DANIAL TURNED POLE INTO MAIDEN VICTORY
Danial Syahmi Ahmad Shahril from Malaysia delivered a composed and determined performance to claim his maiden victory of the season in Race 1 of the MSBK250 A category during Round 3 of MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship 2026 at PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit.
After securing pole position in Qualifying with a fastest lap of 2’24.874s, the Malaysian rider made a strong start to the race and immediately established himself among the front runners. However, the battle for victory remained wide open as Muhd Irfan Haykhal Amidi of HRM MOTUL RACING TEAM, Indonesia’s Irfan Ardiansyah of NWN CZ1 SCK RACING TEAM, Vietnam’s Nguyen Huu Tri of HONDA RACING VIETNAM TEAM and Nazirul Izzat Muhd Bahauddin from Malaysia all remained within striking distance throughout the race.
Haykhal briefly took control of the race after making his move at Turn 14, while Irfan Ardiansyah also challenged at the front after moving into second on the third lap. The leading group continued to exchange positions during the opening laps, highlighting the intense level of competition among the championship contenders.
As the race entered its closing stages, Huu Tri mounted a strong charge to move into second place on Lap 6, keeping the pressure firmly on the race leader. Despite the constant challenges from his rivals, Danial maintained his composure and delivered a consistent pace to regain control when it mattered most before taking the chequered flag for his first victory of the 2026 season in 19’37.026s.
Huu Tri secured his second place in just 0.022s behind the winner with the time 19’37.048s, another impressive ride for HONDA RACING VIETNAM TEAM, while Irfan completed the podium in third with his total time 19’37.132s. Haykhal finished fourth after leading part of the race, with Nazirul completing the top five following another competitive outing.
Danial Syahmi commented “First of all, Alhamdulillah, I’m very grateful to finish Race 1 in first place. I’d like to thank my entire team for all of their hard work in preparing and setting up the bike, as well as my family and everyone who has continuously supported me.”
“Our plan from the start was to create a gap as early as possible, but the riders behind were able to stay with me, so I decided to remain within the leading group and keep fighting throughout every lap.”
“Towards the latter stages of the race, I chose to stay a little more relaxed behind the leaders because my hand wasn’t feeling at its best and I was experiencing some discomfort. Despite that, I’m thankful everything worked out, and I’m delighted to secure my first victory of the season.”
TOP 5 FASTEST – RACE 1
1. DANIAL SYAHMI AHMAD SHAHRIL – MALAYSIA (19’37.026s)
2. NGUYEN HUU TRI – HONDA RACING VIETNAM (19’37.048s)
3. IRFAN ARDIANSYAH – NWN CZ1 SCK RACING TEAM (19’37.132s)
4. MUHD IRFAN HAYKHAL AMIDI – HRM MOTUL RACING TEAM (19’37.526s)
5. NAZIRUL IZZAT MUHD BAHAUDDIN – MALAYSIA (19’48.419s)