ARRC Round 5 at Sepang – Chaos, Heat and a Home Crowd Hungry for Fireworks

Sepang Circuit | Selangor | Malaysia

2°45'31.2"N 101°44'49.3"E

A Return to Sepang That Felt Like Coming Home

Coming back to Sepang after its earlier outing this season felt like stepping into familiar chaos — the twin-dome grandstand shimmering in the heat, tarmac radiating like a furnace, and an international grid ready to make trouble. Round 5 of the Asia Road Racing Championship didn’t warm up. It erupted.

From Friday practice, the tension was unmistakable. The ASB1000 riders faced brutal conditions: suffocating heat, tyre-melting track temperatures and a field so tightly matched that even a moment’s hesitation meant getting swallowed. In the paddock, all talk was rear-tyre survival, qualifying strategy and how to keep the front end planted through Turn 1’s fast, sweeping left.

ASB1000 – Hafizh Dominates, Azroy Capitalises, Sepang Explodes

Race 1 – Hafizh Syahrin Lights Up Home Soil

Malaysia’s Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah (JDT Racing Team) delivered the moment fans were craving. He controlled Race 1 from the front, taking a commanding win in 25:26.781 ahead of fellow Malaysian Azroy Hakeem Anuar and Thailand’s Nakarin Atiratphuvapat.

It was the kind of home-soil victory Sepang lives for.

Race 2 – A Final-Lap Chaos Moment and Azroy Steals the Show

Race 2 turned the entire weekend upside down.

A final-lap collision between the leaders detonated the front group, instantly reshuffling the order. Azroy seized the moment with zero hesitation, charging to victory in 25:26.719. Nakarin took second, and Indonesia’s Andi Farid Izdihar completed the podium.

It wasn’t clean.
It wasn’t predictable.
It was pure racing.

From the fence line, you could see the exact moment the narrative snapped: lap 11, the leaders tangled, and the race reset in an instant. Azroy didn’t wait to be asked — he took what was his. The crowd went ballistic.

SS600 – Syarifuddin Azman Takes His First ARRC Double

Malaysia’s Muhammad Syarifuddin Azman (Idemitsu Honda Racing) delivered the biggest breakthrough of his ARRC career, securing his first-ever double win. He took Race 2 in 21:50.647 and finished second in Race 1, putting his name firmly into the SS600 title conversation.

This wasn’t a lucky weekend — it was a statement.

AP250 & UB150 – Smaller Classes, Bigger Fight

The AP250 and UB150 categories brought intensity that never dipped for a second. These are the classes where urgency rules — young riders, fast moves, and margins measured in heartbeats.

At Sepang, the grip changed lap by lap, the heat punished overconfidence, and podium places were earned by inches. Mistakes were public. Passes were hard-won. Perfect Cub Prix vibes, but on an international stage.

The Paddock – Milo, Satay, Tyre Smoke and Malaysian Heart

Sepang’s paddock felt like its own festival.

Iced Milo vendors doing brisk business, satay smoke drifting across the walkways, kids waving flags, mechanics sweating through their shirts even after sunset. Tyre smoke mixed with humid tropical air — the scent of Malaysian motorsport distilled into one weekend.

From the grandstand, you didn’t watch the racing.
You felt it.

Why Sepang Is a Circuit Riders Don’t Forget

Sepang is a technical pressure cooker.

Turn 15’s long right feeding into a tight left pushes riders to the absolute limit. The twin-run straight is never a rest zone — it’s an invitation to overcommit. And when you're racing under home lights with Malaysian fans roaring behind you, everything feels personal.

Championship Shake-Up – Momentum Resets Across the Field

Key takeaways:

Azroy’s Race 2 win puts him straight back in the ASB1000 title fight
Hafizh’s Race 1 dominance reasserts his home-soil authority
Nakarin’s consistency keeps him firmly in the running
Syarifuddin Azman emerges as a real SS600 contender
AP250 and UB150 continue to develop new names worth watching

Sepang didn’t tidy up the standings — it made everything messier.

Exactly how ARRC should be.

Why CheekyMoto Covers ARRC

ARRC isn’t just racing — it’s atmosphere, tension and relentlessly human storylines. Sepang delivered all of it: triumph, chaos, heartbreak, pride, and the kind of noise you feel in your ribs.

This is the kind of racing that stays with you long after the chequered flag.

Trackside at Sepang – A Human Experience

If you ever get the chance to watch an ARRC race at Sepang, don’t think. Go.

Stand by the fencing at Turn 8 in the afternoon heat.
Feel the vibration when an ASB1000 bike hammers the back straight.
Listen to the roar when a Malaysian rider crosses the line.

It’s not just high-octane.
It’s deeply, unmistakably human.

A Round That Will Be Remembered

The 2025 ARRC season still has chapters to write, but Round 5 at Sepang will sit near the top of the story. It felt like the moment everything shifted.

CheekyMoto was there — camera raised, sunburn building, and wearing the grin only real motorsport can deliver.

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