ALI TURNED LIGHTWEIGHT ADVANTAGE INTO VICTORY
The BERJAYA SOMPO YAMAHA R15M RACE ELITES category at Round 1 of the 2026 MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship in spectacular style at the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit, delivering a tightly packed slipstream battle decided only in the final metres.
From the start, Raja Abdurraqib Raja Norfatihah of BEN HUAT MOTOR led the field, with Adam Danial Abdul Fattah of BERJAYA MEGA close behind. But the lead changed almost immediately as Ahmad Malek Ridha of LKT MOTOR swept through at Turn 1 to take control in a front group that refused to break away.
By Lap 2, Malek was back at the front ahead of Adam Danial, Adam Hariz Hafiz of K SENG MOTOR, and Muhd Ikram Dani of TME MOTOR, with the pack still tightly bunched. The intensity grew on Lap 3 when Hariz briefly moved ahead, while Muhd Ali Imran Mohd Dzul Hijri of CHJ MOTORS set the fastest lap of 2’59.882s to move into contention.
The lead continued to rotate on Lap 4 and Lap 5, with Adam Danial briefly taking control before Malek and Ikram fought back, while Raja and Shahuzzaifie Adli Shafendi of FASROI M SB stayed in the mix.
By Lap 6, Raja surged back to the front as Malek refused to yield, with Ikram maintaining pressure in third, setting up a tense final-lap showdown.
The last lap exploded into a four-way fight between Ali, Hariz, Malek and Ikram. In a chaotic but decisive finish, Ali Imran timed his slipstream perfectly to snatch victory in 21’08.255s. Malek crossed just 0.150s behind in 21’08.405s, with Ikram a close third in 21’08.453s. Hariz finished fourth, while Shahuzzaifie completed the top five.
Ali said, “During the race, I tried to stay with the front group. At the beginning, I was a bit behind, but I pushed to catch up. On the last lap, I made a mistake at the final turn and went wide, but because I’m physically lighter, I managed to get a strong slipstream and take the win. Alhamdulillah.”
TOP 5 FASTEST – RACE 1
1. MUHD ALI IMRAN MOHD DZUL HIJRI – CHJ MOTORS (21’08.255s)
2. AHMAD MALEK RIDHA – LKT MOTOR (21’08.405s)
3. MUHD IKRAM DANI – TME MOTOR (21’08.453s)
4. ADAM HARIZ HAFIZ – K SENG MOTOR (21’08.528s)
5. SHAHUZZAIFIE ADLI SHAFENDI – FASROI M SB (21’08.595s)