“Thai Yamaha” demonstrated strong form in their ARRC Motegi race 1 debut as “Idea” Kritpat Khuankham soared onto the podium despite engine RPM reduction. “Tee” Anupap Samul secured a top 4 finish and continues his pursuit of the Asian championship.
The Yamaha Thailand Racing Team delivered an outstanding performance at the 2026 Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) Round 3 held at Mobility Resort Motegi, Japan. Rising Thai star “Idea” Kritpat Khuankham claimed third place in the Asia Production 250cc (AP250) class despite a 400 RPM engine limit. Meanwhile, team senior “Tee” Anupap Samul finished fourth in the Supersport 600cc (SS600) class, earning crucial points and moving up to the top three in the overall standings after Saturday’s first race.
The third round of the 2026 Asia Road Racing Championship’s first race took place on Saturday, 13 June, at Mobility Resort Motegi, Japan, on a 4.8-kilometer circuit.
In the Asia Production 250cc class, “Idea” Kritpat Khuankham, riding the Yamaha YZF-R3 number 39, started from the third grid position after qualifying with a time of 2 minutes 07.094 seconds.
The race consisted of 10 laps. The young Thai rider faced a tough challenge due to a second engine RPM reduction totaling 400 RPM, which clearly affected the bike’s acceleration and top speed.
Nevertheless, “Idea” Kritpat demonstrated strong speed and race management skills, staying with the leading group throughout the race. He briefly took the lead early on but slipped to fifth place in the final two laps.
In the final lap, the Thai rider executed sharp overtakes, passing two competitors in quick succession to finish third with a total time of 21 minutes 34.901 seconds, just 0.418 seconds behind the winner. He maintained his lead atop the overall points standings firmly.
In the Supersport 600cc class, “Tee” Anupap, riding the Yamaha YZF-R6 number 500, started from the fourth grid position in a 12-lap race.
Although he had a slow start and dropped to fifth early in the race, the experienced Thai rider found his rhythm, moving back up to the front group and reaching third place midway through the race.
Despite intense competition throughout, “Tee” Anupap crossed the finish line in fourth place with a total time of 22 minutes 56.907 seconds, 5.493 seconds behind the winner. He earned valuable points and climbed to third place in the Asian championship standings, narrowing the gap to the leader to 19 points.
The 2026 Asia Road Racing Championship Round 3 will hold its second race on Sunday, 14 June. The Asia Production 250cc race is scheduled to start at 11:30 a.m. Thailand time, followed by the Supersport 600cc race at 1:15 p.m.
Fans are encouraged to support “Tee” Anupap Samul and “Idea” Kritpat Khuankham along with the Yamaha Thailand Racing Team as they continue their quest for success in the Asian championship in Japan.