Md Zaqhwan zaidi mencatat masa terpantas dalam saingan ujian masa CP130 manakala pendahulu keseluruhan, Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin mengalami masalah mekanikal sekaligus menjejaskan aksinya untuk mencatat masa lebih pantas pada Pusingan 9 Kejuaraan Cub Prix AAM Malaysia PETRONAS di Jempol, Negeri Sembilan, hari ini.
Pelumba Givi Honda Yuzy Racing itu terlebih dahulu mencatat masa terpantas 45.770s pada dua minit terakhir sebelum sesi latihan tamat namun strategi saat akhir pelumba PETRONAS Yamaha-CKJ, Ahmad Afif Amran menyaksikan dia berjaya mencatat masa terpantas 45.577s namun bagaimanapun gagal untuk menghalang Zaqhwan yang sekali lagi mencatat masa terpantas, 45.571s pada saat terakhir sesi sekaligus menjadi pelumba pilihan pada sesi kelayakan SuperPole, pagi esok.
Rakan sepasukan Afif, Md Fitri Ashraff Razali muncul pelumba ketiga terpantas dengan masa 45.913s sementara pelumba PETRONAS Yamaha Maju Motor, Kasma Daniel masih berupaya untuk melayakkan diri ke sesi Superpole setelah catatan terbaik 46.079s meletakkannya sebagai pelumba keenam terpantas sesi ujian masa.
“Keadaan litar pada tahun ini merupakan yang terbaik sepanjang beberapa musim perlumbaan berlangsung di sini dan kami dapat beraksi dengan agak selesa. Kami berterima kasih kepada pihak terbabit yang melakukan persediaan terbaik untuk perlumbaan minggu ini,” jelas Zaqhwan.
“Saya gembira dengan aksi pada hari ini. Meskipun sudah penghujung musim, namun saya tetap gembira dengan prestasi dan kemajuan yang dicapai oleh pasukan secara keseluruhan.”
Sementara itu, dua daripada empat pencabar utama kejuaraan, Md Akid Aziz dan Md Haziq Fairues (PETRONAS Yamaha Maju Motor) menduduki kelompok tiga pelumba terpantas dimana Akid melakukan catatan terbaik 46.758s manakala Haziq dengan catatan 47.044s. Rakan sepasukan Zaqhwan, Azroy Hakeem Anuar turut mengikut jejak langkah apabila menguasai sesi ujian masa setelah muncul pelumba terpantas CP115, 46.048s.
Dalam kategori Wira, Md Helmi Azman (IUGB AFB Tech Racing) muncul pelumba terpantas dengan catatan 48.127s diikuti duo Idemitsu Kozi Yam Honda Racing, Saiful Azhary Muhamad dan pendahulu keseluruhan, Md Shafiq Ezzariq dengan catatan terbaik masing-masing 48.461s dan 48.438s.
Keputusan Ujian Masa:
CP130
1. Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi (SGR) Honda 45.521s
2. Ahmad Afif Amran (TRG) Yamaha 45.577s
3. Mohd Fitri Ashraff Razali (KUL) Yamaha 45.913s
4. Norizman Ismail (SGR) Honda 45.981s
5. Md Affendi Rosli (SGR) Yamaha 46.061s
CP115
1. Azroy Hakeem Anuar (KUL) Honda 46.048s
2. Md Akid Aziz (KUL) Yamaha 46.758s
3. Md Haziq Fairues (SGR) Yamaha 47.044s
4. Md Muzakkir Mohamed (SGR) Yamaha 47.060s
5. Md Iqbal Amri Abd Malek ((SGR) Yamaha 47.078s
WIRA
1. Md Helmi Azman (SGR) Yamaha 48.127s
2. Saiful Azhary Muhamad (JHR) Honda 48.461s
3. Md Shafiq Ezzariq (SGR) Honda 48.438s
4. Md Izam Ikmal Izamli (KUL) Yamaha 48.531s
5. Md Amirul Arif Ramlee (JHR) Yamaha 48.552s
Zaqhwan rules while Kasma rues
Mechanical malfunction has placed a speed bump in Kasma Daniel Kasmayuddin’s way as he fights to seal the CP130 title for the 2016 PETRONAS AAM Malaysian Cub Prix Championship. At Jempol in Negeri Sembilan for the ninth leg of the season, the CP130 championship leader barely made the cut into the SuperPole on Sunday which will determine the grid formation for the top 10 riders.
While the PETRONAS Yamaha Maju Motor rider struggled to make up for lost time, team GiVi Honda Yuzy Racing’s Zaqhwan Zaidi ruled the roost. Within two minutes of the CP130 Timed Practice session, Zaqhwan had leapt to the top of the timesheets with 45.770s. The Honda rider’s fastest time held for the majority of the 15-minute session.
10 minutes in, Kasma was bogged down with a mechanical failure at the bottom of the results sheet. At that point, it looked likely that the young protege would be missing out on the SuperPole for the first time this year. However, a lightning pitstop brought the PETRONAS Yamaha Maju rider back out on the grid with four minutes to spare. He managed to eke out a time of 46.079s in sixth fastest and scraped through into the SuperPole.
While Kasma scrambled to get on pace, team PETRONAS Yamaha CKJ’s Ahmad Afif Amran posted a 45.577s-lap with only 10 seconds left on the clock. However, Afif’s last-minute strategy did not pay off as Zaqhwan Zaidi slammed home with a time of 45.571s, just two seconds ahead of the chequered flag.
Ahead of the SuperPole, Zaqhwan was the only Honda rider among the top three which also includes Afif as well as Mohd Fitri Ashraf Razali who posted third fastest with 45.913s.
“The track condition this year is one of the best so far. In the past, this track has been rather bumpy. Our thanks to the state government agencies who had been involved in the upgrade of the facilities,” said Zaqhwan.
“Even though it is late in the season, I’m happy that our team is now back on pace.”
Meanwhile in the four-corner fight for the CP115 title, title contenders Mohd Akid Aziz and Mohd Haziq Fairues tipped their hand early in the round when they posted second and third fastest in class respectively. Following Zaqhwan Zaidi’s inspiring performance in the CP130 class, fellow GiVi Honda Yuzy Racing rider Mohd Azroy Hakeem was also in dominating form as he emerged as the fastest CP115 rider with a time of 46.048s.
Finally, Md Helmi Azman made it to the top of the Wira pile in the timed practice session with 48.127s. Keeping on pace, Saiful Azhary Muhamad clocked second fastest with 48.461s while Md Shafiq Ezzariq posted in third, 48.438s.
