ARRC 2023 Round 1 – Chang International Circuit: An Intense Clash

A Legendary Circuit

The Chang International Circuit was established in 2014 and is located in Buriram, Thailand. This “fire pan” spans 4.554 km and features 12 turns, including 5 left turns and 7 right turns. It meets the highest standards set by MotoGP for high-speed motorcycles. For the Honda Racing Vietnam Team, this circuit holds a special place due to its geographical proximity to Vietnam. The objective conditions, including time zones, weather, humidity, and altitude, are similar to those of the Dai Nam racetrack in Binh Duong province. This requires the athletes to adapt and spend time getting acquainted with the track.

This circuit is also a familiar territory for Vietnamese racers, who have participated in numerous races over the years. Among the notable achievements is the 2019 Thailand Talent Cup championship won by the talented Cao Viet Nam. As of now, Cao Viet Nam, also known as the “crazy guy,” is the most experienced member of the Honda Racing Vietnam Team. He has been competing in the ARRC since the 2016 season and has progressed through various racing categories, from UB130 to UB150 and now, AP250.

Thus, the launch of ARRC 2023 at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand offers a favorable opportunity for Vietnamese riders to showcase their skills. The Honda Racing Vietnam Team has set ambitious goals for this season. Their primary objective is to secure a top-10 position in the championship, thereby improving their standing in the highly competitive realm of continental sports racing.

In pursuit of this goal, the Honda Racing Vietnam Team has made meticulous preparations, which include restructuring the racing team, enhancing the research and development of engines for the AP250 category, establishing collaborations with Indonesia’s Yuzy team to improve the performance of their UB150 racing bikes, and organizing training sessions at Japan’s renowned Suzuka racetrack.

UB150 Qualifying Race:

Racer Nguyen Anh Tuan demonstrated promising performance during the practice sessions and made a strong start in the qualifying race. At one point, Tuan even secured a spot in the top 10. However, as the competition intensified, he struggled to maintain his position and gradually dropped down the rankings.

By the end of the qualifying race, Nguyen Anh Tuan’s best lap time positioned him at 22/24, placing him just ahead of his teammate, young racer Nguyen Huu Tri (#111), at the start line.

AP250 Qualifying Race:

Meanwhile, racers Cao Viet Nam (#65) and Nguyen Duc Thanh (#193) also had a strong start, even reaching the top 2 and top 4 positions in the qualifying race. However, they couldn’t sustain their initial success and were overtaken by their competitors, finishing in the top 20.

Specifically, Cao Viet Nam secured 13/22, while his teammate Nguyen Duc Thanh had to settle for 18/22. As the race progressed, it became increasingly clear that this year, “crazy guy” Cao Viet Nam would no longer be competing alone.

His teammate, racer Nguyen Duc Thanh, was promoted to the AP250 category, allowing young racer Nguyen Huu Tri (#111) to take his place in the UB150 category. With these strategic adjustments, the Honda Racing Vietnam Team aimed to ensure that each racer could maximize their potential and achieve the best possible results.

Race 1 – UB150:

In the race, Nguyen Anh Tuan (#178) started from position 22/24, followed closely by Nguyen Huu Tri (#111). Unfortunately, Huu Tri’s bike encountered technical difficulties while lining up for the start, leaving Anh Tuan to compete independently.

Although the start wasn’t as smooth as anticipated, Anh Tuan persevered and completed the first lap in 22/24. He made progress in the second lap, climbing to 21/24, but eventually dropped back to 22/24 by the fourth lap.

However, in the fourth lap, racers encountered technical issues, which allowed Nguyen Anh Tuan to advance to the 21/24 position. Seizing this opportunity, he continued to push forward and climbed to 20/24, trailing the first racer by a mere 2.6 seconds.

Anh Tuan maintained this position throughout the eighth lap, crossing the finish line at the end of the race. At the conclusion of Race 1, #122 Md Shafiq Rasol from Malaysia’s Onexox Tkkr Racing Team secured the top spot on the podium. Meanwhile, Nguyen Anh Tuan (#178) of the Honda Racing Vietnam Team achieved a commendable 20/24 finish, with his teammate Nguyen Huu Tri (#111) unfortunately unable to start the race.

Race 1 of the 2023 ARRC season witnessed a remarkable display of competitiveness among all 24 UB150 racers. The race remained tightly contested, with no distinct splits between groups. The time difference between the leading racer and the last one was just a few seconds.

Race 1 – AP250:

In this highly competitive category, the race for positions intensified. Cao Viet Nam (#65) initially struggled, starting from 13th position among the 22 racers on the grid.

His teammate, Nguyen Duc Thanh (#193), also faced challenges and found himself in 21st place. Unfortunately, Thanh encountered an incident at turn 1 after completing the first lap, forcing him to retire from the race prematurely.

Despite these setbacks, Cao Viet Nam launched a formidable comeback in the third lap. Despite running solo, he managed to secure the 10th position among the racers. His determination continued to drive him forward, propelling him into the top 9/22 by the seventh lap. However, he was overtaken by a Japanese racer, Aiki Iyoshi, and slipped to 10/22 in the eighth lap. Meanwhile, his teammate, Nguyen Duc Thanh (#193), dropped to 18/22.

As the race entered the final lap, Cao Viet Nam found himself running in 11/22, while his teammate continued to fall to 19/22. These positions remained unchanged as the racers crossed the finish line.

Overall, Cao Viet Nam’s performance in Race 1 was impressive. Despite starting from the 13th position, 20 seconds behind the leader, Rheza Danica Ahrens (#123) from the Astra Honda Racing Team, Cao Viet Nam managed to secure the 4th position (after the disqualification of the fourth-place racer). His teammate, Nguyen Duc Thanh (#193), did not finish the race and temporarily ranked 19th.

With this result, the Honda Racing Vietnam Team earned a total of 21 valuable points in the ARRC 2023 Round 1 in Thailand. Cao Viet Nam contributed to all of the team’s points—8 in Race 1 and 13 in Race 2. The other team members are determined to seek redemption in the remaining 5 races, scheduled to be held in Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, China, and Thailand.

Anh Phan (Tuoitrethudo)