almost highsided.
 
“It’s then that I decided to keep a steady pace and not throw it down the road. There’s always another day to fight for the championship,” he revealed.
 
Dibben and Cornish did not require an invitation to hit the front, and resumed their race-long close-quarters battle to the end. Dibben again edged another racer at the line to claim his second victory.
 
Gabit started to slow as his tyre woe increased. He eventually finished fourth.
 
The race was witnessed by officials from His Excellency, the Regend of Malang’s office; Tony Nagamaiah, General Manager of Malaysia Major Events, Tourism Malaysia; and some 30,000 spectators.
 
For more information, visit www.supermotoasia.com.
 
FIM Asia Supermoto Championships 2016 is a regional supermoto championship organised by Asia Supersports Group, a consortium of three companies namely Bikenation Motorsports Sdn Bhd, CW Media Sdn Bhd and E-Plus Entertainment Productions (M) Sdn Bhd, and supported by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia, Malaysia Major Events, Malaysia Truly Asia, Destination NSW, Tourism Hunter, Newcastle City Council, FIM Asia, Automobile Association of Malaysia (AAM), KYT, KTM Malaysia, Premium World Motorsports (PWM) Sdn Bhd, official distributor of Husqvarna in Malaysia, Liputan6.com, Bola.com and Vidio.com.
 
Open International Class Race Results:
Standing Bike No. Name Country Points Total Points
Race 1 Race 2
1 84 Richard Dibben New Zealand 25 25 50
2 8 Lewis Cornish France 18 22 40
3 19 Mohd Al Amirul Malaysia 20 20 40
4 27 Muhd Habibullah Malaysia 22 18 40
5 32 Khairi Zakaria Malaysia 16 15 31
6 1 Andy McLiesh Australia 14 16 30
7 7 Pedro Wuner Indonesia 12 14 26
8 226 Diva Ismayana Indonesia 12 14 26
9 2 Eric Chia Singapore 11 13 24
10 28 Natthapat Suksanwatthana Thailand 10 12 22
11 101 Takashi Sasaki Japan 13 6 19
12 125 Fahmi Ahmad Fauzi Indonesia 8 10 18
13 101A Andre Sondakh Indonesia 9 7 16
14 22 Arjun Wicaksana Indonesia 7 8 15
15 77 Hasroy Osman Singapore 0 9 9
16 18 Tsang Wai Kei Hong Kong 4 3 7
17 48 Steve Alkyer USA 0 5 5
18 26 Park Jongho Korea 0 5 5
19 417 Tommy Salim Indonesia 5 0 5
20 720 Lin Chin Pei Taiwan 0 4 4
 
Asian Class Race Results:
Standing Bike No. Name Country Points Overall Points
Race 1 Race 2
1 19 Mohd Al Amirul Malaysia 22 25 47
2 27 Muhd Habibullah Malaysia 25 22 47
3 32 Khairi Zakaria Malaysia 20 20 40
4 7 Pedro Wuner Indonesia 15 18 33
5 226 Diva Ismayana Indonesia 18 1 32
6 2 Eric Chia Singapore 14 16 30
7 26 Natthapat Suksanwatthana Thailand 13 15 28
8 101 Takashi Sasaki Japan 16 9 25
9 125 Fahmi Ahmad Fauzi Indonesia 10 13 23
10 77 Hasroy Osman Singapore 12 10 22
11 22 Arjun Wicaksana Indonesia 9 11 20
12 720 Lin Chin Pei Taiwan 7 7 14
13 26 Park Jongho Korea 5 8 13
14 18 Tsang Wai Kei Hong Kong 6 6 12
15 417 Tommy Salim Indonesia 8 0 8
 
 
FIM Asia Supermoto Championship 2016 Overall Standing Points:
Standing Name Country Points Overall Points
Australia Indonesia
Race 1 Race 2 Race 1 Race 2
1 Muhd Habibullah Malaysia 25 25 25 22 97
2 Mohd Al Amirul Ashshahid Malaysia 18 22 22 25 87
3 Khairi Zakaria Malaysia 22 20 20 20 82
4 Takashi Sasaki Japan 14 18 16 9 57
5 Pedro Wuner Indonesia 10 12 15 18 55
6 Eric Chia Singapore 12 13 14 16 55
7 Fahmi Ahmad Fauzi Indonesia 13 14 10 13 50
8 Hasroy Osman Singapore 15 15 11 12 53
9 Shinji Tomita Japan 20 16 DNA DNA 36
10 Diva Ismayana Indonesia DNA DNA 18 14 32
11 Lin Chin-Pei Taiwan 11 11 7 7 36
12 Natthapat Suksanwatthana Thailand DNA DNA 13 15 28
13 Andre Sondakh Indonesia DNA DNA 12 10 22
14 Arjun Wicaksana Indonesia DNA DNA 9 11 20
15 Makoto Arai Japan 16 0 DNA DNA 16
16 Tsang Wai Kei Hong Kong DNA DNA 6 6 12
17 Tommy Salim Indonesia DNA DNA 8 0 8
18 Park Jongho Korea DNA DNA 5 8 13
 
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Fox Sports Asia to cover both races of GT Asia Series final LIVE

Fox Sports Asia to cover both races of GT Asia Series final LIVE

09/10/2016, Asia, Motorsport - Road Racing, GT Asia Series, Article # 19694568
Fox Sports Asia to cover both races of GT Asia Series final LIVE
2016 GT Asia Series
9 October, 2016
After the closest season in GT Asia Series history, the 2016 championship comes to it’s conclusion at Shanghai International Circuit on 19-20 October and Fox Sports Asia - who have been instrumental in building the profile of the category over the last six months - have pulled out all stops to cover every minute of the action from the final two rounds of the year.
 
13-drivers are still in the Series with a mathematical chance of championship victory heading to the Chinese event, which due to a last-minute change forced upon Motorsport Asia by an external event promoter has seen the date change to mid-week, with the final now scheduled for Wednesday 19 October and Thursday 20 October.
 
As a result Fox Sports Asia (and Star Sports China), have committed to cover both final races LIVE, whilst Fox Sports will also replay both races on Sunday 23 October for those who were unable to catch all the live action as it unfolded.
 
In addition, China’s popular online network LeTv will also host both races live, the network one of 27-online platforms that saw the fifth event of the season at Shanghai (19-21 August) broadcast to more than 6.3-million viewers across China.
 
“I have to say, this is fantastic news, and thanks to Fox International Channels for supporting us with the final after what has been a particularly challenging month for the category, with promoters failing to deliver on promises,” Motorsport Asia Limited CEO David Sonenscher admitted.
 
“There’s no question that the 2016 season has been the closest on record. Six different teams in four different marques - five different models - have taken wins in the ten races so far, whilst the most recent round saw 11 cars separated by less than a second in qualifying, and two tenths of a second covered three marques at the line after 60-minutes of intense competition..!
 
“It really has been a season to remember with some incredible racing across every round, so it’s really only fitting that we are able to show both races of the final round live and to continue to promote GT Asia to the growing fan-base in China who have clearly taken to the category with great interest.”
 
Schedule; 2016 GT Asia Series 
FINAL, Shanghai International Circuit, China (19-20 October)
Thursday, 20 October 2016 (CST - GMT +8)
Race One (60-minutes): 10:30am 
Race Two (60-minutes): 2:30pm
 
The GT Asia Series is sanctioned by the FIA as an International Series and is clearly recognised as the Region’s leading GT Championship. It is solely managed and promoted by Motorsport Asia Ltd and is backed by Singha, Michelin, KW Automotive, Motul, Race Room, Panta, YOFC and Tunewear.
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FIM ASIA SUPERMOTO CHAMPIONSHIP 2016 ROUND 2 QUALIFYING

FIM ASIA SUPERMOTO CHAMPIONSHIP 2016 ROUND 2 QUALIFYING

09/10/2016, Asia, Motorcycling, FIM ASIA Supermoto Championship, Article # 19692535
INTERNATIONAL PRESS RELEASE      

 

 

FIM ASIA SUPERMOTO CHAMPIONSHIP 2016
ROUND 2 QUALIFYING


MALANG, INDONESIA, 8 OCTOBER 2016 – Practice and qualifying sessions signaled the start of racing action at the Kanjuruhan Stadium today for Round 2 of the FIM Asia Supermoto Championship 2016.
 
It had rained on the previous night, but sunshine in the early parts of this morning provided rays of hope to the riders and teams to race to their full potential without an added variable.
 
The dirt section has very unfortunately being abandoned, since most flat sections under water and the jumps waterlogged, leaving a 900-plus meter tarmac section for high adrenaline roadracing.
 
The earlier free practice sessions for the support races had been run under sunny conditions, but the sky opened up as soon as the FIM Asia riders went out on track, catching them out on slick- and semi-slick tyres.

Andre Sondakh

The rain intensified further into the session but almost all the riders stayed out to test the limits of both themselves and their machines. The Indonesian and Malaysian riders pushed the hardest and occupied the top 8 rungs by the session’s end. Andre Sondakh (#101A) came out on top with the best lap of 56.519s, followed by championship leader Muhd. Habibullah (Gabit) (#27) just 0.021s behind, having recorded 56.540s. Diva Ismayana (#226) rounded up the top 3 with 57.760s.
 
New Zealander Richard Dibben (#84) went out for a single lap and came back in. “It was dry when we out for the first practice. I did a lap just to see the track (but) came back in, put the wets (rain tyres) on and went for the second practice session.”

Richard Dibben
 
“I could only achieve top 8 times no matter how hard I tried, so I went in and we adjusted the suspension and tyre pressure. I felt more confident thereafter,” said Gabit.
 
The rain subsided thereafter but followed in the same fashion as FP 1 – it again poured as soon as the riders entered the track and heavier this time. Large, deep puddles started to form in short order.
 
It was visible that the riders were cautious in the first half of the session, until a few started to turn up the heat. One such rider was Mohd. Al-Amirul (Gaban) (#19), Gabit’s brother.

Mohd Al-Amirul a.k.a. Gaban

Followers of the series would be familiar with his aggressive style, although he was quiet in Newcastle. Gaban pushed harder and harder, even eliciting loud gasps from the spectators when his bike fishtailed, wobbled and almost highsided. In doing so, he became the first rider to dip under the 55.000s mark, ending the session with the fastest time of 54.998s. Lewis Cornish (#8) had a small spill in FP 1 but came back strong in second with 55.945s, and Richard Dibben had leapfrogged to third with his fastest lap of 56.309s.
 
Final Qualifying got under way under a light drizzle which thankfully did not pile on as the session progressed. What did intensify, however, was the action on track as the riders jostled for the best starting positions. And as their speeds picked up, lap times started to fall, despite having to splash through deep puddles.
 
Richard Dibben showed the way by being the only rider to break the 54.000s mark by posting 53.612s.
 
Andy McLiesh

Andy McLiesh (#1), fresh from his podium finish in Newcastle pushed his way up into second in with 54.186s. He had now started drifting into corners and keeping his cornering speeds up.
 
Gaban improved on his FP 2 time by recording his new fastest lap of 54.716s, finishing third fastest. “I couldn’ve finished higher but I started having brake problems towards the end. I almost crashed on one occasion when I totally lost the front brake.” Indeed, spectators could hear a loud metallic rattle around the entire track every time he braked.
 
That was not the end of proceedings, however, as the track was cleared of other competitors except for the top six qualifiers, who needed to hit the track one more time for the final decider, called Superchrono. It is Superchrono which decides the final starting positions for them on race day.

 Muhd Habibullah a.k.a. Gabit

Besides Dibben, McLiesh and Gaban, the others were Gabit, Cornish and Sondakh, who had finished their qualifying session in those respective positions.
 
The extra session with an open track allowed a few riders to turn the tables on their rivals. While Richard Dibben strengthened his Pole Position by recording an even faster lap time of 52.958s, Cornish outqualified McLiesh by just 0.029s. Similarly, Gabit got ahead of Gaban by 0.245s.
 
If today’s lap times were indicators of tomorrow’s races, hold on to your seats for some spectacular racing.

For more information, visit www.supermotoasia.com.
 
FIM Asia Supermoto Championships 2016 is a regional supermoto championship organised by Asia Supersports Group, a consortium of three companies namely Bikenation Motorsports Sdn Bhd, CW Media Sdn Bhd and E-Plus Entertainment Productions (M) Sdn Bhd, and supported by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia, Malaysia Major Events, Malaysia Truly Asia, Destination NSW, Tourism Hunter, Newcastle City Council, FIM Asia, Automobile Association of Malaysia (AAM), KYT, KTM Malaysia, Premium World Motorsports (PWM) Sdn Bhd, official distributor of Husqvarna in Malaysia, Liputan6.com, Bola.com and Vidio.com.
 
RESULTS
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FIM ASIA SUPERMOTO CHAMPIONSHIP 2016 ROUND 2 OFFICIATION AND PRESS CONFERENCE

FIM ASIA SUPERMOTO CHAMPIONSHIP 2016 ROUND 2 OFFICIATION AND PRESS CONFERENCE

07/10/2016, Asia, Motorcycling, FIM ASIA Supermoto Championship, Article # 19671422
 

 

 

FIM ASIA SUPERMOTO CHAMPIONSHIP 2016
ROUND 2 OFFICIATION AND PRESS CONFERENCE


BATU BENGKUNG BEACH, INDONESIA, 6 OCTOBER 2016 – Round 2 of the FIM Asia Supermoto Championship has been officiated today at Batu Bekung Beach, East Java, approximately 60 kilometres sound of Malang City.
 
It was readily apparent that the Indonesian hosts wanted to treat the riders of 13 nationalities to some of Indonesia’s natural beauty as the proceedings were carried out to the tempo of rolling waves crashing against the coral reef.
 
On hand at the launch were Mr. Abdul Malik, representative of The Regent of Malang,  Mr. Hari Sasongko, Member of parliament of Malang Constituency, Mr. Satheswaran Mayachandran the Chief Executive Officer of Asia Supersports Group (ASG) represented the championship’s organizers and Mr. Endiyatmo Widagdo, from EWSports728, local organizer from Malang.

 (L-R) Sathes Mayachandran, Hari Sasongko, Abdul Malik

Mr. Abdul Malik exclaimed that he was pleased to host the FIM Asia Supermoto Championship in Malang as such exposure serves to bring about the worldwide attention to the city.
 
“Besides promoting the exciting sport, it has always been ASG’s objective to promote each venue through sports tourism,” said Sathes.
 
Mr. Endiyatmo acknowledged the sentiment by iterating that Indonesia is home to many attractions and are duly committed to feature a round of the FIM Asia Supermoto Championship every year.
 
“We have always promoted eco-tourism and such but seeing how many foreigners who flew into Malaysia to witness the Malaysian MotoGP each year means motorsports-tourism is tangible, and that is what we would like to further promote through Asia Supermoto,” he continued.
 
On the Bajul Mati Bridge

A few riders then suited up and were escorted by the Indonesian police through the countryside for an exhibition ride, to the delight of locals along the route. The army of media representatives had a field day photographing the antics of the riders as they performed slides and wheelies in a controlled and safe environment, as the police had sealed both ends of the road to public vehicle access. The final photography session was carried out on the iconic Bajul Mati Bridge.

Round 2 is not just another round of supermoto. For the host nation, it marks the inaugural occasion Indonesia is featured on the international supermoto scene. Numerous promotional activities are slated throughout the week leading up to the races, including social visits to charities, supermoto riding clinics, press conferences, gala dinner, and so forth. Fans who visit the races will also be treated to Wawan Tembong’s stunt riding show, games, motorcycle parts and accessories sale, all wrapped up in a carnival atmosphere.
 
As for the racing, Round 2 in Malang City sees an increase of participation, swelling the field to 21 riders, including Steve Alkyer who races in AMA Supermoto in the United States.
 
Supermoto - the scenic route

KTM Malaysia’s factory rider, Muhd. Habibullah, better known as Gabit, leads the series going into the Malang round after securing the top spot in both races. The arrival of KTM’s 2017 SX-F 450 as his mount ha buoyed his confidence and resolve further.
 
Indonesia is fielding 6 top riders, including veteran Pedro Wuner. The partisan crowd will undoubtedly go all out to support the local riders.
 
Race fans will have much racing action to look forward to as there will be no less than five support races namely Prostock, Superstock, SM2, SM Pro Open and SM Veteran; besides four community races including Lite East Java, Lite National, Prostock East Java and Prostock National.
 
FIM Asia Supermoto Championships 2016 is a regional supermoto championship organised by Asia Supersports Group, a consortium of three companies namely Bikenation Motorsports Sdn Bhd, CW Media Sdn Bhd and E-Plus Entertainment Productions (M) Sdn Bhd, and supported by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia, Malaysia Major Events, Malaysia Truly Asia, Destination NSW, Tourism Hunter, Newcastle City Council, FIM Asia, Automobile Association of Malaysia (AAM), KYT, KTM Malaysia, Premium World Motorsports (PWM) Sdn Bhd, official distributor of Husqvarna in Malaysia, Liputan6.com, Bola.com and Vidio.com.
 
###
 
ISSUED BY:
E-Plus Entertainment Productions (M) Sdn Bhd
B806 Block B, Kelana Square, No. 17, Jalan SS7/27, Kelana Jaya, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
 
For all media inquiries, please contact our Media Centre:
Sim Teong Eu
Corporate Communications Manager
E-Plus Entertainment Productions (M) Sdn Bhd
+603 7491 9233 (Hunting Line)
+6016 215 2328
sim@eplusglobal.com 
 
ABOUT FIM ASIA SUPERMOTO CHAMPIONSHIP
Founded and hosted its first series in 2015, the FIM Asia Supermoto Championship is the apogee amongst supermoto races in Asia. Sanctioned by the Federation Internationale de Motorcyclisme (FIM) Asia, the race has gained its momentum since establishment, and morphed into one of the pinnacle of motorsport racing in the region. Promoted by Asia Supersports Group (ASG) and organised by E-Plus Global Sdn Bhd, the 2016 series will hold its race in four countries across two continents, namely Australia, Indonesia, The Philippines and Malaysia. ASG is the official license holder of the championship.
www.supermotoasia.com
 
ABOUT FIM ASIA
Founded in 1904, the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme is an international organisation, which was created to control and develop the sporting and touring aspects of motorcycling and to assist motorcycle users in those fields. The FIM as defined in the statutes is the supreme and sole international authority empowered to control international motorcycling activities organised under its jurisdiction throughout the world and as such acts as the supreme court for the settlement of disputes which may arise from the organisation of such activities. The official titles of World Championships, Continental Championships and FIM Prize events in all disciplines of the motorcycle sport belong to the FIM. FIM Asia is comprised of 28 National Motorcycle Federations in Asia where they organize a large number of events and Championships in over 30 Asian countries.
www.fim-live.com
 
ABOUT MALAYSIA MAJOR EVENTS  
Malaysia Major Events (MME) is a division of Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), an agency under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Malaysia (MoTAC). MME was established under the Government’s Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) to identify, promote, facilitate as well as support viable international events to be staged in Malaysia. With its main objective to enhance Malaysia’s economic growth and profile, MME is also tasked to identify and support major event bids for sports, arts, lifestyles and entertainment events and provide assistance to home-grown and home-hosted events in order to further strengthen Malaysia’s global appeal as the venue of choice for major events in the region. MME also acts as a conduit between the public and private sectors in ensuring seamless processes are achieved through synergistic relationships with diverse event stakeholders in staging successful events in Malaysia.
 
Follow us on www.facebook.com/MyCEB, twitter @MyMajorEvents and Instagram @mymajorevents
www.mymajorevents.com.my
 
 
ABOUT ASIA SUPERSPORTS GROUP SDN BHD
Asia Supersports Group Sdn Bhd (ASG) is a consortium of 3 companies namely Bikenation Motorsports Sdn Bhd, CW Media Sdn Bhd, and E-Plus Entertainment Productions (M) Sdn Bhd. Collectively, this consortium has over 30 years of experience in the automotive and event industry in Asia. Bikenation Motorsports as the Technical Partner of ASG, bring with them years of experience of managing and organising local and international SuperMoto races. They have promoted this sport to all over Asia and have helped nurture local talents of SuperMoto riders in Asia. CW Media Sdn Bhd, ASG Media Partner, is a motoring publication company, which is also the license holders for Bonnier Corporation (Sweden) which publishes world renowned motorcycle titles such as Cycle World, Motorcyclists and Super StreetBike. In Malaysia, they publish Cycle World Malaysia and On The Road and are also the founders of MotoJamm, an international motorcycle freestyle entertainment event and www.trademysuperbike.com, Asia’s top motorcycle classifieds/ecommerce website. E-Plus Entertainment Productions (M) Sdn Bhd is ASG’s Production Partner, which is one of Malaysia’s and Asia’s top event management agency with over 20 years of experience, managing thousands of world class events. Some of the top events organised are the ATP Malaysia Open, Junior World NBA and Twin Towers Live.
www.asg.my
www.supermotoasia.com 
 
ABOUT E-PLUS ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTIONS 
Incorporated in 2004, the award-winning agency is the brainchild of a dynamic and creative team, which provides innovative and creative ideas in the events management industry. The group holds a wide portfolio, with an array of international clientele from the private sector and public sector, as well as non-profit organisations. Recognised as one of the top-ranked and experienced Events Management agencies in the region, the group seeks to further elevate industry practices with its unique, creative and innovative ideas. With rapid expansion, E-Plus is now established and operational in six countries around Asia namely Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. 
www.eplusglobal.com
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13 drivers in GT Asia Series title contention heading to season final

13 drivers in GT Asia Series title contention heading to season final

05/10/2016, Asia, Motorsport - Road Racing, GT Asia Series, Article # 19645776
13 drivers in GT Asia Series title contention heading to season final
2016 GT Asia Series
3 October, 2016
 
After what can only be described as an epic season of the GT Asia Series, the final event of the year approaches with 13 drivers, seven teams and four marques still in with a mathematical chance of outright championship victory.
 
So far there have been six different winning combinations across the ten races so far, and despite there being just two races to go, there is still absolutely no guarantee of who will be standing on the top step of the championship podium at the conclusion of the 2016 Series.
 
Last time out in Shanghai we were given another glimpse of just how close the title race has been, with 11 cars [five marques] separated by less than one second in qualifying [across a 2:05-minute lap], whilst the opening race saw three cars from three different manufacturers separated by just two tenths of a second after 60-minutes of intense racing..
 
Currently the championship lead is held by rising young Italian stars Edoardo Liberati and Andrea Amici from the FFF Racing Team by ACM Lamborghini operation, the two factory Lamborghini Squadra Corse junior drivers have been both fast and consistent all season, with six podium finishes to their name, but with just one round win in Fuji.
 
They come into the final round just nine points clear of two-time 2016 winners Anthony Liu and Davide Rizzo, the two Ferrari drivers have immense experience at home in Shanghai, and were winners last time out at the Chinese Formula One venue.
 
Just 14 points back, is another team that has been quietly going about their business since the start of the season. Led by Thailand’s Vutthikorn Inthrapuvasak, the #9 Bentley Team Absolute machine has been on the podium four times this season, and every one of those starts has seen Englishman Duncan Tappy in the co-pilot’s seat. 
 
Vutthikorn started the season alongside American Andrew Palmer before an accident at home in the US sidelined the rising young Absolute Racing star. That saw 2015 GT Asia race-winner Tappy drafted back into the equation to put the #9 car on the podium for both races in Thailand, before German Bentley factory driver Christer Jons took over the wheel. Sadly for Jons a less than ideal event at Okayama saw Tappy back for Fuji, and for Shanghai where the Englishman again assisted Vutthikorn to back-to-back podiums. Vutthikorn is a long-shot for championship victory, however one slip by the leading teams, and just like recent years, it could all come down to the final race of the year..
 
The Bentley Team Absolute operation too will have their hands full in the title chase, with 2015 GT Asia Series runner-up Adderly Fong and team-mate Andrew Kim just four points back from Vutthikorn, whilst three-time 2016 winner Jonathan Venter is just a solitary point behind them. Venter’s team-mate Keita Sawa too is within mathematical reach of the title, and is just seven points back from Venter after missing a round to compete in the 2016 Le Mans 24 Hour race, but at 35-points behind the points leaders, he’d need a minor miracle to claim the crown, but could be more than instrumental in assisting team-mate Venter to victory, especially as they too were winners last time out at Shanghai.
 
Separating the Bentley teams on the points table are two-time 2016 winners Marchy Lee and Shaun Thong. Campaigning the brilliant gold AAPE by Bathing Ape Audi R8 LMS GT3 for Lee’s Phoenix Racing Asia outfit, they sit just 25 points behind the points leading Lamborghini, but importantly they showed at Shanghai last time out that the Audi was the car to beat. Sadly for them, a broken gearbox in qualifying saw them start last in both races, but they completed the round with a fourth and fifth placed finish, and were regularly the fastest car on the circuit - an ominous sign perhaps for the points leaders.
 
For the outright leaders though, their job will be to maintain their consistency, whilst for Liu and Rizzo they need to go on maximum attack, but they have shown over the last three seasons in Shanghai, that they’re up to the challenge. That said, so too are the FFF duo, who last time out matched the local stars on points with 25 apiece - under those conditions, Liberati and Amici would become the 2016 champions..
 
The key however might be team-mates, and whilst neither team has publicly declared they will include a second team to the entry list, both have already shown over the last two seasons that they are prepared to add a second car - BBT in 2015 at Shanghai with Max Wiser and Jiang Xin, whilst last time out FFF drafted in Squadra Corse factory stars Jeroen Mul and Richard Antinucci. The result of that second Lamborghini was a comfortable podium finish for Liberati and Amici in race two, whilst Liu and Rizzo were forced to use up their tyres early trying to get around the #15 entry, before fading to a tenth placed finish. They won’t make that mistake a second time..
 
Just as it did in 2015 - and for that matter, every season prior - the final round will provide plenty of action and intrigue, and if there’s one thing that can be guaranteed, that’s the fact that the title race will go all the way down to the wire, with no quarter given..! Don’t miss this one, it will be memorable!
 
GT3 Championship points (after ten rounds of 12)
1. Edoardo Liberati/Andrea Amici (119-points), 2. Anthony Liu/Davide Rizzo (110), 3. Vutthikorn Inthrapuvasak (96), 4. Marchy Lee/Shaun Thong (94), 5. Adderly Fong/Andrew Kim (92), 6. Jonathan Venter (91), 7. Keita Sawa, Piti Bhirombhakdi/Carlo Van Dam (84), 8. Duncan Tappy (81), 9. Alex Yoong/Alex Au (80), 10. Frank Yu/Richard Lyons, Tim Sugden (56), 11. Darryl O’Young/Naiyanobh Bhirombhakdi (49), 12. Jono Lester (32), 13. Mok Weng Sun (28), 14. George Miedecke (18), 15. Gianmaria Bruni (15), 16. George Richardson (14), 17. Ashley Walsh, Franky Cheng/JingZu Sun, Richard Wee (13), 18. Philip Ma (10), 19. Andrew Palmer (8), 20. Christer Jöns, Fabian Hamprecht (7), 21. Nathan Morcom (5)
 
Pro-Am Cup points (after ten rounds of 12)
1. Anthony Liu (123-points), 2. Shaun Thong (119), 3. Vutthikorn Inthrapuvasak (110), 4. Andrew Kim (109), 5. Piti Bhirombhakdi (105), 6. Alex Au (100), 7. Frank Yu (76), 8. Naiyanobh Bhirombhakdi (72), 9. Philip Ma (25), 10. Mok Weng Sun (17), 10. JingZu Sun (16)
 
Pro Cup points (after ten rounds of 12)
1. Edoardo Liberati/Andrea Amici (119), 2. Davide Rizzo (110), 3. Marchy Lee (94), 4. Adderly Fong (92), 5. Jonathan Venter (91), 6. Keita Sawa, Carlo Van Dam (84), 8. Duncan Tappy (81), 9. Alex Yoong (80), 11. Tim Sugden (62), 12. Richard Lyons (56), 13. Darryl O’Young (50), 14. Jono Lester (32), 15. George Miedecke (17), 16. Gianmaria Bruni (15), 17. George Richardson (14), 18. Franky Cheng, Ashley Walsh (13), 20. Andrew Palmer (8), 21. Christer Jöns, Fabian Hamprecht (7), 23. Nathan Morcom (4)
 
GT Cup points (after ten rounds of 12)
1. Kantasak Kusiri/Bhurit Bhirombhakdi (84-points), 3. Voravud Bhirombhakdi/Tin Sritra (34), 5. Aekrat Discharoen (32), 6. Suttiluck Buncharoen, Toshihito Funai/Masayuki Ueda (16), 9. Akihiro Asai/Ken Seto (14)
 
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HOW TO FOLLOW THE GT ASIA SERIES;
This season Fox Sports Asia and Star Sports in China will also broadcast every event of the GT Asia Series live (race two in full, with highlights from the opening race), whilst the series itself will also live-stream every round.
 
Details of the streams and the broadcast times will be available on the GT Asia Series website - www.gtasiaseries.com - and through social media; www.facebook.com/GTAsiaSeries will also post news, video clips, images and updates, and you can also get involved in the conversation on www.twitter.com/GTAsiaSeries 
 
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The GT Asia Series is sanctioned by the FIA as an International Series and is clearly recognised as the Region’s leading GT Championship. It is solely managed and promoted by Motorsport Asia Ltd and is backed by Singha, Michelin, KW Automotive, Motul, Race Room, Panta, YOFC and Tunewear.
 
Keep in touch with www.facebook.com/GTAsiaSeries for news and updates, and get involved in the conversation on www.twitter.com/GTAsiaSeries 
 
For more information on the GT Asia Series, please visit www.gtasiaseries.com 
#GTAsiaSeries 
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