Round 1 of the IDEMITSU FIM Asia Road Racing Championship 2026 at the Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia, witnessed a spectacular showdown in the SS600 category as Malaysia’s Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin of HONG LEONG YAMAHA RACING surged to a brilliant Race 2 victory in front of a passionate home crowd.
At the start, Wahyu Nugroho of YAMAHA RACING INDONESIA launched strongly, but it was Thanat Laoongplio of HONDA RACING THAILAND who quickly slipped into the lead. Malaysia’s Khairul Idham Pawi of IDEMITSU HONDA RACING MALAYSIA settled into third, while Anupab Sarmoon’s race took an early setback after a fall, forcing him out of podium contention despite rejoining the race.
By Lap 2, the momentum shifted as Khairul spotted an opening and made a decisive move to take the lead. Close behind, Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin capitalised on the opportunity, following Khairul through to position himself firmly at the front.
The turning point came on Lap 3 when Kasma unleashed a blistering pace, clocking the fastest lap of 2’10.730s before executing a clean overtake on Khairul to seize control of the race. Wahyu held third, with Muhammad Helmi Azman and Herjun Atna Firdaus slotting into fourth and fifth respectively.
As the race progressed into Lap 4, Kasma maintained his advantage while a trio of Honda riders—Thanat, Helmi, and Khairul—gave chase. Helmi, the Race 1 winner, began to show strong pace, climbing to third and steadily closing in on the leading duo. Behind them, Herjun moved past Wahyu to join the front battle.
Lap 5 saw further drama as McKinley Kyle Paz of HONG LEONG YAMAHA RACING produced an impressive charge, slicing through the pack to climb into fourth position after overtaking Herjun, Khairul, and Wahyu in quick succession.
By Lap 7, Kasma continued to dictate the race at the front, but Helmi had moved up to second after overtaking Thanat and was now within striking distance, just 1.798s behind. Thanat, meanwhile, remained firmly in contention, shadowing Helmi in the battle for the podium.
On Lap 8, Kasma held steady under pressure, maintaining a consistent rhythm as Helmi attempted to bridge the gap while also keeping a safe margin ahead of Thanat.
In the end, Kasma delivered a flawless performance to clinch victory with a winning time of 21’59.305s. Helmi crossed the line in second, just 1.442s behind at 22’00.747s, while Thanat completed the podium in third with a time of 22’02.228s.
Kasma said, “I’m really surprised, but I knew we had the potential to be at the front. It was just about staying calm and understanding the bike better. Alhamdulillah, thanks to the team and everyone who came to support us. Racing in Malaysia is always special, and the fans are incredible. At the start, I wanted to attack early because if I waited, I might have destroyed my tyres lap by lap. Alhamdulillah, what I achieved today is a blessing from Allah.”
TOP 5 FASTEST – RACE 2
1. KASMA DANIEL KASMAYUDIN – HONG LEONG YAMAHA RACING (21’59.305s)
2. MUHAMMAD HELMI AZMAN – IDEMITSU HONDA RACING MALAYSIA (22’00.747s)
3. THANAT LAOONGPLIO – HONDA RACING THAILAND (22’02.228s)
4. MCKINLEY KYLE PAZ – HONG LEONG YAMAHA RACING (22’07.497s)
5. FADILLAH ARBI ADITAMA – ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM (22’09.157s)