A management revamp of the Yamaha PETRONAS Super Series has resulted in a highly competitive year for the young rookies racing in the talent developmental series which is part of the PETRONAS AAM Malaysian Cub Prix Championship. Come the penultimate round in Jempol, Negeri Sembilan this weekend, four riders are still in contention to win the 2016 crown. The battle is expected to drag on to the grand finale in Taiping next month.
According to Yamaha motorsports spokesperson, Michael Chai, the 2016 season has been a completely different ballgame from the previous year which saw Mohd Haziq Fairues dominating with a perfect season.
“This year, we placed more emphasis on promoting team work among the young riders. Apart from chasing down championship points, Hong Leong Yamaha also introduced an internal points ranking system that encourages the youngsters to work together to improve their team rankings. This changed the riders’ mindsets. Instead of racing as lone wolves as they are wont to do, the riders are now helping each other to go faster and ride better. The outcome of this paradigm shift showed clearly in the championship standings,” said Chai.
Currently at the top is Mohd Fadli Shah Redzuan with 125 points. However, Fadli is only a single point ahead of his closest competitor, Mohd Faiz Zekri Sabri. Hovering in third overall position is Mohd Syarifuddin Azman with 121 points while Mohd Alif Ashraf Tahiruddin is fourth with 114 points.
Chai further revealed that these prominent young riders are already being approached by the professional racing teams with contracts for the 2017 season. “We encourage all our riders to explore possibilities of working with any of the established racing outfits. This is a good development for the riders’ career as well as affirmation that the Yamaha PETRONAS Super Series is fulfilling its role as the first step in any rider’s career.”
Riders leaving the development series for the open-make classes will make way for yet another new batch of young blood eager to stamp their mark on the Malaysian motorcycle racing scene.
“The Rider Search for 2017 has been on-going for a few months now. We hope that the extended registration period will net more young talents who will become future champions and flag bearers of Malaysian motorsports.”
However, for the first time since its inception a decade ago, the single-brand series will require a commitment fee of RM4,000 from any rider selected to take part in the 2017 season.
“We believe that the mono-brand series have effectively demonstrated its worth as a starting point for any rider’s career. But this is just the first step and the journey onwards will be long and filled with challenges. But before this can happen, the riders and their families must demonstrate their commitment towards their own dream. The commitment fee is to ensure that, once selected, all the participants take this opportunity seriously. On our part, Hong Leong Yamaha has invested a large amount on the training for these young riders. This is not a fun race where riders can simply opt in or out from one round to another. That is the real reason for the commitment fee,” Chai concluded.
