The long weekend came to a close for the Malaysia Superbike Championship (MSBK) with its final race, Race 3 at the Sepang International Circuit.
Muhd Zaqhwan Zaidi of BOON SIEW HONDA RACING TEAM celebrated victory with his win in the MSBK1000 A Class in Race 3.
Following his win in Race 2, Zaqhwan seemed confident as he took strides with Kasma once again in a chase. While Kasma flexed his muscles to supersede Zaqhwan who was at the lead position in the beginning of the race, Zaqhwan’s extensive experience gave him the advantage to dominate the battlespace once again from lap three onwards.
By mid-race, Kasma was left behind by a few seconds as Zaqhwan kept his composure ahead. Kasma clearly had his strength on the sharp turns while Zaqhwan had his power on the straight front. It was a fierce battle between the dynamic duo which became more apparent towards the last few laps.
Kasma began working on his strengths and bypassed Zaqhwan a number of times but the latter was smart to make a quick recovery. The duo became entangled as they switched between slingshots and by the last turn, Zaqhwan’s prowess was unveiled when he slid ahead of Kasma before taking off at a blistering speed.
Zaqhwan claimed victory when he clocked in at 21’29:588s.
Commenting on the race, Zaqhwan said, “It was an extremely exciting race today. In the very first lap itself, I had a good fight with Kasma but he was good from the start. I tried to overtake him, controlled my pace and managed to stay ahead. But mid-race, I found that the track was a little slippery. I slowed down a little to cool it but I didn’t expect Kasma to be so close behind me.”
“Till the end, he put on a good show and so I pushed myself further. If possible, I wanted to take the win and I did it when I had a good last turn. I am thankful to my team members who have worked hard for this weekend. MSBK is the platform of motivation for me to do better in Asia.”
Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin of YAMAHA GEN BLU RACING TEAM ASEAN takes the second spot with 21’29:738s.
Azroy Hakeem Anuar of BOON SIEW HONDA RACING TEAM took third when he logged in at 21’30:157s.
For the MSBK1000 B Class, Osama Mareai of SAVITAR RACING made the fastest for Race 3 while Khoo Chee Yen of MOBILUB SUZUKI RACING TEAM bagged the Weekend Warrior title.
In the first few laps, Osama was seen finding his pace and while it seemed challenging for him to supersede the riders ahead of him, he managed to pull through at lap five. He took the lead from then on and showcased consistency throughout as he clocked in fastest on each lap. Osama did not finish Race 1 and in Race 2, he ended at the 7th spot.
Nevertheless, that did not stop Osama from giving it another shot. In Race 3, he managed to find his footing and completed the race fastest, clocking in at 23’01:013s.
Khoo Chee Yen who came in behind Osama at the second spot for Race 3 however claimed the Weekend Warrior title.
Chee Yen was seen putting on a good fight throughout Race 3 however he fell one spot down when Osama took lead in the MSBK1000 B Class. However, Chee Yen managed to retain his speed and concluded Race 3 at 23’04:690s.
Commenting on this win, Chee Yen said, “It was a tough weekend for me. The team and I did a lot in preparation and I finally got a good feel of my machine. I had an old friend who is an engineer who helped me sort my machine and I am truly grateful for his presence.”
“This weekend I realised that racing is not all about achieving the fastest lap time but more importantly, it is about staying consistent with the result.”
At the third fastest spot was Teo Yew Joe of SAVITAR RACING who logged in at 23’04:029s.
For the MSBK600 Class, Andi Farid Izdihar of ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM made his fearless move towards a grand finish at the top spot on the podium.
It was a good start for Andi who had the advantage of the pole position. As the race flagged off, Andi did not waste a second as he fled ahead taking the lead. For a short stint in between the first three laps, Andi resisted pressure from teammates, Helmi and Khairul who were trying to get close from behind.
By lap five, Andi took an impressive speed as he bolted ahead with a big gap from his contender, Helmi and Khairul. However, Helmi was not a man to be left out. As they circled the circuit, Helmi began to inch forward in a bid to close the gaps and perhaps even override Andi’s superiority. Khairul on the other hand seemed to have drifted a little further away from the duo.
Towards the last few laps, Helmi began drawing closer to Andi which meant that the latter had to give work on his dexterity to make it first at the chequered flag. Without a shadow of doubt, Andi gave his biggest push as he glided towards the finish line logging in at 21’49:930s.
Commenting on the race, Andi said, “From the start to the end, it was pure focus. But I took notice of the gap with the other riders behind me, at times it was good and other times, they were closing up the gap. I just went on to remain focused on my game and finally won.”
“I am thankful to my crew who have done a good job with the machine. I am very happy with my performance this week.”
Muhd Helmi Azman of BOON SIEW HONDA RACING TEAM made his best efforts at 21’50:266s while his teammate Khairul Idham Pawi clocked in at 21’56:391s.
In the MSBK250 A Class, Muhd Irfan Haykal Amidi of BOON SIEW HONDA RACING TEAM fought a good fight towards victory.
It was a total domination of top three positions by Idlan, Irfan and Emil in Race 3 when they fled ahead of the troop, engaging in a heated battle of who will have the final win. The trio engaged in a rhythm that saw them exchanging positions in a bid to brag the winning title.
Up until lap four, it was a complete pressure for the three riders to keep the end of their bargain when tragedy struck and one rider went down. For the remaining laps, Irfan and Idlan continued the show, taking active strides in the lead position.
By the seventh lap, Irfan displayed dominance as he emerged at P1 and while Idlan was not ready to be defeated, Irfan went on to steal the show. He clocked in at 20’19:470s.
Commenting on the race, Irfan said, “First of all, a big thank you to everyone who has been involved in this championship this week. As for the race, I followed through with consistency and the best speed I could achieve.”
“The race was highly challenging but I had a great teammate who kept me motivated to push further. I found the opportunity to strike at the last corner and grabbed it.”
Muhd Idlan Hakimi Raduan made his best at the second spot on the podium at 20’19:520s.
Farres Putra Mohd Fadhill took the third spot on the podium at 20’37:095s.
As for the MSBK250 B Class, Muhammad Fauzi Hasan made the fastest in Race 3 but Muhd Amir Izzat Rozali bagged the Weekend Warrior trophy with the most achieved points.
Throughout the race, Fauzi has shown an improved performance compared to Race 1 and Race 2. He took the ninth spot on the grid and while he grappled in the first few laps to find his pace ahead of the other riders, Fauzi only managed to take lead among the MSBK250 B Class riders from lap five onwards.
He then held on to his position with the right speed ensuring that no mistakes were made and no opportunities were given to the riders tailing him.
He made it to the chequered flag at 21’39:198s.
Amir who has been leading with the most overall points as the fastest in Race 1 and Race 2 came in third in Race 3. Amir was seen consistently taking strides and played the smart move to keep his points counting. His strategies worked when he clocked in behind Ahmad Fariz Zafri at 21’40:625s.
Commenting on the race as the Weekend Warrior for MSBK250 B Class, Amir said, “First of all, thank you to the crew and my dad who have worked on my machine for this week. Although I struggled in the beginning of the race today, I never gave up.”
“I kept pushing and tried to be consistent with my pace. I am happy to have made it as the Weekend Warrior.”
Fariz of BUDAK KIMIA-JOND CHAIN LUBE RACING BY BRAAAP clocked in at 21’39:800s.
Meanwhile, in the YAMAHA Y16ZR Race MasterClass, M. Fareez Afeez A. Rahman of SBF BIKERS grabbed the win in Race 2 hence closing the curtains for Round 2 of Malaysia Superbike Championship.
Fareez, who began the race at the third spot on the grid, was not spotted anywhere near the top ten riders in the beginning of the race. Up until the third lap, Fareez seemed to have had a hard time working his way into the top ten but in the fourth lap, he worked on his technical skills and made an entry into P9.
With the troop fighting aggressively, looking for slip-stream opportunities, it was a feat that posed unpredictable challenges for all riders in the class. Nevertheless, Fareez managed to grasp hold of his pace and barged ahead of the riders at the last lap.
Fareez clocked in at 17’49:135s.
Commenting on the race, Fareez said, “In the beginning of the race, it was not that I wanted to remain at the back but I had issues with my machine. The lever of the gear went missing and at the first turn, I couldn’t do much. So, I followed the troop at the back and on the last lap, I tried to move forward. Thankfully, I made it through.”
Taking the second spot on the podium was Ahmad Syamil Akmal Jamaludin of EL CHONG, logging in at 17’49:135s.
At third place, Muhd Aliff Danial Muhd Asri of SINGDECA RACING made it at 17’49:137s.
Top 5 Winners of MSBK1000 A Class
1. Muhd Zaqhwan Zaidi, BOON SIEW HONDA RACING TEAM, 21’29:588s
2. Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin, YAMAHA GEN BLU RACING TEAM ASEAN, 21’29:738s
3. Azroy Hakeem Anuar, BOON SIEW HONDA RACING TEAM, 21’30:157s
4. Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman, HORIZON RACING TEAM, 22’11:636s
5. Rajini Krishnan, RACR CASTROL POWER 1 ULTIMATE, 22’55:828s
Top 5 Fastest of MSBK1000 B Class
1. Osama Mareai, SAVITAR RACING, 23’01:013
2. Khoo Chee Yen, MOBILUB SUZUKI RACING TEAM, 23’03:690s
3. Teo Yew Joe, SAVITAR RACING, 23’04:029s
4. Muhd Syukri Mat Zoki, ESRA RACING TEAM, 23’12:556s
5. Micheal Luke Stone, 23’19:274s
Top 5 Winners of MSBK600 Class
1. Andi Farid Izdihar, ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM, 21’49:930s
2. Muhd Helmi Azman, BOON SIEW HONDA RACING TEAM, 21’50:266s
3. Khairul Idham Pawi, BOON SIEW HONDA RACING TEAM, 21’56:391s
4. Muhd Ibrahim Mohd Norrodin, SIC RACING, 21’58:762s
5. Nazirul Izzat M. Bahauddin, YAMAHA GEN BLU RACING TEAM, 22’24:358s
Top 5 Winners of MSBK250 A Class
1. Muhd Irfan Haykal Amidi, BOON SIEW HONDA RACING TEAM, 20’19:470s
2. Muhd Idlan Hakimi Raduan, BOON SIEW HONDA RACING TEAM, 20’19:520s
3. Farres Putra Mohd Fadhill, SIC RACING, 20’37:095s
4. Ashish Patel, UNITED CRA MOTORSPORT INDIA, 21’32:829s
5. Muhd Zakir Naqiuddin, BTECH RACING TEAM, 21’38:520s
Top 5 Fastest of MSBK250 B Class
1. Muhammad Fauzi Hassan, 21’39:198s
2. Ahmad Fariz Zafri, BUDAK KIMIA-JOND CHAIN LUBE RACING BY BRAAAP, 21’39:800s
3. Muhd Amir Izzat Rozali, HORIZON RACING TEAM, 21’40:625s
4. Saidatul Zakirah Zairin, 21’48:763s
5. Khairul Firdaus Kadzim, 22’13:515s
Top 5 Fastest of YAMAHA Y16ZR Race MasterClass
1. M. Fareez Afeez A. Rahman, SBF BIKERS, 17’49:135s
2. Ahmad Syamil Akmal Jamaludin, EL CHONG, 17’49:135s
3. Muhd Aliff Danial Muhd Asri, SINGDECA RACING, 17’49:137s
4. Abdullah Qayyum A. Razak, TIGA-S MOTORSIKAL, 17’49:237s
5. Arash Tsunami Kamarudin, GT-MAX, 17’49:269s
