Mandalika – Astra Honda Racing Team delivered a strong home-round performance at the 2026 Idemitsu FIM Asia Road Racing Championship, securing an AP250 victory and a Supersport 600 podium at Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit. Irfan Ardiansyah won Race 2 of the AP250 class on the Honda CBR250RR, while Herjun Atna Firdaus finished third in Race 2 of the SS600 class aboard the CBR600RR.
The fourth round of the Asian motorcycle racing championship took place in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, from August 7-9. The results gave AHRT valuable championship points across multiple classes while also providing a strong home performance for its Indonesian riders.
Irfan’s AP250 victory was the headline result of the weekend. After finishing only 10th in Race 1, the Indonesian rider recovered dramatically on Sunday to claim the top step of the podium.
Irfan Turns a Difficult Weekend Into an AP250 Victory
Irfan started Race 1 from seventh on the grid and quickly joined the battle at the front. The CBR250RR rider even took the lead during the race before the field became increasingly compressed in the closing laps.
A late-race incident prevented him from converting that pace into a podium. While battling through the final corner, Irfan ran wide while trying to avoid an incident and eventually finished 10th.
Race 2 produced a completely different outcome.
Irfan again joined the leading group and challenged for the lead several times. However, his race became more difficult with six laps remaining when he dropped as low as 11th position.
Rather than losing contact with the leaders, Irfan gradually worked his way back through the field. He also recorded the fastest lap of the race on Lap 7, with a time of 1:46.919.
The comeback continued into the final lap.
Irfan moved into third before eventually taking the lead during the final stages. With the leading riders battling closely, he found an opportunity in the final section of the race and held on to secure the AP250 victory.
The result earned Irfan 31 points from the Mandalika round and moved him two positions higher in the championship standings. He now sits fourth in AP250 with 82 points.
“I’m very happy to win Race 2. Thank you to the entire team for their hard work and support. Hopefully, we can maintain this positive momentum into the next round,” Irfan said.
Rheza Remains in the AP250 Title Fight
AHRT’s other AP250 rider, Rheza Danica Ahrens, also showed strong pace throughout the weekend.
Starting 10th in Race 1, Rheza climbed through the field and finished sixth. He was even more competitive in Race 2, moving into third before taking the lead on the final lap.
However, his attempt to secure a podium ended after contact with another rider caused him to crash at Turn 16.
Rheza still collected 10 points from the Mandalika round and remains second in the AP250 championship standings with 92 points.
His position keeps AHRT firmly involved in the title battle heading into the remaining rounds.
Muhammad Badly Ayatullah also continued his return from injury. He started Race 1 from 16th and climbed as high as ninth before crashing on Lap 9.
In Race 2, Badly showed further progress and finished fifth.
Herjun Returns to the SS600 Podium
The positive results continued in the Supersport 600 category, where Herjun Atna Firdaus claimed third place in Race 2 with the Honda CBR600RR.
Herjun started Race 1 from second and immediately moved into the lead. However, the tightly contested race saw his position fluctuate throughout the event.
Two laps from the finish, Herjun was involved in an incident at a corner but managed to continue and eventually finished eighth.
Race 2 saw another comeback.
Herjun dropped to eighth early in the race but gradually moved forward while remaining involved in a six-rider battle. He recorded a personal best lap time of 1:37.893 during the 12-lap contest.
With three laps remaining, he had reached fifth.
The final lap produced another twist when two riders ahead of him crashed. Herjun took advantage of the opening to move into third and return to the podium.
The result gave him 16 points at Mandalika and brought his championship tally to 91 points, placing him fifth in the SS600 standings.
“I’m happy to return to the podium after going through two difficult races. Thank you to the team, mechanics and my family for their support. Hopefully, this momentum can continue into the next round,” Herjun said.
Adenanta Shows Pace While Recovering From Injury
AHRT’s campaign also included the premier Asia Superbike 1000 class, where M. Adenanta Putra competed with the Honda CBR1000RR-R.
Adenanta started Race 1 from sixth and moved up to fifth before eventually finishing sixth. He produced another competitive performance in Race 2, again starting sixth and joining the battle near the front.
The Indonesian rider briefly moved into second and third positions before finishing fifth.
His result was achieved while he continues to recover from a collarbone injury. Despite not yet being fully recovered physically, Adenanta was able to maintain his pace throughout the race.
He currently has 71 points and sits sixth in the ASB1000 championship standings.
“I’m happy to achieve a better result in Race 2 and feel increasingly confident with the motorcycle. I will focus on recovering my physical condition and continue working for the best result in the next round,” Adenanta said.
CBR Series Delivers Across Three ARRC Classes
The Mandalika results underline the breadth of Honda’s presence in the 2026 ARRC through its CBR racing machines.
The CBR250RR powered Irfan to victory in AP250, while the CBR600RR carried Herjun to the SS600 podium. In the premier ASB1000 category, the CBR1000RR-R also remained competitive with Adenanta fighting inside the leading group.
The weekend was therefore not simply about one race win. AHRT collected strong results across three different categories while its riders continued to fight for championship positions.
AHRT General Manager of Marketing Planning and Analysis Andy Wijaya praised the team’s performance throughout the Mandalika weekend.
“We are proud to see the fighting spirit of all AHRT riders throughout the Mandalika round. Irfan’s victory and Herjun’s podium are positive results from the team’s hard work, while the efforts of all riders in every class demonstrate their commitment to achieving the best possible results,” Wijaya said.
Focus Turns to Sepang
With the Mandalika round completed, AHRT will now turn its attention to the fifth round of the 2026 ARRC at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia.
Irfan enters the next round with renewed momentum after turning a difficult Race 1 into an AP250 victory on Sunday. Rheza remains second in the AP250 standings, while Herjun and Adenanta continue their respective campaigns in SS600 and ASB1000.
For AHRT, the objective is now to carry the momentum from its home round into the next stage of the championship.
The Mandalika weekend showed that the team’s riders can recover from setbacks and remain competitive across multiple categories. With several championship positions still within reach, the remaining ARRC rounds could prove crucial for AHRT’s 2026 campaign.