Ryan Larkin making great strides in Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Asia Pacific Cup

Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Asia Pacific Championship
Round Two Report

The Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Asia Pacific Championship hit Thailand International Circuit earlier this month and 15-year-old Chayakorn Saeong proved untouchable. The Thai rider came away with both wins despite three red flags and only half-points for the final race.

If anything, temperatures were even hotter than a month earlier in Buriram, with air temperatures hitting 43 degrees, which blasted the track surface into the sixties. Such blistering conditions at a circuit that was new to all, but handed Thai riders an early advantage.

Even as the gap narrowed during practice and qualifying, round one double winner Kakeru Okunuki was the only visitor able to match the pace of the fastest Thais.

The 16-year-old from Fukushima put himself on the outside of the front row just a few tenths off the pole-setting time of 1:29.412 logged by Chayakorn, and Tanakit Pratumtong, who was second quickest. Theppitak Kraiyafai led row two from Supakarn Phasuraphonkul and Anak Waichalard.

Aussie Ryan Larkin was still recovering from bruising and fatigue after a crash in Queensland just a week earlier.  The 17-year-old Victorian was only able to complete half the practice and qualifying time available, but still had the pace to qualify eighth.

Race One

When racing got underway, Chayakorn converted pole position into holeshot. He led from turn one and set an immediate fast pace that only Kakeru, Theppitak, and Supakarn were initially able to match, though they soon began to lose ground.

By lap seven, Theppitak was on the move, closing in on the second-placed Japanese rider. With three laps left, and just when it looked as though he was going to overhaul Kakeru, two slower riders crashed at the final turn and brought out the red flag.

With 75 per cent of the race distance having been completed, the result was declared, confirming Chayakorn as the winner by 3.3 seconds from Kakeru and Theppitak. Supakarn, a further four seconds back, was a lonely fourth

Anak Waichalard and Ryan Larkin finished a distant fifth and sixth, respectively.

Young Kiwi Haydn Fordyce finished 13th.

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Race One Results

Race Two

Chayakorn executed another perfect launch in brutal conditions while being chased by Tanakit and Kakeru. Also starting well were Supakorn and Larkin from the second and third rows, respectively.

Kakeru passed Tanakit on the second lap and set off after Chayakorn, recording two successive fastest laps as he did so. However, just as attention focused on the battle at the front, an incident brought out the red flags.

At the restart, scheduled for eight laps, Tanakit managed to edge out Chayakorn into turn one, but ran wide to hand the lead straight back to the race winner. Kakeru, meanwhile, lifted the front from the outside of the front row and got shuffled back to fifth.

Seeing Chayakorn escaping once again, Kakeru pulled off a spectacular double overtake on Theppitak and Supakorn at turn four on the third lap and immediately made off after Tanakit in second. On lap four, the Japanese rider got alongside his rival at turn three, but low-sided and caught Tanakit’s machine as he fell, sending the Thai over the high-side.

That brought out the red flag for the second time, and Race Control called it a result, with half championship points to be awarded. Chayakorn was duly declared the winner, while Theppitak and Supakarn were elevated to second and third.

Meanwhile, Ryan Larkin picked up useful points in fourth, moving closer to the podium.

Behind the Australian, New Zealand’s Haydn Fordyce had a much better race and was fifth from Moses Gerard Reyes, who won a close fight for sixth from Pasavee Detratksa, Zain Kaizzer Doblada and Chonlasit Rakbumrung.

Race Two Results

Championship hotting up

After two rounds, Kakeru leads the standings with 57-points, 10 clear of Chayakorn, who is just half-a point ahead of Aussie Ryan Larkin, whose tally stands at 46.5. Theppitak is fourth on 44.5, so an intriguing battle is emerging at the top.

New Zealand’s Haydn Fordyce sits seventh on 29.5 points.

Ryan Larkin

“The second round of the Yamaha Blu Cru Asia Pacific R3 Cup was one of the hardest weekends of riding so far; a track that gave no rest in 40 deg Thailand heat became a battle of energy and fatigue to qualify eighth and finish the opening race in sixth and the second bout in fourth. My positive thoughts for all my team-mates who were injured and Kakeru, who suffered multiple pelvis breaks in the second race: you will heal as fast as you ride. Being one of the cleanest riders I enjoy competing with, I look forward to our laughs once again. Rest up, my friend. We will see you very soon.”

The Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Asia Pacific Championship returns to Chang International Circuit on the weekend of 4-6 July for Round 3.

Further rounds will be held in  August (Sugo) and September (Chang) before the series wraps in Australia, in conjunction with the final round of the Australian Superbike Championship in early November.

The series is open to riders from as young as 12 and provides a stepping stone towards world championship racing. The winner of the six-round Asia-Pacific title will receive full support to race in next year’s Yamaha R3 bLU cRU World Cup, which runs in conjunction with the World Superbike Championship. Following on from that, the World Cup winner gets Yamaha support to race in the FIM World Supersport 300 Championship.

Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Asia Pacific Standings