Somkiat Chantra Explained

Somkiat Chantra
Nationality:Thai
Birth Date:1998 12, df=y
Birth Place:Chonburi, Thailand
Current Team:Idemitsu Honda Team Asia
Bike Number:35
Moto2 Active Years:
Moto2 Manufacturers:Kalex
Moto2 Race Starts:90
Moto2 Race Wins:2
Moto2 Podiums:6
Moto2 Poles:2
Moto2 Fastest Laps:3
Moto2 Total Points:382.5
Moto2 Last Season:2023
Moto2 Last Position:6th (173.5 pts)
Moto3 Manufacturers:Honda
Moto3 Championships:0
Moto3 Race Starts:1
Moto3 Race Wins:0
Moto3 Podiums:0
Moto3 Poles:0
Moto3 Fastest Laps:0
Moto3 Total Points:7
Moto3 Last Season:2018
Moto3 Last Position:33rd (7 pts)

Somkiat Chantra (Thai: สมเกียรติ จันทรา;[1] born 15 December 1998) is a Thai motorcycle rider, competing in the Moto2 World Championship for Honda Team Asia.

Career

Early career

Coming through the Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup ranks, Chantra gained fame by becoming the champion in 2016.[2] He competed in the 2017 FIM CEV Moto3 Junior World Championship, and qualified on Pole Position in the season opener, but crashed out of the race. He would finish 8th in Le Mans, 13th in Jerez, 7th in Aragon, and 10th in Valencia, finishing the season 20th overall, with 26 points. He stayed in the 2018 FIM CEV Moto3 Junior World Championship, and was a constant finisher in the high points scoring places, but could not score a podium, his season's best result a 4th place in France. He ended the year 9th in the standings, with 61 total points.

Moto3 World Championship

Chantra was given a wild-card race appearance as his debut in Grand Prix racing, in the 2018 Thailand motorcycle Grand Prix, his home GP. He seized his chance, crossing the line in ninth place, scoring a brilliant seven points, and earning himself a full-time ride for next season.

Moto2 World Championship

Idemitsu Honda Team Asia (2019–present)

Riding for the newly formed Honda Asia Team in 2019, created specifically to give Asian riders a chance in Moto2 and Moto3, Chantra performed well as a rookie, scoring 23 points in the season, while his teammates Dimas Ekky Pratama, Andi Farid Izdihar, Teppei Nagoe, and Gerry Salim scored none.

Racing full time for Honda Asia Team again in 2020, Chantra struggled to reproduce what he did last season, scoring points in just two races, ending the season with 10 points. His teammate was Izdihar for the whole year, who scored no points.

Chantra had a bounce-back 2021 season, and so did the Honda Asia Team. Chantra scored 37 points throughout the year, his highest finish coming in Austria, where rookie teammate Ai Ogura came in second place, and Chantra in fifth, scoring a season-high in points for the team.[3]

Career statistics

Asia Talent Cup

Races by year

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearBike123456789101112PosPts
2015HondaTHA1
THA2
QAT1
QAT2
MAL1
MAL2
CHN1
CHN2
JPN1
JPN2
SEP1
SEP2
12th61
2016HondaTHA1
THA2
QAT1
QAT2
MAL1
MAL2
CHN1
CHN2
JPN1
JPN2
SEP1
SEP2
1st178

FIM CEV Moto3 Junior World Championship

Races by year

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearBike123456789101112PosPts
2017HondaALB
LMS
CAT1
CAT2
VAL1
VAL2
EST
JER1
JER1
ARA
VAL1
VAL2
20th26
2018HondaEST
VAL1
VAL2
FRA
CAT1
CAT2
ARA
JER1
JER2
ALB
VAL1
VAL2
9th61

Grand Prix motorcycle racing

By season

SeasonClassMotorcycleTeamRaceWinPodiumPoleFLapPtsPlcd
Moto3HondaAP Honda Racing Thailand10000733rd
Moto2KalexIdemitsu Honda Team Asia1600002321st
Moto2KalexIdemitsu Honda Team Asia1500001025th
Moto2KalexIdemitsu Honda Team Asia1800013718th
Moto2KalexIdemitsu Honda Team Asia19141112810th
Moto2KalexIdemitsu Honda Team Asia201211173.56th
Moto2KalexIdemitsu Honda Team Asia200001112th
Total912623389.5

By class

ClassSeasons1st GP1st Pod1st WinRaceWinPodiumsPoleFLapPtsWChmp
Moto320182018 Thailand1000070
Moto22019–present2019 Qatar2022 Indonesia2022 Indonesia902623382.50
Total2018–present912623389.50

Races by year

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearClassBike123456789101112131415161718192021PosPts
Moto3HondaQATARGAMESPAFRAITACATNEDGERCZEAUTGBRRSMARATHA
JPNAUSMALVAL33rd7
Moto2KalexQAT
ARG
AME
SPA
FRA
ITACAT
NED
GERCZE
AUT
GBR
RSM
ARA
THA
JPN
AUS
MAL
VAL
21st23
Moto2KalexQAT
SPA
ANC
CZE
AUT
STY
RSM
EMI
CAT
FRA
ARA
TER
EUR
VAL
POR
25th10
Moto2KalexQAT
DOH
POR
SPA
FRA
ITA
CAT
GER
NED
STY
AUT
GBR
ARA
RSM
AME
EMI
ALR
VAL
18th37
Moto2KalexQAT
INA
ARG
AME
POR
SPA
FRA
ITA
CAT
GER
NED
GBR
AUT
RSM
ARA
JPN
THA
AUS
MAL
VAL
10th128
Moto2KalexPOR
ARG
AME
SPA
FRA
ITA
GER
NED
GBR
AUT
CAT
RSM
IND
JPN
INA
AUS
THA
MAL
QAT
VAL
6th173.5
Moto2KalexQAT
POR
AME
SPA
FRA
CATITAKAZNEDGERGBRAUTCATRSMINDINAJPNAUSTHAMALVAL12th*28*
Half points awarded as less than two thirds of the race distance (but at least three full laps) was completed.
Season still in progress.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: A.P.Honda Racing Thailand – Rider – สมเกียรติ จันทรา (ก้อง#35). aphonda.co.th. A.P. Honda. 13 June 2020. th. 19 December 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191219132518/https://www.aphonda.co.th/aphondaracingthailand/. dead.
  2. News: Somkiat Chantra wins the title in dramatic final race. AsiaTalentCup.com. 30 October 2016. 18 May 2019.
  3. Web site: Honda Team Asia Joy for Ogura and Chantra.