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.
Horizon Racing Team’s Farid Badrul extends his domination of the MSBK1000 as the Malaysia Superbike Championship (MSBK) resumes with Round 2 at the Sepang International Circuit. Farid picked up his third win of the season in Race 1 with 21’37.806s, relegating former GP rider Zulfahmi Khairuddin (SIC Junior ZK Racing) to second place with 21’38.350s. ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team’s Amirul Hafiq Mohd Azmi finished third with 22’28.848s. The MSBK1000 Category B was won by Jamalul Tarmizi with 22’50.556s while the Stock A class was taken by Shahrulnizam Ramli with 22’17.797s. Meanwhile, Mohd Adam Norrodin lived up to the SIC Junior ZK Racing team’s expectations with an unchallenged ride to win the MSBK600 Race 1 with 21’56.748s. Adam’s team mate, Mohd Izam Ikmal Ismali made it a 1-2 result for the team while Boon Siew Honda Racing Team’s Azroy Hakeem Anuar finished in third with 21’57.377s. In further developments, Nazirul Izzat Bahauddin from the ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team secured the MSBK250 pole position with a fastest lap of 2’28.999s.
It had been more than 18 months since he last raced on a 1000cc bike yet Farid Badrul made an amazing comeback as Round 1 of the 2019 Pirelli Malaysia Superbike Championship came to a close at the Sepang International Circuit. Pitting his 2012 BMW against that of Zulfahmi Khairuddin’s later 2015 version, controlling his bike through sheer will and brute force without the aid of traction controls and electronics, Farid still walked away as the biggest winner of the weekend with two wins under his belt. The Horizon Racing Team rider sounded the warning knell in Race 1 on Saturday when he defeated series favourite Zulfahmi Khairuddin. Farid almost crashed out of Race 2, which gave Zulfahmi the opening he needed to take control of the second race. Race 3 was red flagged on Lap 5 following an incident between Khoo Chee Yen and Daniel Haiqal. Both riders are reported to be in good condition after the crash. The race was then re-started with four laps on the boards. However, CY Khoo was unable to join the re-start though he was fit to do so. The marshalls had mistakenly asked him to ride his bike back to the pits via the service road, denying him the opportunity to join the re-started race. Under the regulations, the riders must ride back via the track on their bike, and be classified as a finisher, in order to re-start. Zulfahmi dominated the majority of the re-started race and was caught unawares on the last lap when Farid Badrul surprised him with an overtaking move. “It was a do-or-die moment for me,” said Farid. “There was only a few corners left and if I had not made my move, I would have had to settle for second place. I’m very happy that my decision to be more aggressive paid off.” Farid chalked up his second win of the weekend by clocking 8’42.665s in the four lap re-started race. Fahmi claimed the second spot with 8’42.715s. ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team’s Amirul Hafiq Azmi picked up his third consecutive third-place finish. Meanwhile, in the MSBK600 class, SIC Junior ZK Racing Team’s rookie rider Izam Ikmal Izmali managed a spectacular 600cc debut when he went from third in Race 1 to second in Race 2 and then first in Race 3. However, Azroy Hakeem Anuar leads the MSBK600 class after Round 1 with two wins and a second place finish to his advantage. ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team’s Nazirul Izzat Bahaudin raced in a league of his own in the MSBK250. Nazirul put in an imperious performance when he won Race 1 with 20’29.198s and 20’23.706s. Round 2 of the 2019 Pirelli Malaysia Superbike Championship will resume, at the Sepang International Circuit, on July 26 to 28, 2019.
Horizon Racing Team’s Farid Badrul pulled off a stunning victory over favourite Zulfahmi Khairuddin when he won the MSBK1000 Race 1 at the season opener of the 2019 Pirelli Malaysia Superbike Championship. Although Zulfahmi, with his years of experience in the MotoGP and the World Supersports Championships, clearly had an advantage over Farid, the Horizon Racing Team rider proved to be more than his rival’s equal when he pipped Zulfahmi to the finish line by 1.993 seconds. “I knew that Zulfahmi would have an edge. So my strategy was to try to get away right from the start of the race. I wanted to create as big a gap as I could, prolonging the moment when I will have to battle against Fahmi,” said Farid who opened his 2019 campaign in the best possible way with a 21’54.059s win. Meanwhile, Zulfahmi made his task all the harder with a bad start from the front of the grid. “I had a bad start and got myself stuck behind a few riders. It took me a while to overtake them. Additionally, I had decided to go out on Race 1 on used tyres, so grip became a bit of an issue. When I caught up with Farid, there was simply not enough rubber left for me to make a decisive move,” said Fahmi of his second place position with 21’56.052s. Amirul Hafiz Azmi from the ONEXOX TKKR SAG Racing Team crossed the finish line in third place with 22’36.539s. Shahrulnizam Ramli won the MSBK1000 SuperStock A class while the MSBK1000 Superstock B victory went to Daniel Haiqal. Earlier in the day, Azroy Hakeem Anuar, Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin, Mohd Izam Ikmal Izmali, Mohd Helmi Azman and Mohd Akid Aziz treated viewers to a spectacular MSBK600 Race 1. The five riders engaged in a 10-lap battle for P1 which eventually came down in favour of Boon Siew Honda Racing Team’s Azroy Hakeem Anuar. Kasma Daniel from team Hong Leong Yamaha Malaysia came home in second place while SIC Junior ZK Racing’s Mohd Izam Ikmal Izmali completed the top-three. More racing is in store at the Sepang International Circuit on Sunday, June 16, 2019. Spectator entry is free.
Malaysian GP rider Zulfahmi Khairuddin has dusted off his racing suit and is back on a bike as Round 1 of the 2019 Pirelli Malaysia Superbike Championship flagged off at the Sepang International Circuit this weekend. The formidable Malaysian rider will be racing a BMW in the MSBK 1000 Superbike class of the Sepang-based national series. Unsurprisingly, Zulfahmi topped the class in the first practice session with a best time of 2’13.211s. “I’ve missed racing too much to stop completely,” said Zulfahmi who is entered under his own team, the SIC Junior ZK Racing. “My entry in the first round of the Pirelli Malaysia Superbike Championship is just my way of getting back into racing form. We’ll see where this step leads me in the future.” Farid Badrul from the Horizon Racing Team and Amirul Hafiz M. Azmi were second and third fastest respectively with 2’14.714s and 2’18.973s. Shahrulnizam Ramli aced the first practice of the season in the MSBK1000 Superstock class with 2’16.564s followed by Daniel Haiqal and Afique Danial Izzad. The MSBK 600 class saw a number of upcoming young riders. Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin grabbed the top spot with 2’14.168s. Azroy Hakeem Anuar ended the first day of practice in second place with 2’14.555s. ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team’s Nazirul Izzat Bahauddin led a 26-bike MSBK 250 grid with 2’31.385s.
Credit photo : Asia Talent Cup Malaysian rookies Muhammad Idil Fitri Bahadi and Syarifuddin Azman are looking forward to take their 2019 Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup campaign back on to home ground. The Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup travels to Malaysia this weekend for the third leg of its 6-round calendar, and will feature in a double-header with Round 1 of the Malaysia Superbike Championship at the Sepang International Circuit. After two rounds of competition, Idil and Syarifuddin are ranked 11th and 13th respectively with their best results coming from Round 2 at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand. Both riders are banking on the homeground advantage this weekend to boost their position on the championship ladder. “The Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup has been a huge learning experience for me to date. It’s taken me a while to get used to the bike as well as the race environment. But I feel encouraged when I see steady progress from Round 1 in Losail to Round 2 in Buriram,” said Syarifuddin who was also the 2018 Petronas Malaysian Cub Prix Wira champion. “Round 3 in Sepang is our best opportunity to showcase our talents. My personal target is to mix it up with the front group in the hopes of at least a podium finish.” The Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup will join up with the MSBK 1000 Superbike, Superstock, MSBK 600 and MSBK 250 classes to form a packed 3-day race programme at Round 1 of the 2019 Pirelli Malaysia Superbike Championship on June 14 to 16. Spectator entry to the K1 Grandstand is free.
Malaysia Superbike Championship are back for the new season.
SEPANG, 28 May 2019 – In an effort to raise the level of competition and overall series promotion, Sepang International Circuit (SIC) and Two Wheels Motor Racing (TWMR) have ventured into a collaboration to organise the Malaysia Superbike Championship (MSBK) beginning with the 2019 season. TWMR is an established body that has vast experience in organising motorcycle race series, notably the Malaysia Cub Prix series and the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC). The Cub Prix series was inaugurated in 1994 as a means for budding talents to race competitively using underbone motorcycles with smaller displacements on the national level. TWMR has stepped in to organise and promote the event since 1996. The ARRC, started in 1996, is a regional championship that aims to bridge the gap to the world championship with competitions involving classes of ASB 1000, Supersport 600cc, Asia Production 250cc class and also an underbone class. “This is exciting times for us as we have a very experienced partner to run the MSBK with us,” said SIC Chief Executive Officer Dato’ Razlan Razali. The collaboration to organise the MSBK will be for five (5) years beginning June 2019. The Malaysian Cub Prix and the ARRC have proven to be a good stepping-stone and grassroots programmes for riders in Malaysia and the Asian region as they make their way into the world championship. Among notable riders that have come out from the championships to race on the world stage are Malaysians Shahrol Yuzy, Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman, Khairul Idham Pawi and Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah, Ratthapark Wilairot (Thailand), Chris Vermeulen (Australia) and most recently Somkiat Chantra, Dimas Ekky Pratama, Kaito Toba and Kazuki Masaki. Dato’ Razlan added that the collaboration would further cement the MSBK’s status as one of the top national championships in the country. “We don’t claim to be the best in being a series promoter nor sentimental for holding on to MSBK (formerly known as MSS) since it was created in 2001. In the interest of Malaysian Motorsports, we rather that an entity such as TWMR with great experience in promoting series to take it over and collaborate with SIC to ensure that MSBK remains relevant and continues to contribute to the development of Malaysian Motorsports and complement other series such as Malaysian Cub Prix and Asia Road Racing Championship. We are hoping that with the expertise under TWMR’s umbrella, the MSBK will become a much better and more competitive and overall as an exciting and reputable event for spectators at the circuit – not only in Malaysia but also recognised as the best in the region,” said Dato’ Razlan. TWMR has the experience of running a high-level regional championship that has seen many riders make it into the world championship and SIC – in line with our aim to produce talents – would like to continue with this trend. “We want the MSBK to grow bigger from what we had experienced before. In the last edition of the MSBK, we had 418 participants putting their best on the track and we hope for the numbers to grow even bigger from now on.” “On behalf of TWMR, our objective is to help create a platform where Malaysian riders can be groomed further before they leave for the higher regional or international level championships,” added Ron Hogg, Director of Two Wheels Motor Racing. “The MSBK can also be utilized as a hub for other Asian riders to hone their skills prior to their international debut.” “In the first year of the collaboration, TWMR will maintain the classes available in the MSBK but the Superbike and Superstock classes will be merged into a single race. We had thought about removing the Superbike class this year, but to be fair to the competitors who have already prepared for the 2019 season, we decided to postpone the decision.” “The future direction will be to have it as a single class with possible A & B sub-divisions to increase the competition level and following the direction of most championships in the world for this category. The Supersports A & B as well as the 250 A & B classes will remain at status quo. The technical regulations for the class will be similar to the ARRC regs,” Ron concluded. The 2019 MSBK will run for four rounds, kicking off on 14-16 June together with the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup (ATC) that will join as the support race and the season ends with double header MSBK Round 4 and 5 on Nov 8-10. Race calendarRound 1 (14 – 16 June 2019) – support race Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup (ATC)Round 2 (26-28 July 2019)Round 3 (20-22 Sept 2019) – support race Asia Road Racing Championsip (ARRC)Round 4 (8-10 Nov 2019) For more information, please contact SIC National Press Officer Nor Lina Ayob at norlina.ayob@sepangcircuit.com