SIC’S NEW ROADMAP TO ATTRACT AND DEVELOP TO THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Sepang International Circuit (SIC), the promoter and organizer of the Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix, is embarking on a new initiative to take the sports to new heights which included a comprehensive roadmap to create more world class riders like Zulfahmi Khairuddin. SIC has included the introduction of a new SIC 250 Ninja Cup, which is modeled to the 250cc Moto3 world championship where Zulfahmi – the AirAsia-SIC-AJO Racing rider – has established himself this season as one of the world’s top 10 riders in the category. “It’s a new programme a fresh roadmap to the world championship that follows what we called ‘The Fahmi’s Way’,” SIC Chief Executive Officer Datuk Razlan Razali said at the launch SIC Ninja 250 Cup, a new racing series which would be making its entry next weekend at Sepang as part of the Malaysian Super Series – Malaysia’s premier racing series that is hailed as the national championship for track racing.
The roadmap would include selection of top riders from the new series for selection to ride at the Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix in Sepang on wildcard tickets, an opportunity to compete at the final round of the SPANISH CEV Championship and a full season in the following year. The introduction of a KBS-MAM Kapcai Endurance Series, a nine-round racing championship that would be supporting the SIC Ninja 250 Cup in providing the pool of riders to be considered for trials for the Moto3 wildcard ride has just been announced. Riding in Moto3 for AirAsia-SIC-AJO Racing,
Zulfahmi started his GP career as a wildcard rider at the 2009 Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix; benefitting from a programme initiated by SIC and supported by AirAsia, MAM, Petronas, Two Wheels Motor Racing, Dunlop, MAM, Italian-based Ongetta Racing Team and Dorna, the worldwide rights holder for MotoGP. Finishing 20th in that race, he earned an opportunity to compete in Valencia where he qualified; but crashed out in the actual race. Fahmi’s commendable performance gave confidence to SIC and its partners to put him in a full championship in the GP125 class in the following year. He continued with a second season in the same class before moving to the new Moto3 class this year where he had proven himself as among the top riders in the championship.
The SIC Ninja 250 Cup was designed as a feeder championship; to fill the void between riders who competed on underbone 115cc machines in the Cub Prix to the 600cc machines – whether in the MSS or the Asia Road Racing Championship.
The jump from an underbone production machine to a highly powerful 600cc machines will be too much for a developing rider and can be dangerous. Hence, the introduction of a 250cc production series is ideal and appropriate as the riders will compete on four-stroke 250cc Kawasaki Ninjas machines. “Riding identical machines prepared by the race series operator, BikeArt Motorsports, riders will be tested purely on the skills; making the championship highly exciting for the rider and entertaining for the spectators with its close competition. They will be competing on identical tyres provided by our MSS partner, Pirelli,” said Razlan, adding that for first season, the Cup would have 20 bikes on the grid and that Pirelli is the Official Tyre for the Cup as well as the entire MSS bike competitions. SIC’s other partners for the SIC Ninja 250 Cup are Dainese/JR Racing, which is subsiding the safety equipment and AGV, which is supplying the head protection for the young riders.