The 2017 season of the Petronas AAM Malaysian Cub Prix Championship will see a partnership formed between race promoters Safe Aim Mutual Sdn Bhd and the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS). This will be the first direct involvement by the ministry in the predominantly industry-driven championship.
The partnership is tightly focused on the grassroots development Wira category, leading to a rebranding of the class which will now be known as the KBS Wira category.
“We welcome KBS’s interest and involvement in this class and hope that working together will lead to sustainable growth for the talent developmental efforts in Malaysian motorcycle racing. The Wira category has been the catalyst that turned the entire motorcycle racing industry around. Since its introduction in 2002, the Wira category was the reason why we have been able to lower the average age of Cub Prix riders,” said Ron Hogg, Director of Safe Aim Mutual Sdn Bhd.
Prominent riders who have also been Wira category alumni include the likes of 2-times Moto3 winner Khairul Idham Pawi and 2013 SuperSports 600cc Asian Champion Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman.
However, Ron stressed that there are no hard and fast rules for any rider’s career developmental path. “The Wira class is there for incoming talents who may not be ready for the higher Cub Prix classes. It is their first step into open-make racing. Some, like Khairul Idham, have gone directly from the Wira category to foreign championships. Others, such as Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah, skipped the Wira class in favour of the CP115. But there is no doubt that the Wira category plays a critical role as a talent scouting platform for the industry,” he said.
Round 1 of the 2017 Cub Prix Championship will take place at Temerloh, Pahang on March 4 and 5, 2017.
