Fresh from his resounding victory in the national championship last weekend, Rajiv Sethu eyes to better his record within the top 10. Meanwhile, for his rookie teammate Senthil Kumar, this will be a great opportunity to make the most of this new track.
In his third year at ARRC, Rajiv is now a serious competitor. 2019's season-opener at Malaysia saw him become the first Indian to score 10 points. In Australia, he finished the race in top 10 for the first time ever. Next up in Thailand, Rajiv recorded his best ever qualifier finish in top 7.
Round 4 at Japan's Suzuka circuit proved his growth as he finished 14th in a race which saw as many as nine riders crashing out on the wet tarmac. The 21-year-old Chennai rider now enters China round in top 10 of AP250 class a big jump over his previous championship standing of 27th in 2018 and 46th in 2017. Meanwhile, teammate Senthil Kumar stands in top 25 with 2 points under his belt in his debut season at ARRC.
ARRC's return to Zhuhai International Circuit after seven years is potentially the biggest mid-season twist in Asia's toughest championship. With the exception of one Chinese wildcard entry Zhou Sheng Jun Jie in Asia Production 250 (AP250) class, Zhuhai circuit will be a level playing field for most of the 26 riders from Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taipei and India.
( With inputs from IANS )