The torrential downpour that had deluged the Sepang International Circuit during the MSBK600 Race 3 had eased off by the time the MSBK1000 riders assembled on the grid. However, Race 3 for the premiere class still got off to a gingery start, with all the riders wary of the slippery surface. Polesitter and newly minted MSBK1000 champion Farid Badrul sat as best of the rest throughout the 10-lap race which he completed with a time of 25’59.982s. The returning Ian Dublin, having tamed the mechanical gremlins that stymied his bid for the podium in Race 2, made a strong comeback in Race 3 when he placed himself solidly in P2 behind Farid Badrul in the first half of the race. STK A champion Shahrulnizam Ramli settled into P3, and held off from making any overt moves on Ian until Lap 7. As the racing line continued to dry up, Shahrulnizam closed in and passed Ian on Lap 8. The FTA Liqui Moly Racing Team rider proceeded to carve out a 2-second gap in front of Ian and kept the position up to the finish line. Ian Dublin contented himself with third place. Further down the field, Liam Taylor MacDonald crossed the line in fourth followed by Mohd Harith Farhan. Khoo Chee Yen, Afique Danial Izzad, Osama Aburabu, Muhammad Hamzi and Nik Hadi Nik Mahmood made up the rest of the top-10 in Race 3. The MSBK1000 featured as the show-closer for the 2019 Malaysia Superbikes Championship. Farid Badrul’s hopes for an easy ride to close out the season were foiled when Liam Taylor MacDonald denied him the race lead with a phenomenal ride in the first six laps. Farid tried to take control on Lap 7 but found it hard to shake off a persistent and determined Liam. The 2019 MSBK1000 managed to pull a 1-second gap in the final lap, and stormed to the finish line to claim his seventh win of the season with 22’14.366s. Liam ended his MSBK1000 debut on a creditable note. He joined Farid on the podium in second place while Ian Dublin took third place. In the final points tally, Farid Badrul claimed the title with a whopping 235 points. Zulfahmi Khairuddin finished second overall while Khoo Chee Yen placed third on the standings with 127 points. The SBK B title went to Nik Hadi Nik Mahmood. Shahrulnizam Ramli claimed the STK A crown and Daniel Haiqal was the champion of the STK B class.
Race 3 for the MSBK600 class got off under wet racing conditions with Azroy Hakeem Anuar on pole. The race, which was delayed by 20 minutes, presented the 600cc riders with challenging racing conditions. Shigenaga Toranosuke from Chunetsu Racing was the first to fall prey to the slippery track surface when he crashed out on the warm-up lap. Another lightning fast start from Helmi Azman carried him into the holeshot at Turn 1 and placed the race lead firmly in his hand. 0.2 seconds behind Helmi, title contender Azroy Hakeem Anuar kept pace. With a 40 point lead at the top of the championship ladder, Azroy could afford to take things easy in the final two races. However, Azroy was clearly not one to rest on his laurels. The Boon Siew Honda Racing Team rider slipstreamed past Helmi for the lead on Lap 5, setting the stage for a 2-bike duel in the closing laps. The battle between the two riders came to a head in the final lap when Helmi expertly negotiated his way past a gaggle of backmarkers and attached himself firmly to Azroy’s rear wheel. The two riders were pushing the envelope on the wet track as Helmi slipped into the lead at Turn 11. Neck to neck down the back straight, Azroy managed to tuck into the inside line at the Turn 12 hairpin and hung on to his position to take his first win of the weekend with 25’07.379s. Hong Leong Yamaha’s Ahmad Afif Amran settled into his customary solo position in third. Khurana Dhiraj Tan and Oh Kah Beng finished fourth and fifth respectively. The most impressive rider on the 600cc grid was rookie Shahrol Syazras Shahrol Yuzy. Racing astride the 600cc machine for the very first time, Syazras’s consistent laptimes was good enough to put him within the top five in the qualifying and Race 1. Unfortunately for the young rider, Syazras crashed out of Race 2 and fell victim to the wet track in Race 3. Further behind, another 600cc rookie, Mohd Akid Aziz, also struggled in the rain. Akid, engaged in a fierce battle against Khurana Dhiraj Tan for P5 until he highsided on Lap 5. The 600cc race of the season was declared as a wet race. The rain from earlier in the day had subsided but there were still patches of wet on the track. However, the riders were free to use their choice of wet tyres or slicks. The majority of the grid opted to stay on slicks. Azroy wasted no time getting into the holeshot in Race 4 but lost the lead on Turn 3 when Ahmad Afif Amran surprised him with an unexpected attack. Unlike his previous 600cc rides, Afif looked to be on fire in the final MSBK race of the season. The Hong Leong Yamaha rider stretched out a 2.6 second gap within a lap, leaving Azroy to deal with Helmi Azman in P2 and P3. However, a blistering fast lap from Helmi Azman on Lap 2 closed the gap against Afif. With Azroy in tow, the two Honda riders pushed Afif down to third on Lap 3 and regained control of the race pace. Helmi took a third win from the weekend with a 1.7s gap in front of Azroy Hakeem Anuar. Azroy completed his title-winning season in second place followed by Afif, once again, in third. Mohd Akid Aziz rode a solitary race in fourth while Shahrol Syazras Shahrol Yuzy triumphed over his tussle with Khurana Dhiraj Tan to cross the finish line in fifth place. Boon Siew Honda Racing Team’s Azroy ended the season with 211 points. Helmi Azman moved up to second overall with 171 points and Afif Amran in third overall with 126 points.
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.
Farid Badrul has sealed the MSBK1000 title with a double win from Race 1 and Race 2 of the season finale underway at the Sepang International Circuit this weekend. The Horizon Racing Team rider was virtually unbeatable as the second day of the MSBK Finale unfolded. Farid started the day by taking pole position away from a hopeful Liam Taylor Macdonald. Pole position in hand, Farid easily crafted a lights-to-flag victory in both Race 1 and Race 2 to cement his status as the 2019 MSBK1000 champion. MSBK1000 newcomer Liam Taylor Macdonald impressed when he finished second in Race 1 but bowed out of Race 2 due to mechanical issues. Honda rider Ian Dublin suffered the same fate – third in Race 1 and out of Race 2. Meanwhile, MSBK1000 STK B title leader Daniel Haiqal was second across the line in Race 2 followed by STK A leader Shahrulnizam Ramli.
MSBK600 championship leader Azroy Hakeem Anuar found his ambitions for a double win in Race 1 and Race checked by a rampaging Mohd Helmi Azman. Azroy, who holds a 50-point lead over fellow Honda rider Helmi, won the bid for pole position when he posted 2’11.537s in the qualifier. In spite of the coveted starting position, Azroy had no answer for Helmi’s lightning-fast start as the Hi-Rev SCK Honda Racing yellow Honda streaked into the holeshot in both Race 1 and Race 2. Helmi was able to quickly carve out a lead in Race 1 and won a solo ride at the front of the group with 22’01.624s. Azroy finished second with 22’05.392s, 3.768s behind Helmi. The two Honda riders were again the star of the show in Race 2. This second time around, Azroy was determined to stay on pace with Helmi. The Boon Siew Honda Racing Team rider made repeated overtaking attempts in the first six laps before he successfully made a bid for the lead on Lap 7. Two laps later, Azroy lost the lead when he made an unforced gearing error at the last corner. As Helmi stole into the lead, a miscalculation by the flag marshall brought out the chequered flag a lap early. The 10-lap race was shortened to 9 laps, with the win going to Helmi. Azroy had to settle for second in Race 2. However, Azroy can afford to take it easy this weekend. The double podium on Saturday has given him a 40-point advantage over Helmi. Behind the duelling Hondas, Ahmad Afif Amran ended the day by finishing third in both Race 1 and Race 2.
The Honda CBR250RR and the TVS 310RR made a big impression at the season finale of the 2019 Malaysia Superbike Championship when they made short work of the competition to dominate the MSBK250 podiums in Race 1 and Race 2. Equipped with the Honda CBR250RR that has dominated the Asian series for the past few seasons, 15-year-old Mohd Idlan Haqimi Raduan from the Boon Siew Honda Racing Team clinched pole position with 2’28.026s. The young talent’s laptime set a new MSBK250 qualifying record at the Sepang International Circuit. Riding on the momentum of his pole-performance, Idlan put in an imperious ride in Race 1 which he won virtually unchallenged with 20’00.694s. Race 2, however, turned out to be a completely different ballgame for Idlan. The Boon Siew Honda Racing Team rider faced stiff competition from Mohd Syafieq Aiman Mohd Fauzi from the ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team and 31 Racing’s Vorapong Malahuan. Unused to pressure from his more seasoned rivals, Idlan crashed out of Race 2 on the final lap. Race 2 was won by Mohd Syafieq Aiman Mohd Fauzi with 20’10.998s. The ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team rider placed fifth in Race 1 earlier in the day. Most impressive of all was the debut performance by the TVS 310RR and their developmental rider, Vorapong Malahuan. Vorapong ended the day with a double podium when he finished third in Race 1 and second in Race 2. The MSBK250 title hunt came to an end when Mohd Aiman Tahiruddin from CKJ Yamaha Racing Team finished second in both races. Aiman now holds 150 points at the top of the MSBK250 standings. Meanwhile, Mohd Arif Fadhillah Ismadi from the Horizon Racing Team took the double win in the MSBK250 B category. Similarly, AFB Tech Racing’s Muhd Zakir Naqiuddin also finished second in both Race 1 and Race 2.
Having swapped his 600cc machine for a Suzuki GSXR-1000, Liam Taylor Macdonald wasted no time showcasing his prowess in the MSBK1000. The 20-year-old rider from New Zealand has placed his marker on the MSBK1000 pole position when he emerged as the fastest rider in the first day of practice. Liam, who ranked ninth in the MSBK600 class to date, has jumped on board with Team Hiap Aik Suzuki Racing to replace injured Tee Wee Jin for the season finale. In his MSBK1000 debut, Liam posted 2’10.673s in the third practice and outpaced title contender Farid Badrul by a full second. Farid’s Horizon Racing Team BMW machine was second fastest with 2’11.985s. In the absence of Zulfahmi Khairuddin and Amirul Hafiz Azmi this weekend, Farid can expect to enjoy an easy weekend in the season finale. Ian Dublin made a strong MSBK1000 comeback when he clocked third quickest with 2’14.233s. MSBK1000 STK B leader Daniel Haiqal and team Hiap Aik Suzuki Racing’s Khoo Chee Yen rounded up the top five in the combined practice times.
Honda riders Helmi Azman and Azroy Hakeem Anuar will be facing off for the 2019 MSBK600 title at the season finale of the national superbike championship. The riders are limbering up for a weekend of intensive racing with two rounds held back-to-back on the same weekend. Team Hi-Rev SCK Honda Racing’s Helmi was consistently the fastest 600 rider during the first day of practice. The 20 year old clinched provisional pole with 2’11.750s in the combined free practice results. Championship leader Azroy Hakeem Anuar from the Boon Siew Honda Racing Team, trailed his Honda rival by half a second. Many of the top riders in the 600 class were noticeably absent from the final round due to conflicting schedules with the CEV. Absent from the grid include title contender Izam Ikmal Izmali, as well as podium regulars Adam Norrodin and Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin. Their absence would make it easier for Azroy to clinch the MSBK600 title. However, at 50 points behind and with four races to complete over the course of the final weekend, Helmi still stands a mathematical chance of staging a last-minute reversal. Hong Leong Yamaha Malaysia duo Ahmad Afif Amran and Mohd Akid Aziz could possibly dole out a few surprises in the coming races. The two Yamaha riders were clocked at third and fourth fastest during the free practice with 2’13.311s and 2’15.964s respectively. Yuzy Racing Team’s Shahrol Syazras Shahrol Yuzy ended the day fifth fastest with 2’17.237s. While the local Malaysian riders locked out the top five spots on the provisional grid, Singaporean Khurana Dhiraj Tan from Worx Motorsports, Shigenaga Toranosuke (Chunetsu Racing), India’s Abijith Satya Prasad (Worx Motorsports), Deepak Ravi Kumar (RACR) and Malaysian Jamal Qayyum Aziz M Sidik completed the top 10 in the MSBK600 combined times. AFB Tech Racing’s Ganesan Murugan checked in 11th quickest followed by wildcard veteran Oh Kah Beng who posted 2’25.022s.
He may be new to the championship, but Idlan Haqimi Raduan has quickly gained the upper hand in the 37-bike strong MSBK250 grid. The 15-year-old who had recently made his international debut in the Asia Road Racing Championship, stunned his rivals when he piloted his Boon Siew Honda Racing Team Honda CBR250RR to the top of the timesheets with 2’30.116s. Idlan’s quickest time was two seconds off the 2019 qualifying record, 2’28.999s set by Nazirul Izzat Bahauddin. Nazirul will not be racing in the MSBK Finale as he has previously committed to race in the final leg of the CEV in the same weekend. Championship leader Aiman Tahiruddin posted the second fastest time of the day with 2’30.376s followed by Team One For All’s Mohd Kanafi Kamaruddin in third with 2’30.974s. 37-year-old Kanafi stands the best chance to push his way up the standings. Currently fourth after six races, the Team One For All rider has picked up 68 points. 42 points adrift of Aiman, Kanafi could challenge for the title or at the very least finish second overall. CKJ Yamaha Racing Team’s second rider Abdullah Qayyum A Razak logged fourth fastest with 2’32.359s. A surprise entry came in fifth on the combined timesheet as Thai rider Vorapong Malahuan entered the championship astride India’s TVS machine. Despite racing on a bike that is still clearly under development, the seasoned campaigner was able to clock fifth quickest with 2’32.359s.