5 IN A ROW FOR SANTHIRAN
Race 1 of the MSBK1000 B category delivered a compelling story of patience and strategy during Round 3 of MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship 2026 at PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit. Santhiran A/L Naga Raju of RACEHUB RACING TEAM navigated a shifting leaderboard to claim his fifth consecutive victory, holding off a late challenge from Kamarul Izad Ishak of KHSRT.
At the start, polesitter Chau Chi Chuen of B.A TUNING took the early lead, followed closely by his teammate Jeff Chong and Santhiran in third. The race saw its first major turning point on Lap 3 when Jeff suffered a crash. Remarkably, he managed to pick his bike up and rejoin the race in fourth position. The incident shuffled the front of the pack, allowing Santhiran to inherit the lead, with Muhammad Idham Fathris Mazlan of MAGIC PAPAYA RACING TEAM and Kamarul moving into second and third.
The middle stages of the race settled into a steady rhythm. Santhiran controlled the pace from Lap 4 through Lap 6, with Idham and Kamarul waiting for their moment to strike. On Lap 7, Idham finally made his move, overtaking Santhiran to claim the front position.
The defining moments of the race occurred on Lap 9. After patiently stalking the leader, Santhiran saw his opening and retook the lead. Idham, seemingly struggling with a mechanical issue, rapidly dropped down the order. This opened the door for Kamarul to sweep into second place, while a recovering Jeff Chong fought his way back into third.
On the tenth and final lap, Santhiran held his nerve to cross the finish line first with a time of 22’53.347s, narrowly beating Kamarul by just 0.209s. Jeff completed an impressive comeback ride to take the final spot on the podium. Further back, Singapore’s Theva Kumaran made a late charge to finish fourth, with Wesley Lim Shing Shiong rounding out the top five.
Santhiran expressed, “To be honest, qualifying was quite stressful and didn’t go as well as we had hoped because we were still trying to figure out a new suspension setup. I felt a lot of doubt creeping in. However, I got a fantastic launch off the line in the race and put myself right in the mix.”
“When I was overtaken by Idham later on, I had to force myself not to panic. I decided to stay patient, calm my nerves, and just follow closely behind him. I knew that if I stayed within striking distance, an opportunity might present itself. Eventually, Idham seemed to run into a mechanical issue, which allowed me to take the lead back. Seeing the chequered flag was a massive relief.”
“I really want to give a heartfelt thank you to my family, friends, and sponsors. They are my rock. They help keep my mind clear, which allows me to race with true peace of mind, enjoy these battles, and put up a strong fight out there. Looking ahead to tomorrow, I am definitely starting to feel the heavy pressure of keeping this win streak alive, but I am keeping my focus strictly on the overall championship picture. We have a healthy points gap right now, so my main goal for Race 2 is simply to ride smart, manage the risks, and secure another podium for the team.”
TOP 5 FASTEST – RACE 1
1. SANTHIRAN A/L NAGA RAJU – RACEHUB RACING TEAM (22’53.347s)
2. KAMARUL IZAD ISHAK – KHSRT (22’53.556s)
3. JEFF CHONG – B.A TUNING (23’10.185s)
4. THEVA KUMARAN – SINGAPORE (23’23.793s)
5. WESLEY LIM SHING SHIONG – RACEHUB RACING TEAM (23’28.277s)