FIRST WIN BUT HELMI WANTS MORE
The PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit delivered an exciting Race 1 in the MSBK600 category during Round 3 of MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship 2026. Muhd Helmi Azman from Malaysia emerged victorious after an intense battle with Malaysia’s Khairul Idham Pawi, claiming his first win of the season.
At the race start, Khairul was quick off the line to take the lead, but he was soon overtaken by Ahmad Afif Amran of HONG LEONG YAMAHA MALAYSIA. Helmi settled into third, with Farres Putra Mohd Fadhil of HONG LEONG YAMAHA MALAYSIA and Khairulamirin Yahaya of FKR CHV RACING close behind. The action heated up on Lap 2 when Khairul briefly retook the lead, only for Helmi to find an opening and sweep past both Afif and Khairul to take control of the race.
By Lap 3, Helmi was pushing hard, setting a fast lap of 2’12.048s and reaching a top speed of 247.7kph. Khairul stayed right on his rear wheel, and the leading duo began to pull a one-second gap from Afif in third. Khairul responded on Lap 4, pushing his machine to 242.3kph to set the fastest lap of the race at 2’11.287s, closing the distance to a mere 0.198s behind Helmi.
The middle of the race saw a tense exchange for the top spot. On Lap 5, Khairul successfully passed Helmi, but Helmi quickly answered to regain the lead. This intense back-and-forth allowed the pair to break away completely, leaving Afif over three seconds behind. During this fierce chase on Lap 6, Helmi reached a remarkable top speed of 255.9kph to keep the pressure on Khairul, who had momentarily taken the front position again.
The turning point came on Lap 8 when Helmi made a decisive move to overtake Khairul. On the penultimate lap, Helmi put his head down, digging deep to stretch his advantage to 0.762s. He maintained his composure through the final lap to cross the finish line first at 22’06.286s. Khairul secured second place at 22’08.248s, while Afif took a comfortable third at 22’21.045s.
Helmi shared, “To be honest, crossing the finish line first brings a huge wave of relief, but my main goal today wasn’t actually about securing the win. It was much more about finding a proper, genuine connection with this new machine and testing a few crucial new parts we installed on the bike.”
“Going into this race, my mind was entirely focused on hitting my target lap times rather than worrying about my track position. It was nerve-wracking out there battling so closely, but I had to stay disciplined.”
“Even though I ended up taking the victory today, deep down, I am still not fully satisfied with the lap times I recorded. I am constantly comparing my pace here to the incredibly high level of competition we face in the ARRC, which tells me we still have a lot of work to do. It keeps me grounded.”
“For Race 2 tomorrow, my absolute target is to push even harder and improve my time further. I want to feel that perfect rhythm. Regardless of today’s result, I am incredibly thankful to my entire crew. They have been working tirelessly, pouring their sweat and passion into this bike. This weekend’s preparation is absolutely critical for our upcoming race in Mandalika next week, so I want to extend a massive, heartfelt thank you to the team and to everyone who continuously supports me.”
TOP 5 FASTEST – RACE 1
1. MUHD HELMI AZMAN – MALAYSIA (22’06.286s)
2. KHAIRUL IDHAM PAWI – MALAYSIA (22’08.248s)
3. AHMAD AFIF AMRAN – HONG LEONG YAMAHA MALAYSIA (22’21.045s)
4. FARRES PUTRA MOHD FADHIL – HONG LEONG YAMAHA MALAYSIA (22’26.295s)
5. KHAIRULAMIRIN YAHAYA – FKR CHV RACING (23’31.327s)