By Barry Russell Photos by Champ Yusawat
This is the moment when the fast but petulant R2M Thailand Superbike contender ‘Stamp’ Apiwat Wongthanonanon lost it and kicked out at reigning champion ‘Tingnote’ Thitipong Warokorn at the Thailand Circuit, near Bangkok yesterday.
The two had locked horns after Tingnote, struggling without rebound in his front forks caught Stamp after three laps and engaged in a paint-swapping battle for the lead. Stamp’s kick proved to be the turning point in the race as the normally cool Tingnote, after a brief shake of his fist, let his riding do the talking and wrestled his bike into a commanding lead to take the chequered flag 2.5 seconds ahead of his rival.
Officials intervened in parc ferme when the confrontation threatened to spill over after the race. As they mounted the podium, Tingnote’s attempted handshake was met with a limp left hand by Stamp, who looked close to tears as the trophies were presented. Race officials are meeting to decide how best to deal with Stamp’s dangerous act of aggression and are also investigating reports of a post-race scuffle that broke out between Tingnote’s Panadda Racing and Stamp’s Honda Elf Smart teams.
The next round will be at the Bira International Circuit, near Pattaya on July 3rd.
