Indonesia fails to win Sentul road race

Indonesia fails to win Sentul road race

JAKARTA (JP): The host team finished empty-handed in the four
categories of the Asian road race in Sentul, near Bogor, on
Sunday.

Thailand took three classes of the 125cc, 150cc sports
production and 110cc underbone, and Japan captured the 250cc
sports production. Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Japan took
part in the one-day event.

Ahmad Jayadi, Indonesia's lone hope in the 125cc, could not
match the speed of the mighty Thais Eakrach Panbuboa and Anan
Meechaniad, who finished in first and second. Jayadi was sixth in
16 minutes 32.869 seconds.

Panbuboa clocked 16:07.635 and Meechaniad 16:09.401. Malaysian
Sharun Nizam was third in 16:11.516.

Jayadi was disappointed over his defeat and blamed it on
engine trouble of his Yamaha 125Z motorcycle. The new motorcycle
cost Rp 120 million and was bought by the Indonesian Automotive
Foundation from Japan.

"My motorcycle could not run fast. If I had used by own
motorcycle (Yamaha 125RG), there was a possibility I could have
won the race," Jayadi was quoted as saying on Sunday by Antara
news agency.

Bob Nasution, chairman of the Indonesian Motor Association
(IMI), was also disappointed by Jayadi's failure.

"If Jayadi had won, we would certainly be proud of him. We
must admit that the foreign racers are better than us."

Jayadi also fell short in the 150cc sports production,
chugging home in eighth place.

Thai riders swept the top three spots, with Direk Achawong
(17:10.969), Sumath L. (17:17.173) and Christmas Wilairoj
(17:17.241).

Thailand again showed its supremacy by winning the 110cc
underbone through Suhathai Chamsub (17:06.877). Malaysian Faisal
Ahmed took second place in 17:43.973 and teammate Sivenesen was
third in 19:01.399.

Yoichi Nakajima of Japan broke the Thai dominance in the road
race by winning the 250cc sports production. He clocked
24:57.252. Second and third places went to Malaysians Kuan Meng
Heng (24:57.678) and Chow Yan Kit (24:57.743). (lnt)