KUALA LUMPUR – TKKR Racing Team finds itself in stormy waters once again as it faces the urgent need for funding to navigate through the remaining three rounds of the Asia Road Racing Championship.
Speaking to Scoop, TKKR team principal, Bobbie Farid Shamsudin, explained that despite their team’s successes, they have struggled to convince private entities to invest in their team.
The funds they raised before the start of this season, amounting to RM 180,000, have already been exhausted to cover the expenses for the previous three rounds of the ARRC.
Now, they need approximately half a million more to fund the team until the end of the season.
The next three rounds will take place at the Mandalika Circuit in Indonesia (July 26 to 28), the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia (September 13 to 15), and the Buriram International Circuit in Thailand (December 6 to 8).
“Finding sponsors who are willing to join us is difficult. For example, XOX (a telco company) used to sponsor us, but now they are involved in football, so there is no space left for us.
“It’s challenging to find new sponsors, and I don’t see any prospects from the current industry for next year either. Sponsorship in the current industry is focused on one party only, and I’ve long accepted that fact. It doesn’t mean we stop trying, but it’s very difficult.
“I can say that this might be the end for this team. Frankly speaking, if nothing changes for our team in terms of sponsorship, this could be our last season in ARRC,” said Bobie.
Just two days ago, they resorted to selling spare motorcycle parts and team merchandise on social media platforms to raise funds for the team.
Despite facing sponsorship shortages and financial challenges, TKKR Racing has not let it hinder its performance in the ARRC.
Competing in only one category this season, the Asian Superbike 1000, TKKR can still be proud as their rider, Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman, currently ranks second overall with 76 points, behind Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah from Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) Racing, who has accumulated 81 points.
What’s even more surprising is that TKKR is leading the overall team championship standings in this category, with a total of 129 points after three races.
“We have a good motorcycle package despite our financial constraints. So, despite the funding issues, we are still able to challenge every race we participate in.
“For me, if we were present with full force, the situation might be different,” he added.
TKKR Racing was established in 2016 and is the first Malaysian racing team to compete in five championships in 2019.
Moreover, Azlan made history as the first champion of the Asian Superbike 1000 category when it was introduced in 2019.
Now, once a formidable force in Asian championships, they face the grim possibility of shuttering their operations for good due to financial constraints. – June 10, 2024