Doha: The final round of the 2014 Petronas Asia Road Racing Championship takes place this weekend at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar.
This is the fifth year the season finale will be held under the impressive floodlights that powers the entire Qatari circuit.
Last season at the desert circuit, Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman took pole and won both SuperSports 600cc races to become the second Malaysian after Chia Tuck Cheong (2001) to win the premiere class title, beating Katsuaki Fujiwara and Mohd Zamri Baba.
This year however, things are completely different with six riders in contention for the SuperSports 600cc title. Separated by 37 points and with 50 points up for grabs this weekend, the Losail Circuit sets the scene for an intense battle.
Currently Fujiwara leads the six contenders with 147 points but the BEET Kawasaki Racing rider knows however, that he has not won a race since Suzuka in September and that is something he needs to put right if he is going to bag his second SuperSports 600cc crown this weekend.
Arriving on a high would be Japan’s Yuki Ito. The Petronas Hong Leong Yamaha rider claimed a double win last time out at the Buriram Circuit to slash Fujiwara’s lead to just seven points.
Also in the mix are potential spoilers such as Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi, Makoto Tamada, Tomoyoshi Koyama and Mohd Zamri Baba who are also in the position to affect changes in the outcome of the title hunt.
With several wildcard entries races are expected to be a thrilling affair in the SuperSports 600cc category.
Leading the wildcard charge would be Broc Parkes. Best known for his success in the World SuperSports Championship (WSS) and a former Grand Prix rider, Parkes will take to the grid with Akeno Speed Racing and partner Japan’s Makoto Inagaki.
This however is not the Australian’s maiden entry in the Asian Championship.
The 32-year old made a one-off appearance in last season’s finale in Qatar to secure a front row start in the qualifying and finished fourth in Race 1 and second in Race 2. Joining Parkes on the grid includes former SuperSports 600cc rider and current Moto2 contender, Thitipong Warakorn (AP Honda Thailand) and Spanish National Championship Moto2 Champion, Jesko Raffin (AP Honda SAG Team).
Organizers of the Asian Championship, Two Wheels Motor Racing Sdn Bhd Promotions Director, Ron Hogg said: “Parkes, Thitipong and Raffin’s appearance is expected to shake up the competition, putting a lot of pressure on potential SuperSports 600cc champions. It will be very interesting to see the outcome of this weekend’s battle.”
Meanwhile Gupita Kresna is on the brink of clinching his maiden Underbone 130cc title. The Kawasaki KYT Rextor Manual Tech rider leads the overall standings with 148 points and needs to secure another 20 points to take home the coveted crown. If he succeeds, this will be the fifth consecutive year an Indonesian rider takes home the underbone title.
In the Asia Dream Cup, Khairul Idham Pawi cemented his name in the history books as he became the first Malaysian to clinch the Asia Dream Cup title after finishing Race 1 and Race 2 at the Chang International Circuit on the podium. Since the developmental series was introduced in 2012, the first two champions were Japanese riders, Hikari Okubo (2012) and Hiroki Ono (2013).
“It is a pleasure to host the last round for Petronas Asia Road Racing Championship at Losail International Circuit. For all the motorsport fans it will be a great weekend to enjoy again this event at the Qatari track. It will be the fifth consecutive year that Losail International Circuit closures the last round of this championship and really hope to continue with this championship more years” Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) President and LIC General Manager, Nasser bin Khalifa Al Attiyah stated.
On Friday and Saturday, free and qualifying practices will take place from 4:00pm to 10:00pm.
There will be two races for each category on Sunday, and the first races will start at 4:10pm for Asia Dream Cup, 5:10pm for Underbone 130cc and at 6:10pm for Supersport 600cc. The second races are scheduled at 8:10pm for Asia Dream Cup, 9:10pm for Underbone 130cc and the Supersport 600cc race will close the event at 10:10pm. Free entrance at the main grandstand for the public.
The Peninsula
