Kavin retires due to technical snag, Mohsin finishes P17 in Motegi

Motegi (Japan), Jun 9 (PTI) Honda Racing India could not earn any points from Race 2 of Round 3 at the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship as Kavin Samaar Quintal did not finish the race due to engine issues with his bike, while Mohsin Paramban ended in P17 in the AP250 class, here on Sunday.

With 10 points in his kitty and lying in 14th place before Race 2 of the third round here, Kavin needed a solid performance to close the gap with his nearest rival -- Ngyuen Huu Tri of Vitenam.

Kavin was four points behind the Vietnamese, who races for Honda Racing Veitnam. However, starting 18th on the grid, it was a herculean task for the Indian rider, who trains in Spain.

Still, he fought well after losing a position early into the race to Vrei-Ar Marcosuba from JRT Tech -2.

By Lap 3, Kavin had got back his grid position, going past Vrei-Ar and Watcharin Tubtimon from NJT Racing team. When the gap between Kavin and the riders ahead began to increase, it appeared the Indian was probably struggling with his speed.

From +6 seconds, it gradually went up to +10 seconds. He needed to pass China's Gao Ziang and Mohammad Diandra Trihardika to get into points contention but the declining speed only made it more challenging.

Meanwhile, Diandra pushed Wang down to move to 17th position but the Indian team's worst fears came true when Kavin retired in Lap 6.

A crash near the end of the race helped Mohsin gain a position.

Kavin remains at 10 points and Mohsin on two. Mohsin had the challenge to earn some points after being unlucky in three previous races.

The Kerala rider had scored two points in the season-opening race, finishing in 14th position. But since then, he has finished outside the points bracket in four straight races. PTI AT AM AM AM AM