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Thursday, August 14: Portugal’s Lino Araùjo controlled the fourth of the Endurance Motos at the Grand Prix of Indonesia on Thursday afternoon, whilst Ratag's second place finish keeps him first in the overall standings.
The result means that he closed the gap between himself and the 16-year-old Indonesian Moto 4 runner-up Boanerges Ratag to just one point as the two riders prepare to battle it out in the final day of racing to become the 2025 UIM-ABP Class Pro World Endurance Champion.
Ratag, who stands on the verge of history by potentially becoming the first Indonesian ever to win a World Championship, shadowed his rival to the finish to wrap up a successful second day of racing with a win and a second place. The student from Jakarta was 33.52 seconds behind the triumphant Portuguese to set up the prospect of a fascinating duel over the final day.
Ratag said: “The waves were so rough. I was able to keep the speed to take second place. The start was good and I moved into second. I have learned not to push the jet ski so hard and stay calm.”
Australian Bailey Cunningham made a strong move midway through the race to pass Adrian Herias Fernandez and rounded off the podium places with American veteran Anthony Radetic finishing a close fourth and young American Jay Finlinson earning fifth. Finlinson retained a distant third in the points’ standings.
It was a little windier in bright conditions for the start of Moto 4. Lino Araùjo claimed the hole shot from Boanerges Ratag, Adrian Herias Fernandez, Bailey Cunningham, Scott Phillips, Anthony Radetic and Jay Finlinson. There was insufficient time for György Kasza to repair his engine after Moto 3 and the Hungarian joined Trinity Ratat, Mario Lamy, Rasmus Koch Hansen and Isahai Hajime on the list of non-starters.
Araùjo maintained his lead over 16 rivals through the opening laps and began to edge clear of Ratag, Fernandez, Cunningham, Radetic and Finlinson. Phillips, Makaio Wimylie, Melbourne-based Kiwi rider Kylie Ellmers and Kanina Ramadhina were running in the lower reaches of the top 10.
By one-quarter distance, after 10 minutes, Araùjo led Ratag by 12.586 seconds to set up the prospect of a grandstand finish to the championship on Friday between the two riders. Phillips slipped back to ninth place with Radetic and Finlinson climbing into fifth and sixth places.
Cunningham then made a charge of his own and was able to pass Fernandez to take third place with Radetic also passing the Spaniard Fernandez to snatch fourth. Finlinson, Wimylie, Ellmers, Phillips and Ramadhina rounded off the top 10 with 22 minutes remaining on the clock. Phillips then dropped out of the top 10 and withdrew and was replaced by Hilman Kurniawan, as Finlinson passed Fernandez to grab fifth place. Yoko Sosie was running slowly at the rear of the field, several laps behind the leaders.
Fernandez ground to a halt after 15 laps and was towed off the race course. The Spaniard’s demise lifted Wimylie, Ellmers, Ramadhina and Kurniawan into sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth overall. Fikri Rajab moved into the top 10.
Araùjo held on to take the win by 33.52 seconds from Ratag, Cunningham, Radetic and Finlinson. Wimylie, Ellmers, Ramadhina, Kurniawan and Rajab rounded off the top 10. Fakhrul Rozi Berutu ground to a halt in the closing seconds of the Moto and Anderson Dos Santos moved up to 11th.
Endurance riders return to the race course in Balige for the final time on Friday for the fifth and sixth Motos to decide the outcome of the 2025 UIM-ABP Class Pro World Endurance Championship.