Khairul Idham Pawi says he is ‘ready to step up’ to the new challenge ahead of his much anticipated CP115 debut in the PETRONAS AAM Malaysian Cub Prix Championship at Temerloh, Pahang this weekend.
Khairul made the switch to the intermediate class after clinching last year’s WIRA title in spectacular fashion, bagging eight victories from 10 rounds. 2015 also marks a new era for his team, Kozi Yam Honda Racing that has been concentrating all their efforts in the age-capped WIRA class for the past two seasons.
Not limited to just the national front, Khairul is also set to compete in the FIM CEV Repsol Moto3 Junior World Championship this year. The Perak born-rider earned a seat with Honda Team Asia after he bagged the 2014 Honda Asia Dream Cup title that runs concurrently with the Asia Road Racing Championship.
âI canât wait to start my CP115 debut this weekend. For every rider, moving up to the ranks is like taking a step closer to their dream – that is to race at the highest level,â said Khairul.
âOf course I will feel nervous when I line up my bike on the grid. However I am also very curious to see how well I can do against against our rivals so for the first round, I am going to aim for a top five finish,â he added.
But, while there is a lot of optimism, Khairul is not under any illusions the task ahead will be a walk through the park.Â
He commented, âCompeting in the CP115 is tough and there will be a lot of close racing because the grid is mixed with highly experienced and new riders. So I will keep working on myself and keep improving. I feel I am not at my peak yet, so I will try and get there as quickly as I can,â he said.
