RACE 1: HAMAGUCHI STEALS AHEAD

Round 3 of the 2007 PETRONAS Sprinta FIM Asian Grand Prix went off without a hitch at the Sepang International Circuit from August 2 - 5. Seven exciting races comprising of the SuperSports 600cc and Underbone 125cc races as well as the three support events Yamaha GiVi Cup, Junior GP Racing Dream and the Yamaha RXZ 135 Challenge were successfully completed. Here are the results:



In Race 1 of the SuperSports 600cc, Makoto Inagaki fulfilled his job scope to perfection when he engaged PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha Malaysia's Ahmad Fuad Baharudin for the full distance of the race, and allowed his senior team mate Toshiyuki Hamaguchi to steal the lead and clinch his third victory of the season. Fuad got off to a great start from his position on the front row but lost the lead to the two Japanese riders on Lap 7. With Hamaguchi in front, Inagaki guarded his team mates flanks and refused to allow Fuad anywhere near overtaking position with Hamaguchi. So intense was the battle that Fuad and Inagaki's bike almost took each other out four times during the 25-lap race.

Hamaguchi claimed victory through a total race time of 28:15.907, and enjoyed at least a 1.101 second lead in front of the two chasing riders. Even then, Fuad refused to give up and was constantly harrassing Inagaki's tail. Unfortunately the 28-year-old PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha Malaysia rider was caught out by backmarkers in the last corner leading to the chequered flag. This allowed Inagaki to slip through and place 2nd with 28:17.008. Fuad had to be contented with 3rd place and a time of 28:17.982.

"This was one of my easier races so far this season and it's all thanks to Inagaki. With him behind me, I did not have to worry about other riders closing in on my lead," said Hamaguchi in a very frank interview.



Behind the winning trio, Decha Kraisart successfully took on Yukihiro Aoyanagi to place 4th with 28:25.001. Aoyanagi crossed the finish line in 5th place, his best results to date. Md Zamri Baba completed a solitary race in 6th place followed by Chalermpol Polamai in 7th.

Newcomer Suhathai Chamsub rode a consistent race and finished his maiden SuperSports 600cc race in 8th place. Indonesia's Ahmad Jayadi who is barely recovered from his leg injury, finished 9th whilst Tomonori Chiba took 10th place. India's Dilip Rogger was 11th whilst Sergio Lacerda from Macau took 12th.

After his win in Race 1, Hamaguchi extended his lead by a 22-point margin. He now tops the standings with 115 points. Ahmad Fuad is 2nd overall with 93 points and Decha Kraisart 3rd overall with 74 points.



The Malaysian riders' plans to swarm their Indonesian rival into submission in the Underbone 115cc category fell to pieces when poleman Md Emir Firdaus Hassan crashed early in the race and Elly Idzlianizar Ilias and Md Rafie Md Naser took each other out in their zeal to deny Wahyu Widodo of the opportunity to pull away at the front of the pack. This left only 16-year-old Abdul Muhaimin Roslan to take on the more experienced Indonesian rider. Muhaimin stole the lead from Wahyu on Lap 10 and held the point for the next four laps. But like Fuad in the SuperSports 600cc class, Muhaimin found himself blocked by backmarkers at the last corner. The wily Wahyu managed to slip through and sped on the finish line with 20:37.303. The Shell Advance Maju rider was forced to concede in 2nd place with 20:37.571, 0.268 behind Wahyu. Md Affendi Rosli from Harian Metro SCK, after a strong start to the weekend, rode a solitary race in 3rd place with 20:41.221.

'There were a lot of strong contenders in this round, just like in Indonesia, but I was confident that I would be able to do well even though I was out-numbered by the Malaysian riders. I was very impressed with the young riders, especially Muhaimin who gave me such a hard time throughout the race. At the end of the race, it was my level of experience that brought me to the finishing line in first place," said Wahyu.

Md Ali Imran Dawood was the best finisher from the Motul KMC YY Pang outfit by placing 4th. Defending champion Gilang Pranata Sukma netted his best result this season in 5th place. Sharil Salleh, Shahril Izzuwan Md Noor, Zaiezuwanhady Zaifaizal, Md Rafie Md Naser and India's Ashwin Sundar rounded-up the top-10. Thai newcomer Jitipong Srisawad ended his debut race at a modest 11th placing.

The outcome of Race 1 further extended the Suzuki rider's lead in the Underbone 115cc category. He is almost entrenched at the top spot with 103 points. Even though Wahyu's countrymen Sudarmono and Feizy Juniardith were unable to make it for this leg of the season, they are still 2nd and 3rd overall with 70 and 49 points respectively. This is because the one Malaysian rider who could possibly overtake their position, Rosnizam Md Noor, is also absent from the race. Rosnizam actually dropped down to 5th overall as his team mate Md Rafie Md Naser overtook him on the standings. Rafie is now 4th overall with 42 points.

RACE 2: HAMAGUCHI SCORES FIRST DOUBLE OF THE SEASON



Toshiyuki Hamaguchi, again with the assistance of Makoto Inagaki, capped off a successful hunt by taking the chequered flag in Race 2 of the SuperSports 600cc category. The afternoon race was exciting right from the start with most of the excitement provided by Ahmad Fuad Baharudin from PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha Malaysia. Fuad, under pressure to fight for the race lead, overcooked Turn 6 and crashed out before he even completed a single lap. Inagaki wasted no time in taking the lead and held the point from Lap 1 to Lap 8, waiting for Hamaguchi on his Honda, to catch up. True to form, even though his laptimes were clearly much faster than Hamaguchi's, Inagaki gave way on Lap 9. He allowed his senior team mate to race uncontested to cross the finish line with a time of 28:14.222 while he himself was happy to finish 2nd with 28:14.300.

The top four riders of the class, Hamaguchi, Inagaki, Yukihiro Aoyanagi and Decha Kraisart rode in formation for the bulk of the 70.175km race. However, Decha, ever the fighter, had one last surprise up his sleeve. The Thai rider bided his time until the very last lap before springing a surprise on Aoyanagi. The 26-year-old prevented an all-Japanese podium in Race 2 by taking 3rd place with 28:15.787.

"When Fuad crashed out early in the race, I cautioned myself to not be so reckless because at the end of the day, earning race points was a lot more important to me than the temporary glory of a double-win. However, I was able to catch up to Inagaki. Once I overtook him, I knew that I had the win well in hand," said Hamaguchi.



Just like in Race 1, the leaders dictated such a blistering pace that only the top-6 riders took the chequered flag on the same lap as Hamaguchi. In the absence of his team mate Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman, Md Zamri Baba put in a highly credible performance by placing 5th with 28:40.370. Chalermpol Polamai, in 6th place with 28:49.352, was the last rider to complete the full 25-lap race.



M. Fadly who was also impressive in Race 1, had faced mechanical problems in Race 2 and had to retire. But the Indonesian presence amongst the top-10 was upheld by Ahmad Jayadi who brought his Suzuki home in 7th place with 28:20.325. The remaining three spots in the top-10 were taken by Tomonori Chiba (8th), Dilip Rogger from India (9th) and Thomas Elvermann (10th).

Hamaguchi is now 47 points clear at the top of the SuperSports 600cc pecking order. The maximum points he earned from Round 3 has given him a total of 140 points. Ahmad Fuad stays in 2nd overall with 93 points but his position is now under threat. Decha Kraisart, 3rd overall, is only 3 points behind with 90 points. Md Zamri Baba leapfrogs up the order to 4th overall with 59 points and Ahmad Jayadi stays amongst the top-5 overall riders in 5th with 58 points.



Wahyu Widodo clinched his second win of the day by riding the wheels off his Suzuki Smash in Race 2 of the Underbone 115cc category. Though pressured by a swarm of seven Malaysian riders in the first half of the race, Wahyu was quick to take advantage of a slight racing incident between team mates Ahmad Fazli Sham and Abdul Muhaimin Roslan on Lap 8 that slowed down the rest of the Malaysian riders. The Indonesian championship leader broke away at that point and from then on, kept his head down and charged to the finish line to take the flag with a total time of 20:29.944.

The 5.361 seconds worth of daylight between Wahyu's position at the sharp end of the 30-bike grid meant the Malaysians were then left to fight tooth and nail for the privilege of accompanying their Indonesian rival to the podium. This was fought out by riders representing three rivals teams - Ahmad Fazli Sham and Abdul Muhaimin Roslan from team Shell Advance Maju, Norizman Ismail from Harian Metro SCK, and poleman Md Emir Firdaus Hassan with his Motul KMC YY Pang team mate Md Ali Imran Dawood. The five riders took their own private battle right down to the wire. Abdul Muhaimin Roslan won the photo finish with a time of 20:35.305. Md Ali Imran Dawood lost out by only 0.06 seconds and took third place with 20:35.365.



Expert riders Norizman Ismail and Ahmad Fazli Sham were relegated to 4th and 5th placing respectively. The rest of the top-10 in the Underbone 115cc category were made up by poleman Md Emir Firdaus Hassan, Gilang Pranata Sukma, Shahril Izzuwan Md Noor, Zaiezuwanhady Zaifaizal and Sharil Salleh who were 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th respectively.

Wahyu has pulled ahead even further on the championship rankings and now tops the group with 128 points, 58 points in front of countryman Sudarmono. Sudarmono, the first rider to claim a win in this category, is still 2nd overall with 70 points. Feizy Juniardith is a distant 3rd overall with 49 points. Md Rafie Md Naser was forced into early retirement by mechanical problems, but despite the DNF results, is still 4th overall with 42 points, tied with his senior team mate Rosnizam Md Noor. Abdul Muhaimin Roslan, Asep Maulana Rahman, Sigit PD, Rafid Topan and Md Ali Imran Dawood are placed 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th respectively.

SUPPORT RACES



In the Yamaha GiVi Cup, Md Azwan Md Ridwan took full advantage of his front row start to easily lead the race from start to finish. Azwan raked home his 2nd win of the season unchallenged with a time of 12:20.386. Zaidy Zaifaizal, another strong contender in this class, was 2nd with 12:21.267 followed by Taiping winner Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah who crossed the line in 3rd place with 12:22.085. Zaidy leads the Yamaha GiVi Cup points standings with 95 points. Azwan is 2nd overall with 83 points, 12 points adrift of the leader. Hafizh is 3rd overall with 67 points.



The Junior GP Racing Dream was won by a phenomenal newcomer, Md Rozaliman Zakaria in his debut race. Rozaliman pipped race leader Md Azzroey Abd Aziz to the wire by 0.180 seconds to claim 1st place with 14:12.212. Azzroey had to settle for 2nd place with 14:12.392 and Md Shariffudin Shamsudin, winner of the previous round, finished 3rd with 14:17.287. Shariffudin is still in the lead for the overall title hunt with 41 points. 2nd overall is shared by Azzroey and Md Farid Badrul Hisam who each have 33 points a piece.



Ex-Cub Prix rider Safrizan Buang brought his Yamaha RXZ to first place in the Yamaha RXZ 135cc Challenge with a time of 13:29.738. Md Rizal Jantan and Karigalan Ramu Taulon joined Safrizan on the podium in 2nd and 3rd place with times of 13:32.957 and 13:41.777 respectively.

Click here for detailed official results:

Underbone 115ccc
4 Underbone 115cc - Race 1 Results
4 Underbone 115cc - Race 2 Results
4 Underbone 115cc - Championship Standings


SuperSports 600ccc
4 SuperSports 600cc - Race 1 Results
4 SuperSports 600cc - Race 2 Results
4 SuperSports 600cc - Championship Standings


Support Eventsc
4 Yamaha RXZ 135 Challenge - Race Results
4 Junior GP Racing Dream - Race Results
4 Junior GP Racing Dream - Championship Standings
4 Yamaha GiVi Cup - Race Results
4 Yamaha GiVi Cup - Championship Standings

COMBINED QUALIFYING RESULTS: INAGAKI GRABS POLE AHEAD OF HAMAGUCHI



Japanese rider Makoto Inagaki, back in action after a 2-round absence in the 2007 PETRONAS Sprinta FIM Asian Grand Prix, sprung a last minute surprise in the SuperSports 600cc category when he grabbed pole position ahead of senior team mate Toshiyuki Hamaguchi in the second qualifying practice for Round 3. Inagaki bettered his own qualifying lap record set in 2005 (a time of 01:08.450) with yet another blistering lap clocked at 01:07.240, a time he set within the opening minutes of the qualifying session.

"I was forced to skip the first two legs because I was injured from taking part in the All Japan Championship. There has been a lot of changes in the Asian GP since last year and I must admit I was surprised at how much all the riders have improved. This round is especially exciting for me because there is a lot of new competition to size up. Most impressive for me were Decha Kraisart from Thailand and Malaysia's rookie Md Zamri Baba," said the Babie's Sport Racing rider who will be participating astride a Yamaha R6.



Though team mates, Hamaguchi and Inagaki will be racing on different models. While Inagaki races with the Yamaha, Hamaguchi, by dint of his status as a contract Honda rider, is obligated to use the Honda in the Asian GP. Despite his best efforts, Hamaguchi is forced to bow aside for his quicker and younger team mate. The 5-times SuperSports 600cc Champion will park his bike 2nd on the grid with his fastest time of 01:07.248.



Malaysia's Ahmad Fuad Baharudin slots in 3rd on the grid with 01:07.540. The PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha rider was fast throughout the earlier practice sessions, topping the timesheets in the first qualifying session and also the free practice sessions. However, the 28-year-old had no answer for the sudden pace from the Japanese duo.



Fuad will be the only non-Japanese rider on the SuperSports 600cc grid. After being bogged down in the earlier two rounds by mechanical problems, the sun is definitely rising for Green Cycle Swift Racing's Yukihiro Aoyanagi. The presence of his team principal and chief tuner Yamaguchi has spurred Aoyanagi to greater heights. He qualified 4th on the grid with 01:07.640.



For the first time this season, Thai top gun Decha Kraisart (PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha Thailand) is forced to start his race from the 2nd row. He only managed to net the 5th fastest time in the class by stopping the clock at 01:07.777. With the top five riders all lapping within the 01:07 range, the stage is set for two intense races on Race Day. Joining Decha on the all-green second row are PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha Malaysia's Md Zamri Baba (6th fastest with 01:08.473), Decha's team mate Chalermpol Polamai (7th fastest with 01:08.564) and Zamri's new team mate Md Iskandar Raduan (8th fastest with 01:09.172).



Indonesian riders M. Fadly and Ahmad Jayadi round up the top-10 with times of 01:09.586 and 01:09.806 respectively. India's Dilip Rogger clocked in at 11th fastest while Sergio Lacerda proved to be the faster of the two-man contingent from Macau-China. He checked in at 13th fastest. 2000 and 2002 GP125cc Champion Suhathai Chamsub, who is making his SuperSports 600cc debut this weekend through Malaysian team Idemitsu Honda Racing, missed out on the first day of qualifying. Handicapped by a lack of track time, Suhathai could only manage the 17th fastest time of 01:12.776.



Round 3 is turning out to be a record-breaking round for the riders in both Asian categories. Not only did Motul KMC YY Pang's Md Emir Firdaus Hassan clocked in fastest in the Underbone 115cc category, he whittled 0.783 seconds off Gilang Pranata Sukma's 2006 record to establish himself as the fastest lap record holder with 01:26.389. The 18-year-old rider posted the time on his 6th lap out in the 40-minute qualifying session and admitted that his time was charted while he was slipstreaming his senior team mates Md Rafie Md Naser and Md Ali Imran Dawood.

"I expect close racing tomorrow and I am confident the laptimes will drop even more in the heat of competition. In my estimation, the spectators can expect to see at least a 6-bike swarm in the leading pack. I am bracing for the fight of my life even though I have the benefit as a pole starter," said Emir.



0.116 seconds off Emir's pace comes championship leader Wahyu Widodo who clocked 2nd fastest with 01:26.505. However, Wahyu will find himself sandwiched between three Malaysian rivals as Norizman Ismail (Harian Metro SCK) and Emir's team mate Md Rafie Md Naser will both start the race from 3rd and 4th on the grid with personal best times of 01:26.525 and 01:26.568 respectively.



2006 Underbone 115cc champ Gilang Pranata Sukma will head the second row with the 5th fastest time of 01:26.891. Md Affendi Rosli, Abd Muhaimin Roslan and Elly Idzlianizar Ilias will join Gilang on the second row after clocking 6th, 7th and 8th fastest respectively. Md Ali Imran Dawood and Elly Idzliaikmal Ilias (younger brother to Elly Idzlianizar Ilias) complete the top-10 in the underbone category.



Of the two Indian riders, K. Rajini fared better when he qualified 14th on the grid. Ashwin Sundar, still struggling with mechanical problems, could only produce the 23rd fastest time. Newcomer Jitipong Srisawad from Thailand was 25th fastest.

Ahmad Fuad Baharudin's youngest brother, Ahmad Nashrul will start on pole in the Yamaha RXZ 135cc Challenge after posting the best time of 01:19.314. Safrizan Buang, Abd Razak Md Sidek and Md Rizal Jantan were 2nd, 3rd and 4th fastest respectively.



Md Azzroey Abd Aziz established himself as polesitter in the Junior GP Racing Dream, clocking 01:44.844 mere seconds before the chequered flag came down for the end of the qualifying session. Newcomer Md Rozaliman Zakaria was 2nd fastest with 01:45.323 and Md Amirul Ariff Musa was 3rd fastest with 01:45.509.



In the Yamaha GiVi Cup, Sasitharen Sukumaran posted the most competitive time of 01:29.596 followed by Md Azwan Md Ridwan with 01:29.978 and Iskandar Ismail ended the qualifying session as the 3rd fastest rider with 01:29.997

Click here for detailed official results:
4 SuperSports 600cc - Combined Practice Results
4 Underbone 115cc - Combined Practice Results
4 Yamaha GiVi Cup - Timed Practice Results
4 Junior GP Racing Dream - Timed Practice Results
4 Yamaha RXZ Challenge - Timed Practice Results

QUALIFYING 1: FUAD DRAWS FIRST BLOOD ON HOME GROUND



A brief downpour during the lunch break for the first day of practice in Round 3 of the 2007 PETRONAS Sprinta FIM Asian Grand Prix held at the North Track of the Sepang International Circuit from August 2 - 5, almost put a damper on the riders' hunt for grid position. Luckily, the rain held off, leaving the track damp but safe for qualifying.

Provisional pole in the SuperSports 600cc class went to PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha Malaysia's Ahmad Fuad Baharudin. 28-year-old Fuad clocked 01:09.076 in the closing minutes of the 40-minute Qualifying 1 practice session. Fuad was determined to make up for a disappointing outing in Round 2 last month in Indonesia where he only finished 3rd in both races and lost the championship lead to Toshiyuki Hamaguchi.

"For this round, Hong Leong Yamaha has brought in a very experienced bike tuner from Japan, Mr. Hayakawa, to help prepare our bikes. The set-up is good now but we are working to make it perfect. I am very confident of carrying the fight to Hamaguchi this weekend. Come rain or shine on Saturday during the 2nd Qualifying practice, I will be out on track to defend my pole position," said Fuad.



Hamaguchi, as was his wont, was extra cautious on the damp track. The defending champion only completed 5 laps in the 1st Qualifying Practice session and checked in with the 2nd fastest time of 01:09.089.



The biggest surprise of the day turned out to be Fuad's junior team mate Md Zamri Baba. Team PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha Malaysia had been practicing hard at the North Track of the Sepang International Circuit where Zamri had consistently clocked impressive laptimes during the team's practice sessions. However, the team has wisely kept Zamri's abilities a secret until he was unleashed onto the track for the 1st Qualifying Practice. Zamri came home with the 3rd fastest lap of the class with 01:09.986.



Thai ace Decha Kraisart of PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha Thailand, was edged back to 4th fastest with 01:10.152. Meanwhile, Md Iskandar Raduan, newly brought in by team PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha Malaysia to fill in the void left by an injured Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman, was 5th fastest with 01:10.696.

The returning Makoto Inagaki, who missed out on the first two legs of the season, clocked 6th fastest with 01:11.024. Indonesian top rider Ahmad Jayadi pushed past the pain of a foot injury to qualify 7th fastest with 01:11.761 followed by Germany's Thomas Elvermann (8th fastest) and India's Dilip Rogger (9th fastest).



Indonesia Suzuki PE4TR AHRS IRC's M. Fadly pushed too hard during the opening stages of the qualifying practice and crashed out after leading the practice session at one point. Fadly's best time of 01:14.897 was only good enough to place him 10th fastest.

Other newcomers, namely, Leong Iok Choi and Sergio Lacerda from Macau as well as Singapore's Kok Chun Kiat posted the 11th, 14th and 17th fastest respectively.

In the Underbone 115cc class, Shell Advance Maju's rookie rider Abdul Muhaimin Roslan, brimming with confidence after two back-to-back victories in the Malaysian Cub Prix Championship, stepped out onto the wet track eager to prove his worth against the more experienced riders. As the track condition improved, Muhaimin's time went progressively faster. The 16-year-old served up a surprise when he clocked in as the fastest rider on the Underbone 115cc grid with 01:31.958. Muhaimin out-qualified more experienced riders like even his famous senior team mate Ahmad Fazli Sham who is the current Expert championship leader in the Malaysian national championship.

"Earning the provisional pole in the Underbone 115cc class was quite unexpected for me. For the first time in my career, I had the chance to race against riders from the other Asian countries as well as the Malaysian Expert riders such as my team mate Fazli, Md Rafie Md Naser, Norizman Ismail and Elly Idzlianizar Ilias. I came to this race to gain experience and never thought that I would be able to place myself so high on the qualifying order," said Muhaimin.

However, Muhaimin was leery of defending this position in the 2nd Qualifying Practice slated for Saturday. "Many of the riders were hampered by the slippery track and I know most of them did not go all out in this session. If the weather is fine on Saturday, these laptimes will never hold up to scrutiny. There is still no pressure for me to maintain this position. I will go out and do my best on Saturday and see how it goes," he concluded.

Motul KMC YY Pang duo Md Ali Imran Dawood and Md Rafie Md Naser revved up their individual performances in the face of their senior team mate, Rosnizam Md Noor's absence. Rosnizam, who stood 4th in the standings after Round 2, was unable to join in the fun and festivities of Round 3 due to injuries sustained in the national championship last week. Ali checked home as the 2nd fastest rider followed by Md Rafie Md Naser. The two riders stopped the clock at 01:32.766 and 01:32.788 respectively.



Championship leader Wahyu Widodo posted the 4th fastest time of 01:32.821 followed by Md Emir Firdaus Hassan with 01:32.880. After two disappointing rounds in Sentul, Underbone 115cc defending champion Gilang Pranata Sukma has finally shown a glimmer of the tremendous well of talent that carried him to victory last season. The Yamaha Arya Indonesia rider placed 6th overall with 01:33.091. Ahmad Fazli Sham (Shell Advance Maju), Elly Idzlianizar Ilias (PETRONAS Sprinta Ah Hong Malaysia), Md Affendi Rosli (Harian Metro SCK) and Devi Ariawan (Indonesia Racing Team) completed the Underbone 115cc top-10.

Click here for detailed official results:
4 SuperSports 600cc - Qualifying 1 Results
4 Underbone 115cc - Qualifying 1 Results