ARRC Round three: Idemitsu Honda Racing India, the only racing team for Honda two-wheelers from India arrived in Thailand for Round Three of the Asian Road Racing Championship (ARRC). Chang Circuit in Buriram, Thailand, will host round three of FIM ARRC 2019.
Leading the team in the Asia Production 250cc class of the ARRC is Rajiv Sethu. After sweeping double-digit points for the first time in Australia, Rajiv is a serious contender in the 2019 championship. Compared to his 27th position last year. Rajiv is already in top 12 with 18 points so far in the Asia Production 250cc class.
“2019 is shaping up as the best year for Honda’s solo Indian team at the ARRC. Rajiv Sethu is coming of age and is already among the top 12 riders this season, compared to his 27th position last year. Senthil too is riding more confidently on the new machine after two rounds. The biggest advantage is that the Chang circuit is like a second home for our boys. Both Rajiv and Senthil have raced extensively on this MotoGP track and are aware of its intricacies. Pushing hard, we want to make most of this round and close in top five teams this round,” said Prabhu Nagaraj, VP – Brand and Communications, HMSI Pvt Ltd.
Rajiv’s teammate, Senthil Kumar, made his debut last year at the Thai Talent Cup, showed promising results at the Chang Circuit last year. In his debut ARRC year, Senthil has already won two points.
The duo will be competing with riders from Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Taipei. Balancing Various Motorcycle Concepts rule is also introduced in the championship. It basically means reducing the engine rpm of the bikes. The new rule ensures a level playing field and balances the performance of the top five riders in the overall championship. After two rounds, top riders of AP 250cc class Aiki Iyoshi (Japan) and Andy Muhammad Fadly (Indonesia) will be the first to achieve the first equaliser (500rpm reduction) while rounding up the top three of AP 250cc class Muklada Sarapuech (Thailand).
“I am both mentally and physically charged up for this round. With the support of complete Idemitsu Honda Racing India team and my coach Koyama. Australia gave me momentum and now I want to re-write history by aiming for a podium at Chang. The circuit where I scored my first ever international points. My target is not a top 10 finish. I want to push hard and surprise everyone even more in this round,” said Rajiv Sethu.