• Malaysian Moto2 star, Khairul Idham Pawi had set up his own racing academy.

• The Superkip Racing Academy will enter riders in the 2018 Cub Prix season.

• The team will be managed by Superkip’s father, Pawi Omar. 

Young age and a busy schedule at MotoGP did not stop Malaysian Moto2 rider, Khairul Idham Pawi, from training young riders through his own Superkip Racing Academy.

In addition to training, the academy based in Kampung Gajah, Perak, also took a step further by campaigning in the national professional racing stage, namely in the PETRONAS AAM Malaysia Cub Prix Championship in 2018, in the CP115 and Wira categories.

Among the early riders of the SuperKIP Academy are Khairul’s younger brother Anuar Ibrahim Pawi, besides Honda Wave Alpha Challenge riders Md Afizat Supaat, Md Amer Rossi Amidi, Md Hazim, and Md Haziq Rosmaza.

“Selection of riders has been done since the mid-season of the Cub Prix 2017 Championship where we saw and evaluated potential rivals competing in the Honda one-make race series.

“After listing some riders, we invited them to undergo my training session as soon as the Cub Prix Championship ended in Johor, last November. We did different approaches where these riders did not only undergo intensive training, but also provided accommodation here. In addition to training on the circuit, they also underwent training such as fitness, cycling, and others according to the set schedule,” said the 19-year-old rider.

Commenting on the target against all riders, Khairul said, “This is the first year the team is competing at the Cub Prix while the riders are also competing for the first time in the higher classes. We did not set the target too high, we’ll be satisfied with top five finish, and would definitely be very happy if they could climb onto the podium.

“The competition will be fierce and they will be forced to face more experienced teams and riders, including my former team, Idemitsu Kozi Yam Honda Racing. The competition is certainly great and I hope the riders can gain useful experience this year.”

He added, “This team will be supervised by my dad as I’m in Europe a lot next year. Nevertheless, I will always watch them race live on social media when I’m not involved with racing and always get the latest updates from team management.”

Meanwhile, Khairul’s father, Pawi Omar, who will act as team manager, said the plan to set up the academy arose after Khairul won the Moto3 race in Argentina and Germany.

“In the early stages, the academy was created to provide guidance to local youths who are interested in racing before deciding to go further.”

“The way we formed Khairul all this time will be used to guide other riders. Most important is the support of the riders themselves. We are pleased that the families of the riders in the academy are fully supportive and willing to let their children live with us for training and preparation for the Cub Prix race, “he explained.