INDIA in F1

Author: David Bodapati

  • Pajari, youngest Junior WRC champ in 20-year history

    Pajari, youngest Junior WRC champ in 20-year history

    Sami Pajari is the youngest ever champion in Junior WRC’s 20-year history at the age of 19 years old and the first-ever Finnish driver to win the championship.
     
    Pajari and co-driver Marko Salminen won the Junior WRC Championship by winning Rally Spain, the final and double points paying round of the championship. The rally saw the Finnish crew go head-to-head with their championship rivals and excelling where their competitors faltered. 
     
    It marks the Finn’s second career victory in Junior WRC, with his first coming on Rally Estonia this year, which also saw him secure the championship lead. Pajari’s rally started on the backfoot and it appeared that he would need to mount a serious challenge on Jon Armstrong who was the favourite heading to the Spanish Tarmac. 
     
    By the end of Friday Pajari began to charge and was able to stay trouble-free through Saturday to emerge with a clear lead. The Finn was able to maintain his lead with some impressive drives, fending off the competition on Sunday to take home the biggest prize package in rallying: A brand new M-Sport Fiesta Rally2, 200 Pirelli tyres, free registration for WRC2 2022 and five free entries for 2022. 
     
    Jon Armstrong was Pajari’s closest championship challenger in Spain and the initial favourite, he appeared on course to live up to expectations, following his performance on Friday. His rally unravelled on Saturday after going off the road and losing over five minutes to Pajari. The Northern Irishman regrouped and delivered a series of blisteringly quick times to earn valuable Wolf Stage Win Points but his day would draw to a sudden stop as he hit a drain on stage 11. The retirement put his championship hopes in tatters and meant the pressure was off Pajari to maintain his lead. Armstrong would restart on Sunday in fourth, taking two stage wins before finishing and taking the Wolf Stage Win Points award for the most  stage wins of the season.
     
    Martins Sesks was in contention for the title heading to Spain but it soon became apparent that the Latvian was struggling for pace on Friday. Saturday saw Sesks pushing hard but his day came to a premature end when a puncture saw him go off the road, damaging his wheel in the process and retiring for the day. Sesks restarted the rally on Sunday to finish sixth and claim third in the 2021 FIA Junior WRC Championship. 
     
    Lauri Joona claimed his second Junior WRC podium of the season on Spain and for a few stages looked like he was in contention for the rally win too, trailing Pajari by just two seconds after stage 11. In his first full Junior WRC season, Joona claimed fourth in the championship.
     
    Robert Virves delivered some competitive times during Rally Spain and finished third, a puncture saw him fall away from the leading pack where he was once closing on Pajari’s lead. Virves’ third place meant he claimed fifth overall in the championship with some impressive stage times on Rally Spain, taking a total of five Wolf Stage Win Points. 
     
    William Creighton appeared to be a potential contender for victory on Rally Spain but an accident on stage one soon put those plans to bed. Creighton took a stage win on Saturday to prove he has the pace on the way to securing sixth in his rookie Junior WRC season. 
     
    Maciej Woda, FIA Junior WRC Championship Manger, said: “What a fantastic result and achievement for Sami and Marko! The first Finns to win the Junior WRC Championship and Sami becoming the youngest ever Junior WRC champion, I think we will be seeing his name a lot more in years to come. His performance this weekend has been incredible and he is a truly deserving champion, I really cannot wait to see what he can do in the future. Jon Armstrong and Phil fought admirably throughout this rally, once it became clear Jon was on the back foot we really saw what speed he his capable of and that is underlined by the fact he won the Wolf Stage Win Points Award. I want to highlight just how competitive Junior WRC has been this year, every driver entered took Wolf Stage Win Points at some point this year which is truly remarkable. We have had an incredibly talented field and I see futures for everybody entered here in Spain. Lastly, I want to thank the M-Sport Poland team, WRC Promoter, Pirelli, Wolf and FIA for all of their hard work and effort to deliver such a special and exciting championship. The story from this year will not be forgotten for a long time.”
     
    Sami Pajari, 2021 FIA Junior WRC Champion, said: “This is a really big achievement, I don’t know what to say. I feel so thankful for so many people who made this possible. I think it’s not only me who deserves it, it’s many people also. Wow, just wow. There were so many ups and downs just in one rally so it was not so easy to really see this coming, I was the lucky one this time. You can dream, dream about lots of things, but to this really happening is something that doesn’t even feel real at the moment.”

  • JK Tyre presents Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup 2021: 18 make the grid

    JK Tyre presents Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup 2021: 18 make the grid

    The first round of the 24th JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship is scheduled from October 22 to 24 at the Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore.

    Coimbatore, 18 October 2021: JK Tyre, India”s leading tyre manufacturer, partnered with Royal Enfield for the first edition of Continental GT Cup, a Manufacturer’s Single Make Cup to be organised by Performance Cars Racing Trust, New Delhi at Kari Motor Speedway, which will be part of the JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship (JKNRC) 2021. The fourth and last round of the event will be held at Buddh International Circuit (BIC), near New Delhi.

    Of the 120 riders who take part in the trials, 18 riders were selected for the main event while five riders were kept as stand-byes. The drivers briefing, selection trails were conducted on Monday while training to the selected group was imparted on Tuesday. Two media riders from the trials on Thursday will join the 18 to form a 20-bike grid for the first round.

    Riders’ briefing before action began on Monday for the selection trials. From an overwhelming response of over 300 bikes, 120 took part in the trials and 23 made the final cut. two media riders will join the 18 to make a 20-bike grid. Photos: Dhinesh Kannan.

    The first round of the 24th JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship is scheduled to be held here on Saturday and Sunday.

    JKNRC continues to run the flagship racing championship for the 24th year and companies like Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai Motor India, General Motors and Suzuki Motorcycles have participated over the years. As Royal Enfield joins the bandwagon, the maiden round of Continental GT Cup attracted over 300 entries and selection trials were held on Monday. The track-spec Continental GT-R650 has minimalistic, yet purpose-built performance modifications which offer an un-intimidating, agile and spirited performance on track, the release said.

    According to Srinivasu Allaphan, Director, Sales & Marketing, JK Tyre & Industries: “Being the pioneers of promoting motorsport in India, JK Tyre has been at the forefront in formalising the Indian racing programmes and nurturing young talent in the country…our partnership with Royal Enfield for Continental GT Cup adds another feather to our hat. We are confident that it will definitely give an added fillip to the ever-growing popularity of motorsport in India.”

    Action at the maiden Continental GT selection trials in Coimbatore on Monday. Photo by INDIAinF1/Dhinesh Kannan

    Speaking about Royal Enfield’s motivation to foray into motorsports, Adrian Sellers, Custom Programme Lead & Manager, Product Strategy & Industrial Design said: “Nurturing and encouraging the spirit of pure motorcycling has been the core philosophy of Royal Enfield for over a century. With a long history of rides and events that have spawned riding communities across the world, we have also actively engaged in racing, with success in top level racing events such as 1914 Isle of Man TT, the 1960 Big Bear Run, the 2020 Daytona at the American Flat Track, and the 2021 DTRA Flat Track ‘Twins Class’ Championship, among several others. In 2019, we developed two race ready Continental GT 650 motorcycles with Harris Performance, leveraging their 40 years of racing experience to make the most track worthy GTs we could, all without fundamentally changing the base motorcycles. The result exceeded our expectations, and so we are excited to continue that story and launch the Continental GT Cup in India.”

    Selection Trials Provisional Unaudited Results: Top-18 from 121 riders: 1.Navaneeth Kumar 01:22.6; 2. Karthik Mateti 1:23.01; 3. Anfal 1:23.1; 4. Anish Damodara Shetty 1:23.6; 5. Lani Zena Fernandez (01:24.9); 6. Allwin Xavier (01:25.1); 7. Dhiraj Vijay Baikar (01:25.2); 8. Syed Muzzammil Ali (01:25.3); 9. Amy (01:25.3); 10. Vijay Singh (01:25.4); 11. Jayanth Prathipati (01:25.5); 12. Bharath Balan (01:25.6); 13. Raivat (01:25.7); 14. Sam Paul Osbourne (01:25.7); 15. Rohit Lad (01:25.8); 16. Harshad Sumra (01:25.9), 17. Sudheer Sudhakar (01:126);  18. Meka Vidhuraj (01:26.0);

    Stand-byes: 19. Naresh Kaname (01:26.4); 20. Rajkumar (01: 26.6); 21. Pradeep C (01:26.6); 23. Sreenidhi S (01:26.8); 24. Lokesh V (01:26.8).

    Editor’s note on 20 October 2021: These unaudited results as per the notice board were later audited and many including the top two were disqualified and the reserves got a chance into the main draw. The top rider was disqualified as he is part of another one-make event, and the second fastest rider, for an unwritten rule, that said that riders should not crash when the track is green. Or else they would forefeit their best lap times. Strange but true indeed. David Bodapati.

    For the benefit of doubting Thomases we are publishing the photo of the result displayed at Kari Motor Speedway notice board on 18th.

    Photo of unaudited results sourced by David Bodapati, Editor and Special Correspondent (F1) on 18 October 2021 and uploaded on 20th.
  • Redding takes Race 2 victory after thrilling three-way battle

    Redding takes Race 2 victory after thrilling three-way battle

    #ARGWorldSBK

    The top three in the Championship battled it out for Race 2 honours in the final race of the Argentinean Round

    San Juan, 17 October 2021: Race 2 for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship at the Circuito San Juan Villicum as the Championship top three engaged in a hard-fought 21-lap battle during the Motul Argentinean Round as Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed his first victory since the Catalunya Round after withstanding a challenge from Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK), with Rea taking four points out of Razgatlioglu’s Championship lead.
     
    Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) got a good start from third on the grid while Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) led from pole position before the pair battled it out throughout the first three laps, with Rea taking the lead of the race briefly before being pushed down to third on the fourth lap of 21.
     
    Redding moved up to second with a pass on Rea before passing Razgatlioglu into Turn 8 on Lap 5, while Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) continued his strong form as he battled the Championship’s top three for a podium position. Rea was able to respond to move into second and looked to move back into the lead, but the Turkish start was able to resist that challenge on Lap 6. At the start of Lap 9, Redding made a move on Rea into Turn 1, with Razgatlioglu still out in front, although Redding did make a move into Turn 8 with Razgatlioglu responding instantly.
     
    On Lap 10 at Turn 7, Redding was able to overtake Razgatlioglu to move into the lead of the race, with Rea almost able to pass the Turkish star into Turn 8 but Razgatlioglu responded to keep second place. The move allowed Redding to escape away at the front of the race after the thrilling battles, with the battle between Razgatlioglu, Rea and Bassani continuing. Rea cut back under Razgatlioglu into Turn 7 to briefly move into second place on Lap 14 but Razgatlioglu regained the position under braking into Turn 8. On Lap 16, Rea made the crucial overtake to move into Turn 1 but Razgatlioglu fought back until Turn 5 with the pair side-by-side throughout the sequence. After this, Rea was able to break away to claim second place ahead of Razgatlioglu, with Redding claiming his first victory since Catalunya Race 1.

    P1 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
    “The thing is I didn’t feel that great and, in the beginning, there was a lot of fighting and then Bassani came past. I didn’t want to go back more, I tried to come back. I got quite aggressive, I said I would show my aggressive side if that’s what it needs to be. I got to the front and gave it all back. I started to get the rhythm again, I saw they were fighting again and then I didn’t make a mistake. I knew once I got through the first two sectors, I was safe with my pace. I just got a really good rhythm, corner after corner, and that was it and the rest was history.”
     
    P2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    “The position doesn’t really matter so much today. For me, it was all about the feeling on the bike and I want to thank my team so much, especially Pere because he never gave up investigating my problems. This weekend, and this race, we found something good. I could feel from the out lap I had a bike I could fight with today. Thanks to all the team. We won’t give up, we’ll keep working really, really hard. I enjoyed the race, I enjoyed it a lot. I enjoyed being here in Argentina, thank you to all the fans that came out.”
     
    P3 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
    “I am, again, very close to a triple win but I tried my best in the race. In the last three laps, I tried every lap, feeling the limit. Also, I tried for second position but after I settled for third position. I said this morning it wouldn’t be an easy Race 2 because everybody was very strong. I am happy. I am again on the podium.”

    WorldSBK Results Race 2 – Top-6

    1. Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
    2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +2.428s
    3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +3.834s
    4. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) +5.390s
    5. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +5.845s
    6. Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +8.147s

    Championship Standings (after Race 2, Round 12)
    1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (TUR) Yamaha (531 points)
    2. Jonathan Rea (GBR) Kawasaki (501 points)
    3. Scott Redding (GBR) Ducati (465 points)
    Full Championship Standings
  • Rain master Ruhaan Alva graduates to Formula cars in style; F4 beckons

    Rain master Ruhaan Alva graduates to Formula cars in style; F4 beckons

    Bengaluru, 18 October 2021: For many of us in motorsports, K1000 is an annual pilgrimage. And everyone has 100 tales to tell, and I am no different after watching over two dozen K1000s, 22 years to be precise, from 1996, many of them doing media or just having fun. In one of the trips back from a K1000 run in Tumkur, I travelled with two young boys one was 9 and his younger sibling 6. I fell sick and had to return on a Saturday itself, but that provided me with a chance to indulge in K1000 stories with one of the drivers of yesteryears, Umakanth Alva, whom I had the pleasure of watching in late nineties. He introduced his elder son into karting, the gateway to racing bigger things. That day, looking at a shy and playful child, I did not realise his potential. But soon his exploits abroad convinced me about the talent of the precocious 11-year old. He is Ruhaan Alva, 15 now, the reigning X30 Karting Senior champion 2021 who came through the ranks by grit and determination. The younger one, Shlok, was naughty then, but now he is unto himself, immersed in things that make him a computer geek.

    Ruhaan’s experience in Europe helped him hone his skills in being much smoother as a driver since the grip levels there, are very high. “One small mistake and you will lose time. The top 10 drivers are fighting for one tenth of a second. The changing weather conditions also helped him adapt much faster to the track since it would be cold and slippery early in the morning and then when the sun comes out the grip levels would increase,” said senior Alva, a rally driver, who retired with a bang winning the Mountain Challenge in picturesque Kohima, organised by Nagaland Adventure Motor Sports Association as its inaugural event after its birth in 2001. Alva, was ably navigated by Musa Sherif, who went on to become a legend of a navigator, and their exploits together, and Alva’s with other navigators, were for another story another day. In fact, the famed speedmaster Lohit Urs’, a National rally champion, first car and team was done by Alva as Team Kadur.

    Ruhaan Alva, crosses the flag first, but finishes fifth, on his debut at the MMSC MRF Indian National Racing Championship for Cars 2021, Round 1 in Sept. at MMRT. Photos: Shajahan

    Coming back to Ruhaan, the experience and learning in Europe, he returned to India and proved himself and earned his Second National title as Junior by dint of hard work in 2020.  The fickle English weather added another tool in his armoury. So driving in the wet and figuring out different lines, came naturally to him. The Indian conditions offered him different kinds of challenges, though… racing and some, not as much a part of sport. But the youngster, withstood all the pressures of being alone at the top, and despite no congenial atmosphere for racing, he sharpened his skills with a much higher-level of understanding. The machine, the speed, the tyres, the traction, the set-up, all taught him how to excel in sub-optimal conditions. Finding out his pace and the limit, on the only track in Bengaluru at MecoKartopia, and belting out lap after fast lap, needs some discipline which he did exhibit, but at times was frustrated with the kart set-up. “These are part and parcel of the sport. Despite all these, I aim to be calm and try to perform my best,” he said after one of those bad races last year. “But I will be spending a lot of time in the gym to get my fitness levels up as well as some testing and time on the sim,” he concluded.

    One for the Album: At the turn of the century a new motorsposrts baby is born in the North East and it was the Southers Stars who won the inaugural NAMSA event. Musa Sherif, left, navigated for Umakanth Alva, who bid goodbye to his rally career on a winning note conquering the mountains in the North East in Feb 2001.

    Ruhaan moved into Formula cars this year and immediately was at front fighting for a win. He won multiple races in the Formula Junior Racing (FJRS) event held in Coimbatore in May 2021. Recently, in October, he won the second race of the MRF MMSC Formula 1300 category showing pace, after starting from 8th place and understanding of the racing lines despite being a debutant at the 3.712 km Madras Motor Sport Track in Irungattukottai. Logging a penalty for overtaking during yellow flag period and costing him the win is a different matter but he made pundits sit up and take notice. Learning to watch yellow flags, with Madras Motor Sports Club introducing Digital Flags for the first time in the country in National Racing Championship will make his experience of taking flashing yellows to a different level when he visits MMRT, for the next round. Ruhaan won the Best Rookie Award on debut at the track and in the National championship. “It’s not much of a consolation because I know I had the pace and I deserved that win but there is nothing more I can do about it rather than learn and come back stronger,” said a disappointed Bengalurean to INDIAinF1 after the race.

    The number of competitors this year has suddenly gone up and the grid for Formula 1300 was full for the MMSC MRF National Racing Championship with drivers being put on the wait list. The same is expected for the JK Novice Championship in Formula LGB 1300 as well as LGB F4 with drivers on the wait list.

    This bodes well for the sport and with the Mumbai Falcons announcement of the F4 Indian Championship,run along with the F3 Regional Championship this year the sport is looking to grow. The Rotax Indian National Championship also has a record number of entries expected in the Junior and Senior categories.

    Ruhaan said: “It’s a big difference moving into Formula LGB, especially getting used to the gearbox, the brakes and the longer wheel-base making the handling very differentcompared to a kart.”

    This website wishes Ruhaan Alva, the very best, and would like to see him graduate into F4 and up the ladder for better racing.

  • Neuville seals 2nd win as title-fight goes to wire: WRC

    Neuville seals 2nd win as title-fight goes to wire: WRC

    (Spain), 17 October 2021: Thierry Neuville, navigated by Martijn Wydaeghe, stormed to his second FIA World Rally Championship victory of the season with a commanding success at RallyRACC – Rally de España on Sunday afternoon.

    The Belgian took control of the penultimate round with eight straight fastest times in his Hyundai i20 across the middle of the three-day asphalt rally to secure back-to-back Spain victories by 24.1 sec.

    Second place for Elfyn Evans in a Toyota Yaris means the fight for the drivers’ title goes to a final round decider in Italy next month. He headed Dani Sordo’s i20 by 11.2sec and trails team-mate Sébastien Ogier by 17 points. A maximum 30 remain available.

    After demoting Evans from the lead on Saturday morning, Neuville’s progress at the front was serene until a big scare ahead of the closing Wolf Power Stage.

    A starter motor problem meant co-driver Wydaeghe pushed their i20 into the regroup before the stage. The crew managed to restart the car and tackled the test without further problems, but the incident clearly rattled Neuville.

    Evans felt uncomfortable on dirty roads when the smooth asphalt speed tests in the Costa Daurada hills were tackled for a second time, but the Welshman has slashed the deficit to Ogier from 44 points with victory in Finland earlier this month and second here.

    He tried a variety of set-up changes to no avail but had enough pace to stay ahead of a charging Sordo, who won all four of Sunday’s special stages to demote Ogier and claim the final podium place.

    Ogier, pursuing his eighth title in nine seasons, struggled for pace in the first half of the rally. While set-up changes gave the Frenchman fresh heart, he could not hold off the Spaniard.

    Neuville and Sordo’s 1-2 in the bonus points-paying Power Stage means the fight between leader Toyota Gazoo Racing and Hyundai Motorsport for the manufacturers’ crown will also go to the last round.

    Kalle Rovanperä finished fifth in another Yaris, almost 50sec adrift of Ogier, with Gus Greensmith overcoming several problems to complete the top six in a Ford Fiesta at the final rally for co-driver Chris Patterson.

    Oliver Solberg celebrated his first WRC asphalt drive in an i20 World Rally Car with seventh, equalling his career-best result, and top-tier debutant Nil Solans was eighth in another i20.

    In FIA WRC2, Frenchman Eric Camilli claimed the class glory, whilst Andreas Mikkelsen wrapped up the drivers’ title without even starting the event.

    Camilli moved into the lead on SS2 after an early battle with title-chaser Mads Østberg’s similar Citroën C3 Rally2 entered by TRT. A puncture for Østberg on Friday gifted Camilli the chance to stretch his legs and he steadily increased his advantage over the remaining two days.

    Whilst Camilli won the rally, results elsewhere meant the absent Mikkelsen was crowned the drivers’ champion. The Norwegian had planned to end his season at FORUM8 ACI Rally Monza next month, but as neither Østberg nor Teemu Suninen scored enough points to catch him, the title was decided earlier than anticipated. 

    Finland’s Emil Lindholm rounded out the perfect weekend by taking the win in FIA WRC3.

    The 14.9sec advantage he opened up on Friday had more than doubled by close of play on Saturday and a clean run over the final four speed tests confirmed his win by 28.5sec from Kajetan Kajetanowicz.

    Kajetanowicz moved into the championship lead with one rally to go, however, his main rival Yohan Rossel is still awaiting news regarding an appeal over his EKO Acropolis exclusion. The hearing is scheduled to take place before the season-closing FORUM8 ACI Rally Monza next month.

    The title-deciding final round at FORUM8 ACI Rally Monza will take place on 18 – 21 November.

    The final unofficial results can be consulted here.

  • Rajendra bags overall honours; Aishwarya begins campign in style

    Rajendra bags overall honours; Aishwarya begins campign in style

    Hosapete, 17 October 2021: 2019 National champion Rajendra RE of Team TVS Racing won the feature event and the overall honours and 2019 World Cup Baja winner Aishwarya Pissay as they led Team TVS Racing sweep in Rally de Hampi, the first Round of the MRF Mogrip fmsci National Rally Championship for bikes (2w) 2021, the final event of the Utsav de Hampi 2021, here on Sunday.

    Defending champion in the top Pro-Expert class Nataraj of TVS Racing suffered a DNF (did not finish). Pune mariner Ashish Raorane, could only come 4th in the Expert class, but his very presence here gave a chance to the fans to watch a Dakar hero and his super machine. “It is like training for a marathon and coming for sprint. But is a rear op for our fans to watch our heroes,’’ said a veteran motorsport enthusiast, Rohit of the organising club, Motorsports Academy of Vijayanagar, about Ashish, who is one among the two confirmed for Dakar 2022 in Saudi Arabia next January along with Kerala’s Harith Noah.

    Making a clean sweep of the top-four places in the overall honours and winning every class they entered, the Hosur-based 2-wheeler tyre specialists, TVS Racing, made their speed statement in style on the dirt tracks around the Hampi heritage region in the first round supported by Karnataka Tourism, Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports, TVS Apache and Hotel Royal Orchid.

    2019 Champion Rajendra RE of TVS Racing who won the overall honours in Round 1 of the MRF Mogrip National Rally Championship 2w 2021 at Hosapete on Sunday.

    Sarath Mohan, a privateer from Mallapuram, won the Expert class while another Kerala rider Ajin Abraham clinched the gold in the Super Sport 130cc Group B class. Coimbatore riders Sasikumar (165cc), and veteran biker and Riders’ representative Venu Ramesh Kumar (400cc), also took the top spot on the podium in their respective classes. Samuel Jacob, Mohammed Zaheer won gold in their classes while Nadeem Ahmed became the Star of Karnataka, the support race.

    The Bike Rally Nationals promoted by GodSpeed Racing are scheduled to run five more rounds for the 2021 championship.

    Provisional (Unaudited) Results:

    Overall: 1. Rajendra RE (TVS Racing) (01:01:39.474); 2. Samuel Jacob (TVS) (01:02:12.993); 3. Abdul Waheed Tanvir (TVS) (01:02:25.753); 4. Imran Pasha J (TVS) (01:02:29.794); 5. Sarath Mohan (Privateer-Pvt.) (01:03:22.563); 6. Sachin D (TVS) (01:03:54.305); 7. Yuva Kumar (Hero MotoSport) (01:04:31.790); 8. Asad Khan (Pvt.) (01:05:26.509); 9. Sathyaraj Arumugam (Hero Motosports) (01:06:23.036); 10. Badal Subhash Doshi (Pvt.) (01:06:35.506).

    Class 1: Super Bike-Pro Expert Group A: 1. Rajendra RE (TVS Racing) (01:01:39.474); ); 2. Abdul Waheed Tanvir (TVS) (01:02:25.753); 3. Goutham Rao R (Pvt.) (01:11:52.935). All 3 Bengaluru.

    Class 1A: Super Bike (Expert) Group A: 1. Sarath Mohan (Privateer – Mallapuram) (01:03:22.563); 2. Asad Khan (Chikmagalur – Pvt.) (01:05:26.509); 3.  Badal Subhash Doshi (Vashi – Pvt.) (01:06:35.506).

    Class 2: Super Sport 130 Group B: 1. Ajin Abraham (Kerala) (01:10:45.998); 2. Nithesh G Poojari (Mangaluru)(01:13:27.186); 3. Deepak Naidu (Bengaluru) (01:14:12.420).

    Class 3: Super Sport 165 Group B: 1. Sasikumar K (Coimbatore) (01:07:12.705); 2. Pavan BK (Bengaluru) (01:07:55.068); 3. Stephen Roy (Kushalanagar) (01:10:11.197). (All 3 privateers)

    Class 4: Super Sport 260 Group B: 1. Samuel Jacob (Hosur) (01:02:12.993); 2. Imran Pasha J (Mysuru) (01:02:29.794); 3. Sachin D (Hosur) (01:03:54.305). (All three are from TVS Racing)

    Class 5: Super Sport 400 Group B: 1.Venu Rameshkumar (Coimbatore) (01:12:15.155); 2. Sajeesh Reghunathan (Bengaluru) (01:12:26.679); 3. Sravan Kumar Kuttoor (Hyderabad) (01:20:46.064).

    Class 6: Super Sport 550 Group B: 1. Mohammed Zaheer (01:10:52.393); 2. Sharath Kumar (01:15:20.814); 3. Naresh VS (1:20:12.947); All 3 Bengaluru).

    Class 7: Group “B” (S0 to S3 Scooters up to 210CC): 1. Shamim Khan (Hosur) (01:09:31.818); Karthik (01:09:36.111); 3. Syed Asif Ali (Bengaluru) (01:10:18.611). All 3 TVS Racing).

    Class 8: Group “B” Ladies Class (Open Indian M/c): 1. Aishwarya Pissay M (Bengaluru – TVS Racing) (01:10:20.050); 2. Tanika Shanbhag (Satara pvt.) (01:13:20.998); 3. Ryhana Bee (Chennai pvt.) (01:13:33.072).

    Class 9: Star of Karnataka (Non-Championship support class): 1. Nadeem Ahamed (Mysuru) (01:11:54.369); 2. Mohammed Israr (Mysuru) (01:19:33.041); 3. Vinay Channarudraiah (Bengaluru) (01:23:10.010).

  • Nostalgic Nazir Hoosein memorial drive brings Himalayan fraternity together

    Nostalgic Nazir Hoosein memorial drive brings Himalayan fraternity together

    New Delhi, October 16: Two years into a pandemic that has brought the world to a grinding halt, nostalgia is the one thing that has endured. With systems slowly coming back to normal and sporting events slowly finding their feet in a new landscape, a desire to travel, relive and experience the great outdoors has never been more palpable. Motorsports in India is slowly getting back in gear, with events lining up for a new season and kicking things off is one that is as much rooted in the past as it is a signifier of the way ahead. 
     
    The Nazir Hoosein Memorial Drive by Team Firefox was officially launched today in a virtual press conference with former winners, participants and dignitaries sharing their memories of an event and a pioneer who reshaped Indian motorsport. 
     
    “Once we saw things slowly opening up, some of us involved with the motorsport community decided that we should do a drive, something to hark back the good times,” Rajan Syal said. “That idea snowballed into doing something to commemorate Nazir Hoosein.”
     
    Hoosein was a founder member of his club, the  Indian Automotive Racing Club (IARC) and was former President of the Federation of MotorSport Clubs of India (FMSCI)  in 1984/85. While his pioneering administrative work paved the way for many motorsport enthusiasts in the country, Hoosein is perhaps most fondly remembered for founding an event that reshaped Indian motorsport — the Himalayan Rally.
     
    Hoosein’s original desire, that the event showcase Indian motorsport as well as the diaspora of the country remains the driving motivation behind this memorial event too. Gaurav Gill, a multiple time FIA Asia Pacific Rally champion remembers the Himalayan Rally shaping his interest in motorsport in his formative years. “I heard about it as a young child and it really drove my passion for rallying. I am very happy to see this tribute to the iconic rally route in the Himalayas seeing such good participation and look forward to its great success.”
     
    The first edition, held in 1980 was based on a safari rally format. Since then the concept stuck, with international participants supporting the format and the course itself. The Himalayan Rally would form the spine of the Indian motorscape in the 80s, and winners — most notably Jayant Shah — often turning into overnight celebrities in the country.
     
    “Nazir was a man of vision, and the Himalayan Rally brought international rallying to India,” Farokh Commissariat said. “This year we also celebrate the 50th year of the IARC and it is fitting that the rally will allow us to pay tribute to him in a manner deserving of his stature.”
     
    NHMD will follow the original route from the 1981 edition, with a 100 car field kicking off from Greater Noida on November 8th. The first stop will be Lansdowne (8th), followed by Mussoorie (9th) and Kufri (10th). On the 11th, drivers will tackle the iconic route of the original rally — the Jalori Pass before halting in Manali. The final day will see participants cross over the Rohtang pass before concluding the drive in Manali. “The idea was to recreate the original route, for various reasons. In 40 years, a lot of the landscape has changed, and it will be interesting for former participants as well as fans to experience it,” Syal said. 
     
    “I am delighted to be part of this wonderful tribute to Mr Nazeer Hoosein,” Mohan Nagarajan, Chairman Sidvin Energy Engineering said. “Going back and tracing the iconic Himalayan Rally route will be a wonderful experience not just for me but for all members of the motorsports community of India.”

  • Razgatlioglu celebrates birthday in style, wins Race 1

    Razgatlioglu celebrates birthday in style, wins Race 1

    San Juan, 16 October 2021: The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship descended on the Circuito San Juan Villicum for the Motul Argentinean Round and it was Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) who claimed Race 1 honours after a 21-lap encounter after transferring his scintillating Friday pace into Saturday action, claiming the 50th podium of his career on his 25th birthday.
     
    Both Razgatlioglu and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), decorated in a special 1990s livery to mark a special anniversary for Kawasaki, got quick starts from second and fifth on the grid respectively to lead the race into Turn 1, while polesitter Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) found himself on the ground at Turn 1 after crashing, with the Briton falling to the back of the grid.
     
    Out in front and Rea had put pressure on Razgatlioglu for the lead of the race before the Championship leader opened up the gap to Rea to just over three seconds at the end of Lap 8, with the pair holding station until the end of the race. Razgatlioglu’s win meant he claimed the 50th podium of his career while Yamaha claimed their first podium at San Juan Villicum. Rea’s second place meant he claimed Great Britain’s 810th podium, while it was only the second time Rea has not won at the Argentinean venue.
     
    Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed the tenth podium of his WorldSBK career with third place after passing Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) at around half-distance of the race. Bassani had started from the front row for the first time in his WorldSBK career but fell back at the start before fighting back into third, before Rinaldi was able to pass him. Rinaldi’s podium was Ducati’s 980th podium in WorldSBK.

    P1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
    “This weekend, we are very strong and on Friday I said I need to win at this track. In 2019, I had just third place. I am really happy today. Thanks to my team. They did an incredible job this weekend and we are very strong. Also, it is my birthday today, and it’s a fantastic day for me. Tomorrow I will try again.”
     
    P2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
    “I made a really good getaway and tried to do my rhythm, tried to forget about the guys at the front. Toprak had an incredible pace so I just tried to focus on myself. I really made a big mistake yesterday and I lost all of FP2 to understand, so this race was a little bit of research, let’s say, for tomorrow. No regrets, I did my best out there and hopefully tomorrow we can make some changes to be a little bit closer to the front.”
     
    P3 Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
    “It was a difficult race because it was so long and so hot. But we made a good race because we were able to have a good pace. Unfortunately, I had a bad Superpole but I’m happy and I want to dedicate this podium to my team.”
     WorldSBK Results Race 1

    1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
    2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +5.295s
    3. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +9.417s
    4. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +12.808s
    5. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) +13.980s
    6. Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +15.007s

     Championship Standings (after Race 1, Round 12)
    1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (TUR) Yamaha (503 points)
    2. Jonathan Rea (GBR) Kawasaki (474 points)
    3. Scott Redding (GBR) Ducati (431 points)
  • Aman, Aishwarya, Ashishrao Rane descend on Hampi

    Aman, Aishwarya, Ashishrao Rane descend on Hampi

    Hampi, 14 October 2021: Himalayan Hero Aman Prabhakar Pawde of Nagpur, the inaugural Overall winner of the Rally of Himalayas astride a KTM EXCF450, along with FIM World Cupper Aishwarya Pissay, who made a triumphant comeback after an injury-layoff, Dakar Indian Ashishrao Rane will spearhead the challenge at Rally de Hampi, the first Round of the fmsci MRF Mogrip National Rally Championship 2021 for 2-wheelers, the final event of the Utsav de Hampi 2021, here on Sunday.

    Prominent international Cross Country rider Ashishrao Rane of Pune, will be the cynosure of all eyes as he makes a rare appearance in the Indian rally circuit. The Dakar rider could not go to Rallye du Maroc last week but will be looking to get back to form for the toughest rally in the world next year.

    “Organised by Motorsports Academy of Vijayanagar and enthusiastically backed by Karnataka Tourism, the record number of 81 entries from all over the country and their team members will enjoy the scenic sights, in the true spirit of “One State, Many Worlds,” that Karnataka heritage sites and the rally route offers. The Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), TVS Apache and hospitality partners Hotel Royal Orchid have joined with title sponsor MRF to make the two-wheeler National championship an attractive affair to both the riders and the fans as well,” said Promoter Shyam Kothari, a 7-time National champ in three different motorsports disciplines. Kothari heads GodSpeed Racing, the promoters of the 6-round INRC 2w Nationals and Supercross Nationals.

    Four-time successive National 2w Rally champion in the women’s category, Miss Pissay, of TVS Racing, is the 2019 FIM World Cup Baja champion but her 2021 WC campaign came to an abrupt halt due to a major incident at the Baja last March but the gritty champion recovered from multiple surgeries and is back to her winning ways beating many ‘Big Boys’ on the foothills of Himalayas last Sunday for a creditable Overall fifth among 75 bikers and a sweet victory in her own class. Apart from the 8 girls, Pissay on her TVS Apache RTR will be eyeing the INRC Overall honours as she prepares to get back to the tougher international cross-country rallies. “After seven months, I was raring to get back into true competition mode and I feel better now after the Himalayan rally and hope to begin my fifth season on a positive note,” said the 7-time racing and rally National champ.

    Team TVS Racing will be descending, as usual, with three other defending National champions R Nataraj, Samuel Sajan Jacob and Pinkesh Thakur. R Natarajan will have to do with teammates Rajendra RE, who won the last round here in Hampi and Abdul Waheed Tanveer, who missed the Rallye Maroc. Though there are only three entries in the Group A, the Super Bike Pro-Expert class is expected to have tough competition among the three TVS wards, all on TVS Apache RTR.

    Team Hero MotoSports’ Yuva Kumar of Bengaluru and Sathyaraj Arumugam of Coimbatore along with other National champions Kochi’s Sinan Francis, Asad Khan (Chikmagalur), Jatin Jain (Nagpur), Badal Doshi (Vashi), Sachin D (TVS Hosur) racing champion Ryhana Bee (Chennai) and youngster Tanika Shanbag (Satara), who showed a glimpse of her rally prowess at the Himalayas, will all be raring to go in the other classes. Karthik, Syed Asif Ali of TVS Racing and Elango of Erode will fight in the Scooter class.

    “This is the first round of the National 2w rally championship. All safety aspects are taken care of with trained marshals and, safety officers will make sure that all COVID19 protocols are strictly adhered to. Doctors and ambulances will be on standby along with a dedicated team of HAMs. I wish all the participants a safe rally,” said GS Joshy, the Clerk of the Course (CoC) and a rally champion himself. He will be ably assisted by home club’s Deputy CoC Rohit Gowda, another noted rider of yesteryears.

    “The rally consists of five Special Stages (SS) of 57.85km, which are held on roads closed to traffic. There will be two physical stages, Jumbo and Hampi, 12.05km and 10.8km long, respectively. While Jumbo is run thrice, the riders will take the dirt track of Hampi SS, twice, all in the forward direction, for an overall distance of 115.42 kms including a liaison or transport section of 57.57 kms,” said Santosh HM of Motorsports Academy of Vijayanagar, the organising club. Bhaskar Gupta, CK Chinnappa and Abhijeet Pai will be the stewards (judges). Anagha J Bharadwaj will be the Secretary of the Meet.

    The Star of Karnataka with five entries will be a support class. Following are the Championship classes where winners will get a trophy and split prize money of around Rs.2 lakh. More importantly they garner championship points and the table toppers in the below classes will be declared National champions.

    Class 1: Super Bike-Pro Expert (Group “A” Single class irrespective of engine capacity. Sub classes may be formed if sufficient entries are received.

    Class 1A: Super Bike (Expert) Group A;

    Class 2: Super Sport 130 Group B;

    Class 3: Super Sport 165 Group B;

    Class 4: Super Sport 260 Group B;

    Class 5: Super Sport 400 Group B;

    Class 6: Super Sport 550 Group B;

    Class 7: Group “B” (S0 to S3 Scooters up to 210CC);

    Class 8: Group “B” Ladies Class (Open Indian M/c);

    Class 9: Star of Karnataka.

  • Harith Noah successfully completes Rally of Morocco

    Harith Noah successfully completes Rally of Morocco

    Zagora, 13 October 2021: Ace Indian rider KN Harith Noah successfully completed the tough Rallye du Maroc after finishing the last stage 23rd, for a creditable overall 20th to brush aside his rustiness and start preparations for Dakar 2022 in right earnest. The Kerala rider, who became the top-Indian finisher in Dakar, is backed by Sherco TVS factory team. Noah clocked 19hours, 05minutes and 31seconds for the overall timing with a 1:52:11sec in the shortened fifth stage, just 12:59sec off the leader P Quintanilla of Monster Energy Honda team.

    Meanwhile, despite this last stage being shortened for logistical reasons, it was no stroll in park ! The profile of this final loop resembled that of the first stage with the same start and finishing point. However the route through the Chegaga Erg was all new. Warned rally boss David Castera: “The rally’s not over yet. Save some strength for the end”.

    ROAD BOOK

    Stage 5 

    Distances : L1: 142 / SS: 166 / L2 : 143 – Total : 412

    ON TRACK

    In the bikes, the last 166 kms of the 2021 Rallye du Maroc went more or less as anticipated. Pablo Quintanilla (Monster Energy Honda) started third on the road this morning to win the special and with it the rally, second time out with his new team. Matthias Walkner (Red Bull KTM Factory) started 2nd kept his podium position and win the FIM World Championship. And opening the piste this morning Daniel Sanders (Gas Gas Factory) managed to limit the damage to an absolute minimum to finish third on the special and overall. All of course much easier said than done, when you have riders of the calibre of Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy Honda) ready to pounce at the slightest opportunity. In Rally2 Bradley Cox (BAS Dakar KTM) confirmed all the promise he has shown this week by winning his first ever rally raid special just 1:20 ahead of fellow rookie Mason Klein (BAS Dakar KTM) who wins the class by a more than comfortable 54:58 ahead of the Italian Paolo Lucci. In Enduro Cup Afriquia the Moroccan Amine Echiguer (KTM OCP) took yet another stage victory to win is class. Fastest Rally2 quad was Manuel Andújar (Team 7240) while in Enduro Cup Afriquia it was Axel Dutrie (Yamaha Drag’on) who takes the honours.

    In the cars Nasser Al-Attiyah (Toyota Gazoo Racing) took his 6th Rallye du Maroc victory and with it the lead in the FIA World Cup Championship. In the T3 class for lightweight prototypes the win went to the Russian Pavel Lebedev (Moscow Rally Team). In T4, contender Michal Goczal (Energylandia) woke up to a surprise this morning, rival Aron Domzala’s CanAm (Monster Energy Can-Am) stripped down to its bare bones. Psychological warfare that appears to have paid off with, Goczal breaking his rear suspension and ‘gifting’ Domzala the class win (7th overall at 2h20:02). In Open Patrick Prot (Revival Aventures) takes the top spot while in the trucks victory goes to Gerrit Zuumond (Man TGA).

    RADIO BIVOUAC

    The Toyota Auto Body entered the Open class for this edition of the Rallye du Maroc to prepare for the future and carry out tyre tests under race conditions before the next Dakar. This will be the last appearance in Morocco for the two diesel powered Land Cruiser VDJ 200 Auto Body cars. They will race in T2 in Saudi Arabia in a few week’s time before retiring and giving way to the new Land Cruiser 300. Farewell to the V8 diesel.

    STAT OF THE DAY :  1506

    That’s the number of special stage kilometres that the FIM and FIA drivers covered on this edition of the Rallye du Maroc. In all those kilometres the new Toyota Hilux Gazoo Racing T1+ that was being tested by Erik Van Loon suffered zero puintures! Equipped with new 37-inch wheels, the four future official Toyota Gazoo Racing cars for the next Dakar should spend much less time stopped by the side of the track.

    THE RALLY DU MAROC AND ME 

    Pablo Quintanilla (Monster Energy Honda) 

     Where ?

    “It was here in Zagora.”

    When ?

    “2015, my first season with KTM, it was my 5th rally-raid. I was doing all the world championship rounds.”

    How ?

    “I broke my wrist on the last special. It was my second crash in my rally-raid career, my first in the world championship, Since then I’ve come here every year. My best result up until today was 2nd in 2019.”

    QUOTES

    Pablo Quintanilla (Monster Energy Honda) : 1st

    “It feels really nice to win. It was a tough race for everybody with difficult navigation. This is my second race with the Monster Energy Honda team and I’d like to thank them for doing a great job. We know we are in a good way for the Dakar in January.”

    Matthias Walkner (Red Bull KTM Factory) : 2nd and FIM World Champion

     “Feels amazing to win the world championship. I always liked racing here. The track is good and the organisation is super cool. It is a tough and tricky rally so to finish 2nd here and win the world championship is super cool. As you get old you think more about the danger but you compensate with navigation and I think the key is I really like to be on the bike.”

    Mason Klein (BAS Dakar KTM) : 1st overall in Rally2

    “Coming out here for my first rally I didn’t have big expectations. That changed a little after day 1 and there was a bit more pressure to do good. It has definitely been hard but I’ve been learning patience, to take your time. Slow and steady wins the race and that’s what I’ve been doing this whole week and its worked out pretty good.”

    Bradley Cox (BAS Dakar KTM) : 3rd overall Rally3

    “To finish off the week with a stage win on my first rally is just awesome. So excited now for Dakar. I learnt so much. The most important lesson was it doesn’t matter how fast you go if you can’t navigate you lose so much time. Great to have my Dad here. He’s so knowledgeable.”

    Amine Echiguer (KTM OCP) : 1st Enduro Cup Afriquia

    “It’s thanks to my mental attitude that I made it to the end. From the second stage onwards I thought about quitting. Cyril Despres had warned us, but I didn’t think it would be so hard. Yet I do sport: cycling, swimming, I often go running in the morning before going to work and in the afternoon. What reassures me is that I heard the pro riders also complain about the difficulty of this edition. But despite that, I found myself thinking that now I would like to be a Dakar finisher !”

    Nasser Al-Attiyah (Toyota Gazoo Racing) : 1st

    “Toyota Gazoo Racing have done an amazing job. We was winning the race since the beginning. Today I enjoy a lot this 166 kms because we take really good time from everybody and now we are the leaders of the championship. This is our last race in the T1. It has been an amazing car and we’ve won a lot of races with it including the 2019 Dakar. Now we’re looking forward to racing the T1+ and I think the team have built us an amazing car.”