Hafizh Syahrin from JDT Racing Team has successfully crowned himself the Asia Road Racing Championship 2025 overall champion in the premier ASB1000 category.
In a dramatic season finale at the Chang International Circuit, Hafizh had to dig deep, fighting tooth and nail to secure a P2 finish in Race 2—a result just enough to seal the historic maiden title for the JDT Racing Team.
Coming off a dominant victory in Race 1 on December 6, the former MotoGP rider entered the final showdown sitting on 173 points. However, the championship was far from secure.
Local favorite Nakarin Atiratphuvapat (Honda Racing Thailand) was breathing down Hafizh’s neck, trailing by a mere eight points. The equation for the Thai rider was simple but difficult: Nakarin needed to win the race and hope Hafizh finished third or lower to steal the crown on home soil.
The tension was palpable as the grid formed based on qualifying times, leaving Hafizh to start from the second row in fifth position.
As the lights went out, Nakarin wasted no time, launching his Honda immediately to the front of the pack to control the race pace.
Hafizh found himself in a precarious position in fifth, stuck behind fellow Malaysian ace Zaqhwan Zaidi.
Knowing the title was at risk, the JDT rider mounted a charge. He successfully overtook the Idemitsu Honda Racing Malaysia rider, and subsequently hunted down SDG Harc-Pro Honda Philippines’ Keito Abe.
However, the drama wasn’t over. Zaqhwan fought back, reclaiming the position and momentarily putting Hafizh’s title hopes on a knife-edge.
In a display of grit and experience, Hafizh waited until the dying moments of the race. On the final lap, he executed a decisive overtake on former ASB1000 champion Zaqhwan Zaidi to reclaim second place.
That move was the championship-winning moment. By crossing the line in second, Hafizh ended the campaign with 193 points—a razor-thin three-point margin ahead of Nakarin.
Credit Photo : JDT Racing Team
