Difficult weekend for the Aussies as Asia Talent Cup hit Sepang

2024 Asia Talent Cup

Round Two – Sepang

The Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup was back in action over the weekend after a huge five-month break between rounds. The 2024 edition of the Asia Talent Cup action had first kicked off alongside MotoGP in Qatar back on March 10, where all three Aussie competitors scored results good enough to put them inside the early championship top ten.

Levi Russo was the top-scoring rider amongst the Aussie contingent at that Lusail season opener, bagging 17 points, while countrymen Rikki Henry and Archie Schmidt collected 15 and 11 points, respectively.

The Aussies found it somewhat harder going at Sepang over the weekend with the highest qualifying Aussie lad, Levi Russo, back on the fifth row of the grid.  Archie Schmidt and Rikki Henry lined up from the sixth row for the two 11-lap contests in Malaysia.

Race One

Poleman Zen Mitani got away well when the lights went out but was somewhat swamped at turn one by the charging horde.

Farish Hafiy took the early advantage, benefitting from the tussles behind to break away over the latter half of the opening lap to build a lead of more than eight-tenths over Seiryu Ikegami and Ryota Ogiwara.

Levi Russo had worked his way up to tenth but a huge rear slide out of the final turn on that opening lap nearly sent the 16-year-old over the bars, Russo managed to collect it but could no longer make the corner, having to take to the grass and lost a lot of time before rejoining the race in 20th position.  Archie Schmidt was 15th at the end of the opening lap and Levi Russo 19th.

Seiryu Ikegami chased down and passed Hafiy for the lead on lap two and Zen Mitani then pushed Hafiy further back to third.

A group of five then formed as a leading pack headed by Mitano who had Ikegami, Ogiwara, Takahira and Ramadhipa in close company as Singhapong and Rintaro tried to stay in touch with that leading group.  Early race leader Farish Hafiy had to serve a long-lap penalty from the opening round which demoted him out of that battle.

Levi Russo was up to 13th place at half-race distance while countrymen Archie Schmidt and Rikki Henry were running 17th and 20th respectively.

The leading group of seven continued to battle over the final laps but in front when it mattered most was 17-year-old Japanese rider Zen Mitani.  It was an all-Japan podium lockout with Ryota Ogiwara and Riichi Takahira also on the rostrum.

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Levi Russo battled through to tenth on the final lap, coming out on top of a five-rider tussle to score that top ten finish. An incredible recovery from that costly turn one incident that earned the Camden rider a reward of six championship points that helped him retain his fifth place in the championship.

Archie Schmidt also in that mix and took 13th place at the flag.

Rikki Henry missed out on the points, crossing the line in 17th place.

Race One Results

Race Two

Zen Mitani again capitalised on his pole position to lead the field around turn one for the first time as Farish Hafiy and Seiryu Ikegami gave chase.

Farish Hafiy took the lead later on the opening lap, relegating Mitani to second. Levi Russo was 13th at the end of the opening lap while countrymen Archie Schmidt and Rikki Henry were 15th and 16th.

Mitani took the lead again on lap two only for Hafiy and Ogiwara to slip past him at turn one as they started lap three, Mitani pulled that move back on them next time around to lead again.

Just over a second covered the top nine over the opening laps. Hafiy, Mitani and Ogiwara the prime protagonists swapping the lead time after time.

Mitani finally managed to start eking away from his pursuers with four laps to run. His lead out to half-a-second with three laps to run, then just over a second as they started the penultimate lap, and two-seconds at the chequered flag to take a double victory and extend his championship lead.

Indonesian Kiandra Ramadhipa claimed second ahead of Malaysian Farish Hafiy in what had been a great eight-way battle for that second position.

Levi Russo was the top finishing Aussie in 11th place, 24-seconds behind the victor at the end of the 11-lap contest.

Countryman Archie Schmidt was a further 14-seconds back in 14th while Rikki Henry just missed out on the points after finishing 18th.

Race Two Results

Asia Talent Cup Standings after Round Two / Round Results

2024 Asia Talent Cup Calendar