Mohd Izzat Zaidi menggalas tugas besar apabila bakal beraksi dalam dua kategori dalam saingan pusingan kelima Kejuaraan Motosikal Asia FIM (ARRC) yang akan berlangsung di Litar Antarabangsa Buddh, New Delhi, India, 30 September hingga 2 Oktober ini.
Selain turun bagi mengejar gelaran keseluruhan Underbone 130cc, Izzat yang kini menghuni tangga ketiga keseluruhan turut akan beraksi dalam kategori Asia Production 250cc menggantikan Tengku Amirul Haffirudin yang tidak dapat beraksi akibat kecederaan sewaktu Pusingan 8 Kejuaraan Cub Prix AAM Malaysia di Temerloh, Pahang, Ahad lepas.
Dalam surat yang ditujukan kepada Pengarah Perlumbaan ARRC, pemilik pasukan YY Pang, Pang Yoke You menjelaskan, “Tengku Amirul mengalami kecederaan sewaktu perlumbaan Cub Prix minggu lepas. Dia mengalami patah jari tangan kanan dan telah selesai menjalani pembedahan di Hospital Tung Shin. Malangnya dia tidak mempunyai masa yang cukup untuk pulih dan tidak dapat beraksi di India,” jelasnya.
“Sukar untuk mencari pengganti dalam tempoh yang singkat dan masa juga tidak mencukupi untuk memohon visa ke India. Jadi Izzat akan menggalas tanggungjawab untuk beraksi dalam dua kategori minggu ini.”
“Dari sudut positif, beraksi dalam perlumbaan 250cc merupakan pendedahan yang baik kepada Izzat memandangkan saingannya sangat kompetitif. Kami yakin Izzat mempunyai kecergasan fizikal yang cukup untuk mengendalikan jentera dalam kedua-dua kategori perlumbaan,” simpul YY Pang.
Izzat Zaidi to straddle 2 classes in India
Underbone 130cc rider Mohd Izzat Zaidi, currently third overall in the FIM Asia Road Racing table, will be saddled with the responsibility of representing his team in two distinct categories at the penultimate round of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship this weekend. Racing at the 5.15km Buddh International Circuit, Izzat will have a tough weekend ahead of him as he fills in for the injured Tengku Amirul Haffiruddin in the Asia Production 250cc class while still in contention for the Underbone crown.
In a letter addressed to the Race Direction of the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship, team principal YY Pang explained, “Tengku Amirul was injured during the PETRONAS AAM Malaysian Cub Prix Championship last week. He fractured three metacarpal bones in his right hand and had been successfully treated at the Tung Shin Hospital. Unfortunately, with the ARRC coming hot on the heels of the Cub Prix race, this means that Tengku will not be able to recover in time to race in India.”
“At this late stage, it would be difficult for the team to find a replacement for Tengku Amirul in the Asia Production 250cc class. There isn’t enough time to apply for the Indian visa. So Izzat will need to do double duty in the coming race weekend.”
“On the positive side, it would be good exposure for Izzat as the 250cc class is really very competitive. We are confident that he is fit enough to be able to handle the physical demands of both classes,” YY Pang concluded.
