ARRC 2025 Round 1 - Buriram

Buriram’s Blistering Season Opener!

When the 2025 Asia Road Racing Championship roared back to life at Buriram, Thailand for Round 1, I knew I had to be there—a camera ion each shoulder, my arsenal of lenses, of course my trusy chestvest, boots on the paddock, and senses tuned to the scent of race fuel and monsoon mist. As always, the Chang International Circuit did not disappoint, delivering drama, adrenaline, and a soggy pit lane or two. Let’s get this out of the way right now: SBK1000 category stole the show.

The Chang International Circuit in Buriram Thailand is now a firm favourite of mine. It never disappoints. Whether it’s the hum of a 1000cc inline-four or the low growl of a V4, or the smell of hot brakes in pit lane, this place throbs with energy and character on race weekend. For Round 1 of the 2025 Asia Road Racing Championship, I was trackside with cameras primed, ready to chase the action from sunrise through scrutineering to the final chequered flag on Sunday. As always, my attention gravitated to SBK1000 — the top dogs of the paddock. These bikes are beasts, and the riders don’t hang about. Watching them dive into Turn 1 at full tilt never gets old. The SS600 class had its drama too, albeit in a shorter format this time — just eight laps — but we’ll get to that later.

As a photographer with a soft spot for superbikes (who doesn’t love 200 horsepower wrapped in fairings?), the SBK1000 class was where I spent most of my shutter time. These machines are the gladiators of ARRC—raw, furious, and beautifully unforgiving. You can almost hear the tension in the air before the start, as crew members retreat behind the pit wall and riders click into first gear. What follows is nothing short of ballet—if ballet included apex dives and throttle slides.

Friday practice revealed a lot about who came prepared. You could see it in the body language: calm pits, confident lines, minimal chatter on the radios. From my viewfinder, it was the returning names that stood out first. The reigning SBK1000 champ, Japan’s Yuki Kuni had moved on to a seat in Moto2 for 2025, so there was no number 1 plate on show.

Come Saturday, qualifying was intense. Buriram’s long straights and tight hairpins demand both horsepower and bravery, and that’s where the SBK1000 class shone. I staked out the Turn 3 braking zone for a while, watching riders feather the front brake at 240km/h, downshifting in a blur of revs and clutch taps. The sound alone was enough to rattle your spine.

Race day arrived with heavy clouds and heavier anticipation. The paddock was buzzing. Tyres were being scrubbed, leathers zipped, and team radios crackled with updates. As the lights went out, the SBK1000 pack roared to life like a formation of angry hornets. From the camera pit at Turn 8, I tracked the leaders as they battled elbow-to-elbow, rear tyres twitching through the exit. What stood out was the composure. These riders aren’t just fast — they’re intelligent. Strategic overtakes, race-long tire management, and consistent lines separated the podium finishers from the rest. The eventual winner wasn’t the one who led every lap, but the one who timed his charge perfectly, slicing through with precision in the final laps. Absolute masterclass.

SS600 had its own flavour. Originally scheduled for twelve laps, it got clipped down to eight due to weather delays earlier in the day. A sprint race, essentially. And sprint they did! These mid-capacity machines always offer tight racing, and this was no exception. Three riders diced for the lead until the last corner, with less than half a second between them at the line. From my vantage near Turn 5, I caught some of the best side-by-side shots of the weekend. SS600 got caught in the crosshairs of Thailand’s rainy season. Race delays are part and parcel of Southeast Asian motorsport, but this was one for the books. With heavy rain pushing the schedule back, you could sense the urgency from pit lane to grid. Riders had to push like it was a sprint—and they did. I grabbed a position on the inside of Turn 9, just as the storm clouds began to dissipate. The spray was still coming off the kerbs, making for some brilliantly gritty race shots. SS600 might lack the thunder of the litre-class bikes, but the racing is pure poetry—slipstream duels, elbow brushes, and brave overtakes under brakes. It’s where the next generation cuts their teeth, and the competition is no less fierce.

There’s a rawness to photographing races in less-than-ideal weather. Damp boots, foggy lenses, and the ever-present threat of getting soaked. But that’s what makes the photos real. You capture not just speed, but struggle—the water streaking across a visor, the rooster tails behind the rear tyre, the little red lights on the back of the bikes, the soaked mechanic trying to zip up a raincoat. It’s storytelling with grit.

What you don’t see on the highlight reels is what happens off-track. Mechanics with hands blackened by chain lube. Riders debriefing over telemetry data. Local fans climbing fences just to catch a glimpse. Buriram has soul — the kind of energy that pulls everyone into its orbit. Off the track, ARRC remains a cultural melting pot. Teams from Malaysia, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, and beyond mix languages in the paddock, united by racing. As someone documenting motorcycle culture through a lens, this is what keeps me coming back—not just the action, but the camaraderie, the colour, the community.

When the final chequered flag dropped on Sunday, I was exhausted but buzzing. The memory cards were filled many times over, the gear had a few more battle scars on it, I was damp from sweat and a bit of rain —but I wouldn’t trade it for a dry weekend behind a desk. Round 1 reminded me why I do this: to chase speed, to capture stories, and to celebrate the wild, wonderful world of motorcycle racing in Asia. For me, covering this event wasn’t just about betting the best photos, it was about capturing the essence of a championship that’s often overlooked outside of Asia. The ARRC is packed with talent, drama, and machines that deserve a global spotlight, and I’m just lucky enough to be pointing a lens at it.

Roll on Round 2 at Sepang in Malaysia. I’ll be there, cameras ready. If you see me there do come over and say hi.

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