The #16 produces a perfect wet weather display to beat first-time podium finishers Schmidt & Singhapong, with Mitani’s P4 enough to see him claim the title
The 2024 IDEMITSU Asia Talent Cup Champion has been crowned as a P4 finish in the wet Buriram conditions handed the brilliant Zen Mitani the crown. The Japanese star ended the 12-lap race behind winner Ryota Ogiwara as the #16 produced an inch-perfect performance to fend off the superb second place finisher Archie Schmidt. Third place went the way of home hero Kiattisak Singhapong as the Thai rider joined the aforementioned Australian on the podium for the first time.
Ogiwara – as he did in Race 1 – pinched a comfortable holeshot into Turn 1 as Mitani slotted into an early P2. The Japanese duo got their heads down and set a great pace in the early exchanges, as Singhapong led the chase. Then, two Australians joined the fray as Schmidt and Rikki Henry powered into the rostrum fight before the latter’s top three hopes ended with a small crash at Turn 12.
Then it became about four riders fighting for the podium places. Ogiwara led the way from Mitani before Schmidt passed the Champion elect heading into the closing handful of laps. Singhapong then followed the #15 through on the #2 to get himself into P3, much to the delight of the Thai fans.
Mitani, pushing for a podium, then narrowly avoided a crash coming out of Turn 8. That was enough for the Japanese rider to call off his podium attack, as Mitani settled into a comfortable P4 – a result plenty good enough for him to wrap up the title. Schmidt was setting PB laps in the closing stages to get within a second of Ogiwara, but the latter held on to claim a second win of the season. Behind debut podium finishers Schmidt and Singhapong, Mitani crossed the line in fourth to become the deserving 2024 ATC Champion.
Riichi Takahira was unable to get into the podium fight and finished in P5, which sees the #9 slip to P3 in the overall standings ahead of the final two races of the season. Race 1 winner Kiandra Ramadhipa picked up P6, with wildcard Noprutpong Bunprawet collecting an impressive P7 ahead of fellow top 10 finishers Sarthak Chavan, Rintaro Takemoto and Alfonsi Daquigan.
So there we go. The magnificent Mitani leaves Thailand as the new Champion and becomes the fifth Japanese rider to win the ATC title, as we get set for the 2024 curtain closer in Malaysia next weekend.
