IRFAN SURGED TO THE TOP IN PRACTICE 2
Round 4 of the MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship 2026 officially commenced today at the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit. In the MSBK250 A category, Combined Practice sessions showcased a brilliant turnaround by Irfan Ardiansyah of NWN CZ1 SCK RACING TEAM, who successfully leaped from a quiet fifth place in the morning to claim the fastest overall time of the day by the end of the afternoon.
During Free Practice 1, it was Nguyen Huu Tri of HONDA RACING VIETNAM who confidently set the early benchmark. Huu Tri quickly found his racing rhythm, posting a strong lap of 2’26.932s on his seventh tour around the circuit, with a top speed of 135.81kph. His morning effort firmly placed him at the top of the early timing sheets. At the same time, Irfan struggled slightly to find his maximum pace, settling for fifth position with a 2’28.720s.
However, the afternoon session delivered an interesting shift in momentum for the frontrunners. In Free Practice 2, Irfan and his mechanicsclearly found the missing puzzle pieces to unlock his machine’s true potential. He shaved over two seconds off his earlier time to clock an impressive 2’26.691s on just his fourth lap out of five, hitting a session-high top speed of 136.03kph. This massive improvement easily secured Irfan the top spot in the combined standings. Huu Tri’s morning time was still good enough to keep him in second place overall.
Right behind the leading duo, Ahmad Afif Amran of RAPIDO YAMAHA FIVEZERO RACING TEAM showed great consistency throughout the opening day. Afif steadily improved upon his morning run to log a quick 2’26.947s in the afternoon, successfully securing third in the combined standings. Muhd Irfan Hayhal Amidi of HRM MOTUL RACING TEAM took fourth place with a 2’27.807s, while his teammate, Muhd Akif Abdullah, rounded out the top five with a solid 2’28.121s effort in the second session.
Irfan expressed, “Alhamdulillah, I was able to finish today’s combined practice sessions at the top of the timesheets as the fastest overall rider. After a challenging morning where we were slightly off the ideal pace, the team and I managed to do an excellent job out on the track to completely turn things around. We made some crucial adjustments in the garage, and I am coming away with a fantastic, reassuring feeling on the bike. It is a huge relief to see our hard work translate into that lap time today.”
“However, the work honestly does not stop here. The gaps between the top riders are incredibly close, so we cannot afford to get comfortable or lose focus. Tonight, we will continue deeply analyzing the data and searching for even better setup refinements to ensure we are fully prepared for tomorrow’s Qualifying session and Race 1. Hopefully,everything goes smoothly and aligns perfectly with our overall plan and race strategy.”
“Whatever the final outcome may be tomorrow, I trust that it is the best result for me. I am carrying a lot of confidence from this afternoon, and I will be giving it my absolute all to fight for the pole position.”
TOP 5 FASTEST – COMBINED PRACTICE
1. IRFAN ARDIANSYAH – NWN CZ1 SCK RACING TEAM (2’26.691s)
2. NGUYEN HUU TRI – HONDA RACING VIETNAM (2’26.932s)
3. AHMAD AFIF AMRAN – RAPIDO YAMAHA FIVEZERO RACING TEAM (2’26.947s)
4. MUHD IRFAN HAYHAL AMIDI – HRM MOTUL RACING TEAM (2’27.807s)
5. MUHD AKIF ABDULLAH – HRM MOTUL RACING TEAM (2’28.121s)