Every TWO-WHEELS racer begins each season of their tournament with the objectives of earning points, standing on the podium, and winning the race. Still, for these two brother-riders, Khairul Idham Pawi and Anuar Idham Pawi there will be one other accolade they will be chasing in 2023… Familial bragging rights. Just Kidding! Despite the joke, these brothers have the unenviable task of not only battling the rest of the field for honors this season but will also face the challenge of balancing sibling rivalries and brotherly love when they meet each other on the track. Khairul fondly known as, SuperKIP, is no stranger to the motorsport scenes. He made waves till the world championships in Moto3 and Moto2 categories back in 2016 and is still active in a number of highly intense races. While the younger brother, Anuar Idham Pawi, making a comeback after 5 years! Anuar made his debut at the year of 2014, in Malaysia’s prestigious national tournament, the Malaysian PETRONAS Cub Prix when he was just 14. The young lad managed to clinch numerous podiums in three different categories until 2018 before he decided to take a break due to personal reasons. The 23-year-old said it was natural for him to fall in love with the sport as his brother was known for racking up wins on the race track. “My older brother inspired me; he was racing since I was small. He’s always been there to help and guide me. From a small age, I’ve always been around bikes. I would be in the garage and track a lot with him, I grew up at the race track around him. So, it was natural for me to start racing.” “Due to personal reasons I had to take a break but this time I came back for good. The main reason would be my brother. He pushed me forward to make a comeback and I would admit it’s a dream to ride alongside my brother, even though, we gonna be rivals on the track. When he asked me, I couldn’t say no!” “This will be my debut in MSBK and also in the 600cc category. This is something huge, but I believe this going to be a great learning curve after a long break. If I am lucky enough to touch the finishing line with a win on my hand, I hope Khairul is there to share the podium too. That will be a dream come true,” he said. Brothers sharing the podium stage, That’s a memory to cherish forever! The first brothers to do this at the top level were Juan Carlos Salatino and Eduardo Salatino at the Argentine 500cc Grand Prix in 1962, with the siblings finishing second and third behind winner Benedicto Caldarella. The only other time this feat has been achieved was at the City of Imola Grand Prix in 1997, when Nobuatsu Aoki and Takuma Aoki again finished second and third, this time behind Mick Doohan as the Australian cruised to the fourth of his five world titles. Perhaps the most recognisable in the present day are the Marquez brothers. So, what about the Pawi brothers? Would they be able to achieve this dream in this season that will be commencing this 18th ? “If you ask me if it’s brotherly love or sibling rivalry, I would go for brotherly love! Khairul has never fail to look out for me and I always look up to him as a role model. I’m so exicted to race in the same category with my brother. I have a good feeling about this.” “I have no high expectations for this season. I want to finish every race fully and collect points as much as I can. If there’s a podium finish, Alhamdulilah.. If no, I would have learned something from that round. There’s no failure in race, either you win or you learn. That’s what my father always reminds both of us,” he said. With motorsport known for being an emotionally heated sport, their father Pawi Omar tries to provide a support structure for his boys as they aim to reach the highs of the sport. “They have chosen a sport that has extreme highs.” “You can win a race or a championship and then there is the total opposite, you can fight hard and crash or lose the championship by one point. You have to be there for them, it’s an emotionally draining sport. It’s important that I provide that support structure,” he said. Catch up latest news at malaysiasbk.com. Chat with us
There’s no escaping the reality: Motorsport still has a major diversity problem. Have things improved? Almost certainly. But enough? Far from it. All of motorsport is guilty of it and every series and discipline must do better. That’s no small task. It requires a lot of time, money, and resources to be dedicated to the problem, and finding a person or an organization with all three isn’t easy right now. Yet, there is a lot of work going on in the background to improve diversity. The number of female motorcycle riders that make it to the prestigious Asia-level competitions or even national tournaments is already tiny, so female participation at all levels needs a substantial boost if we are to see a high-profile, female riders in the future. They say “Go the extra mile to move mountains, even if it’s a tiny step!” Taking a leap of faith, a 16-year-old two wheels rider, Saidatul Zakirah Zairin determined to start nurturing young female talent in a bid to genuinely improve gender diversity in motorcycle racing through setting up her own team. Kirah, who will be competing in the MSBK250cc category at the season opener this weekend at the Sepang International Circuit, representing her very own team, LADY BOSS RACING TEAM, jumping into the hoops with strong optimism. “What I’d like to do is actually give more opportunities to girls, females in racing, or even younger riders, and get them to have a good platform where they feel they are supported, where they are being seen.” “The team is not gonna be specifically for females but also young riders regardless of gender, but our aim is to groom more female riders. Setting up a team is not a one-person interest. My dad and I have been planning to create our own team, motivated by the desire to be independent and increase our exposure. Alongside my dad and my family, I believe I can make this work!” “This is only the beginning. We intend to develop future riders and inspire others, especially females. However, we understand that this is not an easy challenge and I am sure there is gonna be many hiccups in the process, but it has to begin somewhere, no? So we don’t expect it to happen quickly. This will be a long-term plan of ours.” When she blazes a trail, she hopes more women will follow. Brunei born, Zakirah who is better known, as Kirah was raised in Qatar since the age of 5. From following her father to international motor racing competitions such as MotoGP, World SuperBike Championship (WSBK), and also FIM Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC), the young girl instantly fell in love with two wheels and entered the world of motorsports at the age of 11. “I remember as a little girl, I used to sit on the grandstands and just watch racing all day long, loving every minute of it,” she recalls. “So that’s where the passion started; the enthusiasm for racing. I was just so amazed by the riders, how they ride those bikes, and the thrill of it. And also, being able to meet some of the riders; I thought, they’re just so down to earth.” “For me going into bike racing, I know it is a bit out of the norm because I’m going to be the only female team owner in MSBK, at the moment. It’s huge and a stepping stone for me. We need to see more women involved; more female riders or more female management; that’s what I would like to see in the future. We are getting more female car racers. I think for bike racing, it will take a bit longer to change. But I think eventually we will see more female riders.” “It’s a bit of a challenge, obviously being such a male-dominated sport. And secondly, there are online comments, and people are going to say things. I think the most important thing is you just have to do what you love and focus on the end result and just enjoy it. Life is always going to be difficult. But if you are happy with what you do, and you enjoy it, you should always take on a challenge.” Acknowledging the difficult path Kirah is about to take up, she intends to equally invest her energy into her racing career. Despite the hectic schedule of her studies, Kirah believes it is possible to make waves in the motorsport scene. In her second year in MSBK, Kirah aims to improve her timing this weekend at Sepang. “My target for this season is to get better results than the last, I am not only competing against other racers but I am also competing against myself in order to improve.” Catch up latest news at malaysiasbk.com. Chat with us
The Berjaya Sompo YAMAHA Y16ZR Race MasterClass has been an incredible spectacle, showcasing the impressive skills of riders from across the nation, involving handpicked riders from the One-Make to CP125 race categories of the PETRONAS Malaysian Cub Prix Championship. Now into its 2nd season which will be commencing this weekend at the Sepang International Circuit, the riders are not only about to chase victories but also a slot for the FIM Asian Road Racing Championships. Making a debut for the 2023 season, Shafiq Ezzariq currently competes in the CP125 race category and sees no hurdle in making his way to the front in every race. Interestingly enough, Shafiq was more pleased with this category. “I would say the competitiveness in Y16ZR is more fair compared to the other categories. I currently compete in the CP125 category, there is not much of difference in riding skills but the challenges are pretty massive. In CP125 class there are different manufacturers with machines of different capabilities. Some machines can be slower than the usual level of speed or heavier and some can be super fast. So, strategically, there are some hurdles and you have to be fast and precise on the track.” “In Y16ZR it seems more comfortable. Yet, I believe the level of competitiveness is not any lesser because all the riders who have been selected are the best from every category. The plus is machines with the same capabilities and only the skills differ. Hence, the best takes up the victory. This is surprisingly appealing to me.” “There are still a fair amount of challenges here, I assume. We have experienced riders in there like, Syamil Amsyar, Aliff Danial, and a few others. To a certain extent, we know each other’s abilities. It can be pros and cons.” “Hence, to get my first title in my debut season can be tough but not impossible. Regardless, I’m pretty excited and can’t wait to race this weekend!” he said. The 23-year-old has been in the motorsport scenes for more than a decade now. Starting with a mini-bike at the age of 9 and trying out numerous categories in the Malaysian Cub Prix, to getting his chance to be in the ARRC. He has won a fair amount of podiums throughout his journey and keeps improving over the years. Hence, he looks forward to spreading his wings higher. “It all began with minibikes. I was 7 or 8 years old when I first fell in love with this two-wheel sport. My father exposed me to minibikes and races. I was young and super-excited. The speed, the sound, and the crowd during races. All these wowed me! I was 13 when I came to MCP, and the rest is history!” “It has been more than 10 years. I have never been satisfied with my performances, thus far, and there is always more to go and learn. I also have never given up even once. There have been lots of ups and downs throughout this journey. I believe I still have my chance to go further in my career and my main target would be ARRC.” “So, when I was picked to compete in Y16ZR, I couldn’t be any more grateful because it is a platform that could fast-track riders into the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. That is my main target for this season. Initially, I never want to pressure myself with high hopes or targets, but, I believe some pressure won’t do harm. It will push me further to perform well.” “There will be experienced riders who might find this easier or debutants just like me that can pull off stunts to be on the podium. We may never know. That’s the beauty of race, right? I’m looking forward for a challenging weekend.” “I will try my best to finish the race and collect as many points as I can.” he said Catch up latest news at malaysiasbk.com. Chat with us
The Malaysia Superbike Championship is back on track once again for yet another season. The riders of the MSBK250 race category are geared up for the Round 1 which will be held at Sepang International Circuit this weekend. Irfan Haykal was fiery last season when he rode towards the championship title with a hat-trick in the MSBK250 A race category. At second spot was Zakir Naqiuddin followed by Ashish Patel at the third place. In the MSBK250 B race category, Fauzi Hassan flaunted his moves before claiming the victorious title at the top of the chart. Amir Izzat Rozali took the second spot followed by Ahmad Fariz at third. Commenting on his participation this season, Irfan said, “This season, I will continue to enhance my performance to do better. I am really happy to be back in the MSBK250 race category because I want to gain more experience with the 250cc machine and further accentuate my skills. Of course, I also want to win. Some of the preparations that I am working on would be on my fitness level. I am diligent when it comes to the weekly routine and I make sure that I optimise the opportunity given to improve myself. As for the machine, I trust that my team is working their best to ensure that there are no issues during the race weekend. My team is highly experienced and they have a track record of working on victorious machines. Therefore, I am not so worried about the machine and its setup because I am confident with the abilities of my team and its crew. While racing in MSBK may be a little different in terms of its entry list and its race format, the experience that I have gained in Cub Prix and ARRC would be an advantage in helping me adapt to the differences. This season, I foresee a tougher battle within the race category. Nevertheless, I am equipping myself with the essentials so that I can face it with greater confidence.” Season 2023 will kickstart with riders who have been accustomed to the MSBK traits with the inclusion of lady riders Norsyafiyah Alia of CHV RACING and Saidatul Zakirah of LADY BOSS RACING TEAM who have embraced equity in motorsports alongside their male counterparts. The format of the racing category will remain the same as the previous season with MSBK250 A and MSBK250 B riders racing together. Former Cub Prix rider, Alia who would be pursuing a Law Degree this September said, “I just completed my foundation studies and while waiting for enrolment into MSU, I spend my time with the team working on my physical ability and endurance. As a female rider riding alongside male riders, MSBK gives me the boost to be more competitive. I have always been passionate about motorcycle racing therefore I chose to challenge myself further through this participation. At the same time, I am also motivated by the abilities of the other riders as well as their encouraging words to do better. As this is my second year in the championship, I am determined to stay focused during the race to achieve the target that I have set for myself. It starts with enhancing self-discipline in training while monitored by my coach. My training includes strengthening my core muscles, cardio-exercise and enhanced concentration skills.” “As for the machine, the preparations are on track and are all ready to go at SIC this weekend. CHV Racing is a new team for the season and their core objective is to develop riders while accentuating the presence of female riders like myself. With CHV Racing, the riders are taught to ride and manage the machine accurately and systematically by experienced trainers for a more effective result. CHV Racing is particular about its expertise and ensures that the manpower is selected according to their credentials in the management of high-powered machines. Our team works closely with Giatmara Malaysia in the provision of expertise in motorcycle technology.” Catch up latest news at malaysiasbk.com. Chat with us
The Berjaya Sompo YAMAHA Y16ZR Race MasterClass is back for another season of action and it is all happening this weekend at the Sepang International Circuit. The race category was incepted last season with the ambition of developing riders with exceptional qualities and abilities in motorcycle racing. These riders were handpicked from the PETRONAS Malaysian Cub Prix Championship. Last season, 30 riders participated in the race category with Md Fareez Afeez of SINGDECA RACING taking lead as the overall champion followed by Md Aliff Danial of SOON CHYE and Arash Tsunami of XL MOTOR. This season, 32 riders from the One-Make to CP125 race categories have been selected to showcase their strengths in MSBK aboard the YAMAHA Y16ZR machine. The inclusion of riders from various range of race categories will provide an added value to these riders in the development of their mastery as they progress further within motorsports. Commenting on the championship, Md Syamil Amsyar who was formerly a rider in the Wira KBS race category in 2022 and currently in the CP125 race category said, “The goal for me with MSBK would be to enhance my abilities while being challenged by the likes of other skilled riders. I did take part in the race category last season but I did not push myself as I was still learning the ropes. But this season, my aim would be to put on a good fight so that I stand a chance to be on the podium. The Y16ZR is not very different from the machine in Cub Prix. There is only a slight difference in terms of the height and the gearing system. Apart from that, it is pretty much the same. For the preparation, it would be similar to the ones that I do for the other championship. I do a lot of fitness and motor training. My team has been helping me with the right knowledge needed to ensure that my riding techniques match the needs of the race category. The long-term goal with MSBK would be to find my way into the MSBK250 race category in the next three years. Keeping my fingers crossed that I would be able to make progress in motorsports as much as I can.” Another experienced rider who was a former champion in Wira KBS race category, Aliff Danial said, “MSBK is unique in a way that it is a platform that could fast-track riders into the Asia Road Racing Championship. That is my goal for the time being. For that to happen, I have to maintain my performance like last season and continue to make further improvements. This race category has definitely helped me in various ways especially in the development of my skills when riding alongside senior riders on a much larger circuit. Currently, the preparations are sufficient for the coming race. The team has also helped me especially in providing training. I have also picked up a lot of insights from the senior riders. So, I truly hope that I would be able to ride competitively with the riders this season. The entry list looks interesting and I foresee a much challenging season but again, I believe the experience it worthwhile.” Catch up latest news at malaysiasbk.com. Chat with us
The co-partnership initiative between Sepang International Circuit (SIC) and Two Wheels Motor Racing Sdn. Bhd. (TWMR) in promoting and alleviating the standards of Malaysia Superbike Championship (MSBK) will continue with Season 2023. Season 2022 concluded with three rounds in total despite the uncertainty of post-pandemic. As the nation propels towards a more stable environment, the new season will foresee another 3-round cycle that will provide a value-added experience to aspiring riders. The season opener will commence on 18th August 2023. Through this effort, superbike aficionados can continue to have first-hand experience on the circuit alongside professional riders. Ron Hogg, Promotions Director of TWMR said, “Season 2022 was made even more exciting with the introduction of an additional race class which summarised an all-inclusive championship. The participation of riders, both homegrown and foreign professionals and privateers were a promising one which gave us the confidence that MSBK is proceeding apace, locally and at the international front. Thank you to all involved in making the championship a success. This season, there is something new coming along the way. Stay tuned!” “As we move forward, the goal is to widen the outreach which would potentially stimulate interest and consequently growth, the much-needed elements for continuous development of the motorsport industry as a whole. We aspire to attract more participants from the local and international front and already have a number of new countries with confirmed participants partaking in the coming season. At TWMR, we strive to ensure that the standards of the MSBK are progressively up-graded to keep up with market trends and improved technology which are key drivers of sustainability. We will continue to explore avenues for advancement with the best interest in serving the demands of the industry and the motorsport community. Here’s to a new season as we move along in the direction that would enrich the experience of our MSBK family.” Commenting on the championship, Azhan Shafriman Hanif, Chief Executive Officer of Sepang International Circuit (SIC) said, “We are proud to work closely with TWMR for this championship as a venue provider and all rounds are scheduled to take place in SIC. Each year, the championship brings competitive racing experience with an increase in the number of participants from the local and international neighbouring countries. The previous season was a major success which complements the improvements and changes that have been made, which includes the introduction of Yamaha Y16ZR Race Masterclass.” “As a responsible venue provider, SIC is committed to ensure top class facilities and services for the upcoming season. With the primary objective to bring national motorsports to a greater level, we would like to rally more riders and teams to compete in MSBK and welcome the fans to witness the races in SIC this year.” Catch up latest news at malaysiasbk.com. Chat with us