Team PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha Maju Motor’s Mohd Akid Aziz earned a reputation as an all-weather rider when he triumphed through an unexpected squall at the Tangkak Racing Track in Round 2 of the 2020 PETRONAS Malaysian Cub Prix Championship last weekend.
The 21-year-old who also managed to clinch pole position for the CP150 finals, picked up his first win of the season with a time of 15’46.337s.
After a full day of dry weather during the free practice and qualifying sessions on Saturday, the 20-lap CP150 race took place under uncertain weather conditions at the 1.1km Tangkak Racing Track.
A rocket start gave Akid the advantage of taking the holeshot and early control of the race. With the his team mate Mohd Haziq Mohd Fairues, Akid was able to carve out a lead while Haziq bottled up the rest of the field.
The rain came down in earnest as the race hit its midway point. The Maju Motor race leader noticeably slowed his pace, unaware that behind him, team Idemitsu Honda Yuzy Racing’s Azroy Hakeem Anuar and ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team’s Mohd Muzakkir Mohamed had broke past Haziq’s defences and were working together to close the gap with Akid.
By Lap 16, Azroy was neck-and-neck with Akid. A lap later, the Honda rider took the lead for the first time in the race.
Akid, however, waited for the final lap before making his move. A smart piece of riding saw the PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha Maju Motor rider use the presence of backmarkers to block Azroy’s direct path to the finish line even while he sped on to take his first win of the season.
A disgruntled Azroy had no choice but to settle for second place with 15’46.651s followed by Mohd Muzakkir Mohamed in third with 15’50.266s.
“The race was tough. Our bike was set for a dry track so when the rain came down, it made our job that much more difficult. I pushed too hard at the start of the race and had to slow down because my tyres were losing grip midway through the race.
“That was the reason why I did not engage in a 3-lap lead-swapping battle with Azroy. I had to conserve my tyres for a final push at the last corner. I’m just relieved my plan worked out,” said Akid.
However, disappointed as he may be over his race results, Azroy Hakeem Anuar has emerged as the new leader in the CP150 class with 36 points.
Early championship leader Mohd Helmi Azman crashed during the Round 2 finals and did not manage to pick up any points even though he finished under the chequered flag. Helmi and Akid are now tied in second overall with 25 points apiece.
Meanwhile, Mohd Shafiq Rasol continued the ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team’s dominance in the CP125.
Shafiq logged his second podium of the season when he won the CP125 finals with 12’00.737s.
However, the team’s podium domination had been broken as PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha Maju Motor team mates Mohd Syafiq Rosli and Mohd Aliff Danial Mohd Asri claimed second and third places respectively.
The unpredictable race at the Tangkak Racing Track has brought new winners to the Wira KBS podium.
This time, Mohd Noorhakim Mohd Norhafizullah from the ONEXOX SAG Team claimed the win against second placed Mohd Hazim Mohd Fairues from team Elf Koyoko Honda KC Racing. Honda AFB Tech Racing’s Abdullah Qayyum Abd Razak was third.
Round 2 Race Results
CP150
1. Mohd Akid Aziz (Yamaha) (PETRONAS SPRINTA YAMAHA MAJU MOTOR), 15’46.337s
2. Azroy Hakeem Anuar (Honda) (IDEMITSU HONDA YUZY RACING), 15’46.651s
3. Mohd Muzakkir Mohamed (Yamaha) (ONEXOX TKKR SAG TEAM), 15’50.266s
4. Mohd Iqbal Amri Abd Malek (Yamaha) (AHM MOTORSPORTS), 15’54.853s
5. Ahmad Afif Amran (Yamaha) (PETRONAS SPRINTA YAMAHA-CKJ RACING), 15’55.452s
CP125
1. Mohd Shafiq Rasol (Yamaha) (ONEXOX TKKR SAG TEAM), 12’00.737s
2. Mohd Syafiq Rosli (Yamaha) (PETRONAS SPRINTA YAMAHA MAJU MOTOR), 12’01.866s
3. Mohd Aliff Danial Mohd Asri (Yamaha) (PETRONAS SPRINTA YAMAHA MAJU MOTOR), 12’02.369s
4. Mohd Khairi Asyraf Mahmood (Yamaha) (IPONE YAMAHA YY PANG RACING TEAM), 12’03.260s
5. Mohd Fareez Afeez Abd Rahman (Yamaha) (IPONE YAMAHA YY PANG RACING TEAM), 12’03.862s
WIRA KBS (finishing position only)
1. Mohd Norhakim Mohd Norhafizullah (Yamaha) (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team)
2. Mohd Hazim Mohd Fairues (Honda) (ELF KOYOKO HONDA KC RACING)
3. Abdullah Qayyum Abd Razak (Honda) (HONDA AFB TECH RACING)
4. Akif Hakimi Zainuddin (Yamaha) (WIRAMUDA V-FIERTECH Academy Racing)
5. Mohd Adam Haikal Jahar (Yamaha) (PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha-31 Racing)
Standings after Round 2
CP150
1. Azroy Hakeem Anuar (Honda) (IDEMITSU HONDA YUZY RACING), 36 points
2. Mohd Akid Aziz (Yamaha) (PETRONAS SPRINTA YAMAHA MAJU MOTOR), 25 points
3. Mohd Helmi Azman (Honda) (HI REV SCK HONDA RACING), 25 points
4. Mohd Muzakkir Mohamed (Yamaha) (ONEXOX TKKR SAG TEAM), 24 points
5. Mohd Khairul Ikhwan Ajis (Yamaha) (AHM MOTORSPORTS), 20 points
CP150 Team Standings
1. IDEMITSU HONDA YUZY RACING, 47 points
2. HI REV SCK HONDA RACING, 34 points
3. ONEXOX TKKR SAG TEAM, 34 points
CP125
1. Mohd Shafiq Rasol (Yamaha) (ONEXOX TKKR SAG TEAM), 45 points
2. Mohd Syafiq Rosli (Yamaha) (PETRONAS SPRINTA YAMAHA MAJU MOTOR), 31 points
3. Mohd Syafieq Aiman Mohd Fauzi (Yamaha) (ONEXOX SAG TEAM), 25 points
4. Mohd Khairi Asyraf Mahmood (Yamaha) (IPONE YAMAHA YY PANG RACING TEAM), 21 points
5. Mohd Fareez Afeez Abd Rahman (Yamaha) (IPONE YAMAHA YY PANG RACING TEAM), 21 points
CP125 Team Standings
1. ONEXOX TKKR SAG TEAM, 61 points
2. PETRONAS SPRINTA YAMAHA MAJU MOTOR, 47 points
3. ONEXOX SAG TEAM, 38 points
WIRA KBS
1. Rahimi Nabil Razu (Yamaha) (PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha-31 Racing), 33 points
2. Mohd Hazim Mohd Fairues (Honda) (ELF KOYOKO HONDA KC RACING), 30 points
3. Mohd Norhakim Mohd Norhafizullah (Yamaha) (ONEXOX SAG TEAM), 25 points
4. Mohd Harith Haziq Zamri (Honda) (CASTROL POWER1 RACING TEAM), 25 points
5. Abdullah Qayyum Abd Razak (Honda (HONDA AFB TECH RACING), 22 points
