Updates on Hafiq Azmi's progress in BSB Motostar Cup and Rookies Cup

[steveyb]

BSB Rd 1, Brands Hatch Indy, riding KTM RC125 for Global Globe WCM racing: Qualified 7th, 1.52s from pole.
I don't think there are any Moto3 bikes in this class.

[SWERVE]

Well done Hafiq.
BSB at Brands Hatch............... doesnt get much better......... the indy circuit is an awesome track.
T1 Paddock Hill is my all time favorite corner.

reckon the designer of HD just took Brands club circuit and mixed it up a bit...... with a little less elevation.

[steveyb]

Looks like the 125 race was postponed or cancelled due to the SNAFU they had with rain and petrol/oil/detergents.
Can't find any results or info.

[SWERVE]

Looks like the 125 race was postponed or cancelled due to the SNAFU they had with rain and petrol/oil/detergents.
Can't find any results or info.

Yeah looks like Uk had a real monsoon this weekend...... mates mailed me to say that Easter Thunderball Drags at santa Pod were rained off too.

[lukemillar]

T1 Paddock Hill is my all time favorite corner.

Except when it's wet!

[SWERVE]

Except when it's wet!

Its the exit to T1 (paddock hill) that is dodgy in the wet as all the water runs down the hill in same direction as you (trying to feed the throttle) But the wet does present opportunities to take the inside line into Druids which is not so easy in the dry.
Having said that...........! i have only ridden it on a quick 600 back in the late 90,s.............. a 200hp+ superbike........ they are gods.
A very quick track in the wet too....as it drains well and doest really have any big pools of water (or didnt back then) and a grippy surface. Probebly why there are so many crashes in a wet race there as everybody is pushing the boundries.

[discodan]

I watched the red flagged supesport race and there was a pile up at turn 3 with 3 seperate riders loosing the front going in so there must have been something dodgy on the track that they couldn't isolate. Luckily didn't seem like anyone was hurt too bad.

At least Hafiq is no stranger to the wet. Good luck to him.

[steveyb]

Brand new circuit for Hafiq. It is a very fast circuit from what I recall. Merv?

FP 1, 19th, 6.8s off lead.

FP 2, 9th, 4.0s off lead. Significant improvement.

Kyle Ryde the BSB 125GP #1 2011 is the man (boy??) to beat, riding an Aprilia. The KTM is nowhere near as fast as the Aprilia.
JEEEEEZ, 57 entries in Superstock 1000!!!!!! 39 entries in 600 Superstock!!! 29 in 125. 35 in Superbike, 34 in Supersport.

Oh yeah, Sandra Stammova, QP 51st, 4.8s off lead.

QP, 17th, 5.4 off lead, but looks like he has crashed or broken down. Only did 7 laps, others did up to 15.
7 riders DNQ.
Looks like weather is shitty again, laptimes are up.

[SWERVE]

Yep Fast & flat......... as most ex airfeild circuits are.
Only rode there once...but have spectated many times. I think it has had a lot of money spent/improvments since i was there (the old surface was in need of something).
im sure Hafiq will move up in Qual/race. He gotta stop this crashing lark!........ leave that to Sandra.
Good numbers in all classes......... would imagine around 38/40 qualify.
Shame about the good old english weather.......again.

[steveyb]

Race, DNF lap 6 of 10.
The other KTM (Tarran McKenzie) also DNF, so maybe bike trouble?
Looks like he crashed according to his Twitter.
His laptime would have had him in 3rd place, on best laptimes.
This was the postponed Round 1 (Race of Brands) race. Round 2 on Sunday, 3pm.

Race 2, P 5, in the group for P 2. 8s off P1, 0.12s off P 4. 4th best laptime. P2-P5 covered by 1 s. 10th equal in standings I think.
Great result.

[steveyb]

Hafiq Azmi Qualifying P 16 2.01.6, 1.88s off pole.

Race 1: P 14, 2 points. 37s behind winner.

Race 2: P7, 9 points. 14s behind winner, all on his own between front group and following group.

Pretty good results I would think.

Estoril this weekend.

[steveyb]

QP 5th, 1 sec off pole.
R 1; 10th in second group.
R 2; 7th at head of second group.

Very successful weekend. No crashes in races, good points.
Beat Baldassari last years champ in all sessions.
11th place in championship with 26 points.

[steveyb]

Third new circuit in as many rounds.
Missed Oulton Parks due to clash with Rookies Cup at Estoril.

FP1 DNQ clearly just finding his feet around a new circuit.
FP2 straight into 10th place, 2.9 s off the leader Kyle Ryde who is debuting the first NSF250 in BSB and is 0.5s in front.

[RDjase]

What bikes are being raced in BSB and Red Bull Rookies, still 125's?

[steveyb]

Currently Rookies Cup are still running KTM RC125 bikes but will be changing to the KTM Moto3 bike (whatever it is called) next year.
The KTM Moto3 bike will be released to the public market in the new year 2013, but be sitting down when you read the price, I am sure!!
Used ex Rookies cup USA RC125s (which are not actually full power spec bikes) are available ex-USA for something like USD$18,000 (I have seen one advertised for $USD24,000), while the new RS125 was $USD9,000ish and the Honda NSF250 is $USD22,000 or something like that. I imagine that the KTM Moto3 bike will be the best part of $USD30,000 or more.

In BSB Kyle Ryde is using the first Honda NSF in BSB just this weekend. Hafiq and Tarren MacKenzie are the only ones using KTMs (due to the Rookies Cup/WCM tie up). The big players in 125 racing in BSB are trying hard to resist the move to Moto3/GPMono.

There are already at least 3 but I think 5 NSF250's racing in Australia and one or two MD250H's among the 125's. The fastest laps in Australia are still 125 times, but set with an Aprilia. The MD250H is not competitive in their races. A lot of the Aussie 125's are pretty high spec ones.

[steveyb]

QP1: 7th place, one in front of 'team mate' Tarren MacKenzie.
3.0s off pole.
Top 10 separated by huge 4.0 seconds, so clearly a large differential between riders at this circuit.
QP2: 9th, 3.3s off pole.
Starting position: 9th.

Race: DNF. Laptime was about same as P6.
Was running in P4 prior to crashing.

Weather looked awesome, as it can be in the UK at this time of year!!

http://www.nzsbk.com/2012/05/bsb-2012-round-4-motostar.html?utm_source=BP_recent

[steveyb]

Silverstone, where Hafiq ran at the front of the pack and finished 5th last year.
This year:
QP: P 15, 2.35s off pace.

R1: P 18.

R2: P 13.
Pretty average all round really. Seems that either the competition has moved on significantly, or he has slipped away somewhat.

[steveyb]

QP: P 10, 3.0s off lead. Not so bad, about where he has been all season in BSB Motostar champs.

Race: DNF on lap 5.

Results seem very strange with two leading riders also DNF on lap 16. Only two riders finished on lead lap, incl Hafiqs "KTM team mate" Tarran MacKenzie who finished 2nd.

[SWERVE]

Wadaja reckon Steve.
Is he one of the less experienced young guys!
Has he hit a plateau..... is this the only riding he is currently doing!
Other...!
Interested to hear your thoughts.

[steveyb]

I don't know what to think. He is of course riding BSB MotoStar and Rookies Cup on the same type of bike. I have heard that other riders can have trouble getting the KTM to work for them, such as Bradley Rey, but he seems to have sorted it.
One comment that has been made is that he just relys on luck to get him round the track.
I can only assume that he really is not applying himself in the manner that is required, maybe has gotten a dose of teenage arrogance.
At this rate there will be no year 3 in Rookies Cup I would think.

[SWERVE]

Yes it can be a battle to keep them young uns focused. However committed they seem one minute nobody (inc them) have any control over teenage behaviour.
If its only a glitch its a shame to come right now..... as im sure there are many waiting to jump in his seat.
Hope he gets it together.

[steveyb]

QP 2: P 6 1.1 s off pole.
Pole to Karel Hanika from Czech Republic, the find of the season in his first year.

Chasing Lopes round towards the end of the session, Hafiq Azmi, the 15 year old Malaysian, leapt up the leader-board to 6th but knows he still has work to do. “My lap times were not consistent, I got in behind Ivo and went fast so I know I can do it. I hope to get a good start tomorrow and fight for a place on the podium.”


Assen Race 1: P 8. Ten riders in lead group separated by 1.3s at flag. Hafiq and another rider together at 11s, then the remainder another 10 s adrift.
Roll on Saturday.

Race 2: DNF 3 laps from finish, rider OK. Disappointing.

[RobGassit]

Does he have a coach over there besides his Dad?

[steveyb]

The Rookies Cup organisation does some coaching with the riders, but as you can imagine there are alot of riders and fewer coaches. Otherwise, no I don't think so. I did drop some hints, but y'know..... hahaha

Rookies Cup Sachsenring:
QP: P 12 3.1s off pole.

Weather is really crap!!!

R1: P 8 23.8s from winner.

Group of six riders, at the back of group of six riders at finish. A good finish in the conditions. He beat all three of his BSB competitors, his BSB team mate crashed and he beat the 2011 Rookies champion. Only the leading riders this year in front of him, so this time round a really good result. Cheers to NZ rain weather for experience!!!

R2: P 17. Not flash result, but does not tell the story of the race:

"The ride of the race not rewarded by points certainly went to 15 year old Malaysian Hafiq Azmi who set the fastest lap of the race in an incredible charge through the field. He was 12th on the grid but got pushed back to 18th early and way off the lead group before racing his way forward. He joined the lead pack right at the end but slid out at the top of the hill on the last lap just behind the Loi, Alt, Deroue incident."

Fantastic also that he pick himself up to finish the race and didn't just get the pip.

The weather was something else eh? But the Rookies Cup race was in the dry I think.

[RobGassit]

Good result in tough conditions. From the little snippets we see on Sky the competition is ruthless. He will be maturing as a racer at an exponential rate.

[steveyb]

Updates from Hafiq's Dad, Dato.
They feel they might have turned a corner. Hope so. They will be sitting out the next round of BSB.

Hi Dr Steve

Good to hear from you,happy with all the progress..
We had been a way for 4 months from home, I think thats really affected his performance.
But I think he is making progress in crossing the next bridge!
He is also skipping this weekend B.Hatch BSB, just to get him refreshed.

Now were already a week in Amsterdam after Sachsenring.
Leaving for London tomorrow and looking for next available flights to Malaysia

Will try to propose to my sponsor for 2013 nzsbk.
good thing to visit nz again.

Ciao

[jellywrestler]

Will try to propose to my sponsor for 2013 nzsbk.
good thing to visit nz again.

Ciao
be really good to have him back , he's a great lad and also it's good for our competitors to mix with riders who they can follow their international results too, not forgetting the Kiwis out there doing it.

[steveyb]

FP and QP in the rain. Only one race this weekend.

Wet practice in NZ clearly has helped a bit, Hafiq qualified 8th, 1.5s off pole.

But the revelations of the season, Karel Hanika (CZE) and Livio Loi (BEL) are in 2nd and 3rd respectively. These kids are something else!

And just to keep you all updated, Tyler Lincoln will be leaving to attend Rookies Cup selection 2013 on 30 Sept.
He will be spending the week prior to the selection event with the Mettams, Lewis's and Simon Crafar at Magny Cours WSBK meeting. That will get him acclimatised and also get a look at the big show and be able to pick Simons brain.
Tyler will be accompanied and assisted by Dan Plaisted.

We wish Tyler all the best of luck and the best time on this great adventure.

Cheers

Steve
Moto Academy NZ

[SWERVE]

Good luck to Tyler............. without sounding like a Tosser i think he will as many others find the level of competition mind-blowing. However the experience will be awesome and he will learn heaps. I hope he takes it all in his stride - enjoys his trip & who knows he might just surprise us all:ar15:

[RobGassit]

Tyler will win the thing and be picked up for an Italian Moto3 Team. You heard it here first.