Honda Racing Thailand roared at Sepang! Thanach Laongpliu rode his CBR600RR to claim the 2nd front row grid position at the first round of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship.
The young Thai rider from Honda Racing Thailand pushed the Honda CBR Series to exceptional speeds during qualifying, securing a front-row starting grid ahead of the race final at the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship 2026 first round at Sepang Circuit, Malaysia, on Saturday afternoon, 11 April 2026.
In the Supersport 600cc class, two Thai riders pushed their speeds to the front ranks of Asia, thrillingly claiming front row grid positions. "Mix" Thanach Laongpliu, number 31, recorded the best lap time of 2:09.421 minutes to secure 2nd on the grid. His teammate "Hipec" Krisda Thanachot, number 18, will start from 9th grid after a best lap of 2:10.458 minutes.
In the Asia Production 250cc class, Thai rising star "Fer" Panjaruj Jitwirunchat faced a red flag during qualifying due to a competitor's accident disrupting his rhythm but still managed a best lap time of 2:24.787 minutes, earning an 11th grid start in the 4th row.
The first race final is set for Saturday afternoon, 11 April, with the SS600 class competing at 14:00 and the AP250 class racing at 13:10, both times in Thailand time.