Geoffrey Emmanuel scores double podium on Malaysia Superbike debut

Geoffrey Emmanuel made an impressive debut in the Malaysia Superbike Championship. The 18-year-old finished on the podium in both races, with a pair of P3 results at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC).

• Emmanuel third overall in the championship
• Also competing in JuniorGP World Championship

Geoffrey Emmanuel P3 at Sepang

Earlier this year, Emmanuel – son of seven-time National Champion Emmanuel Jebaraj – became the first Indian to compete in the FIM JuniorGP World Championship. The series is considered a crucial stepping stone to MotoGP.

Alongside his JuniorGP commitments, the young Indian is now undertaking a campaign in the 2023 Malaysian Superbike Championship. He’s competing astride a Honda CBR250 in the 250cc category (A class) with team Gusto Racing India.

Despite limited track time to prepare for his championship debut, he collected a pair of P3 finishes. It was an especially close finish in Race 1, with Emmanuel missing out on the second place by just 0.039 secs.

“It was a very challenging weekend for me. We had barely three days to set up the stock CBR250 bike, apart from learning the track. Racing at the SIC was a big opportunity for me and another step towards achieving my goal of making it to MotoGP,” he said, summing up his debut weekend.

“The race itself was very competitive, but I managed to hold my position till the finish and I am absolutely delighted that I made the podium in both races.”

2023 Malaysia Superbike Championship

This year’s Malaysia Superbike Championship comprises six races across three rounds – all to be held at Sepang. Round 2 is scheduled for September 8-10, followed by the finale round on December 15-17. 

Emmanuel is currently third overall with a total of 32 points, eight points behind second-placed M.Farid Hakimi Farid Sezli and 18 points behind championship leader Muhd Irfan Haykhal Amidi.

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