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Honda riders Rajiv, Anish chase the Indian dream in round 5 of ARRC at Sentul circuit, Indonesia

Posted on: 13/Oct/2018 4:02:14 PM
After vigorous 4 rounds at Thailand, Australia, Japan & India, the solo team from India IDEMITSU Honda Racing India by T Pro Ten10 has now taken the battle to Indonesia.  The penultimate round 5 of Asias most prestigious motorsport championship FIM Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) started today at the Sentul International Circuit.

The heat is on full at Round 5 @ Sentul: 
Indonesia round is turning out to be one of most challenging round of the season so far. Not only is the 3.964 kilometer Sentul circuit a very tough one with 11 turns, but competition too has intensified with 4 wildcard entries.  

IDEMITSU Honda Racing India team by T Pro Ten10 fully prepared:
Representing India in Asia Production 250cc class is the 20 year old Chennai boy Rajiv Sethu, and the debutant 24 year old Hubli rider Anish Shetty. 
Completing the trio is 20-year-old Japanese rider Taiga Hada in marquee SuperSports 600cc class.

Elaborating on the riders performance today Mr. Prabhu Nagaraj, Vice President, Brand and Communications, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. said, Indonesias Sentul circuit is definitely a difficult one. Rajiv improved on his lap time between practices while riding first time in this difficult track, Anish too gained confidence. In 600cc class, Hada showed huge improvement and climbed to Top 5 in third practice. Armed with todays experience, our boys are positive for tomorrow. We are hoping for better position in AP250 and challenging for a podium in SS600.
 
The team made a good start in todays practice session. 
Pushing hard in the SS600 class, Taiga Hada jumped from 10th position in Practice 1 to Top 5 by the 3rd practice. Tadas best lap time improved from 1:33:043 in FP1 to 1:31:360 in FP3.  

In the Asia Production 250cc class (AP250), Hondas Indian rider duo of Rajiv and Anish too made the best improvement in timing among all 30 riders. 

Fresh from his recent win in round 4 Indian national championship, Rajiv had a mixed day. He shaved off 1.6 seconds from his first practice best lap time today and climbed 2 positions to 21st in FP2. However, a high-slide in second practice resulted in significant damage in his bike due to which he couldnt gain track experience in third practice. 

Talking about his practice experience, Hondas Asia Production 250cc rider, Rajiv Sethu said, Sentul is a tough track but I have entered this round with a positive momentum. Today was all about finding a proper grip and racing line. My timing improved consistently. Tomorrow, qualifying will be critical as I want to gain points and finish in Top 15 in Indonesia.

Making his riding debut in Sentul, Anish improved his lap-time by strong 2.9 seconds between practice 1 and 2 but couldnt maintain his pace in FP3. But the confidence that he gained on the track today should give good results tomorrows qualifying and Race.

Sharing his thoughts, Anish Shetty said, Being my first time in Sentul ciruit, Im still adapting to the track and conditions. Post practice, the team has supported me with detailed technical analysis of my track riding. We have identified the top areas for improvement and I hope to work on thehem tomorrow for better lap time.