MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship is all set for another round of adventure in the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit this weekend. Round 2 will see Md Helmi Azman of Boon Siew Honda Racing revving up to continue his dominating spirit in the MSBK600 race category. It is not unusual for Helmi, racing on his home-ground circuit, more so with years of experience etched to his name to bag a double victory. The rider who has been in the game aboard a 600cc machine for a long time is familiar with both the machine and the circuit ground which also means that it is all about optimising the performance and maintaining his dominance. But having said that, the entry list that is intimidating this season also means that he has to be more aware and be prepared for the possible challenges. Perhaps, what would require more of his attention is recognising the characters and riding techniques of his contenders so that he is able to work his strategies effectively. Last season, Helmi made it first on the chart and claimed the Champion title in the race category after putting up a tough fight, taking four wins and four second-spots on the podium. The Malaysian rider may be soft-spoken but, on the battlefield, he is a raging bull, ever-ready to take down those in his way. In Round 1 that was held more than 2 months ago, Helmi showcased dexterity and braved through the challenges in both races. Would he be able to repeat the same victorious note? Commenting on the race, Helmi said, “Round 1 was an amazing weekend for me. It was challenging and was not an easy feat especially riding with the same contender from ARRC. But the machine was great and we managed to find the right setup which gave us the ease in achieving success. To me, when it comes to riding, it is both luck and skills. The combination of both is essential in our successes. Sometimes, we have the needed skills but luck may not be on our side, the machine might give way and we can’t do anything about it. Sometimes, we have the right setup and the machine is great but we may struggle with finding out footing on the circuit ground. So, I am lucky in that sense because we raced on our home-ground that I am familiar with. Which means, I have the upper-hand in terms of skills and the only thing that would matter would be the machine and its performances.” “I still have a lot of work to do because riding is an on-going improvement process. I have to enhance my riding skills especially for the other championships this year. Part of my preparations include physical training because strength, stamina and endurance is highly required in racing. It is part of the fundamentals in succeeding. I also hope that the machine will have extra power so that its performance is optimised. This year is not as easy as last season because the entry list includes some of the big names from ARRC therefore it is a constant battle throughout. My goal for this season is of course to fight for the championship title once again. There are not two ways about it because, this is our home-ground and it doesn’t justify if we don’t take that win.”
The 2024 edition of the MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship received a more lively reception with the presence of more professional riders from abroad, making their bold moves with their participation in Round 1. While some may call it testing the water, some dived right into the momentum and worked their strokes all the way during the weekend. Among them, attracting the attention was Mckinley Kyle Paz who appeared as the first Filipino rider to participate in the Malaysia Superbike Championship since the championship was launched in 2015. Kyle is known for his resilience in motor racing, where he consistently pushed beyond the boundaries, earning the respect and admiration from his peers and fans alike. In his debut season, Kyle, who aimed to shine, faced technical difficulties with his bike but remained optimistic and focused on the learning experience. Kyle shared, “I enjoyed my first time racing in MSBK even though my bike had some problems but we have learned many things from there. I must say that the intensity level of the race is like ARRC too.” Besides being a debutante and being the first in his country to compete in the MSBK, Kyle carries a unique sense of pride and responsibility too. “It’s always been a pleasure to be the first Filipino in any event. And I feel proud of it, competing in MSBK was a great opportunity for me.” His participation not only paves the way for future Philippines riders but also showcases the potential of athletes from his home country on an international platform. In Round 1, Kyle was one step away from a podium finish when he took fourth place in both Race 1 and Race 2. Kyle said “I was not satisfied with my race because we were struggling throughout the weekend just trying to fix my bike and we figured out the problem only after the race. That’s why we didn’t have a good race in race 2.” “However, it was a valuable weekend for me and my team. Now we know what we can do in the next race and I also know where I need to improve when it comes to my riding, so let’s see what we can bring to the next round of MSBK,” Kyle remarked. Catch up latest news at malaysiasbk.com. Chat with us
Race 2 of Round 1 MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship was held at PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit. Md Helmi Azman of BOON SIEW HONDA RACING TEAM was victorious once again in Race 2 of the MSBK600 race category. During Race 2, Helmi put on a good fight with Apiwath and Thanat throughout the race. Rider’s position changed in each lap between Helmi, Apiwath and Thanat before Helmi finally maintained his position in the top spot from lap 7. Behind him, Apiwath and Thanat was still overtaking each other for second position. In lap 9, Apiwath overtook Thanat and tried to overtake Helmi, but Helmi increased his speed and won the race at 21’58:135s. Commenting on the race, Helmi said, “Today was another tough battle, I tried to get away from the pack but I was stuck within intense race for 6 laps. I did not stop trying to attack until I created a small gap and finally win the race.” Apiwath Wongthananon of YAMAHA TEKHNE RACING TEAM ASIA took second place at 21’59:270s. Thanat Laoongplio of HONDA RACING THAILAND made it third at 22’01:261s. Catch up latest news at malaysiasbk.com. Chat with us
Round 3 of the MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship took place today at the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit. Md Helmi Azman of BOON SIEW HONDA RACING TEAM claimed victory in Race 1 of MSBK600 race category. In the qualifying session that was held this morning, Helmi was competitive as he went on to mark the fastest with his best lap time at 2’09:928s. Apiwath Wongthananon of YAMAHA TEKHNE RACING TEAM ASIA made it second fastest with his best lap time at 2’10:227s. At third fastest was Md Syarifuddin Azman BOON SIEW HONDA RACING TEAM with his best lap time at 2’10:769s. As soon as the race began, Helmi was quick to find his position at the first turn with Thanat Laoongplio of HONDA RACING THAILAND right behind him at P2. Apiwath trailed behind at P3. By the end of lap 1, Apiwath took over Thanat and followed Helmi closely. Lap by lap, Apiwath inched closer to Helmi. In lap 8, Apiwath overtook Helmi in turn 15 but Helmi managed to retake his postition at turn 1 in lap 9 and raced towards victory at 21’59:307s. Helmi commented, “Apiwath is such an excellent rider. It was one of my wish to beat him because I could not finish the race before him in IDEMITSU FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. Today, I finally did it. Today’s victory definitely boosted my motivation to do better tomorrow.” Apiwath Wongthananon of YAMAHA TEKHNE RACING TEAM ASIA clocked in second at 21’59:890s. Thanat Laoongplio of HONDA RACING THAILAND made it third at 22’12:864s. Catch up latest news at malaysiasbk.com. Chat with us
The season opener at MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship witnessed Md Helmi Azman of BOON SIEW HONDA RACING TEAM dominating MSBK600 category in practice session that ended on Friday. Helmi emerged fastest in Practice 1 when he set the fastest lap time of 2’11:550s placed Md Syarifuddin Azman of BOON SIEW HONDA RA CING TEAM at 2’12:295s and Apiwath Wongthananon of YAMAHA TEKHNE RACING TEAM ASIA at 2’12:698 in second and third place respectively. Then, in Practice 2, Helmi once again led the pack with better lap time of 2’11:310s. Syarifuddin too, maintained in second place with the fastest lap time of 2’11:787s followed by Thanat Laoongplio of HONDA RACING THAILAND at 2’12:591s. Combined result for practice session revealed Helmi as fastest overall, while Syarifuddin placed second and Thanat took the third spot. Combined Result – Top 5 Fastest Practice Session MSBK600 Md Helmi Azman – BOON SIEW HONDA RA CING TEAM (2’11:310s) Md Syarifuddin Azman – BOON SIEW HONDA RA CING TEAM (2’11:787s) Thanat Laoongplio – HONDA RACING THAILAND (2’12:591s) Apiwath Wongthananon – YAMAHA TEKHNE RACING TEAM ASIA (2’12:697s) Muhd Farish Hafiy Farid Sezli – FGRT PROJECT (2’13:152s) Catch up latest news at malaysiasbk.com. Chat with us
The MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship is coming back this weekend at Sepang International Circuit. Waiting in anticipation to circle the laps once again are the riders of MSBK600 race category who are highly motivated, ready to inject pressure and driven to succeed. Md Helmi Azman of Boon Siew Honda Racing Team went all out last season to grab the bigger chunk of the pie when he bagged the podium spot in all races with four wins including a hat-trick before marking his territory in the race category as the champion. For Helmi, he knows the tricks and trades too well and although it was not an easy feat riding alongside teammate, Khairul Idham Pawi for the first two rounds and Md Hakim Danish of SIC Racing in the final round, but he rose above the challenge and completed the season with a total of 180 points. KIP took second overall with 90 points in hand. At third spot overall was Japanese rider, Soichiro Minamimoto of Yamaha Gen Blu Racing Team Asean who made quite an impression in his debut season with a total of 75 points. Commenting on the upcoming race, Helmi said, “For me, MSBK has always been about getting the mileage needed to do better as a professional rider. It opens up pathways of opportunities that are much-needed especially in enhancing our riding techniques and preparation for the next level. The MSBK platform is known for being the top superbike championship in Malaysia and as such holds quite a standard that potentially helps us in gauging our own benchmark and performances. For the upcoming race, I am aiming for the overall championship title but again, I have a feeling that defending my championship is not going to be an easy task especially with the season’s entry list. Definitely, I will go all out to do my best especially with my machine being in a good condition. My team has done a great job over time and they have also been finding ways to improve wherever possible so I am quite confident for the coming race. Sepang circuit is a fine circuit and of course, being a home-ground for me, I would not say it is going to be a smooth ride considering the many other Malaysian riders who will be coming in as well. But, let’s see how it goes this time around.” This season promises an even more exciting chapter especially with the inclusion of fresh faces alongside seasoned riders from the local and the wider Asian grounds. While the level of competitiveness has always been striking among the riders in the race category, it is presumed that this season’s battle will see an enhanced version of nip and tuck which will raise the benchmark of excellence even higher. Season 2024 will see the inclusion of countries such as Philippines and Thailand with the likes of McKinley Kyle Paz, Apiwath Wongthananon and Thanat Laoongplio, who are all participants in the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship taking part in the stride. Commenting on the championship, Apiwath said, “This would be my first-time racing in the MSBK championship and I am quite excited to get some exposure from the riding experience. The main reason for participating is definitely while having the feel of riding in another championship, it is also to expand my mileage further for the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. This would be a suitable ground and championship to practice before ARRC comes to Malaysia. For sure, it would give me some valuable insights on the circuit as well as the techniques needed to be more accurate in my calculation of risk taking. To me, Sepang has been a rather difficult ground and I know for sure that the local riders have greater advantage but I will do my best though. I will utilise my experiences and strengths to maximise my performances. My goal in every championship is to be the champion so, I will go all out to do whatever in my capacity to be the best.”
Round 3 of the Malaysia Superbike Championship took place today at the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit. Md Hakim Danish of SIC Racing celebrated the win today in Race 3 of the MSBK600 race category. It was an interesting race this morning with the MSBK600 race category. Helmi took lead with Hakim Danish trailing closely behind. Although Helmi tried to break away from the pressure behind, he failed as Hakim Danish continued his attempt to supersede. On the last lap, Hakim Danish managed to overtake Helmi but Helmi refused to give up and went on to chase his contender. It was futile for Helmi when Hakim Danish took the last turn and fled towards victory first. In Race 3, Helmi once again went on to take lead with Hakim Danish at P2 and Idlan at P3. Throughout the weekend, the pattern has been the same with Helmi and Hakim Danish engaging in a fiery battle to be the best. Helmi may have lost to Hakim Danish in Race 2 but he went all out to keep his contender at bay. But Hakim Danish was a fighter too and he showcased his resilience and strength as he went on with his attempt to strike. On the third lap, Hakim Danish made it but Helmi was not about to give up and worked his moves. By mid-lap, Hakim Danish continued to dominate the circuit. Helmi kept trailing but on the 6th lap, he worked his way and bypassed Hakim Danish. With three more laps to go, the duo went on a stiff feat and once again, Hakim Danish made it past Helmi on the long-straight. On the final lap, Hakim Danish picked up speed, took the final turn and made it towards victory at 21’57:401s. Commenting the on race, Hakim Danish said, “For the final race, it was really good. I was really confident with the machine this time around. When I am on the circuit ground, I observed and learnt a lot from Abang Helmi who was really competitive. During the race earlier, I tried my best to trail and pick up on his moves and when the moment was right, I pushed towards taking the win. I thank everyone who has been supportive of me for this win.” Helmi Azman made it second and claimed the overall champion title at 21’58:406s. “This season was a real struggle from the first round but I tried my best to make it first in all the rounds. It was not easy. Just now’s race was similar to Race 2 but my main aim was to make it champion. Our goal, riding in the MSBK is more about getting the riding mileage. We need this experience for ARRC and throughout the season, it has been a great platform for me.” Ao Leong Fu made it third at 23’26:894s. Catch up latest news at malaysiasbk.com. Chat with us
Round 3 of the Malaysia Superbike Championship took place today at the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit. Md Hakim Danish of SIC Racing claimed victory in Race 2 of MSBK600 race category. It was a nerve-wrecking scene in the MSBK600 yesterday when Helmi went on to take lead with Hakim Danish injecting pressure all the way. In the last few laps, Hakim Danish’s effort bore fruits when he overtook Helmi however Helmi who had a mission for this weekend went on to retaliate and grabbed his position back. On the last lap, Helmi picked up pace and headed towards victory with Danish clocking in second. In Race 2, once again, Helmi was in full form as he went on to dominate the circuit right at the first turn. Hakim Danish who was defeated by Helmi yesterday went on a chase to bring Helmi down. By the end of lap 1, Danish overtook Helmi. At P3, Idlan kept to his pace and worked on improving with Chih Ying inching closer. On the fourth lap, Helmi cleverly took a slide from the inside and went ahead of Hakim Danish. Meanwhile, at the back of the duo, Chih Ying succeeded in closing the gaps and overtook Idlan but the latter picked worked on his moves and made it back to P3. The battle was fiery between Helmi and Hakim Danish who went on to pressure the leader relentlessly but Helmi worked steadily with the racing lines and avoided mistakes. On the final lap, Hakim Danish found his moment to strike and despite the attempts to supersede him, Helmi failed and succumbed to the second position. Hakim Danish celebrated victory at 21’53:307s. Commenting on the race, Hakim Danish said, “For Race 2, I was much better than before. I made many mistakes yesterday so I tried my best to avoid repeating those mistakes again today. The race went pretty well and I thank my team, family and friends for the support rendered.” Md Helmi Azman of Boon Siew Honda Racing finished second at 21’53:577s. Third was his teammate, Md Idlan Hakimi at 22’42:673s. Catch up latest news at malaysiasbk.com. Chat with us
Round 3 of the Malaysia Superbike Championship took place today at the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit. Md Helmi Azman of Boon Siew Honda Racing Team claimed victory in Race 1 of MSBK600 race category. In the qualifying session that was held this morning, Hakim Danish of SIC Racing was confident and competitive as he went on to mark the fastest with his best lap time at 2’10:207s. Helmi Azman of Boon Siew Honda Racing Team made it second fastest with his best lap time at 2’10:264s. At third fastest was Chiah Chih Ying with his best lap time at 2’16:434s. During the race, Helmi was quick to find his position at the first turn with Hakim Danish right behind him at P2. Idlan trailed behind at P3. By the end of lap 1, duo Helmi and Hakim Danish have drawn a wide gap of 5’413s away from the troop behind. Helmi was a combo of aggressive and confidence while Hakim Danish was persistent as he followed closely behind. Throughout the race, it seemed like nothing could shake Helmi down. Although Hakim Danish kept inching closer and injecting pressure, Helmi was relentless and went on with his defense. Not for long before Hakim Danish caught up and overtook Helmi. Hakim Danish then went on to flex his muscles and showcased strength and dexterity. But Helmi had tricks up his sleeves. He made his moves and once again took lead. On the last lap, the duo got into one final battle before Helmi picked up speed and raced towards victory at 21’54:289s. Commenting on the race, Helmi said, “Of course this season had its ups and downs. It has been a very competitive battle throughout the season. Although Khairul Idham Pawi, my main contender is not here to the race even more exciting, Hakim Danish is not bad himself. But I think because I have more experience than he has, I was able to make it today. It was indeed an excellent battle today.” Md Hakim Danish of SIC Racing clocked in second at 21’54:686s. Md Idlan Haqimi of Boon Siew Honda Racing Team made it third at 22’50:007s. Catch up latest news at malaysiasbk.com. Chat with us
Round 3 of the Malaysia Superbike Championship began today at the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit. Md Helmi Azman of Boon Siew Honda Racing Team marked the fastest today in the free practice session, combined in the MSBK600 race category. In FP1 that was held this morning, Helmi Azman marked fastest with his best lap time at 2’11:474s. Hakim Danish of SIC Racing clocked in second fastest with his best lap time at 2’11:484s followed by Chih Ying with his best lap time at 2’17:431s. In FP2, Hakim Danish made it the fastest with his best lap time at 2’15:552s. Helmi Azman took the second fastest spot with his best lap time at 2’18:917s. Idlan Hakimi of Boon Siew Honda Racing Team made it third fastest with his best lap time at 2’22:193s. The fastest for the day was Helmi Azman with his best lap time at 2’11:474s. He said, “This weekend, I don’t think I will have as much of a challenge as the last two rounds in the presence of my teammate, Khairul. He won’t be racing this weekend. However, the other person that I think I have to be more aware and careful of is Hakim Danish. He is quite competitive as we would have noticed from his performances so far. In terms of the machine, there is not much of a difference. We just got back from ARRC and I think I have enough mileage for the weekend. I have a feeling that the weekend would be a wet weekend but that’s an advantage for me. I like the wet conditions and I am pretty confident about riding on a wet circuit. I am looking forward to a hat-trick. That is my aim for this weekend.” Taking the second fastest spot was Hakim Danish with his best lap time at 2’11:484s. Third was Chih Ying with his best lap time at 2’17:431s. Catch up latest news at malaysiasbk.com. Chat with us