Race Report: SBS 1/10 EP Malaysian Major League 2019 - Round 5

Bashir & Hakeem Overall SBS EP ML Champions

With our country facing heavy haze, it did not stop us from running the final round of SBS 1/10 EP Malaysian Major League 2019 over the last weekend at SBS Speedway in Sg Buloh, Malaysia. Albeit a lower turnout than usual, competition remained stiff as ever with the country's fastest drivers making their appearance this round, including 1/8 GT IFMAR World Champion, Jade Lim.

In 2wd Modified Buggy, Bashir (Team Associated) did not show any signs of slowing down knowing that he already had more than enough lead in the points to be crowned the overall champion. It was a strong fight between him and Jade (Team Associated) in all 3 finals but Jade managed to win the first 2 mains to grab 1st place. Bashir finished 2nd and Aaron (Xray) bagged 3rd overall.

Meanwhile in 4wd Modified Buggy it was a tough fight between 4 drivers all the way to the 3rd main. Jade (Team Associated) and Bashir (Team Associated) headed into the 3rd main with a win each but Shahrin (Xray) and Kent Sung (Tekno) both had a 2nd place each putting them in the run for the win as well. After a tough A3 battle, it was the World Champion who emerged the winner of the round. Kent Sung snatched 2nd place and Bashir in 3rd.

Most importantly it was also the time we announced the Overall Champions of SBS 1/10 EP Malaysian Major League 2019 after 5 gruelling rounds of racing (Driver points attached at the end of this article):

2wd Modified Buggy - Bashir (Team Associated)
4wd Modified Buggy - Bashir (Team Associated)
Modified Shortcourse Trucks - Hakeem (Intech Racing)



With this being the last round, the 2019 season comes to a close and we would like to congratulate all the winners and thank everyone involved for their never ending support and patience throughout the races and we hope to see more racers next season!

Race Report: SBS 1/10 EP Malaysian Major League 2019 - Round 4

The SBS Major League Round 4 was held on the 25th of August at the SBS Speedway in Sg Buloh, Malaysia.

The penultimate round of this race series saw a hiccup with the timing software, forcing the race director to start the race later in the afternoon. This round saw 19 racers with 29 entries, which was lesser than usual so finishing by the end of the day was not a concern.




As in every round, 4wd Modified saw the most participants and this time was no different. Competition was fierce with reigning champion Bashir (Associated) battling against Shahrin (Xray) and Kent (Tekno) for the the win this round however Bashir maintained his composure and grabbed the win in all the mains. Shahrin came in 2nd and Kent was 3rd.





In 2wd, Bashir repeated his dominating performance again to snatch wins in all mains. But it was no walk in the park as he faced fierce racing by Shahrin and Syafiq. After 3 mains, it was Bashir (Associated) in 1st, Shahrin (Xray) in 2nd and Syafiq (Xray) in 3rd.





In Shortcourse trucks, Boy Hazlyne (TLR) snatched 1st place with Hakeem (Intech) in 2nd and first timer to the series, Rudy finishing in 3rd place.





For the 2nd time having Rallycross as a support race saw improvements in the pace of the cars, mostly being able to make jumps more consistently making it more exciting. This time there was also an entry from Indonesia. Shem dominated throughout qualifyings and the finals to bag the win with Epin in 2nd and Wak in 3rd.

We would like to thank all racers who participated and see you the the final round on the 22nd of September 2019!

Current driver standings as per below:

Race Report: SBS 1/10 EP Malaysian Major League 2019 - Round 3

We were blessed with another day of perfect weather for this round despite the constant rain leading up to raceday. It is also the round where a new class was introduced which is 1/10 Rallycross. The race format was 2 rounds of qualifying and 4 rounds of finals where the best 3 finishes would determine the overall position and the tie breaker would be the qualifying position. This will allow for more exciting racing and less stopwatch chasing.






In Shortcourse trucks, it was a close and exciting battle between previous rounds winners Hakeem (Intech) and Boy Hazlyne (TLR). Both won 2 mains each, with Hakeem being the winner as he TQ'd in qualifying. Finishing in third place was Azman Azam (TLR).

In 2WD, it was a battle between Bashir (Asociated) and Shahrin (Xray). Bashir having TQ and winning 1 out of 3 mains and Shahrin bagging 2 wins meant Bashir needed to win the 4th main to secure the overall win from the tie breaker. A big tumble on the straighaway while leading almost cost him the title but he managed to get back on all fours and finish the race ahead of Shahrin. The overall result was Bashir first, Shahrin second and Shafiq (Xray) in third place.

This round saw a relatively big turn out in the 4WD category with 20 drivers. Round 1 winner Jade Lim (Associated) was absent in round 2 but is back this round with a spanking new Team Associated B74 in his bid to take the win. Having qualified in 3rd, he had to put in a little bit of work going against Bashir (Associated) in TQ and Shahrin (Xray) in P2. After 2 rounds of mains, Bashir and Jade secured 1 win each which meant if Bashir won the 3rd main, he would be the overall winner. He did just that and took the overall win by the 3rd A main. The overall results were Bashir in first, Jade Lim second and Kent Sung (Tekno) in third.

As mentioned earlier, this round saw us introducing 1/10 Rallycross. The track layout is altered slightly to bypass the crossovers allowing those cars to successfully complete laps. The cars were all Tamiyas (TT01, XV01) which did suprisingly well on the turf. We stuck to the same race format as the buggies to keep things simple and after 4 exciting rounds of finals, it was Shem who took the overall win with Wak Rose taking second and Azman Azam in third. Could this be the next bigh thing? Will just have to wait and see.

The overall winners results are as per below. Round 4 will be held on the 25th of August. See you there!

League standings after round 3

Race Report: SBS 1/10 EP Malaysian Major League 2019 - Round 2

SBS 1/10 EP Malaysian Major League 2019 Round 2 was held on the 28th of April 2019 at SBS in Sungai Buloh, Malaysia.

Round 2 was ran on full astroturf surface for the first time and most drivers found that the high traction surface was easy to drive on but not easy to be quick. Most spent days before the race trying out different tires and shock setups while at the same time learning to drive on such a high grip surface, which is a rarity in this part of the world. This round we had drivers from the UK and also Indonesia who travelled for the sole purpose of racing.

With the aim to make the race day more interesting, this years format is a 2 round qualifying heat with 4 rounds of mains per category. This allows for more racing action and less grid position chasing heats.

In 2wd Modified, it was Team Associated's Bashir who took TQ and after a close fight during the finals, took the 1st place win via tie-breaker. 2nd place was Shahrin from Team Xray Malaysia and 3rd was Yuri Taruna from Indonesia.

In 4wd Modified, previous Round 1 winner Jade Lim was absent this round as he was attending another race overseas.

This time it was Team Associated's Bashir again dominating in qualifying pulling the only 12 lapper for the race. He then continued this dominance in the finals by winning 3 of the 4 mains. Finishing in 2nd place was Kent Sung from Tekno Malaysia and rounding up the podium in 3rd was Team Xray Malaysia's Shahrin.

Round 2 also saw an increase in racers in the Shortcourse Trucks category, which happened to be the more exciting class for spectators to watch as collisions, rollovers and crashes happens more frequently.

It was a close fight for Pole Position as Intech Racing Malaysia's Hakeem and Azman Azam driving his TLR both won a heat each. However it was Hakeem who won the Pole by 5 seconds.

The finals was a very exciting one again for both of them as they raced very hard with each of them winning 2 heats. This meant the tie-breaker comes into play again giving Hakeem the win based on his qualifying position. Intech Racing Malaysia's Ramesh secured 3rd place on the podium.

Driver Interview - Kyle McBride

Name: Kyle Ward-McBride (Usually just call myself Kyle McBride)

Age: 22 Years Old

Nationality: Australian

Current Sponsors: Team Associated, Reedy Electronics, Proline Tires, Novarossi Engines, JK Racing Designs, Upgrade RC

AKRC: So what was your first hobby grade RC Car?

Kyle: Losi Mini T when I was 10 years old.

AKRC: When did you start racing RC cars and for how long as a professional?

Kyle: I started racing on and off when I was 11 years old. I became professional after attending my first World Championship in Thailand in 2010, where I managed to finish 4th.

AKRC: What do you usually do when setting up for a track you have never been to before? Please elaborate.

Kyle: Before attending a track that I've never been too, I like to try find out as much information as I can. Talk with people who may run there or have been there before and see what type of tires work there and how the track changes over the course of racing. I also like to get ahold of pictures of the track so I can study the layout (if it is already built) before I even get there.

Now on to something more personal...

AKRC: Where did you grow up?

Kyle: I grew up in Brisbane, Australia and have been living here my whole life so far.

AKRC: What were you like in high school?

Kyle: Hard to say :) I liked to do a lot of things not just racing. I was into sport and of course hanging with my friends. But my focus has always been on racing, I never thought about doing anything else apart from it :D

AKRC: Who’s your favourite band or singer?

Kyle: I'm very much intro rap, always have been. Some of my favourite's are 50 cent, russ, Migos, Nas. I also like some Hilltop Hoods and Bliss N Eso. But for the most part I enjoy all types of music.

AKRC: What is on your music playlist now?

Kyle: At this very time I have all of the above but have been listening to a lot of Travis Scott. Gets me pumped up :)

AKRC: What car do you drive (actual car)?

Kyle: I own a Mitsubishi Triton 2015 model. Perfect car to get me to the track and back whenever I need!

AKRC: What do you think about when you’re alone in your car?

Kyle: I think about a lot all the time, I think about my future and I think about my next races and what I can do different to better myself. But of course I blast my music at the same time. I enjoy spending my alone time whenever I'm driving.

AKRC: Who is your idol? In RC and outside of RC

Kyle: My idol in RC would have to be Ryan Maifield and Ryan Cavalieiri, they both have such tenacity at races and I love how much effort they put in and they are always there at the top at each race! Not to mention they are both really cool guys at the track and away from the track. Outside of RC my idol would have to be my dad. Without him I wouldn't be doing any of this and he's the reason I am where I am so far to this day.

AKRC: Apart from RC, what do you do in your free time?

Kyle: I like to get to the gym as much as I can, as a sharp body means a sharp mind and that is important in RC. I enjoy playing basketball and golf just for fun with my friends. And of course spending time with my family as they mean the world to me. If I'm not too tired after a day I do enjoy jumping on my PlayStation 4 and play some games :)

AKRC: What is the funniest thing that has happened to you recently?

Kyle: Very random but the funniest thing for me is my RC shed getting raided by Toads over the last few weeks haha. It's very hot here in Australia at the moment and somehow they've been creeping into my shed and I hate it haha.

AKRC: Who would win a fight between Spiderman and Batman?

Kyle: Obviously Spiderman.

AKRC: What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever done for you?

Kyle: I haven't had anything that weird, I've signed a lot of different things but I absolutely love it. Feeling that support from other people that look up to you is a blessing.

AKRC: Do you have a bad habit? What is it?

Kyle: I would say one of my bad habits is over thinking too much. It's easy to overthink when there is so much going on during racing sometimes but I have things to keep myself focused.

AKRC: Name 3 other drivers that you would want to see answer these questions..

Kyle:

1. Ryan Maifield

2. Ryan Cavalieri

3. Robert Battle

AKRC: Say something to your fans

Kyle: Thank you to all of those that follow me and support me at races, without you guys I wouldn't be doing what I am doing either. I can't wait to see any one of you at the track and to also meet new people around the world :)

Thank you Kyle McBride for this interview. I wish you all the best in your RC Racing career!

SBS 1/10 EP OFF ROAD MAJOR LEAGUE ROUND 1 RACE REPORT

SBS 1/10 EP OFFROAD MAJOR LEAGUE – Round 1 race report.

Track venue: Syahmi’s Backyard Speedway, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia.

Date: 4^th January 2018

By: Adrian Khaw

Mother nature was extremely kind to us as we were blessed with the ‘awesomest’ of awesome weather for this race, especially when it was mostly rainy days for the whole of January in this area. In a way, this allowed us to be a little more flexible on the race schedule as the pressure of trying to complete all qualifiers and finals in the quickest time possible is now off.

The total confirmed race entries were 39, which comprised the following:

Open 2wd Buggy: 11
Open 4wd Buggy: 23
Open 4wd Short Course Trucks: 5

This is probably the highest turnout ever in 1/10 EP off road racing in Malaysia. A very encouraging sign indeed!

This race series will comprise of 4 rounds of races throughout 2018 on the following dates:

Round 1 – 4^th February
Round 2 – 6^th May
Round 3 – 29^th July
Round 4 – 4^th September

Rules we kept simple to encourage participation. 2s battery and no reverse ESC. Racers will be competing for points at every round for the overall League champion in their respective categories.

Apart from that, points will also be awarded for manufacturers with the 2 highest scoring finishes in each category will be combined for every round and at the end of the series, the highest points manufacturer will be awarded with a trophy. This is something new to the hobby which should draw attention from the local distributors in to support drivers of their respective brands.

Qualifying rounds:

2WD open buggy, which recently saw an increase in racers was as competitive as any other racing class. Mark Lim of Singapore took Q1 with 10 laps 5m 7.18s. Kum Yew also of Singapore bagged Q2 & Q3 however his time was not an improvement over Marks, handing him the TQ spot. WK Foong completed the top 3 qualifiers on the grid.

4WD Short Course Trucks, although had only 5 racers saw a fierce battle for the final grid positions. All 5 drivers are very experienced racers who provided spectators with 3 qualifying rounds of pure entertainment. Boy Hazlyne grabbed TQ with 2^nd spot going to Ramesh followed by Shem in 3^rd. The crowd could hardly wait to watch them battle it out for another 3 rounds in the finals!

4WD open buggy was the most competitive category with 23 racers fighting for top spot. Shem, driving Sworkz took Q1 with 12 laps 5m 23.29s. Kent grabbed Q2 with 12 laps 5m 25.51s with his Tekno EB410. However, Q3 will be the round to produce all top 3 qualifiers. Mizan drove his Serpent with a very clean 12 laps 5m 14.77s to snatch TQ with Bashir making the 2^nd place on the grid with his Xray. Hakeem completed 3^rd on the grid driving an Sworkz buggy.

We took an hour off for lunch and to water the track as the dust was starting to get a little unbearable.

Finals:

It is somewhat of a challenge to drive 2WD buggies on this outdoor dirt track. But that did not stop anyone from putting up a good fight for the overall win. Foong drove a good race to secure A1 with Kum Yew in 2^nd and Cynthia Lye in 3^rd. In A2, Mark Lim led from start to finish for his first win. Sim took 2^nd with Foong trailing in 3^rd. It will all boil down to what happens in A3. Both Foong and Mark was leading the pack, swapping the lead every time any one of them makes a mistake. In the end it was Foong who triumphed and grabbed the win, securing the overall first place for 2WD. Mark Lim had to settle for 2^nd and the surprise 3^rd  place winner went to Sim.

As expected, the Short Course finals was going to be more entertaining than the qualifiers as Boy Hazlyne was going to be the driver to beat. Veteran racer Shem starting in 3^rd on the grid gave chase and stole A1 from Boy, who had to settle for 3^rd as 2^nd went to Ramesh. Boy, an experienced and former winner of several on road races kept his cool and managed to get his first win in A2. Like in 2wd, A3 will be the deciding race. Again, Boy kept his head straight and managed to avoid everyone who was after him for the win. He won A3 with a slim margin of 0.5 seconds from 2^nd place Ramesh. The overall results was Boy in 1^st place, Shem in 2^nd and Ramesh for 3^rd.

4WD buggy finals was the race everyone was waiting for. In A1, Mizan was in complete control without much drama. He took A1 with a comfortable 1 lap ahead of Bashir. Mizan drove his Serpent with another clean run in A2 to secure his overall win in 4WD buggy. After A3, the overall result was Mizan, Hakeem and Bashir for 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place respectively.

All in all, it was an almost perfect race day as not only the weather was perfect but the racers were on time and adhered to instructions like clockwork. We ended the day with trophy presentation and exchanged appreciations all around.

We would like to thank everyone for their support and to our Singaporean friends for driving all the way to join us for this fun filled day.

See you in round 2!

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SBS 1/10 EP OFFROAD MAJOR LEAGUE 2018 ROUND 1 RESULTS PDF

SBS 1/10 EP OFFROAD MAJOR LEAGUE 2018 DRIVER POINT STANDINGS

SBS 1/10 EP OFFROAD MAJOR LEAGUE 2018 MANUFACTURER POINT STANDINGS

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