The 2024 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) got off to a thrilling start on March 15-17 at the Chang International Circuit, also known as the Elephant Track, in Thailand.
Sponsored by YOU-ALL Enterprise, the UMA squad participated in the UB150 category with two teams:
- UMA Maju Yamaha Asia Team: Champion Nazirul Izzat Md Bahauddin, riding the #1 bike after his title-winning season, and returning driver MD Syafiq Rosli in car #36;
- UMA MMR Yamaha Philippines Team: Maintained their lineup from last year, featuring April King Mascardo (#43) and Gian Carlo Mauricio (#27) representing the Philippines.
Nazirul Izzat, the defending champion, started the new season in car #1. In qualifying, Mascardo began from seventh, Izzat from tenth, while Rosli and Mauricio were set to start in positions twelve and eighteen respectively.
The 8-lap races in the UB150 category were nothing short of epic, with intense battles throughout the season opener. The final corner of each lap often saw chaos and crashes, making the Buriram circuit a notorious feature of the races.
In the first race on Saturday, March 16, both Mauricio and Rosli were eliminated after collisions, leaving Mascardo and Izzat in the lead pack. Mascardo secured third place, just 0.382 seconds behind the winner, while Izzat finished fifth, only 0.448 seconds behind, nearly touching wheels with the leader.
The second race maintained its high intensity, with Izzat securing second place, a mere 0.194 seconds behind the winner, while Mascardo took eighth, about one second behind. Rosli followed in ninth, and Mauricio claimed thirteenth. All four riders collected points in this race.
After the Thai round, Izzat led the UB150 standings with 31 points, setting the early pace for the championship.