After Top 13 finish by Indian riders, Honda Racing India team adds 7 valuable points
• Rajiv Sethu gains 4 positions to finish 12th in race 1 after 16th position in morning qualifier of 2022 Asia Road Racing Championship round 2
• With 17th position start on the grid to crossing chequered line at 13th in race 1, Senthil creates his new fastest lap record of 2:29.301 at Sepang International Circuit
Today turned out to be a day of gaining points for Honda Racing India team’s rider duo of Rajiv Sethu and Senthil Kumar in the first race of Round 2 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) in Sepang.
Bagging 7 points for the solo Indian team at ARRC, both Rajiv and Senthil maintained steady performance till the last lap in today’s race.
Starting 16th on the grid, Rajiv overtook Indonesian rider Fitriansyah Kete in first lap itself. From 2nd lap onwards, Rajiv continued to ride at 14th till lap 4. Thereafter, he consecutively moved 1 position up in lap 5 and lap 6. Continuing to maintain his momentum, Rajiv crossed the finish line at 12th with time of 20:12.398, earning 4 points for the team.
Senthil Kumar too showcased his full power on the racetrack today. Clocking the best lap time of 2:29.301, Senthil has recorded his new fastest lap time at the Sepang International Circuit. Avoiding all mistakes and keeping a steady momentum till the end, Senthil finished lapped back home right after his teammate Rajiv. After 13th position finish, Senthil Kumar adds 3 points to his kitty.
Commenting on the race, Mr. Prabhu Nagaraj, Operating Officer – Brand & Communication, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India, said, “Coming back on this track after a long gap of two years, our riders are showing consistent improvement in every outing. Despite starting from the last row on grid in today’s race, our riders showed great zeal and gained 4 positions, thus earning valuable points for the team. I am sure that with today’s learning and experience, our riders will enhance their strategies to better their positions tomorrow.”
Quote of Honda Racing India rider Rajiv Sethu:
“I am not happy with the qualifier session. My entire focus was to maintain a steady position in the race and earn points for the team. Despite the tough competition, I kept my cool and concentrated on my skills to make no mistakes on the track. With today’s learning, I shall push harder in tomorrow’s race to mark my position in the top 10.”
Quote of Honda Racing India rider Senthil Kumar:
“I was a bit nervous while starting from the last row in today’s race. However, I applied all my strategies and learned to build a strong pace. While competing with all the international riders, I gained much confidence and recorded my personal best lap time of 2:29.301 at the Sepang circuit. Closing today’s race at 13th position, I am confident to score better tomorrow.”
In ASB1000cc class, Malaysian rider Zaqhwan Zaidi of Honda Asia-Dream Racing with SHOWA team continues to maintain his lead in the championship despite a fourth-place finish in today’s race. While his teammate Gerry Salim finished the race 1 of ASB1000cc class at seventh.
About 2022 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship:
The 25th edition of FIM Asia Road Racing Championship is Asia’s most competitive motorcycle road racing championship, held since 1996. The 2022 season has a total of six rounds. After the official test and season opener at the Chang International Circuit (Thailand) on 22 March 2022, the battle for championship is set to take place this weekend at the Sepang International Circuit (Malaysia). While the host venue for Round 3 in July 2022 is yet to be confirmed, the 2022 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship will make its debut at the Sports land Sugo International Circuit (Japan) in August 2022. In September 2022, the Zhuhai International Circuit (China) will serve as the host for the penultimate round and the season is expected to wrap up again at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand in the month of November this year.
