Malaysian ace Hafizh Syahrin of JDT Racing Team delivered another sensational performance as he stormed to his fourth victory of the 2025 season, reclaiming the top spot in the ASB1000 overall standings after a thrilling battle in Race 1 of Round 6 at the Asia Road Racing Championship 2025 at Chang International Circuit, Buriram.
The pole position belonged to Kato Abe of HDG HARC-Pro Honda Philippines, with Malaysia’s Zaqhwan Zaidi (Idemitsu Honda Racing Malaysia) and Thailand’s home hero Nakarin Atiratphuvapat (Honda Racing Thailand) lining up second and third.
Hafizh Syahrin, meanwhile, began the race from P5 on the second row, setting the stage for a powerful comeback push.
As the lights went out, Hafizh made an explosive start—quickly cutting through the pack and joining Nakarin in a fierce, high-speed duel for the race lead.
The pair swapped positions multiple times in dramatic fashion, triggering roars from the Thai crowd and Malaysian travelling supporters.
The ASB1000 class lived up to its reputation as the most intense category of ARRC, with constant overtakes, late-braking battles, and razor-thin margins separating the frontrunners.
In the final laps, Hafizh unleashed his signature late-race pace, overtaking Chip and defending with absolute precision.
He crossed the finish line first, clocking a winning time of 20:51.228 minutes, Just 0.197 seconds behind him was Indonesian rider Andi Farid Izdihar (Astra Honda Racing Team) in P2 and Pole-sitter Kato Abe completed the podium, finishing 0.765 seconds off the winner.
With this crucial victory, Hafizh rises back to the top of the ASB1000 championship table with 173 points and leads Nakarin by 8 points, setting up a high-stakes showdown in Race 2, scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.
Another battle between Hafizh, Chip, Abe, Zaqhwan, and Andi is expected—this time with the 2025 ASB1000 title hanging in the balance.
Credit Photo : Techawat Songsuairoop
