Category: 2 Wheels

The 2021 season of the PETRONAS Malaysian Cub Prix Championship will be revving off on schedule this March 20 and 21 at the Sepang South Circuit.

“On behalf of the Malaysian Cub Prix Championship, we would like to extend our sincere appreciation for the combined efforts from the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) along with the dedicated officials from the National Security Council (MKN) as well as the Ministry of Health (KKM) who have given us a lot of support to ensure that we are able to start our season as planned.

Working alongside with the MAM, we pledge to observe all the terms and conditions within the sports bubble SOP. This way, we ensure that the Malaysian sports industry will continue to thrive even in the face of the current challenging pandemic.”

Ron Hogg, Director of Safe Aim Mutual Sdn Bhd.

However, there has been minor changes made to the published 2021 calendar whereby Round 2 has now been shifted to the Sepang North Track on April 3 and 4, 2021.

PETRONAS MALAYSIAN CUB PRIX CHAMPIONSHIP – 2021 PROVISIONAL CALENDAR

• Round 1           Sepang South (20 – 21 March, 2021)
• Round 2           Sepang North (3 – 4 April, 2021)
• Round 3           Tangkak, Johor (22 – 23 May, 2021)
• Round 4           Terengganu Motorsports Track (26 – 27 June, 2021)
• Round 5           to be confirmed (9 – 10 July, 2021)
• Round 6           Sepang North (7 – 8 Aug, 2021)
• Round 7           Sepang South (4 – 5 Sept, 2021)
• Round 8           Terengganu Motorsports Track (9 – 10 Oct, 2021)
• Round 9           to be confirmed (13 – 14 Nov, 2021)
• Round 10         Sepang North (18 – 19 Dec, 2021)

Note: Calendar as of March 11, 2021

The annual PETRONAS Malaysian Cub Prix Rider Search programme begins anew with the search for new riders to take part in one of the three mono-brand race categories in the 2021 season.

This opportunity is limited to Malaysians aged 13 to 18 years old who are looking for an entry-level opportunity into the sport of motorcycle racing.

“This free registration is but the first step. Essentially, we are asking all interested parties to register their interest in the programme. From there, the short-listed riders will be asked to attend a selection process which will be conducted individually by Honda and Yamaha respectively,” explained Ron Hogg, Director of Safe Aim Mutual Sdn Bhd, the race promoters of the PETRONAS Malaysian Cub Prix.

For more information and online registration, please visit  https://www.malaysiancubprix.com/rider-search-2021/. The registration process will close on February 15, 2021.

The second and final round of the Malaysia Superbike Championship (MSBK), originally scheduled for January 20 to 22 at the Sepang International Circuit, will be postponed until further notice.

“With the recent announcement made by the Prime Minister, Yang Amat Berhormat (YAB) Tan Sri Muhyiddin Bin Mohd Yassin yesterday, as the venue provider, we have no choice but to postpone the MSBK Round 2 to a later date. The safety and wellbeing of those involved with MSBK are our top priority. We hope that everyone adhere to the given SOPs to curb the spread of this pandemic.”

Azlan Shafriman Hanif, CEO, Sepang International Circuit

“With the Movement Control Order again in place from January 13 to 26, 2021, we have had no choice but to postpone the second and final round. At this juncture, we are not yet able to provide an alternative plan and we thank the teams and riders for their patience and understanding. Meanwhile, let’s all work together to bring the pandemic under control again. 

Ron Hogg, Director, Two Wheels Motor Racing Sdn Bhd

The title chase for the 2020 PETORNAS Malaysian Cub Prix Championship finally came to a close with Mohd Helmi Azman (Hi Rev SCK Honda Racing), Mohd Syafiq Rosli (PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha Maju Motor) and Rahimi Nabil Razu (PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha Maju Motor) confirmed as CP150, CP125 and Wira KBS champions respectively.

The final showdown in the CP150 premiere class began with the two title contenders, Mohd Helmi Azman and Azroy Hakeem Anuar at the front of the grid. However, neither riders benefitted from the coveted starting position when they were immediately swamped up the rest of the 24-rider grid as soon as the CP150 final race was flagged off.

Both Honda riders were obviously on different strategies. Azroy focused on staying consistent at the top end of the pack while Helmi hunkered down in mid-pack. Helmi bided his time until Lap 7 before he went from ninth to first within a single lap.

The tussle between Helmi and Azroy in the final three laps were further complicated by the sheer size of the front group. As the chequered flag came down at the end of 11 laps, it was Mohd Khairul Ikhwan Ajis who lived up to his dark-horse status to score a surprise win with 14’41.976s. 0.001 seconds behind Khairul, Mohd Akid Aziz swept home in second place.

Azroy followed in third, notching up his sixth podium of the season. However, even that was not enough for the Idemitsu Yuzy Honda Racing team rider to realize his dream of becoming the 2020 CP150 champion.

A fifth place finish was good enough to place the CP150 trophy into Mohd Helmi Azman’s hands. This would be Helmi’s first domestic title. The 21-year-old was the 2018 FIM Asia Road Racing Championship Underbone 150cc champion. Apart from gifting Honda with their first CP150 title since the class was introduced in 2017, Helmi has effectively ended team Hi Rev SCK Honda Racing’s title drought since 2012.

“I am so grateful to my team, our crew, my family and of course our sponsors, for making all this possible. I was actually pretty disappointed by the results from this final round. I wanted to seal the title with a podium finish but things got really hectic in the last lap,” said Helmi who won the championship with 143 points. At the same time, team Hi Rev SCK Honda Racing also liftedn the CP150 Team Award title with 192 points after eight rounds.

A bitterly disappointed Azroy Hakeem Anuar had to settle for seconds while Mohd Muzakkir Mohamed from the ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team ended the year in third.

In the CP125 category, the three-way battle between Mohd Syafiq Rosli (PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha-Maju Motor), Mohd Shafiq Rasol (ONEXOX TKKR Racing Team) and Mohd Adib Rosley (IPONE Yamaha YY Pang Racing) ended in Syafiq Rosli’s favour. The Maju Motor rider finished the race in fifth, just enough to put him at the top of the championship ladder. Shafiq Rasol crumbled under pressure and crashed out of Lap 3 while Adib Rosley finished a distant seventh.

The final CP125 race of the season was won by IPONE Yamaha YY Pang Racing Team duo Mohd Khairi Asyraf Mahmood and Mohd Fareez Afeez Abd Rahman.

Finally, Rahimi Nabil Razu suceeded in his mission to take home a second consecutive Wira KBS title for team PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha-31 Racing. The PETRONAS Sprinta Pro-Am Cup title was won by Mohd Asyraf Daniel Mohd Zamri.

The second and final round of the Malaysia Superbike Championship (MSBK) will take place at the Sepang International Circuit this coming January 20 to 22, 2021

“Great news for all of us in the motorsports industry. The riders are looking forward to compete in MSBK Round 2 that was originally scheduled in October but due to the enforcement of Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO), it had to be postponed. We are blessed to see off the final round as this will be the closing event for motorsports in 2020. Hopefully 2021 will be a better year for our local motorsports scene.”

Azlan Shafriman Hanif, CEO, Sepang International Circuit

“Earlier this year, the unavoidable lockdowns forced us to cut the 2020 MSBK season from the original four rounds to two. When the second rounds of MCO came into effect, Round 2 had to be shelved. We are just glad for the chance to re-assemble the grid for the second and final round to take place, honouring our commitments to the teams and riders of the Malaysia Superbike Championships.”

Ron Hogg, Director, Two Wheels Motor Racing Sdn Bhd

The highly anticipated tie-breaker in the CP150 class ended in Mohd Helmi Azman’s favour when the Honda rider clinched his fourth win of the season at the penultimate round of the 2020 PETRONAS Malaysian Cub Prix Championship.

The Hi Rev SCK Honda Racing rider was at his best in the uncertain weather conditions surrounding the penultimate round. Dry track conditions at the start of the race soon gave way to a brief downpour on Lap 8. The usual lead-swapping among the top 15 riders in the front group was disrupted when Ahmad Afif Amran (PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha-CKJ Racing) skidded out of the final lap.

Afif’s crash was the opportunity Helmi needed to sprint to the finish line with Mohd Affendi Rosli (PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha-CKJ Racing) glued to his rear tyre. However, Affendi’s move to make use of the slipstream failed as Helmi retained the upper hand to cross the finish line with a time of 16’00.716s, 0.017s ahead of his Yamah rival.

Affendi had to settle for second with 16’00.733s, his first podium of the season. Mohd Izzat Zaidi Mohd Salehan from the IPONE Yamaha YY Pang Racing Team crossed the finish line in third with 16’03.808s.

“Things always gets tricky at the Sepang track when there is a downpour in the middle of the race. Certain parts of the track can become slippery very quickly. I had to bank on my in-depth knowledge of this track and its changeable characteristics to stay ahead of the competition.

Mohd Helmi Azman, Rider of Hi Rev SCK Honda Racing

Helmi now holds a 12-point advantage at the top of the CP150 pecking order. His closest rival, fellow Honda rider, Azroy Hakeem Anuar, finished off the podium for the first time this season, crossing the finish line in fourth place.

With 132 points in the bag, Helmi will still need another podium finish at the season finale to etch his name onto the CP150 trophy. However, the Hi Rev SCK Honda Racing rider is adamant that the title chase is the furthest thing from his mind.

“I’m not about to spend my time in the final race doing mental arithmetics. I have every confidence in our Hi Rev SCK Honda Racing bike and I just want to finish the last race of the season in the best possible position,” he concluded.

Mohd Helmi Azman, Rider of Hi Rev SCK Honda Racing

As the drama in the CP150 class seems to be heading to a resolution, things changed quickly in the CP125 sophomore class. PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha Maju Motor’s Mohd Syafiq Rosli watched his 19-point lead evaporate when he crashed out within the opening laps of the CP125 Finals.

The race was won by Mohd Adib Rosley (IPONE Yamaha YY Pang Racing Team) with a time of 9’02.205s, followed by Mohd Shafiq Rasol (ONEXOX TKKR Racing Team) in second place with 9’02.276s and Mohd Aiman Azman from Hi Rev SCK Honda Racing with 9’02.332s.

Syafiq Rosli’s DNF results, followed by podium finishes from Adib and Shafiq Rasol will pave the way for an intense 3-way battle for the first CP125 trophy at the season finale. Mohd Shafiq Rasol is now in the lead with 107 points. Mohd Syafiq Rosli dropped to second overall with 106 points while Mohd Adib Rosley will join the title hunt in third overall with 104 points.