INDIA in F1

Author: David Bodapati

  • Aravind KP bags top honours; TVS Racing dominates

    Coimbatore, 22 May 2011: Picking up from where they left off after the first round of the MRF National Supercross Championship in Bangalore, Team TVS Racing, dominated at the Coimbatore racetrack, finishing with podium positions in every race participated. Leading from the front were their riders Aravind K P and Pradeep H K. Both riders pulled off stunning manoeuvres while displaying superior supercross riding skills. Egged on by an enthused crowd, Team TVS Racing’s Aravind K P was adjudged the winner of the Class I Foreign Open – Group A 250 cc winning both motos by a comfortable lead, while bagging the “Best Rider of the Day” award.

    A thrilling first race, Moto One of Class 1, Foreign Open, Group A 250cc – 500 cc, saw Team TVS Racing rider Aravind K P take the lead from the first corner itself. Aravind exhibited unsurpassed riding talent to consistently widen the gap between himself and his rivals and win the first race. A keen contest between privateer Veer Patel, privateer C D Jinan and Team TVS Racing’s Pradeep H K ensued for the next few laps until Pradeep H K in a blinder of a move edged past rival Veer Patel to take second position. Veer Patel came in third.

    However, it was the Second Moto of the Class 1, Foreign Open, Group A 250cc – 500 cc that was the most eventful and stimulating race of the day. Race leader Aravind K P of Team TVS Racing once again took the lead from the first corner itself, with H K Pradeep and Veer Patel close at his heels. Veer Patel managed to get the better of H K Pradeep after his motorcycle collided with the rear wheel of H K Pradeep’s bike causing both riders to fall and giving room for privateer C D Jinan from Kerala to move up to second position. In the next lap itself, an adept move from Veer Patel ensured him the second position. The fifth lap did not prove good for C D Jinan either with TVS Racing’s H K Pradeep overtaking him to take third place.

    It was an all Team TVS Racing affair in Class 3, Indian Experts, Group C upto 260 cc as well, with H K Pradeep taking the winning position with 37 points, followed by Aravind K P with 35 points and Pramod Joshua with 32 points. Despite a slow start in the first moto, Aravind K P and Pradeep H K fought a keen contest, with fellow team mate Pramod Joshua and Naresh to secure the first and second place. The second moto had different story to tell though, with H K Pradeep and Pramod Joshua taking the lead. It was sheer grit and experience that saw Aravind K P to the podium in the last lap of the race.

    In the Class 5, Indian Experts, Group C upto 260cc, team TVS Racing won four of the top five places. The only perceivable competition came from that of privateer C D Jinan who secured the second position. Pramod Joshua of Team TVS Racing won the race with Mohammed Azghar taking third place. Privateer Girshin from Thrissur, Team Kerala’s exhibited impressive riding talent in Class 2, Novice, Group C as well as the Class 6 Private Experts, Group C, winning both races handsomely.

    Riders from Coimbatore impressed the crowed and officials alike in a closely run race in Class 4, Locals, Group B with 16 of them jostling for space around corners to overtake one another. Prakash R took top honours winning the race, on his Apacher RTR 160 followed by Anand A and Ramesh Kumar P.

    Team TVS Racing’s Aravind K P now leads the championship with 77 points followed by team mate H K Pradeep with 69 points and privateer Veer Patel with 62 points. The next leg of the championship is scheduled to take place in Chennai in September this year.

  • TVS Racing sweeps MRF National Supercross 1st leg

    Bangalore 15 May 2011: Team TVS Racing put up a spirited fight at the first leg of the MRF National Supercross Championship despite suffering a setback even before the first round of the competition. The initial leg, held at Bangalore today, did not see participation of Team TVS Racing’s flamboyant lead rider C S Santosh who had crashed on his Apache RTR 250 fx motorcycle during the practice rounds. A sombre TVS Team however took up the challenge and finished the day in style by taking podium positions in every race in which they participated. H K Pradeep who was adjudged the best rider of the day after winning the Class I Foreign Open – Group A 250 cc – 500 cc race.

    It was excitement from the word go. The first race of the day, Foreign Open Group A 250cc – 500 cc saw privateer C D Jinan from Kerala taking the lead initially in the first lap. But his glory was short lived as he fell while negotiating a sharp curve towards the middle of the first lap giving competitor privateer Veer Patel from Vadodara the chance to snatch the lead, followed closely by HK Pradeep in second place and Aravind K P in third place, both from Team TVS Racing. But as fate would have it, Veer Patel’s motorcycle stalled in lap 5 giving H K Pradeep and Aravind K P the opening to move into first and second place. Aravind K P then engaged in a closely fought endeavour to take the lead and win the race. Veer Patel came in third.

    In second moto however, Aravind overcame a slow start to finish ahead of privateer Veer Patel, but was not able to get the better of team mate H K Pradeep who finished first. Both Veer Patel and Aravind K P overtook C D Jinan in the first turn itself and continued until the end of the race finishing in second and third positions respectively. In all 11 riders participated in each of the motos.

    Team TVS Racing excelled in the Class III Indian Experts Group C up to 260 cc race as well, winning not only one, two and three but also four five and six. The only perceivable competition came from that of privateer CD Jinan, who was placed third at the end of the second lap. But in his enthusiasm to push his machine to the limits, he fell in lap 3 giving TVS riders just the room they were looking for. Both motors of Class III Indian Experst Group B upto 260 cc was again dominated by Team TVS Racing riders with teammates Aravind KP and Pradeep HK finishing first and second and fellow team mate Pramod Joshua finishing a distant third. The Class II Novice Group C upto 260cc was won by privateer Anil Kumar from Bangalore, while Basheer Ahmed of Team TVS Racing and Privateer Syed Dastagiri of Shimoga stood second and third respectively.

    The locals impressed in a closely run race with almost nine to ten riders jostling for space around corners to overtake one another. Madhu S took top honours winning the race, followed by Shabaz Khan.

    The next leg of the championship will take place in Comibatore next Sunday, 22nd May 2011

    Class 1: Foreign Open Group A 250 CC – 500 CC Moto – I (11, Riders, 10 Laps)
    1. Aravind KP, TVS Racing; 2. HK Pradeep, TVS Racing; 3. Veer Patel, Vadodara.
    Class 1: Foreign Open Group A 250 CC – 500 CC Moto – I (11, Riders, 10 Laps)
    1. HK Pradeep, TVS Racing; 2. Aravind KP, TVS Racing; 3. Veer Patel, Vadodara.
    Class 1: Foreign Open Group A 250 CC – 500 CC – Combined Results
    1. HK Pradeep, TVS Racing; 2. Aravind KP, TVS Racing; 3. Veer Patel, Vadodara.
    Class 3: Indian Experts Group B Up To 260CC (11 Riders, 6 Laps) Moto – I
    1. Arvind KP, TVS Racing; 2. HK Pradeep, TVS Racing; 3. Pramod Joshua, TVS Racing.
    Class 3: Indian Experts Group B Up To 260CC (11 Riders, 6 Laps) Moto – II
    1. Aravind KP, TVS Racing; 2. HK Pradeep, TVS Racing; 3. Pramod Joshua, TVS Racing.
    Class 3: Indian Experts Group B, Up To 260CC – Combined Results
    1. Arvind KP, TVS Racing; 2. HK Pradeep, TVS Racing; 3. Pramod Joshua, TVS Racing.
    Class 2: Novice Group C, Up To 260CC (33 Riders, 5 Laps)
    1. Anil Kumar, Bangalore; 2. Basheer Ahmed, TVS Racing; 3. Syed Dastagiri, Shimoga.
    Class 4: Locals Group B Up To 260CC (25 Riders, 5 Laps)
    1. Madhu S, Bangalore; 2. Vinod L, Bangalore; 3. Shabaz Khan, Bangalore.
    Class 5: Indian Experts Group C Up To 260CC (14 Riders, 6 Laps)
    1. Pramod Joshua, TVS Racing; 2. Nataraj, TVS Racing; 3. Mohammed Azghar, TVS Racing.
    Class 6: Private Experts, Group C, Up To 260CC (26 Riders, 5 Laps)
    1. Madhu S, Bangalore; 2. Vinod L, Bangalore; 3. Adnan Ahmed, Mangalore.
    Class 7: Private Foreign Open, Group A, Up To 250CC / 500CC (14 Riders, 8 Laps)
    1. CD Jinan, Kerala; 2. Zain Khan, Mumbai; 3. Allan Sequiera, Goa.

  • HK Pradeep bags top honours in MRF Supercross Round 1

    Bangalore 15 May 2011: Team TVS Racing put up a spirited fight at the first leg of the MRF National Supercross Championship despite suffering a setback even before the first round of the competition. The initial leg, held at Bangalore today, did not see participation of Team TVS Racing’s flamboyant lead rider C S Santosh who had crashed on his Apache RTR 250 fx motorcycle during the practice rounds. A sombre TVS Team however took up the challenge and finished the day in style by taking podium positions in every race in which they participated. H K Pradeep who was adjudged the best rider of the day after winning the Class I Foreign Open – Group A 250 cc – 500 cc race.

    It was excitement from the word go. The first race of the day, Foreign Open Group A 250cc – 500 cc saw privateer C D Jinan from Kerala taking the lead initially in the first lap. But his glory was short lived as he fell while negotiating a sharp curve towards the middle of the first lap giving competitor privateer Veer Patel from Vadodara the chance to snatch the lead, followed closely by HK Pradeep in second place and Aravind K P in third place, both from Team TVS Racing. But as fate would have it, Veer Patel’s motorcycle stalled in lap 5 giving H K Pradeep and Aravind K P the opening to move into first and second place. Aravind K P then engaged in a closely fought endeavour to take the lead and win the race. Veer Patel came in third.

    In second moto however, Aravind overcame a slow start to finish ahead of privateer Veer Patel, but was not able to get the better of team mate H K Pradeep who finished first. Both Veer Patel and Aravind K P overtook C D Jinan in the first turn itself and continued until the end of the race finishing in second and third positions respectively. In all 11 riders participated in each of the motos.

    Team TVS Racing excelled in the Class III Indian Experts Group C up to 260 cc race as well, winning not only one, two and three but also four five and six. The only perceivable competition came from that of privateer CD Jinan, who was placed third at the end of the second lap. But in his enthusiasm to push his machine to the limits, he fell in lap 3 giving TVS riders just the room they were looking for. Both motors of Class III Indian Experst Group B upto 260 cc was again dominated by Team TVS Racing riders with teammates Aravind KP and Pradeep HK finishing first and second and fellow team mate Pramod Joshua finishing a distant third. The Class II Novice Group C upto 260cc was won by privateer Anil Kumar from Bangalore, while Basheer Ahmed of Team TVS Racing and Privateer Syed Dastagiri of Shimoga stood second and third respectively.

    The locals impressed in a closely run race with almost nine to ten riders jostling for space around corners to overtake one another. Madhu S took top honours winning the race, followed by Shabaz Khan.

    The next leg of the championship will take place in Comibatore next Sunday, 22nd May 2011

    Class 1: Foreign Open Group A 250 CC – 500 CC Moto – I (11, Riders, 10 Laps)
    PositionRiderTeamIAravind KPTVS RacingIIH K PradeepTVS RacingIIIVeer PatelVadodara
    Class 1: Foreign Open Group A 250 CC – 500 CC Moto – I (11, Riders, 10 Laps)
    PositionRiderTeamIH K PradeepTVS RacingIIAravind K PTVS RacingIIIVeer PatelVadodara
    Class 1: Foreign Open Group A 250 CC – 500 CC – Combined Results
    PositionRiderTeamIH K PradeepTVS RacingIIAravind K PTVS RacingIIIVeer PatelVadodara
    Class 3: Indian Experts Group B Up To 260CC (11 Riders, 6 Laps) Moto – I
    PositionRiderTeamIArvind K PTVS RacingIIH K PradeepTVS RacingIIIPramod JoshuaTVS Racing
    Class 3: Indian Experts Group B Up To 260CC (11 Riders, 6 Laps) Moto – II
    PositionRiderTeamIAravind K PTVS RacingIIH K PradeepTVS RacingIIIPramod JoshuaTVS Racing
    Class 3: Indian Experts Group B, Up To 260CC – Combined Results
    PositionRiderTeamIArvind K PTVS RacingIIH K PradeepTVS RacingIIIPramod JoshuaTVS Racing
    Class 2: Novice Group C, Up To 260CC (33 Riders, 5 Laps)
    PositionRiderTeamIAnil KumarBangaloreIIBasheer AhmedTVS RacingIIISyed DastagiriShimoga
    Class 4: Locals Group B Up To 260CC (25 Riders, 5 Laps)
    PositionRiderTeamIMadhu SBangaloreIIVinod LBangaloreIIIShabaz KhanBangalore
    Class 5: Indian Experts Group C Up To 260CC (14 Riders, 6 Laps)
    PositionRiderTeamIPramod JoshuaTVS RacingIINatarajTVS RacingIIIMohammed AzgharTVS Racing
    Class 6: Private Experts, Group C, Up To 260CC (26 Riders, 5 Laps)
    PositionRiderTeamIMadhu SBangaloreIIVinod LBangaloreIIIAdnan AhmedMangalore
    Class 7: Private Foreign Open, Group A, Up To 250CC / 500CC (14 Riders, 8 Laps)
    PositionRiderTeamICD JinanKeralaIIZain KhanMumbaiIIIAllan SequieraGoa

  • Force India in points again at Sepang

    From Special Correspondent (F1)

    Kuala Lumpur, 10 April 2011: In hot and humid conditions, the expected rains failed to arrive and Red Bull Racing continued its dominance with Sebastian Vettel winning his second race of the season and fourth consecutive F1 race as he logged in 25 more points to comfortable win the Petronas F1 Malaysia Grand Prix at Sepang, 80 kms, from here on Sunday. McLaren Mercedes driver Jenson Button was second and Nick Heidfeld of Lotus F1 Renault was a surprise third.

    Thanks to Russian Petrov’s spectacular off-the-track excursion and sad retirement, Force India’s Paul di Resta, who drove a consistent race was in 9th place but the experienced Michael Schumacher overtook Paul in the last lap to bag two points. Paul got one point again for his 10th place  It was tough race for everyone with tactics and strategies ruled the roost and Force India Formula One Team came home in 10th and 11th positions for a second successive finish for both the drivers who finished 9 and 10th at the season opener in Melbaourne. The team is now joint 5th in the Constructors’ Championship with four points on the table, and Paul di Resta joins Adrian Sutil on two Championship points.

    Both drivers made a clean race start, however Adrian had to return to the pits for a new nose on lap 3 after a coming together with Rubens Barrichello. Paul was the first to make a tyre stop and it was a different strategy of tyre options for the drivers. Paul had a very good race battling with Rosberg and the mid-fielders in the first stint and Schumacher in the second. He made up four places to bring home another point for the team on Sunday. Adrian quickly made up lost ground due to the early nose change and was charging through the field for most of the race. He ran consistently in 12th position until a retirement by Petrov led to Adrian crossing the line in a well deserved 11th place.

    “I am quite happy I must say. The team did a good job with the strategy. I just could not hold off Michael at the end, he had fresher tyres and we had to stop a bit earlier for my third stop than predicted. But I also did not want to risk the championship point as well,’’ said Paul di Resta.

    “The first few laps were not brilliant as I lost my front wing touching Barrichello’s rear tyre. Then we had a two-stop strategy, Changing from soft tyres to hard and another set of soft again and I made them last well, which is positive. We could have been in for a much better finishing position, which is a shame. Overall the team did a great job with the pitstops so I’d like to thank them for that,’’ said Adrian Sutil.

    Team Principal Vijay Mallya was all praise the team: `The boys did a great job with the pitstops in very difficult weather conditions and the team’s strategies worked very well. Paul did an excellent job coming home in the points once again, while I believe that Adrian would also have finished in the top ten had it not been for the early nose change which altered his two-stop strategy.’’

    Talking about the Indian Grand Prix he was excited and said it was a big event. “Millions of youth were dreaming of an Indian team in the Formula One and it was my first dream a few back. Now India getting to host a GP is second big dream come true. We have lined up some updates for our aerodynamics and constantly making changes to improve the cars. The aim is to do better than last year and the whole team is working hard and confident,’’ he conduded.

    Elsewhere, Raghupathy Singhania, the JK Tyre stalwart gave away the prizes for the inaugural JK Racing Asia Series, a support race before the F1 event and for the first time JK banner was the back-drop at the Prize Distribution ceremony of an F1 event.

    eom/David

  • FMSCI elects Vicky Chandhok as President

    Chennai, 21 Dec 2010: At the 37th AGM of the FMSCI chaired by Dr. Vijay Mallya yesterday in Chennai, Mr. Vicky Chandhok, past President of the FMSCI from 2003 – 05, was elected President once again by the council in attendance, with Mr. Shrikant Karani being elected as Vice President. 2011 looks to be one of the most promising years in Indian Motorsport history with the inaugural Indian GP taking place in Noida in October.


    Vicky Chandhok will take over as President from Mr. KD Madan. Chandhok is no stranger to Indian motorsport and has been instrumental in bringing the first Formula One Grand Prix to India. Shrikant Karani, who has been involved in motorsport for over three decades, is Vice President of the FIM Asia has played a key role in promoting 2-wheeler racing in the country.


    On his appointment as President for a second time, Mr. Chandhok commented, “Firstly I must thank the outgoing President KD Madan for his crucial role promoting the sport in the country. He has been an inspiration to the association and been instrumental in setting up management systems for FMSCI clubs and in particular, the Doctrine of Internal Management to add credibility to the Clubs in India. While it is indeed heartening to have the support of my peers at the FMSCI, there is a lot of work to be done to improve the infrastructure of the sport in the country. I have always been pushing for the sport to grow at the grass root level before all else. We’ve had our team doing just that with Rallying, Motocross and Go-Karting respectively and we will look to carry this into all segments from the next year on. We will have a renewed focus on rallying in India and will work hard to ensure it is up to international standards. We are keen to push all forms of racing in India and I will work closely with my new team to ensure we achieve this. It is promising also, to see our two officials, Anand Sashidharan and Roop Kumar, on the official list of the FIM Commission”.

    While this year itself has been a tremendous boost to motorsport, 2011 will see the sport grow even further with a total of 9 National Championships, the latest additions being the National Motocross Championship to be run by the Goa Motorsports Academy and the National Drag Racing Championship promoted by Spitfire Motorsport in Coimbatore; the largest number of events Indian motorsport will have witnessed. The Indian National Rallying Championship, with the help of promoter IMG Sports, will aim to get its vigour back with rallies around the country. In addition special events like RAIDS and other endurance events will also be an area of focus for the FMSCI.

    “With the first Indian Grand Prix also in the mix, it promises to be India’s biggest year thus far in motorsport and I look forward to carrying my vision on karting, racing, rallying and grass root level motorsport and meeting global standards in India. Having already conducted our first marshals training program, the FMSCI will look to bring in experienced stewards from Europe to oversee events bring further developments on the safety and administrative fronts as well. With motorsport still in a relatively nascent stage in comparison to our European counterparts, it’s important to identify our shortcomings, accept them and only then can we look forward and build a stronger base for the rising stars from the Indian motorsport fraternity.” , Chandhok signed off.

    The President addressed the need to have active interactions with auto manufacturers, both 2 and 4 wheelers to encourage them to use the platform of motorsport, to meet as many of the event organisers, not just of championship event but also to help conduct the sport at the grass root level.

    FMSCI Chairman Dr Vijay Mallya, who chaired the AGM said “The Auto Industry in India is on the move as is our country and we are seeing a complete transformation largely driven by young Indians. Indian Motorsport should not be left behind and we should do whatever it takes our sport forward in the fast lane. With the F1 GP coming to India for the first time as well as the FIA General Assembly and the FIA Annual Awards ceremony to be held in New Delhi next December , it is an ideal opportunity for us to tap and showcase motorsports to attract more Corporates and sponsors.”

    The following clubs were elected to the council for the forthcoming year:

    • MMSC (Madras Motor Sports Club)
    • CASC (Coimbatore Auto Sports Club)
    • KMSC (Karnataka Motor Sports Club)
    • Sportscraft , Mumbai
    • Sportstrek, Pune
    • BMSC (Bengal Motor Sports Club)
    • HMSA (Himalayan Motor Sports Association)
    • Spitfire Motorsports Pvt Ltd, Coimbatore

  • Indian Motorsports Marshals Club formed to train Marshals for Indian GP

    Chennai, 21 Dec 2010: The Indian Motorsport Marshals Club (IMMC) has been formed as a national-level organization to provide race officials and marshals to manage the first-ever Indian F1 GP at the Jaypee Circuit, Noida, Delhi on 30th October 2011. Under the auspices of the Federation of Motorsport Sports Club of India (FMSCI) and the international FIA Institute of Motor Safety, the IMMC have just completed the first-level training programme to ensure the F1 Grand Prix (GP) in 2011 is a real sporting success.

    Marshalls willing to sign up can do so with the SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle), www.immc.in that has been created for this, to volunteer to work at the first-ever F1 GP in India. These marshals will then go through a selection and training programme to ensure the best quality marshals. The MSA will provide support throughout 2011 up to an including the GP itself.

    Founding members of the Marshals Club. Adrenna photo

    This training is part of a thorough on-going programme of support and development provided by the Royal Automobile Club Motor Sports Association of the UK (MSA). Two trainers, Sue Sanders and Ian Watson have spent the last 4 days this week, working with senior motorsports officials of this country who will on to undertake training of new and existing marshals across the country.

    Sanders said “The people we have worked with have been so enthusiastic; it’s been a real pleasure to work with them. They seem to be very passionate about motorsports and we are looking forward to helping out in any way possible”.

    Ian Watson commented “There are certain individuals within the group who are very experienced and they’ve proven throughout the week their intention and determination to deliver very high quality training for all marshals.”

    The MSA Training Team will be back to provide further support in the build up to the event and some of the senior officials might also visit at least one other F1 GP for intensive hands-on tracks-side training at all levels including the conclusion of the Train-The-Trainers Course. As a result of the formation of the IMMC, the FMSCI will soon have a large pool of licensed marshals to officiate at all the FMSCI events around the country on a need be basis, thereby adding further improvements to the administration of the sport.

  • Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif win Misty Meadows Rally

    Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif win Misty Meadows Rally

    By David Bodapati

    Kuttikkanam, 19 Dec 2010: Reigning National champion and speed demon Gaurav Gill of Team MRF overcame the jinx of `Triple S’ on his favourite tarmac surface to comfortably win the Misty Meadows Rally of Kerala, but Naren Kumar of Red Rooster Racing despite finishing third kept his lead in the Speed Indian National Racing Championship standings as the Fifth round came to a close at the winding ghat roads of the mountains of Sahyadri near here on Sunday.

    Naren Kumar with co-driver Ram Kumar, the six-time National winners, made sure that they are perched at the top though they lost the rally to Gaurav Gill (co-driver Mussa Sherif). Red Rooster Racing also saw that they bagged second, third and fourth places while MRF had to be content with the top slot. Gill made sure that he controlled his speed and finished the Super Special Special (SSS) which was his nemesis in two of the earlier rounds.

    Gaurav Gill, left, and co-driver Musa Sherif with the trophies after winning the Misty Meadows rally on Sunday. An INDIAinF1 image
    Gaurav Gill, left, and co-driver Musa Sherif with the trophies after winning the Misty Meadows rally on Sunday. An INDIAinF1 image

    However, the heros of the day were Amittrajit Ghosh of Kolkota and his Red Rooster teammate Vikram Mathias, the only drivers to go under two minutes in the spectator friendly Super Special Stage. Ghosh along with co-driver (Ashwin Naik) was faster by one-hundredth of a second than Vikram (PV Srinivasa Murthy) but for a change the MRF speedster, Gill, managed to win the rally without any last minute hiccups in the Super Special.

    With this win Gaurav Gill (Musa Sherif) earned 15 points to add to Nashik’s 16 and jumped to third place in the standings with 31 points, while Naren Kumar (Ram) added 8 points to his 30 to keep the lead in the points table with 38 points. Vikram Mathias (PVS Murthy) kept their second position overall with 33 points as he added 5 points (4th place) here. Amittraji Ghosh (Ashwin Naik) and Arjun Rao Aroor (Srikanth Gowda) with 29 and 26 points stay at a striking distance behind the leaders.

    The `Triple S’ held at Hill View (Special Stage 1 near Vegamon) provided a fitting finale to the enchanting Misty Meadows Rally of Kerala with a few hundreds of spectators thronging to the Super Special stage for some seat-edged thrill and excitement. Three of the spectators got a `ride of their life’ when the champion driers give them a joy ride after the Rally.

    In the 2000N category, Ovion Racing’s Chikmagalur-Bangalore pair of Girijashankar Joshy and Chndramouli M showed controlled aggression in the Super Special Stage to climb to the top of the National Standings ahead of staunch rivals Sujay Suresh and co-driver Bharath SM, who took the second position. Sirish Chandran (Nikhil Pai) of team Overdrive was third.

    In the 1600cc class, Bangalore pair of Rahul Kantharaj and co-driver Vivek Y Bhat won the Rally ahead of Shailendra Hegde / Shiraj Ahmed and Ranjit Gopinath and Suresh Babu finished third. Thus, Rahul and Vivek took a narrow lead in the Championship with 45 points while Shilendra and Shiraj could garner only 44 points for second in the table.

    In the 1400 cc class, with local stars Dr Bikku Babu (Vinod Gowda) and Bonnie Thomas (Jeevarathinam) out of the rally, Byram Godraj (Anjay Kapadia) edged out Bangalore brothers Balram CG and Raghuram CG to take the top honours. Anirudha Ranganathan and Halley Prabhakar finished third.

    However, the other local favourite Elias Thomas Paarel (Thomas Phillip) will be on the podium as he is placed third behind the formidable Army teams in the Gypsy class. Amrinder Brar (co-driver Nilesh) sealed the issue with a comfortable win and virtually won the championship in the Gypsy class taking an unbeatable lead with only one round to go. Shakti Bajaj and Dharmesh were second.

    Venkatapathy MR with co-driver Santosh Kumar won the the Rally Star Cup over championship leaders Phalguna Urs and Anoop Kumar who finished second here. Harikesav N and Somayya are third.

    The Rally of Kerala, is organized by Pas-Sear Adventures under the aegis of FMSCI with Bharat Petroleum as the principal sponsors and is promoted by IMG Sports and Pro-Sports Promotion (PSP).

    Provisional Unaudited Results – Final:

    Overall: 1. Gaurav Gill / Musa Sherif (Team MRF) 1 hour 14 minutes 37.8 secs; 2. Amittrajit Ghosh /Ashwin Naik (Red Rooster Racing) 1: 15: 03.0 secs; 3. Naren Kumar/ Ram Kumar D (Red Rooster Racing) 1: 15: 52.8 secs.

    2000 N+ class: 1. Gaurav Gill / Musa Sherif (Team MRF) 1 hour 14 minutes 37.8 secs; 2. Amittrajit Ghosh /Ashwin Naik (Red Rooster Racing) 1: 15: 03.0 secs; 3. Naren Kumar/ Ram Kumar D (Red Rooster Racing) 1: 15: 52.8 secs.

    2000N class: 1. Girijashankar Joshy/ Chandramouli M (Team Ovion) 1:21: 47.7; 2. Sujay Suresh/ Bharath SM 1: 21: 51.1; 3. Sirish Chandran/ Nikhil Pai (Team Overdrive) 1: 27: 01.7;

    1600 cc class: 1. Rahul Kantharaj/ Vivek Y Bhat (Privateer) 1: 26: 56.1; 2. Shailendra Hegde /Shiraj Ahmed 1: 30: 24.0; 3. Ranjit Gopinath/ Suresh Babu 1: 30: 46.1;

    1400 cc class: 1. Byram Godrej/ Anjay Kapadia 1: 28: 42.6; 2. Balram CG/ Raghuram CG 1: 29:16.1; 3. Aniruddha Ranganathan/ Halley Prabhakar 1: 34: 32.0;

    Rally Star Cup: 1. Venkatapathy MR/ Santosh Kumar S 1: 29: 03.7; 2. Phalguna V Urs/ Anoop Kumar 1: 29: 39.0; 3. Harikeshav N/ Somayya AG 1: 31: 26.7;

    Gypsy class: 1. Amrinder Brar/ Nilesh (Army Adventure Wing) 1: 30: 29.7; 2. Shakti Bajaj/ Dharmesh Sinha (AAW) 1: 33: 26.4; 3. Elias Thomas Paarel/ Thomas Phillip 1: 36: 15.9;

    ends/ Note: Updated from the archives of old website

  • India to host 2011 FIA Annual Gala Awards ceremony

    New Delhi, 15 Dec 2010: India will become the first Asian country to host the Annual the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) Gala Awards after the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) announced today that it will be held in New Delhi in 2011. The FIA recently approved the presentation put forward on behalf of the FMSCI by its Chairman, Dr. Vijay Mallya at the World Council meeting in Monte Carlo and will as a result host the Gala on the 9th and 10th of December 2011.

    The annual Prize Giving Gala honours World Champions from the Formula One Championship, World Rally Championship, Karting Championships, and World Touring Cars among others and is a spectacle by its own accord. The crowning of 2010 Champions took place in Monte Carlo on the 10th of December  with FIA President Jean Todt presenting Sebastian Vettel, the youngest ever Formula One World Champion, with his Formula 1 Driver’s Trophy. 

    Notably thrilled that India will host the FIA’s mega event of the year, KD Madan, President of the FMSCI stated, “This is a defining moment for Indian motorsport. First the Indian GP and now the awards taking place in India – It is a clear indication that India is now well and truly on the world map even in the motorsport world! We could not have imagined this couple of years ago but the FMSCI has been working really hard to make motorsports one of the top sports in the country. To be the first country in Asia to host the FIA Annual awards speaks volumes of how Indian motorsport is seen by global audiences. Next year is going to be a proud year for Indian motorsports and we will need all the support we can get from the rest of the nation to make it a success.”

    The added surprise however came through the announcement that the FMSCI and Delhi would also play host to the year ending FIA World Council Meeting and the FIA Annual General Meeting, held during the same period as the Gala. The FIA’s AGM would see over 900 delegates from almost 200 countries in attendance at Delhi next year to review the season’s Motorsport and to secure future plans and set them in place.  The FMSCI is indeed gearing up for an adrenaline packed 2011 season with Indian motorsport presently on an all time high.

    Mr. Madan added, “FMSCI Chairman Vijay Mallya has worked very hard to get these events to India and typical of his hospitality in going all the way to host the esteemed guests himself and plan for the delegates to visit the historical sites of Delhi & of course the Taj Mahal in Agra.”

  • CS Santosh claims Supercross National title

    Team TVS Racing finishes 1st and 2nd overall in MRF National Supercross Championship

    Pune, 13 Dec 2010: In a fitting finish to the MRF Supercross National Championship, team TVS Racing, which is celebrating its 25th year of racing asserted its supremacy on the race track sweeping the first and second championship positions.

    The final race of the championship which was held in Pune saw Team TVS Racing’s star rider C S Santosh, not only finish the race with finesse but also steal the thunder by being crowned best rider of the day.

    Santosh finished the championship round with a total of 219 points, a difference of 45 points from his nearest rival and team mate, Aravind K P who ended the race with 169 points. The hierarchy of winners of the MRF Supercross Championship therefore stands as C S Santosh as the overall champion, followed by Aravind K P in second place and C D Jinan, in third place with 168 championship points.

    Though it was a matter of winning ten points in the Pune leg to sweep the championship, it was no easy task for C S Santosh, as both track and competition were equally fierce. Fellow team mate Aravind K P rode hard to hold on to the lead until the third lap in the first moto when he lost his balance allowing C S Santosh to capitalize and whiz past him to take final honours. Santosh finished off in signature style winning both motos to bag the championship.

    “Speed, performance and endurance is what it took Team TVS Racing to cross the finish line in the winning position on the race track. This is a special win for us as it coincides with our celebration of 25th year of racing. I give full credit to all our riders for their stunning performances this year. We are proud to have spotted and nurtured the talent in C S Santosh, who rides for us not only in India but abroad as well. Aravind K P has also proved to be an able competitor.” said Arvind Pangaonkar, Adivsor Racing, TVS Motor Company.

    Winning rider C S Santosh said that he was overwhelmed with his performance in Pune and it was a special feeling to win the championship in the silver jubilee year of TVS Racing. “Key skills that I picked up while training in the US and while riding abroad has helped me immensely” he said.