Race 1 of Round 5 of the IDEMITSU FIM Asia Road Racing Championship in the SuperSport 600cc category saw Muhammad Helmi Azman of the IDEMITSU Boon Siew Honda Racing Team secure his first victory of the season at the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia.
During the qualifying session, Apiwath Wongthananon of the YAMAHA TEKHNE Racing Team ASEAN claimed pole position with a fastest lap time of 2’08.742s. Muhammad Helmi Azman qualified in second with a time of 2’09.403s, and Kiattisak Singhapong of Honda Racing Thailand took third with a time of 2’09.614s.
As the race commenced, Kiattisak initially surged to the front but was soon overtaken by Helmi, who then led the pack. Apiwath trailed closely behind Helmi.
Throughout the race, Helmi maintained his lead with Apiwath closely pursuing in second place. Meanwhile, Azroy and Kiattisak engaged in a battle for third position.
The positions remained consistent, and Helmi crossed the finish line in first place with a time of 21’54.779s.
Helmi commented, “In this race, I knew I could perform even better. Having already completed the MSBK ride, I was confident in my pace and knew it could be fast, so I focused on maintaining control. I noticed Apiwath was trailing behind me and kept an eye on the gap. I was determined to increase the distance, and I successfully did just that. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported me. This victory is for all of you.”
Second place went to Apiwath, who finished the race with a time of 21’55.511s, while Kiattisak secured third place with a time of 22’04.425s.
TOP 5 FASTEST – RACE 1
SS600
- Muhammad Helmi Azman – IDEMITSU Boon Siew Honda Racing Team (21’54:779s)
- Apiwath Wongthananon – YAMAHA TEKHNE Racing Team ASEAN (21’55:511s)
- Kiattisak Singhapong – Honda Racing Thailand (22’04:425s)
- Azroy Hakeem Anuar – IDEMITSU Boon Siew Honda Racing Team (22’04:613s)
- Veda Ega Pratama – ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM (22’04:666s)