THAILAND, Sep 14 (ePRESS) – Sri Lankan motorcycle racer Hesali Peiris overcame the pain of a heavy crash to finish fifth in Race Two of the 2026 FIM Asia Women’s Cup of Circuit Racing at the Nakhonchaisri Circuit in Thailand on Monday.
Peiris qualified fifth on her No. 01 GPX200 motorcycle and made a flying start in Race One, charging into the lead before the contest was stopped by a red flag.
However, her hopes of victory ended after the restart when she collided with another rider and suffered a heavy crash. The accident forced her to retire from the race.
Despite being in pain and not fully fit, Peiris returned to the track for Race Two and completed all 10 laps to secure fifth place.
Her determined ride under difficult conditions underlined the fighting spirit behind her international racing campaign. By completing the race, she also avoided a DNS — “did not start” — result.
“I’m sorry for the disappointment. I was leading the race until it was red-flagged,” Peiris said.
“After the restart, I unfortunately suffered a heavy crash following contact with another rider. Despite the pain, I decided to complete Race Two, knowing that I would not be able to give my best.
“Still, finishing the race was better than having a DNS.”
Riders from Sri Lanka, the Philippines, India, Japan, Thailand, Nepal and South Korea competed on identical GPX200 motorcycles.
