DOHA: Japanese rider Katsuaki Fujiwara yesterday secured the pole position for today’s SuperSport 600cc race in the sixth and final round of the 2012 Asian Road Racing Championship (ARRC) at Losail International Circuit.
Riding a Kawasaki, Fujiwara clocked the best time of 2:06.398 around the 5.38km race track.
Fujiwara finished the qualifying session ahead of Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman who was riding a Honda.
Malaysia’s Kamaruzaman clocked a time of 2:06.524 in the night qualifying session.
Mohamed Zamri Baba - also of Malaysia - secured the third place on the grid with a time 2:06.575.
Japanese riders Yuki Ito, Ryuichi Kiyonari and Makoto Inagaki placed fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.
Qatar’s Nasser Al Malki - riding a Yamaha bike - finished in 12th spot.
Al Malki’s best time was 2:08.548. Al Malki is racing for QMMF Racing Team in the SuperSport 600cc class.
Earlier in the day, Gupita Kresna Wardhana of Indonesia secured the pole position in the Underbone 115cc qualifying.
Wardhana was riding a Kawasaki. The Indonesian rider edged compatriot Reynaldo Ratukore for the top spot on the grid.
Ratukore - the Yamaha rider - finished the qualifying session in second spot. In third spot was H A Yudhistira, also of Indonesia.
In Asia Dream Cup qualifying last night, Japan’s Hiroki Ono topped the field with a time of 2:30.994.
In second place was Joshua Hook of Australia (2:32.238) while the third-fastest rider was Apiwat Wongthananon of Thailand (2:32.428). The races will be held today.
THE PENINSULA
