ARRC Round 3 day 1
HAFIZH STRUCK FIRST TO LEAD
The Asia Superbike ASB1000 class delivered an thrillingstart to Round 3 of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship at Mobility Resort Motegi, Japan, with just over half a second separating the top five riders after an intense day of combined practice.
Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah of JDT RACING TEAM emerged as the rider to beat, setting a blistering best lap of 1’49.752s in Practice 1 that remained unbeaten throughout the day. The Malaysian’s benchmark lap secured top spot in the combined standings and sent a clear message to his rivals ahead of qualifying.
However, the battle at the front is far from settled. Home favourite Keito Abe of SDG HARC-PRO. HONDA PHILIPPINES delivered a stunning late charge in Practice 3, clocking a 1’50.021s to finish second overall, just 0.269s behind Hafizh. Racing on familiar territory, Abe’s pace ensured the Japanese fans had plenty to cheer about and positioned him as a serious contender for pole position.
The fight for supremacy intensified further with HONDA RACING THAILAND’s Nakarin Atiratphuvapat ending the day third overall. Nakarin was the only rider to top Practice 2 and consistently featured among the frontrunners throughout all three sessions, underlining both his race-winning potential.
Adding further intrigue was local wildcard Shota Ite of AKENO SPEED.UMA RACING YAMAHA MAJUMOTOR ASIA TEAM. The Japanese rider impressed from the opening session, finishing third in Practice 1 before maintaining his challenge throughout the day. His combined best of 1’50.166s placed him fourth overall, just 0.414s adrift of Hafizh and firmly in contention for a front-row start.
Completing the top five was another Japanese star, Kohta Arakawa of Astemo Pro Honda SI Racing. Arakawa demonstrated remarkable consistency across all three sessions and remained within striking distance of the leading quartet, highlighting the strength of the local challenge at Motegi.
The day’s fastest speed belonged to Hafizh, who reached an astonishing 286.472kph in Practice 3, emphasizing the incredible performance levels being achieved around the iconic Japanese circuit.
Hafizh shared,“Syukur Alhamdulillah, we finished the day as the fastest overall, which is a very encouraging start to the weekend. The conditions in the morning were almost perfect, and we were able to set a very competitive lap time. In the afternoon, heavy rain arrived, so I only completed a few laps to better understand the bike’s behaviour in wet conditions. The positive thing is that we now have a solid wet setup and a clearer understanding of the areas that still need improvement. Later in the session, as the track began to dry, there were still some damp patches in several corners, so I focused on maintaining my rhythm and gathering as much information as possible. Unfortunately, we experienced a small electronics issue, which forced us to stop briefly. We managed to get back out on track and improve our lap time, but the same issue appeared again. The team is working hard to identify the cause, and hopefully we can resolve it before tomorrow. Overall, I am happy with our pace, and I hope we can have a smooth Qualifying session and prepare ourselves well for both Race 1 and Race 2.”
TOP 5 FASTEST – COMBINED PRACTICE
1. HAFIZH SYAHRIN ABDULLAH – JDT RACING TEAM (1’49.752s)
2. KEITO ABE – SDG HARC-PRO. HONDA PHILIPPINES (1’50.021s)
3. NAKARIN ATIRATPHUVAPAT – HONDA RACING THAILAND (1’50.100s)
4. SHOTA ITE – AKENO SPEED.UMA RACING YAMAHA MAJUMOTOR ASIA TEAM (1’50.166s)
5. KOHTA ARAKAWA – Astemo Pro Honda SI Racing (1’50.289s)
ANUPAB OUTSHONE JAPANESE RIDER IN MOTEGI
A late-session charge from Thailand’s Anupab Sarmoon saw the Yamaha Thailand Racing Team rider snatch top honours in the SS600 combined practice standings as Round 3 of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) 2026 happened at Mobility Resort Motegi, Japan on Friday.
Separated by just 0.202 seconds, Anupab set a blistering 1’53.882s in Practice 3 to leapfrog local favourite Hikari Okubo and Malaysian star Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin of Hong Leong Yamaha Racing in one of the closest practice battles.
The day began with Kasma setting the pace in Practice 1. Kasma laid down an early marker with a lap of 1’54.084s, leading a tightly packed field that featured Okubo, Anupab, Herjun Atna Firdaus and Khairul Idham Pawi all within a second of the benchmark time. The Malaysian also showcased impressive straight-line speed, reaching 248.848kph around the fast and flowing Motegi circuit.
However, conditions changed in Practice 2 as weather changed to rain condition, forcing riders to adapt quickly. Anupab proved master of the wet conditions, topping the session with a commanding 2’11.207s while rivals struggled to match his pace. Thailand continued to shine with Thanat Laoongplio of HONDA RACING THAILAND securing second, while Md Izam Ikmal of VICTOR RACING TEAM and Muhammad Faerozi Toreqottullah of YAMAHA RACING INDONESIA also featured prominently.
Track drying once again for Practice 3 saw the battle back into life. Home hero Okubo looked set to delight the Japanese fans after producing a stunning 1’53.952s. But Anupab responded with the fastest lap of the day, edging ahead by a mere 0.070s to secure the top spot in the combined standings.
Kasma remained firmly in contention, finishing third overall and just 0.202s adrift of the benchmark, ensuring the fight for pole position remains wide open heading into qualifying.
Behind the leading trio, Indonesia’s Herjun Atna Firdaus of ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM continued his impressive form in fourth, while Khairul Idham Pawi of IDEMITSU HONDA RACING MALAYSIA rounded out the top five after consistently featuring among the frontrunners throughout all three sessions.
Anupab said, “Today I felt really comfortable with the bike. We made some important changes, including fitting a new rear suspension and making further adjustments to the front suspension settings. In Practice 3, I was able to finish in P1, and I had a very good feeling with the bike throughout the session. We will review the data with the team, but at the moment we are planning to keep this setup for tomorrow. I expect the Japanese riders to be very strong and capable of maintaining a fast pace at their home circuit. My plan is to stay with the leading group, manage my race pace carefully, and then try to make my move in the closing stages. If everything goes according to plan, I hope to break away in the final laps and fight for the best possible result.”
TOP 5 FASTEST – COMBINED PRACTICE
1. ANUPAB SARMOON – YAMAHA THAILAND RACING TEAM (1’53.882s)
2. HIKARI OKUBO – SANWA RACING TEAM (1’53.952s)
3. KASMA DANIEL KASMAYUDIN – HONG LEONG YAMAHA RACING (1’54.084s)
4. HERJUN ATNA FIRDAUS – ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM (1’54.631s)
5. KHAIRUL IDHAM PAWI – IDEMITSU HONDA RACING MALAYSIA (1’54.699s)
CANDRA HELD OFF JAPAN HERO
A mere 0.031s separated the two fastest riders in the AP250 class as Round 3 of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship 2026 got underway at Mobility Resort Motegi, Japan, with Indonesia’s Candra H of YAMAHA RACING INDONESIA narrowly emerging on top of combined practice session.
Candra set the benchmark early in Practice 1 with a scorching lap of 2’07.639s, a time that ultimately remained unbeaten throughout the day. However, his grip on the top spot was far from comfortable as local challenger Riichi Takahira mounted a relentless attack in front of his home fans.
Takahira responded in Practice 2 with a blistering 2’07.670s, falling just 0.031s short of displacing Candra from the summit. The Tianyu Asia Racing MFZ rider’s performance immediately ignited anticipation for what could become one of the defining rivalries of the Motegi weekend.
The opening session belonged largely to the Indonesian contingent. Alongside Candra, Fahmi Basam of YAMAHA LFN HP969 INDONESIA RACING TEAM, and Muhammad Fadhil Musyavi of YAMAHA RACING INDONESIA secured places inside the top four, demonstrating the strength of Indonesian riders around the iconic Japanese venue. Fahmi also recorded one of the day’s standout top speeds at 192.513kph, the highest among the Practice 1 frontrunners.
Yet as the sessions unfolded, the chasing pack began to close in. Irdan Ardiansyah delivered a strong performance for ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM to claim third overall with a lap of 2’08.200s, while experienced Japanese rider Hiroki Ono ensured local representation remained strong in fourth overall for HONDA RACING VIETNAM.
The final practice session saw another shift in momentum. Fadhil topped Practice 3 ahead of Fahmi and fellow Japanese contender Ryuji Yokoe of TEAM TECH2 & SANWA RACING TEAM, proving that the battle for supremacy remains wide open despite Candra’s position atop the combined standings.
What makes the AP250 field particularly intriguing heading into qualifying is the sheer depth of contenders. The combined top five were covered by less than eight-tenths of a second, while multiple riders took turns leading individual sessions throughout the day. Thailand’s Krittapat Keankum of YAMAHA THAILAND RACING TEAM, Ryuji, Musyavi and Fahmi all demonstrated race-winning pace at various points, suggesting that no single rider has yet established complete control.
Candra stated, “Alhamdulillah, I was able to finish as the fastest rider today. This result is the reward for the hard work and dedication of both myself and my mechanics. We made several adjustments to the suspension and fine-tuned the engine setup, and thankfully everything worked very well. The bike felt great, and I was able to achieve a strong lap time. I am feeling confident and positive heading into Qualifying and the race tomorrow. Hopefully, I can continue this momentum and give my very best performance. Amin.”
TOP 5 FASTEST – COMBINED PRACTICE
1. CANDRA H – YAMAHA RACING INDONESIA (2’07.639s)
2. RIICHI TAKAHIRA – TIANYU Asia Racing MFZ (2’07.670s)
3. IRDAN ARDIANSYAH – ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM (2’08.200s)
4. HIROKI ONO – HONDA RACING VIETNAM (2’08.314s)
5. FAHMI BASAM – YAMAHA LFN HP969 INDONESIA RACING TEAM (2’08.374s)
HUSNI STAMPED AUTHORITY IN MOTEGI
Husni Zainul Fuadzy ZIEAR LFN HP969 ADELIN MCR RBT34 delivered a commanding performance in the UB150 class as Round 3 of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship 2026 got underway at Mobility Resort Motegi, Japan, topping the combined practice standings despite dramatically changing weather conditions on Friday.
Husni emerged as the rider to beat after setting a blistering lap time of 2’16.715s in Practice 1, a benchmark that remained untouched throughout the day. Even when rain arrived for the second session, Husni demonstrated impressive adaptability by once again finishing at the top of the timesheets with a lap of 2’22.426s, underlining both his pace and consistency heading into qualifying.
The opening practice session saw riders take full advantage of dry conditions, with Husni immediately laying down a marker. However, the battle behind him was intense. Indonesia’s Dimas Juli Atmoko of HJS YOUNGSTAR KAWAHARA RCTH SIXTY secured second overall with a best lap of 2’18.228s, while local favourite Adytya Fauzi of JPNW SND FACTORY RACING delighted the Japanese crowd by placing third with a 2’18.721s effort.
Less than seven-tenths of a second separated second to fourth positions, highlighting the competitiveness of the UB150 field. M. Syirat Sauki from YAMAHA LFN HP969 INDONESIA RACING TEAM claimed fourth overall with a lap of 2’18.905s, while Dimas’ teammate Wahyu Aji Trilaksana completed the top five after recording 2’19.137s.
The afternoon session brought an entirely different challenge as rain swept across Mobility Resort Motegi, forcing teams and riders to quickly adapt their setups and riding styles. Once again, Husni rose to the occasion, leading Adytya and Dimas in a Practice 2 session.
The wet conditions also allowed YUZY ASIA TEAM riders to make their presence felt, with Shahrol Syazras Shahrol Yuzy and Ahmad Darwisy Ahmad Sahir finishing fourth and fifth respectively in Practice 2, demonstrating strong pace when grip levels became unpredictable.
While Husni’s dominance across both sessions makes him the early favourite, the combined standings suggest the battle for pole position and race honours remains wide open. With Dimas, Adytya, Syirat and Wahyu all within striking distance, the UB150 class is shaping up for another thrilling showdown at Motegi.
Husni commented, “Today was a very positive day for us in both Practice 1 and Practice 2, and the results have given us good confidence heading into Qualifying and Race 1 tomorrow. In Practice 1, Alhamdulillah, we immediately found a good setup using our first engine, which allowed us to be competitive from the start. Practice 2 was affected by rain, but despite the challenging conditions, we still managed to improve our best lap time today. I would like to thank the team for their hard work, and hopefully tomorrow I can deliver my best performance in both Qualifying and the race.”
TOP 5 FASTEST – COMBINED PRACTICE
1. HUSNI ZAINUL FUADZY – ZIEAR LFN HP969 ADELIN MCR RBT34 (2’16.715s)
2. DIMAS JULI ATMOKO – HJS YOUNGSTAR KAWAHARA RCTH SIXTY (2’18.228s)
3. ADYTYA FAUZI – JPNW SND FACTORY RACING (2’18.721s)
4. M. SYIRAT SAUKI – YAMAHA LFN HP969 INDONESIA RACING TEAM (2’18.905s)
5. WAHYU AJI TRILAKSANA – HJS YOUNGSTAR KAWAHARA RCTH SIXTY (2’19.137s)
