Cub Prix: Afif Stunner at MAEPS
Round 2 of the 2018 PETRONAS AAM Malaysian Cub Prix Championship resumed at the Malaysia Agro Exhibition Park (MAEPS) in Serdang, Selangor with a stunning display of smart racing, particularly from race winner Mohd Afif Amran.
Earlier in the day, the stage was set for a dramatic finals when defending champion Kasma Daniel Kasmayuddin found himself locked out of the front row following the CP150 SuperPole. Mohd Akid Aziz claimed pole followed by Ahmad Afif Amran and Mohd Ramdan Rosli.
Ramdan jumped into the holeshot but lost out to a charging Kasma Daniel in the middle of the opening lap. Despite all efforts to shake the competition loose, Kasma found himself leading a determined front group comprising of Ahmad Afif Amran, Mohd Ramdan Rosli and Mohd Akid Aziz, all of whom were looking for a way around the title favourite.
CP150 rookie and reining Underbone 150cc Asian Champion Akid Aziz was the first to make his move. On Lap 5, Akid propelled himself to P3, and three laps later, claimed P2. A battle royale soon ensued between the two Maju Motor team mates but it took Akid five laps before he was able to make it stick.
Having gotten past Kasma, Akid was far from safe. Stealthily coming up behind him was team PETRONAS Yamaha-CKJ’s Ahmad Afif Amran who had put in a sterling piece of strategically smart racing. Regardless of the race leader, Afif ensured that he was consistently within attacking distance. The PETRONAS Yamaha-CKJ rider tailed Akid into the lead and waited until the final lap before making a concerted move against the Maju Motor rookie.
The two PETRONAS-sponsored riders were soon tangled in a desperate final-lap bid for the win. Akid and Afif crossed the finish line side-by-side and the final winner was decided by a photo finish. Afif won his first win of the season with 15’52.716s, 0.028s in front of Akid. Kasma Daniel ended the race in third place.
In other developments, team Motul Zeneos Yamaha YY Pang Racing’s Tengku Amirul Hafiruddin enjoyed an easy win in the CP115 final.
Starting the race from pole position, Tengku Amirul lost the holeshot to a charging Syafiq Rosli. However, Tengku Amirul banked on his many years of experience in CP115 racing to quickly get the situation under control. The YY Pang rider was able to rein in Syafiq Rosli on Lap 2 and proceeded to pace uncontested at the front of the group.
Tengku Amirul ended the 15-lap race with 12’22.820s. Tengku Amirul’s team mate Mohd Fareez Afeez and PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha Maju Motor’s Haziq Mohd Fairues were also podium finishers at MAEPS, coming home second and third respectively.
In the age-capped Wira KBS category, Mohd Danial Syahmi of team SIC Junior Team AFB Tech Racing picked up his second win of the season with 10’08.335s. Quick off the starting grid, Danial beat poleman Mohd Syarifuddin Azman to the holeshot but found it hard to combat the superior speed of the Idemitsu Kozi Yam Honda Racing machine.
The two young riders squabbled over the lead for nine laps before mechanical failure forced Syarifuddin out of the race and back into the pits. Danial romped to the finish line with a comfortable 7-second lead ahead of the group.
Alif Ashraf Tahiruddin from team PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha and Fadlyshah Redzuan of Idemitsu Kozi Yam Honda Racing completed the podium in second and third respectively.
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