LIFE GOES ON
Riders have no fear despite Norizman’s tragic death
AFTER one of their fellow riders died, the response was: “It’s part and parcel of the job.
The majority of the motorcycle riders in the Malaysian Cub Prix feel this way amid Norizman Ismail’s death during the third practice session of the AAM Petronas Cub Prix CP150 in Terengganu, last Friday.
The tragic incident had left a somber mood with the race being cancelled out of respect for a fallen comrade.
It also left some of Norizman’s close friends feeling shocked and reminded them of the danger of motor racing.
Norizman’s former Cub Prix teammate Elly Idzlia Nizar said he was more than just a friend, he was family.
Elly, who has faced the perils of motor racing, said: “Accidents are common and like me, I have a lot of metal in my body as a result of falling off my bike.
“He’s very experienced and the two of us were talking about taking our careers towards becoming instructors. For me, his loss means the loss of that knowledge that he could have contributed towards becoming an instructor.”
Ahmad Fazli Sham, who has known Norizman since 2003 when they competed against each other in the Wira category, said the spectre of death on the track was on his mind when he heard the tragic news but this has not discouraged Petronas Yamaha Maju Motor rider from racing.
“There were certainly a lot of things going on in my mind after that.
“I remembered the time when we were racing at the Yamaha Asean Cup in Indonesia in 2003 and we won the novice podium because we were the only two new riders at that time.”
Another rider of the same batch as Norizman was Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman, who is a former Moto2 and Cub Prix rider. He remembered his former Harian Metro Y-TEQ SCK Honda Racing teammate and how they endured two seasons together.
“He’s an experienced rider who constantly taught me how to repair my bike on the technical aspects.
“I am shocked until now and I hope his family is strong in facing these tough times.”
For World Supersport and former Moto3 rider Zulfahmi Khairuddin, Norizman’s absence will be missed even though the two riders weren’t that close.
“He raced in a different category but usually we would all be behind the pit with him.
“He had got true passion for motorbikes and he also had his own workshop, so he really knew how to modify his machine plus I know he had a lot of experience in Cub Prix.”
The Orelac Racing VerdNatura rider added that motorsports is dangerous and even on the MotoGP stage, not all accidents could have been avoided.
“I think when riders put on their helmets, they just forget everything and just continue about the race.
“Motorsports is a dangerous sport, even in MotoGP, not all accidents can be saved and this was a racing incident that couldn’t be avoided.”
On Friday, Norizman crashed at turn one during the CP150 timed practice session at Bandar Baru Kijal in Terengganu.
The 32-year-old made his Cub Prix debut in 2004 and was a two-time national champion (2005 and 2011).