Helmi Azman overcomes intense heat, fierce battle with Khairul Idham Pawi, and tyre challenges to complete a perfect weekend at Round 3 of the MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship 2026.

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Muhd Helmi Azman completed a perfect weekend at the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit after securing his second victory of the weekend in the MSBK600 category during Race 2 of Round 3 of the MAM Malaysia Superbike Championship (MSBK) 2026.
The Malaysian rider delivered another commanding performance despite facing tough competition from Khairul Idham Pawi and Farres Putra Mohd Fadhil. The victory capped off a flawless outing for Helmi, who claimed both Race 1 and Race 2 wins in front of the home crowd.
Helmi wasted no time asserting himself after the lights went out, making an aggressive start to take the race lead. He was immediately chased by HONG LEONG YAMAHA MALAYSIA rider Farres Putra Mohd Fadhil, while Khairul Idham Pawi settled into third place during the opening lap.
The battle for victory intensified on Lap 2 when Khairul found an opportunity to overtake Helmi and move into first place. However, Helmi responded immediately on the following lap, setting the fastest lap of the race with a time of 2’12.440s to reclaim the lead. His impressive pace allowed him to establish a narrow 0.240-second advantage, while Farres gradually slipped further behind the leading pair.

The lead changed hands once again during the middle stages of the race. Khairul briefly returned to the front on Lap 6, but Helmi refused to back down. On Lap 7, he launched another decisive attack, reclaiming first position before pulling away from his rival. Within a single lap, Helmi had stretched his advantage to more than eight-tenths of a second.
While the front two continued their battle, another fight unfolded behind them. Ahmad Afif Amran of HONG LEONG YAMAHA MALAYSIA made a calculated move to overtake teammate Farres and secure third position, completing a strong ride after patiently waiting for the right opportunity.
Helmi maintained a flawless rhythm over the closing laps, steadily increasing the gap to his rivals. He eventually crossed the finish line in 22’17.271s, finishing 4.740 seconds ahead of Khairul Idham Pawi, who secured second place. Ahmad Afif Amran completed the podium after finishing in 22’31.772s.

Following his second consecutive victory, Helmi admitted that Race 2 proved far more challenging than the opening race, with the extreme heat and tyre setup creating additional obstacles throughout the race.
“To be completely honest, today’s race really pushed us to the limit. The weather was incredibly hot out there, making it very physically demanding. We also decided to try something a bit different heading into today. While we used the standard Sepang tyres yesterday with great success, today we switched to a newer version of the tyres.”
“It wasn’t entirely smooth sailing. I really struggled to find the right rear tyre grip, and the pace definitely didn’t come as easily as it did yesterday. However, we understand exactly why that happened, and it’s a valuable lesson for us to improve moving forward.”
Looking ahead, Helmi believes the team’s continued development has significantly improved the performance of his motorcycle, giving him confidence for the upcoming Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) round in Mandalika.
“Thorough preparation is everything in this sport, and I truly believe my bike is performing at a much higher level in terms of speed right now. Because of that, I am incredibly excited for the upcoming ARRC race in Mandalika. I’ll be putting in the work to prepare myself even better.”
“A massive thank you to my entire team for their endless hard work, and to everyone who has continually supported and prayed for me. This win is for all of you.”
With two victories from two races at Sepang, Helmi leaves Round 3 with maximum confidence and valuable momentum as he prepares for his next challenge on the regional stage in the ARRC.




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