A WIN EACH FOR VORAPONG AND ABDULLAH QAYYUM IN MSBK250 FINALE
The TVS 310RR continued to impress at the 2019 Malaysia Superbike Championship finale at the Sepang International Circuit. After two podium finishes in the first day (technically, Round 4), the three TVS riders made drastic improvements in Race 3 when Vorapong Malahuan piloted his TVS machine to their first MSBK250 win.
Race 3 for the 37 bikes in the MSBK250 class revved off on a dry track. Within the first lap, the first eight bikes had pulled a small gap ahead of the rest. Mohd Idlan Haqimi Raduan led the field astride his Honda CBR250RR but the 15-year-old rider faced stiff competition from Vorapong Malahuan, Jegan Kumar, MSBK250 champion Mohd Aiman Tahiruddin, Abdullah Qayyum Razak, Mohd Kanafi Kamaruddin and and Mohd Syafieq Aiman Fauzi.
Vorapong’s team mate, Jegan was prominent in the first half of the 8-lap race. The Indian rider stole the limelight with a gutsy performance that saw him challenging for the lead in the first three laps. Unfortunately, Jegan could not sustain the race momentum and dropped down the field as the race progressed.
By the final lap, the top group of eight had been whittled down to four. Vorapong held the upper hand against Idlan, Aiman and Abdullah Qayyum. As the four riders thundered down the back straight, Haqimi gambled with the outside line while Vorapong got into the inside, almost ran wide, but slipstreamed past Aiman to take the win with 20’12.483s.
Idlan chalked up another podium experience in second place and Aiman Tahiruddin ended the race in third.
A few hours later, an incident in the Race 4 opening lap caused the group to break up almost immediately. Jegan Kumar, who went from eighth on the grid to fourth in the front group, crashed out on the first lap, very nearly collecting Mohd Syafieq Aiman Mohd Fauzi in the process. The incident also interrupted Mohd Idlan Haqimi’s race rhythm. The youngster dropped to sixth and with 13kg of added weight on his bike, found it hard to make up for lost ground.
Up in front, Vorapong Malahuan had his hands full with Abdullah Qayyum Abdul Razak, Mohd Aiman Tahiruddin and Mohd Kanafi Kamaruddin. The punishing pace set by the top four created a 30 second gap at the front of the group.
CKJ Yamaha Racing’s Abdullah Qayyum led the quartet into the final lap, coolly absorbed the pressure from Vorapong Malahuan, held on to his line, and sprinted to his first MSBK250 win of the season with 23’07.408s.
Vorapong picked up another podium in second place. The Thai rider lost out to the fired up Abdullah by only 0.007 seconds. Aiman Tahiruddin came home in third and completed his 2019 season with 190 points.
Mohd Kanafi Kamaruddin trailed the winning trio home in fourth place. Behind Kanafi, Idlan Haqimi Raduan out-raced Mohd Syafieq Aiman to finish fifth.