Contrasting results for Suzuki ARRC riders

HITA CITY, JAPAN—Team Suzuki Pilipinas got contrasting results from its two riders in the Japan leg of the Asia Road Racing Championship at the Autopolis International Racing Course.

Japanese rider Yusuke Teshima collected 14 points from two races in his best output so far since replacing the late Maico Buncio in the supersports 600cc division.

But John Lery Enriquez failed to finish both races in the 115cc underbone category in the fourth stop of the six-leg series.

“So far, so good,” said Team Suzuki Pilipinas manager Lakay Arreola, whose squad is in its initial foray in the ultra-competitive ARRC.

“Our development in the 600cc is good and it will further improve since this is just our first year. For underbone, we have a lot of things to improve on especially because its a new engine for us. But we are getting the experiences that we need to eventually be competitive.”

Starting 14th on the grid, Teshima powered his Suzuki GSXR 600cc bike to a seventh-place finish on Race 1 Saturday, before landing 11th place in Race 2 Sunday.

It was a solid performance by the Japanese rider, who jacked up his tally to 27.5 points after taking over from Buncio, who would have turned 23 Sunday.

Riding at an average speed of 141.53 kph, Teshima timed 23 minutes and 43.5 seconds in Race 1 and even finished ahead of the flashy Japanese rider and overall series leader Katsuaki Fujiwara with Suzuki Philippines president Satoshi Uchida watching from the paddock.

But Fujiwara, who clocked the best time in qualifying, bounced back by ruling Race 2 in 23 minutes, 34 seconds. Teshima clocked 23:44 to 11th in the 12-lap race.

Enriquez’s woes continued in the tricky and hilly racetrack nestled on Mt. Aso in this Southern Japan city.

The 22-year-old quit after two laps in Race 1 because of engine trouble and had to start from the pit lane in Race 2 as mechanics rushed to fix his bike.

Twenty meters into the race, he returned to the pit lane and was reduced to a spectator as Indonesia’s Hadi Wijaya, with an average speed of 114.57 kph, ruled the race in 15 minutes 41.957 seconds.

Wijaya also topped Race 1 in 15 minutes, 49.64 seconds, edging  compatriot Rafid Topan (15:49.65) and Malaysia’s Zaidy Zaifaizal (15:49.93)

Enriquez has four points so far this season, which he collected for placing 12th in Race 1 of the India leg set at the Madras Circuit last month.

The ARCC’s next leg is set Oct. 13-16 at the Zhuhai Circuit in Guangdong, China.