MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship (MSBK) will be hitting the grounds of PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit once again this weekend for its round 3. Arash Tsunami of BLH Glassteel 46 Racing will be back to continue his fighting spirit at the top of the chart in the Yamaha R15M Race Elites. He may not have dominated the circuit but his consistency in the race category’s debut season, taking the podium twice at the second spot has definitely pushed him right to the top of the chart. Taking the lead among the Yamaha riders, Arash has to be strategic in his moves if he aims to retain his position. However, planning is one but reality is another which will need him to act rather quickly during the race. Additionally, with the winners in round 2 who are equally competitive, it is also about forecasting the possibilities of his contenders. In Season 2022, Arash competed in the Yamahalube Y16ZR Race MasterClass where he finished third overall with a total of 66 points. Last season, in the same race category, he completed the season seventh. The shift between an underbone machine to a tank machine definitely takes a lot of work; however, Arash has presented his ability to adapt quickly not just in handling the machine but also in performing well above the norms. It is still early to determine though if he will be able to retain his position considering only a 2-point difference with his closest contender but round 3 would definitely provide a better insight. Commenting on the race, Arash said, “I am thankful that for now, I am able to find compatibility with my machine as much as possible. My shift from Y16ZR to R15M continues to enhance my physical ability and I am quite pleased with the outcome so far. I am much stronger physically and mentally. Sepang is one of my favourite circuits and it holds some of my most memorable memories. I took my first win during my first year in motorsports at Sepang so, it is quite an achievement for me there. For the coming round, the goal is to maintain my position and for that, I have to maintain a good physique and increase my stamina too.” “The R15M holds the VVA element which is the best in its class. The machine is smooth and there have been no problems during the race. This is probably one of its advantages at SIC. There is still a lot more to learn especially in my riding techniques aboard a tank machine. This could be the milestone needed to enhance further in motorsports and that is what I am looking forward to. For the coming round, I have to stay consistent with my achievements and I am keeping my fingers crossed that I would be able to maintain the top three positions overall.”
Round 2 MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship was held at PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit. Abdullah Qayyum Abd Razak of WELLY RACING TEAM appeared as winner of Race 2 for the YAMAHA R15M Race Elites race category. Farres Putra Mohd Fadhil of E ONE CHONG MOTOR put on a good show by leading the pack as soon as the race started. In P2, was Muhd Idil Fitri of WEE PLUS RACING SABAH followed by Arash Tsunami Kamarudin of BLH GLASSTEEL 46 RACING in P3. During the race, the riders’ position changed on each lap, with every rider battling for top spot made it difficult to predict the potential winner for Race 2. Final lap watched more aggressive competition with Muhd Aqid Jumali of XL MOTOR, Muhd Shafiq Rasol of GTMAX and Muhd Syafiq Asyraf Mohd Zam Zam of ADVANCE VERTEX MOTOR at top three position racing towards finishing. But Qayyum made his way through to top spot to win the race at 20’19:214s. Qayyum stated, “Yesterday, I encountered an issue with my machine, which prevented me from completing the race. Today, I carefully adjusted my strategy to address the challenges. The competition was fierce, with a large pack of aggressive riders, so I focused on maintaining my pace. Thankfully, my efforts paid off, and I’m grateful to have secured the victory today. Alhamdulillah for the win!” Arash Tsunami Kamarudin of BLH GLASSTEEL 46 RACING placed second at 20’19:252s. Mohd Syamil Amsyar Mohd Iffende of TKC SOUTHERN took third spot at 20’19:300s.
Round 2 of the MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship took place today at the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit. Muhd Izam Ikmal Izamli of CHAI KEN MOTORSPORT took the win today in Race 1 in the YAMAHA R15M Race Elites race category. During the qualifying session this morning, Muhd Iqbal Amri Abdul Malek of Y S CHONG made the fastest lap time at 2’48:476s. At second fastest place was Arash Tsunami Kamarudin of BLH GLASSTEEL 46 RACING with his best at 2’49:047s. Abdullah Qayyum Abd Razak of WELLY RACING TEAM made it third fastest with his best lap time at 2’49:105s. Muhd Alif Danial Mohd Asri of SENG HOE MOTOR RACING took the lead position at the start followed closely by Arash Tsunami Kamarudin of BLH GLASSTEEL 46 RACING and Muhd Izam Ikmal Izamli of CHAI KEN MOTORSPORT at P3. On lap 5, Arash Tsunami Kamarudin of BLH GLASSTEEL 46 RACING took the lead while followed closely by Muhd Syafiq Asyraf Mohd Zam Zam of ADVANCE VERTEX MOTOR and Izam at P3. The riders position changed every lap with riders overtaking each other battling for top position. On final lap, Izam managed to overtook Arash and took the win at 20’21:246s. Izam said, “In the race earlier, I didn’t start off well, but I remained calm even while in 5th position for the first three laps. In the final two laps, I made my move, using my own strategy. It proved effective, and I feel incredibly fortunate and grateful for today’s victory.” Arash took second spot on the podium at 20’21:255s. Ahmad Syukran Aizat Mohd Yusoff of HIAP AIK RACING TEAM made it third at 20’21:336s. YAMAHA R15M Race Elites Muhd Izam Ikmal Izamli – CHAI KEN MOTORSPORT (20’21:246s) Arash Tsunami Kamarudin – BLH GLASSTEEL 46 RACING (20’21:255s) Ahmad Syukran Aizat Mohd Yusoff – HIAP AIK RACING TEAM (20’21:336s) Muhd Fareez Afeez – TWOWAY MOTOR (20’21:796s) Muhd Syafiq Asyraf Mohd Zam Zam – ADVANCE VERTEX MOTOR (20’21:814s)
Round 2 of the MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship at the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit featured the YAMAHA R15M Race Elites category practice sessions. Muhd Izam Ikmal Izamli of CHAI KEN MOTORSPORT topped the practice sessions. In Practice 1, Muhd Izam Ikmal Izamli of CHAI KEN MOTORSPORT set the fastest lap with a time of 2’49:826s. He was followed by Abdullah Qayyum Abd Razak of WELLY RACING TEAM at 2’50:725s and Muhd Iqbal Amri Abdul Malek of Y S CHONG at 2’50:936s. In Practice 2, Izam improved his time to a lap of 2’49:270s, securing the fastest position. Qayyum was second with 2’49:819s, and Iqbal finished third with 2’49:895s. Overall, Izam was the fastest across both sessions, with Qayyum and Iqbal taking second and third places. Izam commented, “Today, I was the fastest. We focused on finding the right setup, as it’s my first time riding the R15. So far, there isn’t much difference compared to the 600cc and 250cc bikes. We’ll work on finding the optimal setup for qualifying and the race tomorrow. My goal is to secure pole position for Race 1.” Combined Result – Top 5 Fastest Practice Session YAMAHA R15M Race Elite 1. Muhd Izam Ikmal Izamli – CHAI KEN MOTORSPORT (2’49:270s) 2. Abdullah Qayyum Abd Razak – WELLY RACING TEAM (2’49:819s) 3. Muhd Iqbal Amri Abdul Malek – Y S CHONG (2’49:895s) 4. Muhd Firdaus Mohd Hamdan – SOON CHYE MOTOR (2’50:937s) 5. Muhd Hafiza Rofa – HENN MOTOR BROTHERS (2’51:141s)
Round 2 of the Malaysia Superbike Championship (MSBK) will take on the grounds of the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit once again this weekend. Making its debut in the championship is a brand new one-make race category which is the Yamaha R15M Race Elites, geared up to make its grand entrance. The formation of this new race class was conceived upon the idea of providing riders with a different kind of experience and exposure in their transition from the underbone machine to a tank-machine. The effort seeks to accelerate the experiences of young riders by paving a pathway that would enable them to adapt to a more refined riding technique aboard a slightly higher capacity machine before potentially scaling up into the Asian-level championship. The Yamaha R15M machine is a 155cc machine that has been effectively modified to fit into the racing motorcycle specifications. The goal of MSBK over the years has been about developing motorsport and providing a platform for enthusiasts to experience the standard of excellence in motorcycle racing. In tandem with that, the collaborative initiatives with Hong Leong Yamaha Motor (HLYM) with the inclusion of this new race category will serve to groom talented riders in their aspirations to excel further in motorcycle racing. The race category which comprises 32 riders in total were handpicked from various race categories within the national motorcycle championship namely the PETRONAS Malaysian Cub Prix Championship (MCP) including the CP150, CP125 and ProAm race categories. On the other hand, The Berjaya Sompo Yamaha Y16ZR Race MasterClass race category will continue for the third consecutive year with a total of 32 riders beginning from Round 2. The riders were selected from the race categories within MCP namely the Wira KBS, Yamaha PETRONAS Super Series and AEON Credit Service Yamaha 135LC Tekhne Challenge and will compete till the end of Season 2024.