MAKING THE MOST OF THE MSBK EXPERIENCE

Round 3 of the MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship (MSBK) will be held this weekend at the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit (SIC). Standing tall after a double-win is Nakarin Atiratphuvapat of Honda Racing Thailand in the MSBK1000 A race category and Lee Po Yu of Dream Team scoring a 1-2 in the MSBK1000 B in the previous round who will be back to continue their aspirations towards victory.
Nakarin is no stranger at SIC, having had the experience racing on the circuit ground for a very long time however what is worthy of applause is his ability to apply his experiences and expand his capacities and dexterities aboard a 1000cc machine which is fairly new to the Thai rider. Not only has he been able to display the right riding techniques but he has also carved noteworthy achievements on the circuit ground. He may be a newbie in the MSBK scene but Nakarin has definitely been able to tackle the setbacks from the very beginning and transform it into flying colours especially with his most recent achievements.
Commenting on the championship, Nakarin said, “The previous round was very challenging for me because the Malaysian rivals were strong on their home-ground. I had to work on adjusting my braking points and cornering to improve my lap time. Right now, I feel more comfortable with the machine when cornering. However, we need to improve further on stability at the corners for better performance. At Sepang, high-speed is important. I need to adjust my braking points especially in the last sector to keep myself inside the track. There are many things that I have learnt throughout the two rounds here especially from the other riders, namely braking and tire-management which is crucial during racing. For the coming round, my aim is to be a winner and to stretch the gap further in the championship standing. Also, the championship title is my goal for the season.”
Po Yu on the other hand faced his own sets of challenges in the last two rounds at SIC however, he has been quick in picking up his errors and rectifying his moves for better outcome. In round 1, Po Yu finished second on the chart, both races combined but in round 2, the Taipei-born rider claimed the Weekend Warrior title with a total of 45 points in both races combined. The rider who rode aboard the BMW M1000RR showcased his robust side, consistent with his moves in what could be claimed a highly competitive feat, competing against eighteen entries. Po Yu definitely has room for improvement and with two more rounds to go, it is all about perfecting his moves to resist the pressure that’s awaiting.
Commenting on the championship, Po Yu said, “My biggest challenge in the first and second round was familiarity with the SIC layout as I had only ridden thrice there prior to that. Additionally, I had no initial racing experience and starting and overtaking during the race posed challenges. But overtime, I adapted well with the race pace. My machine is basically in a complete stock condition. The biggest advantage, in my opinion, is the suspension. The team has definitely done an excellent job tuning the suspension and right now, it is in a stable condition when entering and exiting corners. That gives me a lot of confidence. I still need to improve on top speed. Since the ECU on my bike is still in an untuned state, my top speed is about 10km/hr lower compared to the other riders. Top speed is crucial at SIC so this is an area that needs to be worked on. SIC is a challenging track with high top speeds, high cornering speeds and heavy braking, all of which elements that race tracks in Taiwan do not have. I believe the section I need to improve most is from T14 to T1. I haven’t fully mastered the line through T14, and controlling the bike during heavy braking at T15 and T1 is also an area where I need to make improvements. I enjoyed riding and one of the benefits of participating in MSBK is that I get to race against many top ARRC riders. From them, I’ve seen riding styles and techniques I could never have imagined. My goal for this season is to win the 1000B class championship.”