The Malaysia Championship Series (MCS) and the Malaysia Superbike Championship (MSBK) – the country’s national championships for track racing – closes its 2016 season this weekend, offering a super treat for motorsports fans with a bumper programme that combines both car and bike competitions over the three-day weekend from 2 to 4 December 2016.
While the MSBK riders will be competing in four races to complete the fourth and fifth rounds of the two-wheel championship, drivers in the MCS will face a different kind of challenge as they face each other for the first time in an endurance race of 300 kilometres.
To add further excitement to the contest, championship points won in Sunday’s MCS endurance race will be doubled, which effectively throws the fight for the overall title wide open amongst the championship leaders in the Touring Production and Malaysia Touring Car categories.
It also calls for some adjustment in strategy for teams that had opted to use only one driver in the previous three rounds. They are now faced with the choice of adding a second driver or to simply use the same single driver to compete in the entire 300km race, amounting to 55 laps around the 5.543km track.
One of the teams with this dilemma is the Sakura Tedco Racing Team, which leads the table in both classes. Its drivers, Indonesian Fitra Eri and Malaysian Mark Darwin top the Touring Production and MTC championships respectively.
A decision to combine Eri and Darwin – who are also regular partners for the Sepang 1000km Endurance Race, in either class will jeopardise the team’s pre-season target of winning both championship classes, as both drivers have yet to secure unassailable leads in their respective championships.
Darwin – winner of the Touring Production class last season, has garnered 78 points over the season’s three rounds and holds a 23-point advantage over second-placed Nick Mah, who has 55 points. Goh Lee Heng is third with 42 points and is out of the championship battle.
With a total of 67.5 championship points, Eri has an even slimmer lead in the Touring Production class with the partnership of Abdul Kaathir and Lai Wee Sing of R Engineering just 10.5 points behind, on 57 points. Mitchell Cheah of N1 Racing is third with 44 points and could still deny Sakura Tedco Racing their second consecutive Touring Production crown.
Asked on the strategy for the final round, both Eri and Darwin said that the team has yet to make its decision on how to approach the race this weekend.
For the MSBK, all competitors will have their free practice and qualifying sessions on Friday with races on Saturday and Sunday to complete their 2016 season.
With four races to contend with, riders will naturally need to approach their races more cautiously, especially in Saturday’s Round 4 races.
Fans can catch all the action for free from the Main Grandstand. To get closer to the action, fans can purchase Paddock passes at the paddock entrance during the event days.
Kempen Bikers Bebas Dadah 2016
The action won’t be confined to the track, as the Kempen Bikers Bebas Dadah 2016 is also being co-organised by SIC and Brandteam Holdings in conjunction with the MSBK. Offering fans an exciting programme line-up, a 3-day ticket is available for only RM19 for adults, while fans aged 17 and below can enter for free.
Ticket holders can enjoy the race from the Main Grandstand and K1 Grandstand, watch the Bikers Bebas Dadah concert and have the opportunity to win attractive prizes in the daily lucky draw, offering a 150cc motorcycle as the Grand Prize. The concert, taking place at 830pm on 3 December, features the Bloodshed rock band, Aris Ariwatan, Daisy Idle Band and Kombat & Pilgrims.
A portion of the ticket proceeds will be donated to charity. All ticket holders can also enjoy free parking.
RACE SCHEDULE
Friday, 2 December 2016
0945 hrs – Briefing for MSBK riders
1015 hrs – 1045 hrs – Superstock Practice Session
1055 hrs – 1125 hrs – Production 250 / MGP3 Practice Session
1135 hrs – 1205 hrs – Superbike Practice Session
1215 hrs – 1245 hrs – Supersport Practice Session
Break / Friday Prayers
1445 hrs – 1515 hrs – Superstock Qualifying
1530 hrs – 1600 hrs – Production 250 Qualifying
1615 hrs – 1645 hrs – Superbike Qualifying
1700 hrs – 1730 hrs – Supersport Qualifying
Saturday, 3 December 2016
0910 hrs – 0950 hrs – Superstock Race 1 (12 laps)
1010 hrs – 1040 hrs – Production 250 Race 1 (8 laps)
1100 hrs – 1130 hrs – Superbike Race 1 (12 laps)
1130 hrs – Malaysia Championship Series Drivers Briefing
1150 hrs – 1240 hrs – Supersport Race 1 (12 laps)
1300 hrs – 1330 hrs – Malaysia Championship Series – Free Practice
1400 hrs – 1440 hrs – Superstock Race 2 (12 laps)
1500 hrs – 1530 hrs – Production 250 / MGP3 Race 2 (8 laps)
1550 hrs – 1640 hrs – Superbike Race 2 (12 laps)
1700 hrs – 1730 hrs – Supersport Race 2 (12 laps)
1745 hrs – 1815 hrs – Malaysia Championship Series – Qualifying
Sunday, 4 December 2016
0910 hrs – 0950 hrs – Superstock Race 3 (12 laps)
1010 hrs – 1040 hrs – Production 250 Race 3 (8 laps)
1100 hrs – 1140 hrs – Superbike Race 3 (12 laps)
1200 hrs – 1240 hrs – Supersport Race 3 (12 laps)
1300 hrs – 1340 hrs – Superstock Race 4 (12 laps)
1400 hrs – 1430 hrs – Production 250 Race 4 (8 laps)
1450 hrs – 1530 hrs – Superbike Race 4 (12 laps)
1550 hrs – 1630 hrs – Supersport Race 4 (12 laps)
1700 hrs – 1930 hrs – Malaysia Championship Series – Race (300km)
