Indian lad Kabilesh wins his first international race at Malaysia Superbike Championship

Fourteen-year-old Indian rider K.R. Kabilesh claimed his first international win at the Malaysia Superbike Championship (MSBK) final on Sunday, Dec 15. Competing in the MSBK 250B class at the Sepang International Circuit, he came a close second in Race 1 but took a commanding victory in Race 2.

Race 1 saw Kabilesh lead early but was beat to the finish by Indonesia’s Rakha Bima Saktiansyah on Lap 4 to end the race just 0.014 seconds behind. He dominated Race 2 though, pulling ahead by four seconds and holding off Saktiansyah to take the win. He ended the season fourth overall in his class with 81 points.

He made his MSBK debut this year riding a Kawasaki Ninja 250R. After two third-place finishes at Round 3 in October, he finished first in the final round.

Kabilesh began racing in the 2022 FIM MiniGP Indian Championship and then moved on to national championships. His father, Rajini Krishnan, is an 11-time national champion and a MSBK titleholder. The young star shared on social media, “It’s nice to see my hard work pay off. While other kids play, I travel and race. It’s just the beginning of a long, tough journey, and I dedicate this win to my dad, my inspiration and idol.”