All Japan Road Race Championship Rd. 4 at Motegi: Hada wins consecutive races, podium finish for Arakawa!
For the 4th round of the MFJ All Japan Road Race Championship, held at Mobility Resort Motegi on August 23 (Sat) and 24 (Sun), Astemo Pro Honda SI Racing achieved podium finishes in spite of oppressively hot conditions and some unfortunate setbacks.
In this round, Nozane competed in the JSB1000 class, and Hada and Arakawa in the ST1000 class. Astemo SI Racing with Thai Honda participated in the J-GP3 class with riders Thanachat, Noprutpong, and Techin. Astemo SI Racing with RSC entered Todaka in the J-GP3 class. Nakarin did not participate in the ST1000 class due to Moto2 commitments, and Suzuki missed the ST600 class due to an injury during practice.
In the JSB1000 class, Nozane secured the top time in Saturday morning qualifying, earning the pole position for Race 1. In the Race 1 final on Saturday afternoon, he had a strong start and led early, but dropped to second place on lap 4, and he gradually fell back, ultimately finishing in 5th.
In Sunday’s Race 2, starting from 3rd on the grid, he competed among the leaders but suffered a mechanical issue on lap 18 while running 5th, forcing him to retire with only 3 laps left.
ST1000 class by contrast saw resounding successes. Hada started Race 1 on Saturday afternoon from 3rd on the grid and made a strong start, taking the lead in the first corner and maintaining a pace that no other rider could match, claiming the victory, while Arakawa finished 5th. In Race 2 on Sunday, Hada started from 2nd on the grid and again took the lead at the first corner, holding it until the finish to achieve his second consecutive win. Arakawa started 4th and rode strongly to finish 3rd, marking his first podium of the season.
In the J-GP3 class on Sunday, Noprutpong was unable to participate due to an injury sustained during qualifying, but the remaining three riders showed persistent efforts. Thanachat finished 11th, Todaka 15th, and Techin 17th.
The 5th round of the MFJ All Japan Road Race Championship Series, will be held on September 13 (Sat) and 14 (Sun) at Autopolis in Oita Prefecture. SI Racing plans to participate with a total of nine riders across the JSB1000, ST1000, ST600, and J-GP3 classes. We look forward to your continued support!
