The curtain closing leg of the 2016 Petronas AAM Malaysian Cub Prix Championship in Taiping this November 19 and 20 will mark the final race of the CP130 category. After an 8-year run as the premiere class of the national motorcycle racing series, the CP130 category will make way for the incoming 150cc SuperCub class next year.
The list of champions who had won the CP130 featured a healthy mix of seasoned riders as well as talented youngsters. Cub Prix legend Ahmad Fuad Baharuddin was the first and arguably the most successful in the class. Fuad won the crown twice – in 2009 and 2013.
Current Moto2 rider Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah held the reins in 2010 before the baton was handed over to a two-year period when Honda gained dominance. Norizman Ismail snared the title in 2011, followed by Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman in 2012.
Fuad brought the title back into the Yamaha camp in 2013 but the honours returned to Honda in 2014 through Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi. In the last two most recent seasons, Yamaha had regained its winning form when Ahmad Fazrul Sham became the unexpected title-holder in 2015. A month ago, Kasma Daniel Kasmayuddin added his name to the roster when he became the youngest CP130 champion.
In all, Yamaha had won the CP130 title five times and Honda, three.
Cub Prix promoters Safe Aim Mutual explained that the move to replace the CP130 class had been two years in the planning.
“The evolution of Cub Prix mirrors the changes in the Malaysian motorcycle industry. To stay at the crest of the ever-changing technological landscape, the shift to 150cc was inevitable. However, the transition required a two-year lead time in order that teams were given the time they needed to prepare for the new challenge,” said Ron Hogg, Director of Safe Aim Mutual.
