Azlan and Kuhara double victory

Defending champion Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman kept his hopes alive in retaining the Malaysian Super Series (MSS) 600cc Supersports crown with a spectacular performance at Round 3 in Sepang yesterday with a double victory for the second successive time this season.

Azlan, who missed the opening round in April earlier this year, took a double victory at Round 2 in July, hauls the gap closer with championship leader Mohd Suhadi Ali Rahmat with just two more rounds to go for this years' season 2010.

Suhadi, on the other hand, had to settle with the double second placing who finished the race behind Azlan. The former 2009 Superstock champion added another 40 points to stay 10 points ahead of Azlan Shah in the championship standings.

Rathapong Walairot, the younger brother of Moto2 rider Rathapak Walairot who upstaged Azlan and Suhadi in the qualifying session on Saturday, topped the Junior Category, though was unable to equal the race pace of the two Malaysian riders.

Azlan who was representing the PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha Racing, said that the championship battle was still an open affair to the rest of the riders including Thailand's Suhatchai Chaemsap and his teammate, Zamri Baba, who was missing from the round as well.

In the Superbike Championship, defending champion Yasuhiro Kuhara also managed to score a double win to add another 50-points to his total championship points as he closes in to his third MSS title. The Japanese rider for Team HKL Racing has now 145-championship points and looked strong to seal the crown at the next round during the Round 4 which will be held during the Malaysian GP as support races.

Ahmad Zamani Baharuddin managed to open up a gap of 25-points ahead of Ramon Azrem in the Superstock Championship category after a second placing in Race 1 and a winner in Race 2. Ramon, will have to perform well in the next two rounds to snatch the championship title away from Zamani when he did not finish the race in the second heat, although winning the first race.

The next round will be held as support races to the 2010 Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix from 8-10 October 2010, and the final round in November.

Reigning Champion Dominates the Race Weekend

Yasuhiro Kuhara of Team HKL Racing, two-time defending champion, was in a class of his own, when he won both races comfortably in the Superbikes Category. This is his second double victory as he had two wins in Round 1.

Meanwhile, in the Supersports Championship category, the PETRONAS Yamaha Racing Team came in full force for Round 4 as they put their top three ARRC riders, Azlan, Mohd Zamri Baba and Ahmad Fuad Baharuddin to join youngster Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah, to put an end to the domination of the Idemitsu Honda Racing Team in Round 1.

Azlan and Zamri both, won both races one and two, giving the team a sensational 1-2 in both races.

The competition is ever more heated up, when Sepang International Circuit, offered a golden opportunity for the top three finishers in the Supersports Championship to be part of the selection for the 2011 Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix Moto2 wildcard riders.

Azlan is happy with the win in both races, and expressed that it was a great team effort that paid off for the win. He added that he hoped to retain his title for this season's Malaysian Super Series.

Zamri, added that the team aims to maintaining their win in the next three races, and confident that they will have the opportunity to do well in the overall championship, even though, they have lost 50 points in Round 1.

It was also a big day for the newly-established Kajang Racing Team as their rider, Mohd Syahnas Shahidan, brough his MV Agusta machine to a double podium finish, taking second and third placing in race 1 and race 2 respectively in the Superbikes Category.

The former ARRC rider with PETRONAS Yamaha Racing Team, Syahnas, said that the team did not do too well during the opening round.

"But we took a double podium today, and that is a fantastic result indeed. We hope to do even better in the next round", he added.

It can't get any hotter in Sepang

Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman, 2008 Supersports Category Champion, of the PETRONAS Yamaha team tops the qualifying sheets in the Supersports Championship at the round 2 of the Malaysian Super Series at Sepang International Circuit today by clocking 2 minutes 14.629 seconds round the 5.543-kilometre track.

Azlan made himself clear that his advantage was his experience and knowledge of the track that paid off with not only qualifying first on the grid, but it was his best personal lap round the track.

"I, myself, was suprised. I am happy with the performance of the bike and the hot and dry weather really suited us well.", he added.

His rivalry teammate, Zamri Baba, clocked 2 minutes 15.003 seconds, and they would be sharing the front row of the starting grid tomorrow with Walairot Rathapong and Suhatchai Cheamsap, who both clocked 2 minutes 15.247 seconds and 2 minutes 16.311 seconds respectively.

Suhadi Ali Rahmat, only managed to clock fifth fastest, to start on the second row of the grid tomorrow.

The defending champion in the Superbikes Category, Japanese, Yasuhiro Kuhara, of Team HKL Racing, proved yet again in the qualifying session today that he is the best rider to beat with a fastest lap of 2 minutes 14.174 seconds.

Kuhara will start the Superbikes Category of the Malaysian Super Series tomorrow from the front row of the grid with Abdul Rahim Sidek, Mohd Syahnas and Ahmad Azhar completing the top four qualifiers.

The round 4 of the Malaysian Super Series will start at 0900hrs to be held at the Sepang International Circuit. Apart from the bikes competition, fans would also get the opportunity to catch actions in the ATCS, Macau N2000 Series, Macau Roadsports Challenge and the PETRONAS Formula Xperience races tomorrow.