Indian riders Rajiv Sethu, Senthil Kumar gain points in 2022 ARRC Round 4

Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Oct 8 (IANS) Showcasing the consistent performance along with gaining points for the team, Honda Racing India team's rider duo Rajiv Sethu and Senthil Kumar bagged another achievement in the first race of Round 4 of FIM Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) 2022 at the Sepang International Circuit on Saturday.

Bringing laurels for the country on international soil, both the riders secured three points while maintaining steadiness and complete focus till the last lap.

Starting 14th from the grid, Rajiv slipped to 17th position after the first lap. However, showing positive momentum in the race and competing fearlessly with the other international riders, he moved up to the 14th position in the final lap and completed the race with a total time of 20:32.048, earning two points for the team.

In Saturday's race, Senthil Kumar showcased his best skills and competed well to earn points for the team. Utilizing his previous track experience and the right strategies, he finished the race next to Rajiv in 15th position, earning 1 point for the team. Senthil crossed the chequered line with a total time of 20:36.296, Honda Racing informed in a release on Saturday.

"Today we completed Race 1 in a positive way with the team earning valuable points. Rajiv finished well with two points in the race and Senthil has shown tremendous improvement not only in riding but even in maintaining the right momentum on the track. I am sure that with today's learning and experience, our riders will enhance their strategies for better positions tomorrow," Prabhu Nagaraj, Operating Officer - Brand & Communication, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India said.

"Sepang circuit is one of the most challenging circuits in Asia. Considering the cloudy weather situation today, my focus was not to hurry but maintain cool and continuous momentum in the race. I pushed harder wherever it was required and that helped in adding more points to the team's kitty. I have marked the areas where different strategies are required to enhance my performance. I am confident of another positive result in tomorrow's final race," said Rajiv Sethu:

"The previous international and domestic races have helped me a lot to race today at the Sepang circuit. My focus was to maintain the right pace and win points for the team. Despite moving down from the 15th position in the first few laps, I maintained. With this 1 point for the team, I am motivated and confident to bring another achievement tomorrow," said Senthil Kumar.