Juara CP130 2016, Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin membuktikan statusnya sebagai pelumba pilihan apabila muncul pemenang pertama kategori yang baharu diperkenalkan, CP150 pada Pusingan 1 Kejuaraan Cub Prix AAM Malaysia PETRONAS yang berakhir di Temerloh, Pahang, hari ini.
Pelumba pasukan PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha Maju Motor yang bermula dari petak kedua berjaya mengetepikan seorang lagi pelumba pilihan, Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi (Givi Honda Yuzy Racing) sebaik perlumbaan bermula untuk mendahului kedudukan dari awal perlumbaan sebelum berjaya menamatkan 20 pusingan perlumbaan dengan masa keseluruhan 14’38.563s.
“Saya memulakan perlumbaan dengan baik dan dapat mendahului pelumba-pelumba lain. Selepas itu saya cuba untuk lari dari kelompok kedua yang mempunyai ramai pelumba dan seterusnya mengekalkan kedudukan sehingga ke garisan penamat,” jelas Kasma.
“Kemenangan ini amat penting bagi saya untuk mengutip mata maksimum pada dua pusingan terawal musim ini memandangkan saya juga akan beraksi di Sepanyol dan mungkin pertindihan jadual menyebabkan saya tidak dapat beraksi di Cub Prix dalam beberapa pusingan. Saya menghadiahkan kemenangan ini kepada pasukan, penaja, keluarga dan rakan-rakan.”
Tempat kedua mejadi milik rakan sepasukan, Ahmad Fazli Sham yang bijak menggunakan peluang setelah berlaku insiden kemalangan diantara Zaqhwan dan Mohd Fitri Ashraff Razali (PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha-CKJ) ketika bersaing untuk merebut kedudukan kedua dan ketiga.
Fazli menamatkan perlumbaan dengan masa 14’42.819s diikuti Zaqhwan ketiga, 14’42.864s.
Saingan kelas CP115 menyaksikan persaingan sengit pada peringkat awal perlumbaan diantara duo PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha Maju Motor dan Motul Zeneos Yamaha YY Pang sebelum kemenangan mutlak menjadi milik juara bertahan, Md Akid Aziz diikuti rakan sepasukan, Md Haziq Md Fairues.
Akid menamatkan 15 pusingan perlumbaan dengan masa keseluruhan 11’22.325s diikuti Haziq, 11’23.145s. Tengku Amirul Haffirudin berjaya menamatkan perlumbaan di tangga ketiga dengan masa 11’32.175s.
Dalam perlumbaan kelas Wira, pasukan Idemitsu Kozi Yam Honda Racing meneruskan penguasaan mereka untuk memburu gelaran juara keseluruhan buat kali keempat berturut-turut apabila Saiful Azhary Muhamad muncul juara dengan masa keseluruhan 9’23.448s diikuti duo PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha – AFB Tech, Md Danial Syahmi dan Md Aiman Tahiruddin, masing-masing dengan masa 9’26.203s dan 9’26.615s.
Keputusan
CP150
1. Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin (JHR) Yamaha 14’38.563s 25 mata
2. Ahmad Fazli Sham (PRK) Yamaha 14’42.819s 20 mata
3. Md Zaqhwan Zaidi (SGR) Honda 14’42.864s 16 mata
4. Ahmad Afif Amran (TRG) Yamaha 14’49.183s 13 mata
5. Abd Muhaimin Roslan (SGR) Yamaha 14’49.754s 11 mata
CP115
1. Md Akid Aziz (KUL) Yamaha 11’22.325s 25 mata
2. Md Haziq Md Fairues (SGR) Yamaha 11’23.145s 20 mata
3. Tengku Amirul Haffirudin (TRG) Yamaha 11’32.175s 16 mata
4. Md Hafienaz Md Ali (PRK) Yamaha 11’35.956s 13 mata
5. Ahmad Syukran Aizat (TRG) Yamaha 11’38.218s 11 mata
WIRA
1. Saiful Azhary Muhamad (JHR) Honda 9’23.448s 25 mata
2. Md Danial Syahmi (TRG) Yamaha 9’26.203s 20 mata
3. Md Aiman Tahiruddin (KUL) Yamaha 9’26.615s 16 mata
4. Md Syafiq Aiman (JHR) Yamaha 9’27.037s 13 mata
5. Md Anuar Ibrahim Pawi (PRK) Honda 9’27.538s 11 mata
No Stopping Kasma Daniel
A new season and a new race class has proven to be no challenge for 2016 CP130 Champion, Kasma Daniel Kasmayuddin. The PETRONAS Yamaha Maju Motor rider, technically the defending champion in the CP150 class, cruised through the first leg of 2017 at the Temerloh Industrial Park in Temerloh, Pahang.
Qualifying second on the grid alongside polesitter Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi, Kasma’s trademark quick start propelled him to the front of the group as the lights went out for the start of the 2017 season. Having successfully placed the rest of the 22-rider grid behind him at the first corner, Kasma hardly looked back as he stormed through the 20-lap race with a time of 14’38.563s.
Consistently the fastest rider on the grid, Kasma crossed the finish line with a hefty 4.256s margin ahead of his closest competitor.
“Picking up maximum points is crucial for me in the first two rounds. I need to keep some points in the bank for the times when I may have to take a leave of absence due to a clash between the Cub Prix and the Spanish Championship schedule,” Kasma further explained.
Behind the 17-year-old Johorian, the heat of the competition blazed around Mohd Zaqhwan Zaidi. Despite starting from pole position, the GiVi Honda Yuzy Racing rider struggled to break away from the second group in the first four laps, hemmed in by a cluster of Yamaha rivals.
A battle royale ensued, pitting Zaqhwan’s aggressive overtaking attempts against Fitri’s tight defensive riding.
In the final lap scrimage for the last two places on the podium, Fitri was pressured into crashing, but the second position was still denied to Zaqhwan. Forced to take evasive action by Fitri’s crash, Zaqhwan opened up the window for latecomer Ahmad Fazli Sham to slip through.
Fazli’s bit of smart riding delivered a 1-2 finish for team PETRONAS Yamaha Maju Motor with a time of 14’42.819s. Zaqhwan Zaidi had to be content in third with 14’42,864s.
In the CP115 class, the three main protagonists of 2016 were again the main actors in the first leg of the 2017 season. Defending champion Mohd Akid Aziz started his title defence on the right foot with a 11’22.325s victory. Akid’s team mate Mohd Haziq Mohd Fairues narrowly lost out on the top honours when he crossed the finish line with a time of 11’23.145s, 0.820s behind Akid. Tengku Amirul Haffiruddin was forced to settle for third with 11’32.175s.
Finally, Idemitsu Kozi Yam Honda Racing’s Saiful Azhary Muhamad led the coterie of new talents in the Wira KBS category when he bagged the first chequered flag of the season with a time of 09’23.448s. In second and third place, PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha-AFB Tech duo Mohd Daniel Syahmi and Mohd Aiman Tahiruddin did themselves proud by clocking 9’23.203s and 9’26.615s respectively.
Round 2 of the 2017 PETRONAS AAM Malaysian Cub Prix Championship will take place in Tangkak, Johor on March 24 – 25.
