MotoGP is neat and all, what with its money and world-class tracks and brilliant riders, but for sheer lunatic excitement it's got nothing on the Malaysian Cub Prix.
Yes, the Cub Prix. As in the Honda Cub. But not really. Let me explain.
It's been a series in bike-mad Malaysia since the mid-90s, giving cash-strapped racers a place to compete and move up through the ranks. Think of it like Spec Miata, but with more sponsorship, less bullshit, and run exclusively on street circuits. They hold 10 races a year in Malaysia's major cities, with seven classes filling out the grid and some racers as young as 13 years old.
But the bikes aren't Cubs – they're visual approximations of the developing world's chariot of choice. They use the same "underbone"-style frame, but with fuel-injected engines sized between 80 and 130cc.
Basically, it's the kind of scooter GP that could only be born out of a couple islands in Southern Asia, and as with all deranged races, there were crashes. These were the biggest, but the races themselves are thoroughly entertaining and properly ridiculous.