UMW Pennzoil Aiming Two Birds With One Stone

SHAH ALAM, Feb 22 (Bernama) -- UMW Pennzoil Distributors Sdn Bhd's debut into the Cub Prix Malaysia AAM Petronas 2011 championship with Pennzoil Fastrac Racing Team is like aiming to hit two birds with a single stone -- winning the race as well expanding Pennzoil's market share in the motorcycle lubricants market.

General manager Mohd Ruslan Abdul Ghani told a press conference here that he was optimistic that the team would be able to get several podium finishes in the domestic mopeds, known locally as "Kapchai" with engine displacement between 110cc and 130cc, racing tournament.

The team will be managed by former rider and ex-team manager of Petronas Yamaha Malaysia Kuan Meng Heng. Their riders are Ahmad Fazli Sham Ahamad Walat, 29, and brother Ahmad Fazrul Sham, 26, from Kamunting, Perak.

Ahmad Fazli was with Shell Advances Maju Motor when he won third placing in the overall expert category last season while Ahmad Fazrul was 11th overall in the CP130 underbone bike category riding with Honda Idemitsu.

Mohd Ruslan said the company took three years doing research and development on suitable products to increase Pennzoil's penetration in the local motorcycle lubricants market as well as searching for riders, team manager and partner in this endeavour.

"Selling oils and winning go together," he quipped.

He said participating in the race would increase awareness for the Pennzoil brand among motorcycle owners in Malaysia and this would hopefully translate into a higher market share for Pennzoil to 18 percent this year from eight percent previously.

By 2013, Mohd Ruslan said, Pennzoil's market share in local motorcycle lubricants was expected to surge to 25 percent.

He said Pennzoil was banking on its Fastrac Racing СТО percent Synthetic Ester Oil to make further inroads into the local motorbike lubricants market, including for superbike usage.

Meanwhile, manager Kuan was quite confident that his riders would be able to give some hard time to other established teams and said that through his observation, "Ahmad Fazli was smiling with satisfaction" after testing the Yamaha Lagenda 115 that would be used in the race.

The team was launched today by UMW Holdings Bhd president & chief executive officer Datuk Syed Hisham Syed Wazir.

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