In his absence, Azlan's team mate Ryuichi Kiyonari grabbed the hole shot with Katsuaki Fujiwara and Sudarmono hot on his tail. Fujiwara tried to challenge for P1 in the first two laps even as Sudarmono had to defend P3 from a determined Zamri Baba. But Fujiwara suffered a drop in pace and by Lap 5, found himself losing touch with Kiyonari at the front, and instead, being forced to contend with Zamri Baba's advances. While Kiyonari pulls away at the front, Fujiwara and Zamri's battle for P2 was the highlight of the race, from lap 7 right up to the final lap.

Kiyonari took his second win with a total race time of 24:20.068s, a hefty 6.805 seconds ahead of the rest. Meanwhile, Fujiwara and Zamri's battle carried right up to the finish line when the power of Fujiwara's Kawasaki allowed him to pip Zamri to second place by a 0.004s gap. Fujiwara finished second with 24:26.873 while Zamri was a disappointed third with 24:26.877s. Indonesian Dimas Ekky Pratama and Sudarmono finished fourth and fifth respectively.

With this win, Kiyonari takes over the title hunt with 90 points in the bag. Katsuaki Fujiwara drops to second overall with 86 points while Zamri Baba is now third overall with 55 points.

WINNERS' QUOTE:

Ryuichi Kiyonari (JPN)

"The track was in really bad condition. It was really slippery and in an effort to control that, the circuit workers poured too much powder on the surface. This was bad not only for the riders, but also for the engine. Under such challenging conditions, I am really satisfied with the results this weekend."

Katsuaki Fujiwara (JPN)

"Very tough race. I enjoyed fighting with Zamri even though I was having problems with my tyre. All in all, I believe that I have tried my best."

Mohd Zamri Baba (MAS)

"I expected to come in third because Azlan wasn't there. On the straight towards the finish line, I knew that despite my best efforts, Fujiwara would finish ahead of me as his bike was really quick on the straight."

RACE DIARY

Sighting lap - Azlan crash

Lap 1 - Kiyo takes the hole shot with Fujiwara and Sudarmono on his tail

Lap 2 - Kiyo and Fujiwara fights for the lead as Sudarmono tries to defend P3 from Zamri Baba

Lap 3 - Zamri manages to overtake Sudarmono for P3

Lap 5 - Zamri begins to put pressure on Fujiwara

Lap 6 - Kiyonari breaks away

Lap 7 - Zamri overtakes Fujiwara for P2

Lap 8 - Fujiwara takes back P2 but found it hard to shake Zamri off his tail

Lap 9 - Kiyonari stays consistent at the lead the gap becomes even bigger

Lap 10 - Zamri takes P2

Lap 11 to 15 - No change in race position

Lap 16 - Kiyonari charges to victory, Fujiwara pips Zamri to the finish line