SANTHIRAN, WEEKEND CHAMPION!
Round 3 of MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship 2026 at the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit is concluded, Muhammad Idham Fathris Mazlan of MAGIC PAPAYA RACING TEAM showcased excellent late-race pace to secure the victory, but it was Santhiran A/L Naga Raju of RACEHUB RACING TEAM who claimed the Weekend Champion title.
As the race began, Kamarul Izad Ishak of KHSRT surged to the front to take the early lead, with Santhiran closely following in second. Jeff Chong of B.A TUNING settled into third, while Fathris started his steady campaign from fifth position.
On the second lap, Santhiran made his move, cleanly overtaking Izad to lead the pack. Meanwhile, Fathris began his climb up the field, slotting into third. Santhiran held the lead through the middle stages of the race, but the pressure behind him was constant. By Lap 4, Izad was just 0.500s behind the leader, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
On Lap 6, both Izad and Fathris found their window, overtaking Santhiran to demote him to third. The momentum was clearly with Fathris, who then successfully passed Izad on Lap 7 to take over the race lead. Once in front, Fathris maintained a composed ride, holding off Izad for the final three laps to cross the finish line first at 22’41.117s. Izad secured a strong second place at 22’42.898s, while Santhiran safely crossed in third at 22’51.299s. Further back, Alvinderjitsingh from Malaysia made a late move on Lap 9 to overtake Jeff, securing fourth place. Despite finishing third in Race 2, Santhiran’s victory in Race 1 earned him enough points to be crowned the Weekend Champion.
Santhiran shared, “To be completely honest, this victory comes down to pure, relentless hard work. Especially for this particular round, the team has put in an incredible amount of effort behind the scenes. We focused heavily on strategy, making sure that we rode smartly using our minds, tactics, and careful planning, rather than just acting on adrenaline or raw emotion out on the track.”
“The race itself was exceptionally challenging. Within just the first three laps, I started to lose grip in my rear tire. I suspect it had something to do with the bike’s setup today, but rather than panicking, I knew I had to adapt and simply manage the race to survive. At one point, Izad overtook me, and shortly after, Fathris managed to get past me as well. It is always hard for a rider to give up positions, but I stayed calm, did some quick mental calculations regarding the points and standings, and realized that even by letting them pass safely, I would still secure P1 overall.”
“To walk away as the back-to-back Weekend Champion is an absolutely incredible feeling. I am immensely happy and deeply proud of myself and what this team has accomplished. It has been a demanding journey, and I want to extend my deepest gratitude to everyone who has supported me, especially my family, my wife, my friends, and all of my sponsors who make this possible. Finally, a huge thank you to MSBK for providing us with this amazing platform to race and showcase our talents.”
TOP 5 FASTEST – RACE 2
1. MUHAMMAD IDHAM FATHRIS MAZLAN – MAGIC PAPAYA RACING TEAM (22’41.117s)
2. KAMARUL IZAD ISHAK – KHSRT (22’42.898s)
3. SANTHIRAN A/L NAGA RAJU – RACEHUB RACING TEAM (22’51.299s)
4. ALVINDERJITSINGH – MALAYSIA (23’06.260s)
5. JEFF CHONG – B.A TUNING (23’07.942s)