Kejuaraan Cub Prix: Penyertaan bertambah!

Pihak Promoter Kejuaraan Cub Prix AAM Malaysia PETRONAS bersedia mempertimbangkan kemungkinan untuk menambah jumlah kumpulan berikutan peningkatan ketara jumlah pelumba dalam kategori persendirian – PETRONAS Sprinta Pro-Am sebaik pusingan ketiga berakhir di Kangar, Perlis, Ahad lepas.

Sepanjang pusingan kedua di Pulau Pinang dan di Perlis, kategori tersebut mendapat penyertaan maksimum 48 pelumba persendirian di grid, dan jika sambutan menggalakkan terus diterima, pihak promoter kejuaraan, Safe Aim Mutual Sdn Bhd mungkin mengubah jadual perlumbaan dan mewujudkan tiga kumpulan untuk sesi latihan dan kelayakan.

“Pendaftaran pelumba kategori persendirian sepanjang dua pusingan lepas merupakan yang tertinggi sejak beberapa tahun kebelakangan ini. Ketika ini pelumba kategori Pro-Am dibahagikan kepada dua kumpulan – A dan B. Jika sambutan seperti ini berterusan ke pusingan berikutnya di Kelantan dan lain-lain, kami sedia untuk menambah Kumpulan C mengikut kesesuaian jumlah peserta,” jelas Ron Hogg, Pengarah Safe Aim Mutual Sdn Bhd.

Kelas Pro-Am merupakan singkatan kepada pelumba ‘Amatur Profesional’ khusus buat pelumba yang tidak mempunyai kontrak bersama pasukan ataupun penaja korporat. Pelumba berlumba menggunakan motosikal sendiri dengan peraturan ubahsuai minimum sebagai langkah untuk mengurangkan kos perbelanjaan peserta. Setiap pusingan menawarkan jumlah pungutan mata untuk mencari juara keseluruhan kategori tersebut pada penghujung musim.

Selepas tiga pusingan, pelumba dari Terengganu, Mu’izz Al-Atrash Abd Ghani mendahului kedudukan dengan 65 mata selepas meraih tiga podium termasuk gelaran juara di Kangar.

Ron percaya penjenamaan semula kelas persendirian ini merupakan antara faktor kategori ini semakin mendapat sambutan mereka yang ingin berlumba secara kompetitif di pentas perlumbaan profesional.

“Kelas persendirian ini ditukarkan kepada kategori Pro-Am pada tahun 2014. Pelumba persendirian memainkan peranan penting mereka kepada perlumbaan Cub Prix, jadi kami turut memberikan status mereka sebagai pelumba amatur profesional,” jelas Ron.

“Selain itu perlumbaan Pro-Am ini turut disiarkan dalam siaran rangkuman perlumbaan di TV1. Sokongan yang diberikan oleh stesen televisyen kerajaan ini juga mencetuskan minat terhadap kategori ini.

HIGH NUMBER OF PRIVATEER RIDERS HAS PROMOTERS MULLING ADDITIONAL GROUPING

The second and third legs of the 2016 PETRONAS AAM Malaysian Cub Prix Championship has attracted high numbers of privateer riders signing up for the Pro-Am Cup. Both the northern rounds have seen registration figures exceeding the grid maximum which is 48 riders. In order to not turn away any potential riders, Safe Aim Mutual Sdn Bhd, the race promoters of the Malaysian Cub Prix, are considering the idea of adjusting the race schedule so that a third grouping in the Pro-Am Cup can be formed.

“The Pro-Am Cup registration for the past two rounds had been the highest recorded in recent years. At present, the Pro-Am Cup riders are split into two groups – Group A and Group B. If this trend were to continue into the Kelantan round, we would definitely consider opening a Group C in order to accommodate,” said Ron Hogg, Director of Safe Aim Mutual Sdn Bhd.

The Pro-Am Cup, short for ‘Professional Amateurs’, is exclusive to riders without team contracts or corporate sponsors. The riders race on their own machines that are as close to standard as feasible in order to keep costs low. Each round carries its own points and the privateer riders race to win the title of Pro-Am Cup champion at the end of the season. After three rounds of competition, Terengganu rider Mu’izz Al-Atrash Abd Ghani holds the lead with 65 points after scoring three consecutive podium finishes.

Hogg believes that the recent re-branding of the class could be one of the reasons for the high level of interest.

“The class was rebranded as the Pro-Am Cup in 2014. We felt that it was important that we recognize the status of these riders as professional amateurs. They form an important part of the Cub Prix race format,” he clarified.

“Additionally, the Pro-Am Cup races are also broadcast as part the Championship’s highlights programme on TV1. The high reach afforded by the government station has also sparked interest in the class.”

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