Asia Road Racing round-up from Round Three at Motegi

2025 Idemitsu FIM Asia Road Racing Championships
Round Three – Motegi, Japan

ASB 1000

In qualifying, Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah claimed pole position with a blistering fastest lap time of 1’49.661s. Keito lined up alongside him in second, while Japan’s wild card rider Sho Nishimura completed the front row.

ASB 1000 Race One

Race 1 of Round 3 in the 2025 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship’s ASB1000 category saw local hero Keito Abe storm to a commanding victory at the Mobility Resort Motegi, in Japan, delighting his home fans with a flawless performance on familiar ground.

Hafizh Syahrin made a strong getaway but was immediately overtaken by Nakarin Atiratphuvapat. In the second turn, Hafizh’s front tyre clipped Nakarin’s rear tyre, forcing Hafizh wide and off the track.

On lap 4, Keito made his move, overtaking Nakarin to seize the lead and began pushing hard to open up a gap at the front. Hafizh, determined to recover, rejoined the race and fought back heroically to climb to eleventh position. Unfortunately, his charge ended on lap 8 when he crashed, visibly frustrated trackside.

The battle for the lead continued between Keito and Nakarin until lap 11, Nakarin crashed out, allowing Azroy Hakeem Anuar to move up to second and attempt to close the gap to Keito.

Displaying exceptional composure and confidence on home asphalt, Keito Abe maintained a safe margin, keeping Azroy at bay and charging past the chequered flag to win the race.

Australia’s Cameron Dunker finished in ninth 28.441s off the leader. Lachlan Epis was a DNF, after suffering mechanical issues with his bike in practice.

Keito Abe

“It was a really tough race because the tyres were quite slippery, so I had to stay calm and manage both my mindset and tyre condition all the way through. I’m so happy to win here on home soil, it feels amazing! I want to thank my team so much for their great work and for giving me a fantastic bike today.”

ASB 1000 Race One Results

ASB 1000 Race Two

Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah delivered an inspiring ride to claim his first victory of the season, bringing the Malaysian flag to the top step of the ASB1000 podium in race two.

As the lights went out, Hafizh launched well off the line, immediately taking the lead with Keito Abe close on his tail and Sho Nishimura in third. Drama struck early when championship leader Azroy Hakeem Anuar crashed out following contact with Apiwath Wongthananon, forcing both riders into an early and frustrating retirement.

By lap 3, Muhammad Zaqhwan Zaidi made a smooth move on Sho to slot into fourth and began hunting down Nakarin Atiratphuvapat for third.

Up front, Hafizh maintained his lead as Keito shadowed him relentlessly, waiting for his chance to strike. That moment came on lap 6 when Keito made a decisive move to take over the lead.

The final lap delivered a nail-biting duel as Hafizh and Keito traded overtakes in a heart-stopping battle for the win. With a bold move in a section where he knew he was strongest, Hafizh reclaimed the lead and unleashed everything he had, charging past the chequered flag to seal a memorable victory. Keito just 0.213s off the leader, while Sho Nishimura completed the podium in third.

Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah

“I had a good start, but yesterday didn’t end well for me. Even this morning, I almost lost all my confidence because I wasn’t pushing, I was just riding with my rhythm but suddenly lost the front at Turn 9, which really made me doubt my bike. I didn’t understand why I lost grip so easily, so it shook my confidence heading into Race 2. Today, I got another good start but I didn’t feel ready to push 100%, maybe just 95%. When Keito overtook me, I decided to just follow him, save my energy, and keep the tyre in good shape. On the last lap, I attacked him in the place where I knew I was really strong, and we got the win. This isn’t a perfect weekend, but it’s still a good one. There are 14 people behind me who made this possible, so this win is for them.”

Lachlan Epis had a better day, racing to ninth.

Lachlan Epis

“A half decent recovery after yesterday, conditions were tough with temperatures up a lot from the previous two days. Laid it all on the line on the opening corners passing 7 riders to move in 8th by the end of lap 1 but hit a wall from there on in partly as a bi product of not getting race laps yesterday and generally just not riding well enough to finish higher. In the 2nd half of the race I was really struggling on the front end and lost a last lap dog fight to finish 9th. Not really the results we are looking for at the moment so we need reset and readjust before round 4 in Indonesia, Mandalika.”

Cameron Dunker meanwhile finished in 11th.

ASB 1000 Race Two Results

ASB 1000 Points

SS600 Race One Results

Race 1 of the SS600 category delivered a breath-taking finish, with Anupab Sarmoon pulling off a stunning late-race charge to seal victory over Mohammad Adenanta Putra, with Wahyu Nugroho rounding out the podium. Aussie Jack Mahaffy was a DNF.

SS600 Race Two Results

Mohammad Adenanta Putra struck back in race two, taking the win from Wayhu Nugroho, with McKinley Kyle Paz filling out the podium more distantly. Aussie Jack Mahaffy was again a DNF.

SS600 Points

AP250 Race One Results

Md Izam Ikmal delivered a masterful performance to claim a hard-fought victory in Race 1, leading Ryota Ogiwara across the line by just 0.010s, while Mohammad Murobbil Vitoni took third, narrowly holding off Krittapat Keankum, with the top four covered by less than two-tenths of a second.

AP250 Race Two Results

It was another dramatic showdown during Race 2, as Krittapat Keankum took victory over Mohammad Murobbil Vitoni by 0.125s, while Candra H rounded out the podium.

AP250 Points

UB150 Race One Results

Race One of the UB150 category saw Husni Zainul Fuadzy emerging triumphant after a fierce multi-rider battle to the finish line, 0.2s separating the top five riders. Fahmi Basam took runner-up, Adytya Fauzi third, while Peerapong Luiboonpeng and Dimas Juli Atmoko narrowly missed the podium.

UB150 Race Two Results

Husni Zainul Fuadzy delivered yet another masterclass of race craft to secure a thrilling victory in Race 2, the win marking his fourth consecutive victory of the season in the fiercely contested UB150 category, solidifying his status as one of the standout riders. Riky Ibrahim was just 0.046s off the leader, Ahmad Afif Amran a hair off second by 0.052s.

UB150 Points

TVS Asia Race One Results

Race 1 of the TVS ASIA One Make Championship delivered an electrifying spectacle, with local favourite Hiroki Ono taking a commanding victory on home ground, over Sarthak Chavan and Md Ramdan Rosli.

Australia’s Hunter Corney finished the opening race in sixth, 1.898s off the leader.

Hunter Corney

“I had a strong and consistent ride in Race 1, finishing P5. I got a amazing start and not being intimidated by the high level of expireced riders i am racing against I took a chance going in to a corner on the first lap and got into p1. I tried my best to run with the top 3. Battling the top group for a few laps i held my pace well and clocked my best lap of 2:06.134, averaging nearly 199 km/h. The race with Luis in P4 was tight. I was very pleased with my result.”

TVS Asia Race Two Results

Race two saw a similar outcome, Hiroki Ono taking another win, but this time Md Ramdan Rosli took out the runner-up position, relegating Sarthak Chavan to third.

Hunter Corney finished race two in eighth and now sits fifth in the standings.

Hunter Corney

 Results TBA

TVS Asia Points

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