The Free Practice sessions for MSBK250 B, combined, saw Mohd Ilham Mohd Kamal of DARSALUBE MH RACING TEAM dominate at Round 3 of the MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship 2024 at the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit. Ilham posted the fastest time in Class B with a lap of 2’56:878s on his Honda CBR250RR. Close behind was Siti Norsyafiyah Alia Saarizan of CHV RACING, who recorded a time of 2’57:585s, trailing by 0:707s. The third-fastest rider was Kabilesh Rajini Krishnan of RACR CASTRAL POWER 1 ULTIMATE, who clocked in at 3’00:391s, finishing 3:513s behind the leader. Ilham said, “The weather condition today was quite tricky; one side of the track is dry while the other side is wet, which adds an extra layer of complexity to the race. It’s been some time since I last competed, so I have quite a few setups to work on, particularly regarding my riding technique and the suspension of my bike. Tomorrow, during the qualifying session, I’m fully committed to giving my absolute best, not only for the team’s success but also to challenge myself and improve my skills. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to push my limits and achieve a great result!” Tomorrow’s qualifying rounds will be critical for these riders as they aim to improve their positions ahead of the race. Result – Top 5 Fastest Practice Session (Combined) MSBK250 B 1. Mohd Ilham Mohd Kamal – DARSALUBE MH RACING TEAM (2’56:878s) 2. Siti Norsyafiyah Alia Saarizan – CHV RACING (2’57:585s) 3. Kabilesh Rajini Krishnan – RACR CASTRAL POWER 1 ULTIMATE (3’00:391s) 4. Muhd Irfan Safwan Mohd Hamirrudin – Malaysia (3’10:714s) 5. Mohd Farderin Iskandar – DARSALUBE MH RACING TEAM (3’11:390s)
Round 3 of the MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship (MSBK) will take place at the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit this weekend. Irfan Ardiansyah of Honda HWN SCK Racing Team is fuelled to accelerate further in his mission in the MSBK250 A while Md Naqib Rifqi is determined to carve yet another well-done achievement in the MSBK250 B. Indonesia rider, Irfan may have familiarised the circuit ground but he is definitely new to the scenes of MSBK yet he has outdone himself and emerged strong on the entry front. The rider currently takes the top spot in the overall standings with a total of 70 points, 4 points ahead of his teammate. Would he be able to sustain the position? Considering his two wins throughout the season, Irfan has definitely posed his abilities to navigate the circumstances of the racing scene effectively but looking at the point difference between him and his closest contenders, it is too soon to predict the outcome especially of a highly competitive feat. Commenting on the race, Irfan said, “This season has been really good for me and I think there is no big difference compared to other championships except for the weather condition in Round 2. The MSBK250 A race category is a highly competitive class and there is always a big group going on with the same pace. So, we have to be constantly steady in the front group, not to lose momentum because once you lose that, it becomes quite difficult to recover. My focus has always been about keeping up to the same performance and as such, that is my aim for the coming round too. I want to maintain my current position and it is all about being 100% focused. On my own, I do a lot of bike training on the side. I also work out on training myself physically. The team on the other hand works on the machine condition. So, we balance out that way. My goal for the season is to make it champion and I will go all out to work on that mission.” As for Naqib, MSBK has turned out to be quite a fair-game for the talented rider. He has not only been able to showcase his competitive side but has also garnered quite a reputation especially since his claim on the Weekend Warrior with a double-win in the recent race. In round 1, he conceded at third place overall after he made up in Race 2 for his poor performance in Race 1. Interestingly, he did not just make it but made it big with perfect scores in round 2. Could he pull yet another stunner in the coming round? Commenting on the race, Naqib said, “So far, this season has been a great one and I am very happy with my results. There has been a lot of difference between round 1 and round 2 especially with what I have learnt so far. I also improved tremendously throughout. MSBK250 B race category is a unique kind of race for me. Previously, I raced using the underbone machine which was quite difficult for me to catch up with. With sufficient training with a 250 machine, I am really confident with my performance now and I will continue to fight among the front group. For the coming round, I am pretty confident that I can win. I am also sure that this coming round would be a tough one especially with riders upkeeping themselves with training but I am fully prepared for the challenge. In terms of preparation, I have been working out especially in improving my fitness level. This is really important to ensure that I have the right stamina to maintain my consistency throughout. My aim for this round and season is to continue taking a bold stance among the front troops and also to put a fighting spirit against the A group.”
Round 2 of the MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship took place today at the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit. Irfan Ardiansyah of Honda NWN SCK Racing Team bagged the win for Race 2 of the MSBK250 A today. As soon as Race 2 started, Gerry Salim of Honda NWN SCK Racing Team was fast to lead the pack. Behind him was his teammate, Irfan Ardiansyah and Muhd Shahrol Syazras Shahrol Yuzy of Honda Estremo Yuzy Racing. On lap 3, Irfan managed to overtook Gerry at P1 and picked up his speed. Gerry followed Irfan closely trying to reclaim the top position, however overtook by Kitsada Tanachot of HONDA RACING THAILAND. On lap 6, Syazras who made his way up to front group from P10 overtook Irfan, but Irfan reclaimed the top spot and won the race at 19’55:719s. Irfan said, “”This race was incredibly challenging from the start, with numerous riders in the leading group making it a fierce competition. Throughout the middle part of the race, I focused on maintaining my rhythm, preparing to make my move in the final lap. My strategy paid off perfectly in the last corner, allowing me to secure first place. I’m absolutely thrilled with the outcome and deeply grateful to my team and everyone who supported me throughout this journey. Your backing was instrumental in achieving this victory.” Kitsada made it second at 19’55:931s. Gerry scored third at 19’55:960s.
Round 2 MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship was held at PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit. Md Naqib Rifqi Zulhelmi from Malaysia appeared as Weekend Champion as he won Race 2 of the MSBK250 B race category. Naqib put on a good show by leading the pack as soon as the race started. In P2, was Rakha Bima Saktiansyah of Honda NWN SCK Racing Team followed by Kim Min Jae of HONDA ESTREMO YUZY RACING in P3. Throughout the race, Naqib was consistent and focused on increasing the gap with other riders. While Rakha at P2 continued to keep up with Naqib’s pace. Min Jae too, was consistent at P3. Lap by lap, Naqib at P1 increased the gap with the riders at least 9 seconds behind him and raced past the finishing line to win the Race 2 at 20’36:620s. Naqib stated, “I feel that I’ve made significant progress in both my lap times and my riding skills. This weekend has been a rewarding experience, reflecting the hard work and dedication I’ve put in. I’m genuinely pleased with the improvements I’ve achieved. I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has supported me throughout this journey, especially my parents and friends. Your encouragement and belief in me have been invaluable, and I am deeply appreciative of your support.” Rakha placed second at 20’46:234s and Min Jae took third spot at 20’46:806s. Based on the combined results, Naqib appeared as the Weekend Champion.
Race 1, Round 2 of the MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship took place today at the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit. Muhd Jazil Juraimi from Singapore bagged the win for MSBK250 A today. During the qualifying session earlier today, Gerry Salim of Honda NWN SCK Racing Team clocked in the fastest lap time at 2’27:137s. Second fastest was his teammate, Irfan Ardiansyah with the best lap time at 2’27:645s. Muhd Shahrol Syazras of Honda Estremo Yuzy Racing made it third fastest with his best lap time at 2’28:351s. Gerry made a good start as he surged ahead of the troop after the flag-off. Muhd Shahrol Syazras Shahrol Yuzy of Honda Estremo Yuzy Racing and Irfan Ardiansyah of Honda NWN SCK Racing Team at P2 and P3 respectively trailed him closely. On lap 2, Jazil made his way through and overtook the top three riders to be at P1 and picked up his speed. At P2 and P3 was Syazras and Irfan trying to keep up with Jazil. The top riders position remained the same, however the gap between Jazil at P1 with the Syazras at P2 was at least 3 seconds. Jazil won the race at 19’23:734s. Jazil said, “I didn’t expect to win today. My main focus was on fine-tuning the setup for the upcoming ARRC as a wildcard rider. My goal was simply to manage the bike and maintain consistency throughout the race. I concentrated on staying smooth and steady, which ultimately contributed to my success.” Taking second position on the podium was Irfan at 19’26:764s. Kitsada Tanachot of HONDA RACING THAILAND made it third at 19’26:773s. MSBK250 A Muhd Jazil Juraimi – Singapore (19’23:734s) Irfan Ardiansyah – Honda NWN SCK Racing Team (19’26:764s) Kitsada Tanachot – HONDA RACING THAILAND (19’26:773s) Muhd Shahrol Syazras – Honda Estremo Yuzy Racing (19’26:851s) Noprutpong Bunprawes – HONDA RACING THAILAND (19’46:508s)
Round 2 of the MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship happened today at the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit. Md Naqib Rifqi Zulhelmi from Malaysia took the win today in Race 1 of the MSBK250 B race category. Earlier today in qualifying session, Kim Min Jae of HONDA ESTREMO YUZY RACING clocked in fastest with his best lap time at 2’33:998s giving him the advantage needed to stay ahead of the others during the race. At the second fastest spot was Malaysian rider, Md Naqib Rifqi Zulhelmi with his best lap time at 2’34:179s followed by Rakha Bima Saktiansyah of Honda NWN SCK Racing Team with her best lap time at 2’34:567s. Rakha took the lead as the race started. In P2 was Mohd Farderin Iskandar of Darsalube MH Racing Team and Kabilesh Rajini Krishnan of RA C R Castrol Power 1 Ultimate at P3. On lap 3, Min Jae made his way through to overtook Farderin at P2 however fell on lap 3 watched him out of the race. Race continued with Rakha maintained on top position, while Mohd Ezrix Syariz of Darsalube MH Racing Team and Md Naqib Rifqi Zulhelmi from Malaysia at P2 and P3 respectively. Naqib won the race at 21’50:581s. Naqib commented on the race, “I’m very grateful for this win today. Despite the challenge from other riders, I managed to made it through and took the win. I hope I can keep this momentum for tomorrow’s Race 2.” Taking the second fastest spot was Muhd Irfan Safwan Mohd Hamirrudin of NAKKAWANBULIHHH Racing Team clocking in at 19’38:276s. Malaysian rider, Muhd Darwish Amsyar Muhd Ridzwan made it third fastest at 19’45:464s. MSBK250 B Md Naqib Rifqi Zulhelmi – Malaysia (21’50:581s) Muhd Irfan Safwan Mohd Hamirrudin – NAKKAWANBULIHHH Racing Team (19’38:276s) Muhd Darwish Amsyar Muhd Ridzwan – Malaysia (19’45:464s) Md Zakir Naqiuddin – Malaysia (21’11:330s) Muhd Nur Haikal Muhd Nur Fikri – NAKKAWANBULIHHH Racing Team (21’16:826s)
The MSBK250 A category at the Round 2 of the MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship, held at PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit happened today. Gerry Salim of Honda NWN SCK Racing Team topped the practice session. In Practice 1, Muhd Irfan Haykhal Amidi of BOON SIEW HONDA RACING TEAM leading the pack with a blazing lap time of 2’29:104s. His teammate, Md Haziq Md Fairues made it second at 2’29:128s followed by Muhd Shahrol Syazras of Honda Estremo Yuzy Racing at 2’29:856s. In Practice 2, Gerry Salim of Honda NWN SCK Racing Team improved his pace, topping the session with the fastest lap time of 2’28:522s. His teammate, Irfan Ardiansyah who clocked his best lap time of 2’28:571s and Muhd Irfan Haykhal Amidi of BOON SIEW HONDA RACING TEAM at 2’29:102s filled the second and third spots respectively. The combined results came out with Gerry as the fastest overall, followed by Irfan Ardiansyah and Irfan Haykal on second and third place. Gerry said, “Today, I’m happy to have set the fastest time in FP2. However, there’s still more work to be done as my lap times aren’t yet where I want them to be. Tomorrow, I plan to try out a new bike setup, and I’m optimistic that it will lead to better performance.” Combined Result – Top 5 Fastest Practice Session MSBK250 A 1. Gerry Salim – Honda NWN SCK Racing Team (2’28:522s) 2. Irfan Ardiansyah – Honda NWN SCK Racing Team (2’28:571s) 3. Muhd Irfan Haykhal Amidi – BOON SIEW HONDA RACING TEAM (2’29:102s) 4. Md Haziq Md Fairues – BOON SIEW HONDA RACING TEAM (2’29:128s) 5. Muhd Shahrol Syazras – Honda Estremo Yuzy Racing (2’29:856s)
MSBK250 B category watched Rakha Bima Saktiansyah of Honda NWN SCK Racing Team emerged as the fastest overall on practice session at MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship, held at PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit happened today. In Practice 1, Rakha Bima Saktiansyah of the Honda NWN SCK Racing Team led with a fastest lap of 2’33:366s. He was followed by Malaysian rider, Md Naqib Rifqi Zulhelmi, who clocked 2’34:406s, and Kim Min Jae of HONDA ESTREMO YUZY RACING at 2’36:724s at third place. In Practice 2, Rakha again topped the session at 2’34:396s. Min Jae filled second place at 2’35:211s and Naqib who clocked 2’35:256s filled third spot. The combined results came out with Rakha as the fastest overall, followed by Naqib and Min Jae in second and third place. Rakha said, “In FP1 and FP2, I was the fastest, but unfortunately, I had a crash while testing my new suspension setup. It was a mistake on my part, and I’m not satisfied with the outcome. I’m determined to make improvements and perform better tomorrow.” Combined Result – Top 5 Fastest Practice Session MSBK250 B 1. Rakha Bima Saktiansyah – Honda NWN SCK Racing Team (2’33:366s) 2. Md Naqib Rifqi Zulhelmi – Malaysia (2’34:406s) 3. Kim Min Jae – HONDA ESTREMO YUZY RACING (2’35:211s) 4. Muhd Nur Haikal Muhd Nur Fikri – NAKKAWANBULIHHH Racing Team (2’35:902s) 5. Zakwan Anas Azizul Khairi – Malaysia (2’37:950s)
Round 2 of the MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship will take place this weekend at PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit. Geared up for the robust challenge are Gerry Salim of Honda NWN SCK Racing Team in MSBK250 A and teammate Rakha Bima Sakthiansyah in MSBK250 B. Indonesian rider Gerry may be a newbie in the MSBK250 A race category but he definitely has what it takes to compete competitively among the much-seasoned riders, especially with his experiences in the racing scenes of his local ground as well as the Asian and international front. In Round 1, he was defeated by his teammate with a 5-point difference in Race 1 and in Race 2, he once again fell short by 5-points in his attempt to take the win. However, his consistency in both races and his ability to defend his position awarded him with 40 points in total and a seat on top of the chart. The rider finally returned to the racing scenes after his injury last year and is certainly making up for the losses with the right scores. Commenting on the race, Gerry said, “Racing in MSBK this year has helped me try out new bike setups for ARRC Round 5 that will be held at Sepang. In my opinion, the standards of MSBK are great as the regulations are almost on par with that of ARRC for the AP250 race category. Only difference is that there are two different race categories that run in parallel. The Malaysian riders definitely inject better challenge because of their experience on the circuit ground and for me, it is a good experience to learn from them. At the moment, I have a good machine setup because I also get support from the Honda Indonesia Team. They too have a lot of experience on the Malaysian soil so, I have high hopes and trust on the team and mechanics. On the circuit, I love it. I have had my fair share of experiences and I guess that also means that I have a slight upper hand here. It is a circuit with many technical sectors and it is all about mastering it. For the upcoming round, there will be some changes to the setup compared to the first round as there have been some changes to the regulations. Therefore, some settings need to be changed to adhere to that. My goal for this season is to win the MSBK overall. Keeping my fingers crossed!” Rakha on the other hand may also be new in the MSBK250 B but the Indonesian rider has showcased quite a remarkable performance when he went on to compete with great dexterity to score the Weekend Champion title. Being in the championship for the first time, Rakha has demonstrated the ability to fight competitively and utilise the right technical skills to guard his position all the way. The MSBK250 B race category is not one that is easy to dominate especially with the huge troop flooding the circuit ground nevertheless, Rakha stood out, maintained his composure well and stayed focused before clocking in victory in both races. Commenting on the race, Rakha said, “For me, the most significant difference would be the opponents. I find them less competitive compared to those in the Mandalika Racing Series that I have been racing in. For the coming round, I have prepared myself physically and practiced on machines in Indonesia to compete against those riders in the MSBK250 A race category. Apart from that, I have also been honing my skills so that I can be competitive enough. I can’t say much about the machine at the moment but the machine is very fast. I like the Sepang circuit because the atmosphere and the level of safety is really excellent. Only thing that I didn’t quite like during the first round was the hole on the asphalt at corner 9. My target for the year is to make it as a leader in the overall chart and perhaps fight well with the other group.”
Rakha Bima Saktiansyah, a promising young talent from Indonesia, has made an impressive debut by clinching victories in both Race 1 and Race 2 of the MSBK250 B category in MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship 2024 Round 1. Representing the Honda NWN SCK Racing Team, Rakha’s outstanding performance not only marks his debut but also his first time competing overseas. Rakha’s achievement is a significant milestone for the 14-year-old rider, who has been diligently training for this moment. Reflecting on his success, Rakha expressed, “I feel very satisfied after Race 2 because I have trained rigorously for this moment. My main goal was simply to finish the races, but after the qualifying rounds, I gained the confidence that I could perform well in both Race 1 and Race 2.” In a surprising and heartwarming turn of events, Rakha revealed that the Bandung City government plans to construct a racing circuit in his hometown as a reward for his remarkable achievement. Rakha said, “The biggest impact of this victory is the pride I have brought to my parents. Additionally, the Bandung City government has announced their support for my racing career by planning to build a circuit near my home. This development is incredibly exciting for me and for the local racing community.” Rakha’s victory is particularly noteworthy as it marks not only his first win but also his first time racing outside of Indonesia. He shared, “It was my first time racing in another country, and to win here felt surreal and incredibly rewarding. The experience has been overwhelming in the best way possible.” “I hope to continue enhancing my skills and achieve even greater results in upcoming races. This win has given me immense confidence and motivation to push my limits and aim for higher goals,” he added. Catch up latest news at malaysiasbk.com. Chat with us