Making waves across Asia, the Honda Racing Thailand riders are set to debut in the first round of the 2026 Asia Road Racing Championship.
The continental-level competition is set to return with excitement as the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship 2026, the largest motorcycle road racing championship in Asia, will be held at Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia, from 10-12 April 2026 GMT+7.
Honda Racing Thailand is fielding Thai riders in three main classes, led by "Chip" Nakarin Athiratphuvapat, last season’s Asia runner-up. He will continue racing bike number 41 in the ASB1000 class, aiming to make history as the first Thai rider to win the Asian championship in this top class. He finished the 2025 season as runner-up.
Moving to the SS600 class, a key focus for developing young talent at Honda Racing Thailand, the team will again field "Mix" Thanach Laongpliu with bike number 31 and “Hypek” Krisada Thanachot with bike number 18.
Last season, "Mix" Thanach Laongpliu secured a race win in the final event and achieved several top-5 finishes, while “Hypek” Krisada Thanachot ended the season in 11th place.
Finally, "Fer" Panjarooth Jitvirunchat, a rising star from the 2025 Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup, delivered impressive performances in the 2025 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship’s final round in Buriram as a wildcard rider, finishing 6th in the first race and top 5 in the next. Having competed in 2 rounds and 4 races, accumulating 21 points, he has earned a full-season chance to prove himself in the AP250 class this season, racing bike number 12.
The 2026 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship will feature 6 rounds across 3 countries: Malaysia, Thailand, and Japan, with the host country for the 4th round to be announced.