NINETEEN-year-old Nuraina Halisya Hamiruddin may look like the girl next door but the maritime management student is a passionate motorbike racer. 

Unexpectedly, Nuraina doesn’t possess a regular licence to ride a motorbike. She is only licensed by the Automobile Association of Malaysia (AAM) to race in motorbike competitions.

Nuraina began riding at the age of 15 and at first competed in endurance races at Elite Speedway USJ. She made a number of appearance at the race and her best result was to finish in the top four.

The eldest of four siblings in 2016 took a leap  into the Malaysian Cub Prix, a  national race series  for underbones with 100 to 150cc engines. She was allowed to compete in the Wira KBS category and her uncle, Jafry Sahran, 45, who owns a motorcycle team and workshop, eventually became her trainer and mechanic. 

Around this time, she was spotted by YY Pang Motul, an elite racing team, who offered to train her. However, Nuraina’s family turned down the offer as they wanted her to focus on her studies. 

After completing her secondary education, she continued to pursue her ambition. 

She now competes in the Pro-Am category, which require her to participate in 10 races a year.
It costs about RM4,000 for her and her team to travel to the race venue each time.

The money comes from their personal savings, and Nuraina’s uncle has placed a donation box at a restaurant neat his workshop to collect funds. This raises about RM500 for each race.

Funding problems have not put the brakes on Nuraina, who has set her sights on joining the Asian Road Racing Championship in two years.

To get there, Nuraina must achieve podium finishes and show consistency in her performance – and she’s game foe the challenge. – August 26, 2018.