MotoGP madness - 30 and counting

It is incredible to think that the recently concluded 2014 Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix or MotoGP was the 24th edition of the event on these tropical shores. Year on year, it is an event that continues to cement its presence to be ranked amongst one of the most, if not THE most important event on Malaysia's racing calendar. 

And in my mind, it is arguably the biggest racing event in Malaysia. Granted, the Formula One attracts enormous publicity from the local, regional and international media, but, the star-studded, Hollywood A-list filled-paddock affair pales slightly in comparison to how the MotoGP is able to attract motorcycle racing fans and two-wheeled aficionados across every age group from pretty much every corner of the globe who descend en masse into the circuit, flooding the grandstands to the brim every October since 1991.

For the first time in almost 15 years, I got to spend some time in the grandstands, amongst these motorcycle racing fans and it was an eye-opener. In the past, I would marvel at the various antics of these adrenalin-filled fanatics from the edge of the pitlane. This time, I was amongst them - OK, for a couple of hours - and honestly, I was a bit scared but also in awe. 

Fab Fans

I even spoke to some of them, who were happy to share their thoughts about being at the race. Some were first-timers, like Mr. Tom (from Perth, Australia) who said, "well, this was one race we hadn't visited yet, so we decided, why the heck not! We got the tickets and jumped onto a flight and here we are!" I asked if he was a fan of any particular rider, to which he responded, "no." Curious.. He did go on to add that, "of course we want to see our boy Jack (Miller) do well in the Moto3, but really, we're here because of the racing. We're not here because of any rider, we're here because of the racing. It's great!"

They are everywhere! VR46 fans

Interesting.. After stalking about the grandstand and the mall area, I bumped into another group, who were more than happy to indulge my curiousity. One of them was clearly a VR46 fan, decked top-to-bottom in the Doctor's trademark yellow. I asked them the rather obvious question of what attracted them to come to the MotoGP. Well, the response was unsurprisingly and unanimously, "Mestilah, The Doctor!" Of course, Valentino Rossi. Ddduh, on my part. I was later informed by The Doctor's fan club coordinator that his fans in the grandstand fronting the start-finish straight alone numbered close to 7,000. 

 Anyway, if you looked closely enough amongst that ocean of yellow, one would also find islands of black with a very visible 'por fuera' X; which is great, especially having had the privilege of working with the owner of that particular brand. 

From way back when.. with JL

I chanced upon such a group clad in their JL99 t-shirts as I entered the circuit on Saturday. Walking up with JL99's Spartans, the discussion was very animated in clipped English, Spanish, Japanese and (I am quite sure it was) Russian, each discussing Lorenzo's strategy for the weekend; from the tyre choices to the heat and the possibility of rain, whether it plays into his hands... etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Judging from the conversation, it felt like the group had just stepped out of their respective computer screens and their online JL99 Spartan fan-forum; bringing the same debate into real life, right there at the gates of the circuit. Spock would say, "fascinating.." and I would agree. 

It's true that these fans are also amongst the most loyal and discerning. I spoke to an En. Mat (he wanted to be known as that) who had spent his youth watching the likes of Kevin Schwantz, Wayne Rainey, Eddie Lawson, Randy Mamola and Wayne Gardner battle it out. By the time he was able to acquire a set of his own wheels, his pilgrimage to the Shah Alam (and subsequently Sepang) circuit began in earnest. 

He said, "bila dapat tengok rider-rider kegemaran saya di trek dan bukan di kaca TV adalah pengalaman yang sangat special, lepas tu jadi ritual saya tiap-tiap tahunlah!" (the experience of watching my favourite riders at the track and not on TV is really special, after which it became an annual ritual for me). 

Whilst the impressive tsunami of yellow is ever prevalent amongst the thousands who frequent these races across the planet, the sight of groups of fans who support the other riders lends an especially colourful atmosphere to the GPs. 


Pescao phenom

Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah

What was especially nice to see was in that great mix of fans, this year there were also pockets of 'Pescao' fans about the circuit too. While chatting to that die-hard motorcycle racing fan En. Mat, his choice of attire for the weekend intrigued me, because he wasn't in yellow, or black but the colourful mosaic of this "Pescao". 

He said, "saya rasa Hafizh ada sesuatu yang special, dan saya memang suka tengok dia racing! Lebih-lebih lagi, dia dari Malaysia, jadi tak logiklah kalau saya tak sokong dia!" (there's something special about Hafizh and I like watching him race. That he's from Malaysia, it doesn't make sense if I don't support him!)

Nice.. It's worth mentioning that 20-year old Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah earned his nickname "Pescao" during his 2-year exploits in the CEV Spanish National Championship (2012 finishing 6th and 2013 finishing 3rd). Derived from the Spanish word "Pescado" meaning fish, the name stuck with him after he continually proved his innate talent of racing in the rain. Prior to his move to Spain, Hafizh had already blazed a successful trail in the domestic and regional championships. 

An Aussie Hafizh "Pescao" Syahrin fan

But what really launched Pescao into the stratosphere was his ride in the Moto2 category as a wildcard at the 2012 edition of the Malaysian Motorcycle GP, an exploit I might reserve for another post. Sorry. :)

Though luck eluded Pescao at the 2014 edition, fans will take heart in knowing that his determination is by no means diminished, in fact it's fired him up even more. So, watch out for him racing at the season finale round in Valencia. 

I also know Pescao will also take some heart in knowing that whilst watching his race with Vale Rossi in the same room, The Doctor was truly impressed with Hafizh's race craft, his confidence and ability to carve his way through the more experienced field. The Doctor's prescription was this - experience and controlled aggression. 


Daring to Dream

L-R: Barry Leong, Hafizh Syahrin, Anita Azrina (GM, Brand Management 

PETRONAS), YM Tunku Datuk Mudzaffar (Chairman, AAM), 

Ramdan Rosli and Kenny Chua

There were in total, 6 Malaysians competing in both the Moto2 and Moto3 races during the MotoGP Malaysia weekend. It was a heartbreaking affair as there was not to be a repeat of the 2012 edition. 

However, to me, I take heart in knowing that Malaysia has taken a huge step forward in terms of producing riders that can compete on the world stage. 

Hafizh is one of them, as are Zulfahmi Khairuddin and Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman. If we were to look beyond the results from this one round, what is incredibly encouraging is both the number and quality of riders that Malaysia is capable of and is producing.

What's even more interesting is that while these 6 flew the flag at the MotoGP, there are another 24 Malaysians who are also plying their trade at the international stage. Best part is, ALL 30 riders came through the domestic Malaysian Cub Prix championship! 

Ramdan Rosli is racing in the CEV Spanish 

National Motorcycle Championship that earned him a

Moto3 

wildcard ticket at the 2014 M'sian 

Motorcycle GP

Bumping into a Cub Prix rider at the GP, I cornered the poor kid and asked him about what effect these 6 riders has had on his own ambitions, "it definitely gives me a huge motivation to try to make the step up through the different motorcycle racing categories. It's definitely my aim to work hard and try to emulate what they have achieved. And, it's not just me, the achievements of Hafizh, Zulfahmi and Azlan is also a powerful motivation to young kids out there who want to try their hand at motorcycle racing." 

With a strong motorcycle racing foundation already in place, the achievements of these 30 Malaysian riders has the net effect of giving Malaysians something to dream about. Can Malaysia compete with motorcycle-racing mad countries like Spain, Italy or UK? Is Malaysia capable to producing riders to match Marc Marquez, Jorge Lorenzo, Cal Crutchlow or Tito Rabat?

Why ever not?