Race 1, Round 2 of Malaysia Superbike Championship was held at the Sepang International Circuit today. Striking at the top spot was Md Shafiq Ezzariq of Ns1 Racing Team who took the win today in the Berjaya Sompo Y16ZR Race MasterClass. Earlier this afternoon, during the qualifying session, Qayyum of Twoway made it the fastest with his best lap time at 2’50:596s. Second fastest was Emil Idzhar of Hong Bee Motoracing with his best lap time at 2’51:837s followed by Iman Fahmi of Takong Racing with his best lap time at 2’52:028s. During the race that was held in the evening, Shafiq Ezzariq made his way into the lead position after the first turn. The battle heated up quickly and seconds into the race, a number of riders clashed and fell. Shafiq and the rest of the troop went on with the race and by the end of lap 2, Syukran took lead with Qayyum at P2. Throughout the race, the robust riders were seen lining up to find the best position to strike. Although the riders were equally competitive, Shafiq, Qayyum and Syukran were seen pacing consistently among the front troop. By the end of lap 4, Adie Putra emerged at the lead position. Shafiq Ezarriq trailed close behind with Adam Haika at P3. As the dark clouds gathered and strong wind became a challenge, the riders went on to complete two more laps. Another crash happened at the last turn and Danial Johan leaped on that opportunity into P1 with Shafiq Ezzariq at P2 and Adie at P3. On the final lap, the riders were challenged further by the downpour. At the last turn, Syukran was seen leadin before Shafiq Ezzariq slipstreamed towards victory at 17’41:875s. Commenting on the race, Shafiq Ezzariq said, “From the beginning until the end, I tried to maintain consistency in the front group, top 5. I managed to keep up with the momentum. It was a tough race for sure even more so with the rain towards the last few laps. But, this is definitely an added blessing to me in preparation for my marriage.” Second place went to Abdul Qayyum of Twoway, clocking in at 17’41:945s. Adie Putra Sukarno of Hiap Aik Racing Team logged third at 17’41:983s. Catch up latest news at malaysiasbk.com. Chat with us
Round 2 of the Malaysia Superbike Championship (MSBK) revved off once again at the Sepang International Circuit with the practice sessions. Kasma Daniel Kasmayuddin of Yamaha Gen Blu Racing Team ASEAN logged in fastest in the practice sessions, combined. During the practice session 1, Azroy Hakeem Anuar of Boon Siew Honda Racing Team scored the fastest lap time at 2’08:422s. Second fastest lap time was scored by Azlan Shah of Horizon Racing Team with his best lap time at 2’10:339s. Osama Mareai of Savitar Racing Team clocked in third fastest with his best lap time at 2’12:580s. In practice session 2, Kasma Daniel made the fastest lap time at 2’06:842s followed by Azroy with his best lap time at 2’08:005s. At third fastest was Azlan Shah with his best lap time at 2’09:582s. With this, it can be concluded that Kasma Daniel was the fastest for the day with his best lap time at 2’06:842s. Kasma who competed competitively with Azroy in Round 1 emerged victorious in Race 2. In Race 1, he succumbed to Azroy’s robust riding techniques. The duo, while they challenge each other, also motivate each other to do better. Commenting on the session, Kasma said, “I can’t comment on FP1 because I only managed to cover half a lap. For FP2, we tried something new with the machine. It was different from Round 1. So, it was more of training and trying the new item. As for the machine, there is not much of a difference. The handling is pretty much the same although the engine is a little different. Most importantly, we are able to do the necessary and required test for ARRC during the races here. The machine this round is easier to handle compared to the last round. We have made some adjustments so it is much nicer to ride. My target is the same as the last race so I will do my best tomorrow and on Sunday. The contenders for sure are Azroy and Azlan but again, we shall see how it goes.” At the second fastest spot was Azroy Hakeem with his best lap time at 2’08:005s. Azlan Shah made it third fastest for the evening with his best lap time at 2’09:582s. Catch up latest news at malaysiasbk.com. Chat with us
Round 2 of the Malaysia Superbike Championship (MSBK) revved off once again at the Sepang International Circuit with the practice sessions. Khoo Chee Yen of Suzuki Mobilub Racing Team clocked in fastest today in the practice sessions, combined. In the practice session 1 that went on in the afternoon, Chen Hsuan Ming of Dream Team scored the fastest lap time at 2’16:799s. Chee Yen of Mobilub Suzuki Racing Team marked the second fastest lap time at 2’17:824s followed by Kuo Shih Wei with his best at 2’18:955s. During practice session 2, Chee Yen marked fastest with his best lap time at 2’16:012s followed by Radzi Omar of FGRT (Fauzi Gan Racing Team) with his best at 2’16:152s. Chen Hsuan Ming made it third fastest with his best lap time at 2’16:463s. With the combined results, Chee Yen emerged fastest for the day with his best lap time at 2’16:012s. The rider is no stranger to the MSBK scene and has been quite competitive with his strikes. In Round 1, Chee Yen took home the Weekend Champion trophy after obtaining a total of 41 points with the fastest in Race 1 and a podium finish in Race 2. Commenting on the session, Chee Yen said, “I have my new machine for this round therefore it is more of finding the right setup in both FP1 and FP2. So far, the condition of the machine is quite good. Definitely I am very happy with the new machine but it still requires time to get the best out of it. My goal is to make it to the top like in Round 1. But we have two very strong Taiwanese riders this time around. Radzi Omar is also here for the race. It will be a competitive feat but I will try my best. For now, I will focus on qualifying tomorrow.” Catch up latest news at malaysiasbk.com. Chat with us
Round 2 of The Malaysia Superbike Championship Season 2023 took off on a good note at the Sepang International Circuit today. Khairul Idham Pawi of Boon Siew Honda Racing Team marked fastest in the practice sessions, combined. Earlier today, in practice session 1, Khairul marked fastest at 2’10:632s followed by teammate Helmi Azman at 2’11:383s. At third fastest was Soichiro Minamimoto of Yamaha Gen Blu Racing Team ASEAN with his best time at 2’11:635s. During the second practice session, Khairul once again emerged fastest with his best at 2’11:032s followed by Helmi Azman once again with his best lap time at 2’11:173s. Third fastest was Ibrahim Noroddin of Yamaha Gen Blu Racing Team ASEAN clocked in third fastest with his best lap time at 2’11:348s. With that, the result from the combined practice placed Khairul at the top with his fastest at 2’10:632s. Khairul who made it at second place in Race 1 of Round 1 was DNF in Race 2 due to mechanical issues with his machine. Nevertheless, he has returned for Round 2 with greater determination to ensure that he stays on par with his contenders. The entry list saw the participation of six riders today in the practice sessions with the addition of Ibrahim Norrodin in the Yamaha team. Ibrahim who took the overall champion title last season is back to inject some excitement in this season. Commenting on the session, Khairul said, “For this practice session, my lap time has been better than the FP session in Round 1. We used the same tires for both the practice sessions therefore there was lesser grip during FP2 so the timing was not so good. But in terms of the machine, we will change the front suspension as I was uncomfortable with the position of the front tires. So, there needs to be some changes for the qualifying session tomorrow. This round, the machine is in a good condition. Last round, I had some issues with the machine. There is definitely going to be a big challenge especially with the riders in the race category, namely Azman and the Yamaha riders but I will do my best this weekend.” At second fastest spot was Helmi Azman with his best lap time at 2’11:173s. Ibrahim Norrodin made it third fastest with his best lap time at 2’11:348s. Catch up latest news at malaysiasbk.com. Chat with us
Round 2 of The Malaysia Superbike Championship Season 2023 went on well today at the Sepang International Circuit. Md Irfan Haykal of Boon Siew Honda Racing Team scored fastest in the practice sessions, combined. During the free practice session 1 that was held in the morning, Irfan Haykal once again clocked in fastest at 2’27:539s followed by his teammate Farid Hakimi at 2’29:265s. At the third fastest was Geoffrey Reviven of Gusto Racing Team with his best lap time at 2’32:445s. During practice session 2, Irfan Haykal once again scored the fastest lap time at 2’27:616s. At the second fastest spot was Geoffrey Reviven with his best lap time at 2’30:112s. Farid Hakimi made it third fastest at 2’30:565s. The combined result for the practice session concluded with Irfan Hakyal being the fastest for the day with his best lap time at 2’27:539s. Irfan who took double victories in Round 1 is back for more and as a seasoned rider in the race category, Irfan seemed to have mastered the techniques of riding aboard the machine very well. Commenting on the session, Irfan said, “In FP1, I struggled a little bit with the suspension but in FP2, I did much better after enhancing the settings. The machine condition is quite good this time around, just like in Round 1. Nevertheless, I am still figuring out a better setup for the machine which I haven’t quite discovered yet. Definitely, I will do my best this round as well. There is no two-way about it. It is still hard work and I will push towards the top spot once again. I haven’t found my contender for the time being but, on my part, it is all about maintaining the momentum.” At the second fastest spot went to Farid Hakimi of Boon Siew Honda Racing Team who marked his best at 2’29:265s. Geoffrey Reviven Emmanuel of Gusto Racing Team clocked in third fastest for the practice sessions, combined with his best at 2’30:112s. Catch up latest news at malaysiasbk.com. Chat with us
Round 2 of The Malaysia Superbike Championship Seasons 2023 went on a great start this morning at the Sepang International Circuit. Ke Huan Ni of Lady Boss Racing Team emerged fastest today in the practice sessions, combined. At the free practice session 1 this morning, Ke Huan Ni marked fastest at 2’32:883s. Second fastest was Rakshith Dave at 2’33:765s followed by Izrul Huzaimi of Horizon Racing Team with his best lap time at 2’37:565s. During free practice session 2, Rakshith Dave scored fastest with his best lap time at 2’33:015s followed by Ke Huan Ni at 2’34:251s. At third fastest was Zakwan Anas at 2’35:972s. Concluding the session for today, Ke Huan Ni marked fastest with his best lap time at 2’32:883s. The rider who was quite impressive in Round 1 has returned to showcase his strengths once again. Although the competition was stiff among riders of the race category, Huan Ni who is a rookie seemed to have mastered the techniques well to survive the challenge. Commenting on the session, Ke Huan Ni, “In FP1, we were still trying to find the right setup. We did some minor adjustments to make sure that it is optimised. The machine condition is quite stable but we think we do more to enhance it. This round is definitely different compared to the last round. To be honest, we had more time for Round 1 whereas for this round, time was limited. But we are quite satisfied though because we still managed to get good lap time. The target for this round would be to be at the top like the last round and hope to do better this time around. My main contender would definitely be CRA but let’s see how it goes.” Rakshith Dave of CRA Motorsports India marked the second fastest with his best lap time at 2’33:015s. At third fastest was Zakwan Anas with his best lap time at 2’35:972s. Catch up latest news at malaysiasbk.com. Chat with us
Round 2 of The Malaysia Superbike Championship Season 2023 began today at the Sepang International Circuit. Shahrol Syazras of Malaysia scored the fastest lap time in the practice sessions, combined. During the free practice session 1, Shahrol Syazras marked fastest with his best lap time at 2’32:071s. Second fastest was Firdaus Hamdan of Malaysia with his best lap time at 2’33:964s. Nguyen Duc Thanh of Vietnam made the third fastest lap time at 2’33:078s. At free practice session 2, Shahrol Syazras made it fastest once again at 2’31:189s. Second fastest was Shafiq Rasol of Malaysia with his best lap time at 2’32:183s followed by Firdaus Hamdan with his best lap time at 2’32:402s. With that, Shahrol Syazras concluded as the fastest in the practice session, combined with his best lap time at 2’31:189s. The rider who participated in the MSBK600 in Round 1 emerged striking with his lap time for a first timer in the Honda CBR250RR Challenge Cup. Although it is a highly competitive feat in the race category, Shahrol nevertheless managed to showcase quite the skill. Commenting on the session, Shahrol Syazras said, “FP1 and FP2 went well today for me. There were not many differences. We got the right setup for the machine and not many adjustments were done. We did some changes on the foot-rest because in the beginning, I felt a little uncomfortable when riding. During the practice, that gave a better result I believe. In Round 1, I rode in the MSBK600 race category. There is definitely a huge difference in terms of its speed and performance. This machine however, it is only slightly smaller. For the race, I hope to finish as a top finisher – hopefully on the podium. In this category, the riders are highly competitive but I hope to overcome the challenge.” Catch up latest news at malaysiasbk.com. Chat with us
The Malaysia Superbike Championship Round 2 began today with the practice sessions. For the Berjaya Sompo YAMAHA Y16ZR Race MasterClass, Abdullah Qayyum Razak of Twoway emerged fastest for the practice sessions, combined. During practice session 1 that was held in the afternoon, Shafiq Ezzariq of New Chen Motorsports marked fastest with his best lap time at 2’53:736s. Second fastest was Qayyum Razak with his best lap time at 2’54:379s. Adie Putra of Boon Hua Motor scored third fastest with his best lap time at 2’54:647s. In practice session 2 that happened later in the evening, Qayyum emerged with a better result and emerged fastest at 2’51:611s followed by Iqram Danish of Taycon Motor with his best lap time at 2’51:695s. Third fastest was Syukran Aizat with his best lap time at 2’51:804s. Today’s FP session ended with Qayyum raking it at the top of the list with his fastest lap time at 2’54:379s. The rider has strongly positioned himself in the overall standings with a total of 34 points after his win in Race 2 of Round 1. He currently leads with 1 point ahead of the rider in line. It would be a tough battle for Qayyum especially in maintaining his positions, even more so with the highly competitive riders in the race category. Commenting on the session, Qayyum said, “During FP1, I was a little more relaxed to get adapted to the machine. I was a little uncomfortable after the race at Cub Prix last week. So, I had to find my pace and get used to this machine. I tried to stay within the racing line and minimise my mistakes. With that, I managed to score a new lap record. The machines are all standard so we need skills and experience to ride better in this race category. There is not much of a difference in terms of setup on the machine for this round. I want to win and hopefully I am able to keep up the momentum this round.” Second fastest in the session was Ahmad Iqram Danish with his best at 2’51:695s. Syukran Aizat of Henn Motors made it third fastest with his best lap time at 2’51:804s. Catch up latest news at malaysiasbk.com. Chat with us
“I don’t think I am a professional rider but it’s more like a hobby for me.. So, ‘hobbiest rider’ who races in professional series. That’s how I will portray this,” says Teo Yew Joe of Savitar Racing Team currently competes in MSBK1000 class in The Malaysia Superbike Championship 2023 season. Teo who stepped into the two-wheel scene a decade ago picturised how limited the accessibility to the right path of motorbike racing was back then. Grew up in a Chinese community where exposure to two-wheel was lesser compared to four-wheel, Teo has reached almost 30 years old to express his love for motorbikes. “Motorsports started for me at quite an early age, I think I grew up loving motorcycles from the days of Doohan nd Wayne Rainey, but being raised in a Chinese family you definitely not gonna race in motorcycles. I think the love for racing is in my blood, just don’t ask me how.It has been always there. I started with karts and understanding motorsports. Back then, it’s not like how it’s in Sepang nowadays. Now we have open track days where motorbikes are allowed to ride, you can pay like 100 bucks and you can ride your motorbikes at the track as much as you want. “That’s how my early days engagement was and the accessibility to the sports itself was difficult. It is not like how it is now. The accessibility of the ability to move forward is always limited to the accessibility of the resources that worked for me. Anybody can buy a motorcycle.. anyone can.. You can watch Motogp, Asian GP or MSBK and want to go racing but we didn’t have the proper resources to know what we can do to achieve certain goals in motorsports. “When I first started racing I was 30. It was in 2012 and I started with 600cc. That’s the exact time when Azlan Shah, Zamri Baba, and some other riders were on top. Thereafter, we had Kasma and KIP. I was 10 years behind them. They were world-class professional riders. They are fortunate to have the proper knowledge to be on the scene. We were more like backburners. So this is why it ends up as a hobby to many of us. We can just few seconds behind them but they are professional rider and we are semi-professionalist,” shared Teo Teo who is in MSBK1000 A class at the moment once excelled as a top 3 rider in Malaysia of the same class in the year of 2016. After a huge break from the racing scene, now back in action, Teo strives to perform better. “I was in A class of the 600cc category back in 2016 and I was the top 3 rider in Malaysia. Being in A class back then and now is totally different because there’s a big gap. Lots of personal issues and commitments made me take a break. Being able to know that now being older and being able to race professionally, encourages me to work harder. Of course, I am far away from where I should be in fighting for the podium but you want to go there, do something, learn something, and figure out how to make a comeback. It’s more difficult now but that’s about the challenges, Let’s wake up and do it! “The goal now is to retain more knowledge so we can be more professional. But, at the end of the day, every sport starts as a recreation and most importantly you enjoy it. For the next round, personally, it is not about position but more on quality racing time against our Malaysian top professional riders and to also prove the capability of the semi-professionalist riders. “We have to go back to work on Monday and work till Friday, at the same time, figure out the team, how the machines have to behave and there is so much to do. So, my goal is to prove in this 2023, there are people like me able to in the same league as the professional riders.” The 41-year-old is currently at 4th place in MSBK1000 A class with 24 points on hand. Catch up latest news at malaysiasbk.com. Chat with us
Racing drivers are qualitatively different from football, tennis, and rugby players who live and die by their athleticism. For the vast majority of athletes, losing a yard of pace in their mid-thirties spells the beginning of the end, and it is only those with exceptional natural ability – who can adapt their game to prolong the inevitable. However, motorsports simply isn’t like this. You may start in your forties or even fifties but how far you will be able to spread your wings? That’s the only question that arises here. Commenting on this, a 42- year-old once a driver now a rider, Khoo Chee Yen fondly known as CY Khoo of Mobilub Suzuki Racing Team believes being a good racing driver is a balance of being at the peak of your physical abilities and experience, but at the same time he aware of the limitations due to his age. “My dream to become a racer started very early in my life, if not mistaken I remember I was around 5 or 6 years old. I liked both bikes and sports cars but it seems like bikes always drew my attention more. Unfortunately riding a bike was a big “ NO “ for my family, not to mention racing. So I shifted my interest more toward four wheels. “My first sanctioned race was in 2003 in Merdeka 12 hours Endurance (MME) racing with Mitsubishi Mirage 1.6cc and completed the 12 hours race in 3rd position in the category. It was the beginning of my four-wheels journey, at the same time I also started racing in multiple go-kart series. “At the age of 31, the urge and love for #bikegasm triggered me to give it a try. It has always been there in me, the love for two wheels, and I decided I shall give no more excuses. I slowly started learning how to ride a bike and owned my first sport bike. The following year, I took part in my first-ever Superbike race in MSBK as a wildcard entry before starting a full season the next year. And here I am at my 9th full season in MSBK. “I know it’s pretty late for me to venture into this two-wheel scene, and there come the limitations taking my age into consideration but why not? As long as you are capable and enthusiastic enough to try it out, you should definitely go for it. If I am aiming for a world championship slot, then that is unrealistic, but if it’s more on self-satisfaction and urge to learn something new and exciting, no age is a barrier in motorsports. “This year was my 9th full season in MSBK. Moving from 4-wheel racing to 2-wheel racing has never been an easy transition for me, jumping out from the cage (car) into hugging the fuel tank (bike) was the biggest challenge in my life. I had to start all over again, getting to know the culture, people, and the sport. It was very different compared to the 4-wheel world,” explained CY Khoo. Somehow, the guy in his forties who relishes his full potential, who is also aware of his limitations but handles it with full grace, to make his dream come true, that’s something that needs to be respected. “ Funding is always the biggest factor in Motorsport. Before every season starts, we have to convince sponsors to invest in us in order to continue racing. In my scenario, due to my age, I have a very limited opportunity to proceed further to a higher level of racing but in return, I always work closely with all my sponsors to help them develop, test, or even market their products. Not to forget “ Loyal to the Brand “ is also very. important to sponsors. “So far, only 3 racing teams I have joined in my 9 years of bike racing: Sportsrider Racing Team (2014-2015), Team Hiap Aik Suzuki Racing (2016-2020), and Mobilub Suzuki Racing Team (2020 till date). I wouldn’t deny they have shown tremendous support throughout my journey at MSBK. “I also would like to mention it wasn’t an easy ride. I had the fewest riding hours among the racers on the grid when I first started racing in MSBK. One of the most important key persons was my coach Mr.Lee Ching Hooi also known as Panjang Lee, who prepared and guided me every single step in the sport even till today. I’m truly grateful.” Leave aside the season opener of MSBK, the second round comes with a new challenge for Khoo whereby he will be riding a new Suzuki GSXR1000R. “Round 2 will be another challenge as I will be racing with my new machine. I will need some sessions to understand and get the best setup out of it. So far, I’m pretty pumped to race in category B. A few years back, I used to race in A. My performance dropped after the pandemic break which is why I’m in B now. Hopefully, someday I will be competitive enough to be back in A again. “Those top riders in A are some of the best riders at the current Asia level. Riding together for sure we can learn and see the difference in terms of riding skills. But still, there is no a category that can define The Best National Level riders as currently, A is a mixture of Asia and National level. Hopefully, someday we will see another category in-between A & B which purely participants from top national riders.” said Khoo. Khoo is all geared up with his new machine for the second round in Sepang International Circuit, this weekend. Catch up latest news at malaysiasbk.com. Chat with us