HE is probably the first Singaporean to win a championship in the Malaysian Super Series (MSS) Supersport class.

Mr Farhan Malik, 27, did it on his first attempt.

Yet, there was a period in the season when Mr Farhan was unsure if he could win the title.

Said Mr Farhan, who had raced a 600cc Yamaha R6 in the novice category: 'I was confident after winning Rounds 1 and 2. But the mechanical failure and crash I experienced in Round 3 severely affected my confidence.

'I realised that to win (the championship), I would have to ride hard for the next two races.'

There were five rounds or race meets during the 2008 MSS. With each round having two races, riders could score a total of 50 points.

While the first four rounds were conducted using half the circuit length at Sepang Circuit, Round 5, which coincided with the MotoGP race, ran the full length of the 5.5km circuit.

After Rounds 1 and 2, Mr Farhan, from Singtrek Racing Team, had 100 points.

In Round 3, he had none, while in Round 4, he managed to gain only 36 points.

He faced stiff competition from his rival for the title, India-born rider, V Rohit Giri, from Red Rooster Racing.

Said Mr Farhan: 'After Round 4, Rohit was 16 points ahead of me. I was worried as I realised that it would come to the final round to decide the champion.'

In the end, Mr Farhan won, grabbing 50 points after winning both races in Round 5.

Mr Farhan attributed his final-round victory to his 'full-track' advantage.

Since 2005, he had been participating in full-length track practice.

As a result, Mr Farhan was faster riding the full-length of the circuit than Mr Rohit.

Mr Farhan said: 'I feel happy because winning the championship is the biggest achievement.

'From the beginning, my parents discouraged me from racing, but when I brought home trophies they started to smile more.'

Singtrek team manager Shahlan Saim said the road to victory was not without its challenges, especially after Mr Farhan's bad luck in Round 3.

Mr Shahlan constantly had to remind his rider to stay focused.

Improves focus

Said Mr Shahlan: 'It wasn't easy to assure Farhan that he could do it. Rohit was already ahead and that made things a little harder for our team.

'In the end, it was down to the strategy - gaining points and not losing points by crashing out.

'I told him (Mr Farhan) to focus on one race at a time. There's no point if you win one battle, but lose the war.'

Singtrek received support from MotoWorld, a bike accessories shopwhich provided mechanics and sponsorship for the team, said Mr Shahlan.

Added Mr Farhan: 'I want to show and tell potential Singapore racers that they too can become champions. You just need to be determined.

'Racing improves your focus and riding ability, and the same fundamentals can be applied to safe riding on the roads.'

Well, if you think Mr Farhan's parting words sound like a road safety slogan, you're probably right.

Some say it may have something to do with his profession.

We're not saying what Mr Farhan does for a living.

But if you were to see him in your rear view mirror, you are sure to stick to the speed limit on the road.

This article was first published in The New Paper on Oct 25, 2008.