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Nakarin Steals the Show with Double Wins at Sepang

Hazique Zairill

October 14, 2024

A weekend to remember! Nakarin clinches back-to-back victories, solidifying his championship lead as the MSBK season heats up for an epic finale.

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Thailand’s Nakarin Atiratphuvaphat, representing Honda Racing Thailand, dominated both the weekend and the MSBK1000 A category by securing victories in Race 1 and Race 2. His stellar performance earned him the title of Weekend Champion at the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit.

Nakarin’s back-to-back wins propelled him to the top of the standings with a total of 124 points, extending his lead over Azlan Shah from the Horizon Racing Team, who trails by 23 points, and Kasma Daniel of Yamaha Tekhne Racing Team Asia, who is 46 points behind in third place.

As Race 2 began on Sunday, Nakarin wasted no time taking the lead, closely followed by Zaqhwan Zaidi from Boon Siew Honda Racing Team, Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin, and Md Ibrahim Md Norrodin from FGRT Project. Azlan Shah, the only rider on slick tyres in the wet conditions, initially struggled, falling to P13 as the track began to dry.

By the second lap, Nakarin had set a blistering pace, with a best lap time of 2’21:967s, while Ibrahim hit an impressive top speed of 284.2 km/h in pursuit. Nakarin continued to dominate, consistently posting fast lap times, including his best of 2’21:006s.

As the race progressed and track conditions improved, Azlan started gaining ground, but Nakarin held his lead firmly. He crossed the finish line first with a time of 23’38:195s, followed by Kasma in second at 23’49:376s and Ibrahim in third at 24’01:405s. Despite a challenging start, Azlan pushed hard, setting the fastest lap of the race at 2’13:497s, and secured a P5 finish.

In Race 1 on Saturday, Azlan had secured a P2 finish in a thrilling race, where Nakarin made a dramatic final-lap overtake in the last turn to snatch victory by just 0.015 seconds, finishing at 17’07:780s.

Reflecting on his weekend triumph, Nakarin said, “It was an incredible race! Initially, I wasn’t sure about choosing wet tyres, but my team made that call. I noticed Azlan on slicks and wasn’t sure how it would play out in the end. In the early laps, I aimed to build a significant gap. As my tyres began to wear in the last five laps, I focused on maintaining my rhythm, just as I practised. Ultimately, we did a great job.”

As the season intensifies, Nakarin’s double victory has solidified his status as the rider to watch in the MSBK1000 A class. With the championship heading into its final rounds on 13-15 December, Nakarin has positioned himself as the one to beat.