The winners in the SuperSport category of the Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) are seen celebrating on the podium at the Losail International Circuit yesterday. Nasser Khalifa Al Attiyah (left), Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF) President is also seen.
DOHA: Japanese rider Ryuichi Kiyonari yesterday produced a thrilling performance in the final race of the season to win the 2012 SuperSport title of the Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC).
Kiyonari - riding a Honda - won race 2 ahead of Malaysian duo of Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman and Mohamed Zamri Baba to nudge ahead of points leader Katsuaki Fujiwara for the title.
The Japanese rider finished the season with 232 points from six rounds.
Title favourite and pole winner Fujiwara ended the season with a tally of 226 points after missing the podium in both races yesterday.
Baba - riding a Yamaha - ended the season with 197 points.
Kiyonari won race 2 with a time of 31:46.882. In second place was Kamaruzaman (31:51.155).
Baba ended race 2 in third spot with a time of 32:02.011 in the 15-lap race around Losail International Circuit.
“I am very, very happy to have won the championship,” Kyonari said at a press conference.
“I want to thank my mechanics, my team officials, my sponsor and my fans for their support.
“After race 1, I knew I had to win the second race to win the championship. I am glad to win race 2,” the Japanese added.
In race 1, Baba topped the field with a time of 31:56.614.
Kiyonari finished race 1 in second spot (32:00.142) to collect 20 points, a tally that eventually allowed the Japanese go past Fujiwara. Kamaruzaman - riding a Honda - finished race 1 in third spot with a time of 32:06.654.
Qatar’s Nasser Al Malki - who was a wild card entry - finished race 1 in 8th spot (32:30.015) and ended race 2 in 13th place (32:47.780).
Fujiwara missed the podium in race 1, ending in fourth spot (32:06.683).
He finished in 5th spot in race 2 and failed to make the podium for the second time yesterday.
Kamaruzaman said: “It was a tough race but I enjoyed it. I want to thank my team and my sponsors.”
Baba - who ended on the podium in both the races - said: “I had some issues with the bike but my team managed to sort the problem. It was a tough race.”
The Peninsula
