Qabil wraps up superb ride in Spain with second-place finishes

Well done: Qabil Irfan celebrates his podium finishes with team and fans.

PETALING JAYA: Young rider Qabil Irfan (pic) continued his sensational podium streak in the Spanish Superbike Championship after ending the third round with a superb performance.

The 13-year-old finished both the races at the MotorLand Aragon circuit in Alcaniz, Spain, in second place.

In Race 2 yesterday, Qabil was caught up in the front pack, who were fighting for positions but he did not let up.

He fell to fourth place in the last lap, but a last-dash effort to the finish line saw him move up two spots behind winner Switzerland’s Alessio Arnold, with just 0.028s separating the two riders.

Spaniard Enzo Zaragoza finished third, less than a second behind Qabil.

Qabil, who started on pole position for Race 1 on Saturday, also had finished in the second spot behind Zaragoza, while Izan Rodriguez also of Spain took third place.

Qabil admitted that both races were tough, but was relieved with the outcome.

“Race 2 was difficult. The heat was intense, but I’m happy that in the end I got second,” said the Terengganu rider.

“Race 1 was tough too as I tried to push and ride away. The others caught up to me.”

Qabil has taken three wins out of the six races in the championship so far, with all the other results being in second place.