Asia Road Racing: Top 10 finish for Indian racer Rajiv Sethu

Buriram (Thailand), Nov 20 (IANS) Making a significant mark on international soil, the IDEMITSU Honda Racing India - a solo Indian team in FIM Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) finished the 2022 season on a positive note.

Showcasing consistent performance and brining laurels to the country, India's ace rider Rajiv Sethu finished the final race of Asia Production 250cc (AP250cc) class of ARRC in top 10.

After 18th position start on the grid, Rajiv moved up by a position in lap 1 itself. Taking advantage of the wet race and few crashes, he continued to gain positions and reached at 10th spot in Lap 8.

From thereon, he maintained positive momentum and crossed the chequered line at 10th position, thus adding 6 points in his kitty.

Meanwhile, today was a day of struggle and then a massive recovery for Senthil Kumar who after his 7th position start went out of track in Lap 2. But Senthil showed his determination and came back on track with more power and a challenging spirit. Competing fiercely with the international riders, Senthil finished today's race at 14th position, achieving 2 points.

After the final round, Rajiv Sethu closes the 2022 championship with 37 points finishing in the top 15, while Senthil closes it with 13 points. Overall Honda Racing India closed 2022 season in Top 10.

Expressing his views on the performance India rider Rajiv Sethu said, "Today was the final race and I had no option other than delivering my best. With the wind and rainy weather, all our proportions and mathematics got changed. My focus was not to rush but maintain a steady position in the race. From my previous experience and training, I countered all the challenges and achieved points and positions for the team. Taking all the learnings home, I shall be practicing more and creating new strategies to mark another achievement for the team."

Honda Racing India rider Senthil Kumar, "It was a tough and exciting race for me. The weather was not in favour which created hurdles for all the riders. My agenda was to avoid any mistakes and be on track to gain points for the team. I am happy with my today's performance as I was able to compete well with all the challenges as well as the other experienced riders. We will be returning next season with enhanced strategies for better results."