Sakchai Kongduangdee completed a perfect weekend at Chang International Circuit. After dominating practice, qualifying and Race 1, none of the other 22 riders was able to lay a glove on the 16-year-old in Race 2. It was a lights-to-flag-masterclass in cool-headed consistency, and another day on which the contest for the 2024 Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Asia Pacific Championship got tighter.
By the end of lap 1, Sakchai had put just enough daylight between himself and the tussle for second for him to focus only on riding his own race. The cast of characters in the chasing group was the same as for Race 1, though with notably less swerving and elbowing than there had been 24 hours earlier. Wildcards Farres Putra Bin Mohamed Fadhill and Jorhans Richard Joshua again made their presence felt as they jockeyed for position with Ryan Larkin, Haydn Fordyce, Tanakit Pratumtong and championship leader Kakeru Okunuki. Varis Fleming, who had run with the same group on Saturday, was slightly off the pace
this time.
It was a 10-lap battle of wits that had to come down to the last lap. Three seconds behind the race leader, Tanakit led the group across the line for the ninth time from Jorhans, Farres Putra, Kakeru, Larkin and Fordyce. The New Zealander ran wide at the turn 3 loop and appeared to lose his shot at the podium, though he kept his head down undeterred. Farres and Jorhans were ahead of Kakeru through turn 4 and led into the technical section that starts at turn 5. Kakeru kept it tight on the exit to move in front of Indonesia’s Jorhans as they switched right into turn 6. As Sakchai was starting his slowing down lap celebrations, Farres held his advantage through the final sector to go through turn 12 and past the checkered flag unchallenged. A few meters back, a tangle involving Tanakit and Kakeru took both riders
out of podium contention. Ryan Larkin, looking very much like he had seen it all before, swept through to third, three tenths ahead of Haydn Fordyce, who pipped Jorhans for fourth. Varis Fleming was eight seconds further back in sixth. Three seconds adrift from Thai-Australian Varis was Nattakorn Kammayee who triumphed in another close contest for seventh from Kerkrit Chansuta, Theppitak Kraiyafai, Huanni Ke and Moses Reyes, who was 11 th . Tanakit recovered enough cross the line 12 th in front of Pasavee Detraksa, Zain Doblada and Kakeru, who hauled himself through to 15 th .
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