With Round 2 of the 2022 Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) wrapping up at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit, Idemitsu Honda Racing India added eight more points to their collection. The round also hosted the inaugural races of the new TVS Asia One Make Championship. Read on to catch up on all the action.
· Honda Racing India score 8 points
· Malahuan and Ashraf win in TVS Asia One Make Championship
Rajiv Sethu and Senthil Kumar score points
Honda Racing India enjoyed a strong opening round in Thailand, with Rajiv Sethu and Senthil Kumar handing the team its highest-ever points haul in a single round. They followed that up with another measured showing in Malaysia.
Sethu started Race 1 from 16th on the grid and climbed up to 15th on the opening lap, after passing Indonesian rider Fitriansyah Kete. He continued his climb up the order to finish 12th, grabbing four points for the Indian squad. His teammate Kumar finished right behind him in 13th place, collecting three points.
Race 2 proved to be challenging, with as many as 14 riders crashing out across the five categories. Sethu had gained some ground to go from 16th to 14th, but then lost a few places while battling it out with Kete and Malaysian rider Md Idlan Haqimi. He eventually recovered to finish 15th and score one point.
Kumar had a brief scare as he went wide at the last corner while running in 14th place. He was able to carry on and finish the race in 16th place, just outside the points.
Summing up the team’s weekend, Prabhu Nagaraj, operating officer, brand and communication, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India, said, “Malaysia has been a satisfying round for us. On a day that saw 14 riders crashing out on the circuit, our riders had put relentless efforts to complete the race, despite fighting neck-to-neck with their nearest competitors. Each race imparts a valuable lesson. I am confident that our riders and team will adopt these learnings and will further improve their performance. Next up, the ARRC Round 3 will head to Sportsland Sugo International Circuit in Japan. This will be absolutely a new experience for us. Both our riders will be racing there for the first time. I am sure that we will add more points in Japan too.”
TVS Asia One Make Championship makes its debut
Running alongside the 2022 ARRC calendar is the all-new TVS Asia One Make Championship, which made its debut in Malaysia. With this, TVS has become the first Indian two-wheeler manufacturer to host a one-make series on a global platform.
Featuring the race-spec Apache RR 310, the championship also introduces a new development ladder for Indian riders. Top performers in TVS’ domestic one-make series, part of the Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship, will get the chance to race in the Asia One-Make Championship.
The inaugural season of the TVS Asia One Make Championship features a total of 16 riders from across Asia. TVS’ experienced national racers KY Ahmed, Jagan Kumar and Deepak Ravikumar are representing India in the championship.
The opening two races were won by Thailand’s Vorapong Malahuan and Malaysia’s Muhamad Fitri Ashraf, respectively. KY Ahmed was the highest Indian finisher, bagging eighth and sixth place in the two races.
Dipan Sur
