Pasukan Givi Honda Yuzy Racing meraih keputusan terbaik pada musim 2016 apabila dua pelumbanya menjuarai perlumbaan CP130 dan CP115 pada saingan Pusingan 9 Kejuaraan Cub Prix AAM Malaysia PETRONAS di Jempol, Negeri Sembilan, semalam.
Selepas berusaha untuk mengejar kemenangan pertama musim ini, penantian mereka berakhir di Jempol apabila Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi memenangi perlumbaan CP130 namun gagal untuk menghalang Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin daripada mengesahkan gelaran sebagai juara keseluruhan CP130 manakala pelumba berusia 17 tahun, Azroy Hakeem Anuar pula mengungguli saingan CP115.
Meskipun begitu, musim 2016 bukanlah musim cemerlang buat pasukan kendalian bekas pelumba negara, Shahrol Yuzy Ahmad Zaini itu kerana sasaran utama mereka adalah untuk memenangi gelaran CP130. Namun komitmen Shahrol Yuzy terhadap kepentingan karier pelumba lebih menjadi keutamaan.
“Dari segi persediaan jentera, tidak banyak perubahan yang dilakukan sejak Pusingan 1 di Selangor, Mac tempoh hari. Malah keputusan pada peringkat awal musim menunjukkan kami berupaya untuk bersaing mengejar kejuaraan. Namun, malangnya Zaqhwan tidak dapat beraksi dalam tiga perlumbaan berturut-turut sekaligus menutup peluang dan kehilangan mata yang banyak.
Zaqhwan terpaksa melepaskan aksi Pusingan 5 di Teluk Intan apabila dipilih untuk beraksi dalam perlumbaan berprestij Suzuka 8-Hour Endurance yang bertembung dengan tarikh perlumbaan manakala tidak beraksi dalam dua pusingan berikutnya, Pusingan 6 di Kemaman dan Pusingan 7 di Pasir Gudang akibat masalah kecederaan.
“Jika diikutkan, Zaqhwan boleh beraksi di Pasir Gudang untuk mengutip mata bagi memperbaiki kedudukan memandangkan kecederaannya masih belum pulih s100 peratus. Namun, pada masa sama dia juga sedang mendahului kedudukan keseluruhan SuperSports 600cc di Kejuaraan Motosikal Asia FIM (ARRC). Kami memutuskan untuk merehatkan Zaqhwan kerana bagi kami keutamaan adalah untuk dia bersaing merebut gelaran di pentas ARRC. Sekalipun terlepas gelaran, namun kami gembira kerana Zaqhwan dan Azroy berjaya meraih kemenangan untuk membuktikan keupayaan mereka dan pasukan,” jelas Yuzy.
Yuzy: Our commitment to our riders’ career may hange hurt our title chances this season.
Team GiVi Honda Yuzy Racing reaped its best result of the entire 2016 season last weekend. Racing in Jempol at the penultimate round of the PETRONAS AAM Malaysian Cub Prix Championship, the team clinched two victories in the CP130 premiere class as well as the CP115.
Having spent the bulk of 2016 in search of better results, everything finally clicked together in Jempol when Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi aced the CP130 class while Azroy Hakeem Anuar topped the CP115 finals with a race time of 11’46.006s. Unfortunately, both victories were eclipsed by the emergence of a new CP130 champion.
Despite a strong start, 2016 had not been an easy year for team GiVi Honda Yuzy Racing. The team could have been in contention for the CP130 title. However, team principal Shahrol Yuzy Ahmad Zaini’s commitment towards his riders’ career expansion opportunities may have exacted a high price in 2016.
“In terms of machine setup, we have not made drastic changes or upgrades since Round 1. In fact, our race results from the first quarter of the year had put us within touch of the title chase. Unluckily for us, Zaqhwan was forced to miss three consecutive legs and the loss of championship points had been a big blow to our chances,” said Yuzy.
Zaqhwan skipped Round 5 in Teluk Intan due to conflicting schedules with the Suzuka 8-Hour Endurance. In Round 6, Zaqhwan crashed out and the subsequent injury forced him to pull out of both Round 6 and Round 7.
“It would have been possible for Zaqhwan to race in Round 7 at Pasir Gudang. He may not have been fighting fit, but at least he would have picked up a few points to bolster his position on the rankings table. However, at that time, Zaqhwan was leading the SuperSports 600cc category in the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship. So in the interest of Zaqhwan’s pursuit of the Asian title, we decided to rest him in Round 7,” Yuzy explained.
