THANAT’S COMMANDING WIN
Thanat Laoongplio of HONDA RACING THAILAND produced a masterclass performance in Race 2 of the MSBK600 category, converting his strong pace into a dominant victory during Round 2 of the MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship 2026 at PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit.
Starting from the front of the grid, Thanat immediately stamped his authority on the 10-lap encounter with a brilliant launch, grabbing the holeshot and leading the field into the opening corner. Following closely behind at the start were Muhd Helmi Azman and Khairul Idham Pawi of HONDA RACING MALAYSIA, with Kitsada Tanachot of HONDA RACING THAILAND and Farres Putra Mohd Fadhil of HONG LEONG YAMAHA MALAYSIA completing the early top five.
Thanat maintained a 0.771s advantage over Khairul on Lap 2 before delivering an even stronger pace. On Lap 3, the Thai rider set the fastest lap of the race with a time of 2’11.388s, while Helmi moved ahead of Khairul to take second position. The leading trio immediately began creating a gap of more than two seconds over Kitsada in fourth.
On lap 4, Thanat improved his fastest lap again with a 2’11.349s effort, while Helmi remained his closest challenger. By Lap 5, Thanat had stretched his advantage to 2.540s, and the gap continued to grow as the race progressed.
At the halfway point, Thanat’s pace proved untouchable. The HONDA RACING THAILAND rider extended his lead to 3.477s on Lap 6 and continued to increase the margin lap after lap. Behind him, the battle for the remaining podium positions intensified, with Kitsada eventually moving ahead of Khairul on Lap 7 to claim third place.
Thanat continued his flawless rhythm, opening a 4.814s advantage over Helmi on Lap 8 before extending the gap beyond seven seconds by the final lap. Meanwhile, the battle behind remained competitive, with Farres and Muhd Naqib Rifqi Zulhelmi from Malaysia exchanging positions before Naqib’s race ended following a crash on Lap 9.
Entering the final lap with a comfortable advantage, Thanat maintained his focus to cross the finish line first in 22’06.296s, securing a dominant victory. Helmi completed a strong ride for second place with a time of 22’12.363s, while Kitsada finished third at 22’13.073s. Khairul and Farres completed the top five.
Thanat said, “The conditions were very hot today, and it was definitely a challenging race. My target before Race 2 was to try and maintain a 2’10s pace, but it was not easy because I had some movement from the rear tyre and also some moments with the front tyre. I had to manage the bike carefully, stay focused and keep improving my lap times every time I went out on track.”
“I kept pushing as hard as I could and tried to maintain my rhythm until the end. Winning this race feels really special because it was not an easy one. I’m very happy with the result, and I want to thank my team, my mechanics and everyone who has supported me. Their hard work and encouragement gave me the confidence to fight for this victory.”
TOP 5 FASTEST – RACE 2
1. THANAT LAOONGPLIO – HONDA RACING THAILAND (22’06.296s)
2. MUHD HELMI AZMAN – HONDA RACING MALAYSIA (22’12.363s)
3. KITSADA TANACHOT – HONDA RACING THAILAND (22’13.073s)
4. KHAIRUL IDHAM PAWI – HONDA RACING MALAYSIA (22’18.796s)
5. FARRES PUTRA MOHD FADHIL – HONG LEONG YAMAHA MALAYSIA (22’29.937s)