VICTORY FOR PINEAPPLE MOTOR SPORTS AFTER ROUND FOUR MSS

Reported by Abeshu/Auds [pics by Peter Lim & Madkawa]

Despite having one more round to go for the 2008 season of the Malaysian Super Series (MSS), Australian riding ace, Brent Odgers was crowned this year’s champion in the premier Superbike Open class during Round Four on 12 July.

Odgers, riding for the Msportbike Racing Team (which is under Pineapple Motorsports banner) has successfully added a third Superbike crown to the ones that he had won last year and in 2003. This recent win has given the Australian and the Malaysian-based team a boost to go all out for the final round.

In winning his third MSS crown, the Melbourne-based Odgers said the victory was just as important as the successes he had in 2003 and 2007. However, he added that he and the team would have been happier if he had clinched a win for Round Four as well.

During Round Four on the 2.706km North Track, Odgers had won Race One with a time of 16:57.326, despite being trailed closely by Kawasaki AFY Racing Team’s Ahmad Zamani Baharuddin, who came in a close 16:57.693. Both the riders are using Pirelli Supercorsa tyres. The Italian tyre giants, Pirelli, are also the official tyre supplier for the Msportbike Racing Team.

Race Two on that Saturday morning saw rival Ahmad Zamani in dominant form on board his green-liveried Kawasaki ZX-10R machine as he and Odgers were racing shoulder-to-shoulder. By the tenth lap, Ahmad Zamani managed to overtake the Australian and the local rider managed to come in first place at 17:03.445 compared to Odgers second place finish at 17:11.338.

Earlier, during the entire Round Four, the focused team of engineers and team riders Odgers and local rider Omar Ali Abdullah scrambled to try their best as the particular round was considered a penultimate before the season ender. Odgers only needed to finish a comfortable second place overall to secure the championship.

With Pirelli’s latest partnership with the Msportbike Racing Team (and Pineapple Motor Sports), the team was delighted to be having the tyre support which was confirmed from Round Three of the MSS onwards.

“It was great to see how quickly the team and the riders could adapt to our tyres which arrived just in time before round 3 and with no time for testing at all. We were confident from the beginning that the collaboration between such an experienced and professional team and us will produce great results.” says Pirelli Asia’s Area Manager Frank Obermeier.

Msportbike Racing Team’s two riders have been instrumental in giving valuable ‘race condition’ feedback to the Pirelli representatives. Obermeier, who was present at Round Four concluded that; “Round four showed us a very confident rider Brent leading without any problem at race one from start to the end. The second race was a bit unlucky for Brent since his quickshifter was not working which results in significant slower lap times.”

"I guess having that in mind that placing number two will secure the championship he did a great job to not push it to the limit, but to bring the well deserved championship 2008 win home to the team. Congratulations to the rider and the team.”

Worldwide, Pirelli is seen as the leader in providing the latest tyre technology for Supersports and Superbikes racing. Pirelli is the official tyre supplier for the World Supersport and World Superbike championships since 2004, which gave them the ideal platform to continuously improve their products in the MSS championships with Msportbike Racing Team.

“We always race to win. That’s the target set by the team. It was unlucky for me that I had a problem with the quickshifter; so I have to settle for second place in Race Two,” said Odgers, who had to be contended with an overall second placing for Round Four behind Ahmad Zamani of Kawasaki AFY Racing Team.

Although the crown had been sealed for him, Odgers said that the team would be going all out in the final round of this year’s MSS; adding that he would be finally using the ‘long-awaited’ 2008 Honda CBR1000 machine during Round Five. “We aim to continue our dominance and we will definitely aim for a fourth overall title next year. That’s always the way we approach the championship,” Odgers added.

Round Five of the MSS would be run as support races for the 2008 Malaysian World Motorcycle Grand Prix, which would be held at Sepang Circuit from 17 to 19 October.

MSS (Round Four) Results

Malaysian Super Series (Bikes)
Round 4 – Sepang Circuit North Track – 2.706km

Superbike Championship – Race 1 (15 laps)
1.Brent Odgers (Honda CBR1000)                             16:57.326s
2. Ahmad Zamani Baharuddin (Kawasaki ZX10R)    16:57.693s
3. Yasuhiro Kuhara (Honda CBR1000)                         17:21.937s
4. Hannu Hulden (Suzuki GSX1000R)                           17:39.219s
5. Poul Erik-Jensen (Suzuki GSX1000R)                        17:47.623s

Superbike Championship – Race 2 (15 laps)
1.Ahmad Zamani Baharuddin (Kawasaki ZX10R)     17:03.445s
2. Brent Odgers (Honda CBR1000)                         17:11.338s
3. Yasuhiro Kuhara (Honda CBR1000)                     17:19.363s
4. Mark Lim Chung Han (Ducati 1098S)                    17:29.455
5. Hannu Hulden (Suzuki GSX1000R)                        17:33.433s

Superbike Championship - Point Standings After 4 rounds
1.Brent Odgers (Honda CBR1000)                  186 pts
2. Ahmad Zamani Baharuddin (Kawasaki ZX10R)    131
3. Mark Lim Chung Han (Ducati 1098S)            102
4. Yasuhiro Kuhara (Honda CBR1000)               97
5. Mohd Nur Zulkifli Zakaria (Yamaha R1)         58