Xiangyang is a famous historical city in China, a place of great strategic importance to conquerors. On June 21, the second round of the CRRC Xiangyang race was kicked off here. In the sweating game, the Chinese Zongshen team with its powerful Zongshen RC250R and teamwork claimed a sweeping victory by winning the team championship of the manufacturer cup for the Chinese 250 cc open group as well as the champion and runner-up of racers in the group.
Endless Racing Motorcycle Evolution
Sharp tools make good work. After the CRRC Sanshui race, the Zongshen team immediately upgraded its RC250R for the following race.
In the first round, RC250R was equipped with an electronic fuel injection (EFI) engine, which required a computer to manipulate the tests. This digitalized manipulation featured great precision but it increased the complexity of the tests. After the first round, Zongshen replaced the engines of its RC250R motorcycles with carburetor engines and increased the engine speed to 13000 rpm and increased the engine torque output.
The ignition system is very important to the power of a motorcycle. Delayed and imprecise ignition leads to slow reaction, poor timing, and low precision of mechanical equipment. The new electrical system developed by the Zongshen team implements more precise ignition, generates stronger sparks, and enables fuel to burn more completely, improving the power of the engine.
Before leaving for Xiangyang, the Zongshen team performed tests in the Zhuhai Golden Apple circuit. The power of RC250R was increased by over 15% after the CRRC Sanshui race, reducing the lap time by about 2 seconds from previous test results. This exciting improvement made the team every much confident to win the Xiangyang race.
Brand New Circuit
It was the first time for CRRC to bring its races to Xiangyang in Hubei province. It was also the first time for the Xiangyang Dream circuit to host a national racing event. It is a small circuit with a lap length of 1.46 kilometers and many continuous curves. Though it is as good as the international circuits in Shanghai and Zhuhai, it boasts a design based on international circuit standards. After practicing on the circuit several times, the racers said that it would not be an easy race there. The continuous curves would especially be a great challenge to their driving skills, strategies, and physical strength.
Easiest Pole Position
As the primary racer of the Zongshen team, He Zhifeng, the number 59 racer, was every careful with the practices and timed laps. This attitude makes him the top China road racer. He was in great condition during the first timed practice. After warming up the tires in the first lap, he set a remarkable lap time of 57.271 seconds in the second lap, and then returned to the pit for a rest. No other racers broke this record in the first timed race. In the second timed race, the team put He Zhifeng on the bench for preparation for round 1 to be started after the timed races. The mechanics disassembled his RC250R numbered 59 for a thorough inspection to ensure that it would not cause an accident during the following race. Driving for only 2 laps, He Zhifeng easily won the pole position with the lap time of 57.271 seconds.
Audiences Astonished by the Unparallel Red Cyclone
He once said: "racing is my best hobby and I feel I am in great condition now. This year, I return from e-bike racing to fuel racing. It makes me feel quite enjoyable because fuel motorcycles generate much more explosive power."
On the afternoon of June 21, the first round of the manufacturer cup for the Chinese 250 cc open group was held. As soon as the start lights went out, He Zhifeng bounced out from the pole position to immediately take the lead. He gradually consolidated his leading position and the other racers were hardly able to follow. At the end of the 18-lap race, he enjoyed a remarkable 37-second lead over the runner-up Zhang Hailong, 2 seconds faster than the rival in average lap. It was a great victory for He Zhifeng at round one.
The second round was held on the morning of June 22. He Zhifeng set out a strong signal of victory soon after the launch, for he immediately took a 2.6-second lead over his teammate Zhang Lang, who was in the second position, after the first lap. He finished every lap with a greater lead and the audiences hailed his excellent performance. They stood up and screamed every time he passed by. The excellent operability and immense power of Zongshen RC250R helped He Zhifeng reveal his full potential to turn the race into his personal show, wher he continuously lapped his rivals and expanded the lead. He was the first to finish the 18-lap race, with a lead of up to 33 seconds. His 54.666-second lap time set a motorcycle racing record for the Dream circuit. With the victories in the two rounds, he easily won the individual champion title.
Strategic Racer Changing for Victories
According to military strategists in ancient China, it is a grave mistake to replac the commander of an army right before it goes to battle. However, that is an outdated strategy. For Zongshen, such replacement aims to flexibly address challenges. It changed its racers for this race. Zhang Lang was seleced as one of the main drivers owing to his good performance in the Sanshui race. He partnered with He Zhifeng to secure the team champion title. Zhang Lang proved himself in the race. Though he lost the runner-up position to Zhang Hailong in the last lap due to the physical strength problem in round one, he didn't give another chance to Zhang Hailong. He started from the third position and immediately overtook the second position from Zhang Hailong, who was a little slow in acceleration, to appear right behind his teammate He Zhifeng. In the first three laps, he expanded the lead over Zhang Hailong to 3 seconds and kept a steady pace so that Zhang Hailong would not be able to get closer to him. He kept the lead of 3 to 4 seconds until he passed the finishing line. The runner-up position helped Zhang Lang make up for the loss in round one. Though both Zhang Lang and Zhang Hailong had scored 32 points, Zhang Lang was awarded the runner-up of the Xiangyang race because the rules stipulated that the position gained in the second round had a heavier weight.
He Zhifeng and Zhang Lang together scored 72 points for the Chinese Zongshen team in the two rounds, helping the team won the team championship of the manufacturer cup for the Chinese 250 cc open group with a 16-point lead over the XGJao team. The next CRRC race will be held on July 13 in Chengdu. In such a burning season, it will surely be a game struggling in the heat.
Zongshen RC250, Possibly the Fastest Chinese Road Racing Motorcycle
Besides racers, racing motorcycles are most eye-catching during games. The CRRC Sanshui race represents the debut of Zongshen's self-developed RC250 in national 250 CC games. In China, 250 CC road racing motorcycles are rarely seen. In the CRRC Xiangyang race, Zongshen's rivals also brought new 250 CC motorcycles. Yet, they were still unable to compete with the upgraded RC250R. In the first round of the manufacturer cup for the Chinese 250 cc open group, He Zhifeng's fastest lap time was 54.697 seconds, about 2.5 seconds less than his rival who finished with 57.118 seconds. He finished the game first with a remarkable lead of 37. 5 seconds. In the second round, he was faster than his rival in every lap by 2.5 seconds, claiming easy victories in both rounds. Zongshen has proved with racing titles that RC250R has getting more powerful.
Among the teams competing for the manufacturer cup for the Chinese 250 cc open group this year, the Magician team also uses Zongshen RC250 as its racing motorcycles. The displacement of 250 CC is the mainstream displacement for racing motorcycles in the world. For example, Moto3 uses a four-stroke 250 CC engine. Zongshen boasts a racing motorcycle design team at the international level. To Chinese motorcycle manufacturers, much more efforts must be made if they want their 250 CC road racing motorcycles to break the technical ceiling created by Zongshen.
