IT’S BOUND TO GET HEATED!

Round 2 of the MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship will be back once again this weekend after a long break at the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit. Azroy Hakeem Anuar of Boon Siew Honda Racing Team and Heng Si Kiat are more than ready to flex their muscles in the MSBK1000 A and MSBK1000 B race categories respectively.

It was a disappointment for most riders in Race 1 of the season opener when the race was halted due to stormy weather. Nevertheless, the weekend continued and thankfully, the weather was more accommodating in Race 2. Among the MSBK1000 A riders, Azroy was quick to recover the lost momentum and went on with only one goal in mind – to dominate the race for the season. Despite the big guns in the racing scene, Azroy was seen poised on the circuit ground, confident with his moves as he fought competitively. In Race 1, Azroy took the lead before settling for 12.5 points, half of the winning points after the red-flag was raised. In Race 2, he went on in full form and maintained at P1 throughout the race before bagging a full 25 points at the end of the race. Currently, the rider takes the top position in the overall chart and is geared up for the coming challenges.

Commenting on the race, Azroy said, “This season has been great for me but again, the challenges are always there no matter how good you get. This season is basically to fight with the top riders of ASB1000 race category and the only way to do it is to be open to new experiences and a learning curve. This season, all top three riders are my closest contenders so it is quite pressuring for me to try and stand out. I try my best to improve in every session. It is a lot of hard work. As usual, my preparations are focused on fitness training. It has become part of my daily life routine. The team on the other hand is working very hard to prepare the machine. The other challenge of racing at Sepang is the unpredictable weather. As we know, rain is almost always uncertain therefore adapting is important. I will try to adapt as much as I can either on the dry or wet ground. It would be great if I can learn to ride in wet conditions so that I am well equipped with the skills and experience. My goal is to finish on the podium in each round and I hope to build my confidence around that.”

In the MSBK1000 B race category, it was a similar run for Heng Si Kiat who began Race 1 with a dominant force. He bagged 12.5 points due to unavoidable circumstances and came back for Race 2 with better exhilaration and performance. The MSBK1000 B came with its own set of challenges especially with the more experienced riders but despite the competition, Si Kiat was able to defend his position well. During the race, Si Kiat was seen exchanging positions with the riders a number of times but his technical expertise gave him the upper hand to jump right back in the dominating position. He completed the race first and bagged 25 points which totalled him up for the Weekend Champion of Race 1.

Commenting on the race, Si Kiat said, “My physical fitness would be my biggest challenge for me as it is a three-day event with loads of riding. I need to know how to set my limits so that I don’t over-strain. Most importantly, my fitness level must be at 100% on both the race days. The machine is the same as Round 1 but of course with more workouts on my body, I hope to improve my riding abilities and performance. At Sepang, the other challenge would be the weather conditions. Like Round 1, halfway through, it started raining but my team was already prepared in advance. I personally haven’t tried riding in rain on a totally wet track but if that has to be done, we will still do it and be extra careful for sure. At the moment, I have two close contenders, Jim Iskandar and James Lee and from what I have heard, there will be two more riders coming up in Round 2 who are equally strong. I am looking forward to riding with them although I do not have a strategy in mind on how to tackle them. The strength on my machine lies in the launching bit and also on the anti-wheelie electronics. My aim for this round would be the same as last round and keeping my fingers crossed on that!”