ARRC 2026 Sepang: Kasma Daniel Wins Race 2

Hong Leong Yamaha Racing riders won Race 2 of the 2026 SS600 ARRC in front of their home fans.

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The opening round of the 2026 IDEMITSU FIM Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) at the Sepang International Circuit saw thrilling action in the SS600 category when national rider, Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin, recorded a stylish victory in Race 2 in front of local fans.

The race started well for Wahyu Nugroho of Yamaha Racing Indonesia who made a fast start, but the front position was soon taken over by Thanat Laoongplio of Honda Racing Thailand. Meanwhile, another Malaysian representative, Khairul Idham Pawi, was in third position in the early stages of the race.

However, the momentum of the race changed as early as Lap 2 when Khairul managed to seize the opportunity to take the lead. Not long after, Kasma Daniel also took the opportunity to follow closely and be in the leading positions.

Kasma’s Aggressive Attack Changes the Race Pattern

The key moment came on Lap 3 when Kasma began to show his speed by recording the fastest time of 2’10.730 seconds before making a clean pass on Khairul to take over the front position.

Behind, Wahyu remained in third place followed by Muhammad Helmi Azman and Herjun Atna Firdaus. Entering Lap 4, Kasma continued to maintain his position while the Honda group of riders, Thanat, Helmi and Khairul, tried to catch up.

Helmi, who was the winner of Race 1, started to increase his pace and managed to move up to third place before closing in on the front of the pack. At the same time, Herjun also overtook Wahyu to join in on the action.

Fierce Competition to the Finish Line

The action heated up on Lap 5 when Hong Leong Yamaha Racing’s McKinley Kyle Paz put on a brilliant performance, passing several riders to move up to fourth position.

By Lap 7, Kasma was still in control of the race, but Helmi managed to move up to second place after overtaking Thanat and began to close the gap. Thanat, meanwhile, continued to put pressure on the podium.

On Lap 8, Kasma maintained consistency despite being pushed from behind. Helmi tried to catch up, but Kasma managed to control the race well up until the very end.

Finally, Kasma finished the race in first place with a time of 21’59.305 seconds, followed by Helmi in second place, and Thanat completed the podium in third place.

Kasma Grateful for Victory in the Country

After the race, Kasma expressed his gratitude for the success.

“I was really surprised, but I knew we had the potential to be at the front. What was important was to stay calm and understand the character of the machine better. Alhamdulillah, thank you to the team and all the supporters who came. Racing in Malaysia is something special.”

He also explained his initial strategy of attacking from the start of the race to avoid tire problems.

“I wanted to attack early because if I wait, the tires might wear out quickly. What I achieved today is a blessing from Allah.”

SS600 Race 2 Top 5 Results

1. Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin (Hong Leong Yamaha Racing) – 21’59.305s
2. Muhammad Helmi Azman (Idemitsu Honda Racing Malaysia) – 22’00.747s
3. Thanat Laoongplio (Honda Racing Thailand) – 22’02.228s
4. McKinley Kyle Paz (Hong Leong Yamaha Racing) – 22’07.497s
5. Fadillah Arbi Aditama (Astra Honda Racing Team) – 22’09.157s

With this victory, Kasma Daniel not only opened the 2026 season with flying colors, but also brought joy to local fans in Sepang.