Azlan Shah has two Supersport titles of ARRC with his name. Photo credit: Asia Road Race Champioship
Adapting to a new bike and competing in a new championship isn’t easy, but Malaysian rider Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman starts the World Supersport Thai round showing what he can do, and the 11th place in day one, just over a second slower than French Lucas Mahias (GRT Yamaha) that ends the day with the fastest time around Chang International Circuit, leaves him in a good spot to fight for better results in the qualifying sessions.
Azlan Shah was called at the last minute to replace injured Kenan Sofuoglu, with the Turkish rider still recovering from injuries suffered at the end of last season, injuries he made worse during the first round of World Supersport in 2018 at Phillip Island, Australia.
The Kawasaki Puccetti team had no choice but to keep Sofuoglu off the track during the Thai round, and so they gave an opportunity to Azlan Shah to show what he can do at World SSP level.
Kenan Sofuoglu, five-time World SSP champion, is still recovering from injuries. Photo credit: World SBK
And the truth is that two-times Supersport champion of the Asia Road Racing Championship made quite an impression in the first day on his Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R, and almost made it into the Top 10.
Speaking about this chance to race in World Supersport, Azlan Shah had this to say: “I feel very happy about this opportunity. It feels like a dream come true to be racing with this team and in the World SSP. I have to thank the team very much for accepting me for this ride and I will try to finish at the top. Thank you, Kawasaki family”.
But this second round of the 2018 World Supersport Championship has more Asian riders: Thai wild card riders Thitipong Warokorn (CORE Kawasaki Thailand Racing Team) and Ratthapong Wilairot (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team) finished just over a tenth of a second from one another, in 10th and 12th position, while Decha Kraisart (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team), another of the Thai wild card riders, was 21st fastest at his home track.