ARRC 2023 Stage 4: Dominating the Waves at the Asian Motorcycle Racing Championship

Pertamina Mandalika – “graceful young lady” on the coast of the Indian Ocean

The island of Lombok, with an area of 4,700km2 and a population of 3.1 million, is a captivating tourist destination with 4 beautiful coastal areas. It is known for its pristine nature, long beaches, pleasant weather, and friendly locals. Lombok is located just 70km away from the famous Bali Island, which can be reached by a 3-hour ferry ride.

Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit is part of a resort complex covering 120 hectares, including hotels and various entertainment facilities. The main track, approved by the International Motorcycle Federation, meets FIM grade A standards and measures 4.313km in length, featuring 17 corners, 6 left turns, and 11 right turns in a clockwise direction. The main grandstand can accommodate over 50,000 spectators, while the entire circuit can hold more than 195,000 people.

The Mandalika Circuit hosts several major two-wheel motorsports events, such as MotoGP, Superbike World Championship, Asia Talent Cup, and Asia Road Racing Championship – ARRC.

Unlike other circuits like the “volcano oven” in Chang – Thailand, Sepang rainforest – Malaysia, or the Sugo Highland – Japan, the biggest challenge at the Pertamina Mandalika circuit is the sea breeze. From corner 7 to corner 11, the track runs along the coast, mere 200m away from the sand dunes.

A wrong maneuver in the wind can easily cause riders to lose control, providing opportunities for opponents to overtake. Not to mention the dangerous corner – corner 16.

Before hitting the track, racers undergo strict safety preparations, including proper protective gear for their heads, chests, arms, and legs. These safety measures are closely monitored by officials and technicians from the organizing committee. Even running too slowly on the track can result in penalties, as seen with many UB150 racers.

Qualifying Slower than Expected: Anticipated Difficulties

As predicted, the sea breeze blowing across the track caused difficulties for many riders, including the 4 representatives from Vietnam. Additionally, the riders collectively employed strategies during the UB150 category qualifying race.

After completing an extremely fast hot lap, a group of racers adopted a slow pace to prevent opponents from improving their performance. As a result, #178 Nguyen Anh Tuan only secured the 31st position out of 33 starters, while his teammate, 15-year-old rider #111 Nguyen Huu Tri sadly started at the very end.

In the AP250 category, both riders from the Honda Racing Vietnam Team coordinated their strategy. The duo, #65 Cao Viet Nam and #193 Nguyen Duc Thanh, ran side by side to minimize the risk of collisions or injuries and preserve their energy for the main race.

This strategy proved to be wise as the qualifying race was highly competitive. The current overall leader, #123 Rheza Danica Ahrens, dropped to the 7th position after a hard fall while attempting to secure the 2nd position.

Meanwhile, “crazy driver” #65 Cao Viet Nam took advantage of the opportunity and secured a promising 9th starting position. His teammate, #193 Nguyen Duc Thanh, started at the 26th position out of 27.

AP250 Category: A Chance for the Podium

Starting in the 9th and 27th positions respectively, both #65 Cao Viet Nam and #193 Nguyen Duc Thanh were hopeful of achieving impressive results in Indonesia. This marked the first time #65 started in the top 10 positions. In Race 1, he showcased his exceptional downhill cornering skills, leaving several opponents behind and securing the 6th position out of 27 after the first lap.

His teammate, #193 Nguyen Duc Thanh, overtook 6 opponents and temporarily held the 20th position before entering the second lap. By corner 11 of the second lap, #65 Cao Viet Nam firmly held the 5th position out of 27. The entire Honda Racing Vietnam Team eagerly anticipated a podium finish.

During the third lap, #65 Cao Viet Nam demonstrated fierce determination, closely following the leading group, solidly navigating through each corner, and securing the 5th position out of 27. Behind him, rider #16 Irfan Ardiansyah attempted to overtake #65 on the first corner but failed.

From corner 12 to 14, two opponents, #37 Aiki Iyoshi from Japan and the “seeded champion” #123 Rheza Danica Ahrens, launched strong attacks, maintaining side-by-side positions and blocking #65 Cao Viet Nam, forcing him to defend and temporarily dropping to the 7th and then 8th position out of 27.

The final lap witnessed a spectacular comeback as #65 Cao Viet Nam showcased his daring characteristics and surpassed two opponents, finishing in the 6th place, 6.1 seconds behind the race leader. Right behind him, #193 Nguyen Duc Thanh finished in the 20th position out of 27.

The following day, Race 2 in the UB150 category witnessed intense events. A total of 12 racers failed to finish the race. Corner 16, near the main finish line, became a “death trap” as racers fiercely competed and fell off their bikes one after another, causing significant oil spillage on the track.

As a result, the organizers temporarily paused the event to clean the race track before allowing the AP250 riders to race. The safety car completed a trial lap, and the riders completed a warm-up lap. However, the mixture of sand and oil could not be completely cleaned within a short period.

In Race 2, both AP250 riders, #65 Cao Viet Nam and #193 Nguyen Duc Thanh, aimed to improve their race performance following the successful Race 1. However, #65 Cao Viet Nam’s ambitious efforts led to a bitter defeat when the competition became fiercely intense at corner 16.

Cao Viet Nam suffered a regretful fall but refused to give up. He swiftly got back on the bike despite the pain, stood up, and confidently continued racing.

Subsequently, several other riders also fell at corner 16. In this situation, #193 Nguyen Duc Thanh had to race cautiously as the only representative from the team still capable of competing.

And he did it. Nguyen Duc Thanh raced steadily, overtook opponents, and climbed to the 15th out of 17 positions, maintaining this position until the finish line.

Meanwhile, #65 Cao Viet Nam made a surprising comeback despite falling to the last position of the race immediately after the incident at corner 16. He calmly held his position while overtaking three opponents before impressively crossing the finish line in the 18th position out of 27.

After 4 races with 8 track appearances, #65 Cao Viet Nam has accumulated 55 points, securing the 8th position on the overall leaderboard. Thanks to significant improvements, #193 Nguyen Duc Thanh has finally earned 1 point after Race 2 of the fourth round, indicating a promising result in his debut season in the AP250 category.

UB150 Category: Perseverance to Overcome Difficulties

Starting at the 31st and 33rd positions respectively, “the eldest brother” #178 Nguyen Anh Tuan and “the youngest brother” #111 Nguyen Huu Tri aimed to make every effort to climb up the ranks.

Opportunities arose immediately after the race started when #27 and #14 collided and dropped to the last positions. At this point, #178 and #111 began their climb and entered the second lap at the 28th and 29th positions, respectively. They continued to advance as #61 Shahrol Syazras Yuzy fell at corner 10 of the second lap.

The race became intense as 20 racers formed a dense pack at the front. Meanwhile, the two brothers, Anh Tuan and Huu Tri, improved their positions and persistently stuck together at the 25th and 28th positions out of 33.

In the following laps, racers #202, #24, and #31 dropped out one after another. #178 Nguyen Anh Tuan climbed up to the 22nd position, while his younger brother, #111 Nguyen Huu Tri, advanced to the 27th position out of 33 before the final lap.

The most dramatic events took place right before the finish line, at corner 16. Intense competition caused #78 MD Haziq Hamdan to make a mistake, fall off his bike, and lose his solid top 5 position. With only a few seconds left, he had to walk to the finish line. Additionally, #222 fell almost simultaneously, undoing a seemingly secure top 10 position.

At the end of Race 1 of the fourth round, #178 Nguyen Anh Tuan impressively climbed from the 31st position to finish in the 21st position. Meanwhile, his 15-year-old teammate, #111 Nguyen Huu Tri, persisted and progressed from the last position to finish in the 26th position out of 33.

In Race 2, the situation did not improve for the Honda Racing Vietnam Team, as neither Anh Tuan nor Huu Tri could compete due to technical issues.

Similarly, Race 2 in the afternoon did not bring better results as both Anh Tuan and Huu Tri had to return their bikes to the pit before crossing the finish line. Consequently, both riders, #178 Nguyen Anh Tuan and #111 Nguyen Huu Tri, did not finish the race.

Currently, #178 Nguyen Anh Tuan ranks 22nd on the overall leaderboard with 16 points, while his teammate #111 Nguyen Huu Tri is ranked 35th out of 38 contestants with 2 points. They remain focused on improving their racing results and reducing completion time for each lap.

In summary, the ARRC 2023 season still has 2 more legs with 4 races to go in Zhuhai – China and Chang – Thailand until the end of the year. The remaining opportunities hold immense potential as all 4 riders have already scored points and continue to mature throughout each race.

Opportunities lie ahead, and with their abilities, determined spirit, and burning passion, riders can look optimistically towards the future. Fans can dream of fantastic results on the podium. Let’s eagerly await the two exciting races at the end of the season.

Anh Phan (Tuoitrethudo)