The battle for the SKILLDRVN OMR 2026 championship intensified at Petronas Sepang International Circuit, where Round 4 delivered two action-packed races, unpredictable weather and several finishes decided by fractions of a second. Held on the North Track, the penultimate round of the five-round season saw 10 Suzuki Swift race cars take to the grid, comprising four Pro Series entries and six OMR Series competitors.
Among the field was Japanese guest driver Hayato Hori, who made his Sepang debut and quickly proved he could challenge the regular competitors. With valuable championship points up for grabs, the weekend showcased the spirit of one-make racing, where driver skill, racecraft and consistency mattered more than anything else.
Race 1: YY Holds Off Andy Boey in a Thriller
The opening race began with a rolling start on a damp track, which gradually dried as the 16-lap sprint unfolded. Team Ultra Racing’s #331 YY started from pole position, followed by Profimax Racing Team’s #27 Andy Boey Kai Jin, ELF Evolution Team’s #168 Vox Lim Keng June and Bendix Ultimate Racing Team’s #888 XiaoLong. The fight for victory quickly developed into a two-driver showdown between YY and Andy Boey. Andy Boey moved ahead on Lap 4, but YY fought back to reclaim the lead and refused to surrender it for the remainder of the race.
The pair kept each other honest throughout the contest, never finishing a lap more than 0.705 seconds apart. Both drivers saved their fastest laps for the final tour, with Andy Boey clocking 1:24.010, just 0.021 seconds quicker than YY’s 1:24.031. Despite Andy Boey’s late pace, YY crossed the finish line first, securing victory by just 0.567 seconds. The result was a fitting reward for a determined drive under changing track conditions. Vox completed the Pro Series podium in third, 4.196 seconds behind the winner, while XiaoLong finished fourth after maintaining his position throughout the race.
The OMR Series produced an equally entertaining contest, with SKILLDRVN Driver Development Programme (DDP) youngster #512 Imran Iskandar claiming the class victory despite carrying 45kg of success ballast. Imran finished 2.453 seconds ahead of Hori, who was experiencing Sepang for the first time. The two traded positions during the race, but Imran ultimately came out on top and also recorded the fastest OMR lap of 1:25.679 on Lap 3, narrowly beating Hori’s best by 0.059 seconds.
#52 Lee G Young completed the OMR podium in third, followed by #704 Rafin Ghaith Danial in fourth. The opening lap proved costly for #42 Elwen Lau and #791 Seow Chee Fong after an incident at Turn 4 ended Lau’s race and dropped Chee Fong a lap down. Chee Fong nevertheless continued to the finish and was classified fifth in the category.
Race 2: Andy Boey Strikes Back in the Rain
If Race 1 was about holding on to a narrow advantage, Race 2 was a test of adaptability as the weather took a turn for the worse. The 20-lap race began from a standing start, with the grid determined by the Race 1 results. YY again started from pole, with Andy Boey alongside him on the front row. YY led the opening three laps before Andy Boey made his move on Lap 4. The Profimax Racing Team driver then controlled the race to take the Pro Series victory by 1.057 seconds, turning his near miss in Race 1 into a well-earned win.
As the rain intensified, lap times began to fall away from Lap 10. Seven of the 10 drivers recorded their fastest laps on Lap 9, while by Lap 15, the median lap time among the lead-lap runners had slowed by approximately eight seconds. Behind Andy Boey, the battle for second place went right down to the finish. Vox moved into the position on Lap 11 and held it until the final lap, when YY mounted a late charge to snatch second at the line by just 0.036 seconds.
The top three Pro Series finishers were separated by only 1.093 seconds, underlining just how competitive the field had become. Andy Boey, YY and Vox also repeated their Race 1 podium appearance, although the finishing order changed. XiaoLong once again completed the Pro Series classification in fourth.
In the OMR Series, Hori delivered a memorable performance by securing his first class victory at Sepang on his debut visit to the circuit. Starting second in class, the Japanese driver worked his way past Imran, who was once again carrying 45kg of success ballast. Imran moved ahead on Lap 5, but Hori reclaimed the position on Lap 8 and held it to the finish.
Hori crossed the line 15.813 seconds behind the winning Pro Series car and 4.187 seconds ahead of Imran. He also recorded the fastest OMR lap of the race, a 1:28.324 on Lap 9. The fight for the final OMR podium position was another close affair. Rafin held off a charging G Young to secure third place by 0.640 seconds, despite G Young cutting more than 2.5 seconds from the gap on the final lap. Chee Fong and Elwen completed the OMR Series classification in fifth and sixth respectively.
Wins Shared as Championship Battles Tighten
Round 4 saw the Pro Series victories shared between YY and Andy Boey, while the OMR Series produced wins for Imran and Hori.
Pro Series – Race 1
- 1st: #331 YY – Team Ultra Racing
- 2nd: #27 Andy Boey Kai Jin – Profimax Racing Team
- 3rd: #168 Vox Lim Keng June – ELF Evolution Team
Pro Series – Race 2
- 1st: #27 Andy Boey Kai Jin – Profimax Racing Team
- 2nd: #331 YY – Team Ultra Racing
- 3rd: #168 Vox Lim Keng June – ELF Evolution Team
OMR Series – Race 1
- 1st: #512 Imran Iskandar
- 2nd: #777 Hayato Hori
- 3rd: #52 Lee G Young
OMR Series – Race 2
- 1st: #777 Hayato Hori
- 2nd: #512 Imran Iskandar
- 3rd: #704 Rafin Ghaith Danial
The fastest laps also reflected the competitive nature of the weekend. Andy Boey set the quickest Pro Series lap in Race 1 with a 1:24.010, while YY recorded the Race 2 benchmark of 1:27.579. In the OMR Series, Imran led the way in Race 1 with a 1:25.679, before Hori posted a 1:28.324 in Race 2.
One More Round to Settle the Score
With only one round remaining in the 2026 season, the Sepang showdown has set the stage for a potentially dramatic championship finale. YY and Andy Boey demonstrated that neither driver is willing to give an inch in the Pro Series, while Imran and Hori showed that the OMR Series remains just as unpredictable. The contrasting conditions across the two races also highlighted the importance of adapting quickly, particularly when heavy rain transformed the circuit into a much greater challenge.
SKILLDRVN OMR extended its appreciation to championship sponsors ELF, Bendix, Profimax, Ultra Racing, Lifestyle Motorsports, ZX1, Senarco, KJ Brake Performance and Giti, alongside its technical partners, teams, media partners and supporters. Their continued involvement helps sustain the championship and nurture Malaysia’s grassroots motorsport community. As the series heads towards its final round, fans can look forward to more close racing and intense competition. SKILLDRVN OMR also welcomes new drivers, sponsors and partners interested in becoming part of its growing motorsport platform.
Those interested in joining the SKILLDRVN One Make Race Series or exploring sponsorship and collaboration opportunities can contact Kenny Lee via WhatsApp at 012-614 4141 or visit https://www.keganiracing.com/.
