KUALA LUMPUR: There will be much more at stake for teams competing in the Petronas Malaysian Cub Prix Championships as the prize money has been increased by almost 50 per cent this season.
Cub Prix supremo Ron Hogg said the total prize money for the 10-round championships will amount to almost RM500,000, not including win bonuses.
Ron is expecting this season's competition to be stiffer with the inclusion of new teams as well as the introduction of fuel injection technology for the entry-level Wira class.
The underbone championships, which has helped groom numerous talents over the years, celebrated its 30th anniversary yesterday.
"We have big plans for the next five to 10 years, we want to give more opportunities to Malaysian riders to step up to the international level. One of the problems now is the cost (of competing abroad), so the best thing we can do is train them in Malaysia (through Cub Prix)," said Ron yesterday.
The Cub Prix community has grown steadily over the years and the series now involving more than 1,500 people, including riders, mechanics, team members, marshals and crew, during each race weekend.
This season's Cub Prix will flag off with the first round at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) on Feb 25 to 26.