INDIA in F1

Author: David Bodapati

  • Jehan Daruvala suffers early retirement: F2

    Jehan Daruvala suffers early retirement: F2

    Barcelona, 22 May 2022: Indian racing star, Jehan Daruvala of Prema Racing team endured a tough weekend as he was forced to retire in the F2 Feature Race held along with the Formula 1 race on Sunday.

    The Red Bull Junior who had to pull out just after four laps said: “I am gutted today. Our strategy today was the right one. Nevertheless we move on and come back stronger.”

    Race Report

    Felipe Drugovich made it two wins from two in Barcelona, winning the Feature Race after his Sprint Race success on Saturday. The MP Motorsport driver made it look simple from 10th on the grid, extending his first stint on soft tyres longer than anyone else before catching and passing Jack Doohan for the win on track.

    The Virtuosi Racing driver did everything right, but his early stop left him on tyres five laps older than the Brazilian’s. His first podium of the 2022 F2 season will offer some comfort heading into Monaco. Frederik Vesti made his best F2 qualifying result count and the ART Grand Prix driver completed the podium in third.

    Logan Sargeant was able to just about hold onto fourth from Clément Novalak, who made the alternative strategy work brilliantly for P5. Enzo Fittipaldi and Marcus Armstrong were the others that followed him with the late mandatory stop, while Théo Pourchaire, Liam Lawson and Roy Nissany rounded out the top 10.

    AS IT HAPPENED

    Doohan got a good launch from pole and Vesti made great use of the clean side of the grid to jump Jüri Vips for P2. Pourchaire struggled to get his soft tyres working and lost position to Drugovich on the opening lap.

    Jehan Daruvala was the lead driver on the hard compound tyres but was forced to defend hard from Ayumu Iwasa. That defence ended on lap 3 when the Indian driver came to a halt on the circuit, and Iwasa couldn’t avoid him in time and clipped his front wing. He was in at the end of the lap for a new nosecone as the Safety Car was deployed to recover Daruvala’s stranded PREMA Racing car.

    Racing resumed on lap 7 and Doohan was able to keep Vesti at bay. Vips was in at the end of the lap for his mandatory stop and switch to the hard compound tyres. His stop wasn’t the quickest and he lost position to Jake Hughes.

    Vesti was called in on lap 11 and his stop ran smoothly, keeping him ahead of Sargeant in theoretical P2. Doohan remained out on track until lap 12 when he was in to cover off his closest rivals who had already stopped, but MP Motorsport opted to keep Drugovich on track to extend his first stint. Vips’ struggles continued as Calan Williams relegated the Hitech Grand Prix driver down to 15th at Turn 1 on lap 16.

    The moment to pit arrived on lap 18 for Drugovich, who had managed to extend the stint on softs longer than anyone else in the field. The gap to Doohan was 29.6s as he pitted, and he rejoined in 9th position, de-facto third on the conventional strategy behind Doohan and Vesti.

    Fittipaldi led the way on the alternative strategy, just over a second clear of Novalak in first and second respectively on the road after Drugovich’s stop.

    Entering lap 20, Drugovich got a double tow on both and moved himself up to seventh place. The gap to Doohan at the line on lap 21 was 2.6s, albeit with Caldwell in between them.

    Novalak had passed Fittipaldi by the time the duo pitted for their mandatory stop on lap 24. Marcus Armstrong was the sole-remaining car on the other strategy yet to pit, and Doohan put him between himself and Drugovich in quick order on the main straight.

    Armstrong was passed by the Brazilian at Turn 10 while Novalak and Fittipaldi were 13th and 15th on re-joining the circuit but making progress towards the top 10.

    Lap 26 and Drugovich had made it into DRS range of the race leader. The fresh tyres gave him plenty of grip against his rival and with a great run through the final chicane, he breezed by Doohan for the race lead into Turn 1.

    Novalak was clearing the traffic and eighth by lap 32 and followed by Fittipaldi and Armstrong, both on the same contra-strategy. P8 became P7 for the Frenchman on lap 33 as he slipstreamed his way by Williams with DRS.

    One lap later and Novalak launched a late dive on Lawson for sixth. With much better tyres, he sliced up the inside of the Carlin driver at Turn 4 to take the place. Lap 35 and Novalak passed Pourchaire, while Fittipaldi cleared Lawson and Armstrong moved by Williams in synchronised moves by those on the alternate strategy.

    The moves were repeated by Fittipaldi and Armstrong on Pourchaire and Lawson to move up to sixth and eighth, and the Hitech driver cleared the ART man on the same lap to take seventh.

    Out in front though, Drugovich was in cruise control, extending the gap to Doohan and leaving the rest well behind. He extended his Championship advantage with the win but an investigation into whether his pit stop procedure was fully compliant with the regulations hangs over his victory. KEY QUOTE – Felipe Drugovich, MP Motorsport “An amazing, amazing weekend here. I’m really thankful to the team especially, they did an amazing job. The problem we had in Qualifying, to come back and win both races is just something I could not imagine. I’m really happy.”

    THE CHAMPIONSHIP VIEW

    Drugovich’s dominance in Barcelona has helped him into a 26-point lead in the F2 Drivers’ Championship. Pourchaire remains second on 60 points with Daruvala narrowly ahead of Lawson and Armstrong, who moves himself up into the top five. MP Motorsport made the tyres work for them and extended their points tally at the top of the Teams’ Standings to 108 points. It was a double score for ART who remained second with 85, while Carlin sit in third with 73 points.

    WHAT NEXT

    Formula 2 is back in action immediately, this time around the iconic streets of Monaco between May 26-29.

  • Privateer Adnaan Ahamed claims overall honours; Faseela wins Ladies class

    Privateer Adnaan Ahamed claims overall honours; Faseela wins Ladies class

    Puttur (Karnataka), 22 May 2022: On a dramatic day of slush and action, it was a glorious day for the unsung riders as local hero Adnaan Ahamed hoisted the flag high for privateers by clinching a well-deserved Overall victory at Rally de Mangaluru, the second round of the MRF MoGrip fmsci National Rally Championship 2W 2022 here on Sunday. Hero MotoSports’ Yuva Kumar and Sathyaraj Arumugam took the second and third place behind Ahmed, in that order.

    All the ten bikes of Petronas TVS Racing team did not take the start for Round 2 on Sunday morning. Though issues of fuel pipe during the scrutiny are said to have led to the withdrawal of TVS factory team riders, an official version is awaited.

    Sarath Mohan of Malappuram won the Group A Super Bike Expert class with a commanding lead once again to lead the championship table with two victories beating his state-mate Francis Sinan, who had to play second fiddle once again while Asad Khan of Chikkamagaluru came third ahead of another good performance by young lady rider Tanika Shanbagh, who stood overall 11th.

    In the Super Sport 130cc class, Anoop Manjappa stepped up gear in wet conditions and pushed aside the challenge from Round 1 winner, Chalass Bose of Kottayam who was fastest in three stages but the lost ground in SS6. Chalass began with a bang clocking the best time in SS1, as the two Honda Stunners played cat-and-mouse race winning a stage each but Anoop took a decisive lead in SS6 and never looked back. Sudarshan of Chikkamagalur came third astride a Yamaha Gladiator.

    Pinkesh Thakkar, who won the Scooter class on Sunday in Puttur.

    In Super Sport 165cc Class, defending champion Ajin Abraham of Kottayam, who missed the first round due to professional obligations took a comfortable win with a lead of over one and a half minute over Chikkamagaluru’s Francis PV, who won the first round. Sasi Kumar from Coimbatore, also on a Hero Impulse, finished third.

    VS Naresh from Bengaluru put his Himalayan on the top winning the Royal Enfield class ahead of Arun Joy from Kochi and Abhijeet Sarkar of Bengaluru.

    Fazeela from Ernakulam, found the moment ideal to display her talent and skills to claim the Ladies Class with Mangaluru’s Apoorva taking the second spot once again. The 2021 Sprint champion, Deeksha Srivastava, despite losing ground in one of the stages, completed her maiden podium in the Rally Nationals.

    Hansraj Saikia from Guwahati, who came all the way from Guwahati provided the North-East flavour to the Nationals winning the Super Sport 400cc Group B class with ease and grace despite a road penalty as plenty of lead over Amogh Nag of Bengaluru. Astride a KTM Duke, Saikia, was looking to gain the much-needed experience, but the victory was a sweet bonus. Vinit Sharma of Indore also made it to the podium.

    And it was also a day to celebrate for experienced Pinkesh Thakkar, who put Aprilia on a winning pedestal. With an entry as Aprilia JB Racing, he won the class astride his SR150 while Bengaluru’s Goutham N took second and Muzaffar Ali of Pune came third.

    Round 2 Results (Provisional):

    Overall:

    1. Adnan Ahmed, Mangaluru (Privateer – Hero Xpulse) 00:53:43.222;

    2. Sathyaraj Arumugam, Coimbatore (Hero MotoSports – Hero Xpulse) 00:58:11.981;

    3. Yuva Kumar, Bengaluru (Hero MotoSport – Hero Xpulse) 00: 58:47.042;

    4. Sarath Mohan, Malappuram (Pvt. Husqvarna FE450) 00:58:51.904;

    5. Karan Kumar, Coimbatore (Privateer – Hero Xpulse) 00:59:24.532;

    6. Sinan Francis, Kochi (Privateer – KTM 450EXCF) 00:59:24.532.

    Class 1A: Super Bike Expert Group A:

    1. Sarath Mohan, Malappuram (Privateer – Husqvarna FE450) 00:58:51.904;

    2. Sinan Francis, Kochi (Pvt. – KTM 450EXCF) 1:00:35.064;

    3. Asad Khan, Chikkamagaluru (Pvt. – TVS Apache RTR 180) 01:04:32.645;

    4. Tanika Shanbagh, Satara, (Pvt. – Husqvarna TE 350) 01:05:48.979;

    5. Jatin Jain, Nagpur, (Pvt. – KTM 450EXCF) 1:06:36.170;

    Class 2: Super Sport 130 Group B:

    1. Anoop Manjappa, Bengaluru (Pvt. Honda Stunner) 01:11:52.473;

    2. Chalass K Bose, Kottayam, (Pvt. Honda Stunner) 01:13:49.259;

    3. Sudarshan B, Chikkamagaluru (Pvt. Yamaha Gladiator) 01:14:51.156;

    4. Dilip Raj, Chikkamagaluru (Pvt. Honda 130) 01:20:32.129;

    5. Vinoth Kumar S, Erode (Pvt. Honda Stunner) 01:32:05.188;

    Class 3: Super Sport 165 Group B:

    1. Ajin Abraham, Kottayam (Pvt. Hero Impulse) 01:06:02.886;

    2. Francis PV, Chikkamagaluru (Pvt. Hero Impulse) 01:07:37.329;

    3. Sasi Kumar K, Coimbatore (Pvt. Hero Impulse) 01:07:46.535;

    4. Shabuddin Sayed, Goa (Pvt. Hero Impulse) 01:09:08.627;

    5. Goutham Rao, Bengaluru, (Pvt. Hero Impulse) 01:10:22.771;

    Class 4: Super Sport 260 Group B:

    1. Adnaan Ahamed, Mangaluru (Pvt. – Hero Xpulse) 00:58:11.981;

    2. Sathyaraj Arumugam, Coimbatore (Hero MotoSport – Hero Xpulse) 00:58:47.042;

    3. Yuva Kumar, Bengaluru (Hero MotoSport – Hero Xpulse) 00:58:49.314;

    4. Karan Kumar, Coimbatore (Pvt. Hero Xpulse) 00:59:24.532;

    5. Arun T, Tumkur (Pvt. Hero Xpulse) 01:01:48.671.

    (Only 9 of the 13 riders completed the Rally)

    Class 5: Super Sport 400 Group B:

    1. Hansraj Saikia, Guwahati (Pvt. KTM Duke) 01:11:51.153; (Including 1 min road penalty)

    2. Amogh Nag, Bengaluru (Pvt. – KTM 390) 01:15:02.719; (including 2 min road penalty)

    3. Vinit Sharma, Indore (Pvt. KTM Duke 390) 01:19:29.197;

    4. Ashwin Anantha Raju, Bengaluru (Pvt. KTM Duke 390) 01:20:39.219;

    (Four of the six riders finished in this class)

    Class 6: Super Sport 550 Group B:

    1. Naresh VS, Bengaluru (Pvt. Royal Enfield Himalayan) 01:13:16.106;

    2. Arun Joy, Kochi (Pvt. RE Himalayan) 01:17:28.691;

    3. Abhijeet Sarkar, Bengaluru (Pvt. RE Himalayan) 01:45:56.651; (Including 1min 10sec Road Penalty);

    (Only three of the four bikes finished in this class)

    Class 7: Ladies Class Group B:

    1. Fazeela U, Ernakulam (Pvt. Hero Impulse) 01:26:51.367;

    2. Apoorva B, Mangaluru (Pvt. Hero Impulse) 01:36:41.442;

    3. Deeksha Srivastava, Pune (Pvt. Hero Impulse); 02:55:49.970 (Including 9min road penalty);

    (Priyanka Dutta DNF in SS4; Only three bikes of the four that started finished; Aishwarya did not start)

    Class 8: S0 to S3 Scooter 210cc Group B:

    1. Pinkesh Thakkar, Bhopal, (Aprilia JB Racing -Aprilia SR150) 01: 25:32.419;

    2. Goutham N, Bengaluru (Pvt. – TVS NTorq) 01:26:27.179;

    3. Muzaffar Ali, Pune (Pvt. – Aprilia SR150) 01:34:03.878.

    (3 of the 4 bikes that started finished; 4 TVS riders ‘Did Not Start’ (DNS) Subramanya T. DNF in SS3;)

    Class 9:

    1. Suchith Kumar Reddy, Bengaluru (Pvt. Hero Xpulse 200) 01:17:22.079; (Incl. 2min road penalty);

    2. Vivek Vijayan, Bengaluru (Pvt. Hero Xpulse 200) 01:23:41.466; (Incl. 1min road penalty);

    3. Safwan Hussain, Mangaluru (Pvt. Hero Xpulse 200) 01:33:29.871; (Incl. 1min40sec road penalty);

    4. Siddartha Wodeyar, Bengaluru (Pvt. Hero Xpulse 200) 01:37:03.253;

    Eom/provisional results from MRF Live Timing.

  • Jehan Daruvala to start on P3 for Sprint race: F2

    Jehan Daruvala to start on P3 for Sprint race: F2

    Barcelona, 20 May 2022: The next Indian racing prospect for F1, Jehan Daruvala, qualified in fourth on Friday but the Red Bull Junior and Prma Racing driver will start on P3 with the grid penalty to polesitter.

    Felipe Drugovich will start tomorrow’s Barcelona Sprint Race from fourth on the grid instead of pole position after being handed a three-place grid penalty following Qualifying.

    The sanction was handed out to the Brazilian for impeding his title rival Théo Pourchaire in the closing minutes of the session. The ART Grand Prix driver complained to his team that Drugovich had impeded him on the exit of Turn 1 on his final flying lap.

    Qualifying Report

    Leaving his best till last in Qualifying, Virtuosi Racing’s Jack Doohan stormed his way to a second pole position in Formula 2. The Aussie managed to hold off an extremely late charge from Hitech Grand Prix’s Jüri Vips, which saw the Estonian driver leap up from last to second and ahead of ART Grand Prix’s Frederik Vesti in third.

    The session got underway with only 21 drivers taking part, as Campos Racing’s Ralph Boschung withdrew from the event after suffering with neck pain, which he sustained during the third round in Imola.

    Despite the early evening timing, nailing their preparation laps and getting the soft Pirelli tyres in their ideal operating window was going to be a vital factor as temperatures remained around 39.9°C – all while jostling for position around the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

    Carlin’s Liam Lawson was quick out of the blocks, becoming the first driver to set a representative lap. His time of 1:30.753 was immediately beaten by his teammate Logan Sargeant, before Théo Pourchaire and Marino Sato jumped to the top of the timing sheets in quick succession.

    Jehan Daruvala then set the benchmark to go fastest with a 1:29.512. Whilst most of the grid clocked in a lap time early on, Marcus Armstrong, Doohan, Felipe Drugovich and Richard Verschoor decided to use the alternative strategy and wait for quieter conditions during the mid-point of the session.

    Taking advantage of the empty track, Drugovich went aggressive and threw his MP Motorsport car into the final chicane to go three-tenths clear of Daruvala. However, that time wasn’t destined to last for long as Doohan clocked in a 1:29.147 to pip the Brazilian by 0.043s.

    All eyes then turned to the PREMA Racing duo, as Daruvala regained the top spot by over two-tenths of a second and Hauger climbed up into fourth. As the pair hopped out of their cars, their rivals’ weekends rested on their performance in the dying minutes of the session. It was Doohan who made the most of it to snatch provisional pole with a 1:28.612. Vesti also benefitted from the late running, shooting up from 17th to second.

    There was one driver left who could deny Doohan the two points for pole – Vips, who was back behind the wheel of the Hitech following his Formula 1 Free Practice debut earlier in the day. Getting over the line just in the nick of time, the last-placed driver pushed it to the limit, but it wasn’t enough to overhaul the Virtuosi’s time, crossing the line 0.023s slower and finishing the session P2.

    Daruvala eventually had to settle for fourth, ahead of Sargeant and Iwasa. Pourchaire ended the session seventh-fastest with Van Amersfoort Racing’s Jake Hughes in eighth. Calan Williams put in another promising performance for Trident to qualify in ninth, as Drugovich rounded out the top 10.

    The Brazilian will line up on reverse grid pole for Saturday’s Sprint Race when the lights go out at 5:40PM local time.

  • Al Attiyah-Baumel take solid lead: Jordan Rally

    Al Attiyah-Baumel take solid lead: Jordan Rally

    Dead Sea (Jordan), 20 May 2022: Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel won each of the six gravel stages during the first leg of the 2022 Jordan Rally and held a lead of 6min 12.1sec at the end of the day.

    Driving an Autotek Volkswagen Polo GTi, the Qatari was never troubled as he closes in on an 18th FIA Middle East Rally Championship title.

    At the end of the leg, he said: “We controlled the race from the beginning. We know the stages very well and the performance was good. Jordan Rally is never easy. I tried to beat my times from last year and I did. I am happy. If you go more easy, you start to make mistakes. I had a good speed and a good rhythm.”

    Alex Feghali managed to get the better of defending champion Meshari Al-Thefiri in the battle for honours in the MERC2 category. The Lebanese was third quickest on five specials and second on one with co-driver Joseph Matar and had edged into a showroom category lead of 59.4 seconds by the end of the day.

    “It was good,” said Feghali. “I started the stages pretty fast and the pace was quick. We just kept the pace. We will go flat out in places we can go and will try and take the podium.”

    Behind third-placed Al-Thefiri and his Qatari co-driver Nasser Al-Kuwari, the talented young Jordanian Shaker Jwihan was flying the flag proudly for the Hashemite Kingdom before retiring after an accident in the Jordan River stage.  

    Al-Thefiri said: “We had an electric issue in the second stage and this made us slow down. Alex had a big gap on the first loop and he was comfortable. Let’s see, we fix the car now and we see on Saturday. I have nothing to lose and I will push, push.”

    Abdullah Al-Rawahi pursued Al-Attiyah from the start and the young Omani set the second fastest time on four of the stages with Jordanian navigator Ata Al-Hmoud before retiring from second overall on the re-run of the Jordan River special after an accident.

    The carnage that ensued on the second loop meant that Khaled Juma and Tareq Al-Taher climbed to fourth place and third in MERC2 in their Mitsubishi. Hamada Odeh and Mohammed Al-Thefiri rounded off the top six, with MERC2 title rivals Ihab A-Shorafa and Issa Abu Jamous in an unofficial seventh and eighth overall.

    Local driver Asef Aref failed to start the fourth stage in his Renault Clio RS entered in the MERC3 category for two-wheel drive vehicles.  

    Delays on stage three proved expensive for Qatar’s Nasser Khalifa Al-Atya and his Italian co-driver Giovanni Bernacchini. The former MERC runner-up slipped to 12th in the rankings in his Ford Fiesta R5, but the heat had taken its toll as well and he didn’t start the second loop of stages after suffering fatigue in the energy-sapping temperatures.

    Friday – as it happened

    Al-Attiyah hit the front through the opening Yakrut test and edged into a 9.9-second advantage over Al-Rawahi, with Feghali pipping Al-Thefiri for third and the early bragging rights in MERC2. Yousef Al-Dhafeeri was the only driver to lose considerable time; the Kuwaiti dropping over five minutes to his showroom category rivals.

    The giant Jordan River stage of 40.79km was next on the agenda and surviving without technical issues was the goal for the majority of competitors. Al-Attiyah increased his lead over Al-Rawahi to 28 seconds with a time of 28min 29.4sec. Feghali extended his advantage over Al-Thefiri to 29.3 seconds in MERC2 and the impressive Shaker Jwihan moved into fifth overall.

    Al-Attiyah safely completed the first loop with the fastest time through the Baptism Site special and headed back to service with a lead of 43.8 seconds over Al-Rawahi. Feghali increased his MERC2 lead to 48.3 seconds over Al-Thefiri. Al-Atya dropped six minutes in the special and slipped back to 1th overall, while Salamah Al-Ghammaz crashed out of the national event during the first loop and Bader Al-Fayez didn’t start SS3.

    Al-Attiyah shaved 3.6 seconds off his first pass through Yakrut and increased his overall advantage to 53.4 seconds heading to the second run through the Jordan River special. He sliced 17 seconds off his morning’s run and headed to the Baptism Site with a commanding advantage of 5min 36.3sec over Feghali after Al-Rawahi hit trouble.

    The stage also accounted for Shaker Jwihan and the Mitsubishi driver lost his place in the top five. Shadi Shaban also failed to set a time for the final stage after stopping at the scene of Jwihan’s accident. He did, however, complete stage six and his time for the day may well be decided by the event stewards.

    Saturday

    The first of two passes through the Bahath stage (12.69km) gets the action underway on Saturday morning. Competitors then tackle an 11.08km stage at Suwayma and the 17.00km of Ma’in 1, before returning to the service park before midday.

    The three specials will then be repeated in the afternoon, while the podium finish is scheduled for 16.30hrs adjacent to the Dead Sea.

    Support for this year’s event comes from Zain Jordan, Mountain Dew, the Guarantee Travel Group, Hala and Bliss FM.

    2022 Jordan Rally – positions after SS6 (unofficial @ 16.40hrs):

    1. Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Mathieu Baumel (AND) Volkswagen Polo GTI                                                                                                                                                                                             1hr 21min 13.0sec

    2. Alex Feghali (LEB)/Joseph Matar (LEB) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         1hr 27min 25.1sec

    3. Meshari Al-Thefiri (KWT)/Nasser Al-Kuwari (QAT) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X                                                                                                                                                                                                              1hr 28min 24.5sec

    4. Khalid Juma (JOR)/Tareq Al-Taher (JOR) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         1hr 34min 21.2sec

    5. Hamada Odeh (PSE)/Yazan Juma (JOR) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         1hr 36min 13.7sec

    6. Mohammed Al-Thefiri (KWT)/Suleiman Al-Helal (KWT) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X`                                                                    1hr 40min 25.0sec

    7. Ihab Al-Shorafa (JOR)/Yousef Juma (JOR) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      1hr 42min 06.0sec

    8. Issa Abu Jamous (JOR)/Emad Juma (JOR) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      1hr 42min 16.2sec

    9. Yousef Al-Dhafeeri (KWT)/Abdulrahman Shekakwe (JOR) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X                                                                     2hr 23min 42.0sec

    TBA. Shadi Shaban (JOR)/Samer Issa (JOR) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     AWAITED

    2022 Jordan National Rally – positions after SS6:

    1. Khalid Juma (JOR)/Tareq Al-Taher (JOR) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         1hr 34min 21.2sec

    2. Hamad Odeh (PSE)/Yazan Juma (JOR) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         1hr 36min 13.7sec

    3. Sami Fleifel (JOR)/Ahmad Al-Khatib (JOR) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo V                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      1hr 39min 45.3sec

    4. Yousef Al-Asmar (JOR)/Nabeel Kayyal (JOR) Subaru Impreza                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         1hr 40min 16.4sec

    5. Ihab Al-Shorafa (JOR)/Yousef Juma (JOR) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      1hr 42min 06.0sec

    6. Issa Abu Jamous (JOR)/Emad Juma (JOR) Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      1hr 42min 16.2sec

  • INDIAinF1 profiles two riders to watch out for: Sarath Mohan & Aishwarya Pissay

    INDIAinF1 profiles two riders to watch out for: Sarath Mohan & Aishwarya Pissay

    Sarath Mohan raring to bring laurels for Kerala in Rally Nationals

    Kochi, 13 May 2022: As the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs (fmsci) 2022 season begins with the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) for 2-wheelers in Chikkamagaluru next Sunday, a rider from Kerala, who is making his mark at the National level, is training hard and raring to go. The one to watch out for, is Sarath Mohan in the Super Sport upto 550cc class who dominated the 2021 season winning all the first three rounds, before his injury.

    Sarath Mohan from Mallapuram, who won all the events that he took part in 2021 in both Sprint and traditional Rally Nationals, INRC, had missed his National title as an incident forced him to retire midway during the season. Riding a Husqvarna FE450, he won the first three rounds of the INRC-2W and also clinched the top spot in the first two rounds of the Indian National Sprint Rally Championship (INSRC 2021) including the double in Open class. He conquered all the sprint events, and also had a podium in the Sprint Group A class, which is the only event he missed the top slot and finished second. Later, he met with an unfortunate accident in Sprint Round 3, but the dedicated rider, spent time to rehabilitate and quickly recovered with great will power and support from his medical team. A life-threatening accident in wet conditions that damaged his liver with serious bleeding and internal injury saw him undergo rehab for over three months as he overcome his abdomen trauma.

    Soon the privateer, started training again and got into shape in no time. In fact, he trains for six to 8 hours a day at the sand tracks near his house and also travels a distance of about 45 km to train with international athlete of Dakar fame, Harith Noah, another high-performance athlete from Kerala. The duo train on the sandy terrain in Shoranur and, Sarath, who aims to move into the tougher cross-country rallying, takes the advantage of learning from the ‘master’. Sarath who learned the basics in India depends on a private tuner and has honed his skills in Dubai with an eye to go international in 2023. For this year, his target to clinch the National championship which he missed by a whisker last year, as he could not take part in the later rounds.

    “Being a professional motorsports athlete, I train hard with a scientifically-charted schedule mixing endurance, speed and strength judiciously. Track days are devoted to special training which sometimes involves tedious practice, alone for hours. But I enjoy what I do as the joy we get when it culminates in good results is a big thrill for all the sacrifices we make. My immediate target is to clinch the National championship in the INRC 2022 in my class,” said the 27-year old, a strict disciplinarian that boosts his hard work.

    The former ace Supercross rider moved into Rally Nationals in 2021. A graduate in travel and tourism, the rider took up and successfully finished his studies in Automobile Engineering to enhance his knowledge on the technical side. A consistent and steady rider, he has the ability to attack and push the corners in crunch situations. The five-round INRC-2W begins with back-to-back rounds in Chikkamagaluru on May 15.

    AISHWARYA PISSAY, 2019 FIM World Cup CHAMPION

    TVS factory rider Aishwarya gunning for sixth National rally title

    Bengaluru, 13 May 2022: TVS Racing factory rider Aishwarya Pissay, the only Indian World champion in motorsports, sets sights on a record sixth consecutive Indian National Rally Championship crown as she begins her title defence getting her glittering Apache machine ready for the first round of the GodSpeed Racing’s MRF Mogrip fmsci Indian National Racing Championship (INRC) for 2-wheelers in Chikkamagalur on Sunday.

    The 2019 FIM World Cup champion in the Ladies class, put in a commanding performance that saw her make a clean sweep of all the six rounds of the two-wheeler Rally Nationals, besides claiming the bigger cross-country event, the Rally of Himalayas.

    The talented queen of Indian motorsports, who rose like a phoenix from a life-threatening injury  before her World crown, silenced her critics with creditable deeds on the track with a hugely successful 2022, that firmly focused the limelight on the TVS talent.

    With a month-long training in France earlier this year under the watchful guidance of renowned Michael Metge, the Bengaluru-born rider will be looking to seal another National championship even as she prepares for the mother of all events, with more international events ahead of the Dakar 2023.

    The versatile rider, who began her biking career, a bit late in 2016, nevertheless vaulted into the record books with a Road Racing National title at Madras Motor Race Track in 2017 and was soon inducted into the stables of TVS Racing. Then she tasted success winning the rally Nationals and never looked back winning the five Rally Nationals in a row for the Hosur-based team.

    The 26-year rider, sponsored by TVS and Hyperice, said: “It is a new season and new hopes and the new goals are clear. I have put in the hard work in training, focussed on recovery and time has come to deliver the results. I am eager to sit on my Apache RTR 200 and test myself once again,” concluded Aishwarya, a product of Surana College in Bengaluru, who is determined as ever and is looking to use the Nationals as a pedestal to jump-start her international activity once again.

    The first round organised by Chikmagalur Motor Sports Club (CMSC) will run on two Special Stages, Vasanthcool (8km) and Thippanahalli (6km) in the famed coffee estates. The two physical stages will be run four times in the same direction. The total Special Stage rallying distance is 56 km and with a transport of another 53.76 km, the total rally distance is 109.76 km. A record number of about nine lady riders are in the fray.

  • Rally of Chikmagalur flagged off; Cream of Indian talent descends in coffee land

    Rally of Chikmagalur flagged off; Cream of Indian talent descends in coffee land

    Chikkamagaluru, 14 May 2022: The Rally of Chikmagalur organised by Motor Sports Club of Chikmagalur (MSCC) was flagged off here on Saturday to kick-start the 2022 season with the first round of the MRF MoGrip fmsci Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) for two-wheelers promoted by GodSpeed Racing. Of the 93 entries, 88 will take the start on Sunday.

    Two-wheeler rally continues to be the most popular form of motorsports in India and the overwhelming response of 93 entries proves that bikers continue to call the shots. The 56-odd km dirt tracks comprising of two special stages that will be run four times in the same direction in the famed coffee estates will decide the winners in 9 classes. “The terrain is tricky but more or less similar to last year. But the wet surface due to recent rains poses challenges, the same as last year,” said a biker from Bengaluru. “Yes, it is slushy and we have to be careful in negotiating the tracks,” said Ryhana Bee, a National champion in 2W road racing. “Many will fall tomorrow, including me. The stages are challenging but we are up to it,” warned Deeksha Srivastava in jest, the Sprint Queen, who won the 2021 Sprint Nationals, is making her debut in INRC.

    The stages are short but are very technical, providing tricky terrain but with no rains on Saturday and forecast dry for Sunday, the Nationals is all set to ring in a new year. Coming to the defending champion, Abdul Wahid Tanveer, who will be spearheading the TVS campaign, he had some pretty cool answers to the two questions posed by INDIainF1.com. Your goals for 2022, your bike…

    When asked about his goals for 2022, Tanveer said: My goals are as simple as 1.2.3. One is to continue following my passion. Second one is to thoroughly enjoy myself while chasing my goals. And the third is to scale greater heights, but one step at a time… To shed some light on the bike, it is a lean, mean machine that is the epitome of strength and a rider’s dream. I am excited for this one!

    “I was fortunate enough to fly to France to be trained by a fabulous mentor, Michael Metge. We rode through the various terrains and really pushed our limits, but my favourite part was getting in touch with my inner strength. Thanks to my mentor who made the training eventful and really helpful,” that is how the champion concluded.

    Aishwarya Pissay, the 2019 FIM World Cupper, a Ladies World champion was lucky to test her bike today and meet some wild friends. She was trying to get some feel on the bike when she saw something zip past in front of her. Usually the culprit in speeding, at least on the track with full freedom in the world, she was surprised by the speed with which someone else crossed the road. But it is not a competitor. It is a four-legged creature full of beautiful horns. She spotted a spotted deer in the second Stage today. An antler… So what are your goals for 2022, we asked the same question as we did to Tanveer, and the only world champion in Indian motorsports said: “My goal for this year is to win the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) for a sixth time. Along with that, I am looking forward to riding in a few international rallies like Andalucia, but they are yet to be confirmed. The Recce was good and I love the feel of the bike. Also, I have just completed one training abroad (France) and will undergo another round of training in June 2022. I am sure these trainings will be very useful for me and will help me give better performance in the 2022 INRC.” Aishwarya won the INRC 2w consecutively for five years from 2017, her debut season.

    Her closest rival is Tanika Shanbagh. A rider young and raring to go… But the young rider is not racing in Ladies class this year. She switched gears and is gong hammer and tongs, racing with big boys. She will be the lone lady in the top-six bikes that will be racing in Class 1A, the Indian Experts class. Daughter of former motorsports champion Shanbag, the rider from Satara, will be testing herself astride a Husqvarna TE350 as she prepares to jump start her international career. ”We are planning to take part in at least one international rally event this year and for that I want to get accustomed to the handling, and the speed of the bike. I also want to become faster on the bike,” a simple statement but very assertive. Watch out, this young talent if groomed properly can go places. Apart from the top guns, there are two riders one need to watch out for. Sarath Mohan and Sinan Francis.

  • Ishaan Madesh sparkles in FP3, gains international exposure: FIA Academy karting

    Ishaan Madesh sparkles in FP3, gains international exposure: FIA Academy karting

    Genk (Belgium) 13 May 2022: Indian karting champion Ishaan Madesh of Bengaluru bounced back brilliantly to mingle with the cream of talent from all over the world as he stood in the top-8 showing resilience amidst adverse weather conditions in the practice sessions here on Friday.

    The Peregrine Racing talent is representing India in the first round of the FIA Karting European Championship which is hosting the FIA Karting Academy Trophy where 53 countries were accommodated with one driver representing each country.

    The conditions were ideal for local drivers but with no time for acclimatisation, the Indian made the best out of the practices sessions on Friday. In the first two practice sessions, the Indian had teething troubles and had issues with the kart but not the one to give up so soon, the determined Ishaan made amends and put in a stunning session to shoot to the top eight clocking 54.357 seconds and was just off 0.162sec off the leader to finish 8th. The event turned out to be very competitive with 19 karters within half-a-second at the top. For the record, Harry Arnett of Australia topped the session with a best lap clocking 54.195.

    However, in the qualifying session Ishaan Madesh could not have the result he wanted as he suffered issues again but managed to finish 19 among 27 karters in his heat. Guillaume Bouzar (LUX) took the pole in Academy but the Indian is confident to put up good performance on Saturday and Sunday.

    Shod on LeCont tyres in an identical Exprit/Vortex karts, Ishaan was allocated a kart by drawing of lots. He was able to familiarise with the equipment but it was too short a seat time to get used to the international standards that the event beckons. The Indian did adapt quickly and is eager to make a mark in the next two days.

     “I love to race abroad as international events require more focus as the standards are very high. I am enjoying my sessions here and it is a good learning experience. I missed being in the front, in the early sessions but did have fun coming 8th in FP3. I am looking forward to the next session,” said Ishaan Madesh, from Belgium.

    54 ENTRIES IN THE ACADEMY

    “The FIA wanted to open up additional places in the FIA Karting Academy Trophy. So now the FIA Karting’s global talent-detection programme will have drivers from 53 nations. Formula Medicine, a Driver training organisation created more than 30 years ago by Dr. Riccardo Ceccarelli, returns to the Academy with an educational programme designed to improve the skills and knowledge of the young drivers,” said CIK FIA chief Akbar Ebrahim, who was instrumental in karters for more countries taking part in the Academy trophy.

    Among the 54 drivers, five are competing in their second season in the Academy, including Caleb Gafrarar (USA), 11th in 2021 and Nicolas Roos (ZAF) 18th in 2021. Nine drivers are also entered in the FIA Karting European Championship – OK-Junior, including Arthur Dorison (FRA) currently seventh in the provisional rankings and Guillaume Bouzar (LUX) 12th. Among the three women, Chiara Bätig from Switzerland is supported by the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission.

  • Bastianini breaks Le Mans lap record on Friday

    Bastianini breaks Le Mans lap record on Friday

    Beast mode engaged! The Italian tops Day 1 ahead of Aleix Espargaro and Rins

    Le Mans, 13 May 2022: Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP) was back in Beast mode at the SHARK Grand Prix de France, fastest on Friday and with a new lap record of a 1’31.148 despite a subsequent crash. The Gresini rider heads the timesheets into Saturday by two tenths ahead of Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), who’s keeping that constant presence in the top echelons rolling. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) completed the top three, less than a tenth off the Aprilia ahead.

    FP1
    Repsol Honda Team’s Pol Espargaro put in a 1:31.771 to end the first session of the weekend on top, the Spaniard with 0.109s to spare over compatriot Rins. Jerez winner Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) completed the top three ahead of reigning World Champion, home hero and Spanish GP sparring partner Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), with Aleix Espargaro rounding out the front five.

    2020 World Champion Joan Mir made sure it was both GSX-RRs in the top six at the start of the weekend, with Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing), Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) and Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) rounding out the top 10.

    It was a drama-free session for the top ten, but less so for KTM. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) crashed at Turn 3, rider ok, and teammate Miguel Oliveira went down twice, at Turns 6 and 10. The Portuguese rider headed to the Medical Centre for an X-Ray on his hand and was given the all-clear. Tech3 KTM Factory Racing’s Raul Fernandez also fell at Turn 10, rider ok.

    Bastianini also crashed, at Garage Vert, and Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) went down at Turn 11.

    On the flip side, Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) didn’t crash but did put in a memorable save as he picked up his RC213V on the kerb at Turn 8.
    FP2
    Bagnaia had been fastest for much of the 45-minute session before Aleix Espargaro took over, but Bastianini then clocked a 1:31.523. However, the Italian had the lap chalked off after a shortcut at Chemin aux Boeufs, but he regrouped with a 1:31.148s just before the chequered flag, aka a new lap record.

    No sooner had he reset Johann Zarco’s All Time Lap Record, which dates back to 2018, did the Italian have a spill when he lost the front at the Turn 3/Turn 4 chicane. Rider ok though, and top of the timesheets.

    Aleix Espargaro also improved his laptime but remained second in the session, and overall, having notched up a 1:31.350. Rins had been second-quickest in FP1 and proved that was no fluke with third in FP2, too.

    Zarco grabbed some headlines too as he almost crashed at Turn 2 but pressed on through the gravel trap and rejoined, but despite that the Frenchman moved up to fourth overall. He ended the day as second Ducati, just pipping Bagnaia.

    Mir crashed in the session, rider ok, and Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) suffered a spill and a run off, rider also ok.

    Provisional Q2 places
    Behind Bastianini, Aleix Espargaro, Rins, Zarco and Bagnaia, it’s reigning Champion Quartararo who slots into sixth. KTM’s Brad Binder is seventh ahead of Mir, with Pol Espargaro in the combined top 10 by virtue of his FP1 benchmark. Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) was ninth in FP2 and 10th overall.

    With work to do in FP3 is therefore Miller, who sits 11th on combined times, and Marc Marquez down in P15. Can they hit back in FP3 and move through? That starts at 9:55 (GMT +2), before qualifying from 14:10!

  • 16 riders for TVS Asia One Make Championship 2022

    16 riders for TVS Asia One Make Championship 2022

    Hosur, 13 May 2022: TVS Racing, the factory racing team of TVS Motor Company, has announced its 16 rider squad that will compete in TVS Asia One Make Championship.  The first-ever road racing championship by an Indian manufacturer on a global level, the TVS Asia OMC, will be held in Malaysia this year, alongside the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC).

    The Asia One Make Championship selection was based on rider skill, their latest best achievements and their lap timings that ensured that only the best get selected in the debut championship.  In addition, consistency and adaptability of riders were also some parameters taken into consideration.

    TVS Asia One Make Championship is a platform to discover new talents while also showcasing the qualities and capabilities of TVS Racing’s finest race bike, built around the manufacturer’s flagship motorcycle – TVS Apache RR 310. 

    Here are the selected riders for TVS Asia One Make Championship 2022:

    S.No.Rider NameCountryGender
    1Muhamad Harith Farhan BaharinMalaysiaMale
    2Muhamad Fitri AshrafMalaysiaMale
    3Agung SeptianIndonesiaMale
    4Decky Tiarno AldyIndonesiaMale
    5Vorapong MalahuanThailandMale
    6Nattaphon KaewmunThailandMale
    7Watcharin TubtimonThailandMale
    8Arsyad RusydiSingaporeMale
    9Kerwin Eins Golbert G. ChangPhilippinesMale
    10Jagan KumarIndiaMale
    11KY AhmedIndiaMale
    12DeepakIndiaMale
    13Miu NakaharaJapanFemale
    14Hayato KobayashiJapanMale
    15Varis Felix FlemingAustraliaMale
    16James Frederick JacobsAustraliaMale

    These riders will be participating in 4 rounds of TVS Asia OMC as per the schedule below:

    RoundDateLocationCircuit
    Round 1May 27-29, 2022MalaysiaSepang International Circuit
    Round 2July 1-3, 2022Indonesia (TBC)Mandalika International Circuit
    Round 3August 12-14, 2022JapanSugo International Circuit
    Round 4November 18-20, 2022ThailandChang International Circuit

    About TVS Racing:

    TVS Racing, a pioneer in building Motorsports in India since 1982, has been integral in growing the racing performance culture and has been pivotal in engineering the TVS Apache series through the company’s “Track to Road” strategy.  The brand has redefined the sports segment by focusing on race performance, making it a highly desirable product for sports enthusiasts.  This has resulted in TVS Apache and TVS NTORQ 125 becoming the fastest growing brands in their respective segments.  TVS Racing is also the pioneer of the One Make Championship in the country, the first Indian manufacturer to introduce the series in India, in 1994.

  • Overwhelming response for INRC 2w Nationals: MSCC all set for season opener

    Overwhelming response for INRC 2w Nationals: MSCC all set for season opener

    By David Bodapati

    Chikkamagaluru, 13 May 2022: Overwhelming response from riders across India with nine ladies in the fray, makes Rally of Chikmagalur, the opening round of the MRF MoGrip fmsci Indian National Rally Championship  2W 2022 (INRC), a grand affair with the Motor Sports Club of Chikmagalur (MSCC) leaving no stone unturned as they prepare to kick-start the 2022 Rally Nationals for two-wheeler in the picturesque Coffee lands on the foothills of Sahayadri hills here on Saturday and Sunday.

    The recce will be on Saturday morning and the eight Special Stages will be run on Sunday.

    With a few new recruits, TVS will be gunning for glory again and will be the team to beat as they mount the challenge with a new nomenclature as Petronas TVS Racing, the colours which were recently revealed in the Supercross Nationals they dominated in Nashik and Pune.

    Hero has two riders, the stalwart in Yuva Kumar and Sathyaraj Arumugam while there will two more team entries. Jawa Automobiles fielded Hemanth Gowda and Bharath L while Aprilia JB Racing too has two entries Muzaffar Ali and Pinkesh Thakkar, the 2020 scooter champ, who will be astride an Aprilia this time around. Subrahmanya T too another experienced rider who made a team entry as Rebel Motorsports will join the field. The Scooter class will have mega clashes this season between the two giants.

    The 10-member team will be lead by Overall defending champion Abdul Wahid Tanveer and FIM 2019 World Cup champion Aishwarya Pissay, both of whom are raring to go after training abroad ahead of the season. The team also boasts of Karthik Naidu, the Scooter Champion 2021 and Samuel Jacob who won the 2021 title in the Super Sport 260cc Group B with a round to spare. Karthik won his maiden title by a narrow margin in the last round on his NTorq and is expected to have tough competition this year too.

    In response to INDIAinF1.com’s query, defending Overall champion Tanveer said: “My goals for 2022 are as simple as 1.2.3. One is to continue following my passion. Second is to thoroughly enjoy myself while chasing my goals. And third – to scale great heights, one step at a time. To shed some light on the bike, it is a lean, mean machine that is the epitome of strength and a rider’s dream. I am excited for this one!.”

    When asked about his training stint abroad: “I was fortunate enough to fly to France to be trained by a fabulous mentor, Michael Metge. We rode through the various terrains and really pushed our limits, but my favourite part was getting in touch with my inner strength. Thanks to my mentor who made the training eventful and really helpful.”

    This is the only rider who responded to INDIAinF1 request for a photo. It is Deeksha Srivastava, the Sprint Champion of 2021 posing at the Rally Hq &7Heaven in front of a bike. No this is not the bike she is going to ride. But she is a Hero, and will be astride an Impulse for Round 1. Photo credit: Deeksha S, Debut, Ladies Class, INRC 2w.

    But Samuel will be moving to the higher class, the Group A 450cc astride an RTR450. As a defending champion, though he lost the title to teammate Tanveer in 2021, he retained the championship in his class and he will be the one to watch out for as he moves to Group A.

    Apart from these four defending champions, Petronas TVS Racing team will be spearheaded by old-timers and former champions Rajendra RE, Nataraj and Imran Pasha and will have hardworking sprinter Sachin D, Shamim Khan and Asif Ali in the ten-riders that registered for Round 1. While Rajendra, the 2019 champion who began well winning at the first round in Hampi, he failed to recreate the magic as the season saw some treacherous terrain. Likewise, talented Sachin D was the receiving end despite some good show on the track as he lost the Sprint Nationals and will be looking to redeem his fortunes in the bigger Rally Nationals this year. Back in the fold as a factory rider will boost his confidence and the humble giant needs to switch gears and make his bike do the talking.

    Young Ajin Abraham, Asad Khan, Pavan BK, Sajeesh Reghunathan and Md Zaheer, the heavyweight are the privateers who put in all their efforts and money to get noticed once again. But Ajin, who is into a new career path, will begin his title defence only from Round 2, in a new class, the SS 165cc Gr B. As the defending champions in their classes, they are ones to watch out for. Experienced Jatin Jain, Francis Sinan, Suhail Ahmed will be the others who can upset the apple-cart of any star in their class. Amidst all these young and new there will be one guiding star, the Riders Representative, Venu Ramesh Kumar, full of two decades of experience in both 2w and 4w INRC. He will be riding in Class 5, the Super Sport 400cc Group B. Sinan, the double Sprint National champion in 2020 and 2021 will be looking to bag the Rally Nationals in SS550 GrB class on a KTM 450excf with State mate Sarath Mohan in the same class.

    The Ladies Class will have nine entries with with TVS factory rider and defending champion Aishwarya Pissay leading the field with current Racing National champion Ryhana Bee from Chennai and Tanika Shanbhag from Satara being the regulars. This year the 2021 Sprint champion Deeksha Srivastava from Pune will be joining the hunt along with other talented riders, including Fazeela from Kerala, who will be a dark horse, who has the capacity to beat the stars on her day. “I have just completed one training abroad and will undergo another round of training in June 2022. I am sure these trainings will be very useful for me. I am looking forward to riding in a few international rallies (this year) which are yet to be confirmed,” said Aishwarya Pissay. Meanwhile, Tanika Shanbag just informed INDIAinF1.com that she would not be taking part in the Ladies Class but will be moving up to the prestigious Superbike Expert Group A, Class 1A with an eye to take part in International rallies for exposure. So it makes 8 lady entries and we wish Tanika all the best in her future endeavours. “I want to participate in at least one international rally this year and in preparation, I want to get accustomed to the handling and the speed of the bike. Becoming faster on it is the goal,” is what the speed maestro, Tanika, texted.

    Sarath Mohan from Mallapuram, who trains with Harith Noah, is another rider to watch out for. Last year he won the first three rounds in Class 6, the Super Sport 550 Group B before his unfortunate life-threatening accident which damaged his liver but the strong-willed rider is in form and back to mount his challenge. Watch this space for a special article on this Kerala talent.

    “All the arrangements are complete and the track is ready. We had some rains in the last few days but the forecast is bright and we are hoping for some good action. One stage which we did last year will not be there. We got a very good response with 93 entries and all safety aspects are taken care of with a team of trained volunteers and experienced officials,” said Abhijeeth Pai BH, the Clerk of the Course.

    There will be two Special Stages, Vasanthcool (8km) and Thippanahalli (6km) in the famed coffee estates. The two physical stages will be run four times in the same direction with slight changes in the tulip that ran last year and with one stage removed from the road book. The total Special Stage rallying distance is 56 km and with a transport of another 53.76 km, the total rally distance is 109.76 km.

    2021 Champions: fmsci Indian National Rally Championship for two-wheeler!

    Class 1: Super Bike Pro-Expert Group A: Abdul Waheed Tanvir 122 points;

    Class 1A: Super Bike Expert Group A: Asad Khan, 94;

    Class 2: Super Sport 130 Group B: Ajin Abraham 110;

    Class 3: Super Sport 165 Group B: Pavan BK 136; (Won with 1 round to spare)

    Class 4: Super Sport 260 Group B: Samuel Jacob 143; (Won with 1 round to spare)

    Class 5: Super Sport 400 Group B: Sajeesh Reghunathan 133

    Class 6: Super Sport 550 Group B: Mohammed Zaheer 129;

    Class 7: S0 to S3 Scooter 210 Group B: Karthik 122;

     Class 8: Ladies Class Group B: Aishwarya Pissay 125 (Won with 1 round to spare);