Ahmad Afif Amran Wins in Thrilling Cub Prix Season Opener

Last-Lap Drama at Sepang as Afif Steals Victory in Nail-Biting Finish on the first round of 2025 PETRONAS MAM Malaysian Cub Prix Championship.

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The 2025 PETRONAS MAM Malaysian Cub Prix Championship kicked off in spectacular fashion last weekend (19-20 April) at the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit (North), with Ahmad Afif Amran of PETRONAS SPRINTA YAMAHA – CKJ RACING emerging victorious in a nail-biting CP150 race.

The action began with Saturday’s “ShootOut” session, where Danial Syahmi Ahmad Shahril (PETRONAS SPRINTA YAMAHA MAJU MOTOR) set the pace with a blistering lap time of 1’17:868s to secure pole position. He was joined on the front row by teammate Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin (1’18:082s) and MAEZTRO SCK HONDA RACING TEAM’s Md Helmi Azman (1’18:198s).

Sunday’s race saw Danial Syahmi take an early lead, with Kasma and PETRONAS SPRINTA YAMAHA – CKJ RACING’s Md Akid Aziz in close pursuit. Afif, starting in P4, initially dropped to seventh but mounted a sensational comeback in the closing stages.

The final laps were a masterclass in overtaking, with positions changing at almost every corner. Afif surged into the lead with two laps remaining, only for MAEZTRO SCK HONDA RACING TEAM’s Helmi and Md Irfan Haykhal Amidi to briefly overtake him on the last lap. However, a perfectly timed final push, aided by teammate Akid, saw Afif reclaim first place in a dramatic dash to the chequered flag.

Afif crossed the line in 14’37:815s, just 0.022s ahead of Danial Syahmi (14’37:837s), while Akid completed a strong day for PETRONAS SPRINTA YAMAHA – CKJ RACING by taking third (14’37:851s).

An emotional Afif dedicated his win to his team, saying, “I want to thank the team who have sacrificed so much for me. From the fasting month through to Hari Raya, they never stopped working on R&D for my machine to deliver top performance at this round. Alhamdulillah, all our hard work finally paid off.”

Reflecting on the race, he admitted, “The race was really intense. I honestly didn’t expect to be on the podium today because at Sepang, anyone can win. My goal was just to finish in the top five, so a podium is a bonus. As for Akid and I, we didn’t plan anything specific, we just focused on our own riding today.”

Top 5 Finishers – CP150 Round 1

1. Ahmad Afif Amran – PETRONAS SPRINTA YAMAHA – CKJ RACING (14’37:815s)
2. Danial Syahmi Ahmad Shahril – PETRONAS SPRINTA YAMAHA MAJU MOTOR (14’37:837s)
3. Md Akid Aziz – PETRONAS SPRINTA YAMAHA – CKJ RACING (14’37:851s)
4. Nazirul Izzat Md Bahauddin – PETRONAS SPRINTA YAMAHA MAJU MOTOR (14’37:996s)
5. Md Helmi Azman – MAEZTRO SCK HONDA RACING TEAM (14’38:184s)

The championship resumes next month with Round 2 at the Litar Lumba Tangkak in Johor, where rivals will be eager to close the gap on Afif’s early lead.