Mohd Aiman Tahiruddin rounded up a successful weekend at Round 3 of the 2019 Malaysia Superbike Championship with a double win in the MSBK250 class. The CKJ Yamaha Racing Team rider had been dominant the entire weekend, especially with his closest rival, Nazirul Izzat Bahauddin absent from the race to focus on the Asia Road Racing Championship happening the same weekend at Sepang. Having earned the right to park his bike on pole during the qualifier, Aiman again started from pole for Race 2. A bad start pushed him down to fourth in the opening lap while Syafieq Aiman Fauzi seized the chance to take the early lead. Aiman gained the lead on Lap 3 and with the bit between his teeth, proceeded to carve a 2.9s lead at the front. The CKJ Yamaha Racing Team rider won the 8-lap race in 20’17.309s. Behind Aiman, Syafieq Aiman tangled with Abdullah Qayyum Razak for the final two spots on the podium. The duel was resolved in Syafieq’s favour. He finished second with 20’20.301s while Abdullah Qayyum delivered another podium to the CKJ Yamaha Racing Team in third with 20’20.543s. Kanafi Kamaruddin from Team One for All and Amirul Affiq Solikhin from the Horizon Racing Team rounded up the top five. Aiman Tahiruddin has now overtaken Nazirul Izzat on the championship standings. He leads with 110 points as Nazirul drops to second overall with 100 points. Shahrul Ezwan Shahril is third with 72 points.
Mohd Syafieq Aiman from the ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team has laid down the marker for the MSBK250 class as Round 3 resumed at the Sepang International Circuit in conjunction with the penultimate round of the 2019 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. Syafieq clocked 2’30.449s at the head of a 29-bike grid. He was the only rider to pace below the 2’31s mark. Mohd Sharul Ezwan Mohd Shahril from AFB Tech Racing posted second fastest with 2’31.341s followed by CKJ Yamaha Racing Team’s Aiman Tahirrudin in third with 2’31.389s. Interestingly, Youichi Ui’s team One For All, an ARRC regular, has now entered the MSBK grid. The team is represented by Mohd Kanafi Kamaruddin who clocked fourth fastest with 2’32.500s. Former GP rider Ui, has been involved in the Asian series for a number of years and had been instrumental especially in the success achieved by the Yamaha Thailand Racing Team.
MSBK1000 Stock A championship leader, Sharulnizam Ramli or better known to his friends and racing community as ‘Joe Sharul’ is gearing up for the biggest race of his career to date. The Malaysian rider who had been an MSBK regular for the past year, will take on the wildcard challenge in the premiere class of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship, the ASB1000. Supported by FTA Liqui Moly Racing Team, Sharul and his BMW S1000 RR will join some of the best Asian riders on the ASB1000 grid. When contacted, Sharul admitted that he is nervously looking forward to the coming race. “I started racing in 2012 but it was off-and-on for several years. I only did full seasons in 2013, 2018 and 2019. This will be my first time participating in the ARRC, and it is certainly the highlight of my racing career to date,” he said.
Round 6 of the 2019 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship will feature yet another double-header as the Malaysia Superbike Championships (MSBK) joins the ARRC at the Sepang International Circuit. Nevertheless, Round 3 of the MSBK will see only the 250cc class in action as the 600cc and MSBK1000 classes had each completed six races in the previous two legs. Nazirul Izzat Bahauddin currently leads in the MSBK250 A category with 100 points. However, the ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team rider is scheduled to race in the ARRC’s Asia Production 250cc class and will be absent from the MSBK for Round 3. This will be the perfect opportunity for Sharul Ezwan Shahril and Aiman Tahiruddin to close the 38-point gap behind Nazirul and open up the AP250 title hunt ahead of the final round. Meanwhile, Mohd Arif Fadhilah Ismadi leads the MSBK250 B category with 91 points.