Ueda Scores First Win at Sepang Circuit

Two-time world 125cc Grand Prix runner-up Noboru Ueda stoday cored his first career win at Sepang Circuit; winning the Honda Asean Cup at the Malaysian Super Series (MSS) to supplement the 125cc GP victories at Shah Alam Circuit and Johor Circuit, Pasir Gudang in 1994 and 1998 respectively.

“I am very happy. I can now say I got a complete set of wins in Malaysia. I could not do it at the GP but today’s victory in this competition is still as good,” said the 40-year old Ueda, who won the second round of the Honda Asean Cup, which was incorporated for the first time in the MSS.

Unlike the highly powered, fully modified 125cc GP machines that Ueda had used previously, Ueda competed against riders from Thailand, Malaysia and India on a one-make Honda Wave S125 production bikes on an equal basis; and against young aspiring riders.

“It was drizzling and it was actually very difficult race. I just use my experience studying lap by lap; but I guessed the other riders were also doing the same thing as we were all groupped together until the end,” said Ueda, winner 13 Grand Prix, 39 podium positions and 19 pole positions from 160 races.

Now a trainer with Honda-owned Suzuka Circuit Racing School, Ueda said that nothing had changed in his attitude and approach when racing as he fought all the way to take the checkered in the eight-lap race.

“I really had to push in the last lap to win, it’s very satisfying to finally win here in Sepang because I had always like this track and I had always liked this country,” said Ueda, who retired from the 125cc World Grand Prix in 2002; finishing second overall twice in 1994 and 1997.

The Honda Asean Cup was as a one-off event this year; but is likely to be included in a full season next year. Round 1 was held at the Nakhonchairsi Circuit near Bangkok on July 6 while the next round would be run in Japan in Motegi on November 3 before the final round in Batangas, Phillipines on January 8.

On a day interupted by heavy downpour and drizzling rain, 2003 superbike champion Brent Odgers moved closer to his second Malaysian Super Series title as his closest rival Omar Ali Abdullah fizzled around the wet track.

Representing Team Pineapple Motorsports, the Australian won the opening race and then rode to a safe second place behind Finland’s Jussi Hoikka in a wet Race 2 to collect a total of 45 points and installed as winner for Round 3.

While defending champion Yasuhiro Kuhara again forced to skip the round due to financial constraints, Omar failed to finish Race 1 with mechanical problems and only managed second place in the second race to add only 10 points to his total haul.

With two more rounds to go, Odgers now has 133 points and a 54-point advantage over second placed Juissi Hoikka of Finland, who second overall today and garnering a total point of 79 points.

Like Odgers, Ahmad Nashrul Baharuddin also scored an identical score of a first and second placing in Round 3 to further enhance his position at the top of the 135cc Production Bike Championship.

After three rounds, Ahmad Nashrul now has 120 points; opening an advantage of 47-point advantage over second-placed Safrizan Buang, who collected 41 points from the concluded Round 3.

In the 600cc Supersports Championship, India’s Pretham Moses ruled in the wet to win both races to move to the top of the point standings with 123 points.

In the Kawasaki Cup, Mohd Fairuz Murad was the winner of Round 3; collecting 45 points over the two races with Khairul Muzali coming in second with 26 points and Rizal Jantan in third with 25 points.

In the Aprilia Cup, Chia Choo Keat’s winning streak came to an end when he was sensationally disqualified in Race 2 for ignoring three calls for a drive-through penalty after winning the first race.

Beaten by Amir Hamzah in the race, Khoo Keat’s time of 18 minutes 31.297 seconds was actually good enough for a second placing until the race stewards came in with a disqualification order.