The pump of adrenaline, the chaos between riders and exhilaration sums up the scene of the Underbone 150cc race category but amidst these unavoidable elements, there is perfection embedded in a win.
That’s the goal of all riders including Md Izzat Zaidi Md Salehan of CARDINALS FACTORY RACING TEAM ARRC who is gearing up for the unforeseeable challenges in Round 4 of the Idemitsu FIM Asia Road Racing Championship that will be held at Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit this weekend.
The Malaysian rider who was 1 point shy from bagging the champion title last season is all out to chase his dreams this year. But it is a tough game out there and Izzat seems to be struggling with his momentum this season.
Currently sitting at the sixth spot in the overall standings, Izzat took a spot on the podium only once thus far. Although it is a long way to go before the end of the season, it is never going to get any easier in the coming rounds therefore Izzat has no choice but to up his performances to stay on par with the other top achievers.
Commenting on the previous round, Izzat said, “My biggest challenge would be adapting to change. As everyone is aware, I started with a new team this season therefore, it takes awhile to find my footing and it is a matter of time.
“The toughest circuit for me so far was the Sugo circuit to be honest as it required a different set of technical abilities. I struggled a lot with my machine there and could not find the best settings to perform competitively with the other riders.”
He continued, “For the upcoming race, it is not going to be easy for sure as we have not raced on the circuit before. Again, it is about getting adapted to the layout and finding ways to optimise the capacities of my machine.
“Also, I have to work on my riding techniques to ensure that it fits well on the circuit. Usually, I will analyse data from the previous races to identify whatever that is lacking. From there, I work on the limitations. I hope that the practice sessions will help me identify what needs to be done quickly so that I can do better for the races. My target for the coming round would be to be at the top five. It would be a bonus if I could achieve the podium.”
During his free time, Izzat spends most of his time at his own motorcycle workshop.
