ARRC 2025 Round 5 - Sepang
Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) 2025 Round 5
Sepang Circuit | Selangor | Malaysia
36°31'59.4"N 140°13'35.8"E
Arriving back at Sepang after its earlier outing this season felt like coming home to a place that never quite lets you settle. The twin‑dome grandstand shimmering ahead, the heat bouncing off the tarmac, and an international grid primed for every kind of drama. Round 5 of the season for the Asia Road Racing Championship brought exactly that.
From the first sessions, the mood was intense. The premier ASB1000 class riders faced blistering conditions: high ambient heat, track temps that pushed tyres to their limits, and a field so tightly matched that any slip meant being swallowed by the pack. In the paddock you could hear the talk of rear‑tyre management, hot‑lap strategy and how the front end must stay hooked through Turn 1’s fast left.
In Race 1 of ASB1000, local hero Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah of JDT Racing Team delivered a commanding win in front of a Malaysian crowd hungrier than ever. He crossed the line in 25 minutes 26.781 seconds, ahead of his compatriot Azroy Hakeem Anuar and Thailand’s Nakarin Atiratphuvapat. The win lit up the circuit.
Race 2 then delivered the headline‐grabber. After a chaotic final lap where the lead riders crashed out, Azroy Hakeem Anuar seized a sensational victory in 25 minutes 26.719 seconds, with Nakarin second and Indonesia’s Andi Farid Izdihar third. It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t predictable. It was hard racing at its finest.
Watching from the fence, you saw the turning point: on lap 11 the unexpected collision knocked the leaders out. Just like that, the pendulum swung. Azroy didn’t wait for permission; he made his move and carried the pace home. The crowd erupted. The local vibes soared. The championship picture got more interesting.
Meanwhile, the SS600 class brought its own fireworks. Malaysia’s Muhammad Syarifuddin Azman of Idemitsu Honda Racing secured a double win on home soil—his first career double in ARRC—finishing Race 2 in 21 minutes 50.647 seconds and securing second in the earlier race too. That kind of weekend defines a rising rider.
Down in the AP250 and UB150 categories the action didn’t let up. The smaller classes are often where you see raw urgency: younger riders, faster moves, and less margin for error. At Sepang, the surface grip shifted lap by lap, the heat penalised mistakes, and the podiums were earned inch by inch.
Back in the paddock, the atmosphere buzzed. Vendors selling iced Milo and satay skewers lined the pedestrian walkways, kids waved flags, and mechanics wiped sweat from brows even at dusk. The smell of tyre smoke mixed with evening humidity made a heady cocktail. In the grandstand you could feel it all: community, competition and that Malaysian motorsport heart.
Sepang isn’t just another stop on the calendar. It’s a homecoming, a pressure cooker, and a showcase all in one. The track demands respect. Turn 15’s long right then braking into a tight left tests you down to the wire. The twin‑run straight doesn’t feel like a safe zone—it invites you to push before the next corner punishes you. And under home lights, the crowd expects you to not just ride—but to deliver.
As the weekend rolled on, the championship table shifted. Azroy’s win puts him back in the title conversation. Hafizh’s earlier win reinforced his home‐soil dominance. Nakarin’s consistency confirms he’s still lurking. The title fight isn’t settled—it’s heating up. In SS600, Syarifuddin’s double win places him firmly as contender, and in the other classes, the younger riders are making statements.
For CheekyMoto, this is exactly why you cover ARRC. Not just results, but context. Not just laps, but stories. In Sepang we saw a mix of triumph, chaos and local pride wrapped into a raceday. The bikes screamed, the crowd roared, and the paddock lived every minute.
If you ever get the chance to be trackside here, go. Stand near the fencing at Turn 8 under the early afternoon sun. Feel the vibration when a superbike hits the back straight. Listen to the crowd rise when the local hero crosses the line. The experience isn’t just high‑octane—it’s deeply human.
Racing for 2025 still has some rounds to go, but Sepang’s Round 5 will be remembered. It may be the weekend where the narrative changed. For CheekyMoto, we were there with camera raised, sun on our backs, and the kind of grin only true motorsport can bring.
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