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Author: David Bodapati
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As FIM Women’s Motorcycling World Championship announced, is India ready?
A new project is announced by the FIM and Dorna Sports
Spain, Sunday, 29 April 2023:
The Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto hosted a very special presentation on Saturday as the FIM and Dorna Sports announced a new project: the FIM Women’s Motorcycling World Championship. The new competition is intended to widen access to the sport of motorcycle racing for women and create a platform of representation for female riders.
On launch in 2024, the initial series will primarily run alongside the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. The target for the first season is at least six rounds, with two races to take place per round. The grid will race on equal machinery, with a single motorcycle supplier to be announced in due course.
The new Championship aims to create opportunities for female riders who are already competing – providing an environment in which they can build a professional, viable career in motorcycle racing – and looks to lay the groundwork for more equal representation across all motorcycling paddocks of the future. Providing a positive example for prospective female competitors, the series will further underline that motorcycling is a sport for all to enjoy, on and off track.
Jorge Viegas, FIM President: “This is the first time ever, since 1904, that we are going to start next year with the FIM Women’s World Championship. I also hope you like the logo, it’s a surprise for all of you!
“We gave a lot of thought to this, and we had a lot of demand. As we do in Motocross, Enduro and Trial, we are starting with a women’s World Championship next year in circuit racing. Our plan is to have six races in Europe, and we are planning to do a single brand competition. We will try to have women from all over the world racing in this new Championship. It will be organised primarily within the frame of the WorldSBK Championship.
“It’s a Championship where we want women to be pro. It’s not a step to another category, we want women who race here to be able to earn a wage as a rider, as professionals. We hope to start in March or April next year.”
Gregorio Lavilla, WorldSBK Executive Director: “When I was informed about this project and its possibilities I took a lot of interest and had a lot of enthusiasm. Currently, we thought that the World Superbike platform could be one of the places to start this project, but it doesn’t mean that it could only be in Superbike. It’s within Dorna, so we will see how this develops.
“We don’t have all the details yet, this is a live project, evolving all the time. It’s important that we expand the opportunities available, and especially seeing a lot of Cups and projects that we’ve started, I think it’s a big challenge but all of us must be proud of being able to offer this opportunity. At the end of the season I would like to see a good progression for the future ahead in order to have more riders and more possibilities in this sport.
“The best platform to start with is a single brand, and we’ve been discussing it informally with manufacturers already. We will start to define the details, but we expect something in a similar range to Supersport displacement. There has been a lot of interest but this is a project that is progressing, and can progress through the years to expand with different manufacturers, teams… we want to create a destination where female riders from around the world can join the Championship and find professional success. That means we can also explore new ways to promote the motorcycle industry. If we start from zero, we can be more creative. Like I said from my side, I will put in my full commitment to make it happen and to make it work at the standard that we want, and hopefully, we can be successful and enjoy it.”
Françoise Emery, FIM CEO: “We created a commission for women in motorcycling more than twenty years ago now so it is not really anything new in the FIM. We try to promote and support the women in motorcycle racing. What we try to do is offer female riders all opportunities and possibilities for them to ride, and as mentioned by the FIM President, we already have championships in Motocross, Enduro and Trial. So now we are pleased to launch a women’s Championship in circuit racing.”
Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports: “We are used to making announcements in extraordinary Press Conferences, and today is an extraordinary one! After much reflection, we have taken a decision, along with the FIM, which is very important both for us and for the future of the motorcycling world.
“We’re very happy to announce this project and be part of this important initiative, the FIM Women’s Motorcycle Racing World Championship.”
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Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc takes Baku pole ahead of Max Verstappen: F1
Baku (Azerbaijan), 28 April 2023: Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took a superb first pole position of 2023 in Qualifying for Sunday’s FIA Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, beating Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by almost two-tenths of a second after nothing could separate the pair in the opening runs of Q3.
Verstappen’s opening time in the final segment of Qualifying was swift 1:40.455, and that was matched, to the thousandth by Leclerc. However, the Red Bull driver claimed the provisional pole by virtue of having set the time first.
But there was no denying the Ferrari driver in the final runs as a brave final lap gave him a 0.188s advantage over Verstappen, who said he had suffered from a warm-up issue on his last lap. Sergio Pérez, meanwhile, went quicker than Leclerc in the first sector on his final flyer, but the Mexican lost time later in the lap and was forced to settle for third.
Earlier, at the start of the one-hour session, Verstappen took an early Q1 lead with a lap of 1:41.887. That put him two-tenths of a second ahead of Leclerc. Pérez, meanwhile, was down in fifth place after a tricky opening run that left with an opening time of 1:43.373.
There was no time for the Mexican to immediately improve, however, as the red flags were displayed soon after when Nyck de Vries hit the wall in Turn 3. The Dutch driver attempted to carry too much speed into the 90˚ left-hander and went straight into the barriers at the corner exit.
When the session eventually resumed, running was brief, as the red flags came out again almost immediately. Pierre Gasly also crashed in Turn 3 with the Alpine driver hitting the wall with the rear right side of his car. He was able to keep going to the next escape road, but with the barriers requiring repair, the session had to be stopped.
When the action restarted, Pérez jumped to the top of the order with a 1:41.756. Verstappen bypassed that to take P1 with a lap of 1:41.398 before heading back to the garage. Leclerc slotted into third place ahead of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and McLaren’s Lando Norris moved to fifth.
Pérez went for another run, but with little pressure coming from behind, the Mexican abandoned the attempt in the final sector and headed back to the pit lane.
Leclerc continued his attempt, however, and he took P1 with a time of 1:41.269, 0.129 ahead of Verstappen. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso moved to third place and Peerez progressed to fourth ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell.
At the wrong end of the Q1 timesheet, Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu was ruled out in P16 along with the Haas cars of Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen and the unfortunate Gasly and de Vries.
Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso set the first solid time of Q2 with a 1:41.400, but Pérezbeat that time to take P1 with a lap of 1:41.131 before Verstappen slotted into P2, 0.062s behind his team-mate. Leclerc then took P1 with a lap of 1:41.037 and with just under four minutes remaining the Red Bulls headed back out on track for their final runs.
In the end, with no improvement coming in his final sector, Pérez chose to back out of his final run. Verstappen, though, went purple in all three sectors and took P1 with a lap of 1:40.822.
The shock elimination at the end of the session was Russell. The Mercedes driver was edged out of the final segment by team-mate Hamilton, by just 0.004s. Also out at the end of the middle segment were Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, Williams’ Alex Albon, Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas, and the second Williams of Logan Sargeant.
Pérez was the first on track at the start of Q3 and the Mexican opened his account with a lap of 1:40.563. Behind him, Verstappen was quicker, and the champion claimed the provisional pole with a lap of 1:40.445. There was nothing in terms of time to separate the Dutchman from Leclerc, however. The Ferrari driver crossed the line in an identical time, though Verstappen took P1 thanks to crossing the line first.
For the final runs, Leclerc went out ahead of the two Red Bull drivers, with Pérez ahead of Verstappen on track.
Leclerc crossed the line in 1:40.203 and though Pérez went quicker than the Ferrari driver through the opening sector, he lost time in the middle of the track. It was a similar story for Verstappen. The champion lost time in the second sector and when he crossed the line he was just under two-tenths off the Ferrari and on the front row. Pérez had to settle for a row two berth ahead of Sainz.
Fifth place in Qualifying went to Hamilton, with Alonso sixth. Seventh place went to Norris, while Yuki Tsunoda took an excellent eighth place for AlphaTauri. Lance Stroll was ninth for Aston Martin and the final top-10 place went to Oscar Piastri in the second McLaren.
2023 FIA Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix – Qualifying
1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:40.203
2 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 1:40.391 0.188
3 Sergio Pérez Red Bull Racing 1:40.495 0.292
4 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:41.016 0.813
5 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:41.177 0.974
6 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin 1:41.253 1.050
7 Lando Norris 1:41.281 1.078
8 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 1:41.581 1.378
9 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 1:41.611 1.408
10 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:41.611 1.408
11 George Russell Mercedes 1:41.654 1.451
12 Esteban Ocon Alpine 1:41.798 1.595
13 Alex Albon Williams 1:41.818 1.615
14 Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo 1:42.259 2.056
15 Logan Sargeant Williams 1:42.395 2.192
16 Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo 1:42.642 2.439
17 Nico Hulkenberg Haas 1:42.755 2.552
18 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1:43.417 3.214
19 Pierre Gasly Alpine 1:44.853 4.650
20 Nyck de Vries AlphaTauri 1:55.282 15.079 -
Hemanth Muddappa going for ‘Dream-Dozen’: 2023 Drag Nationals on April 29, 30
Chennai, 28 April 2023: Bengaluru speed maestro Hemanth Muddappa is all set to begin another year as he attempts to better his records in the MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Drag Racing Championship 2023 powered by Vamcy Merla at the Madras International Circuit here on Saturday and Sunday.
The CEO of a Nutrition brand 1up, joined the exclusive club of National champions who have 10 titles in Motorsports. However, his dreams of notching up three titles had to wait as he clinched only one title and the ‘dream-dozen’ is the target this year. “Last year itself we were well-prepared and the fourth round provided us a golden chance but we could not get our act together. Alimon (Saidalvi) did very well and I congratulate him. This year is a new beginning and the urge is even stronger and we have put in hardwork and with the team’s dedication, we all gunning for more this year,” quipped Muddappa.
The 2023 Championship, comprising four rounds, has received a big boost with Vamcy Merla offering support. This has greatly benefitted the competitors as the top three finishers in various categories will receive start-money from promoters Madras Motor Sports Club.
About 100 entries have been received for the first of the four rounds of the championship that will be held on the drag strip at the MIC aided by imported timing equipment. The list includes a record 14 entries in the Girls’ category.
All the 2022 National champions in various categories are back to defend their titles and they include – Alimon, Hemanth Muddappa (Mantra Racing), Abdul Shaikh and Prashanth (all from Bengaluru), Bharath Raj (Chennai, Rockers Racing) and Lani Zena Fernandez (Puducherry, RACR Castrol Power Ultimate 1).
On view for two-wheeler enthusiasts will be a mix of powerful superbikes like the BMW, Hayabusa and Kawasaki Ninja, along with a clutch of home-grown machines specially prepared for the drag competition.
The two-day event has practice runs on Saturday followed by the final runs in four classes including the women’s event and the rest of the final runs will be on Sunday including the feature race where superbikes and stars like Hemanth Muddappa, Riaz and Alimon will showcase their skills.
2022 MMSC FMSCI Indian National Champions; Promoter: MMSC, Chennai.
1. 2022 National Drag Racing Champion Rider: 2 Stroke upto 130 cc Super Sport: Abdul Shaikh, Bengaluru.
2. 2022 National Drag Racing Champion Team: 2 Stroke upto 130 cc Super Sport: AP Motorsports, Chennai.
3. 2022 National Drag Racing Champion Rider: 2 Stroke upto 165 cc Super Sport: Prashanth, Bengaluru.
4. 2022 National Drag Racing Champion Team: 2 Stroke upto 165 cc Super Sport: Rockers Racing,
5. 2022 National Drag Racing Champion Rider: 4 Stroke 165 cc Girls Stock: Lani Zena Fernandez, Puducherry.
6. 2022 National Drag Racing Champion Team: 4 Stroke 165 cc Girls Stock: Axor Sparks Racing,
7. 2022 National Drag Racing Champion Rider: 4 Stroke upto 165 cc Super Sport Indian: Bharathraj J, Chennai.
8. 2022 National Drag Racing Champion Team: 4 Stroke upto 165 cc Super Sport Indian: Rockers Racing,
9. 2022 National Drag Racing Champion Rider: 4 Stroke Unrestricted Super Sport: Alimon Saidalvi,
10. 2022 National Drag Racing Champion Team: 4 Stroke Unrestricted Super Sport: Mantra Racing, Bengaluru.
11. 2022 National Drag Racing Champion Rider: 4 Stroke 361 cc to 550 cc Super Sport Indian: Bharathraj J,
12. 2022 National Drag Racing Champion Team: 4 Stroke 361 cc to 550 cc Super Sport Indian: Rockers Racing,
13. 2022 National Drag Racing Champion Rider: 4 Stroke 551 cc to 850 cc Super Sport: Saurabh Parab
14. 2022 National Drag Racing Champion Team: 4 Stroke 551 cc to 850 cc Super Sport: Mantra Racing, Bengaluru.
15. 2022 National Drag Racing Champion Rider: 4 Stroke 1051 cc – 1650 cc Super Sport: Hemanth Muddappa
16. 2022 National Drag Racing Champion Team: 4 Stroke 1051 cc – 1650 cc Super Sport: Mantra Racing, Bengaluru.
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F2: Jehan Daruvala eyeing Azerbaijan podium hat-trick
Mumbai, 27 April 2023: India’s Jehan Daruvala will be eyeing his third consecutive Azerbaijan podium, as Formula 2 returns to action at the Baku city circuit after a month-long break.
The 24-year-old, who races for Dutch team MP Motorsport, finished third around the fearsomely fast, 6-km long street track on his first visit to the venue in 2021.
He followed that up with a second-place finish last year, crossing the line less than half a second behind the race winner. Now, batteries recharged, he is aiming to go one better to not only win but also make it three podiums from three races.
Jehan said, “Baku has been something of a happy hunting ground for me. With the exception of the narrow, tight section that runs through the old city, the layout is quite similar to Jeddah, which plays to the strengths of my driving style. I’ve got a bit of unfinished business as I very nearly won here last year and I’m feeling relaxed, recharged and confident heading into the weekend.”
The Baku street track, with its fast layout and unforgiving barriers, has served up plenty of thrills and spills over the years. Last year’s Formula 2 round was packed with incidents, with the Feature race even finishing behind the safety car.
The championship will once again act as a support series to the Formula One Grand Prix. Track action will kick-off on Friday, April 28th, with practice and qualifying. The shorter Sprint race will take place on Saturday with the main Feature race to be held on Sunday ahead of the Formula One race.
About Jehan Daruvala
Jehan Daruvala is a racing driver from Mumbai, India. He began karting at the age of 10 in 2009. Two years later, he finished among the top-three I Force India’s ‘One From a Billion’ talent hunt. In 2013, he became the first Asian to win the British KF3 karting championship. A proven winner, Jehan has won in every category he has competed in. He is currently racing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship, which is a feeder series to Formula 1 and takes place on the same weekends. He is eligible for a Formula 1 superlicence and also serves as Formula E reserve for Indian manufacturer Mahindra Racing.
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Historic result for Jaden; only Indian in six years to get a British F4 podium
Leicestershire (UK), 23 April 2023: Young Indian racing star Jaden Pariat of Argenti Motorsport displayed his immense talent with a podium in the first round of the ROKiT British F4 Championship at Donington Park here on Sunday. He is only the second Indian to get an international podium in a Tatuus F4 car after Kush Maini’s podium in 2017.
“The podium is being hailed as a big milestone for the younger generation looking to break-through to higher levels of Formula racing. We are overwhelmed by the congratulatory messages and thank everyone who stood by us,” said Atikur Rehman, a former Indian national rally star and the force behind Jaden, who last year took a rookie podium in one of the two rounds he took part.
The 16-year motorsports athlete from supported by Minerva’s Virtual Academy, Lyca Radio and Bobatree, scored a creditable Overall third place in Race 2. He overcame initial hiccups in the qualification session and took a P17 after slipping from P5 as he came for a tyre change and fell short of laps due to a red flag following an incident in front of him.
Jaden Pariat, historic 3rd in six years after Kush Maini’s podium in 2017. Showing good pace and consistently the fastest of the four Phinsys by Argenti drivers in Thursday’s practice sessions, the teenager, from Northeast India, had high hopes of impressing as he started his first full year in the series. Joined on Saturday by lucky Lyca Radio competition winners who enjoyed VIP access to the British F4 paddock, Jaden was keen to put on a show for his guests.
Heading into qualifying on Saturday, Jaden was just 0.7s from pole position, but with the grid so closely matched, finished 18th fastest. However, his consistency paid off on second quickest times, as he would line up 13th for race one that afternoon and fourth for the reversed grid contest.
Sadly, the teenager loaded the clutch too much on the line meaning the car switched off before the lights went out for the first race, falling down the order. However, he would have a chance to make amends as the red flag was shown when a rival went into the gravel. Starting 17th for the restart, he had a superb launch to gain two spots before he made it to turn one and, continuing to battle, making up five places in total, crossing the line 12th.
Starting fourth for the fully reversed grid race, held in difficult, cool, and wet conditions on Sunday morning, Jaden drove well to avoid trouble with many of his rivals spinning off or coming into strife. Holding his own – when rival teammates came together in front of him – he crossed the line third for a superb maiden podium in the series.
The third and final race of the weekend provided yet more challenging conditions with rain falling once again – at times heavily – making for a slippery track surface. Marking a promising end to the opening weekend of the season, the young driver made up an excellent six places to finish 12th once again.Jaden R Pariat in action. All photos by Jakob Ebrey “Logging important points in the bag after a tough week-end, it was important to cash in on the little chances we had,” said Jaden, who had very little seat time in the Championship car.
“I’m very satisfied with the results we achieved. I am super happy to have gotten an overall podium for Race 2. With wet conditions and a whole lot of chaos ahead of us, it is great work by the team. I am surrounded by the amazing support from everyone at Lyca Radio and my team Argenti. I can’t wait for the next race,” added Jaden.
Jaden Pariat, #77
Grid 1 – 13, R1 – 12
G2 – 4, R2 – 3
G3 – 18, R3 – 12
Championship: 12 (11 points)
“Qualifying was very tight. We definitely had the pace in the first stint, we were up with the front runners and well into the points. Unfortunately, on our second stint, it took some time for the tyres to come in, and then when it looked like we were set to complete our fastest lap, the red flag cut it short. We didn’t get the opportunity to see where we truly could have been, but it’s so close, so that could have happened to anyone, even one tenth can make such a huge difference.
“For race one, the initial start wasn’t great. I loaded the clutch too much and the car switched off, but it happened just before the lights went out, so I did lose a little bit of time there, but I wasn’t too far behind the pack. The two laps that we had before the safety car, were pretty strong and we gained three places. Luckily, after the red flag we had a full restart, and I had a much better start that time, making up some places during the race.
“Race two was really chaotic, with a lot of cars going off and a lot of drama happening in front of me, but we kept it clean. We played it smart, trying to always calculate what was about to happen. We were patient and in the end that really paid off. I’m really happy with third, it’s a great feeling to be back on the podium, and for it to come on the first weekend of the season is really promising.
“The third race was good, unfortunately we were held up a lot by the two cars I was battling with. We had the pace to be in the points, but it’s racing, and these things happen. I’m happy with how my race craft has been improving, I made two moves that I’m quite proud of. It’s sometimes difficult to find the correct balance of pushing to the limit and holding back, but I think we managed it well. There were a few close calls, but we kept it clean the whole weekend.
“It’s been great to work with everyone at Argenti, we have a good relationship and continue to give each other input and feedback that has been pushing us forward together. I’m happy with how the team have been supporting me and the car they’ve given me this weekend. I hope I can bring home some more good results and podiums for them.
“It was an honour to welcome the Lyca Radio competition winners into the paddock, as well as representatives from the station. To have achieved the podium whilst they were here to see was very special, and I can’t thank them enough for their continued support.”The Championship now moves to Brands Hatch for the next three races on 6-7 May.
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Gaurav Gill’s campaign to equal Cody Crocker’s record this year; Origins of APRC
Bengaluru, 22 April 2023: Arjuna awardee Gaurav Gill will not be taking part in the International Rally of Whangarei from May 12 to 14. But the ‘King of Indian Motorsports’ has already qualified for the APRC Final round to be held in Indonesia in November where the other qualifiers from Asia Cup and Pacific Cup will vie for the coveted APRC title. Gill, who won three titles in his career will be gunning to equal the record of Cody Crocker.
Origins of APRC
Asia Pacific Rally Championship is a premier motorsports regional car rally approved and run under the aegis of FIA, the international Motorsports body. It was started it 1988 to provide a chance for better local participation and to reduce costs for the competitors. Besides Formula 1 and MotoGP, the most popular forms of motorsports in the World, there are a few other speed sports which mix a dash of adventure and adrenaline flow that have captivated the hearts of speed lovers. World Rally Championship (WRC) and Dakar are such ones, they are bigger motorsports events that test skill, speed, strength, endurance, and precision, and have a huge fan following similar to the top two, the F1 and MotoGP.
Both WRC and Dakar are off-road and have captured the imagination of the fans. So in 1988, WRC became popular and the Governing body of the Sport, FIA thought it fit to capture the audience in Asia and Pacific continents that together have 40 per cent or more of the World’s fans. And thus, APRC was born, and most of the top WRC drivers were eager to compete and beat the best in our region in the early years. As such, more than half of the WRC rounds had APRC events run concurrently in the initial years.
Huge transport costs & lack of locally-developed cars, a set-back
Over the years, the competition petered down to regional drivers due to the costs involved in transporting cars and the lack of development of a rally car in Asia. Naturally, Australia and New Zealand dominated but it was a Japanese driver Kenjiro Shinozuka in a Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 who won the inaugural APRC. Many rallies used to double up as the WRC rounds and it was a mind-boggling response from Asians and Aussies that turned motorsport discipline into a spectator sport. The Japanese manufacturers, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Toyota and Subaru were all there and our very own Karamjit Singh too called the shots, not long after. The Indian-origin Malaysian driver was the first to win the championship from emerging APRC nations.
Flying Sikh of Motorsports
After the turn of the century, Karamjit Singh, nick-named motorsports’ ‘Flying Sikh’, won his first title in 2001 and repeated the feat in 2002 before the MRF Tyres entry as MRF Racing, stopped him when German Armin Kremer won the maiden title for the Indian outfit in 2003. Karamjiat came back the next year with another victory in 2004 for his third and last win in a Proton Pert.
In later years, MRF Tyres dominated the scene with an overall haul of nine victories, the only team to have nine wins. But MRF played safe, recruiting only foreign drivers after initially deciding to field a couple of Indian drivers. However, Arjuna Awardee Gaurav Gill changed that with his maiden win in 2013 and went on to become a three-time champ. In fact, but for a narrow miss, he would have been a four-time champion.
Cody Crocker, is the only driver to get 4 APRC titles
Nevertheless, the Indian presence was truly satisfying with the exploits of Gill, who showed brute speed and magical memory of the speed stages which resulted in his domination. Some of the names who dominated APRC over the years are British driver Possum Bourne, Swedish driver Kenneth Eriksson, Karamjit Singh, Aussie Cody Crocker (4 titles), who had a 4-win row from 2006 to 2009, and then our very own Gaurav Gill who notched up two more wins in 2016 and 2017, to make it 3 APRC titles. Along with seven Indian National titles and a good performance in WRC saw he become the first Indian in motorsports to get the coveted Arjuna Award.
APRC took a two-year forced break due to the travel restrictions arising out of COVID-19, Kiwi Hayden Paddon won after the hiatus and is the reigning 2022 champion.
Format change
In 2008, the format changed to split the regional event to Asia Cup and Pacific Cup, two different legs for the two continents but they were not given a continental championship status as APRC remained the ultimate goal as qualifiers take a shot at the APRC crown in the finals. While Gaurav Gill won the Asia Cup twice in a Skoda Fabia R5, the MRF team won five times in the Pacific Cup. This year, 2023, Gill, along with a new co-driver Aniruddha Rangnekar, donned the colours of JK Tyre. He dominated the tricky terrain of the South India Rally, which he lost to another Indian pair Karna Kadur and Nikhil Pai in 2022. The win in Chennai began Gill’s campaign for a fourth APRC title. The winners of different Asia and Pacific rounds will vie for honours at the grand finale in Indonesia in November.
One of the reasons the costs increase for participants is the transportation of vehicles. The split into Cups and a one-round finale are working to reduce the costs, but it also took its toll on entry numbers. When India, took its Indian National Rally Championship to North East a few years back, the organisers could not sustain the venue in the calendar. But in 2020, the then INRC Promoter Vamcy Merla took care of the expenses for transportation of all cars and it saw record numbers from both North and South take part in the Indian Nationals.
Efforts on to boost driver participation in APRC
Apart from transportation costs, there were other setbacks. There is no truly locally built car and the AP4 cars are becoming expensive for the participants and teams and numbers started shrinking. Then again Vamcy Merla, a former Indian rally driver and motorsports lover from Andhra Pradesh, was roped in by the APRC Working Group chairman and the man who brought Formula 1 to India, Vicky Chandhok, to promote the Indian round. Soon the entries improved from four to 17. Now he also supported the Prize Money for the Pacific Cup winners in Rally Otago and has contributed to the organisers for running the International Rally of Whangarei, apart from doubling the prize money for the APRC segment winners.
A people’s man Chandhok is known to firefight and get motorsports events on the road in the worst of times. He has handled many such situations and his current role in rescuing APRC is not surprising. No wonder, Vicky Chandhok was unanimously asked to continue as the Chairman even after his term was over a couple of years back. Together the two Indians are reviving the regional championship to its past glory. With like-minded people and sincere efforts, the process that began should be sustained and it will only help the drivers and teams by providing an international experience.
The next round of the APRC Pacific round will be in New Zealand, the Whangarei Rally from May 12 to 14. There will be 18 Special Stages over 264 kilometres on what is widely regarded as the world’s best gravel rally roads.
The fast-cambered roads of the north will host the second round of the 2023 Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship. The event will also see the top-3 registered Drivers from Rally Otago and Rally of Whangarei qualify for a place in the Asia Pacific Rally Championship final in late November.
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Aniruddha Rangnekar fastest; Ruthuparna bags a triple: Autocross Nationals
Pune, 2 April 2023: Talented Pune driver Aniruddha Rangnekar clinched the Overall honours as he won the fastest driver tag and led his team Slideways Industries to a rich haul in the IARC fmsci Indian National Autocross Championship promoted by Bangalore Motorsports Club at the Nanoli Speedway on April 1 and 2. Rangnekar clocked 1min, 15.265 seconds in the INAC2 open covering about 1 Km, of a lap on the dirt track in his Chettinad Sporting prepared Polo shod on JK Tyres.
Promoter Umesh Pandey of Bangalore Motorsports Club said: “We saw new talent and a lot of enthusiasm in the first round and the championship is becoming bigger and better. This year we have eight rounds in different regions of the country and the finals are likely in Bengaluru again in December.” Pandey, the brain behind the whole Championship, made it a truly ‘National’ event, in geography too, by spreading the Zonal rounds around the country including one round in North East. The Pune round is the first of the eight rounds and the qualified drivers will fight it out for National Championship titles in eight classes. A non-championship support event, “Time Attack” was also held to promote the sport.
Aniruddha won INAC2 Open with a faster time than Rutuparna Vivek, who won the INAC1 Open. But Ruthuparna Vivek of Snap Racing clinched three big victories as he claimed all three INAC1 categories. However, Aniruddha bagged the INAC3 Open too, and clocked the fastest time beginning 2023 on a grand note.
Another INRC lady driver Shivani Parmar displayed enough skills in this shorter format which calls for precise movements and car control and won the INAC2 upto 1650cc class beating both Ruthuparna Vivek and Aniruddha Rangnekar to hoist the Women in Motorsports (WIM) flag. Nikeeta Takkale, who scored points in the APRC Asia Cup round earlier in Chennai, was the other woman who notched up four podiums. Competing with men and beating them is a huge achievement for these women behind the wheel.
Munjal Savla and Umesh Rane were the other National Category winners while another veteran Mazdayar Vatcha, a yesteryears star from Hyderabad, showed glimpses of his talent, with a podium in INAC3. Zahan Commissariat, another racing talent, and a regular podium finisher at Madras International Circuit took second in the INAC 4×4 Class. Amey Desai, a former champ who represented India in Gymkhana Asian competitions, and 2019 National Champion, Sanjay Lall and Altaf Hussain were the others who took podium spots.
The next Regional qualifier round will be held in Goa on April 29 and 30.
Provisional Results: West Zone Qualifier for INAC final 2023: Round 1:
INAC1 Open: 1. Ruthuparna Vivek 1:15.555; 2. Aditya Kousgi 1;15.780; 3. Nikeeta Takkale 1:15.995.
INAC1 Upto 1650cc: 1. Ruthuparna Vivek 1:16.175; 2. Nikeeta Takkale 1:17.600; 3. Aniruddha Rangnekar 1:17.710.
INAC1 Upto 2400cc: 1. Ruthuparna Vivek 1:16.105; 2. Aniruddha Rangnekar 1:17.440; 3. Nikeeta Takkale 1:18.120;
INAC2 Open: 1. Aniruddha Rangnekar 1:15.265; 2. Ruthuparna Vivek 1:15.880; 3. Nikeeta Takkale 1:16.950;
INAC2 Upto 1400cc: 1. Munjal Savla 1:22.430; 2. Altaf Hussain 1:36.735;
INAC2 Upto 1650cc: 1. Shivani Parmar 1:16.200; 2. Ruthuparna Vivek 1:16.750; 3. Aniruddha Rangnekar 1:17.835;
INAC3 Open: 1. Aniruddha Rangnekar 1:19.255; 2. Amey Desai 1:20.630; 3. Mazdayar Vatcha 1:21.615;
INAC 4×4 Open: 1. Umesh Rane 1:19.210; 2. Zahan Commissariat 1:20.100; 3. Sanjay Lall 1:21.695;
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Slideways Industries team dominates INAC Round 1 & Time Attack at Pune
Pune, 21 April 2023: Experienced rally driver from Team Slideways Industries, Maharashtra, Aniruddha Rangnekar won the Overall honours taking home the coveted “Fastest Driver” award in the first round of the 8-round fmsci* Indian National Autocross Championship (INAC) here on April 1 and 2.
At the Nanoli Speedway round in Pune, Slideways Industries, one of the largest teams in Maharashtra and one of the oldest teams in India, bagged 15 trophies and is the West Zone qualifier including in the Time Attack. All the zonal qualifiers will compete for the National Champion tag at the Grand Finale to be held in December. The finals are likely to be in Bengaluru once again but the venue is yet to be confirmed. The 15 trophies include the victories in the Support event.
Sponsored by Pune-based Pinnacle Group, Slideways, a household name in Indian Motorsport, won multiple National championships over the years. Supported by JK Tyre and Gaurav Gill Advanced Driving Academy (GGADA) in their preparations, the team put on a stellar show at the event. And Aniruddha Rangnekar, one of the founding members of the team, and currently the co-driver for Gaurav Gill in the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC), the longer version of rallying, taking the top honours is a bonus. Just like INRC, INAC is one of the dozen National Championships of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (fmsci) the governing body for the sport in India.
While the team has been a regular over at INRC, they are now also exploring other forms of motorsport. Trained and mentored by Arjun Awardee, the three-time Asia Pacific and seven-time National rally champion, Gaurav Gill, the team is growing from strength to strength. Since its inception in 2010, the Slideways Industries rally cars have been built by Coimbatore-based Chettinad Sporting, one of the leading Motorsport tuning houses in India led by Thiagarajan and Roshan, the driver-navigator pair in late nineties. The rally cars run on a 1.6-litre engine that has been upgraded according to the Sporting Regulations of the championship. Running on specially-designed 15-inch JK Rally tyres, the drivers acclaim the excellent grip on varied surfaces.
Shivani Parmar, one of the few female drivers in the National championship also had a good outing, winning in one category against experienced drivers and bagged a couple of other podiums in different classes. The biggest surprise of the weekend came in the form of rookies, Priyanandana Varma and Aditya Vikram Bose, who are fresh graduates from GGADA, bagging a class win and a couple of podiums over the weekend.
“Winning is a great feeling, but doing so on home turf is even more special,” said Aniruddha, who set the fastest time in the INAC, won as many as three categories and bagged multiple other podiums in Round 1. “It’s sad that we don’t have a round of INRC in Maharashtra anymore, but this is the closest we can get and we are glad to have taken home so many trophies from the weekend” added Shivani. Nashik used to be a regular round of the INRC for many years, until the clubs ran out of tracks where closed-road time Special Stages can be held.
“Being a rookie and entering the first event is always nerve-racking but the support from Slideways and GGADA made this event much easier for us,” said Bose, who bagged two podium finishes. “Training with Gaurav Gill and his team of experienced coaches has transformed my driving. It has not only made me a faster driver but safer and smarter too,” said a delighted Priyanandana Varma who won a class, apart from two other top-3 finishes.
*fmsci took a decision to write its short form in small letters a few years back.
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Pragathi Gowda all set for FIA Rally Star Women’s Final
Bengaluru, 19 April 2023: Indian rally star athlete Pragathi Gowda is eagerly waiting for the World Women’s Final which is now scheduled to take place in Italy in the first week of May to take a shot at the FIA Rally Star Training Season, which is rapidly taking shape with confirmation of the Training Camp and event schedule. The World Finals, originally slated to be held in South America, is put off twice.
Exciting motorsports talent Gowda from Bengaluru is expected to be among some of the most promising young rally drivers representing Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas who will gather in Sardinia for intensive training and evaluation sessions from May 21 to June 1. However, while a few of them already qualified, Pragathi Gowda needs to do well at the Women’s final. Considering that all the five other continental champions are professional drivers with a lot of saddle time, the Indian will be a rookie as we don’t even have similar cross-cars in India. Pragathi’s only seat time on the car was for the final contest of the Asia Pacific selection trials where she did drive the new vehicle about four or five times in three days and beat the best male drivers and a tough lady driver from New Zealand.
‘Matter of pride to fly the Indian flag’
“I will put my heart into it and have fun. A lot of hard work and dedication went into reaching this stage and I have respect and love for my sport and my country. I am not going to compete against each other but I will compete with myself. It is not so much about performance but it is basically going to be a learning trip. Representing Asia Pacific at World Finals is always a matter of great pride and flying the Indian flag is an honour,” said Pragathi Gowda, speaking exclusively to INDIAinF1.com.
They are the winners of the five FIA Rally Star Continental Finals, and Pragathi Gowda, the winner of the FIA Rally Star Asia Pacific Women’s Final which was held in Chennai in October 2022 will join the other Continental winners to try to get into the bigger Training Season group. In the FIA Rally Star Asia-Pacific Final with 26 drivers from seven ASNs (National Federations for 7 countries) vying for honours, Pragathi Gowda came out triumphant in the three-step test and topped among the four lady drivers on the deciding day of action at the Madras International Circuit in Chennai, India. The event was hosted successfully by the Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC).
Once selected, between June and November, the six aspiring future FIA World Rally Championship winners will contest six national or regional-level events on both gravel and tarmac in identical Ford Fiesta Rally3s prepared by M-Sport Poland and running on Pirelli tyres. To enter this group, Pragathi is making all-out efforts to top the Women’s Final. “They have better technology and they have those karts to practice. But I don’t have a kart so it’s a big challenge,” said the Bengaluru lass, who wanted to taste the kart (cross-car) but went on to win at the Asia Pacific finals, as she gives her best whenever she gets back on the steering wheel.
At the completion of the FIA Star Training Season, the four best-performing drivers will secure a dream opportunity by contesting the FIA Junior WRC Championship in 2024.
Earlier, the FIA Rally Star American and Women’s Finals were supposed to be held in South America. After being postponed twice the event is now switched to Italy from May 1 to 4, followed by the Sardinian training camp.
Relocated from Peru to Uruguay, the switch to Italy and the Maggiora Offroad Arena in Piemont, northeast of the city of Turin, is the result of logistical issues.
While every effort was made to maintain the Polideportivo Motor Maldonado off-road motorsport complex in Uruguay as the venue for the FIA Rally Star American and Women’s Finals, moving to Italy makes for a more accessible location for the Women’s Final and will ensure that there will be no delay to the start of the FIA Rally Star Training Season.
The FIA Rally Star American Final – featuring participants from South and North America – had been due to take place from April 30-May 2 with the Women’s Final following on May 3. The FIA Rally Star American Final will now run from May 1-3 ahead of the Women’s Final on May 4.
On top of the #RallyAtHome Challenges winners, eight ASNs from South and North America (Argentina, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay) will send contestants to the FIA Rally Star American Final with a total of 42 drivers expected to take part. The FIA will cover their travel costs.
What’s on the agenda during the FIA Rally Star Training Camp
The FIA Rally Star Training Camp consists of theoretical sessions covering event reconnaissance, rally car engineering, regulations, and team organisation.
There will be practical activities including testing on gravel and tarmac, physical and mental training, recce practice, media training, and team observation through spending time with mechanics.
The FIA Rally Star Training Season members will then take part in the reconnaissance for Rally Italia Sardegna at the same time as the drivers contesting round six of the FIA World Rally Championship (June 1-4).
Media activities in and around the Rally Italia Sardegna Service Park will be the focus on the final day of the FIA Rally Star Training Camp on June 1 and will include taking part in a press conference and being interviewed by accredited media.
Prior to arriving in Sardinia, the six FIA Rally Star Training Season participants will take part in a series of webinars aimed at getting them fully prepared for the Training Camp.
All costs are covered by the FIA with the best four drivers at the completion of the FIA Rally Star Training Season securing a fully funded season in the FIA Junior WRC Championship in 2024.
The FIA Rally Star Training Season events have been specifically chosen to equip the drivers with experience in a wide variety of conditions and circumstances.
Robert Reid, FIA Deputy President for Sport said: “Firstly, I would like to express our gratitude to Ivan Dibos Mier, President of the Touring Automóvil Club del Perú, and to Jorge Tomasi, President of the Automobile Club del Uruguay, for all their efforts to bring the FIA Rally Star American and Women’s Finals to their countries. The enthusiasm and passion from the Peruvian and Uruguayan teams would have made for a fantastic event in both countries, had it not been for reasons beyond their control requiring a change of venue.
“We now look forward to eight ASNs being represented in Maggiora by some promising young drivers and we thank the Maggiora Off Road Arena and the Automobile Club d’Italia for their assistance in the organisation of the event.
“Beyond these final decider rounds, we are excited to announce details of the FIA Rally Star Training Camp and the six events the winners of the Continental Finals and Women’s Final will contest during the upcoming FIA Rally Star Training Season. The team has worked hard to develop what will be a comprehensive FIA Rally Star Training Camp itinerary. The six events have been chosen to give the drivers the opportunity to sample a variety of conditions that are likely to be encountered in the Junior WRC Championship.
“We are grateful for the support of our partners and, specifically, Automobile Club d’Italia and our colleagues at Rally Italia Sardegna for all their assistance. We also extend our thanks to the organisers of the six rallies who will welcome us from June to November.”
The FIA Rally Star Training Season event schedule confirmed
The FIA Rally Star Training Season will feature six events, four on gravel and two on Tarmac. The six FIA Rally Star Training Season participants will compete in identical Pirelli-equipped Ford Fiesta Rally3s run by M-Sport Poland. The event calendar is as follows:
• Rally San Marino, Italy (gravel), June 16-17
• Rallye Weiz, Austria (Tarmac), July 13-15
• Rally Nova Gorica, Slovenia (Tarmac), September 22-24
• Rally Saarema, Estonia (Gravel), October 6-7
• RallyRACC, Spain (Gravel), October 20-21
• Lausitz Rallye, Germany (Gravel), November 9-11
A test will take place ahead of each event along with an extensive post-rally debrief following afterward.
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Jaden Pariat to test Tatuus T421 tomorrow ahead of British F4 full season
Leicestershire/Shillong, 19 April 2023: Talented young Indian racer Jaden Pariat is raring to get into his Formula car, the Tatuus T421 for team Phinsys by Argenti, ahead of the opening round of the 2023 FIA British ROKiT F4 championship at Donington Park on Thursday.
The 16-year talent, who took part in the final two rounds last year, caught the eye of the teams at the famous Silverstone circuit in 2022 scoring a Rookie podium on his debut.
“I’m excited to start racing as we prepared well over the winter. We want to have a strong start but the aim is to progress over the year and keep on improving as a driver. It is 10 race week-ends and 30 races. If we focus on that, hopefully the wins and podiums will follow. With only two weekends’ of saddle time under my belt, my target is to be consistent,” Jaden exuded confidence today.
The Shillong-born teenager, who made Bengaluru his second home, honed his skills in Chennai and Coimbatore before shifting base to the United Kingdom. And he took part in two rounds of the Winter Series. The former Indian National Karting Junior Vice-Champion was also offered to be an ambassador for Lyca Radio, one of the leading South Asian stations, where he would offer a special VIP prize to a lucky winner to join him behind the scenes. “It will be good fun to show the Lyca winner what motorsport is like for the first two rounds. I’m looking forward to welcoming them to taste motorsports,” said Pariat, who is eligible for Rookie class this year too.
After an unofficial test on Thursday, the Indian will take part in the qualifying on Saturday followed by the first race. On Sunday, April 23, Jaden will have another two races. Race 3 will be live on ITV4 in the United Kingdom.
Jaden Pariat is an aggressive driver, a family skill he acquired from his father Atikur Rehman, an Indian Rally Champion of yesteryears. But Jaden, an avid footballer, decided to take up a different variant of motorsport discipline.
The ROKiT F4 British Championship is the first step for aspiring young drivers making the transition from karting into single seaters to follow the footsteps of Lando Norris. The second-generation Tatuus T-421 chassis features halo safety cage and has Abarth engines. The championship is certified by the FIA, and 12 Super Licence points will be awarded to the overall champion.
