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Author: David Bodapati
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Pecco takes the pressure to paint Misano red: MotoGP
Misano, 19 Sept 2021: Just over a week ago, Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) was still patiently waiting for that first MotoGP win. He was second in the standings and a consistent podium threat, but that box remained unticked. Then came Aragon and a duel for the history books against Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), with the Ducati rider unruffled to take that stunning maiden MotoGP™ win. So he had the momentum, but could he do it again on home turf?
After another all-time lap record set on Saturday for pole, the signs looked good and the Italian bolted away immediately to make a solid bit of breathing space at the front on race day. But lap by lap, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) brought the Jaws music and the Frenchman was glued to his exhaust by the final lap. Pecco remained impervious under pressure however, and the Italian pulled the pin to cross the line for his second win in a week – in some style on home turf. Quartararo was forced to settle for second but takes a valuable 20 points, with the podium completed by another incredible ride: rookie Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) blasted through from P12 on the grid to third, making his first visit to the rostrum in the premier class and at the venue that saw him take his first ever Grand Prix win back in Moto3™.
As the lights went out there was nervy moment as the number 63 Ducati moved right on the limit, but not forward, and Bagnaia kept calm thereafter to take the holeshot from pole. The Italian put the pedal to the metal immediately too as teammate Jack Miller stayed second and the two gained some early breathing space. Quartararo duelled Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) for third just behind, before the Spaniard then fell early at Turn 14, although he was able to get back in it initially.
Bagnaia, Miller, Quartararo remained in an evenly-spaced top three, with Marc Marquez fighting Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) just behind. But Bastianini had something to say about that, the Italian rookie blasting through to pass first the Aprilia and then home in on the Honda. And he made it stick on first time of asking, taking fourth but as the podium fight pulled away into the distance… for now.
As Bagnaia pushed on at the front, Quartararo was homing in on Miller, aided a little as the Aussie headed slightly wide at Turn 13. By 14 to go the Frenchman was on the scene and sliced past, with the gap to Bagnaia up to 2.7 and Miller remaining on his rear wheel. It didn’t take long for the Yamaha to pull away and Bastianini to close down the number 43 though, the rookie gaining over two and a half seconds to take over in third.
Lap by lap, Quartararo was able to home in on Bagnaia as Bastianini was able to pull away from Miller. Marc Marquez had Aleix Espargaro and Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) for company in the fight for fifth too, but Miller held firm in fourth for the moment.
As the laps ticked down, the gap between Bagnaia and Quartararo did too and there was a frisson of tension for the race leader on the horizon: by four to go, El Diablo got within eight tenths and then half a second, making it game on.
The Yamaha kept pushing and pushing, gaining here and there and really tagging onto the back of the Ducati as the final few kilometres dawned. It was just over a tenth as the two crossed the line to start the last lap, with Quartararo setting his sights on victory. But he couldn’t make the move early and Pecco was impeccable through Curvone, stretching the gap back out and laying down the gauntlet with one final push. Could Quartararo go for a lunge? Not in the end, Bagnaia once again proving impervious under pressure, painting Misano red and taking his second win in a week.
Behind that duel, it was beauty from the ‘Beast’. Bastianini kept his stunning pace to the end, taking a comfortable third place. Comfortable is an understatement, however, as the rookie put together a truly stunning race on best lap record pace to take his first premier class podium, and on home turf to boot.
The fight for fourth became Miller vs Marquez vs Mir and it was a last gasp thriller. The reigning Champion attacked the number 93 first to move through onto the back of Miller, and the Suzuki then punched his way through on the Ducati at Turn 14. But both went wide and Marquez swept through into fourth. They stayed glued together but out the penultimate corner, Marquez just kept it in but Mir touched the green. So the eight-time World Champion keeps fourth, and Mir crossed the line fifth but is classified as sixth as Miller gains back that P5.
Behind that shuffle, Aleix Espargaro lost some ground and also lost out to brother Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) after a tougher last few laps for the former, with the 44 in seventh and the 41 in eighth. Ninth was another Sunday charge from Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) as the South African shot through from P17 on the grid, only four tenths off the Aprilia ahead by the flag.
Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) completed the top ten ahead of Michele Pirro wildcarding for Ducati in P11, and he had Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) close behind after the Frenchman also did a Long Lap for having shortcutted Turns 1 and 2. Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) scored some points in P13 and close behind the number 5, with HRC test rider Stefan Bradl and Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) completing those points.
Martin retired in the end despite rejoining, and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) crashed out with 10 to go.
That’s that for race day at Misano (for now)! Bagnaia continues to hold the cards on track as we head for Austin, but Quartararo has the ace in the standings. It’s five points closer now though, and COTA has proven a very different hunting ground to Misano in the past… so make sure to tune in for the horsepower rodeo!
MotoGP podium:
Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – 41:48.305
2 Fabio Quartararo – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha – +0.364
3 Enea Bastianini* – Avintia Esponsorama – Ducati – +4.789
*Independent Team rider -
Ruhaan Alva, Rohaan Madesh and Nikhilesh Raju bag maiden National titles: X30 karting
Bengaluru, 19 Sept 2021: Ruhaan Alva, Rohaan Madesh and Nikhilesh Raju bagged their maiden National Championship title in their respective classes in the Meco FMSCI Indian National Karting Championship X30 classes 2021 which concluded here on Sunday.
Talented 15-year Ruhaan Alva dominated the depleted Senior class winning all the rounds, and will be graduating to the Formula cars where he already tested waters winning the Meco Formula Junior races at Coimbatore. The 11-year Nikhilesh, also from the Garden city, had to stave off a tough fight from in the Cadet section from 9-year Arafath Sheikh. Nikhilesh, the Vibgyor student put in consistent performances and took the title in the final round today.
But it was the Junior section which saw some fierce battles between Bengaluru brothers and Jaden R Pariat from Guwahati, who were involved in fierce triangular battles in the final round that saw the lap times dip multiple times below the 57-seconds, with the younger Ishaan Madesh becoming the fastest driver on the final day.
Winner all: Podium finishers in the Meco Indian Karting X30 Nationals. But championship leader Rohaan Madesh, displayed controlled aggression and clean driving skills to closely guard his lead with two crucial wins and sealed the championship with a race to spare to bag his maiden National title after finishing vice-champion four times in both Junior and Cadet classes.
Meco Motorsports became the first promoter to complete one of the 12 FMSCI National Championships in different disciplines following strict COVID19 protocols. The other karting Nationals, Rotax Max will begin in October.
Championship Standings after fifth and final round: Seniors: 1. Ruhaan Alva (Bengaluru) 190, 2. Nigel Abraham Thomas (Bengaluru) 120; 3. Nirmal Umashankar (Chennai) 92.
Juniors: 1. Rohaan Madesh (Bengaluru) 146; 2. Jaden R Pariat (Guwahati) 134; 3. Ishaan Madesh (Bengaluru) 130.
Cadet: 1. Nikhilesh Raju (Bengaluru) 167; Arafath Sheikh (Pune) 157; 3. Zarah Misra (Bengaluru) 76.
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Bagnaia leads Ducati 1-2 at Misano
The Italian sets another lap record, this time on home turf, with Miller and Quartararo alongside after a drama-filled qualifying
Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) remains the man to beat as the sun sets on Saturday at the Gran Premio Octo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini, with the Italian setting another all-time lap record to take pole position. It’s his third of the year and with teammate Jack Miller in second, the first factory Ducati 1-2 in back to back Grands Prix. To copy-paste the front row from MotorLand but with a seemingly pretty different race ahead, it’s Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) in third despite a crash for the Frenchman in Q2.
Q1
Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) is on a good roll of form recently and the rookie topped Q1 on home turf, setting the fastest lap to head through ahead of eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). The number 23 unfortunately then slid out after the flag, but no harm done, although there was plenty of drama earlier in the session.Sadly, Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) slid out early as the ‘Doctor’ pushes for the penultimate time on home turf, and both Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) found and exceeded the limit.
On track it got close too, with Marc Marquez’ final run seeing the number 93 catch HRC test rider Stefan Bradl and lose a little time – the German also on a hot lap and entitled to keep pushing – and Bastianini also found himself tucked up behind Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol). In the end though, Bastianini remained unthreatened in first regardless, and Marc Marquez took that second spot in Q2.
Q2
Bagnaia left it relatively late but once again arrived on provisional pole in style. The Italian smashed in his new record with just under two minutes to go, slamming down the gauntlet. He already had the best race lap at Misano, so why not add the all-time lap record? Miller moved into second not long after that but couldn’t quite get in touch, with everything then left to Quartararo. Could the Frenchman do it?He has done before with some Saturday heroics but this time wasn’t to be, as he suddenly slid out of contention and early in the lap too. The last likely challenger to Bagnaia’s cloud nine of a week so far had to bow out, rider ok but not able to improve from third.
There was also drama for Marc Marquez and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) as both crashed out – separately and in that order – losing the chance to move up the order in the latter minutes.
The Grid
A Ducati 1-2 sees Bagnaia and Miller ready to prime those holeshot devices at Misano, with Quartararo on the outside of the front row. With Bagnaia’s pace looking mighty, the Frenchman will want to make sure he stays on the two Ducati Lenovo Team machines as a minimum at lights out.El Diablo also finds himself with a Ducati armada behind as Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) slotted into fourth, top Independent Team rider just ahead of teammate Johann Zarco, who continues to suffer arm pump issues but pulled a solid lap out the bag on Saturday.
Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) edged out teammate Marc Marquez in the end to complete the second row, with MM93 shuffled down to the head of Row 3. He’s joined by fellow Q2 crasher Aleix Espargaro, with the Aprilia rider losing out on P7 by just 0.002. it’s still the Noale factory’s best qualifying at Misano though. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) will start ninth after a step back forward at Misano.
Guess who’s tenth? Yep, it’s Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini). After going fastest on Friday and getting straight into Q2, his second weekend with the Noale factory is going well and he’ll line up there. He has reigning Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) for company, the number 36 left frustrated after some miscommunication saw him box at the wrong time, with Bastianini the last of Q2 in P12.
Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), meanwhile, was provisionally up there early on in Q1 but ended up P16 as he gets back in action following surgery on his knee. The back row of the grid will also have some serious firepower as Rossi lines up alongside returning veteran Andrea Dovizioso, who continues to settle in at Petronas Yamaha SRT and on the YZR-M1.
That’s it from Saturday at Misano, at least for the first time this year. Can the smooth operator go two from two in ten days? Will Quartararo fight back? What can Miller bring to the party? Or Mir? Tune in at 14:00 (GMT +2) to find out, with another stunner promised on the Riviera di Rimini.
MotoGP front row:
1 Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – 1:31.065
2 Jack Miller – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – +0.249
3 Fabio Quartararo – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha – +0.302Top Independent Team rider
4 Jorge Martin – Pramac Racing – Ducati – +0.598 -
Rohaan Madesh wins Junior X30 National title in style
Bengaluru, 18 Sept. 2021: Fourteen-year old Bengaluru racer Rohaan Madesh for once showed plenty of early signs of stability and maturity, as he conquered his maiden Junior National Championship in style, with a race to spare, in the fifth and final round of the X30 Class of the Meco fmsci Indian National Karting Championship title at the Meco Kartopia here on Saturday.
Jaden R Pariat of Guwahati, fought the battle till the end but conceded the title, with both Madesh brothers winning two races apiece. But the honour of clocking a series of fast times went to 12-year old Ishaan, the younger of the Madesh brothers, who hogged the limelight, with the ‘Fastest Driver of the Day’ tag.
Not the one to display his moods or emotions, Rohaan broke into a rare smile, for once, and soon disappeared into his own self. Jaden, who almost upset the apple cart of the Bengaluru school student, was disappointed, but was not out. He held his composure, digested the result, sat in silence for a while, but soon recovered and walked to the other end of the straight and found Rohaan, near the car parking and congratulated him. Jaden, a student of Pathways International School in Gurgaon, showed that the camaraderie prevails and “vowed silently” to come back and win the Championship next year.
Jaden R Partiat, after a tough battle at Meco Kartopia becomes vice-champion in Junior Class of the X30 Karting Nationals on Saturday. Clinching the National title in the Junior X30 Class Championship after his second win in Race 3 today, Rohaan Madesh took an unbeatable lead and won with a race to sapre. A confident Jaden R Pariat, scored 134 points in the end and fell short by a whisker as Rohaan posted 146 points while the “little hero” Ishaan Madesh, who belted fast lap after lap in the morning, shod on cool MRF tyres, did make-up for the disappointment of Thursday, but had to be content with a third place in the championship in his Junior debut year with 130 points.
On a tense Saturday that made everyone at Meco Kartopia to be on their toes, the day began with two practice sessions and the qualifiers for Cadet and Junior Class. With the Championship interestingly poised in both the classes, Juniors had a menu of all four races while the Cadet’s played two races today and need to take to the track on Sunday to finish two more. Pune’s Nikhilesh has nothing to lose and need only to finish both the races to clinch the Championship, but he says, “I am going for it. I want to win every race and I am game for it,” he told this writer. Only a silly mistake or a DNF can provide an unlikely chance to young challenger Arafath Sheikh, only 9, but has enough experience, as he started karting at the age of 5 in UAE. Fearless Arafath had, in fact, topped the time sheets and posted the fastest time in the Cadet class going under the 63-sec mark, at this level.
Likewise, in the Junior section, it is Ishaan Madesh, the little bundle of joy, who is the hero of the day was on a song. He bagged more points than the big boys today. The knowledgeable karter, pelted out lap after quick lap for three laps in the free practice session and qualifying and some lap times were better than what the Seniors did yesterday. The two-feet 3″ karter, 3 years back, whom this writer watched, having fun on a skate board, had brute speed and is set to go places, if nurtured properly and if he keeps himself away from distractions while graduating to the senior level. Even in Race 3, he logged another point.111sec but the magic mark of going under the 56-sec just did not happen today. The track record by Yash Aradhya, 54.117sec, set in 2018 did take a beating a year later, but it will take some time for the records to be broken as the karts, tyres and tack temperatures need to be ideal.
Saturday’s Junior Class Provisional Results: (1.2km Meco Kartopia)
Race 1 (12 laps): 1. #15 Ishaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (11:18.748); 2. #18 Jaden R Pariat (Guwahati) (11:25.312); 3. #17 Sai Shiva Makesh (Pune) (11:26.817); 4. #12 Rohaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (11:26.979); 5. #11 Abhay M (Bengaluru) (11:27.768).
Fastest lap: Ishaan Madesh 56.215. Grid: 10.
Race 2 (9 laps): 1. #15 Rohaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (08:36.413); 2. #15 Ishaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (08:36.522; 3. #18 Jaden R Pariat (Guwahati) (08:37.820); 4. #16 Sai Shiva Makesh (Pune) (12:06.690); 5. #12 Akshat Misra (Bengaluru) (12:07.252); 6. #11 Abhay M (Bengaluru) (12:06.220); 7. Tarun M (Bengaluru) (11:39.0516);
Fastest lap: Ishaan Madesh 56.192. Grid: 10.
Race 3 (12 laps): 1. #15 Rohaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (11:23.385); 2. #15 Ishaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (11:29.617; 3. Jaden R Pariat (Guwahati) (11:30.922); 4. #16 Sai Shiva Makesh (Pune) (11:32.327); 5. #12 Akshat Misra (Bengaluru) (11:32.129); 6. Tarun M (Bengaluru) (11:37.001);
Fastest lap: Ishaan Madesh 56.111. Grid: 10.
Race 4 (12 laps): 1. #17 Ishaan Madesh (Bengaluru) ( 11:19.882); 2. #15 Rohaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (11:22.130); 3. #18 Jaden R Pariat (Guwahati) (11:26.967; 4. #16 Sai Shiva Makesh (Pune) (11:27.283); 5. #12 Akshat Misra (Bengaluru) (11:28.262); 6. #14 Tarun M (Bengaluru) (11:37.131);
Fastest Lap: Ishaan Madesh 55.972. Grid: Ten karters.
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Advait Deodhar finishes 5th in Race 1
Cavle, Near Rijeka (Croatia), 18 Sept 2021: Ace Indian driver Advait Deodhar finished 5th in Race of Round 7 in the NASCAR2 Whelen Euro Series here on Saturday.
But it was Martin Doubek, who got closer to the championship leader at Grobnik by winning EuroNASCAR 2 Round 7 in a tight battle against Vladimiros Tziortzis. A penalty for then race leader Tobias Dauenhauer had a crucial impact on the outcome of the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series race at Automotodrom Grobnik.
For Doubek it was the third win of the season and the fifth of his career in EuroNASCAR 2. The Czech crossed the finish line just 0.465 seconds ahead of Vladimiros Tziortzis, who reached his goal of collecting big points in the first of two races at the NASCAR GP Croatia. The Cypriot attacked Doubek several times but never got past the Hendriks Motorsport driver.
“I don’t know what happened to Tobias but I think I would have caught him in two laps”, said Doubek, who is now only 28 points shy of championship leader Dauenhauer. “I got the lead and put the pedal down, but Vladimiros put a lot of pressure on me. It was a really stressful race for me. I did it and I collected the big points for me and my team, who did a great job. Now we are looking forward to tomorrow’s race!”
The two teammates will start side by side again tomorrow for Round 8, with Dauenhauer on pole and Doubek in second on the first row on the grid.
Justin Kunz rounded out the overall podium in third place and therefore collected the second EuroNASCAR 2 podium of his career. The German was battling with his DF1 Racing teammate Simon Pilate for third and got past the Belgian when he suffered a puncture late in the race. Not Only Motorsport’s Alberto Panebianco ended up fourth overall and topped the Rookie Trophy classification. It was already his second top-5 result in the 2021 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series season.
Brands Hatch race winner Advait Deodhar was fifth under the checkered flag. The Indian gained one position after starting from sixth. He was followed by Tobias Dauenhauer, who served his penalty on lap 10. The sanction was due to unauthorized operations on the car on the grid and the German therefore got a drive through penalty in the race. The Hendriks Motorsport driver fell back to eighth and then fought his way back up the ranks.
NASCAR Whelen Euro Series newcomer Melvin de Groot not only surprised with a strong seventh place overall but also grabbed the win in the Legend Trophy for drivers aged 40 and more and the second place in the Rookie Trophy. The Dutchman, who’s racing for Team Bleekemolen, enjoyed every second of the competition and the pure power of the V8 beasts without any electronic driving aids.
He was followed by 42 Racing’s Francesco Garisto, DF1 Racing’s Gil Linster and CAAL Racing’s Max Lanza, who not only rounded out the top-10 but also took second in the Legend Trophy classification. Yevgen Sokolovskiy joined him on the podium in third with a twelfth place overall. Alina Loibnegger topped the Lady Trophy standings.
Making his EuroNASCAR 2 debut at the young age of 16, Leonardo Colavita ended up third on the Rookie Trophy podium by finishing eleventh. With 16 years and 3 days on his first day, Colavita got the new record of NWES’ all-time youngest driver – before him, it was Ben Creanor with the age of 16 years, 29 days.
Two strong title contenders both had very bad luck: Pierluigi Veronesi got off track on lap 3 and had to bring his Double V Racing car back to the pits. Naveh Talor parked his Not Only Motorsport Chevrolet Camaro on lap 10 with technical issues. Therefore, the Israeli didn’t score many points in the first EuroNASCAR 2 race at the Automotodrom Grobnik.
Both championships will return to action on Sunday: While EuroNASCAR 2 Round 8 begins at 10:10 am CEST, the second EuroNASCAR PRO race is scheduled for 2:25 pm CEST. All races will be broadcasted on EuroNASCAR’s social media channels – YouTube, Facebook, Twitch – as well as on the NWES App and Motorsport.tv.
Deodhar qualifies P6
Earlier, Deodhar secured P6 in the qualifying of the EuroNASCAR 2 even as the pole position for Round 7 went to Tobias Dauenhauer at the 4.168km Automotodrom Grobnik here on Saturday. Deodhar of CAAL Racing team clocked 1:31.047 in his #56 Ford Mustang. “P6 in qualifying today. Not ideal but it was my first time outing on this track in the dry as all practice sessions were in the wet. looking forward to the race,” said Deodhar after the qualies.
Tobias did a 1:29.830 lap in the closing stages of the 30-minute session to get the pole. It wasn’t easy though for the current points leader, as the Hendriks Motorsport team had to quickly work on a technical issue to the brakes of the #50 Mustang and Dauenhauer had only a few minutes to post his best time.
Vladimiros Tziortzis, at the wheel of the #1 Academy Motorsport / Alex Caffi Motorsport Mustang, was just 0.167 seconds slower than the German and held the lead for most of the session, which was interrupted by a red flag to recover the stopped car of Leonardo Colavita. Martin Doubek drove the #7 Hendriks Motorsport Mustang to third ahead of the DF1 Racing duo of Simon Pilate and Justin Kunz. The top-5 drivers were separated by just 1 second.
Advait Deodhar was the first CAAL Racing driver in sixth and edged the first Rookie Trophy contender Alberto Panebianco, driving the #89 Not Only Motorsport Camaro. Max Lanza took eighth place and the lead in the Legend Trophy just ahead of the #48 Marko Stipp Motorsport Camaro of Yevgen Sokolovskiy.
In his first outing on a dry track aboard the #69 Team Bleekemolen Mustang, Melvin de Groot rounded out the top-10.
All the races of the NASCAR GP Croatia from Automotodrom Grobnik will be streamed live from 13:35 CEST on the EuroNASCAR social media platforms – Youtube, Facebook and Twitch – as well as on the NWES app and on Motorsport.tv.
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Redding heads historic Ducati 1-2-3 in epic wet race
A late surge from Scott Redding allowed him to take victory while Axel Bassani took his first World Championship podium
Catalunya, 18 Sept 2021: A pre-race rain downpour provided the perfect recipe for Race 1 at the Hyundai N Catalunya Round as Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) put in a late surge for victory at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya with Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) claiming his first MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship podium, as the fight for the Championship took yet another twist in Spain.
At the start of the race, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) found himself down in tenth at the first timing point but battled his way back to the lead after Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK), who was forced to retire from the lead of the race on Lap 15 with a technical issue. The final results mean Rea has a six-point advantage over Razgatlioglu in the Championship standings.
As Rea pulled away at the front, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) battled his way to the front and fought with Razgatlioglu in the first half of the race before the pair closed the gap to Rea while battling. Eventually they bought found their way past the six-time Champion before Bassani took the lead when Razgatlioglu pulled over with the technical issue. As the 20-lap race progressed, the two factory Ducati riders of Michael Ruben Rinaldi and Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) found pace.
In the closing stages, Redding passed teammate Rinaldi for second before making a move on the Independent Ducati of Bassani for the lead with a handful of laps to go as he claimed the lead of the race, ahead of Bassani and Rinaldi who secured Ducati’s first 1-2-3 finish since Assen 2012. -
Ruhaan Alva clinches Senior title with a round to spare: X30
Bengaluru, 17 Sept. 2021: Ruhaan Alva clinched the Senior National Championship in his debut with 5 races to spare as he continued his domination in the Meco FMSCI Indian National Karting Championship X30 Class at Meco Kartopia on Friday. Ruhaan also won the Junior National title before graduating to Seniors.
In the Cadet Class, the baby of the grid at 9 years, Arafath Sheikh, the 4th class student of Bishop School, Pune won two races but Nikhilesh Raju kept himself in the lead, also winning two races and bagging two second-place podiums. With equal points in the this penultimate round, Nikhilesh extended his lead to 25-points going into the final round and needs to win at least two races or just play cool as a second place in all the four races is good enough to seal him the Cadet Championship. “But I want to win the races and I will go for it,” said the 11-year Bengaluru student of Vibgyor School.
The 15-year Ruhaan faced no challenge from the depleted field and got so bored that he ‘deliberately’ fell back in the last race, at the start, and had some fun overtaking and winning the inconsequential final race of Round 4, the penultimate round. For the lanky teenager who came into the day with 113 points, bagged all the first three races to post an unbeatable 143 on board at that stage. With five races and 50 points to fight for, another Bengaluru karter Nigel Abraham Thomas had only 90 points in second place.
Due to COVID19, among other reasons, the Grids have taken a toss this year but Ruhaan continued with dedication with an eye to graduate into Formula cars and tested waters at the Meco Formula Junior races (FJRS) in Coimbatore this year. With the MMSC fmsci Racing Nationals beckoning, the youngster who gained experience in Europe at an young age of 11, will shift focus to single seaters and gain the much-needed seat time before going for the F4 Championship in 2022.
Saturday will be the D Day for the Juniors, with four races of the final round on cards, and the Junior championship wide open with both local lad Rohaan Madesh and Jaden R Pariat from Guwahati gunning for the gold.
Round 4 X30 Provisional Results (At 1.2km Meco Kartopia, Bengaluru)
Cadet Class: (All 10 laps – Grid 6)
Race 3: 1. #4 Nikhilesh Raju (Bengaluru) (10:41.642); 2. #5 Arafath Sheikh (Pune) (10:41.720); 3. #2 Vedha Vishnu (Gujarat) (10:59.814); 4. #7 Rohaan Reddy (Gujarat) 11:03.567; 5. #1 Zarah Mishra (11:08.074); 6. #3 Anuj A (Madurai) (11:09.592); Fastest lap: Arafath Sheikh 1:02.922;
Race 4: 1. #5 Arafath Sheikh (Pune) (10:35.079); 2. #4 Nikhilesh Raju (Bengaluru) (10:47.254); 3. #2 Vedha Vishnu (Gujarat) (10:50.282) 4. #3 Anuj A (Madurai) (11:00.300); 5. #7 Rohaan Reddy (Gujarat) (11:00.747); 6. #1 Zaarah Misra (Bengaluru) (11:06.341); Fastest Lap: 1:02.921 by Arafath.
Senior Class: (All 15 laps – Grid 5)
Race 1: 1. #27 Ruhaan Alva (Bengaluru) (14:22.589); 2. #28 Nigel Abraham Thomas (Bengaluru) (14:29.291); 3. #25 Nirmal Umashankar (Chennai) (14: 30.304); 4. #32 Tarun M (Mumbai) (14:33.311); 5. Vidyali Reddy (Bengaluru) (15:04.763). Best lap: Ruhaan 56.605sec.
Race 2: 1. #27 Ruhaan Alva (Bengaluru) (14:35.117); 2. #28 Nigel Abraham Thomas (Bengaluru) (15:02.725); DNF: Vidyali Reddy (Bengaluru) (9:11.327 -9 laps); #25 Nirmal Umashankar (Chennai) (1:47.323 -1 lap); #32 Tarun M (Mumbai) (1.269 DNF before completing one lap); Best lap: Ruhaan 56.974.
Race 3: 1. #27 Ruhaan Alva (Bengaluru) (14:19.883); 2. #25 Nirmal Umashankar (Chennai) (14: 24.039); 3. #32 Tarun M (Mumbai) (14:29.388); 4. #28 Nigel Abraham Thomas (Bengaluru) (14:34.113); 5. Vidyali Reddy (Bengaluru) (14:41.539). Best lap: Ruhaan 56.555sec.
Race 4: 1. #27 Ruhaan Alva (Bengaluru) (14:18.474); 2. #25 Nirmal Umashankar (Chennai) (14: 19.938); 3. #32 Tarun M (Mumbai) (14:25.993); 4. #28 Nigel Abraham Thomas (Bengaluru) (14:33.528); 5. Vidyali Reddy (Bengaluru) (14:34.710). Best lap: Ruhaan 56.667sec.
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Viñales pips Mir to the top on mixed Day 1 at Misano
Aprilia lead the way in FP1 before rain affects play, with the reigning Champion extremely hot on their heels
Misano, 17 Sept. 2021: Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) made some headlines when he first tested the RS-GP at Misano and on Day 1 at the Gran Premio Octo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini he made a few more. The number 12 was quickest out the blocks in FP1 before the rain came down in the final few minutes, and with conditions remaining damp in FP2 he remains the fastest on Friday. Reigning Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was in close attendance, however, 0.080 off the top as he prepares to make his 100th Grand Prix start on Sunday, with MotorLand winner Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) starting his home GP in third.
FP1
Viñales was hovering third in FP1 before the number 12 pulled the pin further and went top, and with only just over 10 minutes left of the opening session, the rain then came down in droves. That put paid to that for the rest, and the Spaniard’s 1:32.666 was enough for him to take the honours, 0.080 clear of Mir and just under a tenth and a half ahead of Bagnaia.Bagnaia was the first in a Borgo Panigale 3-4 as Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) was less than half a tenth off the number 63, with Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) finding some speed on Friday to complete the top five.
Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) was sixth and the number 44 was one of a few who headed out after the heavens opened, along with teammate and eight-time World Champion Marc Marquez and the two Suzukis.
Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was P7 in FP1, ahead of HRC test rider and wildcard Stefan Bradl, who reportedly has some chassis comparing to do. Marc Marquez was ninth, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) completing the top ten.
On his return following knee surgery, Franco Morbidelli put his new Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP machine into P16, only just over half a second off new – and former – teammate Quartararo. Andrea Dovizioso (Petronas Yamaha SRT), meanwhile, eased into it with a best of a 1:35.211 on his return to the grid and to Yamaha.
There were no crashes in the morning.
FP2
The afternoon was wet, wet, damp and it was Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) who rose to the fore. The Frenchman topped the timesheets after having taken P11 in FP1, and he had a huge half-second margin in hand over Bagnaia in P2. Miller was his teammate’s shadow once again, the Australian 0.069 in further arrears.Mir had a solid showing, with laptimes hovering around ten seconds off those set in FP1, and the number 36 slotted it into fourth. Marc Marquez was just 0.011 further behind, and the number 93 had a good three tenths to spare ahead of Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) as the Portuguese rider leapt into the limelight in FP2.
Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) was next up on the second KTM, 0.095 further back, and the Italian had a bigger gap back to Aleix Espargaro.
Iker Lecuona (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) put in a solid session on the timesheets but the Spaniard also suffered a big highside at Turn 1, rider ok but a little bruised. Rookie Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) was the only other faller, down at Turn 2.
Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) completed the damp-affected FP2, just pipping Rins.
Combined timesheets
FP1 is the same as the combined timesheets after the weather came down, so it’s some interesting reading from the so-far slightly limited running. Viñales and Aprilia grab the headlines, and with the venue one where the number 12 holds the all-time lap record, the RS-GP has tested and where Viñales has tested the RS-GP, it will be interesting to see what happens if the sun returns…Mir’s strong start in both sessions sends a good warning shot as he arrives fresh from the podium, and Bagnaia’s continued pace, on the back of his first win, likewise. The Italian also had some serious speed at Misano last season…
Miller will want to turn the tables on his teammate on Saturday as he’s fourth, with Rins back in the top five after a tougher Aragon GP outside the top ten on race day. Pol Espargaro is top Honda and pipped Quartararo to sixth by just 0.005, although the Championship leader will surely have more in the locker at a venue Yamaha have dominated eight times.
Bradl impressed to pip Marc Marquez, and Aleix Espargaro is the final rider set to move through to Q2 as it stands. For some, there could be a rain dance for FP3 as they look to move through, but with the weather changing quickly it’s anyone’s guess.
Morbidelli and Dovizioso will definitely want dry skies as they settle in, and FP3 will reveal all at 9:55 (GMT +2). Qualifying then start from 14:10, with the grid for a pivotal race in the title fight sure to prove hard-fought.
MotoGP – Friday’s top-5
1 Maverick Viñales* – Aprilia Racing Team Gresini – Aprilia – 1’32.666
2 Joan Mir – Team Suzuki Ecstar – Suzuki – +0.080
3 Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – +0.135
4 Jack Miller – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – +0.193
5 Alex Rins – Team Suzuki Ecstar – Suzuki – +0.219*Independent Team rider
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Razgatlioglu dazzles to head Rea on combined times after Catalunya Day 1
The title duel has come alive once more as Razgatlioglu pipped Rea, with the two enjoying a small margin over the rest of the field, led by Michael Ruben Rinaldi
Barcelona, 18 Sept. 2021: The 2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is well underway as day one at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and the Hyundai N Catalunya Round comes to a close. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) was in mighty form once more and topped the overall times from title rival Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), as the next chapter of their fierce rivalry awaits in Barcelona this weekend.
IT’S HAPPENING: Razgatlioglu leads Rea
Toprak Razgatlioglu was in good form again, with the Turkish rider on the pace from the start. The Championship leader was second in the morning session before topping the afternoon’s FP2, putting in a strong run at the end which saw him dip into the low 1’42s. As for Andrea Locatelli, the Italian was also showing his strengths, having been fifth in FP1 before leading FP2’s opening half of the session. Working together with slightly different tyres before swapping over, Toprak and Andrea worked together as they looked to settle into their rhythm, showcasing Yamaha’s strengths to have both riders help each other to make the ultimate race package. Within the final ten minutes, Locatelli crashed at the final corner, the bike tumbled through the gravel. He was OK and, on his feet, finishing fifth overall.
Leading the way in FP1, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) had a very strong opening day at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with the reigning six-time World Champion giving his team something to cheer about at their home round. The Ulsterman did an impressive run during the middle part of the session and was running second for most of it, holding it on the overall timesheets but only fourth in FP2, suffering a Turn 10 run-off too on his final cool-down lap. Teammate Alex Lowes was also showing well, up finishing seventh in FP2 and in sixth overall.
DUCATI, BMW AND HONDA CHALLENGE: it’s close at the front…
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was formidable in the afternoon, running second for almost the entirety of the session. Having been top Ducati in the morning, Rinaldi’s pace translated into FP2 and as the chequered flag dropped on Friday, he concluded it in third and was once more, top Ducati. Having struggled away in the opening session, teammate Scott Redding was back inside the top five for the first part of FP2. Redding’s first session saw him down in 13th but bouncing back and setting his fastest time of the weekend in the afternoon almost immediately, finishing eighth.
It was a mixed day for BMW and Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), with the British rider third in FP1 before crashing in the opening phase of the afternoon’s FP2. Tucking the front at Turn 5 and with the bike bouncing through the gravel, Sykes returned to the track in the final ten minutes and almost immediately, was on the pace he demonstrated in the morning session. Teammate Michael van der Mark was having a consistent day, lapping within a second of the leading riders but remained in eighth going into Saturday, whilst Sykes was fourth overall.
Flying the Honda flag, Leon Haslam (Team HRC) finished in eighth place with a flying lap right at the end of the afternoon’s session, putting him seventh overall. Haslam, having been sixth in the morning, is a firm fixture inside the top ten. It was a mixed day for Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) with the Spanish rider popping into the top ten in the afternoon session, before crashing at the final corner in the closing stages. Tucking the front early on in the corner, Bautista barreled through the gravel before hobbling to the barriers. He was ninth come the end of FP2, but eleventh on the combined times.
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Big-time Motorsport returns to Kolkata with 2w Sprint Rally Nationals
Kolkata, 17 Sept. 2021: Two-wheeler rally returns to the City of Joy after a gap of 18 years with the MotorsportsInc FMSCI Indian National Rally Sprint Championship 2021 for two-wheelers set for the two-day East Zone qualifiers in the mixed-tarmac and murram dirt terrain of the jungles in Bardhaman district, about 180 km, from here on Saturday and Sunday. The South Zone rounds were held in August and two more rounds in North and West Zone would culminate in the Grand Finale at Goa from November 6 to 7.
Locals stalwarts Vishal Das, Uday Ganguli and Jayaraj will spearhead the competition with the `Flying Lady’ Buli Nath providing the North-East edge with a bevy of young riders and fans descending from Assam. A veteran of 20 years riding in different disciplines of motorsports including Desert Storm, the 42-year young Vishal Das, is a Stock class winner of the Holy Grail, the Raid de Himalaya, blazing his KTM390 on the dangerous terrain when it was last held in 2018. Uday Ganguli is also a popular name in these parts with his motorsports exploits being second to none. He too has taken part in cross country rallies and other disciplines including Desert Storm. “These veterans will be challenged by a host of youngsters, some of whom have high skills but no platform to showcase their talent and have to travel to north or south of the country. Many of them will ride in multiple classes with a handful of bikes in the special stage which is closed to road traffic, said Sandeep Sardar, who received 72 entries as Treasurer of BMSC.
“It is our endeavour to bring back the popular sport to the riding fraternity of Kolkata and North East region. We are organising this with strict respect to all the COVID protocols and it is a good chance for riders to win medals at the National level again,” said Jaidas Menon of Motorsports INC, the promoter and the brain behind the concept of Sprint. Menon has multiple INRC wins as navigator in four-wheelers and now runs the Dakshin Dare and the Sprint Nationals.
File photo of veteran rider Vishal Das, who has over 20 years of experience in various disciplines of motorsports including victories in big events like Raid de Himalaya and Desert Storm, not to mention the 2-wheeler Indian National Rally Championship. INDIAinF1 photo by arrangement. Organised by Bengal Motorsports Club and promoted by Motorsports INC, the Federation of Motor Sports Club Sprint Nationals for 2w stage rally is a recent concept on the lines of T20 cricket to provide a thrilling shorter version where an 8-km stage is run twice, once in the forward direction on Saturday and once in the reverse direction on Sunday. The top-five qualifiers in each of the 9 classes will make it to the Finals in Goa. The sponsorship from Hero Moto Corp has not only helped their two star riders Yuva and Satyaraj from Bengaluru take part and provide the impetus to motorsports in East and North-East but also to bring back a big-ticket event to this region with the Kavi Guru rally being the last held here 2019 by BMSC.
Overnight rains can make the red murram slushy and interesting for the 10 classes which will showcase a plethora of machines, in the picturesque forest backdrop, with Group A upto 600cc class for motocross tuned bikes and the Open Class upto 600cc class being the feature events. The scooter class, Bullet class among the ten categories add spice as they provide intense competition and the response is overwhelming with over 70 entries expected to fight for honours. The presence of Buli Nath adds spice to the ladies event as the `Flying Lady’ from Assam coming to the Sprint Nationals within two months of delivering a baby had inspired a few other bikers from Assam to take part.
“To bring rich-man’s sport to the commoners, the Bengal Motor Sports Club was born in 1998 and is taking the initiative to organise the Sprint Rally Nationals. The club regularly runs events and has a team of motorsports enthusiasts and veterans who volunteer to maintain high standards while running the events, said Pratim Chowdhury, Secretary of BMSC. The Rally Headquarters will be at the Deul Park Eco Resort, near Durgapur, and the terrain is famous for the INRC four-wheeler round, last held in 2011.
The 2w Sprint Rally Nationals is one of the 10 different motorsports disciplines that were given the National Championship status by the FMSCI and nine National Champions for 2021 will emerge after the final round.
Championship classes: Class 1. Group A upto 600cc (Foreign bikes only) 2. Group B upto 130cc 3. Group B 131cc to 165cc 4. Group B 166cc to 260cc 5. Group B 261cc to 400cc 6. Group D upto 260cc 7. Scooter Class 8. Bullet Class 9. Open Class upto 600cc.
