Supersports 600

The start of the SS600 Race 2 was red flagged following multiple crashes in the opening lap. Soichiro Minamimoto, Ahmad Afif Amran, Rei Toshima, and Ratthapong Wilairot were caught out in separate incidences by a few oil spill left on the track following the AP250 race earlier. Thankfully, the riders walked away from the crashes without serious injuries. The Akeno Speed YAMAHA Racing Team did a phenomenal job turning Minamimoto’s bike around in time for him to rejoin the grid 15 minutes later. Race 2 was re-started with the original 10 laps cut down eight. Straight off the bat, the Malaysian riders’ expertise at the 5.5km Sepang International Circuit was hard to beat. 2018 SuperSports 600cc champion Ratthapong Wilairot gained the early lead on Lap 1 but dropped down to P5 within the space of a lap when Azroy Hakeem came charging to the front with Adam Norrodin, Ibrahim Norrodin and Helmi Azman in tow. The remainder of the SS600 Race 2 turned into an all-Malaysian affair at the front, pitting the Yamahas of the PACHI ZK Racing against the Hondas of the Boon Siew HONDA Racing Team. Adam Norrodin led from Lap 5 to the last corner, indifferent to the pressure piled on him by the chasing trio. Adam barely missed a step even as Ibrahim tried to pull off an ambitious last lap-last corner overtaking move on him. Unfazed, Adam raced to the finish line to claim his first win of the season with 17’36.715s. Ibrahim, in contrast, fell victim to his own reckless move. The younger Norrodin sibling low-sided out of the race within meters of the finish line. Instead of a ZK Racing 1-2, the incident handed the final two podium positions to Azroy Hakeem Anuar and Helmi Azman. Ratthapong Wilairot improved on his finishing position in Race 2. The Thai Yamaha rider closed his weekend in fifth. Ramdan Rosli crossed the finish line in sixth followed by Soichiro Minamimoto, McKinley Kyle Paz, Sota Furuyama, Ahmad Yudhistira and Troy Alberto. SS600: Top 5 Race 2 Results Adam Norrodin (MAS) (Yamaha)                        17’36.715s Azroy Hakeem Anuar (MAS) (Honda)                 17’37.563s Mohd Helmi Azman (MAS) (Honda)                   17’38.151s Ratthapong Wilairot (THA) (Yamaha)                17’42.566s Mohd Ramdan Rosli (MAS) (Yamaha)                17’47.986s SS600: Top 5 Standings After Round 1 Azroy Hakeem Anuar (MAS) (Honda)                45 pts Adam Norrodin (MAS) (Yamaha)                       34 pts Mohd Helmi Azman (MAS) (Honda)                  29 pts Soichiro Minamimoto (JPN) (Yamaha)               21 pts Ahmad Afif Amran (MAS) (Yamaha)                  20 pts SS600: Top 5 Team Standings After Round 1 Boon Siew HONDA Racing Team                        74 pts PACHI ZK Racing                         50 pts YAMAHA GEN BLU Racing Team                        37 pts Akeno Speed YAMAHA Racing                         31 pts ONEXOX TKKR SAG Racing Team                        21 pts

Honda rider Azroy Hakeem Anuar has succeeded in putting the Boon Siew HONDA Racing Team back in winning form in the SuperSports 600cc category.   Earlier in the day, the Norrodin brothers continued to dominate the proceedings in the SS600 qualifier despite stiff resistance from 2018 SuperSports 600cc champion, Ratthapong Wilairot. As expected, the closing minutes of the qualifying saw frantic changes at the top of the leaderboard with this season’s front runners vying for the coveted front row with the aid of the rear soft compound tyre.   Adam Norrodin sealed the pole position with a fastest lap of 2’09.402s. After a slow start in free practice, Ratthapong Wilairot popped up to claim P2 with 2’09.499s and relegated Ibrahim Norrodin’s best qualifying time of 2’09.706s, to P3.   After a strong showing in the first day of practice, the Boon Siew HONDA Racing Team looked have hit a snag when both Helmi Azman and Azroy Hakeem Anuar qualified sixth and seventh respectively.   However, the second row start was no deterrent for the two determined Honda riders who only needed a single lap to wade into the front group.   Adam Norrodin had the first half of the race firmly under control but crashed out from the lead on Lap 6.   Helmi Azman took full advantage of Adam’s crash to charge into the lead, with Azroy and Ahmad Afif Amran in tow. While the three were engrossed in their tussle for the lead, Ibrahim Norrodin caught up and turned the final lap into a four-way fight.   But there was no going past Azroy Hakeem Anuar who put up a commanding performance at the front to pick up his first SuperSports 600cc win with 21’53.229s. It would also be the first win for the Boon Siew Honda camp since Zaqhwan’s last victory in 2017.   Behind Azroy, Ahmad Afif Amran showed remarkable improvement when he clinched his first SS600 podium in second place with 21’53.288s. Ibrahim Norrodin pipped Helmi Azman to the last spot on the podium with 21’53.532s.   Helmi Azman and Soichiro Minamimoto rounded up the top five followed by Yusuke Nakamura in sixth. Adam Norrodin recovered from his crash and was seventh across the line in Race 1.   SuperSports 600cc debutants McKinley Kyle Paz and Troy Alberto put in creditable performances in their maiden race with both finishing within the top-10.     SS600: Top 5 Qualifying Results   Adam Norrodin (MAS) (Yamaha)                        2’09.402s Ratthapong Wilairot (THA) (Yamaha)                2’09.499s Ibrahim Norrodin (MAS) (Yamaha)                    2’09.706s Ahmad Afif Amran (MAS) (Yamaha)                   2’09.713s Soichiro Minamimoto (JPN) (Yamaha)               2’09.975s     SS600: Top 5 Race 1 Results   Azroy Hakeem Anuar (MAS) (Honda)                 21’53.229s Ahmad Afif Amran (MAS) (Yamaha)                   21’53.288s Ibrahim Norrodin (MAS) (Yamaha)                    21’53.532s Helmi Azman (MAS) (Honda)                              21’53.608s Soichiro Minamimoto (JPN) (Yamaha)               22’05.142s  

The SuperSports 600cc class looks set to be a battle of the Malaysians, especially in the season opener as the Sepang experts came out to play. PACHI ZK Racing’s Adam Norrodin continues to top the timesheets, leading with a best time of 2’09.736s.   Boon Siew HONDA Racing Team duo Azroy Hakeem Anuar and Helmi Azman also clocked within the same second with 2’09.899s and 2’09.918s respectively.   Ahmad Afif Amran from the YAMAHA GEN BLU Racing Team made it an all-Malaysian top four with 2’10.220s, followed by Soichiro Minamimoto from the Akeno Speed YAMAHA Racing Team.   After a strong showing in the pre-season tests, Ibrahim Norrodin had been particularly low-key as the season opener officially got under way. Ibrahim checked in sixth fastest in the class with 2’10.517s.   SS600 senior riders Ratthapong Wilairot and Ahmad Yudhistira are still biding their time. Ratthapong was seventh fastest with 2’10.569s while Yudhistira was 13th with 2’11.848s.   2019 Underbone 150 champion McKinley Kyle Paz will need more time to adjust to 600cc racing. The Filipino wonderboy was 11th fastest of the day with 2’11.482s.     AP250: Top 5 Practice Results 2019 Lap Record: 2’09.712 – Kasma Daniel (MAS) (Yamaha)   Adam Norrodin (MAS) (Yamaha)                        2’09.736s Azroy Hakeem Anuar (MAS) (Honda)                 2’09.899s Helmi Azman (MAS) (Honda)                              2’09.918s Ahmad Afif Amran (MAS) (Yamaha)                   2’10.220s Soichiro Minamimoto (JPN) (Yamaha)               2’10.469s