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Racers balancing their engines for optimum performance, that’s an easy task for them. But how many of them could balance their personal relationships with their significant others for even mediocre performance? Sounds easy but it ain’t easy mate! Racing, no doubt is an amazing thing one can do, apart from being costly and dangerous. It may drain your account, take up one’s time and may even result in an unhealthy relationship. Finding the right balance between racing and relationship then becomes questionable and, in a generation, where relationship requires equal distribution of partnership, juggling between a racing career and a relationship may even seem like a difficult task to accomplish. So, what gives? Yamaha GEN BLU Racing Team rider, Kasma Daniel Kasmayuddin said “YES” earlier this August and about to seal a deal this month. This time around, it is not the deal to bag a spot on the podium for to peruse the marriage vows. Yes, that is true. The young lad who had successful garnered numerous victories will be tying the knot this month. In an interesting twist of fate, the future Mrs Kasma grew up rooting for her father, who is also highly involved in the motorsport scene as the humble owner of PETRONAS Sprinta Yamaha – CKJ Racing Team. The team currently competes in the Malaysia’s prestigious motorsport championship, The PETRONAS Malaysian Cub Prix. John Paul Young sung Love is in the Air in 1977 but their “Love is in the Circuit” rhythm is about to transition into a beautiful yet challenging new phase. How did the 22-year old steal the heart of this lass between a busy schedule? But the real question is, how would she do it? “The ideal situation would be to find someone who is supportive but even more than that, it would be someone who shares the same interest in racing. That’s a huge deal. She grew up watching her father managing a team and follows him to circuit for races. In fact, that was how we met! Haha…She has been exposed to this environment and she is very well aware of a racer’s lifestyle. We have very less time for each other as I race most of the weekends and I travel quite a bit too. She has been very understanding since day one that I met her and hasbeen there for me through my ups and downs. It doesn’t matter if I won or lost, she was always there by my side.” Kasma went on to say, “I believe that a healthy balance between marriage and a career that requires a lot of time away is communication. Apart from that, there is also a lot of scheduling, financial planning and so on. One more thing is spending the quality time with your partner. When there is time, taking that time to be present for the partner is truly important. The relationship then becomes better as you bond with your partner. That also helps take your mind off racing for a moment and it’s not a bad thing. Even the most passionate of riders know how important rest is.” Kasma has definitely struck a balance between racing and the love of his life. For Kasma, racing is very much a family affair here onwards. He believes in marrying someone who understands not only his needs and expectations of a husband and a person but also the bulk of what makes him, him – his career. Marrying into a family who runs the same business is definitely a plus and a boost to his overall identity. “We are about the make the most important decision in our lives. We are going to seal our love through marriage and commitment towards each other. This new phase I believe will bring with it lots of positive changes into my life especially in my career. Apart from strategy, speed and techniques, a rider’s mental health plays the utmost important role in me performing at my best. Hence, marrying someone who truly understands me gives me the strength that I need to compete through circumstances.” “Well, Happy Wife, Happy Life!” giggled Kasma, It wasn’t a good start for Kasma at the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship but he geared up in the 2 nd and 3 rd round to be at the top three spot for the Asian Superbike 1000cc category. He currently holds 84 points overall and is all set for the upcoming race in his home-ground at Sepang International Circuit. Commenting on the upcoming race, Kasma said, “Yamaha machines have a little lacking in terms of speed but when it comes to the setup, it is among the best. So, it is not going to be an easy race. Nevertheless, I will give my best to be on the podium at my home-ground. The feeling of riding in my home-ground, is indescribable. It has a totally different feel to it. Racing in front of my fans, family and friends has always been my greatest pleasure. Commenting on upcoming race, Kasma said “Yamaha motorcycles has a little lacking in terms of speed, but in the terms of set-ups, they are among the best. So it is not going to be an easy race. But whatever, I will give my best to be on podium at my home-ground. If I am able to get a place at the podium, that would be even more meaningful.” “To me, the chances of winning the overall title is still there I believe despite the point gaps. Zaqhwan and Haruki are strong rivals. As much as it is a home-ground for me, it is also the home-ground for Zaqhwan and I can assure that it is going to be a tough feat this time around. I will do my best though in the best way possible to strike upon the maximum points.” Looks like a spot on the podium may just be the best wedding gift for Kasma! Connect with Us! Latest news at asiaroadracing.com

Words are just words until it is repeatedly said over a course of time that it eventually starts hitting a person. Good words leave a positive impact and bad words could lead to quite an opposite reaction. Being criticised and negative words can be a tricky thing to handle. While some may churn it into a positive criticism, some may end up feeling small and rejected. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Do what you feel in your heart to be right – for you’ll be criticised anyway. You’ll be damned if you do and damned if you don’t.” Standing strong by this very quote is Zaqhwan Zaidi, Malaysian rider who was once upon a time criticised by his very own school teacher on his love for motorsports. “There is no future in it,” he remembered the teacher saying. But he proved it otherwise. Today, his passion has brought him to places and he has carved a name for himself all around the globe. “When a student is asked about what he or she would want to be when they grew up, may would say that they want to become a doctor or a lawyer, police or a scientist. But I told my teacher that I want to be a motorcycle racer. He laughed at my face and told me that there is no future in it and that I will go nowhere in life if this continues to be my goal.” “I was a kid then. Definitely, it left an impact in my life. It was hurtful even more so when I was laughed at for my dreams and passion. But I never gave up. I believed in myself and I took that snide comment as a way to move forward. I wanted to prove that I would be successful in this field. And I’m glad that I did! Recently, I also met the teacher who made that comment and I made peace with it when he acknowledged my achievements,” said Zaqhwan. Zaqhwan is no stranger to the world of motorsports. He emerged into the two wheels racing professionally at the age of 12 and made his debut in the SuperSports 600cc at the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship in 2014. He was only 19 then. Despite being a debutante, he was crowned Champion after performing phenomenally in the race. In 2018 he was crowned for the second time in his career. Zaqhwan who rides for Honda Asia-Dream Racing with SHOWA is currently sitting at the second spot overall in the Asia Superbike 1000cc category. He sped to a positive start in the first three rounds. He fell short in Race 1 of Round 2 in his home-ground and Race 2 of Round 3 held at Sugo International Racing Course. Nevertheless, the highly experienced rider is not about to give up and believes that he still has what it takes to overtake the Japanese rider, Haruki Noguchi who is currently taking lead in the overall standings with a gap of 13points between them. The smiling persona who is embracing his 27 th year has come up with a strategy to “capture” Round 4 which is scheduled to take place from 6 th to 9 th October at the Sepang International Circuit before the 2022 campaign concludes at the Chang International Circuit, Thailand from 18 th to 20 th November. “I will for sure put on a good tough fight with Noguchi. For this race (in Sepang), I don’t to be defeated by him. I have to win and be at a better position than he is now so that I can add on the points that is needed. I cannot afford to make mistakes. Noguchi is definitely my biggest contender. He understands his machine very well and has a mastery that is not easy to supersede. It will be a challenging one for me but I will go all out,” said Zaqhwan. Haruki Noguchi of SDG Motor Sports HARC-PRO Ph. team has taken three consecutive wins since Race 2 of Round 2 in Sepang before continuing his momentum of excellence in his homeland for Round 3. Noguchi currently leads the overall chart of the ASB1000cc category with a total of 124 points while Zaqhwan trails closely. Meanwhile, Yamaha GEN BLU Racing Team ASEAN rider, Kasma Daniel Kasmayuddin takes third with a total of 84 points. “We will try out level best. Sometimes it really is about the Lady Luck too. Regardless, I have set the target to finish the race ahead of him. I must take the win in both races and we seem to have a bright chance to clinch the podium in the following round at Thailand too,” said Zaqhwan who aims to defend the Malaysia’s Asian Champion title. In year 2019, the championship title fell into the hands of Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman before the two-year lockdown took place. Connect with Us! Latest news at asiaroadracing.com

“Of course, my dream is to embark on the same footsteps of my hero, Marc Marquez and to be the champion in MotoGP.” He has carved successes in the world of motorsports but the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship is by far his first. Yet, he never failed to make waves each time he takes a stride. Haruki Noguchi of SDG Motor Sports HARC-PRO Ph. is the man of the hour in the Asia Superbike 1000cc category. Undoubtedly, Haruki has flaunted upon a strong mastery in his riding techniques which not only gave him total control of his machine in every circuit but also a strong positioning in the game. Rewinding to the beginning of the season, Haruki was seen consistently fleeting ahead in a bolt with confidence.   The Nara, Japan born racer was romanticizing the idea of being on top of two-wheel machine since he was 5 years old. “My father raced minibikes and I usually followed him to the circuits to watch him race. Also, each time I watched the MotoGP on TV, it spiked my interest even more. Then, I decided to give it a go on the Terminator Kids when I was five.” “To be honest, motorsport is not my only favourite sport as a child. I used to be tuned to the rhythm of tennis, baseball, table-tennis and basketball. Somehow, after trying some of these sports, my heart took a leap forward with speed and bikes. When I started my motorbike life, all I ever wanted was to do the “Knee Down” just like Marquez who inspired me with his graceful act. At that time, it seemed like he was crashing all the time yet he wasn’t. He locks the rear into every corner at nearly full lean and you might think, “How did he even get away with that?” That curiosity to learn more tickled my nerves and here I am today and I am confident that I will be there one day,” said Haruki, armed with confidence. Haruki stormed into the world of motorsports professionally when he completed the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup in 2016 and the All Japan Road Race Championship in 2018. The 21-year-old lad made his first podium in 2017 at his home-ground, Suzuka. He said, “There was a lot of pressure in that race. I am good at the slow corners like in the Suzuka’s chicane. I passed my contender who was leading the Race 1 at Suzuka in 2017. At that time, I made the most perfect braking in my entire race career. So, I will always remember that time.” He went on reminiscing, “Throughout my journey and to this very day, my family has been my biggest pillar of strength. My parents gifted me a motorbike and they supported with wholeheartedly. My father is a mechanic so he helps me on the maintenance of the machine while my mother takes care of my food intake and training routines. They have also managed all expenses for each race.” The homester made Japan proud when he bagged victory in the both races of the ASB1000 category, Round 3 which was held at Sugo International Racing Course. Putting aside the advantage of home-ground, Haruki showcased control over machine and techniques of dominating the scene with fiery moves that left fans and spectators awed. Commenting on his spectacular performances in Round 3, Haruki said, “Before Round 3 took place, I was four points behind Zaqhwan but after the race, I was overjoyed to have swapped places with him. I definitely would like to thank my team for working on the machine and finding the best setup for my machine. The machine was in extremely good condition and that was a major push towards my achievements.” “For the next round, I am not very sure if I will be able to maintain my standing as it is the home-ground of my main contender and also Kasma Daniel who is up and coming. So, it is not going to be an easy race for sure. However, I have some pertinent data from Round 2 at Sepang. We hope that that would help us with the right setup for the machine. I intend to collect maximum points in every race from here onwards and if I can win the championship, it would be a big bonus,” said Haruki. Haruki currently leads the standing with a total of 124 points while Zaqhwan takes second with a total of 111 points. In third place, another Malaysian rider, Kasma Daniel Kasmayuddin with a total of 84 points. Connect with Us! Latest news at asiaroadracing.com