Since the start of the Malaysia Superbike Championship this season, MSBK600 Class has seen quite a performance by its world class riders. Muhd Ibrahim Muhd Noroddin of SIC Racing Team will be maximising his potential for the upcoming race this weekend at the Sepang International Circuit.
Over the course of this season, Ibrahim has certainly paraded his robust moves on the circuit ground with five podiums out of six races. While MSBK has undeniably been a strength for him, Round 3 may just pose a slightly different atmosphere and challenge for the rider who will also be taking strides in Round 4 of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship scheduled to run concurrently.
Ibrahim made a stunning finish in Round 2 of last season with a triple win. In Round 1, it was quite unfortunate for him when he had a fall that crippled his points in Race 1 and Race 2. Although he made a quick recovery with a spot on the podium in Race 3, that wasn’t enough for Ibrahim. He came back for the following round to make an impressive statement and he did it when he swept the podium with perfect scores. The season closed with him taking the second spot overall.
While his success has been quite a story, this season however seems to have placed him in a different light as he was seen grappling to keep up to his winning momentum. Round 3 foresees a challenging feat for Ibrahim who will now have to juggle between two expectations to maintain his position in both MSBK and ARRC. The dynamics of the race may be a little different however the goal remains the same which is to maximise his points.
Commenting on the race, “It would be an interesting challenge this time around and I am certainly looking forward to building up my riding portfolio with a different feel to it. It definitely brings with it a different set of emotions however I am not going to push myself too much as it is not about winning but more of ensuring that my points are sufficient.”
It is a never-ending process of constant push on the physique and mental wellbeing for a rider. In preparation for the next round, Ibrahim said, “I do a lot of physical and mental training. This round would be quite a unique experience for me and the other riders as it would be a combined version of ARRC and MSBK. Which means that performing well in either/or is equally crucial. I will give my 100% for this coming round as it would carry weight for both the championships.”
With two championships running concurrently, the level of commitment towards achieving a particular goal has now doubled for riders who will be participating in both championships. As for Ibrahim, he comments, “Of course the challenge is quite different in the coming round as we have to stay focused on one particular championship to achieve the best outcome. My main aim would be the ARRC as I have different goals for it. But having said that, if I do well in ARRC, it would also mean that I’ve done well for MSBK.”
Press Release : MSBK / Jacqueline Anthonysamy