PIN CHI SHOOK OFF DEBUT NERVES TO LEAD
Round 4 of the MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship 2026 officially opened today at the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit. In the MSBK250 B category, Friday’s Combined Practice sessions were defined by the outstanding performance of Pin Chi Chien of NWN CZ1 SCK RACING TEAM. The rider showcased remarkable consistency and speed, overcoming early jitters to secure the top spot on the timing sheets ahead of a highly competitive weekend.
During Free Practice 1 in the morning, Pin Chi quickly found his rhythm on the circuit. On his eighth lap out of eleven, he posted a benchmark of 2’33.318s, at the top speed of 130.15kph. This early effort allowed him to comfortably lead the morning session, establishing a gap of more than two seconds over his closest rival at the time, Ng Wei Shyang of MAGIC PAPAYA RACING TEAM, who recorded a steady 2’35.616s.
However, the afternoon session proved that the frontrunners still had plenty of speed left to unlock. In Free Practice 2, Pin Chi continued to push his limits and shaved nearly two seconds off his morning time. He clocked a blistering 2’31.367s on his seventh lap, increasing his top speed to 131.83kph. This impressive improvement firmly secured his position as the fastest overall rider in the Combined Practice standings.
Behind the leader, the battle for the remaining top spots intensified significantly in the afternoon. Kabilesh Rajini Krishnan of RACR CASTROL POWER1 made a vital leap forward during Free Practice 2. After finishing third in the morning, Kabilesh found a much better pace, logging a 2’31.754s to secure second place overall, finishing just 0.387s behind the leader. Meanwhile, Rafiif Dhani Satrio representing HONDA MTS ARSPEED ASH21 also showed strong progress, improving his time by over four seconds in the afternoon to grab third place overall with a 2’33.866s effort. Wei Shyang held onto fourth place in the combined standings based on his early FP1 time.
Pin Chi shared his thoughts, “Stepping onto this circuit to compete for the very first time has been an incredibly overwhelming experience for me. If I am being completely honest, I felt a bit out of place initially when we started the day, and the nerves definitely crept in as I faced the unknown challenges of this track. Everything was so new, and the pressure was undeniably heavy.”
“However, my incredible team of mechanics has worked tirelessly behind the scenes to prepare my bike to absolute perfection. The setup feels amazing beneath me, and knowing I have such a great, reliable machine has given me a massive boost of confidence. They believed in me, and that helped me find my focus out there.”
“Looking ahead to tomorrow’s Race 1, those early nerves have completely shifted into pure, fiery determination. My absolute focus right now is to fight my way forward, stick right with the leading pack, and leave everything I have out on the track. The competition is catching up, so I cannot relax. It would mean the world to me and my team to stand on that podium, and I am going to push with all my heart to make that dream a reality.”
TOP 4 FASTEST – COMBINED PRACTICE
1. PIN CHI CHIEN – NWN CZ1 SCK RACING TEAM (2’31.367s)
2. KABILESH RAJINI KRISHNAN – RACR CASTROL POWER1 (2’31.754s)
3. RAFIIF DHANI SATRIO – HONDA MTS ARSPEED ASH21 (2’33.866s)
4. NG WEI SHYANG – MAGIC PAPAYA RACING TEAM (2’35.616s)