"Tee-Anupap" swept to the top spot in the first day of the home race, while "Idea-Krittapat" held 2nd place, contending for victory at the ARRC event in Buriram.
Yamaha Thailand Racing Team kicked off the first day of practice at the 2026 Asia Road Racing Championship Round 2 with excellent form. "Tee" Anupap Samul, the team's senior rider, dominated the first three practice sessions in the Supersport 600cc (SS600) class aboard his YZF-R6. Meanwhile, "Idea" Krittapat Khuankham secured 2nd place in the Asia Production 250cc (AP250) class, aiming for victory in this weekend's home round of the Asian motorcycle championship.
The 2026 Asia Road Racing Championship Round 2 is scheduled from 8 to 10 May at Chang International Circuit in Buriram province, serving as the home race for all Thai riders who will compete amid the cheers of local fans.
The first three practice sessions took place on Friday, 8 May, under clear weather through the afternoon. In the Supersport 600cc (SS600) category, "Tee" Anupap Samul, a veteran of Yamaha Thailand Racing Team, worked seamlessly with his YZF-R6 race bike number 500. He maintained the top position in all three sessions, progressively improving his lap times: first practice at 1 minute 40.162 seconds, second at 1 minute 39.529 seconds, and third at 1 minute 39.402 seconds—fastest overall in this class.
Meanwhile, the Asia Production 250cc (AP250) category saw an intriguing situation. Thai rising star "Idea" Krittapat Khuankham, riding YZF-R3 number 39 for Yamaha Thailand Racing Team and currently leading the points standings, had his engine rpm limited by 200 rpm due to rules applied because his points gap from 6th place exceeded 25. This forced him and his mechanics to work hard at this event.
Nevertheless, "Idea-Krittapat" started well by leading the first two practice sessions before finishing the day in 2nd place with a lap time of 1 minute 52.116 seconds, just 0.323 seconds behind the leader. Meanwhile, young Thai rider "Gas" Theeraphai Thabtim, competing with a wild card entry and race number 39, gave his best effort to learn and finished day one in 14th place with a lap time of 1 minute 52.961 seconds.
The 2026 Asia Road Racing Championship Round 2 will proceed to qualifying for starting grid positions on the morning of Saturday, 9 May, followed by Race 1 in the afternoon of the same day. Race 2 is scheduled for Sunday, 10 May, with live online broadcasts available via the Asia Road Racing Championship page.