HIGHWAY STAR: Team NB Motor Racing’s Abdul Hafiz Rashid (No 7) and Apido Boon Kui’s Ahmad Abdul Kadir (No 77) in action during the final race of the 2012 Daiichi Sarawak Motorcycle Racing Championship (Round 4) Underbone 115 (Class A) category. — Photo by Muhd Rais Sanusi.
KUCHING: Seasoned campaigner Abdul Halim Mohd Badri finally earned his first ever podium finish when he took the chequered flag ahead of the pack after a brilliant race at the 2012 Daiichi Sarawak Motorcycle Racing Championship (Round 4) yesterday.
Competing in the JCM Sirius 100Z (One Make Race), Abdul Halim completed the 10-lap race with a timing of nine minutes and 10 seconds. The Miri native beat pre-race favourites Ahmad Kamil Bersiri and Mohammad Alif Samsul who came in second and third place respectively.
“I have always competed in the novice and professional categories. I decided to try my luck this time by joining this race just for fun and look what I have achieved here today. It was a tough race with so many good riders,” he said.
Abdul Halim revealed that despite their track rivalries, he and Ahmad and Mohammad Alif are good friends. The trio are from the same motorcycle club.
“The three of us totally enjoyed our race today. It was a great day for our club – GGM,” said Ahmad.
10 racers competed at the category yesterday. Two racers were not classified as they failed to complete the race.
In the Underbone 115 (Class B) category, Mohd Nazri Ishak of team Apido Boon Kui was crowned champion.
He clocked eight minutes and 17 seconds to beat Mohd Zulfakri Rosli (team NB Motor Racing) and his team-mate Mohd Hafiz Abdul Jalil who finished second and third place respectively. Only eight out of 12 racers finished the race.
The final race of the event was the Underbone 115 (Class A) category. It was practically a race between two established teams, Apido Boon Kui and NB Motor Racing. Riders from both teams raced neck and neck until the last lap.
The turning point of the race was when Team NB Motor Racing’s Abdul Hafiz Rashid overtook Ahmad Abdul Kadir who represented Apido Boon Kui during the seventh lap. Ahmad was leading all the way before that.
Abdul Hafiz prevailed in the end, taking the chequered flag. He clocked eight minutes and 58 seconds to finish the race.
Ahmad and Mohd Zuzaki Kipli on the other hand finished first and second place respectively. Mohd Zuzaki is also from team Apido Boon Kui.
“My machine had problems with its suspension. Abdul Hafiz was rather lucky as on a day when my machine is firing on all cylinders, he would not have won so easily,” said a cheerful Ahmad.