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Author: David Bodapati
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Dr Shivani Pruthvi, Deeksha Balakrishna, only ladies in Rally of Himalaya
Manali, 6 October 2021: Ace rally driver Dr Shivani Pruthvi and Deeksha Balakrishna will be making their debut in the Rally of Himalayas, the toughest cross-country rally in the country which has attracted as many as 100 top rallyists from across the country to Himachal for the first-ever “Rally of Himalayas”, one of the most challenging motorsports events of the world in dangerous terrains of the state from October 7 to 10.
Creating ripples
Dr Shivani and Dr Deepthi Pruthvi, the daughter-mom pair from Davangere have been making ripples in the motorsports circles by taking part in the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) for the last three years. But Shivani, who completed her MBBS, last year despite all her motorsports activity, has just finished two INRRC rounds, the revived TSD Nationals at Hampi and the previous week, she was racing at Chennai’s Madras Motorsports Race Track. Dr Deepthi is an expert pathologist and a busy lady at the hospital as she chose to serve in her district itself but has been calling the pace notes for Shivani for some time now. But the multi-faceted Shivani who is known for her focus and hardwork even in her college days has managed tough schedules that a doctor’s course demands. She was also a multiple participant in the Republic Day Parade as an NCC cadet.
Deeksha joins to strengthen the only ladies team
She choose to rally with Deeksha as she is taking part in the extreme Cross-Country rally for the first time. Deeksha Balakrishna, is another talent from Southern India, who made her INRC debut, in style, with Pragathi Gowda in Arunachal Pradesh last December and made many take notice. Deeksha, also grew up in motorsports culture, listening to her dad Balakrishna’s tales. Popularly known as BK, he has been at the helm of motorsports activity in Karnataka and is currently the go-to man in fmsci for any of the sporting needs. Deeksha, naturally fits the bill Shivani feels. “She is the right choice as we enter as the only ladies team in the Rally of Himalayas,” she added. It keeps the FMSCI Women in Motorsport concept alive in the toughest rally of the country. Deeksha, who proved to have a strong will and steady mind, is equally thrilled. “It is definitely a challenging and tough.. the mother of all rallies. We are on our maiden mission to tame the elements as we prepare for a big test of endurance, cold temperatures and high altitude, both for the car and the team. Definitely a Mmighty Himalayan task and look forward to many more thrilling drives with Shivani,” said Deeksha.
Inspired by Dad’s tales, the Pruthvi effect
The Karnataka duo, finished the recce and will be looking forward to some challenging but enjoyable experience. “I am looking forward to driving here as I heard many tales from my dad about how one can overcome any challenge if you are in sync with the nature. I am going with a positive mind and my target is to finish the rally. We are game for it,” said the young doctor from Davangere in Karnataka. Pruthvi, her father, who introduced her to rallies was an yesteryear star for JK Tyres. Pruthvi, along with Shivu Shivappa, the FMSCI vice-president, had many tales to tell, when they took part in the inaugural Raide de Himalaya in 1999. Their story and run to the finish lane in a gypsy is a tale every enthusiast would love to hear. We shall will keep it for another day.
Organised by Himalayan X-Treme Motorsports Club, the rally will be flagged off by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur from Kullu on October 7 and the prize distribution ceremony will be held at Solang in the presence of Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Singh Thakur on October 10. The thrilling motorsport event will cover the challenging terrains of Hamta and Spiti which will test the stamina and skills of the rallyists.
Ten-time Raid de Himalaya rally winner Suresh Rana, who is president of the hosting club said: “Record 70 bikers are participating in this rally. This is the record as such a high number of participants has never been recorded before. Besides this, 30 cars including 4X4 vehicles will be vying for the title. We are putting our everything to make this rally successful and popular worldwide.”
A group of rallyists and motorsports enthusiasts are the members of the organising club backed by the government. As the rally will cover major portions of Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti districts, the administration from both the districts is also helping in successful conduct of the rally. The general traffic movement will be stopped at many stretches to ensure public safety. The health department will station ambulances at regular stretches.
Air Himalayas, Himachal based helicopter service, is also partnering with the rally and will station its helicopter to help air evacuation in case of a medical emergency.
“The extreme motorsports lovers were disappointed as no rally event was being organised for a long time. Finally, after working for months and talking to the top rally teams of the country, we managed to bring this event together with the support from the government. Finally we are ready to tread the Himalayan terrains,” Rana added. The first and special state of the rally will go to Hamta after the flag-off ceremony by the CM. Then the rally will move to Kaza in Spiti via Atal tunnel, Gramphu and Kunzum pass. The final leg of the rally will end at Solang where prizes will be distributed among the winners by Union Minister Anurag Thakur.
This article is first published by here before it was edited and published in INDIAinF1.
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Vinay-Ravi, Santosh-Nagarajan split Overall honours in JK Tyre INRRC
Hosapete (Karnataka) Oct 4: Santosh Kumar and co-driver Nagarajan from Tamil Nadu conquered the first round while Vinay Kumar, ably assisted by navigator Ravi Kumar took the overall honours in the premier class in the second round as the JK Tyre FMSCI Indian National Regularity Run Championship (South Zone) concluded the first event of Utsav de Hampi, here on Sunday.
Favourites and three-time National champions Karthik Maruthi and Sankar Anand of Erode had to be content with a second place and a fourth overall as another TN pair, Keerthy Prasad and co-driver Sakthivel did well to bag overall second on Day 1. But it was the ladies, Aparna Pathak and Lalitha Gowda, the techies from Bengaluru, who maintained average speeds as they not only won the Ladies Class in both the rounds but beat many stalwarts in the process and even won the corporate class in the first round besides 3 more podiums. Mangalore duo Ashwin Pinto and Sandeep D’Silva came back to beat Pruthvi Reddy and co-driver Anoop KV, after losing to the latter, in the first round to become the Stars of Karnataka. Father-son duo of Anil and Amal Abbas won the Corporate category in Round 2. Col. Joshua and Anita won a double in the Couple Class.
Neha Tiwary, Communications Manager, JK Tyre, and Santosh HM Rohit Gowda and Karan Rajesh from Motorsports Academy of Vijayanagar, flagged off Rally de Hampi, the first event of Utsav de Hampi at Royal Orchid here on Sunday. ”But it was the Karnataka Tourism concept of Road Safety that brought focus on to motorsports and Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES) rightly chipped in to make Utsav de Hampi as part of the district inauguration festival,” Shivayogi Kalsad, IAS, MD, KSRTC, who gave away the trophies along with Sunny of JK Tyres, and Umesh Kulkarni of Royal Orchid.
All the athletes were unanimous in praising the local organisers Motorsports Academy of Vijayanagar, especially Santosh, Rohit and their efficient teams, for a well-organised event. “We love to come to Hampi, for the events are thrilling and well-administered,’’ said a shy Aparna Pathak, a techie from TCS and her navigator Lalitha Gowda from HCL, nodded in agreement.
The next of the four events will be Utsav de Hampi, an exciting 4X4 off-road, before the Indian National Rally Championship 2-wheeler arrives at the Heritage site as FMSCI is yet to announce the dates for INRC 4w.
Provisional Results: Round 2: INRRC class: 1. Vinay Kumar BP/ Ravi Kumar BM (Bengaluru) (00:34); 2. Keerthy Prasad/Sakthivel (00:48); 3. Sandeep Mukherjee/ Prakash M (0:50); 4. Karthick Maruthi/S Sankar Anand (Erode) (00:58); 5. Anil Abbas/ Amal Abbas (01:02); 6. Santosh V/Nagarajan T (01:02).
Open Class: 1. Vinay Kumar BM/Ravi Kumar BM (00:34); 2. Jaiprashanth Venkat /Sugumaran (01:15); 3. Aparna Pathak/Lalitha Gowda (01:24);
Ladies Class: 1. Aparna Pathak/Lalitha Gowda (01:24); 2. Jasmeet Ka
ur/Jyothi Iyengar (01:50); 3. Dr Pruthvi/Dr Deepthi Pruthvi (03:16)
Star of Karnataka: 1. Ashwin Pinto/Sandeep D’Silva (01:12); 2. Pruthvi Reddy N/Anoop KV (02:08); 3. Dilnith/Lohith (03:30). Couple Class: 1. Joshua/ Anita (04:48); 2. David Sharon/ Sampath (05:00). Corporate class: 1. Anil Abbas/ Amal Abbas (01:02); 2. Aparna Pathak/Lalitha Gowda (01:24); 3. Jasmeet Kaur/Jyothi Iyengar (01:50);
Round 1: INRRC class: 1. Santhosh Kumar/Nagarajan (00:36); 2. Karthick Maruthi/ S Sankar Anand (01:10); 3. Jaiprashanth Venkat/ Sugumaran (01:19); 4. Aparna Pathak/ Lalita Gowda (01:36); 5. Keerthi Prasad/ Sakthivel (01:38).
Open Class: 1. Jaiprashanth Venkat/ Sugumaran (01:19); 2. Aparna Pathak/ Lalitha (01:36); 3.Vinay Kumar BM/Ravi Kumar BM (01:42).
Ladies Class: 1. Aparna Pathak/ Lalita (01:36); 2. Jasmeet Kaur/Jyothi Iyengar (04.24); 3. Dr Pruthvi/Dr Deepthi Pruthvi (07.50). Corporate: 1. Aparna Pathak/ Lalita (01:36); 2. Anil Abbas/ Amal Abbas (03:28); 3. Umashankar/ Vishwak Kasturi (03:36). Couple Class: 1. Joshua/ Anita (04:46); 2. David Sharon/ Sampath (05:30).
Star of Karnataka: 1. Pruthvi Reddy N/Anoop KV (02:08); 2. Ashwin Pinto/Sandeep D’Silva (04:08); 3. Dilnith/Lohith (06:56).
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Marquez pulls the pin for magnificent seventh win at COTA
The King of COTA returns to his throne with a dominant show of power, Quartararo celebrates second like a win and Bagnaia completes the podium
Austin, 4 October 2021: The King of COTA is back! A faultless display from Marc Marquez saw the Repsol Honda Team rider take a magnificent seventh win at the Circuit of The Americas as the number 93 stormed to a second victory of 2021. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) extended his World Championship lead with a valuable second place at the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas, with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) taking third but now 52 points shy of the Frenchman with three races to go…
Plan A was executed to perfection by Marc Marquez from third on the grid, the number 93 grabbing the holeshot as Quartararo also got the better of polesitter Bagnaia. The latter then lost another place to the fast-starting Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) on the opening lap, with Pecco then demoted to P5 as Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) carved his way past on Lap 2 too.
Then, Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) was the first crasher of the race, the Japanese rider sixth when he tumbled out on Lap 2. Further back on Miller watch, Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) was making good progress on the hard rear Michelin tyre from 10th on the grid, and the Aussie grabbed a two-for-one deal at Turn 12 to pass Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) on Lap 3 for sixth .
After dispatching Rins, Martin was a formidable nuisance for Championship leader Quartararo as Marc Marquez started to stretch his lead to a second for the first time. Miller, having passed teammate Pecco, was now ahead of Rins in P4 too and the Aussie was the man on the move. Bagnaia, in turn, was struggling to keep up with the top five, initially down in sixth.
Lap 8 of 20 ticked by and Marc Marquez slammed in a 2:04.368, his lead was now up to a second and a half over Quartararo. By 11 to go, that gap had been stretched to 2.3, with Quartararo, in turn, a second clear of Martin. Miller was only half a second down on his fellow Ducati rider and 1.3 behind came Pecco, who had started to find some rhythm – the Italian soon passing Rins.
Pecco then latched onto the back of teammate Miller, before the latter allowed his teammate through – with every point in the title race absolutely critical at this stage, especially with Quartararo up ahead on second. Now, the question was: could Bagnaia catch and pass Martin for third? With four laps to go, the gap was suddenly nothing, with Martin seemingly looking down at his dashboard a few times. Was the rookie struggling, or were Ducati intervening? It wouldn’t matter in the end, with Martin being handed a Long Lap Penalty for not losing enough time at Turns 4 and 5 when he had a front end moment and ran off.
In the end though, Captain America returned to reign once again in Austin. Marc Marquez gave the Repsol Honda Team their 450th premier class podium with a classy ride at COTA, as Quartararo takes a second place that gives him his first match point of the season next time out at Misano. Bagnaia recovered well to claim P3, but its ground lost in the Championship chase… although Misano went pretty well last time for the Italian.
Rins was able to finish P4, profiting from Martin’s Long Lap Penalty, the latter unlucky to finish fifth after another fantastic ride but still top Independent Team rider. Sixth place went the way of Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama), who once again impressed as his form rolls on. He also benefitted from a clash between Mir and Miller on the final lap, and the Rookie of the Year battle is close still between Martin and Bastianini heading into the final three races.
The Mir-Miller clash earned the Suzuki rider some post-race interest from both Miller and the FIM MotoGP™ Stewards Panel. The number 36’s move on Miller at Turn 15 saw the reigning World Champion make contact with the Ducati and he received a one place penalty. Mir crossed the line in P7 with Miller P8, that result is switched after the penalty.
Binder and Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) completed the top 10, with Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) taking home a lonely P11 but some good points. Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol), Andrea Dovizioso (Petronas Yamaha SRT), Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia) and Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) round out the points, The Doctor scoring in his final Grand Prix appearance in America.
Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) crashed out unhurt on Sunday afternoon, joining Nakagami on the list of DNFs.
So that’s that from Texas. A dream return to COTA for Marc Marquez sees the King reclaim his Austin crown. And equally as happy is Quartararo, with that 52-point advantage meaning he could now win the 2021 title next time out at Misano. Could…
MotoGP podium
1 Marc Marquez – Repsol Honda Team – Honda – 41’41.435
2 Fabio Quartararo – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha – +4.679
3 Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – +8.547Top Independent Team rider
5 Jorge Martin – Pramac Racing – Ducati – +11.752 -
‘Lightning’ strikes MMRT as Hemanth Muddappa breaks National Drag record
Chennai, October 3: Seven-time National Drag Champion Hemanth Muddappa of Mantra Racing stormed to a National record, breaking his own mark with a triumphant double gold in the ribbon events in the second round of the MMSC FMSCI Indian National Drag Racing Championship here on Sunday. Touching a top speed of 230kmph, he extended his Championship lead in the premier 4-stroke Above-1051cc Class at the 303-metre Madras Motor Race Track.
The 31-year Coorgi, based in Bengaluru, nicknamed LightningR1, did his magic once again to prove his critics wrong as he dashed to a gold beating his own National record in the 4-stroke 850 to 1050cc SuperSport Class set in 2019. Hemanth also holds the National drag record in the top above-1051cc Class.
“I am so happy to set the National record in this category. Seven National titles won’t come by luck. We have put in hardwork and practised hard, testing and improving after every run. I dedicate this gold to my friend Riyaz’s mom, who is on a ventilator. Despite that he came here and clocked an eight. Hats off to him,’’ said a delighted Hemanth, who runs 1Up Nutrition, a top brand Nutrition supplements for sportspersons.
“Winning is in the DNA of Mantra Racing from 1954. We have been tuning Mudappa’s bikes for all his National titles and I am glad he got the much-awaited record today. We brought some upgrades but it was the hard work and practice he put in at the air strip near Bengaluru that brought him success,” said Sharan Pratap of Mantra Racing, who tunes the champion’s bikes.
Hemanth astride a green #93 BMW s1000rr was lightening quick to post a stunning 7.914 to beat the National Drag record in this class despite being a fraction of a second slower in reaction at the start to Hyderabad’s Mohd. Riyaz, who did 8.058 seconds. Sugan Prasad, also from Bengaluru, clocked 8.421 to take the bronze.
In the top class of 4-stroke Above-1051cc Super Sport, riding a black Suzuki Hayabusa, Hemanth clocked 8.061sec. “With others posting only in 8s, I took it easy and won at a relaxed pace,’’ the passionate bodybuilder added.
In other classes, Bharath Raj (226-360cc), Madhan Kumar (upto 165cc) and Aiyaz Rem (361-550cc) won the gold.
Results (provisional): 4S Above-1051cc Class: 1. #97 Hemanth Muddappa (Bengaluru) 8.061sec; 2. #98 Hafizullah Khan (Bengaluru) 8.396; 3. Vignesh Purushottham (Bengaluru) 8.409;
4S 851 to 1050cc Super Sport: 1. #93 Hemanth Muddappa (7.914); 2. #96 Mohd. Riyaz (Hyderabad) (8.058); 3. Sugan Prasad (Bengaluru) (8.421);
4S 226 to 360cc SS Indian: 1. #74Bharath Raj (12.427); 2. #75 Mohamed Shakir (12.655); 3. #77 Yogeshwaran (13.014);
4S upto 165cc SS Indian: 1. #71 S Madhan Kumar (13.826); 2. #73 K Kannan (13.990); 3. #91 S Kannan (14.472);
4S 361 to 550cc SS Indian: 1. #85 Aiyaz Rem (12.368); 2. #83 Yogeshwaran (12.620); 3. #84 D Anish Samson (12.658).
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Nakamura and Taponen win the World Karting titles
The wet conditions on the Campillos circuit on Sunday were an important element in the running of the 2021 FIA Karting World Championship – OK & Junior. The last Qualifying Heats had already brought some surprises, but the Finals were full of twists and turns before rewarding Japan’s Kean Nakamura Berta in Junior and Finland’s Tuukka Taponen in OK.
Campillos, 31 October 2021: For the third consecutive year, the FIA Karting World Championship – OK & Junior was rained out. In Campillos, the rain was not too heavy, but the track remained wet throughout Sunday. Both Finals were run on MG Tires rain tyres. Once again, karting at its highest level offered an incomparable spectacle. The control of the drivers in these tricky conditions as well as the ability of the teams to make the right technical choices, especially concerning the tyre pressure, enabled us to witness an intense competition and the crowning of the two brilliant World Champions.
NAKAMURA JUNIOR CHAMPION AFTER SLATER’S PENALTY
The favourite until then, James Egozi (USA – Tony Kart/Vortex/MG) lost the lead in his last Qualifying Heat and poleman David Walther (DNK – Tony Kart/Vortex/MG) regained the lead ahead of Tomass Stolcermanis (LVA – Energy/TM Racing/MG) while Marcus Saeter (NOR – Tony Kart/Vortex/MG) climbed up to 3rd position ahead of Keanu Al Azhari (DEU – Tony Kart/Vortex/MG) and Egozi. Kean Nakamura Berta (JPN – Exprit/TM Racing/MG) had come back from 25th to ninth position. Freddie Slater (GBR – Kosmic/Vortex/MG), who was delayed the previous day due to a retirement, still managed to finish in 13th place.
The start of the Final was given after two unsuccessful attempts on a slippery track. Amongst the many early exits, Egozi retired on the second lap. Walther and Stolcermanis battled for first place. Slater quickly moved up to fifth then moved up to third place on lap 3. Determined, he attacked Walther and then Stolcermanis to take 1st place on the sixth of the 16 laps, a significant improvement of 12 places. Nakamura followed the same path to move up to second place on lap 10. From there Slater stopped increasing his lead to 4,4”. Stolcermanis and Walther were still fighting for third position, but they were not protected from Anatoly Khavalkin (RAF – Parolin/TM Racing/MG) who came back to third with three laps to go. Slater must have realised that he would be penalised because of his spoiler that had come off in the fight and was desperately trying to push his advantage beyond 5″ to retain the title. Unfortunately for him, this did not happen and Nakamura’s second place finish turned into a world title win by 0.256″. The disappointment for Slater, who had given his all in a tough challenge, was sad to see. On the contrary, Nakamura was exultant to bring home a World Junior Championship title to his country thanks to the Forza Racing team.
2021 FIA Karting World Championship – Junior standings
1- Kean Nakamura Berta (JPN)
2- Freddie Slater (GBR)
3- Anatoly Khavalkin (RAF)
4- David Walther (DNK)
5- Tomass Stolcermanis (LVA)TAPONEN THE FAULTLESS WINNER OF THE OK FINAL
Leader of the provisional ranking on Saturday evening, Ugo Ugochukwu (USA – KR/IAME/MG) confirmed his domination with another victory on Sunday morning, as well as his direct pursuer Oscar Pedersen (SWE – Tony Kart/Vortex/MG). Poleman Gabriel Gomez (BRA – CRG/IAME/MG) secured an excellent third place against his compatriot Rafael Camara (BRA – KR/IAME/MG). In fifth place, Tuukka Taponen (FIN – Tony Kart/Vortex/MG) had gained 11 places.
At the time of the Final, the track remained wet with light rain. Camara rushed to the front of the race ahead of Ugochukwu, Taponen and Arvid Lindblad (GBR – KR/IAME/MG). Pedersen and Gomez were already behind. Camara was then slower and Taponen quickly joined him to take the lead on lap five, followed by Lindblad on the next lap. Camara retired three laps later. Shortly after the halfway point, Ugochukwu had to give up third place to Luigi Coluccio (ITA – Kosmic/Vortex/MG), who had set a very good pace, while Nikola Tsolov (BGR – KR/IAME/MG) moved into the top five. Taponen had a great race right to the end and gave the Tony Kart Racing Team its second world crown of the year after the KZ title won by Noah Milell (SWE) in Sweden. Lindblad crossed the finish line 7” later, but his spoiler, which had been unhooked since the formation lap, cost him a 5” penalty and second place went to Coluccio. Ugochukwu finished fourth, well ahead of Tsolov.
FIA Karting World Championship standings – OK 2021
1- Tuukka Taponen (FIN)
2- Luigi Coluccio (ITA)
3- Arvid Lindblad (GBR)
4- Ugo Ugochukwu (USA)
5- Nikola Tsolov (BGR) -
Hemanth Mudappa raring to go: MMSC fmsci Drag Nationals
Chennai, 1 October 2021: Seven-time National champion Hemanth Mudappa of Mantra Racing will spearhead a strong field of over 100 die-hard petrolheads who will congregate at the MMRT here this weekend for the second round of MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Drag Racing Championship 2021 here on Saturday and Sunday.
Mantra Racing, who is tuning Hemanth’s bikes had put in extra efforts for the second round and is looking forward for a double. “We are bringing some updates and I am confident going into the Sunday’s races,” said the Bengaluru-based Coorgi, who popularises Sports Nutrition and endorses 1up Nutrition for Elite high-performance athletes. A bodybuilder by passion , he is committed to the sport and his hard work saw that he won the Ribbon 1050cc and above continuously for four years. With Sharan Pratap as tuner, the duo have mastered the art of winning drag racing Nationals in India dominating the scene from 2016.
The Super Sport 851-1050cc and Above 1051cc categories will headline the races. Bengaluru’s reigning National champion Hemant Muddappa, astride BMW S1000 RR, has been dominating the Above 1051cc category, but Hyderabad’s Md Riyaz (Yamaha R1) topped the 851-1050cc class in the first round in August and the battle for points is expected to continue with the championship extended to three rounds.
Besides the above two premier categories, the card also contains races in six other classes: 2-stroke (Super Sport) Up to 130cc and 131-165cc; Girls (4-Stroke) Up to 165cc; and Super Sport Indian Up to 165cc, 226-360cc and 361-550cc.
As in the previous round, the organisers have put in place state-of-the-art timing equipment and a fully-equipped Medical team to deal with any emergency.
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Karthik Maruthi & Sankar Anand begin favourites
Bengaluru/Hospeta, 1 Oct 2021: The third edition of the Utsav de Hampi, a mega motorsports festival, will begin with the JK Tyre Indian National Regularity Run Championship (INRRC), before an exciting 4×4 off-road challenge a week later and will culminate with the MRF Mogrip Indian National Rally Championships (INRC) for 2-wheelers on October 17 & 18 at Hampi. The INRRC South Zone Round 1 will start in Bengaluru on Saturday with back-to-back 2nd round in Hampi on Sunday.
The National Championship round will kick-off with a Vintage car rally sprint for about 10-km where around 40 `Beauties of yesteryears’ will be paraded from Kanteerava Stadium to Vidhana Soudha and back.
Champion drivers Karthik Maruthi, and navigator Sankar Anand from Erode begin as favourites among the 29 entries with 58 drivers. The Women in Motorsport concept will be popularised by the lady doctor-pair from Davangere, Dr Shivani Pruthvi, and her navigator mom Deepthi. With the entry fee waived, 11 lady teams have entered the fray but all eyes will be on Dr Shivani, who just finished a successful Car Racing round at Chennai last week and it would be Bengaluru Techies Aparna Pathak and Lalitha Gowda who are all set to give a tough fight to doctors.
Organised by ProSports in Bengaluru and Motorsports Academy of Vijayanagar in Hampi, the TSD (Time, Speed and Distance) rallies are a popular format, returns as Nationals under the aegis of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) and backed by JK Tyre. Ordinary road cars can be used to race and rally in a safe environment and the TSD National, which was virtually forgotten and off the list of 12 National Championships is back with a new name, INRRC.
“Regularity Run is usually conducted on public roads, both clean tarmac and flat dirt tracks which don’t break the cars. Each team, has a driver and a navigator, and needs precise times and average speed on various segments of pre-defined but undisclosed route. A Tulip (route map) would be provided to the teams, but there would be about 20 to 25 undisclosed Time Controls (TC), that the navigators (co-driver) cannot miss as they guide the drivers and check-in their times. Speed is not permitted, as the maximum permitted speed would be 45-kmph and they should follow all traffic rules. Early comers log double penalty times” said said BS Sujith Kumar, a three-time National TSD Rally Champion and current FIM Asia Vice-Chief.
“Utsav de Hampi, is a popular annual motorsports festival, that is growing bigger by the year. This year four events are lined up to promote motorsports in the Heritage region of Hampi. The club has attracted national and international champions and top priority is given to all safety aspects. We are conducting the events following strict protocols of COVID19,” said Santosh HM of Motorsports Academy of Vijayanagar, Hampi.
Sanjay Sharma, Head-Motorsport, JK Tyre said, “Promoting motorsports at the grass-root level in India has always been a key priority for JK Tyre. Our idea endeavors to create an eco-system and provide racing opportunities to enthusiasts, as always. By launching the JK Tyre Prosports FMSCI India National Regulatory Run Championship, we hope to nurture the new generation of rally sport to represent India on a global map. Our activities and initiatives have further strengthened our leadership position in the segment and we continue our commitment towards building more professional rally drivers.”
“INRRC will have a Championship Class that will see National champions for 2021, one Navigator, a Driver and the team. A supporting event to promote TSD rallies will offer a Couple Class and a Corporate class for Ladies Cup 2021 and Zonal Champions,” said Rohit Gowda, Deputy CoC of MAV, Hampi.
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Team MRF Tyres on the pace but focussing on data as FIA ERC returns to Portugal
Two cars for Team MRF Tyres with Dani Sordo/Cándido Carerra and Simone Campedelli/Tania Canton in Fafe
Fafe (Portugal), 30 Sept. 2021: Team MRF Tyres is ready to take on the final gravel round of the FIA European Rally Championship season with the Rally Serras de Fafe e Felgueiras taking place on the legendary roads of northern Portugal.
The rally, which features the famous and spectacular Fafe jump, is the sixth of eight rounds for the 2021 FIA ERC season and Team MRF Tyres will compete at the front with two cars.
Coming to Fafe on the back of a second place finish at the Azores Rallye is Dani Sordo with Cándido Carrera in the Hyundai i20 R5.
The Spanish pairing completed an intense day of testing in preparation for the event with data and development remaining as the key objective in Portugal.
However, with one rally under their belts, the team expects to be able to maximise the data opportunities and to challenge for top stage times.
Alongside Sordo/Carrera in Team MRF Tyres colours are Simone Campedelli and Tania Canton.
Campedelli and Canton are driving a Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo for their third outing on the FIA ERC season, switching from a Volkswagen Polo R5 they used in Italy and Poland.Campedelli comes to Fafe off the back on several podiums finishes in the Italian Rally Championship – Gravel.
Team MRF Tyres has enjoyed a successful run over the previous weeks including a double podium in the Italian Rally Championship Gravel, a podium at the Azores Rallye and winning the Finnish Rally Championship with Emil Lindholm.
The challenge at Rally Serras de Fafe e Felgueiras cannot be underestimated.
There are 32 Rally2 cars gunning for outright victory in the FIA ERC and they will compete on 16 stages over 197.04 competitive kilometres.
The action gets underway on Friday with qualifying and the road order selection before the competition heats up on Saturday with eight stages and 113.22 km against the clock.
Sunday will see eight more stages including the legendary Fafe jump on SS12 and the final stage of the rally, SS16. Known as the Lameirinha stage, the jump will make for an exciting conclusion to the rally and day’s 83.82km of rallying.
Fans will be able to follow all stages on FIA ERC radio live and will be able to watch SS2 and SS6 (Saturday) and SS12 and SS16 (Sunday) live on the FIA ERC Facebook or YouTube streams.
You can follow Team MRF Tyres throughout the rally on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Quotes
Dani Sordo, Driver, Hyundai i20 R5
“I have a good feeling. We had a big test with MRF Tyres before the event. We have a lot of confidence as I have been here before and we had a good result. I am looking forward to it.”“The last rally, we had a better result than we expected but we need to be clever and have some luck to have a chance to get the victory.”
“We are working a lot on the tyres and getting the information which is the priority. At the same time, to get good results is a great bonus.”
Simone Campedelli, Driver, Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo
“We have a positive start to the season with the MRF Tyres as we have had podiums in Italy and I am looking forward to getting back on stage in Portugal for the FIA ERC.”“I have never been in Fafe before, but I have done my homework with MRF Tyres. We are concentrating on data and development, but we will try our maximum at the same time. There are many fast drivers so it will be a big challenge. I have been in the car before as I have tested with Skoda but the first time I have used it in a rally. We have tested before the rally to get to know it with MRF Tyres.”
“We have seen everything on that famous jump in Fafe. I think I will feel goosebumps as I remember this jump as a child watching videos of cars going over it. I was dreaming, as a child, to come to a rally driver and jump over it. You can think about it for a while but you have to remain focused!”
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JK Tyre partners with FMSCI to breathe life into TSD rallies again
New Delhi, 29 Sept, 2021: JK Tyre, India’s leading tyre manufacturer and pioneer of motorsports in India, has launched JK Tyre FMSCI Indian National Regularity Run Championship, the first-of-its-kind motorsport Nationals that is expected to provide a platform for driving enthusiasts to start their journey into professional rallying.
Ever since the Company got involved in Motorsports, the sole purpose has been to promote, nurture and provide opportunities from grassroots level to the highest echelons of motorsport to enthusiasts. The company has also invested in putting together a step by step motorsport program for budding racers who are interested in taking up motorsport as a career. JK Tyre introduced karting in India that is now the breeding ground for professional racing. Similarly, the JK Tyre FMSCI Indian National Regularity Run Championship will provide the necessary platform for entry into professional rallying.
Run under the aegis of Federation of Motorsport Clubs of India (FMSCI), and backed by JK Tyre the Indian National Regularity Run will be held across 17 cities in the country making it one of the most awaited National Championship of the year with biggest geographical spread.
Speaking on the occasion Sanjay Sharma, Head-Motorsport, JK Tyre said: “Promoting motorsports at the grass-root level in India has always been a key priority for JK Tyre. Our idea endeavors to create an eco-system and provide opportunities to motorsport buffs, as always. By launching the JK Tyre FMSCI India National Regularity Run National Championship, we hope to nurture the new generation of rally enthusiasts to get into professional rallying. Our activities and initiatives in the past few years have further strengthened our leadership position in Indian National Rally Championship and we continue our commitment towards building more professional rally drivers.”
Regularity Run is a form of TSD rally, usually conducted on public roads, both clean tarmac and flat dirt tracks which need precise time and average speed on various segments of pre-defined but undisclosed route. Each team comprises of a driver and a navigator will start the run at a fixed interval creating a field that is spread along the route with undisclosed Time Controls. The team with minimum time penalties will win. INRRC will have a Championship Class that will see National champions for 2021, one Navigator, a Driver and the team.
The zonal qualifiers will start on October 1, with the Rally of Bangalore, the first of the five South Zone events while Rally of Chamba, will kick start the other zonal rounds. Another five rounds are scheduled in the East, three in the West and one Central round would complement the North Zone event. The first South Zone round will be flagged off at 8 am at Kanteerava Stadium, in the busy downtown area and travel to the heritage Hampi city in Vijayanagar district. A 10-km run of over 40 vintage cars in the heart of the city are expected to enthrall and popularise the sport among the youngsters.
The final round of INRRC will be the JK Tyre Tri Nation Himalayan Drive in Siliguri which is the biggest motorsport event in Eastern India that traverses through the picturesque regions of Darjeeling, Sikkim, crossing Nepal and culminating at the enigmatic kingdom of Bhutan.
About JK Tyre Motorsport:
JK Tyre has been closely associated with the world of motorsports for almost three decades back. The company laid down a long term plan to popularise and promote the sport in the country. Its first target was to change the notion that this was a sport for the elite. So it packaged and redesigned it in a spectator-friendly way, drawing the masses to the sport.
The company then endeavored to spot, nurture and sharpen the drivers to turn them into world champions. With this goal in mind, we conceptualized the JK Tyre National Racing Champion in 1997. Our efforts started paying dividends in just a few years’ time, with the likes of Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandok going all the way to the F1 rung, the highest level of single-seat racing in the world. Since then, a number of stars emerged, including Armaan Ebrahim, the Maini brothers (Kush and Arjun), Anindith Reddy Konda, amongst many others.
Before all this, JK Tyre had a successful stint in rallying too, conquering the scene in the early 90s. At the same time, gradually, we moved on to various disciplines, including cross-country rallying and off-roading, leaving a mark in each of them with their unique and innovative ways.
JK Tyre Motorsports is also very proud of the role it has played in bringing women into motorsports in a big way. Apart from encouraging them to get into the sport through karting as kids, we also gave them opportunities in various national championships. Last year was particularly rewarding for us as an All-Women Racing team was introduced for the first time in the LGB 4 category. In addition, the company also undertook various other initiatives to encourage them to try motorsports, even if for fun to begin with.
To supplement JK Tyre’s entry into the two-wheeler market, the JKNRC hosted the Suzuki Gixxer Cup and the Red Bull Road to Rookies Cup categories and saw enthusiastic participation from across the country.
Today, the company is synonymous with motorsports, and even more so with racing, creating a lot of goodwill for the brand. Right from budding racers to accomplished drivers in the country, everybody owes their rise and success to JK Tyre.
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Hampi becomes a hotbed of Motorsports activity in India
Bengaluru, 29 Sept. 2021: Motorsports Utsav de Hampi is a household name, thanks to the frenetic sports activity of high-degree in just three years after the birth of Motorsports Academy of Vijayanagar, that attracted top drivers and riders, and National events to the Heritage land, in and around Hampi. Whether it is the Special Stage rallying for four-wheelers or two-wheelers, Autocross or Motocross, time-tested TSD or the highly-competitive Indian National Rally Championship, all roads lead to Hampi, and even the endurance and adventure sports like 4×4 off-road challenge made the Club special, in the hearts of motorsports lovers. The heritage site and the pride of Karnataka, truly reflecting the slogan, One State, Many Worlds, is not just the only reason for fans and athletes to flock in, `Mecca of Motorsport’ MAV is.
MAV – The Motorsports Academy
Motorsports Academy of Vijayanagar, Hampi, is an FMSCI affiliated club started in 2019 by a group of motorsport fanatics with an intention to bring high-performance motorsports athletes and top-rated National events to northern parts of Karnataka to a very well-known world heritage site. With a vision to take Indian motorsports arena to newer heights, the Academy lines up events and trainings throughout the year in different parts of the country and at home, which culminate into a grand annual Utsav de Hampi, a mega Motorsports Festival consisting of many formats of motorsport events. The Academy successfully bid for the FMSCI Indian National Autocross Championship for a period of 3 years, to add to its armoury, which already has a round of the Indian National Rally Championship for 4-wheelers and 2-wheelers after the successful 4w Candidates round in 2020 where multiple National champions like Musa Sherif, sparkled. He is the only active senior-most Navigator with nine national titles in the country.
Some of the marquee events of the club are National rallies and highly-challenging 4×4 off-road events, which extend the competitive spirit beyond the rally element, and the club cleverly incorporated motortainment and display of vintage cars that attracted tens of thousands of spectators, who thronged to the tracks to have a glimpse of the high-speed precision racing and stunning off-road action. The club has the knack to pack a visual punch and has cordial relations that cater to even minor needs of the sportspersons making it a truly-attractive event for fans, drivers, riders, officials and media. No wonder sponsors like MRF, JK Tyre, TVS, Karnataka Tourism, Department of Youth Empowerment & Sports, Red Bull, Ultramile Tyres, Brut Force and Royal Orchid Hotels lined up to associate themselves with a hot property called Utsav de Hampi.
A wheelie for you, come and enjoy motorsports, Hampi is calling… Santosh, left and Rohit, the brains behind MAV success. The Festival consists of many formats of motorsports, run on multiple weekends, with different disciplines like Stage Rally for 2-wheelers, 4-wheelers, Autocross, TSD Rally, some of which have National status and have attracted top Indian and International drivers and riders in the last three years. The Utsav found its ‘God Father’ in Parth Jindal of JSW Group, who provided the initial thrust, but it was local stalwarts like Santosh HM, Rohit Gowda and Darpan Gowda, who plunged in as the Club took off on its own with a team of dedicated volunteers, going into the last edition of the Festival in 2020 despite the COVID threats, as they managed to follow strict protocol and government’s SoP. With permissions relaxed for Sports events, the Utsav is back with a bang and has four events lined up for 2021 on the eve of Gandhi Jayanthi. The spirit of Gandhiji, the heritage of Hampi and the adrenalin of a National-level sports event, that is the cocktail of motorsports, that the Motorsports Academy offers and no fan can resist.
1. JK Tyre FMSCI Indian National Regularity Run Championship – 1, 2, 3 October, 2021
The 2021 Utsav de Hampi, has become bigger with two National-level events and an even bigger Off-road extravaganza. First off, the Motorsports Academy starts with the JK Tyre fmsci Indian National Regularity Run Championship (INRRC), a popular TSD format which offers the ladder for a lay person to enter motorsports and enjoy the thrills. The event finals has the National status accorded to it by the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India (FMSCI), the sole governing body of motorsports in India. The Time, Speed, Distance format with about 20 Time Controls (TC) is from October 1 to 3 and will be the South Zone qualifiers where the top-5 (top-3 for Women’s Cup) will take a shot to become the National Champ in three classes, team, driver and navigator. The Club offered free entries to Women in Motorsports (WIM), an FIA concept to encourage gender diversity and MAV has quickly embraced it providing Lady Freebies, and many gleefully entered the fray with Daughter-Mom Doctor pair of talented Shivani and Deepthi Pruthvi spearheading a bevy of women drivers.
2. The 4×4 Hampi off-road Challenge – 8 to 10 October 2021
The Hampi off-road challenge will see some of the finest professionally modified and stock four-wheel drive vehicles and the event, in the backwaters of the beautiful River Tungabhadra, is known to break man and machine, and is an ultimate challenge for expert drivers, who ably assisted by knowledgeable navigators, make the complex tasks look simple thus, delivering fun and frolic for fans that leads to a rich mix of motorsport madness.
In 2019, the introduction of 4×4 Hampi Off-road Challenge for Jeeps which are ripped-off, curated and tuned for one of the best off-road competitions in the country on par with international events, saw the beginning of a tradition. The record 42 entries in its very 1st edition, consisting of Professionally modified, Modified and Stock category vehicles showcased a plethora of talent and became an instant success. And the tradition of excellence goes on…
4×4 action that makes every fan skip a heart beat, land in Hampi, experience the thrills! 3. Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) – FMSCI to Confirm new dates
The popular Indian National Rally Championship is a flagship event of the Indian Federation which acquired its National status way back in 1988 and has thrown up veteran champs like Leelakrishnan, Naren Kumar, Hari Singh and Gaurav Gill. Considered in the top-3 showpiece events as one of the 12 Motorsports Nationals, it attracts a highly-talented youth and experienced veterans and the event requires high degree of organisational skills with a well-prepared terrain and tulip, as finding good tracks, tarmac or dirt, has become a gigantic task, of late for organising clubs, but not for MAV.
It conducted the Contender round successfully and is officially granted a round in the National Championship this year, which was put off due to the side effects of COVID19. The Federation and the Promoters are expected to announce the new dates any time now.
The 2020 INRC contender round Champions display their wares on the podium in Hampi. 4. MRF Mogrip FMSCI Indian National 2w Rally Championship (INRC-2w) – 16, 17 Oct 2021
The INRC for 2-wheelers is a popular sister-event of the four-wheeler Rally Nationals. Despite missing from the calendar for some years, Clubs like MAV have taken up the task to set the rally routes and organise the Nationals to the satisfaction of the riders and fans alike and the MRF Mogrip Calendar for 2w rallies is on track again. This year, the inaugural round of the MRF Mogrip FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship for motorcycles (INRC-2w) will be Rally de Hampi organised by MAV that is expected to witness national and international stars like Aishwarya Pissay, the Baja World Cup winner, Hero Yuva Kumar, a multiple National champion, and many other stars and National champoins like Nataraj of TVS, Vishwa, in other classes, fight for Overall honours on the tricky tracks of Hampi. The rally will have two special stages closed for regular traffic and include an 80.2-km liaison distance (non-competitive transport section) apart from the 62.5-km of closed to traffic competitive Stage distance for an overall 142.5-km rally. It is efficiently conducted by one of the best Clerks of the Course (CoC) Girijashankar Joshy, a former National rally champion himself, who has an impeccable record in knowledge of rules and the calm and cool nature in which he relays commands to a team of efficient Marshals and officials, in a pious “poojari” style of his own. It is the devotion required for Motorsports safety that separates him from also rans… as he breathes a whiff of fresh air into the motorsports culture.
Pack your helmet, belt-up and begin the journey into motorsports ecstasy, come to Hampi! A red carpet awaits!
For details: visit www.mavh.co.in, www.utsavdehampi.com
Follow & share Instagram: @MAVHAMPI @utsavdehampi
