ASHRAFF EDGED OUT COMPETITION

The BERJAYA SOMPO YAMAHA R15M RACE ELITES category delivered one of the most closely contested sessions today at the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit, as Round 3 of the 2026 MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship got underway. By the end of Friday’s Combined Practice, less than a tenth of a second separated the top two riders, setting the stage for a highly competitive weekend.

Leading the timesheets was Ashraff Zaquan Bin Zainal Raif. Representing GTMAX MOTORS, Ashraff set his benchmark early in Free Practice 1. On his sixth lap out of seven, he posted a quick time of 2’49.508s, reaching a top speed of 117.72kph. This morning effort proved to be just enough to hold off the rest of the field for the remainder of the day.

The afternoon session saw a strong push from Muhd Ikram Dani of ⁠BERJAYA MEGA. After finishing fourth in FP1, Ikram found significant improvements in Free Practice 2. He topped the second session on his third lap with a 2’49.580s and a top speed of 117.67kph. Despite his impressive pace, Ikram missed the overall top spot by a mere 0.072 seconds, settling for second place in the Combined Practice standings.

Also showing strong progress in the afternoon was Ahmad Jebat Zulkarnain from BLH RACING TEAM. He logged a solid 2’50.894s in Free Practice 2, moving him up to third place overall. Raja Abdurraqib Raja Norfatihah of KAVIN MOTOR held onto fourth place based on his morning FP1 time of 2’51.340s, while Muhd Ali Imran Mohd Dzul Hijri representing BOON HUA MOTOR rounded out the top five with a 2’52.864s effort in the second session.

Ashraff shared, “Alhamdulillah, I managed to secure the fastest lap time today, but it was honestly far from easy. When I saw how close the times were between me and Ikram, it really sank in just how intense the competition is this weekend. Looking at the field today, there are so many talented and incredibly fast riders out there pushing the limits.”

“A gap of less than a tenth of a second is basically nothing. It means anyone can take the lead in the blink of an eye. For Qualifying and Race 1 tomorrow, I feel a healthy weight of pressure to maintain this momentum.”

“I have to stay calm, trust my machine, and I am determined to give everything I’ve got on the track. I truly hope that tomorrow’s efforts pay off, that I can keep my nerves in check, and that victory goes my way.”

TOP 5 FASTEST – COMBINED PRACTICE
1. ASHRAFF ZAQUAN BIN ZAINAL RAIF – GTMAX MOTORS (2’49.508s)
2. MUHD IKRAM DANI – ⁠ ⁠BERJAYA MEGA (2’49.580s)
3. AHMAD JEBAT ZULKARNAIN – BLH RACING TEAM (2’50.894s)
4. RAJA ABDURRAQIB RAJA NORFATIHAH – KAVIN MOTOR (2’51.340s)
5. MUHD ALI IMRAN MOHD DZUL HIJRI – BOON HUA MOTOR (2’52.864s)