Malaysian Super Series Round 2 Gets Record Number of Entries
Spread over 12 events of biking and car races, the second round of the 2006 Malaysian Super Series, which ended yesterday at Sepang Circuit, roped in 215 competitors; making it the biggest ever participation since its inception in 2002 and indicates a growing interest in Malaysian motorsports.
With racers coming as far as Australia, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka, the competition’s bar for the series has been raised significantly. International competitors like Australian Peter Hills and Damintha Malagamuwa of Sri Lanka are top class racers and they set new standards for the local drivers in their pursuit of excellence.
“We are happy that the Malaysian Super Series has prospered and is progressing as what we have always aimed for which is to help develop Malaysia’s motorsports,” says Sepang International Circuit General Manager Datuk Ahmad Mustafa.
Entering its fifth year, the Malaysian Super Series was a total contrast from its first race on May 19, 2002 when the inaugural event had less than 35 participants competing in the supercar and supersixteen championships for cars and the 130cc production bike and superbike categories for the two-wheeler section.
“Imagine that we only had just seven bikes in our first production bike race. Yesterday, we had 30 on the starting grid just for that event alone,” he said, adding that bikes competition had also grown over the years with the open superbike class, the 600cc supersports category, the two-stroke 250cc Aprilia Cup, the 150cc Kawasaki Cup, the 130cc Production Bike and the new 650cc Naza PanGlobal Blade Championship.
With a tagline of ‘Breaking New Grounds in Motor Racing’, the Malaysian Super Series also currently features six car categories with the open supercar championship, the sub-2000cc supersports category, the 1600cc supersixteen championship, the sub-1000cc Supercompact with the international Hong Kong Gates Classic Car Series as a support event.
Most significant, however, was the debut of the JPM Honda Integra Cup Malaysia, which is backed among others by Honda Japan, Mugen, Enkei and Michelin; and Sepang International Circuit believes this could spark a new interest in motorsports among motor racing enthusiasts in Malaysia.
Launched by Youth and Sports Deputy Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai on May 23, the debut race yesterday saw an a good field consisting of 25 drivers – a mixture of casual and serious drivers including the comeback ofveteran Tengku Hammam Sulong, who used to race and rally in the 1980s’.
With drivers competing in similar two-litre Integra machines prepared by JPM Motorsports and Mugen, the championship eliminates the tendency to overspend among competitors in their efforts to have more powerful machines. Drivers for the JPM Honda Integra Cup just come with their racing suits and helmets, jump into the car and race.
Describing the JPM initiative as innovative, impactful and timely, Liow hoped that more corporate companies would follow suit to support the government’s initiative to promote motorsports in Malaysia, with a view of going global.
“We strongly believe that this new championship could start a new interest in motorsports and by the support that they are getting, it has all the potential to grow even bigger and take Malaysia motorsports higher,” the Deputy Minister added.
On track, the event delivered an action-packed showcase of thrills, suspense, drama and daring overtaking overtaking manuevers – sometimes dangerous; a case in point being Faizal Hakimi who was slapped with a 15-second penalty for ungentlemanly conduct.
Farriz Fauzy was given a drive-through penalty for crossing the white line at the pitlane exit. Highlights of the race were Syed Zaid Albar’s first race ending in the very first turn, Firhat Mokhzani being pushed to the gravel bed twice and the unfortunate Sharijahan Ghouse disqualified for technical infringement minutes after his victory lap.
Sharijahan, however, claimed victory in the sub-2000cc Supersaloon Championship as he pipped favourite Jimmy Low of DC Racing while the Supercar Championship saw Australian Peter Hills continuing his winning streak to win Round 2.
Similarly, K. Perajun took his second consecutive win in the sub-1000cc Supercompact Championship while Kok Pak Chiang – a regular in the Malaysian Super Series since 2002 – finally scored his first victory in the Supersixteen Championship.
The biking competitions were just as exciting, especially in the 600cc Supersports Championship where the dynamic trio of Petronas Sprinta Team Yamaha – Ahmad Fuad Baharuddin, elder brother Ahmad Zamani and Abdul Rahim Sidek – made the affair their private battle with Fuad winning both races and top honours for Round 2.
While the bikers take a break, drivers in all the car categories are currently looking forward to the next encounter at round 3, which will be run as part of the Japan GT Championship Malaysia 2006 from 23rd to 25th June.
The riders will make a comeback to the scene in September when they run as part of the Marlboro Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix programme as support races.
POINT STANDINGS AFTER ROUND 2
Superbike
1. Jussi Hoikka (Suzuki GSX1000R) 76 points
2. Kenny Lee (Kawasaki ZX10R) 74
3. Yasuhiro Kuhara (Honda CBR1000) 65
4. Brent Odgers (Honda CBR1000) 58
5. Paul Grant-Mitchell (Yamaha R1) 38
Supersports
1. Ahmad Fuad Baharuddin (Yamaha R6) 95 points
2. Abdul Rahim Sidek (Yamaha R6) 76
3. Ahmad Zamani Baharuddin (Yamaha R6) 73
4. Dilip Rogger (Yamaha R6) 40
5. Charles Hem (Honda CBR600) 37
Aprilia Cup
1. Steve Ewan (Aprilia RS250) 95 points
2. Mohd Anuar Salleh (Aprilia RS250) 65
3. Chia Koo Keat (Aprilia RS250) 49
4. Mohd Rahim Amon (Aprilia RS250) 47
5. Ambalavanan Rethinam (Honda RVF) 45
Production Bike 130cc
1. Ahmad Azhar Hamid (Yamaha 125Z) 75
2. Ahmad Nashrul Baharuddin (Yamaha RXZ) 72 points
3. Dalnizwan Hakim (Yamaha 125Z) 50
4. Mohd Kanafi Kamaruddin (Yamaha RXZ) 44
5. Mahathir Raduan (Yamaha 125Z) 42
Kawasaki Cup
1. Mohd Fairuz Murad (Kawasaki ZX150RR) 90 points
2. K. Rajani (Kawasaki ZX150RR) 90
3. Muhammad Radzi (Kawasaki ZX150RR) 53
4. Aqmal Faiz Hamdi (Kawasaki ZX150RR) 33
5. Yusyairi Yunus (Kawasaki ZX150RR) 29
Supercars
1. Peter Hills (Mazda RX7) 72 points
2. Dilantha Malagamuwa (Porsche 996) 66
3. Chong Fu Seong (Mitsubishi EVO 8) 32
4. Kelvin Yeoh (Nissan Silvia S15) 26
5. Ron Lim (Mazda RX7) 20
Supersixteen
1. Wong Yew Choong (Honda Civic EK) 53 points
2. Kok Pak Chiang (Honda Civic EK) 40
3. Tony Teo (Honda Civic EK) 34
4. Chung Kum Yew (Honda Civic EK) 28
5. Chan Sau Wie (Honda Civic EK) 28
Supercompact
1. K. Perajun (Perodua Kancil) 80 points
2. T. Francis Xavier (Perodua Kancil) 51
3. Chew Koon Wing (Perodua Kancil) 46
4. Chan Yoon Voon (Perodua Kancil) 38
5. Patrick Heng (Perodua Kancil) 23
