SEPANG – The Malaysia Touring Car Championship (MTCC) reached its halfway point in spectacular fashion as Round 2 at the Sepang International Circuit delivered a weekend filled with dominant victories, dramatic comebacks, class reversals and plenty of championship-defining moments.
From commanding performances in the premier TP2000 category to closely fought battles in the MT1600 classes, the three-day event once again showcased the depth and competitiveness of Malaysian touring car racing.
LEON KHOO STAMPS AUTHORITY ON TP2000
R-Engineering’s Leon Khoo Beng Koon emerged as the standout performer of the weekend after sweeping both TP2000 races with clinical precision.
Starting from pole in Race 1, Khoo was untouchable as he set the fastest lap of 2:25.471 before taking victory after 14 laps, finishing nearly 19 seconds ahead of Papaya Pay Racing’s Arif Hanafiah. Mohamed Hafez of 55 Twelve Racing completed the podium, while Team XPark’s Timothy Yeo and Bae Racing’s Chiang Choon Shang rounded out the top five.
Race 1 also saw misfortune strike Jonathan Xie, who showed promising pace by recording one of the fastest laps of the race but was classified sixth after completing only 11 laps.
The reverse-grid format for Race 2 brought fresh intrigue. Xie started from pole position and initially looked poised for redemption, but Khoo methodically carved his way through the field from sixth on the grid. Demonstrating both patience and pace, the R-Engineering driver seized the lead and never looked back, securing his second victory of the weekend.
Xie recovered to finish second, just 5.886 seconds behind, while Arif once again displayed consistency to take third. Hafez and Chiang completed the top five.
The double victory significantly strengthens Khoo’s championship credentials heading into the second half of the season.
In the TP2 category, Japan’s Ken Urata enjoyed a perfect weekend by taking back-to-back class victories for Rworks Riyoz Racing. R-Engineering’s Chiow Teck Song finished second in both races, although a 30-second penalty for track limits in Race 2 widened the final margin.
HONDA MALAYSIA RACING TEAM DOMINATES MT1600 MTC
The MT1600 MTC class was firmly under the control of Honda Malaysia Racing Team.
In Race 1, the pairing of Aaron Lim and Avila Bahar delivered a commanding drive to victory, setting the fastest lap of 2:31.938 and finishing more than 24 seconds ahead of teammates Lai Wee Seng and Mohamed Farriz. Ken Wu and Russell Tan completed the podium.
However, the race also saw heartbreak for Papaya Pay Racing’s Faidzil Alang and Hendra Ade Putra, who retired after just seven laps despite showing front-running pace.
Race 2 brought redemption for Papaya Pay Racing. Faidzil and Hendra bounced back from their earlier disappointment to finish second behind the unstoppable Aaron and Avila pairing.
Aaron and Avila again controlled proceedings from the front, securing another victory and completing a perfect weekend sweep. Ken Wu and Russell Tan maintained their consistency by securing another third-place finish.
Lai and Mohamed Farriz crossed the line in third on the road but were demoted to fourth following a 120-second penalty for a pit-stop procedure infringement.
The results reinforce Honda Malaysia Racing Team’s position as the benchmark in the MTC class while keeping Papaya Pay Racing firmly in championship contention.
MT2 G AND MT2 V DELIVER UNPREDICTABLE ACTION
The highly competitive MT2 categories produced some of the most dramatic stories of the weekend.
In MT2 G, Mark Darwin and Luke Anton Netto claimed Race 1 honours after capitalising on a faultless run to edge out Bae Racing’s Ling Guang You and Lew Karwai, with Sokudo X Ultra Racing Team’s Ng Chong Chin and Freddie Ang finishing third.
Race 2 saw a complete reversal of fortunes. Mark and Luke retired after completing just 14 laps, opening the door for Ady Rahimy Rashid and James Russell of Modern Racing Team to inherit victory.
Bae Racing continued its consistent form with Ling and Lew finishing second, while Ng and Freddie secured another podium in third.
The MT2 V category was equally captivating. Bae Racing’s Daniel Rein Oii and Justin Toh emerged victorious in Race 1 ahead of Genevieve Henrietta and Raja Amirul of Axle Sports and Lee Chee Wah and Lester Lian Jia Wei of Axwerkz.
Race 2, however, belonged to Divvyesh Perajun and Harkiesh Geeva of DV Motorsport. After finishing sixth in class in the opening race, the pair bounced back impressively to secure victory, ahead of Daniel and Justin and the Axle Sports pairing.
Several post-race penalties across the MT1600 categories, including infringements involving pit-stop procedures and repeated track-limit violations, further shuffled the final classifications and highlighted the fine margins separating success and disappointment at Sepang.
CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLE HEATS UP
With two rounds completed, the 2026 MTCC season is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in recent memory.
Leon Khoo’s perfect weekend in TP2000 has established him as the driver to beat, while Honda Malaysia Racing Team’s dominance in the MTC class underlines its strength and preparation.
Yet the dramatic swings in fortune witnessed across the MT2 categories prove that no lead is safe and no race result can be taken for granted.
As the championship heads into its second half, Round 2 at Sepang may well be remembered as the weekend where title ambitions were either strengthened—or thrown wide open.
