The eni FIM Superbike World Championship 2015 (WSBK) Malaysian Round, which will be held at Sepang International Circuit (SIC) this weekend will feature an added attraction in the ‘Khairuddin Racing Brothers’ show.
Malaysia’s Moto3 rider Muhammad Zulfahmi Khairuddin, who is currently back home on summer break, will turn helper for his 16-year-old brother Ahmad Idham, who has been granted a wildcard entry in the Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup (SAATC).
Ahmad Idham, who competed in the SIC Ninja 250 Cup last year, joins Malaysians Muhammad Shafiq Rasol, Muhammad Fakhrusy Rostam, Muhammad Adam Norrodin, Muhammad Helmi Azman and Azroy Anuar in the SAATC, which is one of the support races for Sepang’s WSBK event this year.
The other support race for the second edition of Sepang’s WSBK event is Round 2 of the new Malaysia Superbike Championship (MSC), which is Malaysia’s national championship for track motorcycling but also joined in by top riders from neighbouring countries.
“It gives me real pleasure to be part of this exciting racing series and to help my brother out. I am very happy that he has been granted a wildcard entry for the SAATC. He has always wanted to follow in my footsteps and compete in the international arena. Hopefully, the race in Sepang can provide the launching pad for him to jump into the international scene. I was very lucky to be granted a wildcard ticket in 2009 to compete during the Malaysian MotoGP before moving on to the world GP125. Hopefully, he will get his lucky break this weekend at Sepang. My whole family and our friends are very excited to see Idham race and they will all be cheering their hearts out for him,” said Zulfahmi.
Last year, Malaysia had Zaqhwan Zaidi as the wildcard rider in the Supersports World Championship. Zaqhwan’s superb performance earned him the confidence of JPMoto Racing to compete for them in the Moto2 World Championship this year.
Meanwhile for Zulfahmi, who is now riding for SIC Racing Team with Jacob Kornfeil of the Czech Republic, he will be heading for the United States next week to compete in the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Round 9 of the Moto3 World Championship.
As the appointed helper to Idham, Zulfahmi will be helping out in preparing the bike for the race including changing tyres, cleaning and polishing the bike, tools and equipment as well as the racing gear whilst his brother fully focuses on giving his all in the race.
“If required, I may also give him some tips and advice before the races. Nevertheless, I am confident that he will do fine on his own,” added Zulfahmi, whose family lives in Bukit Changgang near Banting, less than 30 kilometres from the circuit.
Commenting on his wildcard entry, Ahmad Idham said: “I am truly honoured to be competing in the Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup in Sepang, at a world-class event like the WSBK. I aim to do well and hope to get more opportunities to compete internationally. Hopefully, I can join my brother in racing overseas in the future.”
After a successful inaugural year, the SAATC, which is Asia’s premier Moto3 racing series, opened its second season earlier this year at the Buriram International Circuit in Thailand, where it was held as a support event for Round 2 of the WSBK.
The eni FIM Superbike World Championship 2015 Malaysian Round will host Race 5 and 6 of the Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup (SAATC) before the competition moves to the Zhuhai International Circuit for Race 7 and 8 in September. Following that, the penultimate round will be held at the Twin Ring Motegi in Japan, comprising Race 9 and 10. The 2015 season will close in Sepang with the final two races at the Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix from 23 to 25 October 2015.
After four races, Japan’s Ayumu Sasaki leads the championship with 76 points; holding a 15-point advantage over second placed Somkiat Chantra of Thailand, who has garnered 61 points. Japan’s Kazuki Masaki is third overall with 52 points. Helmi is the highest placed Malaysian rider in eighth position with 31 points – one place above Syafiq, who has 30 points.
Tickets for the eni FIM Superbike World Championship 2015 Malaysian Round are priced as low as RM84.80 inclusive GST for seats at the K1 Grandstand. They can be purchased at the circuit or via the internet at www.sepangcircuit.com or by calling the TICKET HOTLINE at 03-8778 2222.
