CAUTIOUS IN THE WET PAYS OFF FOR HELMI AZMAN
A heavy downpour brought out the red flag a lap into the start of the MSBK 600 Race 2. The race was shortened to a 6-lap stint, which set the stage for a battle of the rain masters.
The grid re-assembled with only six riders. Yamaha Racing Team ASEAN duo were clearly absent. According to the team management, neither Nazirul Izzat Bahauddin nor Aiman Tahiruddin have had any experience racing the Yamaha YZF-R6 in the wet. As such, the team did not want to take the risk of injury.
At the re-start, it was Azroy Hakeem Anuar who first threw down the gauntlet. The Boon Siew Honda Racing Team rider held the lead into the two opening laps with pole sitter Ibrahim Norrodin from SIC Racing trying hard to get past.
The two riders, who had crashed out of Race 1 on Saturday, were determined to finish on the podium. Both Azroy and Ibrahim set a punishing pace despite the uncertain track conditions.
Ibrahim had a big scare at the end of Lap 2 at Turn 15, but managed to salvage the situation. The SIC Racing rider immediately went on the attack. The pace was clearly too much on the rain-slicked tarmac. Half a lap later, both Ibrahim and Azroy simultaneously high-sided out of Turn 3.
This would be the second crash of the weekend for the two rivals.
Behind the dueling duo, it was the riders who opted for a more conservative ride who benefitted from the situation. Mohd Helmi Azman from Boon Siew Honda Racing Team picked up an easy first win of the season with 15’39.594s.
SIC Racing’s Mohd Syarifuddin Azman was second across the line, followed by Race 1 winner, Khairul Idham Pawi in third.
“Unlike Azroy and Ibrahim, I wasn’t able to get into groove when the race re-started. Somehow, the feeling wasn’t right. I was just happy to get past Khairul and Syarifuddin and would have been content to finish third,” said Helmi.
“I didn’t see Azroy and Ibrahim crashing out. By the time I got to Turn 3, all I saw were the two bikes lying at the side of the track. From then on, it was just a matter of maintaining my pace and focus until the end of the 6-lap race,” said Helmi.
MSBK 600 RACE 2 RESULTS
- Mohd Helmi Azman (Honda, Boon Siew Honda Racing Team), 15’39.594s
- Mohd Syarifuddin Azman (Kawasaki, SIC Racing), 15’48.792s
- Khairul Idham Pawi (Yamaha, ONEXOX TKKR Racing Team), 15’59.924s
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