DOUBLE WIN FOR HELMI
The PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit delivered another spectacular showcase of racing this weekend for Round 3 of the MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship 2026. Race 2 of the MSBK600 category saw Muhd Helmi Azman from Malaysia claimed his second victory of the round.
Off the starting line, Helmi made a bold and decisive move to take early control of the race. He was closely followed by Farres Putra Mohd Fadhil of HONG LEONG YAMAHA MALAYSIA and Malaysia’s Khairul Idham Pawi. The dynamic quickly shifted on Lap 2 when Khairul found an opening to overtake Helmi for the lead. Unfazed, Helmi fought back on Lap 3, setting a blistering fastest lap of 2’12.440s to reclaim the front position, establishing a slight 0.240s buffer over Khairul, while Farres began to drop back.
The middle of the race saw Helmi maintained a narrow lead until Lap 6, when Khairul managed to slip past him once again. However, Helmi’s response on Lap 7 was the defining moment of the race. He decisively overtook Khairul and immediately increased his pace, quickly building an 0.833s gap. Further down the field, Ahmad Afif Amran of HONG LEONG YAMAHA MALAYSIA made a strategic move past Farres to secure third place.
Over the final three laps, Helmi flawlessly extended his advantage. He crossed the finish line with a total time of 22’17.271s, boasting a comfortable 4.740s lead over Khairul, who secured second place, while Afif finished third at 22’31.772s.
Helmi said, “To be completely honest, today’s race really pushed us to the limit. The weather was incredibly hot out there, making it very physically demanding. We also decided to try something a bit different heading into today. While we used the standard Sepang tires yesterday with great success, today we switched to a newer version of the tires. It wasn’t entirely smooth sailing, I really struggled to find the right rear tire grip, and the pace definitely didn’t come as easily as it did yesterday. However, we understand exactly why that happened, and it’s a valuable lesson for us to improve moving forward.”
“Thorough preparation is everything in this sport, and I truly believe my bike is performing at a much higher level in terms of speed right now. Because of that, I am incredibly excited for the upcoming ARRC race in Mandalika. I’ll be putting in the work to prepare myself even better. A massive thank you to my entire team for their endless hard work, and to everyone who has continually supported and prayed for me. This win is for all of you.”
TOP 5 FASTEST – RACE 2
1. MUHD HELMI AZMAN – MALAYSIA (22’17.271s)
2. KHAIRUL IDHAM PAWI – MALAYSIA (22’23.112s)
3. AHMAD AFIF AMRAN – HONG LEONG YAMAHA MALAYSIA (22’31.772s)
4. FARRES PUTRA MOHD FADHIL – HONG LEONG YAMAHA MALAYSIA (22’38.853s)
5. KHAIRULAMIRIN YAHAYA – FKR CHV RACING (23’28.398s)