INDIA in F1

Author: David Bodapati

  • Gaurav Gill overcomes suspension problem, thanks to Team MRF: APRC

    Johor Bahru, 17 Aug 2014: Gaurav Gill, the Team MRF speed maestro and defending Asia Pacific Rally Champion (APRC) overcame a problem with his mechanical problem to win the Malaysian Rally in convincing fashion. After crashing out in Australia this was a strong performance by Gill, finishing over thirteen minutes ahead of Australia’s Mark Pedder, to put himself within ten points’ rea

    Gauvrav Gill seen with his wife Dr Shilpa (checks shirt on the right side) as he poses with MRF Skoda Team after winning the APRC Malaysian leg. An Adrenna image
    Gauvrav Gill seen with his wife Dr Shilpa (checks shirt on the right side) as he poses with MRF Skoda Team after winning the APRC Malaysian leg. An Adrenna image

    ch of overall championship leader and teammate Jan Kopecky.

    With Czech teammate Jan Kopecky out of the classification with a suspension break on day one, the onus was on Gill to finish and make sure at least one Team MRF car was on top. Gill got off to a wonderful start, winning the day’s first stage, Tai Tak Court House, by more than ten seconds. But trouble with his suspension in the next stage meant that he had to ease off.

    Gill was thrilled to win the Rally of Malaysia after being unsure of finishing the Rally. He said, “The rear suspension stopped working because of the heat. We took it easy and the priority was to make sure one of the cars finished on top. In the second stage (of the day) we started having the problem. By the third it completely collapsed. Malaysia is all about finishing the rally. It’s the most difficult rally of the season. One of the toughest in the world I would say and the team has done a great job so big thank you to Team MRF for the win today.”

    Yesterday Gill’s team-mate Jan Kopecky (co-driver Pavel Dresler) suffered a broken rear suspension as he seemed set to win his third consecutive rally when his Skoda S2000 landed too hard on a jump in Special Stage six (Tai Tak Fish Pond). Until then, Kopecky had won three of the five stages and built up a lead of 1:14.8s.

    The racing crew will now move to the penultimate rally in Japan (September 26-28). For Kopecky it will be his first rally in Japan. He said, “There is still no pressure, It’s just good for the team at least one car has won the rally. Japan will be interesting. Hopefully we can find the same pace as we did in this rally.”

    Gill was adamant that startegy will play a big role for the next race. He commented, “The strategy is going to be absolutely flat out from the word go in Japan,” said Gill. “That’s going to be sort of a decider for us. Either make it or break it.”

    Final Standings:

    1. Gaurav Gill (Ind) 3:01:23.2s;

    2. Mark Pedder (Aus) 3:14:25.7s;

    3. Xu Jun (Chn) 3:14:47.4s;

    4. Sanjay Takle (Ind) 3:28:44.8s;

    5. Michael Young (Nzl) 3:35:21.0s.

    eom/Adrenna Communications Release

  • Satish, co-driver Savera pair raring to go at home event: 3 round TSD Nationals

    Bangalore, August 15: Bharat Raj , the patriarch of Karnataka Motor Sports Club (KMSC), was at his usual best at the Press Conference organised at the Press Club on the Independence Day. He introduced the senior-most member of the club Satyavrath and other seniors like Bhaskar Gupta and then asked Balakrishna and Shivu Shivappa, the secretary and president to take over. Both Satya and Praneet Perumal were missing for the first time in many years.

    Veteran navigator, Sujith, who started 25 years back, recalled how KMSC promoted the sport and introduced and encouraged youngsters. He began on bikes and gave up active rallying last year but still takes part in this TSD events which teach safety and discipline for the beginners. Bangalore driver Chidanand pairs Sujith and are current champion in the stock class and will drive for Team Tata Motors.KMSC2

    Shivram explained the safety features of the present day rallies, especially the `Roll Cage’, seat belts and helmets provide virtually a complete safety net but the organisers are taking all precautions not to become complacent.

    Media officer Vivek Phadnis adds: It is going to be a weekend bonanza for motorsport lovers in Bangalore. The Karnataka Motor Sports Club will conduct the Rally of Bangalore 2014, the third round of the Indian National TSD Rally Championship (INRC-TSD), and also the third and final round of the KMSC Green Run Rally 2014. Both events will be conducted simultaneously and on August 16 and 17. Both events are being conducted under the aegis of the FMSCI and will be under the `Time, Speed, Distance’ format.

    The events are being sponsored by India Mines Group, Horizon Marketing, Cornerstone Properties, Overdrive magazine, iGateway GPS Systems, 108 Ambulance, Torque Premium Car Accessories and www.rallynrace.com.

    Entries have been received from Erode, Chikmagalur, Coimbatore and of course the host city. For the Rally of Bangalore, entries have been received from as far away as Kolkata and Hyderabad. All safety precautions have been taken and medical teams will be present.

    As of now, 20 entries have been received for the Rally of Bangalore. The three categories in which prizes will be awarded are Overall driver and navigator, Pro Expert driver and navigator and Pro Stock driver and navigator. There is also a Pro Stock Ladies’ Class.

    The team to beat is the husband-wife combo from Bangalore: Satish Gopalkrishnan and Savera D’Souza. They have won the first two rounds of the Championship (in Chikmagalur and Jaipur) in the Pro Expert Class and have 50 points in their kitty. They will be driving a Maruti Suzuki Swift.

    To challenge them will be the entrants from Team Tata Motors. Bangaloreans M Chandrashekar-Srikanth Gowda (tied for second with 28 points with Ajgar Ali-Mohammad Musthafa) and Amol Satoskar-Nirav Mehta will take part in the Pro Expert class, while Chidananda Murthy-BS Sujith Kumar and Saurav Chatterjee-Ashoke Kumar Basu have entered in the Pro Expert class. They are also expected to field a fifth car. Murthy and Sujith Kumar have 31 points, while the leaders in the Pro Stock category are Ravindra Kumar BV-Kumar M with 33 points.

    The total distance of the Rally will be 195Km with two sections. The Rally will be conducted towards Bangalore South areas and is a mix of dirt and tarmac. Challening technically, 70 tarmac and 30 dirt.  The Rally will be flagged off from The Club on Mysore Road and will conclude at the same venue. The top five finishers in the Pro Stock and Pro Expert categories will get, apart from trophies, Rs 40,000, Rs 30,000, Rs 20,000, Rs 10,000 and Rs 5,000 respectively. The Pro Stock Ladies’ Class finishers will receive Rs 20,000, Rs 15,000, Rs 10,000, Rs 5,000 and Rs 2,500 respectively and trophies. Trophies will be given to the top three Overall places.

    After two very successful rounds of the Green Run Rally, it is now time for the third and final one. It will be held concurrently with the Rally of Bangalore but the total distance will be approximately 100Km with one section. Till now, 20 entries have been received in the two and four-wheeler classes combined. Of that, 10 entries have been received from Team Torque and this only shows their enthusiasm towards the event and what it stands for.

    The aim of this rally is to increase awareness about environmental issues like reducing emission of harmful gases from vehicles and also increasing awareness about safety on the road.

    The categories in which prizes will be awarded are driver and navigator in Pro Expert and Pro Stock in the four-wheeler and Rally Rider and Rally Navigator in the two-wheeler category.

    The prize money in the Pro Expert and Pro Stock four-wheeler classes is Rs 10,000, Rs 7,500 and Rs 5,000 respectively for the top three places. Trophies will be given to the top five finishers in both classes. In the two-wheeler category, the prize money is Rs 6,000, Rs 4,000 and Rs 2,000 for the top three places, plus trophies.

    The idea of such TSD rallies is to give a chance for everyone to participate in motorsports. In TSD rallies, the cars run at speeds that are much lower than in stage rallying. This makes it safe for anyone to participate and no modifications are needed on the vehicle. Only a valid driver’s licence is needed to participate. The team that records the least penalty time at the end of the day will be the winner.

    Many drivers have gone on to the Indian Rally Championship (IRC). In fact, nine drivers who used to take part in the Picnic Rally, as it used to be called earlier, have gone on to the INRC.

    Clerk of the Course J Balakrishna said: “We are taking the FIA Road Safety concept very seriously and demonstrating it in this weekend’s events. The idea is to educate people about safe driving. For the events, safety has been taken care of and two ambulances will be readily available on the route.”

    About the sponsors

    India Mines Group: IMG is a mining company that is headquartered in Bangalore and headed by Mr R Bharat Raj. They have been one of the biggest promoters and sponsors of motorsport in India.

    Horizon Marketing: Horizon Marketing has been one of the major suppliers of farming equipment, various agricultural and horticultural products to the Government of Meghalaya since its inception in 1991 and is headed by Mr Ashok Agarwal. They have the dealership rights for VST Tillers and Tractors Ltd., USHA International Ltd. and National Seed Corporation, etc. for the State of Meghalaya. Mr Ashok Agarwal is a veteran rally driver who has won many events like the Himalayan Raid and Desert Storm.

    Horizon Marketing is headed by Mr Ashok Agarwal and his son Mr Hemanth Agarwal. They have been magnanimous in being the title sponsor for the Green Run Rally 2014 and Rally of Bangalore.

    Torque Premium Car Accessories : TORQUE Premium Car Accesories , located in Rajarajeswarinagar, deals in high end automobile accessories and performance kits for cars. The passion for starting TORQUE (the brainchild of Mr Prasad & Ms Pratibha).dates back to the fact that TEAM TORQUE was into motorsports since a long time and setting benchmarks in various modes of competition like autocross, rallies, TSD events etc and achieved podiums in various national events such as Maruti Suzuki Dakshin Dare, Desert Storm, Raid de Himalaya etc. Team TORQUE sports some of the best drivers and navigators in the field and also nurtures young talent. TORQUE also specializes in vehicle adaptations for the physically challenged.

    Cornerstone Properties: Cornerstone is a leading property group that has partnered with some of Bangalore’s top developers to become a significant part of the development ecosystem.  Regarded as a pioneer in land holding, today, Cornerstone is one of the largest owners of real estate in Bangalore.

    Cornerstone is now forging ahead into the development business through an exciting array of offerings at prime locations across Bangalore comprising Residences, Gated Communities, IT Parks, Commercial Developments and IntegratedTownships. With focused capabilities and unmatched competencies, Cornerstone’s vision is to deliver vibrant, new living and working environments that are “Beyond Standards”.

    iGateway: iGateway will be providing the GPS systems for the cars that will enable the organisers to track them. It is a company that provides GPS systems to all kinds of vehicles. It is an Indian company and manufacturing is also in India. Products are provided to the private and government sector. For sports, with GPS, RFID and photoelectric sensors are integrated to provide accurate time and speed for race cars to the control room. It is done live and down to the second. iGateway also provides driver analysis report, both on the road and track. For KMSC, iGateway maintains the www.kmsc.org website that will host info about the sport, including competitor documentation. The www.kms.club, for members of the KMSC, is also handled by iGateway.

    www.rallynrace.com will be the official online partners for the event.

    108 Ambulance: The ambulance service has saved the lives of countless people and they will be supporting us during the event with their vehicles in case of any incidents.

    Overdrive: This is one of the leading automobile and motorsport magazines in the country. They are supporting us as the media partners for the Rally of Bangalore and Green Run Rally.

    eom/Vivek Phadnis/KMSC press release

  • Yamaha’s Lorenzo second quickest in practice as Marquez dominates

    Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez showed supreme pace in all conditions on the first day of practice for the Czech Republic Grand Prix, clocking the quickest time of the day in the dry morning Free Practice 1 session before also producing the best time on wet tyres during a rainy Free Practice 2.
    During the first session of the race weekend, Marquez lapped the Brno Circuit in 1’56.882 on the combination of the medium compound front and rear slicks to lead a tightly-packed field. Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Jorge Lorenzo was second quickest overall and a mere 0.037 seconds off Marquez’s time, with Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa just fifteen-thousandths of a second further back in third place. On one of the longest circuits on the calendar, only 0.387 seconds covered the top eight places on combined times today, enhancing Brno’s reputation of being a venue that produces extremely close racing.
    Cool but dry conditions occurred for the morning FP1 session, before rain started right at the beginning of the afternoon FP2 session which necessitated riders switching to wet tyres. Today’s peak track temperature of 31°C was recorded right at the start of FP2 before the rain started to fall. In the first practice session, almost every rider initially headed out on track on the soft compound front slick paired with their softer rear slick option; medium compound for the Factory Honda and Yamaha riders, and soft compound for the Ducati and Open-class riders. Once the grip level of the Brno tarmac had been evaluated, some riders switched to the medium compound front slick in the second half of FP1, but due to cool conditions and afternoon rain, no riders evaluated the hard compound front or rear slick tyres. Although Marquez was the quickest rider on wet tyres in the damp afternoon session, it was Pramac Racing’s Andrea Iannone who topped the times in FP2 as he and Avintia Racing’s Hector Barbera managed to set a quick lap on slick tyres on their first flying lap before the rain intensified. Only the soft compound wet tyres were used by the riders today.
    The current weather forecast indicates a good chance of rain falling tomorrow afternoon which could see both qualifying sessions being run in wet conditions, however the forecasts at this stage of the race weekend show that there is only a slight chance of a wet race.
    Shinji Aoki – Manager, Bridgestone Motorcycle Tyre Development Department
    “It was challenging for the teams and riders to ride the track in both dry and wet conditions, but as the forecast shows rain is possible tomorrow it was valuable to get some wet track time today to work on bike setup. The cool and unsettled weather this afternoon meant that the riders were unable to evaluate as many different slick tyre combinations as planned and with similar weather forecast for tomorrow afternoon, tomorrow’s FP3 session could be the best opportunity for riders to try some different slick options. The tyres appear to be working well for everyone here at Brno as we have riders from each manufacturer within a few tenths of each other, and I hope to see this close competition continue through to qualifying and the race.”
    Czech Republic MotoGP™: Top ten combined Free Practice 1 & 2 times
    Pos Rider Team Combined FP1&2 Time Gap
    1
    		 Marc MARQUEZ Repsol Honda Team 1’56.803 (FP1)
    2
    		 Jorge LORENZO Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 1’56.840 (FP1)
    0.037
    3
    		 Dani PEDROSA Repsol Honda Team 1’56.855 (FP1)
    0.052
    4
    		 Aleix ESPARGARO NGM Forward Racing 1’57.002 (FP1)
    0.199
    5
    		 Valentino ROSSI Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 1’57.065 (FP1)
    0.262
    6
    		 Stefan BRADL LCR Honda MotoGP 1’57.084 (FP1)
    0.281
    7
    		 Andrea DOVIZIOSO Ducati Team 1’57.169 (FP1)
    0.366
    8
    		 Yonny HERNANDEZ Energy T.I. Pramac Racing 1’57.190 (FP1)
    0.387
    9
    		 Pol ESPARGARO Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1’57.634 (FP1)
    0.831
    10
    		 Bradley SMITH Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1’57.816 (FP1)
    1.013
    Jorge Lorenzo of Movistar Yamaha MotoGP who set the second fastest time in Fri practice. A Bridgestone image
    Jorge Lorenzo of Movistar Yamaha MotoGP who set the second fastest time in Fri practice. A Bridgestone image

  • Gaurav Gill raring to mount challenge on MRF teammate: APRC in Malaysia

    Gaurav Gill of MRF in action. File photo courtesy FIAAPRC.com
    Gaurav Gill of MRF in action. File photo courtesy FIAAPRC.com

    The Malaysian Rally is perhaps the toughest event in the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship. And Indian driver, Gaurav Gill, (in the MRF car) will be hoping that a new car will be just what he needs to get his Asia-Pacific Championship campaign back on track in Malaysia this weekend.
    Photo courtesy of rallywhangarei.co.nz

    The Team MRF driver crashed out of June’s Rally of Queensland, and now trails his team-mate, Jan Kopecky, by 39 points in the battle for the title. However, his experience of the Malaysian Rally could prove decisive as the event’s slippery stages and tropical climate make this one of the toughest rallies in the world.

    While Gill and co-driver, Glenn Macneall, will drive a brand new Race Torque-prepared Skoda Fabia S2000, team-mates Kopecky and Dresler (mug shots in red) will have a new engine fitted to their car, which could see them take a first-up Malaysian victory.

    “This event is usually tricky on technical roads that are very slippery when wet,” Team MRF boss, Lane Heenan said.

    Kopecky and Dresler - Photo by Geoff Ridder“The temperature and humidity makes this one of the toughest rallies anywhere in the world and is a real test of the crews’ stamina.

    “Jan has been going to the sauna and wearing his overalls for the last few weeks to help get used to the conditions here, and both drivers and co-drivers will wear cool suits with ice water circulation to prevent fatigue.”

    Team MRF will be hoping to get both cars to the finish and to consolidate their already considerable championship lead.

    While they’re hoping for a dry event, rain in Malaysia can often be very localised, making tyre choice more difficult than at any other event in the championship. Temperatures during the day are expected to be around 30 degrees, with high humidity.

    After a promotional start at a local shopping centre on Friday evening, the Malaysian Rally continues on Saturday and Sunday with 14 stages covering a total competitive distance of 217 kilometres.

    The longest stage of the rally is the 26.32km Tai Tak stage, held twice on the first day.

    After Jan Kopecky won the Pacific Cup covering the first three rounds of the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship, Team MRF have entered Gill in the Asian Cup, of which this event is the first round.

    Other leading entries include Australians Mark Pedder (Lancer Evo X) and Tom Wilde (Renault Clio), Kiwi Michael Young (Proton Satria), and China’s Jun Xu in a Skoda Fabia.

     

  • Marquez makes it a perfect ten at the Red Bull Indianapolis GP

     

     Repsol
    Honda’s Marc Marquez has continued his perfect season and has become the first rider since Mick Doohan in 1997, also aboard a Repsol Honda machine, to win ten successive premier class GP races. Teammate Dani Pedrosa recovered from his eighth place position on the grid to take fourth place.

    It was a frantic start to the race with Marc losing out from his pole position dropping positions and Dani making a strong start passing three riders. By the end of the first lap Marc was fourth and Dani fifth, then on lap two, Marc passed Iannone into third and Dani was passed by Lorenzo, demoting him to sixth. The top eight riders stuck together in a pack for the opening laps, with just tenths of seconds separating them. Then on lap six Marc took advantage of Rossi and Dovizioso sparring for position and running wide, and slipped into first position. Rossi re-passed Marc on the same lap but Marc remained in second place ahead of Dovizioso.

    By lap ten Lorenzo had passed Dovizioso into third and at the start of lap eleven he passed Marc into turn one to claim second place. However, after immediately attacking Rossi into turn two, both riders left a gap for Marc to pass and the championship leader never looked back, recording the fastest race lap on lap seventeen (1’32.831). Dani passed Dovizioso on lap thirteen and sealed fourth position.

    With his victory in Indianapolis Marc has made it a perfect ten from ten, and also earns Honda’s tenth consecutive win on American soil (since Indianapoils 2010). He’s also won in all his MotoGP appearances in the USA and for the second year in a row, he’s completed a perfect weekend in Indianapolis after qualifying on pole and also setting a new lap record on his way to winning. This 16th MotoGP win for Marc also celebrates the 100th win for Spain in the premier class (Lorenzo 31, Pedrosa 25, Marquez 16, Criville 15, Gibernau 9, Checa 2, Elias 1, Puig 1).

    Marc increases his lead in the Rider Championship with 250 points. Dani remains in second on 161 with Rossi in third on 157. Honda also lead the Constructor Championship by 76 points, and the Repsol Honda Team lead the Team Championship by 137 points.

    There will be no break now for the MotoGP paddock as they pack up tonight in Indianapolis and head back across the Atlantic to the Czech Republic for Round 11 in Brno next weekend.
    TEAM QUOTES
    Marc Marquez profile image
    Marc Marquez
    1st – Championship Standing: 1st – 250 points
    “I am really happy to have taken this win! After the summer break it was important to start with another victory. Yesterday it seemed like it may be a straight forward race, but it ended up being quite the opposite. We suffered a lot and physically it was hard, there was a lot of humidity and I was sweating a lot. The track temperature rose by 10 degrees today and this made the tyres behave differently. It was hard for me to have the same level of confidence. I was patient at the beginning and when I regained the good feeling I had in practice I decided to push, opening that two-second gap which in the end was enough for the win”
    Dani Pedrosa profile image
    Dani Pedrosa
    4th – Championship Standing: 2nd – 161 points
    “Overall it has been a difficult weekend in which at no point did I feel good on the bike. We couldn’t find a good setup in practice. Then in the race, although I was able to move up a few places, I was always off the pace if I was going to fight for the podium”

     

    RACE RESULTS

      Indianapolis Grand Prix – Round 10

    Pos. Rider Num. Nation Points Team Constructor Time/Gap
    1 Marc Marquez 93 ESP 25 Repsol Honda Team HONDA 42’07.041
    2 Jorge Lorenzo 99 ESP 20 Yamaha Factory Racing YAMAHA +1.803
    3 Valentino Rossi 46 ITA 16 Yamaha Factory YAMAHA +6.558
    4 Dani Pedrosa 26 ESP 13 Repsol Honda Team HONDA +10.016
    5 Pol Espargaro 44 ESP 11 Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YAMAHA +17.807
    6 Bradley Smith 38 GBR 10 Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YAMAHA +19.604
    7 Andrea Dovizioso 4 ITA 9 Ducati Team DUCATI +20.759
    8 Cal Crutchlow 35 GBR 8 Ducati Team DUCATI +39.796
    9 Scott Redding 45 GBR 7 Go & Fun Honda Gresini HONDA +40.507
    10 Hiroshi Aoyama 7 JPN 6 Drive M7 Aspar HONDA +55.760
    11 Karel Abraham 17 CZE 5 Cardion AB Motoracing HONDA +1’05.130
    12 Mike Di Meglio 63 FRA 4 Avintia Racing MotoGP FTR-KAWASAKI +1’05.346
    13 Colin Edwards 5 USA 3 NGM Mobile Forward Racing YAMAHA +1’08.919
    14 Michael Laverty 70 GBR 2 Paul Bird Motorsport ART & PBM +1’09.203
    15 Broc Parkes 23 AUS 1 Paul Bird Motorsport PBM +1’30.613
    16 Leon Camier 2 GBR Drive M7 Aspar HONDA DNF
    17 Andrea Iannone 29 ITA Pramac Racing DUCATI DNF
    18 Aleix Espargaro 41 ESP NGM Mobile Forward Racing YAMAHA DNF
    19 Stefan Bradl 6 GER LCR Honda MotoGP HONDA DNF
    20 Danilo Petrucci 9 ITA IodaRacing Project IODA-SUTER DNF
    21 Hector Barbera 8 ESP Avintia Racing MotoGP FTR-KAWASAKI DNF
    22 Yonny Hernandez 68 COL Pramac Racing DUCATI DNF
    23 Alvaro Bautista 19 ESP Go & Fun Honda Gresini HONDA DNF
    Marc Marquez celebrates after winning his 10th title of the season from 10 races in Indianapolis. A Honda image
    Marc Marquez celebrates after winning his 10th title of the season from 10 races in Indianapolis. A Honda image

    eonds

  • Marquez marches to season’s eighth pole position at the Brickyard

    Round 10: Indianapolis Grand Prix – Qualifying
    Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Saturday August 9 2014
    Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Soft, Medium & Hard; Rear: Soft, Medium & Hard (Asymmetric)
    Bridgestone wet tyre compounds available: Soft (Main), Hard (Alternative)
    Weather:    FP3 – Dry. Ambient 22-24°C; Track 34-38°C (Bridgestone measurement)
                     FP4/QP – Dry. Ambient 27-27°C; Track 36-40°C (Bridgestone measurement)
    Marc Marquez continued his dominating qualifying form today at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Repsol Honda rider setting a lap time of 1’31.619 to take his eighth pole position from ten rounds this season.
    Having already shown impressive pace during long runs in the practice sessions, Marquez also showed his peerless pace over a single lap, ending the Qualifying Practice 2 session 0.225 seconds ahead of Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso who rode brilliantly to secure second place on the grid for the race. Third quickest in qualifying was Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Jorge Lorenzo who managed a best lap time of 1’31.869 to finish a quarter of a second behind Marquez. Both Marquez and Lorenzo used the combination of the medium compound front and rear slicks to set their quickest time, while Dovizioso used the soft compound rear slick paired with the medium compound front to set his personal best lap time.
    Conditions were dry for all of today’s sessions with a peak track temperature of 40°C recorded at the start of Free Practice 4. The fine weather allowed riders to compare different tyre combinations during their race simulations, and the harder rear slick options; hard compound for the Factory Honda and Yamaha and medium compound for the Ducati and open-class riders were preferred by almost every rider. Rider feedback for the medium compound front slick, which was brought to Indianapolis for the first time this year has been overwhelmingly positive and this option will be the most widely used choice for the race.
    The current weather forecast indicates a fair chance of rain tomorrow afternoon with similar ambient temperatures to today. The next MotoGP™ session is the twenty minute Warm Up session at 0940 local time (GMT-4) with the twenty-seven lap Indianapolis Grand Prix set to start at 1400.
    Masao Azuma – Chief Engineer, Bridgestone Motorcycle Tyre Development Department
    “As we expected the grip level of the new Indianapolis tarmac improved today with more rubber laid down, which resulted in better tyre durability and quicker lap times. Although the softer rear slick options offer better outright performance over short distances, the feedback from the riders is that the harder rear options offer more consistent performance on the new circuit so I expect the majority of riders will choose this for the race tomorrow. Almost all riders confirmed today that the medium compound front slick offers the best balance between cornering performance and braking stability so this will be the most common choice for the race, although some riders experienced good feedback from the hard compound front. The weather forecast shows the possibility of rain tomorrow, but wet or dry I am confident our tyre allocation at Indianapolis will help the riders manage whatever weather conditions we have for the race.”
    Indianapolis MotoGP™ QP2 times – Riders that qualified from QP1 shaded in gray
    Pos Rider Team QP2 Time Gap
    1
    		 Marc MARQUEZ Repsol Honda Team 1’31.619
    2
    		 Andrea DOVIZIOSO Ducati Team 1’31.844
    0.225
    3
    		 Jorge LORENZO Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 1’31.869
    0.250
    4
    		 Aleix ESPARGARO NGM Forward Racing 1’32.113
    0.494
    5
    		 Valentino ROSSI Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 1’32.160
    0.541
    6
    		 Pol ESPARGARO Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1’32.243
    0.624
    7
    		 Andrea IANNONE Pramac Racing 1’32.254
    0.635
    8
    		 Dani PEDROSA Repsol Honda Team 1’32.331
    0.712
    9
    		 Bradley SMITH Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1’32.343
    0.724
    10
    		 Stefan BRADL LCR Honda MotoGP 1’32.514
    0.895
    11
    		 Scott REDDING GO&FUN Honda Gresini 1’32.714
    1.095
    12
    		 Cal CRUTCHLOW Ducati Team 1’32.794
    1.175

  • Finnish celebrations – Volkswagen driver Latvala and co-driver Anttila triumph in home event: WRC

    • Rally Finland 2014Emotional third season win for Latvala/Anttila in mother of all rallies
    • Beaten by just 3.6 seconds: Ogier/Ingrassia in second place
    • Match balls for Volkswagen in all three championship categories ahead of Rally Germany

    A great day for Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila, a great day for Volkswagen, and a great day for Finland: for the first time in four years, a Finnish duo triumphed in their home event in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), giving their compatriots reason to celebrate with abandon. Latvala/Anttila won ‘their’ rally in the Polo R WRC in what proved to be a veritable thriller all the way to the finishing line, clinching victory over their teammates Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F) by just 3.6 seconds. Volkswagen’s excellent team success in the toughest rally of the year was rounded off by Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Fløene (N/N) finishing in fourth place overall. Volkswagen has therefore equalled its best team result to date in the WRC, which it set at Rally Argentina in May. The rally known as ‘Formula 1 in the forest’ marks the twelfth consecutive rally win for the Wolfsburg-based team, and is also its eighth win in the current season. Ahead of Rally Germany, Volkswagen therefore has match balls to clinch all three WRC championship titles – for the manufacturer, the driver and the co-driver.

     

    “It’s been a fantastic weekend at Rally Finland,” said Dr Heinz-Jakob Neußer, Volkswagen Board Member for Technical Development, who was in Finland to support the Volkswagen team. “Both Jari-Matti Latvala and Sébastien Ogier dominated 25 of the 26 special stages and the final day of the rally couldn’t have been more exciting. There was no knowing who would actually win the rally until they finally crossed the line. The Power Stage once again demonstrated what the team and the Polo R WRC are capable of. We are very happy with the result in Finland and congratulate Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila on this huge success in front of a home crowd.”

    Recipe for success: good self-confidence and a healthy dose of ‘sisu’

    The Finnish word ‘sisu’ is the most accurate way to describe the key to Jari-Matti Latvala’s success in his home event. ‘Sisu’ is said to be untranslatable, but can be loosely translated as power, stamina or tenacity, and also intransigence or fighting spirit. And Jari-Matti Latvala demonstrated all of these during Rally Finland. On the second day of the rally, Latvala, who is second in the championship, dominated the proceedings in the morning, but had something of a setback in the afternoon. Having hit a large pothole during the 20th special stage, a damaged brake line left him with no braking power on the front right-hand wheel, which caused him to lose around 27 seconds of his lead. Latvala therefore tackled the final three special stages on Sunday with a very slim lead of just 3.4 seconds, and demonstrated not only his driving skills, but also his mental strength.

    Since the start of the 2014 season, Jari-Matti Latvala has also been drawing on the support of mental trainer Christoph Treier. Latvala was therefore relaxed during the special stages in his home event, in spite of the huge public expectations and his extremely high motivation. And this resulted in success, with Latvala/Anttila securing 14 of the 26 possible fastest times in the rally.

    Prestige duel to the very last metre: Latvala vs. Ogier

    Rally Finland, which is considered to be the mother of all WRC rallies, was very much all about Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila and their Volkswagen teammates Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia this year, with 25 of the 26 possible best times being scored by one or the other of the two Volkswagen duos. The only rivals who were able to keep pace were Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle (GB/IRL, Citroën), who picked up one fastest time and finished in third place overall. The Latvala vs. Ogier duel narrowed to a difference of 3.7 seconds ahead of the final Power Stage, and was then reduced further to 3.6 seconds at the finishing line. On multiple occasions during their high-octane duel, Latvala and Ogier hit a top speed of 200 kilometres per hour, at which point their speed was kept in check by the speed limiters. With countless jumps, some as far as 60 metres, and also plenty of blind hill crests and corners, the WRC drivers had to deliver maximum precision. And for the 38th time in the history of the WRC, a rally was won with a margin of less then ten seconds.

    Great success, part two: match balls for Volkswagen head of home event in Germany

    Thanks to its one-two victory in Finland, Volkswagen has extended its lead in the manufacturers’ standings in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) to 175 points over their closest rival Citroën. This therefore gives Volkswagen its first match ball ahead of the brand’s own home event, Rally Germany: if it succeeds in defending a 172-point lead, the manufacturers’ championship title will go to Wolfsburg for the second year in a row. The German rally could also be a decider in favour of Volkswagen in the drivers’ standings too: following Rally Finland, Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia have a lead of 121 points over the best non-Volkswagen duo, Mads Østberg/Jonas Andersson (N/S, Citroën). If they still have a lead of 112 points after Rally Germany, it will definitely be a Volkswagen duo who will celebrate victory in the drivers’ and co-drivers’ standings. Ogier/Ingrassia are currently in the lead on 187 points, followed by their teammates Latvala/Anttila (143 points) and Mikkelsen (95 points).

    Facts, facts, facts: actual and potential records

    With Rally Finland now over, Volkswagen has racked up a total of 19,996.66 kilometres during 391 special stages since it joined the WRC with the Polo R WRC in January 2013. This is equivalent to driving half way round the globe – at a rally pace, of course. During this period, Volkswagen has scored 269 fastest times and a total of 618 top-three times. Volkswagen has celebrated victory 18 times out of 21 WRC rallies, twelve of which it has scored in succession across two seasons. And by winning in Finland, Volkswagen has matched the previous best of eight wins in the same season, which Citroën achieved in 2011. For Volkswagen, the eighth rally of the season gave it its fifth one-two win of the year, and the seventh such win overall. Jari-Matti Latvala celebrated his 44th podium finish in the WRC, twelve of which he has achieved with Volkswagen. It was also his eleventh outright win, and his fourth such win in the Polo R WRC.

    The icing on the cake: bonus points for Volkswagen drivers in the Power Stage

    To date, Volkswagen has picked up Power Stage bonus points on 37 occasions – in the 20 Power Stages held so far. In addition, Ogier/Ingrassia gave Volkswagen its 15th consecutive Power Stage win in Finland. Latvala, the winner of the 2014 Rally Finland, has won five Power Stages in his WRC career, two of which with Volkswagen. Ogier meanwhile has a tally of 15 Power Stage wins, eleven of which with Volkswagen. And Mikkelsen also has one Power Stage win to his name, a victory he scored in the Polo R WRC.

    Quotes, day 3, Rally Finland

    Sébastien Ogier, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #1
    “I think the fans and also we will remember this Rally Finland for a long time to come. I may not have won, but it was still a fantastic final with a great battle all the way to the very last second. Congratulations to Jari-Matti and Miikka, who really deserved this win in their home country. They were simply unbeatable this time. I already knew this morning that reducing their lead would be difficult. When you drive almost an entire stage at full speed, you can’t even make good a 3.4-second deficit if the driver in front doesn’t make any mistakes. Julien and I took all the risks we could in the penultimate stage, but Jari-Matti matched our pace. Overall, it’s been a fantastic weekend and I’m perfectly happy with the points we scored for coming second in Finland.”

    Jari-Matti Latvala, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #2
    “This win in Finland is a very special moment for Miikka and me. We last managed to do this in 2010, and this win feels twice as good considering our disappointing result last year. I had a good feeling in the Polo R WRC right from the start of the rally, and the car was set up perfectly once again. So a big thank-you to my team for their excellent work. And I would, of course, also like to thank all the fans who supported Miikka and me throughout the rally here in Finland. This win was a tough cookie, though. We were in a bit of a predicament on Saturday evening when we were no longer able to use one of our brakes. Nevertheless, we didn’t give up and we kept on fighting. I’m really very happy about this result.”

    Andreas Mikkelsen, Volkswagen Polo R WRC #9
    “Once again, Rally Finland was a very special rally, and is considered to be one of the most demanding rallies in the WRC calendar due to its particular traits. Ola and I are therefore very happy with fourth place. From Saturday, we were in a comfortable position overall, with a good time buffer to hold off our closest rival. We were therefore able to tackle the final day in a controlled manner, but we still wanted to attack during the Power Stage in order to be in with a chance of scoring a few bonus points for the championship. In the end, we finished in fourth place, but are happy with our performance overall. Congratulations to Jari-Matti and Miikka on winning Rally Finland. They very much deserved to win.”

    Jost Capito, Volkswagen Motorsport Director
    “To my knowledge, there’s no one in the service park who doesn’t think Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila deserved this emotional home victory. I’m especially delighted for them today because they worked hard for this success and achieved it on the basis of immense willpower – in spite of some minor setbacks. We experienced the best Jari-Matti Latvala of all time, with an entirely new attitude towards rallying – highly focused, but relaxed at the same time. He was in his own world while he was driving and only his teammate Sébastien Ogier was able to keep up with him to the end. Andreas Mikkelsen likewise drove brilliantly and clinched fourth place in this highly demanding rally – fantastic. This one-two victory gives us the opportunity to secure the manufacturers’ championship title before the end of the season during Rally Germany. And we would obviously like to do that in style, preferably with a rally win. We have to make up for last year’s result at home. And Jari-Matti Latvala has shown us here in Finland how to win in front of a home crowd in spite of pressure and huge expectations.”

    And then there was …

    … a very loud wake-up call. All the teams’ drivers were awoken by a fire alarm at the central hotel for Rally Finland on Sunday morning. The high-pitched alarm was set off by Luis Moya, two-time world champion alongside Carlos Sainz, who now works in the Volkswagen team. Moya put a slice of bread in the toaster, then forgot about it, and the toaster was soon churning out smoke and turning his toast into charcoal. It cannot, however, be confirmed as to whether Moya really did say “For Heaven’s sake, Carlos, please turn the toaster off”.
    FIA Rally World Championship (WRC),
    Rally Finland – Final Results
    1. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN), Volkswagen 2h 57m 23.2s
    2. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), Volkswagen + 3.6s
    3. Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle (GB/IRL), Citroën + 50.6s
    4. Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Fløene (N/N), Volkswagen + 1m 52.5s
    5. Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen (FIN/FIN), Ford + 2m 49.7s
    6. Juho Hänninen/Tomi Tuominen (FIN/FIN), Hyundai + 4m 29.0s
    7. Elfyn Evans/Daniel Barritt (GB/GB), Ford + 5m 25.8s
    8. Hayden Paddon/John Kennard (NZ/NZ), Hyundai + 6m 17.8s
    9. Henning Solberg/Ilka Minor (N/A), Ford + 12m 07.0s
    10. Karl Kruuda/Martin Jarveoja (EST/EST), Ford + 14m 44.7s
    FIA Rally World Championship (WRC),
    Rally Finland – Power Stage Results
    1. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia (F/F), Volkswagen 3m 16.0s
    2. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila (FIN/FIN), Volkswagen + 0.1s
    3. Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle (GB/IRL), Citroën + 2.1s
    FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Overall Standings
    Drivers’ Championship
    points
    1. Sébastien Ogier 187
    2. Jari-Matti Latvala 143
    3. Andreas Mikkelsen 95
    4. Mads Østberg 66
    5. Mikko Hirvonen 62
    6. Kris Meeke 54
    7. Thierry Neuville 46
    8. Elfyn Evans 42
    9. Martin Prokop 31
    10. Henning Solberg 26
    11. Juho Hänninen 20
    12. Bryan Bouffier 18
    13. Robert Kubica 12
    14. Ott Tänak 10
    15. Benito Guerra 8
    16. Hayden Paddon 8
    17. Chris Atkinson 6
    18. Pontus Tidemand 4
    19. Jaroslav Melichárek 4
    20. Nasser Al-Attiyah 3
    21. Lorenzo Bertelli 2
    22. Matteo Gamba 2
    23. Craig Breen 2
    24. Yuriy Protasov 2
    25. Jari Ketomaa 1
    26. Khalid Al-Qassimi 1
    27. Karl Kruuda 1
    28. Dani Sordo 0
    Manufacturers’ Championship
    points
    1. Volkswagen Motorsport 305
    2. Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT 130
    3. M-Sport 106
    4. Volkswagen Motorsport II 94
    5. Hyundai Motorsport 88
    6. Jipocar Czech National Team 34
    7. RK M-Sport WRT 21
    8. Hyundai Motorsport N 12
    FIA World Rally Championship (WRC),
    Rally Finland – Results
    Thursday,
    31 July 2014    		 km #1
    Ogier/
    Ingrassia    		 #2
    Latvala/
    Anttila    		 #9
    Mikkelsen/
    Fløene
    SS 01 Lankamaa 1 23.44 P03
    (+ 3.1s)    		 P01 P07
    (+ 13.2s)
    SS 02 Jouhtikylä 10.36 P02
    (+ 2.2s)    		 P01 P05
    (+ 5.6s)
    SS 03 Lankamaa 2 23.44 P01 P01 P04
    (+ 7.0s)
    SS 04 Harju 1 02.27 P01 P02
    (+ 0.8s)    		 P05
    (+ 2.2s)
    Overall classification P02
    (+ 4.5s)    		 P01 P06
    (+ 27.2s)
    Friday,
    01 August 2014    		 km #1
    Ogier/
    Ingrassia    		 #2
    Latvala/
    Anttila    		 #9
    Mikkelsen/
    Fløene
    SS 05 Pihlajakoski 1 14.51 P03
    (+ 1.2s)    		 P01 P09
    (+ 9.7s)
    SS 06 Päijälä 1 23.38 P02
    (+ 0.4s)    		 P01 P07
    (+ 9.6s)
    SS 07 Kakaristo 1 20.51 P06
    (+ 4.4s)    		 P03
    (+ 1.2s)    		 P04
    (+ 3.0s)
    SS 08 Painaa 1 07.70 P01 P02
    (+ 0.9s)    		 P06
    (+ 2.9s)
    SS 09 Pihlajakoski 2 14.51 P01 P03
    (+ 0.6s)    		 P07
    (+ 4.2s)
    SS 10 Päijälä 2 23.38 P04
    (+ 4.0s)    		 P01 P05
    (+ 6.7s)
    SS 11 Kakaristo 2 20.51 P05
    (+ 8.3s)    		 P01 P02
    (+ 1.0s)
    SS 12 Painaa 2 07.70 P05
    (+ 1.5s)    		 P01 P06
    (+ 2.4s)
    SS 13 Harju 2 02.27 P01 P02
    (+ 0.3s)    		 P03
    (+ 0.5s)
    Overall classification P03
    (+ 21.3s)    		 P01 P04
    (+ 1m 04.2s)
    Saturday,
    02 August 2014    		 km #1
    Ogier/
    Ingrassia    		 #2
    Latvala/
    Anttila    		 #9
    Mikkelsen/
    Fløene
    SS 14 Mökkiperä 1 13.84 P03
    (+ 3.3s)    		 P01 P02
    (+ 3.1s)
    SS 15 Jukojärvi 1 21.93 P02
    (+ 0.3s)    		 P01 P04
    (+ 5.7s)
    SS 16 Surkee 1 14.95 P02
    (+ 4.1s)    		 P01 P03
    (+ 5.5s)
    SS 17 Himos 1 04.45 P01 P02
    (+ 0.8s)    		 P03
    (+ 1.5s)
    SS 18 Leustu 1 10.01 P02
    (+ 1.7s)    		 P01 P02
    (+ 1.7s)
    SS 19 Mökkiperä 2 13.84 P02
    (+ 1.2s)    		 P01 P04
    (+ 4.1s)
    SS 20 Jukojärvi 2 21.93 P01 P04
    (+ 11.0s)    		 P03
    (+ 10.7s)
    SS 21 Surkee 2 14.95 P01 P03
    (+ 7.3s)    		 P04
    (+ 7.5s)
    SS 22 Himos 2 04.45 P01 P04
    (+ 2.9s)    		 P02
    (+ 1.0s)
    SS 23 Leustu 2 10.01 P01 P04
    (+ 6.5s)    		 P03
    (+ 5.3s)
    Overall classification P02
    (+ 3.4s)    		 P01 P04
    (+ 1m 22.0s)
    Sunday,
    03 August 2014    		 km #1
    Ogier/
    Ingrassia    		 #2
    Latvala/
    Anttila    		 #9
    Mikkelsen/
    Fløene
    SS 24 Ruuhimäki 1 06.79 P02
    (+ 1.6s)    		 P01 P05
    (+ 4.9s)
    SS 25 Myhinpää 23.02 P01 P02
    (+ 1.3s)    		 P06
    (+ 25.8s)
    SS 26P Ruuhimäki 2 06.79 P01 P02
    (+ 0.1s)    		 P04
    (+ 2.4s)
    Overall classification P02
    (+ 3.6s)    		 P01 P04
    (+ 1m 52.5s)

  • Sarath Kumar ends winless run beating Sumit Toppo: Motorcycle Nationals

    Chennai, 3 Aug 2014: Round 3 of 2014 MMSC- FMSCI Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship finished with India’s young riders showing why they provide the most entertaining form of motorsport at the MMRT in Irungattukottai this weekend. While Race 1 of all the categories were held yesterday, Race 2 took place today which included 2-wheeler giants TVS Racing, Honda Racing & Yamaha Racing one make championships.

    This time it was Sarath Kumar’s turn to end his winless run when he beat Sumit Lucas Toppo by 0.087secs in the Honda CBR 250 race. While Sarath managed to win the race it was Toppo who impressed by trying every possible way to beat his rival. He even set the fastest lap of the race as the two riders finished side-by-side in the Honda CBR 250 race. Ramesh Kumar finished in a distant 3rd to take the final step on the podium.

    K Rajnikrishnan took his second win of the weekend in the Group C 165CC after finishing ahead of K Jagan. Rajni’s main rival and Honda CBR 250 winner Sarath Kumar managed to finish in 3rd position after a holding off Deepak R.  

    The Yamaha One Make Championship, which returned to the MMSC-INMRC this weekend, saw Shyam Shankar winning in Race 2 of the Yamaha One Make Open. Dinesh Kumar in 2nd place while Ananth Raj finished in 3rd place. In the Yamaha One Make Novice race, Vivian Gladwin David took his first ever win after a race long battle with Naresh Babu with Piyush Ranjan in 3rd place.

    KY Ahamed and SK Prakash had a great battle in the TVS One Make Open race in the TVS One Make Championship. Ahamed held off Prakash by 0.087secs to win the race with Ananth Raj in a distant 3rd position. The TVS Apache Novice race was another closely fought affair with S Kannan beating Naresh Babu and K Kannan with the top 3 riders being covered by 0.282secs.

    In the Honda – MMSC One Make Championship with the Honda CBR 150 Novice category, Vivian Gladwin David took his second win of the day after finishing ahead of S Rajiv and Shreyas Sannake.

    Mithun Kumar took two wins in the day with victories in both Group D 130CC Novice & Group D 165CC Novice categories.

    RESULTS:

    Honda CBR 250 Open – R2

    1. Sarath Kumar
    2. Sumit Lucas Toppo
    3. Ramesh Kumar

    Honda CBR 150 Novice – R2

    1. Vivian Gladwin David
    2. S Rajiv
    3. Shreyas Sannake

    TVS Apache Open – R2

    1. KY Ahamed
    2. SK Prakash
    3. Ananth Raj

    TVS Apache Novice – R2

    1. S Kannan
    2. Naresh Babu
    3. K Kannan

    Yamaha Open – R2

    1. Shyam Shankar
    2. Dinesh Kumar
    3. Ananth Raj

    Yamaha Novice – R2

    1. Vivian Gladwin David
    2. Naresh Babu
    3. Piyush Ranjan

    Group C 165CC – R2

    1. K Rajnikrishnan
    2. K Jagan
    3. Sarath Kumar

    Group D 130CC Novice – R2

    1. Mithun Kumar
    2. S Kannan
    3. K Kannan

    Group D 165CC – R2

    1. Mithun Kumar
    2. R Harikrishnan
    3. Shreyas Sannake

    For more information please do visit www.madrasmotorsports.inSarat wins on Sun 3 round channai 3aug2014

  • Sumit Lucas Toppo beats Prabhu, Sarath Kumar in a thriller: 3rd round Motorcycle Nationals

    Chennai Moto Natls 3 round 2Aug2014Chennai, 1 Aug 2014: Round 3 of 2014 MMSC– FMSCI Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship got off to a great start with some more close races at the MMRT in Irungattukottai this weekend. The Honda CBR 250 race once again proved to be a thriller with Sumit Lucas Toppo beating A Prabhu by 0.003secs with Sarath Kumar a further 0.096secs in a close battle.

    In the Honda CBR 250 race provided Sumit, Prabhu and Sarath were exchanging the lead severall times before Sumit just managed to beat his rivals. It was a replay of the last round when Sumit beat A Prabhu by 0.002secs. It was the same this time as well with absolutely nothing to choose from the two riders with Sarath also joining in the action.

    Sarath Kumar was engaged in another tight battle in the Group C 165CC but came out 2nd behind K Rajnikrishnan in yet another thriller. India’s top two riders gave it all but Rajni managed to pip ahead to take the win. Sumit Toppo finished in 3rd place, a further 3 secs behind.

    The Yamaha One Make Championship returned to the MMSC-INMRC with Vivek Pillai returning to the top step of the podium in the Yamaha One Make Open race. Ananth Raj finished in 2nd place with Dinesh Kumar in 3rd place. In the Yamaha One Make Novice race, Mithun Kumar comfortably won ahead of E Saravanan and S Siva.

    Mathana Kumar continued his fine run with another win in the TVS One Make Open race in the TVS One Make Championship. SK Prakash finished in 2nd place with Abhishek Vasudev finishing in 3rd place. In the TVS Apache Novice category S Kannan beat Naresh Babu and K Kannan with the top 3 riders being covered by 0.717secs.

    In the Honda – MMSC One Make Championship with the Honda CBR 150 Novice category, R Rajanikanth took another win after a race long battle with S Rajiv.  Vimochana Gadusu finished in 3rd place to take the final podium spot.

    RESULTS: Honda CBR 250 Open – R1

    1. Sumit Lucas Toppo
    2. A Prabhu
    3. Sarath Kumar

     Honda CBR 150 Novice – R1

    1. R Rajanikanth
    2. S Rajiv
    3. Vimochana Gadusu

    TVS RTR 180 Open – R1

    1. Mathana Kumar
    2. SK Prakash
    3. Abhishek Vasudev

     TVS Apache Novice – R1

    1. S Kannan
    2. Naresh Babu
    3. K Kannan

    Yamaha Open – R1

    1. Vivek Pillai
    2. Ananth Raj
    3. Dinesh Kumar

    Yamaha Novice – R1

    1. Mithun Kumar
    2. E Saravanan
    3. S Siva

    Group C 165CC

    1. K Rajnikrishnan
    2. Sarath Kumar
    3. Sumit Lucas Toppo

    Group D 130CC Novice – R1

    1. S Kannan
    2. E Saravanan
    3. R Harikrishnan

    Group D 165CC – R1

    1. Mithun Kumar
    2. R Harikrishnan
    3. Harshit Rao

    For more information please do visit www.madrasmotorsports.in

    eom/Adernna release

  • Latvala retains the advantage on home soil: Neste Oil Rally Finland

    Volkswagen driver Jari-Matti Latvala continues to lead Neste Oil Rally Finland after an intense day of competition in the forests. The flying Finn now has 19.7 seconds in hand to Kris Meeke who overhauled defending FIA World Rally Champion Sébastien Ogier this afternoon.

    Seb Ogier takes a big jump even as teammate Latvala takes the lead. Ogier, the reigning champ, is in third. A VW image
    Seb Ogier takes a big jump even as teammate Latvala takes the lead. Ogier, the reigning champ, is in third. A VW image
    Today’s route took in two identical loops of four stages before returning to Jyväskylä for the second run over the famous Harju stage. In contrast to yesterday, blue skies and sunshine added to the spectacular backdrop of one of the most challenging and blisteringly fast events on the World Rally Championship calendar. On a high, Latvala has barely put a foot wrong and powered the Polo R WRC to five stage victories, also notching up the car’s 250th stage win since its launch at the beginning of 2013. He drifted into a ditch in the opening stage but has otherwise had a trouble-free run on his home round of the series. Team-mate Sébastien Ogier was once again running first on the road and while the road cleaning effect appeared less obvious this morning, the Frenchman lost time this afternoon and was ultimately overhauled by Kris Meeke in stage 11, the Northern Irish driver surprised to have moved ahead of his rival, albeit with just 1.6 seconds in hand. He and Ogier were the only other drivers to claim stage wins, Meeke with one and Ogier with three.
    Behind the battling trio at the head of the leaderboard, the fight for fourth position is even more intense with Andreas Mikkelsen, Mads Østberg and Mikko Hirvonen split by just 3.1 seconds this evening. Mikkelsen has run without problems and while overnight set-up changes benefitted Østberg, the Norwegian took the first few stages to get into the groove and back into the fight. Hirvonen had a spin this afternoon but the rivals look set to provide another titanic battle for honours tomorrow. From an overnight 10th, Hayden Paddon is now seventh in the lead Hyundai i20 WRC after team-mate Juho Hänninen rolled out of fourth position in the second stage. The Finn was able to continue but was forced to remove the windscreen for the following two stages, resulting in an incredibly windy ride for him, the co-driver and pace note book! He is ninth behind Fiesta RS WRC driver Elfyn Evans after failing to make further progress due to a power steering problem this afternoon. Thierry Neuville was forced into retirement after the lunchtime service with damage to the roll cage after he clouted the back-end of the car this morning. Robert Kubica is also on the retirement list, the Pole ending up in a ditch with an over-optimistic pace note, although he will re-join tomorrow under Rally 2 regulations. Martin Prokop also went off the road.
    Neste Oil Rally Finland – Unofficial Results after Section 4
    1.   Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila Volkswagen Polo R WRC 1hr 34min 42.4sec
    2.   Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle Citroën DS3 WRC 1hr 35min 02.1sec
    3.   Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia Volkswagen Polo R WRC 1hr 35min 03.7sec
    4.   Andreas Mikkelsen/Ola Floene Volkswagen Polo R WRC 1hr 35min 46.6sec
    5.   Mads Østberg/Jonas Andersson Citroën DS3 WRC 1hr 35min 47.8sec
    6.   Mikko Hirvonen/Jarmo Lehtinen Ford Fiesta RS WRC 1hr 35min 49.7sec
    7.   Hayden Paddon/John Kennard Hyundai i20 WRC 1hr 36min 54.0sec
    8.   Elfyn Evans/Daniel Barritt Ford Fiesta RS WRC 1hr 37min 21.8sec
    9.   Juho Hänninen/Tomi Tuominen Hyundai i20 WRC 1hr 37min 33.5sec
    10. Craig Breen/Scott Martin Ford Fiesta RS WRC 1hr 40min 01.5sec