#SepangWorldSBK: On and Off Track
Everything happening on the track and at the circuit during the Fassi Malaysian Round
WorldSBK is back in the East once again for Round 6 of the 2016 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, as Sepang International Circuit stages another stunning showdown of the world’s fastest production motorcycle racers. Action in Malaysia kicks off on Thursday with a pre-event that will see reigning Champion Jonathan Rea and 2006 MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden join rivals from WorldSBK and WorldSSP on a trip to the Giat Mara Centre in Kuala Lumpur to meet students of the automotive industry, followed by the Malaysian Minister of Rural and Regional Development, before a photo opportunity at the Batu Caves.
Friday is when the action gets underway on track, as Free Practice kicks off at 10:15am local time (GMT +8) for WorldSBK, after support racers Malaysian Superbike have been on track for their first sessions. With a new track surface at Sepang and some corners having changed camber, the first taste of the asphalt will be an important one for all. Live commentary for all WorldSBK and WorldSSP sessions will take place from the Paddock Show for an in-depth guide to what’s happening on track, especially important as entry to Tissot-Superpole 2 qualifying is decided during the Free Practices on Friday.
16:30 local time on Friday sees the Paddock Show take center stage, as the opening day show welcomes the fastest riders of the day from WorldSBK and WorldSSP, plus local hero Zulfahmi Khairuddin, to talk about the day’s action on track and come face to face with the enthusiastic local fans at Sepang.
Saturday dawns early for on-track thrills, with a Malaysian Superstock Race getting underway at 8:50am, before the World Superbike grid head out for Free Practice 3 at 10:45. WorldSSP are next on track, before grid positions are decided in the thrilling Tissot-Superpole qualifying shootouts. 13:30 is when WorldSBK Superpole 1 kicks off, with riders fighting to join Friday’s fastest in Superpole 2 as the riders duel for the top positions on the grid.
As well as Live Commentary at the Paddock Show, there are a host of other fan focused activities throughout the weekend. One of the most exciting sees Malaysian WorldSSP star Zulfahmi Khairuddin meet fans in a Meet and Greet session on Saturday at midday as the first Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup Race gets underway, before more superstars from WorldSBK such Tom Sykes and Nicky Hayden then take part in an autograph session for fans. At 12:50, there is then a Pit Walk to get a glimpse behind the scenes, prefacing the first of the two Tissot-Superpole qualifying sessions for WorldSBK.
With starting positions decided, the WorldSBK grid line up for Race 1 at 16:00 on Saturday, and Zulfahmi Khairuddin will be at the Paddock Show to join the host in Live Commentary of the race. After the first WorldSBK winner of the weekend is crowned, 17:00 sees the Paddock Show heat up even further with the WorldSSP qualifying show, as the riders on the front row join Khairuddin to talk the day’s track action before a Meet and Greet thereafter. At 17:45 the Paddock Show action has its grand Saturday finale as the top riders from the day in WorldSBK take to the stage for the Race 1 and Superpole show. In addition, Malaysian Supersport and Superbike are on track from 17:00 for their first races of the weekend.
Sunday Warm Up for WorldSSP and WorldSBK begins at 11am, after Malaysian support races kick off the day’s on-track activities at 9am. With Live Commentary at the Paddock Show for the Warm Up sessions, fan activities hit another gear thereafter as two big Meet and Greet sessions begin at 12:00pm after the second Pit Walk of the weekend has started. First a selection of WorldSSP superstars meet their fans, before their WorldSBK counterparts take over and a selection of the fastest men on the World Superbike grid take to the Paddock Show stage.
The second Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup Race begins at 13:00, before World Supersport line up for their showdown at 14:20, with live Paddock Show commentary for both WorldSSP and WorldSBK. WorldSBK begins at 16:00 local time on Sunday afternoon to crown the weekend of racing with another spectacular clash, before the grand finale of the Paddock Show gets underway at 17:25 with the top WorldSSP stars of the day, ahead of the final show of the weekend as the protagonists of WorldSBK Race 2 take to the stage for the final time over the weekend.
With such a packed schedule of fan-focused activities and on-track action, Round 6 of the 2016 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is sure to raise the roof at Sepang International Circuit from the 13th to 15th May. Make sure you don’t miss anything of the Fassi Malaysian Round and stayed tuned both on- and off-track as WorldSBK touches down near Kuala Lumpur.
