By Murni Fazira
The Malaysian Cub Prix Championship is a championship for the local underbone which is a small motorcycle built around a single tube frame, motorcyclists. Muhd Harith joined the Malaysian Cub Prix world in 2016 having been inspired by his late brother Muhd Haziq. Of course, necessary terms have to be adhered to like having the license to track race and making sure the motorcycle is set up according to the rules in the regulation book before joining the big national Petronas Malaysian Cub Prix Championship.
This 24-year-old Ipoh-born is still participating actively in the national championship and also owns his own motorbike workshop, Maju Mega Bike (MMB) that is located in Taman Anda, Tasek.
Recently, he attended the ninth round of the Malaysian Cub Prix located in Jempol, Negeri Sembilan from November 14 to 16. It was a tough weekend for him as it was very competitive. Though he did not get any placing, he shared his experience during the whole three years since entering the Malaysian Cub Prix championship.
The Malaysian Cub Prix national championship has three categories which are WIRA – for children aged 13 to 17 only, CP115 and CP150. The categories are to differentiate the engine size on an underbone motorcycle. Harith with his Honda Wave Alpha 110 motorcycle number 90 was under the CP115 category. For the race, they were also divided into private racing teams and sponsored racing teams. Harith was in the private racing team category under his own company MMB. Since the national championship consists of 10 rounds, the last round Harith is attending is located at Sepang Selangor on December 7.
Despite having to work, Harith put time and effort into racing. He trains once a week at Dato’ Sagor race track in Kg. Gajah for six hours. Harith trains on his own as he does not have a coach but back when his brother was around, they used to compete with each other. Now, Harith trains alone accompanied by his friends and other family members.
“Speed is the main focus when I race and that is what I like about it. It challenges me mentally because every time I race, I feel the giddiness in me that fires me up during the race” said Harith.
Since all tracks have different routes with different track lengths and time, Harith could not share his personal best-clocked time. “Every route is different which makes it more challenging and fun,” he added.
“I miss racing with my brother in the Malaysian Cub Prix Championship and cannot forget the part where he won the podium at 3rd place beating me at 5th. That race will always be in my memory. Even though my brother is no longer here I am still thankful for the support of my family and friends.” Remembering his late brother Haziq who died from a road accident back in 2018, he is still determined to continue racing even though sometimes he feels like giving up during hard times. Besides the Cub Prix, Harith also participates in other small authorised competitions like BRAPP and PLATE and has won a few times.
Other than making sure the bike is in top condition, his physical and mental fitness is equally as important in a race. Without good mental and physical endurance, racing could be tough. Everybody has their favourite role model and for Harith, he admires Marc Marquez because he is a strong rider and has achieved a lot in racing.
“For those who have an interest in becoming a racer like me, great family support and motivation is a must. Having the determination to become a racer also needs strong mental and physical endurance,” advised Harith for young riders.
Harith’s ultimate ambition in the racing world is to be a great coach by developing junior riders. As he owns a workshop, he also has ambitions for his company to be known throughout the national championship. “Balancing your career and interest is challenging but with high determination, you know you’ll get there,” Harith said before we ended the interview.
