KASMA SURVIVED TIRE SCARE
Race 1 of the MSBK1000 A category delivered an unpredictable and challenging contest during Round 3 of the MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship 2026 at PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit. Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin of HONG LEONG YAMAHA MALAYSIA capitalized on the early misfortunes of his main rivals to secure the victory.
Despite starting from pole position, Kasma dropped to third off the line. Mohammad Adenanta Putra of ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM made a brilliant start to snatch the lead, closely followed by Adam Norrodin of AMI SUZUKI MOTORSPORT. The leading trio quickly pulled a two-second gap over the rest of the field by the second lap.
However, the complexion of the race changed rapidly. Adam suddenly suffered a technical issue on Lap 2, forcing him to slow down and return to the pit, though he bravely rejoined later to salvage crucial points. This left Adenanta at the front, pushing the limits and setting the fastest lap of the race at 2’07.923s on Lap 3. Unfortunately, the relentless pace caught out the race leader, and Adenanta crashed at Turn 11, abruptly ending his charge.
These back-to-back incidents promoted Kasma into a comfortable lead, with Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman of AMI SUZUKI MOTORSPORT moving up to second, albeit with a significant 10-second deficit by Lap 5. Mohd Fahmi Abdul Wahaf of FGRT PROJECT ONE settled into a lonely but solid third place.
Further down the field, a steady battle for fourth unfolded, concluding on Lap 8 when Law Kien Huey successfully overtook Abhijith Satya Prasad. At the front, Kasma managed his pace carefully over the final laps, crossing the finish line at 21’44.659s. Azlan took second place at 21’53.436s, while Fahmi completed the podium with a time of 22’43.503s.
Kasma shared, “Syukur Alhamdulillah, I am just so grateful to finally bring this home. I have to give a massive thank you to my team for preparing such a fantastic machine for this weekend. My start was actually a bit sluggish, and I found myself trailing behind Adenanta and Adam. When Adam had his technical problem, I just tried to shadow Adenanta. Then, seeing him crash out on Lap 3 was a shock, and suddenly I was leading the race.”
“From there, it was all about focus, but it was far from easy. With about four laps remaining, I started feeling something unusual with my tires. Panic set in a little bit because I was genuinely afraid I wouldn’t be able to finish the race if I tried to maintain my constant lap times. I had to make the tough call to reduce my pace, manage the gap, and just focus on bringing the bike home in one piece. The relief of seeing the chequered flag was indescribable. It was a stressful finish, but an incredibly rewarding win.”
TOP 5 FASTEST – RACE 1
1. KASMA DANIEL KASMAYUDIN – HONG LEONG YAMAHA MALAYSIA (21’44.659s)
2. AZLAN SHAH KAMARUZAMAN – AMI SUZUKI MOTORSPORT (21’53.436s)
3. MOHD FAHMI ABDUL WAHAF – FGRT PROJECT ONE (22’43.503s)
4. LAW KIEN HUEY – KHSRT (22’45.756s)
5. ABHIJITH SATYA PRASAD – RACEHUB RACING TEAM (22’46.445s)