Vroom from Autopolis, Japan

 SUPERSPORTS 600cc hero, Decha Kraisat is back in his game by claiming the pole position in the second leg of the PETRONAS Asia Road Racing Championship that is being held at the Autopolis International Racing Course, Japan on Sunday (23 May).  The PETRONAS Yamaha Thailand dominated both the qualifying sessions as he top the timesheets. He set the pace in Qualifying 1 by lapping in 1:59.804s and went on to improve his lap time in Qualifying 2 with the flying lap of 1:59. 295s.  Current championship leader, Glenn Allerton (Red Rooster Racing) will park his bike next to Decha as he clocked 2:00.290s while Decha’s teammate, Chalermpol Polamai secured  the last spot on the grid with the laptime of the 2:00.372s.  Decha is the only rider who dipped into the 1:59s bracket and at the same time set a new qualifying track record. Asking him how he managed to improve his lap time even after setting 1.59s, he said, “Today the track was dry and we managed to run in the machine. I feel much more comfortable riding on the dry track as compare to wet. Besides that, we also made some changes to the front suspension setting.”    Decha who is currently seventh overall in the standings with 18 points said that he is quite contented with his lap time. “Even though, I did not achieve my target of 1:58 seconds but setting 1:59s is good enough. My hope for tomorrow’s Race 1 is to start off the race well. It is my desire to take my first chequered flag here.”

 Asking him who will be his main rivals, he named Australian Allerton. “I must say Allerton is fast learner and aggressive rider. I think he is even better than 6-timed Champion Toshiyuki Hamaguchi and I will need to be aware of him.”  Meanwhile, Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman of PETRONAS Yamaha Malaysia only managed to set the fifth fastest time of 2:00.794s. He said, “All of our lap times are very competitive and it is less than a second gap. I will plan my game wisely for tomorrow’s race and hopefully, I will do our nation proud in Japan.”

Qualifying Results
SuperSports 600cc
1)Decha Kraisat (THA) PETRONAS Yamaha Thailand 1:59.295 (2) Glenn Allerton (AUS)Red Rooster Racing 2:00.290s (3) Chalermpol Polamai (THA) PETRONAS Yamaha Thailand 2:00.372 (4)Toshiyuki Hamaguchi (JPN) Moto-Rev India 2:00.498 (5)Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman (MAS) PETRONAS Yamaha Malaysia 2:00.794    

SEMENTARA itu, bagi kategori Underbone 115cc pula, kebanyakan pelumba mencatat masa terpantas pada sesi kelayakan kedua yang berlangsung dalam keadaan cuaca panas. Kedudukan barisan pertama didominasi oleh pelumba yang pernah beraksi di litar Autopolis pada musim lepas seperti Fitriansyah Kete, Hokky Krisdianto dan Denny Triyugo dari Indonesia..
 Fitriansyah daripada Bikers BRT Racing akan bermula dari petak hadapan selepas berjaya merekodkan masa terpantas iaitu 1:33.048s, diikuti  Hokky (Yamaha TOP 1 FDR) di petak kedua yang mencatat masa 1:33.413s manakala rakan sepasukan Hokky, Denny pula merupakan pelumba ketiga terpantas dengan catatan masa 1:33.483s.  Ketiga-tiga mereka telah memecah rekod (1:34.489s)  yang dicipta oleh Mohd. Iskandar Raduan musim lepas.
 Pelumba Malaysia yang mencatat masa terbaik ialah Shahril Izzuwan Mohd Noor yang berjaya mencatat masa 1:33.951s  dan dia akan memulakan perlumbaan dari petak keenam.
 “Pada sesi kelayakan tadi, saya dapat mengikuti rentak pelumba-pelumba yang berada di kelompok depan dan berjaya mencatat masa yang memuaskan. Saya berharap dapat mengekalkan prestasi sebegini pada perlumbaan esok. Walau apa pun, matlamat saya adalah untuk berada dalam kelompok lima teratas,” ujar Shahril.
Perlumbaan 1 bagi kategori SuperSports 600cc dan Underbone 115cc akan berlangsung esok (Sabtu) manakala Perlumbaan 2 pula akan diadakan pada hari Ahad (23 Mei).

Underbone 115cc
1)Fitriansyah Kete (INA) Bikers BRT Racing 1:33.048s (2)Hokky Krisdianto (INA) Yamaha TOP 1 FDR 1:33.413s (3) Denny Truyugo (INA) Yamaha TOP 1 FDR 1:33.483s (4)Yudhistira (INA) Yamaha INDOPROM HRVRT 1:33.855(5) Hadi Wijaya (INA) Kawasaki NHK Rextor MTR 1:33.888s (6) Shahril Izzuwan Mohd Noor (MAS) PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha AHM KHi 1:33.951s

 Pix 1: Decha on his way to set the fastest time during qualifying on Friday (May 22) and pix 2, resting in his team's pit while waiting for the race to start.