INDIA in F1

Author: David Bodapati

  • F1 legend Jenson Button to run 3 NASCAR Cup series races: Debut at COTA Mar26

    F1 legend Jenson Button to run 3 NASCAR Cup series races: Debut at COTA Mar26

    KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (March 9, 2023) – Jenson Button, the 2009 Formula One world champion whose versatility as a racecar driver extends well beyond his nearly two-decade F1 career, will continue to diversify his racing resume by running three NASCAR Cup Series races in 2023.

    With support from Mobil 1, the world’s leading brand of synthetic motor oil, Button will make his Cup Series debut March 26 at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas. He will then compete in the inaugural Chicago Street Race on July 2 before culminating his three-race Cup Series slate Aug. 13 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.

    Rick Ware Racing (RWR) will field the No. 15 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang that Button will drive in each Cup Series race. Marketing and promotional support is being facilitated by Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), Mobil 1’s longtime NASCAR team partner. RWR and SHR collaborated in similar fashion last year for multiple races with a handful of drivers.

    “We are thrilled to celebrate Jenson Button as he makes his debut in the NASCAR Cup Series and support him on his journey to making one of his racing dreams a reality,” said Rob Shearer, Director of Global Lubricants Marketing Services, on behalf of Mobil 1. “We’re driven by the love of driving and committed to helping more people get behind the wheel – wherever they may be. Through our partnership, we hope to continue to inspire and serve drivers everywhere – encouraging them to get more out of their drive and reconnect with the adventure of the open road.”

    Button won 15 grands prix, including a dominant six-win campaign in 2009 that netted him the F1 title. Upon retiring from F1 in 2017, the British driver has taken on a variety of challenges. It began with sports cars in the Japanese Super GT Series’ GT500 class, where he won the 2018 championship. He then ran a five-race stint in the 2018-2019 FIA World Endurance Championship, a drive that included the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Button has even competed in off-road endurance racing, running the Mint 400 and the Baja 1000 in 2019.

    Mobil 1 has been there for nearly all of it, with Button’s NASCAR endeavor another chapter in a partnership that began 20 years ago. 

    “I won the world championship with Mobil 1, and 14 of my 15 wins in Formula One were with Mobil 1, as well as winning the Super GT championship with them. We’ve had a really close relationship over the years and I can’t think of a better partner,” Button said.

    “Mobil 1 has been a big part of making these NASCAR races happen for me, so I’m very thankful to them for giving me this opportunity. I look forward to working alongside the brand to get the best out of every race weekend.”

    Through their shared love of driving and deep history in motorsports, Mobil 1 and Button will connect with the racing community in new and exciting ways – with a focus on delivering exclusive content and uniting driving enthusiasts through activations and experiences.

    “Our love for racing at Mobil 1 runs deep, and we’re proud to compete and play a role in so many different series,” said Jei Gort, Global Motorsports and Sponsorships Manager, on behalf of Mobil 1. “This partnership with Jenson intersects two of racing’s most prominent series – NASCAR and F1 – and we’re very excited to be a part of his pursuit for success in NASCAR’s premier division. Through our collaboration, we aim to further celebrate the love of driving and elevate the passion for motorsports.”

    Button is one of F1’s most tenured drivers with 306 career starts. His final F1 start was the 2017 Monaco Grand Prix when he subbed for Fernando Alonso, who skipped Monaco to compete in the Indianapolis 500. Button’s last fulltime F1 season was 2016.

    “The reason I was able to stay in Formula One for so long was because I always felt I was learning. There was always something new in terms of technologies, or I could still improve my driving or engineering skills within Formula One. When I got to my 17th year in F1, I felt like I lost that hunger a little bit because it wasn’t new anymore. There wasn’t something new to learn,” Button said.

    “Stepping away from F1 gave me the opportunity to try different series that excited me. I raced Super GT in Japan. I raced at Le Mans. I raced off-road because it was another skill to learn. You put yourself in a slightly vulnerable position because it’s not your complete skill set, and there’s still more to learn to be as good as the best. I love that challenge of driving new things. It’s slightly out of my comfort zone, and I found that out with off-road trucks.

    “Obviously, racing a Cup car is very different than what I’m used to. It’s a lot heavier with a lot less power and, basically, no downforce. It’s got a sequential gearbox where you need to blip the throttle, so there’s lots of stuff to learn in a very short space of time.

    “But I just get excited about that new challenge, and when I throw myself into something, I am 100 percent in. I’m not just doing it for fun in some one-off. I want to be competitive, and I know that to be competitive, it’s going to take a bit of time. That’s why doing these three races works very well this season.”

    Button isn’t totally unfamiliar with a NASCAR Cup Series stock car. He is part of the Garage 56 driver lineup, which is taking a slightly modified Cup Series car to this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans June 10-11 at Circuit de la Sarthe.

    “The first time I jumped into the Garage 56 car, it was like, ‘What have I done? This is so different,’ and that lasted about four laps. Then it was like, ‘Hang on, it’s still a racecar. It’s got four tires that touch the road. It’s a mechanical racecar, which is even better for learning.’ I’ve really enjoyed the challenge,” said Button, who has now tested the Garage 56 car at Sebring (Fla.) International Raceway, Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and earlier this week at COTA.

    “A Cup car has a lot less downforce and is a lot heavier, but the Garage 56 car has given me an idea of what it will be like along with a direction, which is really useful. I know in my first race I’m not expected to be 

    qualifying right at the front and I’m not expected to be fighting for a victory. I have a lot of respect for the drivers racing in the Cup Series. There’s so much talent there, whether it’s on ovals or road courses.

    “Ten years ago, people used to say NASCAR guys can’t drive around a circuit, but I think they’ve proven that they can. Every time an ex-F1 driver gets in a stock car these days, they struggle initially. It takes a while for them to get up to speed, so I don’t expect to be right at the front, straight away. That’s why, for me, doing more than one race is really key so I can get the best out of myself and the best out of the car.”

    When it comes to expectations, particularly at COTA where Button made five F1 starts, he has no predictions.

    “The most important thing for me is to enjoy it,” Button said. “I want to feel comfortable in the car knowing that I can get as much out of the car in any situation as other people out on track. The result is the result and we’ll see what happens, but I want to get the confidence to brake as late as I’d like, to carry the speed through the high-speed corners, and to be able to race close – wheel-to-wheel with the pack.”

    If there is one person who understands the transition Button will face going from open-wheel racecars to stock cars, it is Mobil 1 ambassador Tony Stewart. Before he became a three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, Stewart was the 1997 IndyCar Series champion. Stewart even has a bit of Formula One experience – he drove Lewis Hamilton’s 2008 championship-winning McLaren MP4-23 on June 14, 2011 at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International in a seat swap orchestrated by Mobil 1.

    “It’s always a challenge to try a new racing discipline, and the best thing you can bring to a new opportunity like this is an open mind,” Stewart said. “Jenson has been doing that his entire career. Those F1 cars evolve every year, and Jenson always found a way to adapt. And when he got out of F1, he jumped into sports cars and won another championship. He’s even done off-road. There’s very little that he hasn’t experienced in a racecar. He’s new to NASCAR, but he’s not new to racing. This is going to be fun for all of us, and we’re very appreciative of Mobil 1 for making it happen.”

    Button’s NASCAR Cup Series debut begins on Saturday, March 25 at COTA with practice and qualifying for the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix. The 68-lap race around the 3.426-mile, 20-turn road course gets underway at 3:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, March 26 with live coverage provided by FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

  • Indian star Profile: Ashish Raorane, rally-raid/Dakar

    Indian star Profile: Ashish Raorane, rally-raid/Dakar

    This is a profile story written by David Bodapati after Ashish Raorane successfully completed the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge to qualify for Dakar 2024, pending technical fulfillments.

    Abu Dhabi, 4 March 2023: Ace Indian motorsports athlete Ashish Raorane, braving a severe muscle injury, finished Rally2 category in a creditable 11th place in the 7-day gruelling Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (ADDC), the second round of the FIM World Rally Raid Championship (W2RC) here on Friday, and qualified for Dakar 2024.

    The rigorous Desert Challenge saw some of the Dakar veterans racing across a route spanning 1,915kms of the demanding and treacherous terrain amidst the sprawling sand dunes.

    Competing with some of the biggest names in motorsports, the 41-year -old Pune rider, conquered the international cross-country rally astride a KTM 450 Rally Factory Replica to seal his entry for the Dakar 2024.

    Pumping in painkillers, the former marine engineer successfully completed the final day’s Stage 5 for an Overall P20 among 49 participants and came 11th in his class. He clocked a total time of 25:09.05.

    “I am delighted and happy that the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is in the bag. Going in I knew this was a tough and very physically-demanding rally and I am happy to have persevered despite the multiple challenges,” said Raorane, who is supported by Rynox Gears, Dosmoto Design, Motousher, Bigbadbikes and LazyAssBikers.

    Riders are required to complete at least one FIM-sanctioned World Championship race or other rally that falls under the “Road to Dakar” label and completing ADDC clears the road for Raorane’s Dakar 2024 participation.

    “I am delighted and happy that the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is in the bag. Going in I knew this was a tough and very physically-demanding rally and I am happy to have persevered despite the multiple challenges,” said Raorane, who is supported by Rynox Gears, Dosmoto Design, Motousher, Bigbadbikes and LazyAssBikers.

    “The meaningful experience gained each day will go a long way in the upcoming rallies as well as our Dakar 2024 campaign and the result has certainly boosted my confidence. Thank you to all the fans and supporters for the messages over the last week, they really kept me going,” said the KTM rider, who gets technical support from Slipstream Performance, the Indian tuners from Pune. To give back to motorsports, he also founded Off-Piste Racing and trains bikers for cross-country rallying.

    The #34 team ‘Xraids Experience’ rider went through a harrowing time, but with great determination, Raorane came back strongly every day, to complete the daunting rally. He suffered the fuel-range anxiety with a lost front fuel tank in Stage 1 at around the 204-kms mark and also saw the air bag deployed during a hard landing in the ‘empty quarter’ and ended the day’s competitive section with fumes in the rear fuel tank.

    The next day in Stage 2, was another big challenge spotting the drop-offs. The Indian was caught out coming off a dune crest and “the earth below suddenly vanished”.

    The worst was on Stage 3 on March 1 and it looked as though the rally ended in disappointment, when Raorane suffered a massive crash and ruptured his right bicep muscle but carried on for another 160kms, undaunted. Despite extreme pain, he managed to finish the day’s competitive section. Later, Raorane recovered and after doctor’s clearance, he came back next day stronger and despite a painful arm, completed the last two days where he also overcame another minor fall and malfunctioning of his Roadbook roll.

    An adventure travel rider, Raorane had claimed a podium on debut in the Indian National Racing Championship (INRC) round at Nashik in 2015 and soon took to cross-country rallies like a duck to water. He took part in the almighty Raid de Himalaya and many other bigger national and international events including polished him into a high-performance Rally Raid athlete that laid the seed for his Dakar dream, the mother of all rallies.

    After pioneer CS Santosh, KP Arvind and Harith Noah completed Dakar, Raorane, became the fourth Indian to complete in Dakar Experience class in 2021. The dream continues next January, at Dakar 2024.

  • Jehan Daruvala begins the season on right note, shows enough pace in season opener

    Jehan Daruvala begins the season on right note, shows enough pace in season opener

    Sakhir (Bahrain), 4 March 2023: Indian hope Jehan Daruvala began the season on a promising note as his MP Motorsport machine showed enough pace as he makes a last-ditch effort in perhaps his final season in Formula 2 World Championship to get noticed by the F1 team.

    Mumbai’s Daruvala, who began as one of the favourites last season faded out due to many factors including lack of pace and some unfortunate incidents which were beyond his control. However, the Indian was let down by his own mistakes too in a few of the races.

    On Saturday, in the reverse grid, he came through the pack to achieve a P6 finish having started the first Formula 2 Sprint Race of 2023 from 11th on the grid. The MP Motorsport driver was pressuring Théo Pourchaire in the closing stages of the race and threatening a top five finish.

    After reflecting on the race and assessing the data, Daruvala says that the result was well earned and a good first step with his new team.

    “Today’s result was ok. I think I had a good start, then I had some good battles at the end with Théo. I’d say there was still a little bit to work on for tomorrow, a bit more pace to come. “Honestly, I think we can finish on the podium tomorrow. Let’s see if we can make some improvements for tomorrow. If we have another good start, a good first lap then there’s no reason why we cannot have a top-five (finish) or even a podium.”

    His battle with the ART Grand Prix driver ultimately ended in favour of the Frenchman, keeping Daruvala outside the top five. He says that fight was good fun, but that with the tyres already past their best, passing him was just out of reach. “Théo and I were both really struggling at the end with our tyres. I gave it everything, but I just had nothing left. It was a good fight, we were close but never made contact so that was good.”

    Looking ahead to tomorrow’s Feature Race further, set to commence as temperatures peak in the early afternoon, the MP driver believes everyone is in for another tough afternoon. Having trailed Pourchaire in the closing stages after saving his tyres earlier in the race, Daruvala already has an idea of what to expect. Even with this knowledge though, the Indian driver says nobody will have an easy time as even he ran into trouble with the tyres by the end of the Sprint.

    “I did an okay job at saving the tyres. I could have done better but it was very tricky. I assume tomorrow with the heat, it’s gonna be even hotter and it’s gonna be even tougher. I’m not gonna let any secrets out by saying this but it’s gonna be difficult for everyone and everyone knows that.

  • Jehan Daruvala 6th, Kush Maini 7th; both Indian in points at Bahrain GP

    Jehan Daruvala 6th, Kush Maini 7th; both Indian in points at Bahrain GP

    Sakhir, 4 March 2023: Indian racing drivers Jehan Daruvala and Kush Maini performed well in the season opener F2 Sprint race in the first round of the FIA Formula 2 World Championship held on the F1 race-weekend here on Saturday.

    Mumbai’s Jehan Daruvala of MP Motorsport finished 6th after starting from 11th, as he had a good start to P8 and later fought well with ART driver Theo Pourchaire but with waning tyres had to be content with the sixth. Meanwhile, the other Indian in the fray, Bengaluru’s Kush Maini, who began in P6, fell back and later recovered admirably to finish behind his compatriot in 6th place. Daruvala bagged 3 points to Maini’s 2. In Sprint races, the winner gets 10 points, followed by 8, 6, 5, 3, 2 and 1 points respectively for places 2 to 8. Only top 8 drivers get points. There will be 11 Sprint races and 11 Features races on Sundays for the season.

    Ralph Boschung converted reverse grid pole into his first win in Formula 2 in an overtake-filled first race of 2023. The Campos Racing driver kept his lead out of Turn 1 and left the field behind him to fight to the end.

    Experience counted for Dennis Hauger, and he claimed P2 late on, overtaking Victor Martins on the penultimate lap. The Frenchman opened his F2 account with a great drive from eighth on the grid to take the final podium place.

    AS IT HAPPENED

    Ralph Boschung kept his lead from pole while Roman Stanek bogged down in P2 and was fourth by the first corner. DAMS teammates Arthur Leclerc and Ayumu Iwasa battled side-by-side from Turns 3 to 6 for second, with Iwasa prevailing and taking the spot.

    Martins compounded Stanek’s struggles, sweeping around the outside of the Trident car at Turn 11 to take fourth. A wide moment at the final corner to end the opening lap allowed Hauger through on the Czech driver for P5.

    Théo Pourchaire was next through, sliding his ART Grand Prix car down the inside of Stanek at Turn 10 under braking, moving up to sixth having started 10th. It was synchronised overtakes for the ART pair into Turn 1 on Lap 3, Martins taking third from Leclerc and Pourchaire mirroring the move on Hauger for fifth. A dose of DRS on lap five got Pourchaire in range of Leclerc and a daring dive into Turn 1 gave the Frenchman fourth position.

  • Kush Maini aiming for a clean sprint race on debut: F2

    Kush Maini aiming for a clean sprint race on debut: F2

    Bahrain, 3 March 2023: Indian hope Kush Maini put together an impressive Qualifying session on debut for Campos Racing, ending the session sixth-fastest in the Qualifying session of the Formula 2 World Championship opening round here on Friday.

    The other Indian in F2, Jehan Daruvala is perhaps trying to have a last go in the F2 season but has already laid plans for Formula E. Today he qualified P 11. Being one of the favourites last season, Daruvala failed to lived up to his own standards due to various reasons that hindered his progress, some which were not in his hands.

    The 22-year old Indian admitted he was a little bit more nervous than usual, owing to the fact he was confident that there was a good performance within both himself and the car.

    Following post-season and pre-season testing as well as the Free Practice session on Friday, Maini said that knowing a strong result was on the cards made his Qualifying a little more critical. But after securing a strong starting position, the Campos driver says proving it to himself is another bonus at this early stage of his F2 career.

    “It was a nerve-wracking session. I knew from testing and since I’ve driven this car that it suits my driving style, and I know that the Campos cars are really good. I knew that if we put everything together, we could be in the mix and that’s what made it more stressful.

    “I’m super happy. I did some good laps. Both were good enough for P6 I think. We did a one-lap strategy on both sets, so we have good tyres for the races and I’m looking forward to it. Now that all the weight is off my shoulders, I feel a lot more confident. I always knew I could fight with the best in the world, so it felt good to be up there,” added the Bengaluru driver.

    As usual, there was a level of track evolution that played out during the Qualifying session, though the degree in which the track improved caught Maini by surprise. Not because of a huge leap in available grip between runs, but the lack of improvement versus what had been predicted.

    It meant that the field was tightly bunched fighting for a top 10 starting position. Maini highlighted pre-season testing as the factor that made a good grid slot tough to come by due to the knowledge levels teams and drivers had developed.

    “Track improvement was not as much as I thought. All the times were any tight except P1 because we’ve been here for four days now, so it’s going to be tight and every tenth is going to be massive. I think the average improvement was like two-tenths from the first set to the second, and I thought with the fuel burning off and driving improvements, it would be at least half a second. So it was quite surprising, but it was the same for everyone,” continued the younger of the two Maini brothers.

    Along with teammate Ralph Boschung, both Campos drivers made it inside the top 10. Boschung is set to start the Sprint Race from reverse grid pole, meaning there’s a good possibility of strong points finishes on the table for both drivers.

    Maini highlighted the importance of getting off the mark early in the season and securing valuable points where possible.

    “Campos has always been strong. They went through some difficult patches last year, but when I signed for the team, I knew I wasn’t just signing to be on the grid, I was signing to fight. I’m just happy we could finally show that potential. I think we had a bit more, but we’ll take it. Ralph is on pole tomorrow and we can get some good points this weekend, so I’m really happy for the boys.

    “Tomorrow will be the first F2 race for me, so we obviously did the race runs in Practice so we have an idea of how to pursue it from the start. I’m just gonna keep it clean, keep it on the road, no crazy risks and hopefully bring some points.”

  • Ashish Raorane comes out in flying colours with a P11 finish in Rally2

    Ashish Raorane comes out in flying colours with a P11 finish in Rally2

    Abu Dhabi, 3 March 2023: Ace Indian star Ashish Raorane completed the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge successfully finishing the final day’s Stage 5 at Overall P20 for a creditable Rally2 class ranking of 11th, here on Friday.

    Ashish Raorane of Xraids Experience, astride a 450 Rally Factory Replica, clocked a total time of 25:09.05 for his Overall P20 and P11 in Rally2.

    “Stage 5 is done and dusted with some painkiller help and with that the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is in the bag. We finished at P11 in Rally2 category, I am happy with the result and more importantly gained a lot of meaningful experience each day. Thank you for following along and all the messages over the past week, it really helps to keep going. Thank you to all partners for the support!” said Ashish Raorane on his Instagram handle. He is supported by Rynox Gears, Dosmoto Design, Lazyass Bikers.

    The Indian began well but went through harrowing time but with great determination he came back strongly to complete the daunting cross country rally raid competition successfully. He suffered the fuel-range anxiety with a lost front fuel tank in Stage 1 at around 204-km mark and also saw the air bag deployed during the hard landing and ended the day’s competitive section withn fumes in the rear fuel tank.

    The next day in Stage 2, it was another big challenge spotting the drop-offs around noon time and as everything looked flat the Indian was caught out coming off a dune crest and “the earth below disappeared”. Later that day he said: “Lost about 15 mins getting myself unstuck in one of the dunes in this section, thanks to Justin Gerlach for stopping to save (me). Later I too, got an opportunity to pay it forward just 10Km ahead helping another rider upright his downed machine.”

    The SMILE IS BACK: Ashish Raorane finishes an incredible and grueling rally at a respectable P11 in Rally2 class despite all the obstacles in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge on Friday. Photo Instagram @Ashish_Raorane

    The worst was on Stage 3 on March 1, but the brave Pune mariner successfully completed one more day despite a fall as he recovered admirably and rode with a ruptured bicep muscle and an extremely painful arm for about 160Km. After close to five and a half hours of racing, completed the timed special with grit and determination.

    Then yesterday, the pain reduced a bit and he was cruising before another obstacle hit the rider. He lost his road book and had to manually do it. After sometime, with a straight path in front, he rode on but was taken back by a speed zone and was penalized 9 minutes.

    Nevertheless, the Indian came out with flying colours and the finish was as sweet as any for the Rynox Gears supported athlete.

    Adrein Van Beveren wins ADDC: Moto

    Adrien Van Beveren seized the lead of the ADDC in stage 2 and held onto the top spot until the end of the high-stakes finale. Following his late-season triumph in Andalusia last year, the Frenchman’s victory in Abu Dhabi makes it two wins out of four since he moved to Honda. He also added his name to the list of winners of the ADDC after finishing as runner-up in 2021. Much like VBA, Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna Factory Racing) defended his second place until the end. Toby Price unleashed a barrage of attacks over more than 200 km to secure third stage overall.

    The absence of the reigning world champion, Sam Sunderland, and the victor of the fist round, Kevin Benavides, both of whom were injured in the week before the ADDC, paved the way for Toby Price to surge to the top of the championship standings, now with 46 points. VBA brought his tally to 42 —the lucky number he sports in every race! Kevin Benavides is still on the podium thanks to the 38-point haul from his victorious Dakar campaign. His brother, Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna Factory Racing), is fourth with 35 points after bagging two specials this week. The red bikes prevailed in this round of the manufacturer championship, courtesy of VBA’s triumph and Nacho Cornejo’s fourth place, but KTM held onto the overall lead with 84 points to Honda’s 74. Husqvarna is third with 69.

    In the Rally2 category, Tobias Ebster (SRG Motorsports), the nephew of Heinz Kinigadner, a legendary rider for KTM who took the inaugural edition of the ADDC motorbike race back in 1995, made a strong impression and seems poised to light up the remaining legs of the championship, although he was not eligible for the classification. The Austrian, an entrant in the Road to Dakar challenge held in every round of the W2RC, earned a ticket to the 2024 Dakar. In the W2RC, Jean-Loup Lepan (Duust Diverse Racing) took home the trophy ahead of Paolo Lucci (BAS World KTM Racing), who led the ADDC until a crash in stage 4. Toni Mulec, the Italian’s teammate, came in third. Lucci remains in command of the ranking with 50 points to Lepan’s 45. Romain Dumontier (HT Rally Raid Husqvarna Racing), who came out of the Dakar in the overall lead, is now third with 38 points. Mulec is fourth with 30.

    The Emirati Abdulaziz Ahli (Abu Dhabi Team) claimed his third win in a row in the quad race after firing a blank in the Dakar. He proved stronger than Laisvydas Kancius (AG Dakar School), who only managed to snatch one stage from the local hero. The Lithuanian rose to the top of the championship standings with 44 points to Copetti’s 38 and Varga’s 30. Ahli scaled up to fourth with 25 points. Two other Lithuanians, Gančierius (16 points) and Kanopkinas (11 points), opened their account, as did Rodolfo Guillioli (13 points), one of the sensations of the previous season.

    AL Rajhi prevails as Loeb tightens his grip

    Yazeed Al Rajhi took his maiden victory in the ADDC, becoming the first Saudi winner of the race to boot. It was also his first ever W2RC triumph and the second consecutive win for a Hilux this season, following Al Attiyah’s success in the Dakar.

    Martin Prokop repeated his performance from last year to finish second in his Ford Ranger. In another echo of 2022, a Red Bull Off-Road Jr Team USA T3 claimed third place. After “Chaleco” López last year, this time round it was Seth Quintero who came out on top in his South Racing / Can-Am. The top three drivers in the championship following the Dakar all ran into big trouble in the ADDC, but Guerlain Chicherit (GCK Motorsports) and Al Attiyah, second and third going into the second leg of the season, paid a heftier price than the leader.

    They went home from the race empty-handed, whereas Loeb padded his lead by 14 points thanks to a series of strong performances in the last three stages. the Frenchman now has 101 points to Al Attiyah’s 85. Prokop gained one position and is now third with 64 points. Al Rajhi was the biggest winner, leaping from tenth to fourth with 63 points. Jan Cruz Yacoponi (Overdrive Racing), fifth, and Chicherit, sixth, have 49 points apiece. Sebastián Halpern (X-raid Mini JCW) is seventh with 43. The setbacks experienced by the three former leaders of the ranking allowed their pursuers to narrow the gap. In the manufacturer ranking, Toyota Gazoo Racing benefited from Al Rajhi’s victory and Yacopini’s fourth place to increase its lead to 120 points to BRX’s 79.

    In the T3 category, Seth Quintero (Red Bull Off-Road Jr Team USA) clinched the race ahead of Austin Jones (Red Bull Can-Am Factory) after a series of exciting duels with Mattias Ekström, who had two off days. His teammate Cristina Gutiérrez was also unlucky, paving the way for the other woman in the field, Aliyyah Koloc (Buggyra ZM Racing), to finish third in the W2RC standings for this leg. The championship ranking is singing a full-throated rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner”, with Quintero in the top spot with 127 points to Jones’s 121 and Guthrie Jr.’s 81.

    Meanwhile, Rokas Baciuška (Red Bull Can-Am Factory) dominated Pau Navarro (FN Speed) in the T4 race. The reigning world champion wrapped up the ADDC in the lead with 134 points to his name. The Dakar champion, Eryk Goczał (Energylandia Rally Team), has 86. Navarro is third with 73. Shinuke Umeda and his Polaris, another big attraction of the week, gained ground and is now sixth with 44 points.

  • Subir Roy & Nirav Mehta champs; Aparna-Lalitha claim maiden title: TSD Nationals

    Subir Roy & Nirav Mehta champs; Aparna-Lalitha claim maiden title: TSD Nationals

    Bengaluru, 26 Feb 2023: Subir Roy and co-driver Nirav Mehta of Kolkata were crowned the National champions for 2022 winning the Overall honours in the finals of the ProSports FMSCI Indian National TSD Rally Championship 2022 (INTSDRC) while Bengaluru pair from IT sector, Aparna Pathak and Lalitha Gowda, clinched their maiden National title in the Ladies Class here on Sunday.

    The National Championship is run as part of Southern Safari. The Nationals is promoted by PROSPORTS and the Grand finale is organized by Karnataka Motor Sports Club.

    Another Bengaluru pair Harish and navigator Chandrashekar won the INTSDRC2 class while Aritra Chakraborthy and navigator Soham Pal from Kolkata won the Novice class National title. With the completion of the TSD Nationals, FMSCI has successfully completed 12 Nationals for the year 2022.

    Veteran pair, Subir and Nirav hit jackpot

    Subhir Roy (left) and Neerav Mehta after receiving the National Championship Overall winners award for 2022 in Bengaluru on Sunday.

    Subir Roy and Nirav were rallying together for 12 years now and the 59-year Subir, who made his debut in the local Kavi Guru rally at Kolkata in 2002, is a veteran of many events including some cross-country rallies like the Desert Storm, Dakshin Dare and the Himalayan rally. He has also participated in the Indo-ASEAN Rally organized by the Ministry of Defence. From 2016, he has been taking part in the TSD Nationals with consistent podium finishes but the title has been eluding the duo. Finally, the Kolkata duo laid their hands on the National Championship in a Volkswagen Polo 1.6 with 12 zeros and managed 24 secret TCs and difficult Time Controls to pip defending champions, compatriots Ajgar Ali and Mustafa, on a tie-breaker. The result shows the tough competition for a TSD rally where navigation plays a crucial role with or without a ‘tabulating’ meter.

    “It was a pleasure to win the National title. Nirav and I stood on the podium many times in the 12 years we were together, but this is special. I want to give many thanks to the Karnataka Motorsports Club and CoC Sujith for organizing such a technical and transparent rally with great hospitality. I thank my family and all my supporters,” said Subir Roy, in his hour of glory.

    Maiden title for Aparna & Lalitha as they dominate ladies class

    Aparna Pathak and Lalitha Gowda, the two lady drivers from Bengaluru are a well-known team in TSD scene.

    Though no one in their families is into motorsports, a chance drive in the Times Women’s Drive in 2018 saw Aparna get hooked to the rallies and she found Lalitha, who began her career with the Mumbai to Lavasa TSD rally in 2009 in Mumbai, as her navigator. The pair won many rallies and partnered together for a number of podiums after coming together for the Rally of Chikkamagalur in 2019. They made their debut in the TSD Nationals in 2021 at Siliguri and clinched their maiden title this year. They also become the inaugural Ladies Class National winners.

    Aparna Pathak (left) and Lalitha Gowda after receiving the National Championship winners award (Ladies Class) from Sujith Kumar BS, Head of PROSPORTS, the Promoters.

    “We feel very delighted to win the first INTSDRC women’s championship. It was a very close competition and all the teams have given their best. The route was extremely scenic and well-planned. It gave a glimpse of the rich landscape of Karnataka from dams to coffee estates, and the green cover,” said Aparna Pathak.

    “We would like to thank FMSCI, Women in Motorsports (WIM), all the motorsport clubs for organising qualifying rounds and bringing the national-level championship back.  A special thanks to ProSports and KMSC for the exciting grand finale,” echoed Lalitha and Aparna together.

    Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) has changed the nomen clature of the TSD Championship and went back to the old, INTSDRC for 2022. Last year, the name was Indian National Regularity Run, which was sponsored by JK Tyre and was held in 17 qualifying venues. However, FIM Asia Vice-President and multiple National TSD Champion navigator Sujit Kumar BS, did all the hard work behind the screens as Promoter ProSports salvaged the dying Nationals by accepting to conduct the delayed Nationals. They took up the responsibility and successfully completed the three zonal qualifying rounds in South, East, and West and the finals.

    With a thrust on improving the opportunities for women through Women in Motorsport concept, the Federation, for the first time provided the status of a National Championship to the Ladies Class. The other Championship were the Ladies Class was given the National status this year is Sprint (2w).

    This year there were 20 qualifiers and the Finals were held in Bengaluru. “The Club”, on Mysore road near Rajarajeswari Nagar, an old venue which saw, the start and end of, many a National rally in their halcyon days, was once again the venue where the ceremonial start was held. After the flag-off on Friday, the 700-Km rally went to Hassan on Saturday and the novel night stage was introduced after many years again and it went through the coffee estates in a loop nearby Hassan on Saturday night. On the second leg on Sunday, the participants went through scenic routes and picturesque locales passing through Virajpet and returned to Bengaluru, where the Prize Giving was held at “the Club” again.

    The 40 undisclosed Time Controls (TC) were placed strategically, and many provided surprises to make the rally a thrilling experience. The route was set by experienced Sujith and Bhaskar of Karnataka Motor Sports Club, who organized the Southern Safari, the name given to the final round of the TSD Nationals.

    Novice class National Champions Harish and Chandrashekar with the Chief Guest.

    Clerk of the Course and multiple former National TSD champion Sujith Kumar said: “The popular TSD Nationals received huge response in all the three zones and 20 finalists fought for honours in the Grand Finale which ran from Bengaluru to Hassan and back to the Garden City. We are happy to keep the TSD culture alive as it is the entry-level gateway to bigger things in motorsports.”

    The Nationals sponsored by Annapoorneshwari  Developers, Maithri Estates, Sidvin, Vamcy Merla and Vammudi Vijay offered a total Prize money was about Rs. 2.3 lakhs and four National titles.

    INTSDRC is one of the 12 National Championships conducted by fmsci in different motorsports disciplines, for both 2-wheelers, four-wheelers and Karting. Gymkhana, Dirt Track, four-wheeler Drag and Sprint Nationals were not held this year.

    Final Results: (Car # number)

    1. INTSDRC: 1. #4 Subhir Roy and Neerav Mehta (Penalty time: 00:01min, 33seconds); 2. #10 Ajgar Ali & Mustafa (01.33); 3. #6 Ganesh Moorthy & T Nagarajan (02.26); (Tie broken by number of zero TCs: Subir 12; Ajgar 9)

    2. INTSDRC-2: 1. #18 Harish & Chandrashekar (02.03); 2. #8 Anil Abbas & Amal Abbas (02.22); 3. #9 Aparna Pathak & Lalitha Gowda (02.32);

    3. INTSDRC –WOMEN: 1. #9 Aparna Pathak & Lalitha Gowda (02.32); 2. #11 Sheena Sabarwal & Trupti Gupta (03.38); 3. #14 Gitika Pant & Neena Jain (04.03);

    4. INTSDRC- NOVICE: 1. #24 Aritra Chakraborthy & Soham Pal (27.17); (Lone finisher).

    Fmsci Indian National Champions (TSD):

    1. INTSDRC: Subhir Roy and Neerav Mehta;
    2. INTSDRC-2: Harish & Chandrashekar;
    3. INTSDRC –WOMEN: Aparna Pathak & Lalitha Gowda;
    4. INTSDRC- NOVICE: Aritra Chakraborthy & Soham Pal.
  • Pune mariner Ashish Raorane completes Stage 4 in P28

    Pune mariner Ashish Raorane completes Stage 4 in P28

    Abu Dhabi, 2 March 2023: Indian star Ashish Raorane, the mariner from Pune, continued his onward march completing one more day with guts and determination braving an injury and finished Stage 4, a noteworthy 28th Overall, in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge on Day 5 on Thursday.

    The gutsy rider clocked 5 hours, 37min, 50seconds and was 1hr,50:42sec behind the leaders including a penalty time of nine minutes but his daring feat carrying a painful arm made it all the more sweet. The Indian needs to finish the last stage tomorrow to put one more international rally raid event under his belt.

    He finished 15th in Rally2 class today for a cumulative standing of 11th in his class and Overall P28 today and his 28th in the Overall standings remains as it is.

    Earlier in the morning, a thick blanket of fog descended upon the penultimate stage, delaying the start of the motorbike race by two hours and shortening the car special to 173 kilometres.

    The #34 Xraids Experience rider has encountered a fall on Day 2 and met his worse incident yesterday where he suffered a ruptured bicep muscle but bravely recovered and continued for another about 100Km. Today the disciplined warrior lost a bit of time but successfully conquered the marathon stage.

    Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna) claimed his second win in the motorbike category, while Pablo Quintanilla, who started the stage in second place overall, is out of contention after his Honda gave up the ghost 250 km into the special. His teammate Adrien Van Beveren still tops the leader board.

    In the cars section, Sébastien Loeb (Bahrain Raid Xtreme) took the car stage. Yazeed Al Rajhi (Overdrive Racing) is more than 10 minutes clear of Martin Prokop (Benzina Orlen Team) and 20 minutes ahead of Denis Krotov (X-raid Mini JCW) in the overall.

    FIM: Hero’s Ross Branch third

    Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna Factory Racing) grabbed his second stage win after dominating the special from A to Z. Adrien Van Beveren (Monster Energy Honda), who seized the overall lead two days ago, finished second on the day at 3′22″.

    Ross Branch (Hero MotoSports) came in third at 4′06″. Toby Price (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) finished seventh at 9′01″ after opening the way this morning. Benavides surged up the general standings, where he is now the Frenchman’s closest pursuer at 2′58″.

    The Chilean Nacho Cornejo has finally placed his Honda on the provisional podium, 6′14″ behind his teammate. Ross Branch (Hero MotoSports) is fourth at 6′38″. Skyler Howes (Husqvarna Factory Racing) sits in fifth place at 7′16″.

    Toby Price slipped down to sixth at 8′35″. Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy Honda) is seventh at 8′52″. Less than 9 minutes separate the top 7. Benavides will be starting tomorrow’s stage right before the overall leader —an unenviable position for the Argentinian to find himself in.

    However, other riders are in with a shout too, with the next five competitors in the standings a mere 6 to 9 minutes off the pace. The race is still wide open among the top 7, who will settle their differences in a finale stretching for more than 200 kilometres.

    In the Rally2 category, Paolo Lucci, the hegemon of the race since Day 1, conceded buckets of time following a crash with 20 kilometres to go. The BAS World KTM Racing rider surrendered the lead to Jean-Loup Lepan (Duust Diverse Racing) and is now almost 11 minutes down.

    In the quad race, Abdulaziz Ahli (Abu Dhabi Team) picked up his third victory by over 16 minutes on Laisvydas Kancius (AG Dakar School), padding his overall lead and all but wrapping up his third title in a row.

  • Heroic effort sees Ashish Raorane complete Stage 3 with a bicep muscle rupture

    Heroic effort sees Ashish Raorane complete Stage 3 with a bicep muscle rupture

    Liwa City (Abu Dhabi), 1 March 2023: Ace Indian Rally-raid rider Ashish Raorane of Xraids Experience, astride a KTM 450 Factory Rally Replica successfully completed one more day despite a fall as he recovered admirably and rode with a ruptured bicep muscle and an extremely painful arm for about 160Km in the Stage 3 of the 2023 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge here on Wednesday. After close to five and a half hours of racing, Raorane, the marine engineer from Pune, completed the timed special with grit and determination taking an overall 29th place among 45 riders that started the stage, including World Championship riders, and overall 12th among 29 riders in his class, the Rally2 category.

    “The day witnessed flowy tracks with soft & technical dunes. I missed a double caution on a fast section and took a bad tumble. I hurt my arm but managed to recover and ride the remaining 160Km, although the pain in the techincal dunes was excruciating. The bicep muscle is ruptured so let’s see how we go tomorrow.” said Ashish Raorane on Social Media after finishing Stage 3.

    Later, as the doctors cleared him for the further stages, the Pune rider will start the stage tomorrow, which is the longest and toughest of the rally, a 306-km of dunes in a tough zone, an ‘empty-quarter’. Two more Stages are left in the Cross-country rally raid that also serves as a qualifier for the Dakar 2024 and is the second round of the World Rally Raid Championship. The #34 biker is in Rally2 category.

    Ashish Raorane’s time 05hours 31minutes and 37seconds, on another toughest day, riding over the loop around Liwa City, for a 266-kilometer timed special was physically demanding and one of the toughest days of the event so far. He could not have completed it but for his strong will. The terrain was rougher and more technical than the previous days and it was a daunting task even for the experienced and fit, but the Indian managed to navigate and finish much of the route before the fall and later in deep pain.

    The rider supported by Rynox Gears, who finished Stage 2 yesterday in Overall 25th and P8 in his Rally2 class, slipped to 29th overall, but it was a creditable performance on the tricky soft and technical terrain that challenged the best of the riders and finishing the task for an Indian who does not have much of seat time on the bike is such a terrain and despite the bothering arm, is a significant achievement.

    Earlier in the morning, the opening teams have noted many broken dunes and the competitors were warned of, by the race officials in the briefing. The 403 km stage ran a loop around Liwa City. After a short liaison of 2 km, synonymous with sleeping in, to get out of the bivouac, the competitors started the 266-km special stage composed of 52% of dunes and 48% of soft sandy tracks. The 35-km liaison then allowed them to return to the bivouac.  

    Day’s Winners – for the record

    The day saw Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Toby Price claim victory, securing his first stage win of the event with just 16-second lead. The Australian now lies third overall, just under three minutes down with two days left to race. Paolo Lucci (BAS World KTM Racing) won the Rally2 category once again. He is ahead of Jean-Loup Lepan (Duust Diverse Racing) by 6’37”and Tobias Ebster (SGR Motorsports) by 8’37”. Toni Mulec, the winner’s teammate, is 4th at almost 11 minutes behind.

  • Rajendra claims 8th Nationals; Samuel Jacob fastest rider: Sprint Nationals

    Rajendra claims 8th Nationals; Samuel Jacob fastest rider: Sprint Nationals

    Bengaluru, 26 Feb 2023: Multiple National champion and ace rally rider Rajendra RE clinched the Open Class to claim his 8th National title, while his teammate Samuel Jacob became the National Champion in the other feature class and also bagged the ‘fastest rider’ tag in the finals f the Motorsports Inc fmsci Indian National Rally Sprint Championship for the year 2022 conducted along with Indian Dirt Fest, that concluded here on Sunday.

    But it was the talented first year student of B.Com in DG College of Commerce, Satara, Tanika Shanbagh, astride a Hero Xpulse 200 in Hero MotoSports colours, who stopped the TVS juggernaut winning the Ladies Class with ease and grace. It was her maiden National championship title win. She became the first Ladies Sprint champion as the Class got the fmsci National Championship status only this year (2022). Last year, she dared a risky entry but her injured ankle did not allow her to push. Her teammate Karan Kumar, added one more title for Hero MotoSports, winning the Group D upto 260cc class. Imran Pasha and Karthik made it four titles for the riders from TVS stable after Rajendra and Samuel Jacob.

    Maiden National title for Tanika Shanbagh as she wins
    the Sprint Nationals in Bengaluru on Saturday. INDIAinF1 pic

    Another star rider, Samuel Shajan Jacob, 29, who has a Masters in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, also knows a bit about sprockets and chains. He won the National title in the Group A upto 600cc class to add fourth National title to his exploits, and became the fastest rider of the Sprint Finals clocking a blistering 6min, 06.41sec ahead of Rajendra and Nataraj in the Group A class, which was dominated by Petronas TVS Racing riders. Born in Udupi the genial giant, won the longer INRC 2w Championship Overall title in 2020 along with his Group B class title, which he retained in 2021 for his third crown. Today, it is his fourth National title and maiden Sprint title in his class Group A upto 600cc class.

    However, it was Shivamogga’s Rajendra, 37, who claimed the National title in the Premier Open Class upto 600cc clocking 06:06.70 beating Jacob from Udupi. Imran Pasha, also from TVS came third in the finals. Rajendra, who has 7 titles in two different classes in the longer 2w Rally Nationals including two overall titles in 2019 and 2022, it is the maiden title in Sprint Nationals, and his 8th title. (2014 & 2015 upto 165cc; 2016, 2017 & 2018 upto 260cc; 2019 & 2022 Group A overall) .

    Bengaluru’s 26-year defending champion Pavan BK, clinched the title in the Group B 131cc to 165cc class with a hat-trick to boot. He has been dominating this class for sometime now, and would have clinched a National double in the next higher Gr.B 166 to 260cc class but a minor fall in the final corner prevented a possible podium. “Overall it was a flat out race and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I am so thrilled to make it a hattrick,” said Pavan, who came back from a mid-season injury with determination and hardwork. He has four National titles under his belt winning this class in 2020, 2021 and 2022, beside another title in the Group B 166 to 260cc class in 165cc in the 2w National Rally Championship, the longer format INRC.

    Bengaluru’s Pavan BK on a hattrick as he admirably came back from an injury to retain his title in the Group B 131 to 165cc class in the Sprint National Final on Saturday.

    International rider and celebrated racing star Anish D Shetty took the Championship victory in Group B 261cc to 400cc class while Imran Pasha from TVS won the 166 to 260cc class. Durgesh (upto 130cc) and Karthik K (Scooter class) were the other National champions 2022 in their respective classes.

    Jeemon Antony, the Kerala cop who speeds like a Bullet train.

    In the heavyweight Bullet class, 40-year Jeemon Antony won the Championship crown. The strong-willed but humble cop, always wears a smile on his face which does not show the two titanium rods that support his spine when he is on duty standing all the time policing the traffic in a Kerala city. Once on a crime beat, this Senior Civil Police Officer in Ernakulam stole the victory from big boys, Bruce Lee Naresh, Tribal Café fame Dev Venkatesh and India’s first Hero Dirt Track champ Asad Khan, but without a penny in sponsorship. Three cheers to this disciplined warrior, Jeemon Antony, who proved that life begins afresh at 40, with a maiden National Championship title. “I am very happy to finally win an Indian National title. It is a great moment after all the hardwork and months of bed rest and recovery,” said an elated Jeemon Antony. His bullet was tuned by Aneesh Anoop.

    “The wide participation and close competition has shown that the Sprint Nationals popularity has increased with the successful zonal rounds. Despite time constraints we managed to finish the Nationals with the support of both riders and teams,’’ said former Indian National Rally Champion Jaidas Menon, the Clerk of the Course and the man behind Motorsports Inc, the Promoters.

    After the regional rounds, the qualified riders competed in the grand finale and the winners here were declared National champions in the 10 classes in the delayed 2022 championship.

    Indian National Champions 2022 (Sprint) (Provisional):

    1. Bullet Class:                        Jeemon Antony;
    2. Group A Upto 600cc:      Samuel Jacob;
    3. Group B 131cc to 165cc: Pavan BK;
    4. Group B 166cc to 260cc: Imran Pasha;
    5. Group B 261cc to 400cc: Anish D Shetty (PRN Motorsport);
    6. Group B Upto 130cc:       Durgesh J;
    7. Group D Upto 260cc:      Karan Kumar (Hero MotoSports);
    8. Ladies Class:                       Tanika Shnbagh (Hero MotoSports);
    9. Open Class Upto 600cc: Rajendra RE;
    10. Scooter Class:                    Karthik K;