Your basket is currently empty!
Author: David Bodapati
-
Philippos Matthai wins INRC2, claims stunning overall 2nd; Third win for Aroor Arjun Rao
Coimbatore, 30 July 2023: Philippos Matthai, the Delhi Daredevil from Team Speedsport, claimed a stunning victory in the INRC2 class and finished ahead of many higher-spec cars with an Overall second, even as Aroor Arjun Rao continued his winning spree in the top Overall class annexing the Rally of Coimbatore, the third round of the Blueband fmsci Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) 2023 for four-wheelers which concluded here at the Kethanur Windmill farms on Sunday.
Hat-trick of INRC wins: Aroor Arjun Rao and Sathish Rajagopal en route to a big win in the Rally of Coimbatore at the Kethanur Windmill farms on Sunday. Photo by Rahul Reghu Team Mandovi Racing’s Aroor Arjun Rao with co-driver Satish Rajagopal put in a consistent performance to notch up his third Overall victory in as many rounds and retained his Championship lead while Philippos Matthai and co-driver PV Srinivasa Murthy in a Volkswagen Polo prepared by Leelakrishnan of Arka Motorsports powered to the top of the podium winning INRC2 and beat all the other top-spec INRC cars except that of Arjun Rao in the Overall standings. In the last round in Arunachal Pradesh, Philippos finished second in INRC2 and came Overall 5th after a forgettable first round in the South India Rally where he was forced to pullout within 2-km of the finish due to mechanical problems while leading second Overall.
Pre-event favourites Arjun Awardee Gaurav Gill (Aniruddha Rangnekar) and defending champion Karna Kadur (Nikhil Pai) failed to finish the rally.
“With a calculated strategy we garnered as many points as possible in the previous two rallies and our consistent and steady performance helped as we are back on the top in our class. I am very happy and with three more rallies to go, our target is to win the championship,” said the 39-year four-time National champion in different motorsports disciplines. The lawyer by education and car-builder and rally driver by passion, Philippos is remembered for driving the medical chase car at the F1 Grands Prix races held at Buddh International Circuit in 2012 and 2013.
Philippos Matthai and PVS Murthy in the windmill section… Photo by Rahul Reghu Talented Chandigarh driver Jahaan Singh Gill along with Suraj Keshav Prasad won the INRC3 class ahead of Jason Saldanha of Mangaluru with co-driver Thimmu Uddapanda, who last week got on to the podium of RAAT the Rally of Thailand in their class.
Aroor Arjun Rao, left, and Sathish Rajagopal, after sweeping all the three rounds, celebrate in Coimbatore on Sunday. Supplied photo Ruthuparna Vivek and co-driver Athreya Kousgi claimed INRC4 category beating Shirole Prakhyat and Bharath SM by a huge distance. Behind them the Chikkamagaluru paid of Prajwal HM and Vinay SM finished in third place.
Dehradun’s Anushriya Gulati with a new co-driver in Sherwin Dalmeida of Managaluru won the Ladies class. Representing Dark Don Rallying, the duo had a huge lead over second-placed Nikeetaa Takkale (Venu Ramesh Kumar). Mumbai’s Shivani Parmar and Bengaluru”s Arjun Dheerendra of Chettinad Sporting finished third.
Provisional Results: Final Unaudited Classification:
Overall: 1. Aroor Arjun Rao, Mangaluru / Satish Rajagopal, Bengaluru (Mandovi Racing) 1:53:48.4;
2. Philippos Matthai, Delhi/ PVS Murthy, Bengaluru (Arka Motorsports) 1: 54:20.0;
3. Amittrajit Ghosh, Kolkata/ Ashwin Naik, Mangaluru (Arka Motorsports) 1: 54: 31.1;
INRC:
1. Aroor Arjun Rao, Mangaluru / Satish Rajagopal, Bengaluru (Mandovi Racing) 1:53:48.4;
2. Amittrajit Ghosh, Kolkata/ Ashwin Naik, Mangaluru (Arka Motorsports) 1: 54: 31.1.
3. Rahul Kanthraj Vivek Y Bhatt (Both Bengaluru) (Arka Motorsports) 1: 55: 39.1;
INRC2:
1. Philippos Matthai, Delhi/ PVS Murthy, Bengaluru (Arka Motorsports) 1: 54:20.0;
2. Fabid Ahmer/ Sanath G, both Palakkad (Chettinad Sporting) 1:54:37.7;
3. Dr Bikku Babu / Milen George, Both Ernakulam, (Chettinad Sporting) 1:55.00.3;
INRC3:
1. Jahan Singh Gill, Chandigarh/ Suraj Keshav Prasad, Bengaluru (Snap Racing) 1:55:37.6;
2. Jason Saldanha, Bengaluru/ Thimmu Uddapanda, Coorg(Dark Don Rallying) 1: 55:45.3;
3. Daraious Shroff, Mumbai/ Shahid Salman, Bengaluru(Chettinad Sporting) 1:57:04.5.
INRC4:
1. Ruthuparna Vivek/ Athreya Kousgi, Privateers, both Chikkamagaluru 2: 03:10.5;
2. Shirole H Prakhyat/ Bharath SM, Both Bengaluru, 2:06:32.6;
3. Prajwal HM/ Vinay SM, pvt, both Chikkamagaluru, 2:12:40.6;
Gypsy:
1. Darshan Nachappa/ Abhinav Ganapathy (Both Coorg) Ammyfied Rallying, 2:06:10.7;
2. Abhishek Gowda, Chikkamagaluru/ Dheeraj Manae, Pvt, Bengaluru 2:07:29.6;
3.Jayanth Somanathan/ R Rajashekar, Pvt, 2:12:16.0.
Ladies class:
1. Anushriya Gulati, Dehradun/ Sherwin Dalmeida, Mangaluru, (Dark Don Rallying) (1:49:14.2);
2. Nikeetaa Takkale, Pune/ Venu Ramesh Kumar, Coimbatore (Ammyfied Rallying) (2:02:18.4);
3. Shivani Parmar, Mumbai/ Arjun Dheerendra, Bengaluru (Chettinad Sporting) (2:22:47.0).
Junior INRC:
1. Jahan Singh Gill, Chandigarh/ Suraj Keshav Prasad, Bengaluru (Snap Racing) (1:55:37.6);
2. Ajay Sankar, Kollam/ Nitharshan, Kollakurichi, pvt, (1:59:21.7);
3. Nikeetaa Takkale, Pune/ Venu Ramesh Kumar, Coimbatore (Ammyfied) 2:02:18.4);
(Note: Results corrected after release of Official results)
-
Supported by Vamcy Merla, Ammyfied Rallying fields record 23 cars: INRC
Bengaluru, 28 July 2023: For the first time in the 35-year history of Indian National Rally Championship (INRC), a team has fielded a record number of 23 cars for a round of the INRC as official team entries. The huge number also made it a record 76 entries for the Rally of Coimbatore to be held at the Kethanur Windmill farms on Saturday and Sunday.
Team Ammyfied Rallying, powered by Vamcy Merla Sports Foundation, has fielded a record-breaking number of 23 team entries for the Rally of Coimbatore, the third round of the Blueband fmsci Indian National Rally Championship 2023 which begins here on Friday. Apart from the team entries, VMSF is said to have supported another 15 privateers.
“Ammyfied Rallying has a deep vision to promote rallying in India and has been supporting talented drivers from different parts of India. With ample support from VM Sports Foundation, we have created a platform for young talent to step into rallying,” said Aeman Ahmed, Team Principal.
“I wish all the best to the biggest team, Ammyfied Rallying. Rallying is my passion and I am doing my bit to promote talented drivers so that they can realise their potential,” said Vamcy Merla of the Foundation.
Ammyfied which has dominated the Gypsy Class so far in the first two rounds has also bagged many podium places in other classes. For this round, drivers were fielded in all the classes except in the top INRC class. Top drivers like Suhem Kabeer and co-driver Jeevarathinam, Maninder Singh Prince and Vinay Padmashali, Chetan Shivram and Shiv Prakash, Ritesh Rai and Lokranjan are in the INRC2 class while Aeman Ahmed and Sagar Mallappa, Himanshu Arora and Kunal Kashyap, Arnav Prathap Singh and Arjun SSB, Arjun Rajiv and Rohit Gowda, Jagbir Nirwan and Karanpreet Mattu, and Nikeetaa Takkale and Venu Ramesh Kumar are in the INRC3 class.
The team will have another five care in INRC4 namely, Abhin Rai and D Uday Kumar, Prakhyat Shirole and Belli, Phoebe and Sawan, Renuka and Pramod, and Farhan and Arun. Ammyfied’s favourite class, the Gypsy Cup will see the championship leaders Samrat Yadav and Chandu lead eight cars. The other are Darshan Nachappa and Abhinav Ganapathy, Akarsh Sundar and Ravi Kumar Reddy, Gurinder Singh Sidhu and Manjunath GM, Baiju Stephen and Sachin Sharma, Sachin Singh and Prakash M, Madhusudhan V and Harsha, Kalyan MVV and Raghuram Saminathan.
Vamcy Merla, who recently won the SUV class in a 4×4 event in Coorg, is expected to get behind the wheel of a Gypsy with Raghu as co-driver.
“I have promoted several FMSCI events in the past too, including the 2019 edition of the Indian National Rally Championship. I have created this foundation to help India’s best rallyists follow their dreams without worrying about money,” said Vamcy Merla, Chairman of the Foundation.
“The INRC has received a huge boost thanks to VMS Foundation’s enthusiasm and wholehearted support. Several drivers, who can’t afford the costs of competing in an event of this scale and magnitude and skip several rounds every year, are all here in Coimbatore,” J Prithiviraj, secretary of the Coimbatore Auto Sports Club, said. “We have a formidable field and every class is going to be thrilling and a close affair,” he added.
-
Ceat Indian Supercross Racing League rider registration begins
Pune, July 20, 2023: The CEAT Indian Supercross Racing League, the world’s first franchise-based Supercross league, is thrilled to announce the opening of the rider registration pool for the highly anticipated supercross league in India. In collaboration with the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), the league invites riders from around the world to participate and display their skills on the exhilarating supercross tracks, redefining motorsports in India with a captivating blend of action, entertainment, and fierce competition.
The inaugural season of the Racing League, scheduled from October to December 2023, will feature multiple rounds across various cities in India. With four exciting racing categories, including the 450cc international riders only, 250cc international riders only, 250cc India-Asia mix, and 85cc junior class, the Racing League promises heart-pounding action and intense competition.
Athletes of all nationalities are welcome to participate in Season 1 of the ISRL, and the organizers are committed to creating a level playing field that highlights talent from around the globe. To ensure fair participation, riders from countries other than India will need to provide a No Objection Letter/Certificates from their respective National Sporting Authorities (ASN)/National Federations for motorsport, in favour of the FMSCI and SXI.
Eeshan Lokhande, Co-Founder and Director of Supercross India Pvt. Ltd., said,” We have reached out to all the Federations worldwide to ensure that Supercross Racers from across the globe have a chance to register for the rider pool and seize the opportunity to be a part of this historic rider’s auction. The Supercross Racing League is revolutionizing the sport and we hope to attract a league of extraordinary riders who are ready to dominate the world of Supercross. This is your chance to showcase your talent, ignite the track, and propel India to the forefront of the motorsport’s world. Don’t miss out on this exhilarating opportunity!”
Interested riders can register by completing the Rider Registration form, available on the official SXI website www.indiansupercrossleague.com. The form requires riders to provide essential details such as personal information, racing experience, social media handles, endorsement and contract status, and relevant documentation.
By registering, riders express their interest in participating in the Player Auction, where Franchises will select riders to represent their teams in the Racing League. Successful riders will have the opportunity to compete at the highest level and showcase their skills on a national stage.
Mr. Sujith Kumar, Chairman of the Supercross Racing Commission of FMSCI, said, “We are delighted to announce the commencement of rider registration for the CEAT Indian Supercross Racing League. This exciting opportunity not only offers a platform for talented riders from India but also welcomes international riders, thereby elevating the sport to new heights in our country. The participation of international riders will bring a global perspective and enhance the competitiveness of Supercross racing in India. We look forward to witnessing the fusion of diverse talents and the thrilling racing action that awaits us in the upcoming season.”
Rider Registration does not guarantee participation in Season 1 of the Racing League. It is a necessary step to enter the rider pool and to be considered for selection by Franchises during the player auction. For additional information and to access the Rider Registration Form, visit the official SXI website www.indiansupercrossleague.com.
-
Mumbai’s 11-year-old Hamza takes 2nd in Asia’s X30 at Sepang
Sepang (Malaysia), June 27, 2023: Eleven-year-old Indian kart racer Hamza Balasinorwala impressed with his racing skills as he fought his way to a second place in the 4th Round of the IAME Asia Series, Asia’s most prestigious X30 Championship, in Sepang, on Sunday.
An international podium is a rare thing for an Indian and after quite a while an Indian youngster has a podium in an Asian Championship,” said Rayo Banajee, a celebrated racer who has groomed many an youngster both in karting and road racing. He now runs the Volkswagen team in the Indian National Racing Championship.
The Grade 6 student of Podar International School, Mumbai improved with every practice session but was hit by bad luck in the crucial qualifying round to take the twelfth position on the Cadet class grid.
As if that was not enough, Hamza suffered another setback in Heat 1, pulling out of the race – eventually won by Esteban Freihuber from the Philippines — in the first lap itself.
Undeterred, the Rayo Racing prodigy made a strong comeback in Heat 2, overtaking several experienced racers from around Asia to finish an impressive fourth. Singapore’s Aaron Mehta won this race, ahead of Thai racer Kamolphu Anuchatkul and Freihuber.
Hamza’s resilience continued in the pre-finals, where he expertly manoeuvred through the field from a 10th-place starting position, to finish an admirable fifth place. Mehta notched up his second consecutive win while Anuchatkul and Freihuber once again took the other two places on the podium.
As the finishing order of the pre-final decides the start order for the final, the Indian began from fifth on the grid. Getting off to a good start, Hamza soon found his way past Singapore’s Maximilian Schilling only to be passed by another Singaporean — Michael Lederer.
Hamza exhibited exceptional skill, maintaining a consistent and impressive pace throughout and went along with Lederer up the field. The duo got past Freihuber, Mehta and Anuchatkul.
Lederer eventually took the win 2 seconds ahead of Hamza. The Indian racer’s fantastic effort saw him seal the second position, ahead of Freihuber of Philippines.
-
Sachin double at MMSC Sprint rally; Rehana bags Ladies class
Chennai, June 25, 2023: Bengaluru’s Sachin D capped himself with glory by winning titles in two categories as riders from Karnataka dominated with a haul of six in the MMSC Two-Wheeler Sprint Rally Series 2003 Powered by Vamcy Merla which concluded at the Madras International Circuit here today.
Sachin took the honours in Group B (Up to 260cc) winning all four rounds that were held over two consecutive weekends and the Open (Up to 750cc) with two wins and as many podiums.
The organisers, Madras Motor Sports Club, ran the event on a dirt track specially prepared for the event and measuring about six Kms. While Round 1 was held on June 17, the remaining three rounds were run on June 24-25.
Former National racing champion Rehana Reya from Chennai, astride an Xpulse for the first time, remained unbeaten over four rounds to claim the title in the Women’s class.
“The terrain was fast in the last round after a slushy third round and I enjoyed the dry run. It was fun to race on such a speedy terrain. MMRT looked very different for me this time as I am riding for the first time on the unique rally track and not on the Tarmac. The organisers never disappoint the riders as they provided a challenging terrain with a portion of Tarmac where I was able to gain much traction. The experience helped me to clock a better timing of 4min 57sec. I am also happy to be in the top-10 with the boys in the Overall classification,” said Rehana Reya. She also thanked Vamcy Merla and MMSC for providing a good platform for the riders to experience more seat time in the Sprint rally format.
I put my hands on newly set up machine for this race, I never rode a Xpulse before this was a good opportunity to give it a try riding my race spec bike on this track , I felt I’m learning to improve and getting better on the bike , all thanks to my tuner VINODH and team 56 racing for good work ..
mostly I want to thank vamcy Merla sir for giving us such a great platform for all the good riders in our motorsport community with all the trust and confidence .Iam very happy I’m able to represent VM foundation.
Looking forward for my next race to perform better ..The competition in the Teenagers Class produced a nail-biting finish with Chennai’s Rakshit S Dave topping the category despite finishing fourth in the final round which his closest rival, Shreyas Hareesh (Bengaluru) won. Rakshit finished with 70 points to Shreyas’ 68.
Chikmagaluru’s Asad Khan (Group D, up to 260cc) and Abrar Pasha from Shivamogga (Group B, up to 165cc) also won all four rounds in their respective categories to emerge champions.
Suhail Ahmed from Bengaluru topped the Group A (up to 750cc) category winning two rounds over the weekend while Uttarkhand’s Akhand Pratap Singh pouched the title in the Group B up to 400cc class with an all-win record.
Notching three wins in four rounds, Bengaluru’s Naresh VS bagged the series title in the Royal Enfield category.
MMSC Vice-President Vicky Chandhok said: “MMSC is grateful to Vamcy Marla for sponsoring the event that was held over two weekends. We also thank all the competitors for their involvement.”
The Series champions:
Open (Up to 750cc): Sachin D (Bengaluru)
Group A (up to 500cc): Suhail Ahmed (Bengaluru, Alisha Racing).
Group B (up to 165cc): Abrar Pasha (Shivamogga).
Group B (260cc):D Sachin (Bengaluru).
Group B (400cc): Akhand Pratap Singh (Uttarkhand).
Group D (260cc): Asad Khan (Chikmgaluru).
Royal Enfield: Naresh VS (Bengaluru).
Teenagers: Rakshit S Dave (Chennai).
Women: Rehana Reya (Chennai).
-
Team MRF Tyres takes a dominant win on Rally Liepaja
Liepaja (Latvia), 19 June 2023: Team MRF Tyres has dominated the The Rally Liepaja, the fourth round of the 2023 FIA European Rally Championship with a double podium for MRF Tyres here on Sunday.
Team MRF Tyres drivers Martins Sesks and Renars Francis won the rally by over 41 seconds, taking seven stage wins from the nine stages completed.
They took maximum points, winning an incredibly tight Powerstage by 0.005 seconds to end the weekend on a high.
The Lativan duo, in their Skoda Fabia RS Rally2, had the rally in control from the outset. They also set the fastest time in qualifying and then made it look easy on the stages.
However, the Latvian roads demanded total confidence and precision from the team, car and from MRF Tyres, and they delivered with aplomb.
With top speeds on the stages topping 120kmph on the loose gravel roads MRF Tyres and Sesks were in absolute control.
The success for MRF Tyres continued with Mads Ostberg and Patrik Barth as they finished third for the MRF Tyres Dealer Team in their Citroen C3 Rally2.
The Norwegian team set competitive times throughout the rally to take their second podium of the season.Team MRF Tyres saw an additional two cars inside the top 10 with Spanish duo of Efren Llarena and Sara Fernandez coming home in ninth ahead of Italians Simone Campedelli and Tania Canton.
With two wins in a row, Sesks and Renars close in on the title lead and sit in second in the Driver’s standings.
Furthermore, Team MRF Tyres has extended its lead at the top of the Team’s Championship.
The next round of the FIA European Rally Championship is the Rally Sweden, taking the crews to a new gravel round in the Scandanvian summer.
Martin Sesks, Winner, said: “What in incredible rally! I must thank my team and MRF Tyres for giving me such a fantastic car. The tyres were amazing throughout the weekend and really allowed me to push. To win at home once again was amazing. There were so many fans lining the stages! I am looking forward to the next round in Sweden.”
Co-driver Efren Llarena said: “We are finding the speed we need this year. The MRF Tyres have been brilliant and we are looking forward to getting back out and really proving our pace. I would like to congratulate Martins, Renars on their victory and also to Mads and Patrik for their podium on MRF Tyres!”
Simone Campedelli of Team MRF Tyres said: “This is a challenging rally! The roads are so fast and challenging and you earn every point in this Championship. I am really happy to have a clean rally and the MRF Tyres car has been great. Let’s look forward to Sweden and congratulations to Team MRF Tyres and Martins, Renars for their win!”
Overall results for MRF Tyres drivers1. Sesks/Francis (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)
3. Ostberg/Barth (Citroen C3 Rally 2) +1:04.0
9. Llarena/Fernandez (Skoda Fabia2 Rally evo) +2:18.3
10. Capedelli/Canton (Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo) +2:27.4
13. Mabellini/Lenzi (Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo) 3:01.0
16. Radstrom/Johansson (Ford Fiesta Rally2) +4:00.7 -
Bezzecchi heads Martin as drama unfolds for Marc Marquez on Day 1
Bezzecchi, Martin and Aleix lock out the top three, but some huge talking points come from a dramatic day for Marc Marquez as the 11-time Sachsenring winner faces Q1.
Two red flags, a massive save, a dramatic Turn 1 crash and a late flurry of times – they’re just a few notes from Day 1 at the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, and they don’t tell the whole story. Talking times it’s Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) who ends Friday fastest with a 1:20.271 as the Italian is chased close by Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), but plenty of the headlines will go the way of Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) after he was at the heart of the talking points.
The calm before the storm
Despite wet weather making its presence known in the Moto3™ and Moto2™ Practice 2 sessions, the premier class ventured straight out on slick tyres for their one-hour Friday afternoon stint. Some early time improvers were Miguel Oliveira (CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team) as the Portuguese rider rose to P3, and Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) as he moved forward.There were just over 20 minutes left on the clock when we saw some fresh soft rear rubber laid on the Sachsenring, and the push for laptimes began in earnest. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) popped up to P2 to get the Practice 2 time attack ball rolling, and Aleix Espargaro then quickly returned to P3.
A whirlwind end to P2
he’d been close to the top in P1, but while pushing for an improvement in the afternoon, Marc Marquez had a huge moment at Turn 11. The eight-time World Champion did very well to stay on board – and in the aftermath, the #93 made his feelings towards the moment later.In the meantime, Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) were chipping away at their personal best times, before Augusto Fernandez propelled himself to P4 with 11 minutes to go. But in the blink of an eye that was soon P9 as the rapid times started to be slung in, with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) going P1 ahead of former teammate Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).
Then, huge drama unfolded at Turn 1. First, Viñales was down but ok. Then, moments later, Marc Marquez’s front end washed away at the start of a lap at Turn 1 as Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) was coming out the pitlane. Subsequently, Marquez’s stricken Honda clattered into Zarco’s Ducati in a crash that brought out the red flags. Riders ok and able to get back out on track once the session was restarted, but talking point most definitely made. Marquez wasn’t able to get out in time to complete a lap, however, and that saw him finish outside the top 10, facing Q1 in Germany.
Back at the top, Aleix Espargaro went P1 near the end of the session, before Bezzecchi produced some late magic to pinch top spot away from the Spaniard, and Martin then pinched second from the Aprilia roo.
At the end of a breathless final 10 minutes, it’s Bagnaia who claims P4 behind the fastest trio, with Miller completing the top five. Quartararo will be into Q2 for the first time since the Americas GP, the Frenchman bagging P6, as Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team), Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) and Zarco pocket automatic spots in Q2.
So…11-time Sachsenring winner Marc Marquez faces Q1 in Germany, not something we thought we’d be saying. Title-chasing Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) is another big name missing out on the Q2 cut, too, so there’s everything to play for on Saturday.
SHOWTIME
With some huge names in Q1, the stage is set for Qualifying and then the Tissot Sprint. Here’s when it all gets underway in GMT+2:
MotoGP™ FP: 10:10
MotoGP™ Q1: 10:50
MotoGP™ Q2: 11:15
Tissot Sprint: 15:00 -
Aroor Arjun Rao-Satish Rajagopal triumphant at fickle Rally of Arunachal
Itanagar, 16 June 2023: Mangaluru’s Aroor Arjun Rao, who had no time to celebrate his birthday on June 9, presented himself and his co-driver a wonderful birthday gift exactly after a week. The Mangaluru-Bengaluru duo bounced back to clinch the Overall honours in the Rally of Arunachal Pradesh, the second round of the Blueband fmsci Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) supported by the Directorate of Youth Affairs, Government of Arunachal Pradesh, here on Friday. Organised by the Motorsports Club of Arunachal, the 4-wheeler rally has MRF as associate sponsors with the Directorate of Youth Affairs, the main body for youth and sports in the state, taking it up with full vigour to make motorsports as a tourist destination to Arunachal.
Arjun Rao Aroor and co-driver Satish Rajagopal from Bengaluru, who won the first round South India Rally in Chennai, were trailing overnight but bounced back after navigating, the slush and bad weather, to get on to the top of the podium while overnight leaders Amittrajit Ghosh (Ashwin Naik) and hot favourite Arjuna Awardee Gaurav Gill (Aniruddha Rangnekar) fell victim to the conditions and slush. While Ghosh logged a DNF on Day 2, Gill spent some anxious moments after finishing first in the special stages. But he had to cough up a huge ‘road penalty’ that pushed him down from first position to 7th.
“It was a spectacular event both for the drivers and the spectators but we had to be extra cautious about the safety as rains and hilly roads made the rally challenging,” said Premnath Kasinath, the man behind Promoters Blueband Sports who brought the event to the North East for second year running.
“Tarmac is my favourite but the rally turned out to be tricky with fortunes fluctuating after every stage. Frequently changing from full-dry to full-wet Tyres made the rally challenging. MRF Tyres withstood these extreme conditions and my tyre choice worked perfectly well. Big thanks to MRF, Mandovi Racing and Falkon Motorsports for giving me an amazing car. Without my navigator Satish (Rajagopal), this win would not have been possible,” said a visibly pleased Arjun Rao, who is leading the INRC Overall table after two rounds.
The surprise result was a stunning display by Sheshank Jamwal and co-driver Aseem Sharma from Arka Motorsports. Sheshank, an IT professional from Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh, paired with Sharma from Chandigarh in an INRC3-spec Volkswagen Polo 1.6 and punched above their weight to finish second overall. They were followed by Dr Speed, Bikku Babu, who overcame not only rain and extreme weather, but jet-lag, too. After landing from US, only for this rally, the Kerala Speed Maestro who finished third Overall, came first in his class INRC2. With virtually no seat time, the doctor did it again. He said: “One of the toughest tarmac rallies I have ever driven, for sure.”
Defending champion Karna Kadur, with experienced Kumar Ramaswamy as navigator, salvaged an overall fourth place after coughing up a road penalty. Delhi daredevil Philippos Matthai of Speed Sport fame, along with PVS Murthy rounded off the top-5 for MRF Tyres, who swept all top-five places, and also took a second in his class INRC2. Sheshank and Aseem won the INRC3 class.
Abhin Rai and Uday Kumar of Ammyfied Rallying won the INRC4 class while Arnav Pratap Singh (co-driver Arjun SSB) also from Ammyfied bagged the Junior INRC class.
Anushriya Gulati topped the ladies class but it was Phoebe Nongrum, a lady driver from Shillong, who created ripples taking her maiden podium in the INRC4 class with Dr Dinesh from Shivamogga as her navigator.
Of the 51 cars that took the start, only 40 cars finished the rally. The third round of the Blueband INRC will be held in Coimbatore.
Provisional Unaudited Results after Day2:
Overall: 1. Aroor Arjun Rao/ Satish Rajagopal (Mandovi Racing) (01:03:17.8); 2. Sheshank Jamwal/ Aseem Sharma (Arka Motorsports) (01:04:35.9); 3.Dr Bikku Babu/ Milen George (Chettinad Sporting) (01:04:44.0); 4. Karna Kadur/ Kumar Ramaswamy (Arka Motorsports) (01:04:46.7); 5. Philippos Matthai/ PV Srinivasa Murthy (Arka Motorsports) (01:04:49.9).
INRC2: 1.Dr Bikku Babu/ Milen George (Chettinad Sporting) (01:04:44.0); 2. Philippos Matthai/ PV Srinivasa Murthy (Arka Motorsports) (01:04:49.9); 3. Chetan Shivram/ E Shivaprakash (Snap Racing) (01:05:05.0).
INRC3: 1.Sheshank Jamwal/ Aseem Sharma (Arka Motorsports) (01:04:35.9); 2. Arnav Pratap Singh/ Arjun SSB (Ammyfied Rallying) (01:05:06.1); 3. Jahaan Singh Gill/ Suraj Keshav Prasad (SNAP Racing) (01:05:35.1).
INRC4: 1. Abhin Rai/ Uday Kumar (Ammyfied Rallying) (01:11:47.2); 2. Vivek Ruthuparna/ Sanjay Agarwal (SNAP Racing) (01:13:32.6); 3. Phoebe Nongrum / Dr. Dinesh S (Ammyfied Rallying, Shillong/Shivamogga) (01:18:37.6).
Gypsy Challenge: 1. Samrat Yadav/ Arvind Dheerendra (Ammyfied Rallying) (01:08:53.7); 2. Amanpreet Ahluwalia/ Amber Udasi (Pvt. Delhi/Chanigarh) (01:11:13.6); 3. Baljinder Singh Dhillon/ Goutham CP (Pvt. Delhi/Chikmagalur) (01:15:25.9).
Junior INRC: 1. Arnav Pratap Singh/ Arjun SSB (Ammyfied Rallying) (01:05:06.1); 2. Jahaan Singh Gill/ Suraj Keshav Prasad (SNAP Racing) (01:05:35.1); 3. Mohommed Sahil/ Eldo Chacko (Ammyfied Rallying) (01:10:12.6).
Women’s class: 1. Anushriya Gulati/ Arjun Dheerendra (Dark Don Racing) (01:13:20.0); 2. Shivani Parmar/ Dr Vani Parmar (Chettinad Sporting) (01:13:56.9); 3. Nikeetaa Takkale/ Venu Ramesh Kumar (Ammyfied Rallying) (01:16:34.1).
-
Amittrajit Ghosh posts stunning time in SuperSpecial: INRC Ro2
Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh) June 15, 2023: Double National Overall INRC champion Amittrajit Ghosh and experienced co-driver Ashwin Naik zoomed to the top of the charts, thrilling the crowds with stunning drifts to clock 1min 53.5sec in the 2.05-KM Super Special Stage second run. Ghosh had skipped SSS-I, which is also the SS5, on Wednesday (June 14) night as the Rally of Arunachal headed to a climax.
Earlier, Gaurav Gill posted a time of 2-min flat in the first run of the Super Special Stage. “I always give my best but the huge crowds are too close to comfort. Both the runs in ‘Triple S’ are quite different tracks but I enjoyed my run,” the three-time APRC champion said. Obviously, the times of left and right ones could not be compared despite both being the same distance of 2.05km.
Despite their intimidating presence, the ‘Master of Speed’ displayed controlled aggression and put in a couple smart and pitch-perfect drifts posting the best time of 2-min flat in the first run.
The Ziro leg is cancelled according to a bulletin by the CoC Girijashankar Joshy, and the rally will finish the course with four more Special Stages at the Chimpu and Hollongi, twice each in the same direction.
Safety was an issue with huge number of spectators thronging the Super Special Stage (SSS) venue. But the organisers were alert and quick to stop the SSS as the situation become unmanageable. The drivers who did not compete were given scratch times.
Photo: YouTube grabThe leg one standing will be available only after scratch times were given to those who did not complete the SSS runs.
While 51 cars took the start, four cars logged a DNF. Three from INRC3 and one Gypsy. Prominent among them are Pragathi Gowda and Jason Saldanha.
Revised Itenerary
Rally of Arunachal 2023
Day 2 Programme ( 15th June ) at Itanagar14:45 Parc ferme out / Service in
45 Mins Service
15:30 Service out
15:45 SS7 Chimpu
17:18 SS8 Holongi
17:58 Service In
30 Min Service
19:33 Regroup Out
19:48 SS9 Chimpu
21:21 SS10 Holongi
22:01 Service In
10 Min Service
22:11 Parc ferme -
Amittrajit Ghosh takes lead after two Stages; Gill in striking distance: INRC
Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh) June 14, 2023: Double INRC champion Amittrajit Ghosh and co-driver Ashwin Naik of Arka Motorsports took a narrow 7.2-second lead at the end of two stages on Day 1 of the Rally of Arunachal, the second round of the Blueband fmsci Indian National Rally Championship here on Wednesday.
Overnight rains made the hilly tarmac terrain challenging and the Special Stages started late. Keeping in view the safety aspects and lack of time, the final two Special Stages scheduled for the evening were cancelled. However, the short 4.1km Super Special Stage (SSS) will be held in the night for the benefit of the local spectators.
After the completion of two special stages, Kolkata’s Amittrajit Ghosh along with Mangaluru’s co-driver Ashwin Naik took the lead with consistent times in both the stages. However, first round winner of the South India Rally, Aroor Arjun Rao and co-driver Satish Rajagopal, who began with a blistering pace winning the first stage, played safe in the next stage, and were in third place after the finish of two Special Stages.
Arjuna Awardee and three-time Asia Pacific Winner, Gaurav Gill (Aniruddha Rangnekar) who skipped the first round to take part in APRC Asia Cup qualifier that were held together, overcame initial hiccups and clocked the fastest time in Special Stage 2 and stood overall second after two Special Stages. He lost about 20 seconds to the front runner Arjun, in Chimpu SS1, but is back in the game to mount a challenge as four special stages are slated for tomorrow in Ziro.
Suhem Kabir and co-driver Jeevarathinam of Ammyfied Rallying were leading the INRC2 class while Sheshank Jamwal (co-driver Aseem Sharma) of Arka Motorsports is in the top spot in INRC3 category. In the INRC4 class, the pair of Abhin Rai and Uday Kumar was heading the field with another Ammyfied Rallying pair topping the Gypsy Challenge after two stages is Samrat Yadav and Arvind Dheerendra.
Talented Jahan Singh Gill is leading the Junior INRC while International lady driver Anushriya Gulati posted a comfortable lead over Nikeetaa Takkale in the Ladies class.
Aditya Thakur (centre) and Virender Kashyap, the 2021 INRC overall champions praise the fast and flowing stages of Itanagar before the start of Super Special Stage on Wednesday. After the 4.10km Super special Stage tonight, the rally caravan will travel uphill to Ziro mountains on Thursday for four more Special Stages. The Prize Distribution will be held on June 16 at the Ziro resort.
Provisional Unaudited Results (Day 1): Overall and INRC:
1. Amittrajit Ghosh/ Ashwin Naik (Arka Motorsports) (18minutes, 59.6seconds); 2. Gaurav Gill/ Aniruddha Ragnekar (Privateer, Delhi/Pune) (19:06.8); 3. Aroor Arjun Rao/ Satish Rajagopal (Mandovi Racing) (19:07.8);
INRC2:
1.Suhem Kabir/ Jeevarathinam J (Ammyfied Rallying) (19:38.2); 2. Chetan Shivram/ E Shivaprakash (Snap Racing) (19:56.8); 3. Dr Bikku Babu/ Milen George (Chettinad Sporting) (20:04.2).
INRC3: 1. Sheshank Jamwal/ Aseem Sharma (Arka Motorsports) (19:43.0); 2. Jason Saldanha/ Thimmanna Uddapanda B (Dark Don Racing) (20:14.400); 3. Jahaan Singh Gill/ Suraj Keshav Prasad (SNAP Racing) (20:14.9).
INRC4: 1. Abhin Rai/ Uday Kumar (Ammyfied Rallying) (21:28.5); 2. Vivek Ruthuparna/ Sanjay Agarwal (SNAP Racing) (22:20.8); 3. Hage Chada/ Pramod Raman (pvt, Itanagar/Bengaluru) (23:10.2).
Gypsy Challenge: 1. Samrat Yadav/ Arvind Dheerendra (Ammyfied Rallying) (20:54.2); 2. Amanpreet Ahluwalia/ Amber Udasi (Pvt. Delhi/Chanigarh) (21:34.7); 3. Baljinder Singh Dhillon/ Goutham CP (Pvt. Delhi/Chikmagalur) (22:48.8).
Junior INRC: 1. Jahaan Singh Gill/ Suraj Keshava Prasad (Snap Racing) (20:14.9); 2. Arvan Pratap Singh/ Arjun SSB (Ammyfied Rallying) (20:30.8); 3. Abhin Rai/ D Uday Kumar (Ammyfied Rallying) (21:28.5).
Women’s class: 1. Anushriya Gulati/ Arjun Dheerendra (Dark Don Racing) (21:32.5); 2. Nikeetaa Takkale/ Venu Ramesh Kumar (Ammyfied Rallying) (21:48.8); 3. Shivani Parmar/ Dr Vani Parmar (Chettinad Sporting) (22:00.6).
