Today’s first AFR series of the weekend, Round 11, began at 3pm under sunny skies and cool 15 degree temperatures. When the red lights went off, pole sitter PS Racing’s Leopold Ringbom got off to a typically fast start and led the field into turn 1, followed by Champ Motorsport’s Yuki Shiraishi and PS Racing’s Alexandra Asmasoebrata in 3rd. However, during the first lap Timothy Teo of Asia Racing Team had a collision with FRD Motorsport’s Diana Rosario in Turn 7, causing a full course yellow and safety car deployment. After two laps of the safety car to give circuit officials adequate time to clear the cars from Turn 7, the race recommenced in a single file rolling restart.

On the restart, Ringbom held onto the lead while 6th place Champ Motorspor’s Shigetomo Shimono passed his team mate Victor Yung going into turn 1 to move up to 5th place. At the beginning of the second lap after the restart, Champ’s Yuki Shiraishi made an aggressive pass on PS Racing’s Leopold Ringbom into turn 1 to take the lead, setting the fastest lap of the race at 1:35.498. With the order now Yuki, Ringbom, and Alexandra, who managed to impress today by fending off Kazuhiro Saeki and Shigetomo Shimono, the order of the safety-car shortened race remained the same until the checkered flag: almost an anti-climactic end to the season-long battle between PS Racing’s Leopold Ringbom and Champ Motorsport’s Yuki Shiraishi for who would be crowned the 2011 AFR Series Champion.

Yuki’s win today earned him 30 championship points for a total of 212, but Leopold Ringbom’s 2nd place finish earned him 24 points today for a total of 251; thus Ringbom has effectively won the 2011 AFR Series International Category with Yuki 2nd. In addition, PS Racing’s Alexandra Asmasoebrata’s 3rd place in today’s race earned her 20 points for a total of 167 points to take 3rd in the 2011 AFR Series International Category behind Ringbom and Yuki.

In the Asian Category, the 2011 Championship is still to be decided as Yuki Shiraishi, Alexanda Asmasoebrata, Diana Rosario and Kazuhiro Saeki’s finishing positions in the Top 3 of the Asian Category remain open with each driver able to move up or down in the series standings tomorrow depending on their finishing results in Round 12. However, in the International Category for the overall 2011 AFR Series Championship, no matter the results of the final championship race tomorrow PS Racing’s Leopold Ringbom has become the 2011 season Champion. In doing so, Ringbom has given PS Racing its first championship in its maiden year, as well as 3rd with rising star Alexandra Asmasoebrata. For Champ Motorsport, Yuki Shiraishi has earned the team its best Asia Formula overall finish since the 2008 season by taking 2nd in the 2011 AFR Series.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s second race of the weekend, the final round of the 2011 AFR Series. With nothing left to lose in the points standings, Round 12 should be an exciting battle between AFR front-runners Ringbom, Yuki, and Alexandra .