The second race of the weekend for the 2016 Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup riders at the Grand Prix of Japan saw a home win for Japanese rider Ai Ogura.
Ai Ogura was joined on the podium by compatriots Ryusei Yamanaka and Kazuki Masaki. The victory gives Ogura the lead in the cup standings with one round and two races to go.Race 2 in Japan got underway on Sunday afternoon after the MotoGP™ race at Motegi, with Andi Izdihar making a great start off the line to lead the way at the head of a front group consisting of nine riders.
On the fifth lap a crash for pole man and Race 1 winner Yuki Kunii took him out of contention, following his recent good run of form. The rest of the front group stayed tightly packed and fiercely contested the lead, with eight riders split by less than a second.
An incredible last lap saw Ogura battling with Cup title rival Somkiat Chantra for the lead, with the Japanese rider eventually getting the better of the Thai rider. Indeed Chantra ultimately crossed the line fourth behind Yamanaka and Masaki.
There was a season best finish for Can Oncu in fifth place after he had held the race lead earlier in the 15 lap contest, whilst Cup title aspirants Salim and Izdihar finished sixth and seventh respectively.
With two races to go Ogura leads the Cup standings with 160 points, ahead of Chantra on 153 points and Yamanaka on 144. Izdihar is fourth on 142 points and Salim completes the current top five on 136 points, with plenty still to play for at the final round of the season in a fortnight’s time.
Reviewing Race 2 in Japan, Alberto Puig, Director of the Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup, commented: “Again it was a great race to watch, it was very interesting and we are very pleased with the riders’ performance. It’s a pity for Yuki Kunii, who crashed, but the fight in the front group was exciting. They’ve learned how to ride here and the final round in Malaysia will be very tough with many riders fighting for the top positions and the championship.”
Track Conditions Race 2
Air Temperature: 26.9ºC
Track temperature: 27.5ºC – 32.6ºC – 25.6ºC
Humidity: 34%
Wind: 2.6 South
Conditions: Dry
Following the action at the Grand Prix of Japan the Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup riders will reconvene for their final races of the season at Sepang over the 28th-30th October weekend at the Grand Prix of Malaysia.
