Idea Charges to Victory at Sepang, Eyes Asian Championship

The Asia Road Racing Championship 2026 Round 5 held its first race on Saturday, September 5, at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia. All teams faced significant challenges when racing equipment arrived late due to transport problems, forcing race organizers to adjust the practice schedule. Every team worked hard to prepare their bikes for competition.

Yamaha Thailand Racing moved quickly from early Friday morning to ready bikes for two riders: Tee Anuphap Samul in the SuperSport 600cc class and Idea Kritpat Khuenkam in the Asia Production 250cc class. Both riders showed steady improvement in pace.

In the SuperSport 600cc race, run over 10 laps, Tee Anuphap started from grid two and quickly moved to the lead. Riding carefully under intense championship pressure, the Thai veteran managed risk well and maintained strong pace before crossing the finish line in second place, just 0.1 seconds behind the winner. He collected vital points and sits second overall, now trailing the championship leader by only 5 points.

In the Asia Production 250cc class, young Thai rider Idea Kritpat faced a difficult start after crashing during qualifying. The Yamaha Thailand Racing crew quickly repaired the bike, allowing him to grab 10th on the grid. Idea started aggressively from the opening lap, passing competitors and moving into the lead group by lap one. He held position firmly despite strong pressure before taking the checkered flag for a dominant first-race victory. He now leads the championship with 162 points, 54 points ahead of his nearest rival and on the verge of clinching the Asian title.

The second race of Round 5 takes place on Sunday, September 6, starting with Asia Production 250cc at 1:05 p.m. (Thailand time), followed by SuperSport 600cc at 2:00 p.m.