Azlan Shah Delivers Emotional National Day Victory at Mandalika

Malaysian veteran claims first ASB1000 win of the season at Round 4 of the Asia Road Racing Championship.

Round 4 of the IDEMITSU FIM Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) concluded with fireworks on the track as Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman of A1 ENERGY BMW RACING TEAM stormed to an emotional Race 2 victory in the ASB1000 class at the Mandalika International Circuit, Indonesia and on Malaysia’s National Day no less.

The race began with Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah (JDT RACING TEAM) taking an early lead, closely shadowed by Nakarin Atiratphuvapat (Honda Racing Thailand) and Keito Abe (SDG HARC-PRO. Honda Philippines). Drama struck on Lap 3 when Nakarin crashed but rejoined, allowing Keito to move up into P2 and Azlan into P3, while Andi Farid Izdihar (Astra Honda Racing Team) and Azroy Hakeem Anuar (Idemitsu Honda Racing Malaysia) followed in pursuit.

By Lap 5, misfortune struck the Malaysian camp as Azroy crashed out, followed by heartbreak for Hafizh on Lap 6 after a highside ended his race while leading. That opened the door for Keito to seize control, with Azlan and Andi in hot pursuit.

On Lap 8, Azlan began reeling in Keito, the pair pulling clear by nearly five seconds. The decisive move came on Lap 12 when Azlan executed a clean overtake to claim the lead. Despite intense pressure from Keito in the closing stages, the Malaysian held firm, crossing the line in 20’55.147s for his first win of the season.

“This victory is unbelievable. It’s been a tough season, and coming back to Mandalika wasn’t easy after past crashes here,” said a visibly emotional Azlan. “But today, I stayed calm, kept the pace, and it paid off. This win is for my team, my family, and Malaysia. Happy Merdeka Day!”

Race 2 Top 5 (ASB1000, Mandalika Round 4):

1. Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman – A1 ENERGY BMW RACING TEAM (20’55.147s)
2. Keito Abe – SDG HARC-PRO. HONDA PHILIPPINES (20’55.784s)
3. Andi Farid Izdihar – ASTRA HONDA RACING TEAM (20’59.664s)
4. Muhammad Zaqhwan Zaidi – IDEMITSU HONDA RACING MALAYSIA (21’01.620s)
5. Cameron Dunker – MOTOGO YAMAHA RACING TEAM (21’08.476s)

This triumph marks Azlan’s return to winning ways and adds another proud chapter to Malaysia’s racing heritage.

Just last week, we sat down with Azlan Shah for an exclusive interview where he shared his struggles, motivation, and what keeps him going at the highest level. You can read our interview here to dive deeper into the mindset of Malaysia’s road racing hero.