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Author: INDIAinF1 Desk
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Shahan Ali, Akash shine for Speed Demons Delhi; Neel, Akhil salvage win for Hyd: IRL
Chennai (Tamil Nadu), 4 Dec 2022: Neel Jani and Akhil Rabindra chalked out an opportunistic victory in the Feature Race to help Black Birds Hyderabad maintain their grip at the top after young racing talent Shahan Ali Mohsin took a brilliant win in the Sprint Race 2 for Speed Demons Delhi in the third and penultimate round of the Indian Racing League promoted by Racing Promotions Pvt. Limited (RPPL) at the Madras International Circuit at Irungattukottai, about 40 kms from here, on Sunday.
Going into the third round, Speed Demons Delhi were lying at the bottom of the points table but with a strategic win in the qualifying session 2, Akash Gowda put his teammate Shahan Ali Mohsin in pole position and the 18-year Agra driver did a brilliant job with a mature drive as he kept experienced Jon Lancaster of Chennai Turbo Riders behind him with excellent defensive tactics despite a Safety Car period and brought home full points. Despite having issues with the gear box, the Speed Demons Delhi, took a gamble and preferred to start on pole, opting not to change the gear box which would have invited a 5-place gird penalty. Lancaster finished second ahead of Nikhil Bohra (Godspeed Kochi) in third, after Bianca Bustamante was hit by a mechanical failure.
“We did not have it easy in the race, nor earlier in the warm-up as we had gear-box issues. But we had the pace and I kept my focus despite the pressure from Jon (Lancaster). The team did a great job and the strategy worked,” said Shahan Ali.
Later, Shahan Ali combined well with Akash Gowda and were well on course for a victory but two Safety Car periods spoiled their party. Shahan who started the Feature race, defended well and slowly increased the lead with two fastest laps and handed over the car with a 5-second lead to Akash. Surprisingly, despite being in the lead when the second Safety Car period started, Delhi’s second driver Akash Gowda found himself in third. Sandeep Kumar of Chennai, who was in second place at that point with just a lap to go, stalled his car and the race finished behind the Safety Car. Akash finished behind Jani and Rishon took final place on the podium.
However, it was an opportunistic victory for Neel Jani, who salvaged full points along with Akhil Rabindra for Black Birds Hyderabad as the championship leaders failed to get on to the podium in both the sprint races in Round 3. Akash Gowda (Shahan Ali) finished second and a lucky Rishon Rajeev (Bianca Bustamante) of Bengaluru finished third, thanks to the Safety Car. During the Safety Car period, the lapped cars were allowed to un-lap themselves and with the mechanical failure for the Chennai car, Rishon suddenly found himself on the podium.
“I was a bit confused. Suddenly I was behind the Safety Car and I was wondering if I was in P1, then the Safety Car allowed us to pass and I came back into P4 and then the podium,” said a happy Rishon Rajeev of Bangalore Speedsters, whose teammate Bianca did well with some fine defensive driving but was unlucky to miss the podium in the Sprint.
The Fourth and the final leg of the Indian Racing League will return to the Street Circuit of Hyderabad December 10 and 11.
Results – Day 2, Round 3:
Feature Race:
1. Neel Jani / Akhil Rabindra (Black Birds Hyderabad) 41:20.818;
2. Shahan Ali Mohsin / Akash Gowda (Speed Demons Delhi) 41:21.384;
3. Rishon Rajeev /Bianca Bustamanta (Bangalore Speedsters) 41:22.633.
Sprint Race 2:
1. Shahan Ali Mohsin (Speed Demons Delhi) 23:04.788;
2. Jon Lancaster (Chennai Turbo Riders) 23:06.750;
3. Nikhil Bohra (Godspeed Kochi) 23:13.585.
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Alister Yoong wins Sprint Race 1; Rishon Rajeev sparkles: IRL Round3
Irungattukotti, 3 Dec 2022: Malaysia’s Alister Yoong continued his good run bringing a victory for GodSpeed Kochi in the Sprint Race 1 to make a strong comeback in the Round 3 of the inaugural Indian Racing League at the Madras International Circuit which saw spells of rain here on Saturday.
While Alister Yoong, son of the first Malaysian F1 driver Alex Yoong, who did brilliant work last week-end, was upto it again and clocked 12min, 22.995 seconds for the eight laps before the race was Red flagged due to heavy rain. With only seven minutes left and 75 per cent completed, the race was not started again and Yoong took the victory in the first sprint followed by young talented Bengalurean Rishon Rajeev, who did a splendid job for Speedsters clocking 12:25.421. Lola Lovinfosse of Black Birds Hyderabad came third bagging 15 valuable points to save the blushes for the Championship leaders. Her teammate in the second car Akhil Rabindra came fifth to chip in 10 points to salvage a total of 25 point in the Sprint race behind the 33 bagged by Kochi team.
Besides Alister’s 25 points, Ruhaan Alva in the other Kochi car garnered 8 points with a sixth place to steal the day’s honours for Godspeed Kochi.
Akhil Rabindra finishes 5th in Sprint Race 1 to get 12 valuable points that helped retain their top spot on the IRL standings on Saturday. Photos Karan Ravi for INDIAinF1. After the first Sprint Race in Round 3, Black BIrds Hyderabad continue to lead the standings with 193 points followed by Kochi on 153 and Bangalore, 119.
Earlier, Nikhil Bohra put GodSpeed Kochi on pole in the first Qualifier, to put Alister Yoong on pole with the best lap time of 1:31.825. Jani Neel representing the Black Birds Hyderabad settled for the second spot with the best lap timing of 1:33.212 helping his teammate Akhil Rabindra start on P2 for the Sprint Race 1. Each car has two drivers, and Driver A will qualify for Driver B and vice-versa for the two sprint races. The combined qualifying times will decide the grid for the Feature race.
In Qualifier 2, Akash Gowda (1:42.017) took pole position in changing weather conditions for Speed Demons Delhi along with Sandeep Kumar from Chennai Turbo Riders (1:45.354) who cemented the second place.
On Sunday, the Sprint Race 2 will be held followed by the Feature Race.
The finale of the Indian Racing League will take place in Hyderabad on 10th & 11th December 2022.
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”21″ gal_title=”Indian Racing League Round3 Sprint Race 1 images”] -
Prasaditya 46th K1000 Rally flagged off: INRC Round 3
Tumakuru (Karnataka), 2 Dec 2022: The Prasaditya 46th Karnataka-1000 rally, the third round of the Blueband FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship, was flagged off here today by former Minister S Shivanna to signal the start of the event which will be run near here over two days starting Saturday, Dec 3.
The Prasaditya K1000 rally, which has attracted 65 entries, is being organised by the Karnataka Motor Sports Club under the aegis of FMSCI, the governing body of motorsports in India and promoted by Blueband Sports.
Following a reconnaissance run this morning of the Special Stages, most of the competitors expressed happiness at the terrain which was variously described as fast, flowing and technical.
Championship leader, Bengaluru’s Karna Kadur (co-driver Nikhil Pai) of Arka Motorsports, said: “I am quite pleased with the Special Stages. The terrain is a good mix of fast, flowing corners, a few jumps and water splashes which should make for a good viewing for the spectators. We have prepared the car well and hope to finish strongly.”
Delhi-based seven times National champion and Arjuna Awardee Gaurav Gill (Musa Sherif), who is currently second in the championship, was impressed with the Special Stages. “I quite liked the stages. The organisers have put in a lot of hard work to prepare the route which I think will take rallying to the next level. The Stages are quite fast in some sections and also technical with blind corners and crests. The pace notes have to be spot-on and it will also test your driving skills. I won the 2021 event despite many setbacks and I hope I can win my eighth K-1000 title on Sunday,” he said.
Karna Kadur holds advantage with a handsome lead
The battle is all set to resume between championship leader Karna Kadur of Arka Motorsports on MRF Tyres and 7-time National champion Gaurav Gill, a private entry in yellow colours, supported by JK Tyres.
The popular Karnataka-1000 rally, the oldest rally in the in the country, which has attracted 65 entries is being organised by the Karnataka Motor Sports Club under the aegis of FMSCI, the governing body of motorsports in India and promoted by Blueband sports.
Karna Kadur and co-driver Nikhil Pai, who won the South India Rally, the first round of the season, lead the championship table with 72 points while strong contenders Gaurav Gill and co-driver Musa Sherif, who had a mechanical failure in first round came back strongly with a victory in the second round in Coimbatore have 44. While Gill will be gunning for his 8th K1000 victory, Kadur with a 28-point lead will be safe and cautious, looking to bag crucial points to protect his lead. With a total of 40 points on offer, the dark horse of the rally, will be defending champions from Himachal Pradesh, Aditya Thakur and Virender Kashyap, who are trailing third with 34 points.
Guttedar leads INRC2
Bengaluru pair of Ritesh Guttedar and co-driver Lokaranjan lead the INRC2 standings with 47 points followed by Thakur and Kashyap while another experienced duo Rahul Kantharaj and Vivek Bhat are in third.
Another Himachal pair Kuber Sharma and Kunal Kashyap lead the INRC3 table while Samrat Yadav and Chandrasekhar M leads the Gypsy class. The Junior INRC will see close competition between the top-two ladies teams. While Dr Shivani Pruthvi (Dr Deepthi) leads the table with 66points, Pragathi Gowda (Trisha Alonkar) is just a point behind with third-placed Arnav Pratap Singh (Arun SSB) on 40 points.
27 entries for INRC3
The top INRC class has six cars while there are nine entries in INRC2 category and ten in INRC4. The bulk of rally cars with 27 entries will feature in the popular INRC3 class. There are 13 entries in the Gypsy section for the Challenge Cup, which is a non-championship class.
“The iconic K-1000 rally is running continuously for close to five decades, except a couple of years, and has once again attracted the cream of talent from all over the country. KMSC has put in place all safety requirements and I wish all the drivers a happy rally,” said Gautham Shantappa, the President of KMSC, who is also the vice-president of FMSCI.
10 Special Stages of dirt tracks
The K-1000 rally will have 10 Special Stages. There will be four physical stages with an total special stage competitive distance of 119.11km. The 15.10-km long Hatyalu and Kondli (9.67km) will be run thrice on Saturday while the cars will take on Yallapura (6.87km) and Thirtharama (15.53km) on Sunday. Along with a liaison distance of close to 105 km, the total distance of the rally will be about 224km.
The final round of the INRC, the Rally of Nagaland is scheduled for Jan 12-14 subject to approval by FMSCI, as it is a new venue.
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Akhil Rabindra, Neel Jani star in Black Birds sweep: Indian Racing League
Irungattukottai (Chennai), 27 Nov 2022: Indian Racing star Akhil Rabindra displayed excellent driving skills and consistency to post a victory in the Sprint Race 2 and later combined with teammate Neel Jani, sharing the car, to win the Feature Race. The duo put strong contenders Black Birds Hyderabad on top of the championship table with a clean sweep of all the three races in the second round of the inaugural Indian Racing League at the Madras International Circuit here on Sunday.
Godspeed Kochi’s Ruhaan Alva and Fabienne Wohlwend came second in the Feature Race clocking 37 minutes, 05.957 seconds, followed by Amir Sayed and Shohil Shah of Goa Aces who timed 37:23.507 for their third place. Winners Akhil and Neel posted a winning time of 36:55.401. Each of the 12 cars in the Feature race saw a driver change after a mandatory pit stop. Neel Jani also set the fastest lap in the Feature Race 1:31.274.
Akhil Rabindra of Black Birds Hyderabad who excelled on Sunday. Godspeed Kochi’s Ruhaan Alva and Fabienne Wohlwend celebrate on the podium after taking a second in the Feature race. Photos by Srinivasa Krishnan Talking to INDIAinF1.com, Neel Jani said: “It was great to see IRL finally lifting off, after a bumpy start! Obviously, I am very happy about the 3 wins that Akhil and I could give to Team Hyderabad Black birds!
“We had our fair share of issues in free practice but we managed to go through them step by step, and by qualifying we started to get ontop of things. Clean sweep this weekend, could not have hoped for more!”
“It is special as this is my first win on Indian soil,” the Swiss driver, whose father is of Indian origin, added.
Sprint Race 2
Earlier Rabindra, the 26-year old Bengaluru-born Aston Martin Racing Academy driver, who is a regular in the GT4 Euro Series, began the day with a deserving win in the Sprint Race 2, dominating from pole to flag. He clocked 46:48.660. The race saw a Safety Car period after an incident where Raoul Hymen of Goa Aces and Shahan Ali Mohsin of Speed Demons Delhi had a contact but later with about four minutes to go, the race was red flagged when Celia Martin of Speed Demons Delhi lost control, spun and slid backwards crashing on to the tyre barriers. All the drivers escaped unhurt.
Godspeed Kochi’s Fabienne Wohlwend from Liechtenstein came second in 46:49.383, defending admirably against a marauding Jon Lancaster of Chennai Turbo Riders, who clocked 46:49.963. Rabindra set the fastest lap at 1:32.108.
Ruhaan Alva in action on Sunday. Feature Race
Black Birds dominated the week-end and now top the table with 118 points, with their Team A comprising of Akhil and Neel, garnering full 100 points that are on offer from three races. But they had a heart-break when their second driver combo of Anindith Reddy and Lola Lovinsfosse, who garnered 18 points in the two sprint races together, were well on course for a podium finish but Lola outbraked and lost balance, suffering a DNF on the last lap.
A brilliant drive by 16-year old Ruhaan Alva and teammate Fabienne Wohlwend got them a well-deserved second place in the Feature race and they put Godspeed Kochi in second place with 84 points. Fabienne put the #1 Blue-coloured machine into fourth place after starting from P9, and handed over to Ruhaan in the 15th minute. Then Ruhaan stepped up the pace and overtook a couple of more cars to get into the podium zone and finished a creditable second.
“It was an amazing race, a great start from Fabienne getting up to p4 on the first lap. Then I had to really push in the second stint to get into the top 3 because we were trying to undercut the others. We weren’t as quick as we would have liked but we were always there, playing it smart in the races and fighting it out. So I’m pretty happy with the performance,” said Ruhaan Alva, who just returned from the World Motorsport Games a few days back.
Amir Sayed and Sohil Shah of Goa Aces, despite a 15-sec penalty came third. Yash Aradhya and Anshul Gandhi of Bangalore Speedsters came fourth to bag a valuable 24 points that pushed them to third in the championship table with 60 points. Only six of the 12 teams completed the Feature race which saw many incidents including safety car periods.
The first round in Hyderabad on Nov 20 was cancelled due to safety issues.
Provisional Results (Round 2):
Sprint Race:
1. Akhil Rabindra (Black Birds Hyderabad) 46:48.660;
2. Fabienne Wohlwend (Godspeed Kochi) 46:49.383;
3. Jon Lancaster (Chennai Turbo Riders) 46:49.963;
Fastest lap: Akhil Rabindra (BB Hyderabad) 1:32.108.
Feature Race;
1. Neel Jani/ Akhil Rabindra (BB Hyd) 36:55.401;
2. Ruhaan Alva/ Fabienne Wohlwend 37: 05.957;
3. Amir Sayed /Shohil Shah (Goa Aces) 37:23.507;
Fastest Lap: Neel Jani (BB Hyd) 1:31.274.
INDIAN RACING LEAGUE – Points Standings after Round 2 at MIC
# Team Name Car # Sprint Race 1 Sprint Race 2 Feature Race Total Points Team Total 1 Black Birds Hyderabad 9 25 25 50+50 150 168 Black Birds Hyderabad 10 6 12 DNF 18 2 GodSpeed Kochi 1 12 18 36+36 102 120 GodSpeed Kochi 2 18 DNF DNF 18 3 Bangalore Speedsters 3 10 10 16+16 52 100 Bangalore Speedsters 4 DNF DNF 24+24 48 4 Chennai Turbo Riders 5 8 DNF 20+20 56 67 Chennai Turbo Riders 6 4 15 DNF 19 5 Goa Aces 7 DNF DNF DNF 0 68 Goa Aces 8 DNF 8 30+30 68 6 Speed Demons Delhi 11 DNF DNF DNF 0 15 Speed Demons Delhi 12 15 DNF DNF 15 In Feature race both drivers get points. Note: Table updated on 1dec22 -
Indian Racing League: All six teams test in dry and wet conditions
Chennai 14 Nov 2022: Madras International Circuit, the first permanent racing circuit in India successfully hosted Indian Racing League’s season’s Pre-test on Monday where all the six franchise teams tested in both dry and wet conditions.
Each round will have two sprint races and a feature race. Qualifying session and the first Sprint race of 25 minutes will be held on Saturday while the second sprint and the Feature race (45 min) will be on Sunday. Each team will have two cars. Each car will be shared by two drivers for the two Sprint races. Both cars will see both drivers swap each other in a compulsory pit-stop for the Feature race.
With a vision to revolutionize motorsports in India, Indian Motorsports Company, Racing Promotions (RPPL) is bringing 24 prominent Foreign and Indian drivers who will take part in four rounds on consecutive weekends starting at the Hyderabad street circuit on November 19. The race will also act a test ahead of the big-ticket Formula E Championship slated to be held on the banks of Hyderabad’s iconic Hussain Sagar lake in February next year.
Madras International Circuit (MIC), which also hosts the Indian Racing Nationals, will conduct two rounds on Nov 25-27 and Dec 2-4 before the teams travel back to Hyderabad for the final round on Dec 10-11. The races will be telecast live on Star Sports 2 on Saturday and Sunday.
The six City-Based Teams are Chennai Turbo Riders, Speed Demons Delhi, Bangalore Speedsters, Hyderabad Blackbirds, GodSpeed Kochi and Goa Aces. Each team will have two foreign drivers including a lady driver and two Indian racers. Meanwhile, lady driver Fabienne Wohlwend replaces Aurelia Nobels at the Godspeed Kochi team.
Check the other teams line-up and details here.
Quotes from a couple of drivers after the test session at the MIC, Irungattukottai, near Chennai on Monday:
Amir Sayed, Sohil Shah – Goa Aces
“Really happy to finally sit in the car and begin an exciting journey. The Wolf GB08 Thunder racing car feels great to drive and is definitely very fast. I have completed pre-season Testing with my team Goa Aces and got a good feel of the car. The test day was interrupted by rain after the first hour but that also helped us to try the wet tyres. We got good track time in the car in both wet and dry conditions to learn and adapt to the new car. I am working with the team and my teammates now and look forward to a strong start to the season in the new Hyderabad Street Circuit,” said Amir Sayed, 18, who along with another talented teenager Sohil Shah will be the two Indian drivers in Goa Aces team. “Testing is done! With a lot of positives and bonding within the team I look forward to the first-ever street circuit in India,” added Sohil Shah.
Bianca Bustamante – Bangalore Speedsters
“Test is done. That was lots of fun… new country, new tracks, new car! Absolutely loved driving the car, it is pretty fast. I got to drive in the wet condition and gain more experience. Still trying to build my confidence up but we’re making progress. Lovely to meet the team as well. It’s gonna be mega working together with such experienced drivers.
“This is going to be some valuable single-seater experience for me. I’m not used to getting so much seat time in one month, so it is a great opportunity for me to develop my skills. There are also a lot of experienced drivers on the grid, including my teammate Oliver Webb, from whom I am sure I will learn a lot. Big thanks to the team at RPPL for the great opportunity,” said Filipina Bianca Bustamante of Bangalore Speedsters, on Insta @racerbia, where she is popular with nearly 1.4 lakh followers.
The passes are available on BookMyShow here.
Schedule for Round 1 in Hyderabad on Nov 19, 20
Timings Saturday 19 Nov 2022 – Hyderabad Round 1 8:00 – 8:30 Drivers briefing Indian Racing League 9:00 – 10:00 Indian Racing League- FP1 11:00 –12:00 Indian Racing League – FP2 12:00–13:00 Lunch 15:30–15:45 Indian Racing League – Qualifying (Driver A) 16:00–16:45 Indian Racing League – Race 1 – Sprint – 25 min + 1 Lap (Driver B) 16:45–17:00 Podium + Interviews Timings Sunday 20 Nov 2022 – Hyderabad Round 1 11:00 – 11:30 Indian Racing League – FP3 12:00 – 13:00 Lunch 13:00 – 13:15 Indian Racing League – Qualifying (Driver B) 14:00 – 14:45 Indian Racing League – Race 2 – Sprint – 25 min + 1 Lap (Driver A) 15:30 – 16:30 Indian Racing League – Race 3 – Feature – 45 min + 1 lap (Driver A+B) 16:30 – 16:45 Podium + Interviews Indian Racing League (2022): Teams & Drivers
Hyderabad Blackbirds:
1. Neel Jani, 2. Akhil Rabindra, 3. Anindith Reddy and 4. Lola Lovinsfosse;
Goa Aces:
1. Raoul Hyman, 2. Sohil Shah, 3. Amir Syed and 4. Gabriela Jilkova;
Chennai Turbo Riders:
1. Jon Lancaster, 2. Parth Ghorpade, 3. Vishnu Prasad and 4. Nicole Havrda;
Bangalore Speedsters:
1. Oliver Webb, 2. Anshul Gandhi, 3. Rishon Rajeev and 4. Bianca Bustamante;
Speed Demons Delhi:
1. Mitch Gilbert, 2. Akash Gowda, 3. Shahaan Ali Mohsin and 4. Celia Martin.
Godspeed Kochi:
1. Jordan Albert, 2. Nikhil Bohra, 3. Ruhaan Alva and 4. Fabienne Wohlwend.
Calendar 2022:
Nov 14: Pre-season testing – Madras International Circuit – MIC (formerly MMRT), Chennai.
Nov 19 – 20: Inaugural round, Street Circuit around Hussain Sagar lake, Hyderabad.
Nov 25 – 27: Round 2, MIC, Chennai.
Dec 2 – 4: Round 3, MIC, Chennai.
Dec 10 – 11: Final round, Street Circuit around Hussain Sagar lake, Hyderabad.
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Asad Khan crowned Hero Dirt Biking champion
Jaipur, 4 Nov 2022: Multiple National champion and motorsport rally star from Chikkamagaluru, Asad Khan, was crowned as the first-ever Hero Dirt Biking Challenge champion following the finals held here for the top 20 who came through multiple stages of competition after a five month-long rigorous contest that began with over 1 lakh registered riders vying for honours from across the country.
Rakesh N and Gidyun Benjamin were first and second runners-up respectively. Olesya Dias emerged as the best female rider.
“It is an amazing moment and I am thrilled to become India’s first dirt biking hero. The sheer magnitude of the event and huge response from over one lakh riders is a great tribute to Hero Motosports. I enjoyed every bit of it,” said an elated Asad Khan.
It was a big moment for Asad Khan, the Bengaluru-based privateer from the Coffee Land, who was crowned as the off-road riding champion and was awarded a Hero Xpulse 200 4V bike. A regular in the Indian National Rally Championship (2w), it was also a moment of satisfaction for all the hard work over the years fighting with factory teams as the humble giant bagged a sponsorship contract worth Rs 10 lakh. With limited or virtually negligible sponsorship opportunities, privateers in Indian motorsports spend huge amounts on their passion and the Hero sponsorship contracts for the top-three winners comes as a big push to continue their motorsports careers.
Asad Khan, champion, flanked by Rakesh, left, and Gidyun, right. Asad Khan first topped his zone at the Kodman Motopark in Mangaluru, where 60 riders took part in the preliminaries and five were selected for the next stage. The others are Ishan Chandra, Suhail Ahmed, Safwan Hussain (all Mangaluru) and Samson from Mysuru. Later after three more stages, Khan got into the National camp for the top 100.
Different stages
The Hero Dirt Biking Challenge (HDBC), which was launched in July 2022, concluded with the final race where only the 20 winners that came through different stages of competition fought for the top prize to become the the first HDBC champion. Earlier, clearing the city and regional rounds, 90 riders reached the Zonal round. Following a 4-day Zonal round, the National Team of Hero MotoSports trained participants before the top-20 Dirt-Biking Heroes made it to the finale.
Rakesh N, who came second won also received an Xpulse 200 4V and sponsorships contracts worth Rs. 6 lakhs while Gidyun Benjamin will get Rs. 4 lakh sponsorship and a similar bike too. Olesya Dias was recognized as the ‘Best Female off-Road Rider’ in the country for her rousing performance across all the rounds. The HDBC was telecast over MTV and streamed over Voot.
The finale week was held in and around Hero MotoCorp’s world-class R&D hub, the centre of Innovation and Technology, (CIT), in Jaipur. The entire race and participation experience was designed at par with top international rally events. The entire finale week was curated by the Hero MotoSports Team Rally.
Huge response
From July, over 100,000 participants registered for the HDBC and after a rigorous nationwide contest that ran across four stages and 41 cities 20 finalist who were short listed took part in the final Jaipur event.
Ranjivjit Singh, Chief Growth Officer, Hero MotoCorp, said: “The massive excitement and participation in Hero Dirt Biking Challenge is proof that the off-road riding segment is growing in the country. Xpulse is a favorite of riders and HDBC is a one-of-its-kind initiative in the country that opened doors for riding enthusiasts to achieve glory. We congratulate the winners and wish all the finalist the best for the future.”
Dr. Arun Jaura, Chief Technology Officer, Hero MotoCorp, said: “The Hero MotoSports Team Rally is the flag-bearer of Indian off-road racing. With superior technology, the Xpulse 200 4V is the ideal bike for riders to get into the sport, pursue their passion and go beyond boundaries. Congratulations to the winners. Hero MotoSports will continue to support national talent in the future too.”
Hero MotoSports Team Rally, one of the top international teams, is the rally-racing team of Hero MotoCorp and the only Indian team ever to win a stage at the Dakar Rally. Team riders Ross Branch, Joaquim Rodrigues, Sebastian Buhler and Franco Caimi worked with the top participants in a Residential Bootcamp, and provided them with invaluable coaching.
The Hero Dirt Biking Challenge is the first-of-its-kind pan-India talent-hunt program by an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) which provided a platform for budding riders, enthusiasts and amateurs who want to pursue off-road racing and the response for the maiden edition was amazing. -
Al-Rajhi, Al-Balooshi and Al-Tuwaijri claim honours in Saudi Baja 2022-Hail
Hail (Saudi Arabia), 12 Nov 2022: Yazeed Al-Rajhi, Mohammed Al-Balooshi and Haitham Al-Tuwaijri claimed victories in their respective car, motorcycle and quad categories at the three-day Saudi Baja 2022–Hail on Saturday afternoon.
The demanding final 183.42km Farhaniyah selective section to the west of Hail caused several major movements on the respective leader boards, with motorcycle front-runner Alex McInnes crashing out of his overnight advantage on two wheels and local driver Khaled Al-Feraihi losing fourth place in the car section with broken steering on the final day.
Al-Rajhi and his German co-driver Dirk von Zitzewitz dominated the car category in their Overdrive Racing Toyota Hilux and another stage win gave the Saudi a 24min 28sec cushion over Czech driver Miroslav Zapletal (Ford F-150 Evo) and his Slovakian navigator Marek Sykora. That enabled the Saudi to extend his lead in the Drivers’ Championship in the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas.
Mohammed Al-Balooshi wins FIM Baja bikes category. Saudi Baja photo Co-driver Von Zitzewitz said: “As we expected it was not so easy. We were not sure how the desert would react with all this rain we have had. We took it quite easy in the first part. We did not want to risk anything stupid because we were lying in a good position. But, in the second part, we speeded up a little bit. There was some navigation involved and some soft dunes and nice climbs through a pass. It was quite challenging and many guys got trouble. Everything went well and Yazeed did a great drive. The Hilux worked well. It was a beautiful stage, a little bit short maybe, but it was a Baja and we are very happy that we could win this race.”
The South Racing Can-Am Team’s Fernando Alvarez and Xavier Panseri fulfilled their objective of finishing on the podium and a fine third place also earned them victory in the FIA T3 category and confirmed the championship title for the Spaniard.
Alvarez said: “We win the category and the championship. We win everything and I am also third overall in the (Baja) championship. We had a good feeling with the car and we see what we can do now in Dubai.”
Fourth overall and maximum FIA T4 points for Brazilian driver Cristiano de Sousa Batista means that he and Kuwait’s Meshari Al-Thefiri will go head-to-head in Dubai next month to decide the outcome of the Drivers’ Championship. Al-Thefiri finished at the rear of the field after first day electrical issues, while Eduard Pons was sixth overall and second in T4.
Aliyyah Koloc gave her hopes of winning the FIA Middle East Cup for Cross-Country Bajas a major boost by finishing fifth and second in T3, ahead of seventh-placed local driver Dania Akeel. Egidijus Valeiša, Hamed Al-Harbi and Mashael Al-Obaidan rounded off the top 10, with three female drivers registered in that top 10 for the first time.
Al-Harbi said: “Around 50km before the finish we broke the belt and it took a long time to remove it and we put a new belt on and we lost around 10 minutes. That’s why we dropped down to ninth and second in Middle East.”
Al-Obaidan added: “A wonderful rally with some bumpy sections. As usual, the organisers surprise us with great tracks.”
After losing a lot of time in the stage, Al-Feraihi managed to get his car back to Parc Fermé in Hail. Co-driver Sébastien Delaunay explained: “We hit a big bump and we broke the steering. We finished the first part of the stage but we arrived at the neutralisation and it was closed. We make more than 50% of the stage and got the car into Parc Fermé, so we lose a lot of time and are not in a good position in the overall classification but at least we score points in the Middle East and national championships.”
When overnight leader Alex McInnes crashed heavily and sustained a broken nose, wrist and a back injury, that opened the door for several rivals to challenge for victory in the motorcycle category.
The experienced Emirati Mohammed Al-Balooshi only finished fifth on the stage behind Abdullah Abu Aisheh, Abdulhalim Al-Mogheera and Abdullah Al-Shatti but that was enough for the TM rider and 2020 winner to win the Saudi Baja by 4min 24sec from Kuwait’s Al-Shatti.
After time penalties were later imposed, local rider Mishal Al-Ghuneim rounded off the podium finishers and Anass Al-Reheyani and Abu Aisheh completed the top five.
Abdulaziz Ahli won the day’s quad stage on his Yamaha YFZ 450 R but massive time penalties had dropped the Saudi out of contention for victory on Friday. Overnight leader Haitham Al-Tuwaijri managed to comfortably fend off his rivals to claim the win. Hani Al-Noumesi was a distant third after multiple champion Abdulmajeed Al-Khulaifi failed to finish.
Ahmed Al-Shammeri held on to confirm victory in the Saudi National Baja for cars. Ahmed Al-Ghashami and Motair Al-Shammeri rounded off the podium places.
Yasir Al-Khuraif won the National Baja for motorcycles from Bader Al-Bader, while Abdulaziz Al-Atawi topped the quads.
The seventh round of both the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas and the FIM Bajas World Cup, round three of the FIA Middle East Cup for Cross-Country Bajas and the third event in the Saudi Toyota Rally Championship was organised by the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF), in conjunction with the Ministry of Sport and in partnership with Abdul Latif Jameel (ALJ) Motors.
Saudi Baja 2022-Hail (Final positions after SS2):
FIA
1. Yazeed Al-Rajhi (SAU)/Dirk von Zitzewitz (DEU) Toyota Hilux Overdrive 4hr 18min 55sec
2. Miroslav Zapletal (CZE)/Marek Sykora (SVK) Ford F150 Evo 4hr 43min 23sec
3. Fernando Alvarez (ESP)/Xavier Panseri (FRA) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T3) 4hr 47min 55sec
4. Cristiano Batista (BRA)/Fausto Mota (PRT) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR (T4) 4hr 56min 27sec
5. Aliyyah Koloc (ARE)/Stéphane Duplé (FRA) Buggyra Can-Am DV21 (T3) 4hr 59min 17sec
6. Eduard Pons (ESP)/Mónica Plaza Vasquez (ESP) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo (T4) 4hr 59min 29sec
7. Dania Akeel (SAU)/Sergio Lafuente (URY) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T3) 5hr 03min 42sec
8. Egidijus Valeiša (LTU)/ Mindaugas Varža (LTU) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo (T4) 5hr 04min 00sec
9. Hamed Al-Harbi (SAU)/Dmytro Tsyro (UKR) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T3) 5hr 10min 07sec
10. Mashael Al-Obaidan (SAU)/Wouter Rosegaar (NLD) Can-Am Maverick X3 (T3) 5hr 19min 32sec
11. Saeed Al-Mouri (SAU)/Ata Al-Hmoud (JOR) Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo (T4) 5hr 24min 00sec
12. Camelia Liparoti (ITA)/Taye Perry (DEU) Yamaha YXZ 1000R (T4) 5hr 54min 36sec
T1 unless stated
FIM Bikes
1. Mohammed Al-Balooshi (ARE) TM 450 5hr 41min 14sec
2. Abdullah Al-Shatti (KWT) Kawasaki KC 450 5hr 45min 38sec
3. Mishal Al-Ghuneim (SAU) Husqvarna 450 Rally 5hr 46min 02sec
4. Anass Al-Reheyani (SAU) KTM EXC F 450 5hr 46min 02sec
5. Abdullah Abu Aishah (JOR) KTM 450 Factory Rally 5hr 51min 25sec
6. Martin Chalmers (QAT) Honda CRF 450 5hr 54min 32sec
7. Makis Rees-Stavros (GBR) KTM EXC F 450 5hr 55min 02sec
8. Abdulhalim Al-Mogheera (SAU) KTM EXC 450 5hr 57min 53sec
9. Brett Hunt (GBR) Husqvarna FE 450 5hr 59min 22sec
10. Hussein Hassan (EGY) Beta 430 RR 7hr 10min 36sec
11. Othman Al-Ghfeli (SAU) Honda CRF 4540 R 7hr 11min 17sec
12. Salman Mohamed Farhan (BAH) Husqvarna FE 450 7hr 17min 52sec
FIM Quads
1. Haitham Al-Tuwaijri (SAU) Yamaha Raptor 700 6hr 09min 48sec
2. Abdulaziz Ahli (SAU) Yamaha YFZ 450R 31hr 22min 47sec
3. Hani Al-Noumesi (SAU) Yamaha Raptor 700 41hr 49min 11sec
Ends
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Quartararo, Bagnaia quotes before title-decider: MotoGP
Martin takes pole ahead of Marquez, with Miller third and Quartararo just 0.066 off the front row as Bagnaia faces down a date with destiny from eighth
Valencia, 5 November 2022: This is it. The stage is set for the #TheDecider. On pole it’s Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) followed by Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) to make some interesting front row dynamics, while Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) pushed as hard has he could – and then some – to earn P4 on the grid at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo.
JORGE MARTIN
“It was a difficult day, I felt good in terms of pace but for a time attack I didn’t have that extra this morning but this afternoon I found something and with the hard front I feel much better in braking. The first stint was great which I didn’t expect because normally you need 2 or 3 laps on the right side, on the second stint I thought I could improve but I had some moments on the rear, but finally pole position, third in a row and fifth of the season. I’m happy but the important thing is tomorrow and I’ll give it everything!”
FABIO QUARTARARO
Can you win from P4?
“Yes, I think we have the possibility. Our pace looks much better than the position we start on the race and yeah, looking forward to starting tomorrow.”How much did you have to push?
“Yeah over the limit, but you know it’s a race where I need to be at my maximum to try to be on top and to have the possibility to fight for the victory tomorrow was super important to be on the second row.”Are the first 2/3 laps going to be crucial?
“Yeah it’s going to be crucial and it’s also going to be super important to not make any stupid mistakes, but I’m feeling ready and I feel like we are doing a pretty good job.”FRANCESCO BAGNAIA
Did today go to plan?
“No absolutely not. Starting from yesterday we are struggling a bit with new tyres and also for the time attack, me and other two or three riders with the Ducati are having the same issue. We have to consider the positives and I think our pace with used tyres is quite good, with new tyres we’re struggling a bit more compared to other riders but I think from 8-10 laps we can be competitive and start to be at the front.”How nervous are you for the first few laps?
“On this moment I’m just thinking of what to do to improve my bike with my team, I think the ideas we have are good. I’m just thinking on that, I know if I start thinking ‘ah I’m starting eighth, I have to do this, this and this,’ it’s the worst. So I will try to start well for sure but in this moment I just want to focus on my bike.”Qualies
Importantly for Yamaha’s title contender, he will start a full row ahead of World Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), who qualified eighth – with everything still very much possible in this title fight…
As was the case a fortnight ago in Malaysia, Martin was on the pace immediately in Q2, setting a 1:29.621 which would still be fastest at the end of the first runs. Miller was second on a 1:29.834 and Quartararo fourth on a 1:30.135, while Bagnaia was back to pitlane after a single 1:30.766 which left him 11th when the track went quiet.
Miller’s hopes of one last pole for Ducati then disappeared when he crashed at Turn 2, while an under-the-weather Marc Marquez jumped from ninth to P2 when he fired in a 1:30.049. Bagnaia then moved to sixth, ahead of Quartararo, before ‘El Diablo’ leapfrogged his title rival by clocking a 1:30.027.
There were more yellow flags when Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) had a spill at Turn 6, while Bagnaia toured the run-off at Turn 8. Quartararo was still on a hot lap and, fortunately for him, it was unaffected as he sought to elevate himself further up the grid. He did indeed move up two spots more to fourth with a 1:29.900 before running into the Turn 2 gravel trap on his final lap of the session – although that was in fact a moot point with replays showing FQ20 also running onto the green at Turn 1 beforehand.
Martin had no improvement during his second run but still bagged pole, ahead of Marc Marquez and Miller, who kept his berth on the front row despite the tumble. Quartararo heads up Row 2, next to Q1 graduate Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and the pace-setter in that earlier qualifying session, Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing). Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was classified seventh, ahead of Bagnaia, Zarco, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), and Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar).
Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) had moved into second place in Q1 with a 1:30.193 but Rins hit back and then Bastianini’s chances of advancing to Q2 were dashed when he crashed at Turn 2 – rider okay. ‘La Bestia’ is set to start 13th and Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), who topped FP4 and then threatened to upstage both Viñales and Rins late in Q1, from 14th.
On Sunday at 14:00 (GMT +1), the 2022 World Champion will be decided. Two riders, 23 points and one single crown puts everything on the line in one final showdown for the year – and era. Do. Not. Miss. This.
The top-grid;
1 Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) – Ducati – 1’29.621
2 Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) – Honda – +0.205
3 Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – +0.2134 Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) – Yamaha – +0.279
8 Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – +0.428
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Rohaan Madesh, Abhay M, Nikhilesh Raju crowned National karting champs
Bengaluru, 22 October 2022: Peregrine Racing dominated the karting Nationals winning two titles with their leading driver Rohaan Madesh crowned as the Senior National champion 2022 and Nikhilesh Raju as Micro Max National champion after the fifth and final round of the Meco fmsci Rotax Max National Karting Championship which concluded here on Saturday.
Nikhilesh Raju, Micro Max champ 2022 Another local karter, Abhay Mohan of Birel Art India completed the Bengaluru sweep, winning the Junior Max National Championship. Rohaan, Abhay and Nikhilesh, the three Indian champions for 2022, booked a ticket for the World finals and will take part in Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals in Portimao, Portugal from November 19 to 26.
“It is a proud moment for Peregrine Racing to win the Senior National championship for the second year running. We won two titles and missed the third narrowly. It is the result of a lot of hard work and dedication by the team,” said Madesh Lakshman, team Principal, Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru.
The reigning X30 2021 champion, 15-year Rohaan Madesh from Bengaluru, displayed excellent driving skills and dished out consistent performance throughout the season winning 8 of the 10 races to garner 442. “It is a very special feeling. I am thrilled and excited. After winning X30 title, Rotax Max is a more prestigious championship. I thank all my team, family and supporters,” said Rohaan.
Rohaan Madesh, takes the win in the final race to be crowned Senior Max National Karting champion as the fifth and final round of 2022 season concluded at Meco Kartopia on Saturday, 22 Oct 2022. Photo by Shajahan The 12-year old Nikhilesh Raju, a Class 7 student from Vibgyor school, Bengaluru, overcame a tough fight from Eshanth Vengatesan of MSport, and bagged a double victory in the final round, to clinch the issue with 428 points. With steady performances and sound driving Nikhilesh, the 2021 X30 champion, won six of the 10 races and bounced back brilliantly after a bad Pre-final race in Round 4 to clinch a well-deserving championship.
The 14-year Abhay M, also from Bengaluru, suffered some anxious moments before he was crowned the champion. A 10-sec penalty pushed him to 9th place in the final race but that was enough for him to score 395 points to tie with Anshul and win the Junior title with more number of race wins.
Championship Standings:
Senior Max: 1. Rohaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing team) 442 points; 2. Aditya Patnaik (Rayo Racing) 394; 3. Rishon Rajiv (Birel Art India) 386; Team champion: Peregrine Racing.
Junior Max: 1. Abhay Mohankumar (Birel Art India) 395 points; 2. Anshul Shivakumar (Birel Art India/ MSport) 395; 3. Ishaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing) 389; Tie broken in favour of Abhay with 3 race wins to Anshul’s zero wins); Team champion: Birel Art India.
Micro Max: 1. Nikhilesh Raju D (Peregrine Racing) 428 points; 2. Eshanth Vengatesan (MSport) 424; 3. Anuj Arun (MSport) 400; Team champion: Peregrine Racing.
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MotoGP: Bagnaia keeps off Bastianini to win Malaysian GP
Francesco Bagnaia resisted pressure from Enea Bastianini to win Malaysian GP with chance to take the MotoGP title away from Fabio Quartararo in Valencia.
It was cloudy weather to start the MotoGP race in Malaysian GP as pole-sitter Jorge Martin led the way comfortably on his Pramac Ducati. But title contender Francesco Bagnaia shot into second taking the inside line on his Ducati from ninth on the grid.
Gresini Ducati’s Enea Bastianini was third from Honda’s Marc Marquez, with Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo moving up to fifth from 12th on the grid. His teammate Franco Morbidelli was seventh in a Suzuki sandwich with Joan Mir ahead and Alex Rins behind.
Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro was ninth with KTM’s Brad Binder rounding the Top 10, with VR46 Ducati’s Marco Bezzecchi in 11th, RNF Yamaha’s Darryn Binder 12th, KTM’s Miguel Oliveira 13th, RNF’s Ca Crutchlow 14th and Honda’s Pol Espargaro 15th.
Ducati members celebrate Team World Championship. Photos by Srinivasa Krishnan Up front, Martin started to check out as Bagnaia came under pressure from Bastianini, while Quartararo started to hustle Marquez with Mir and Rins on his tail after Morbidelli went on to take his Long Gap Penalty, which set him behind.
VR46’s Luca Marini was forced to retire after his start device couldn’t disengage after the race start, as Espargaro’s chances to stay in the hunt started to slimmer when he dropped down the order with no pace to show like teammate Maverick Vinales.
LCR Honda’s Tetsuta Nagashima also crashed out from last, but the big moment came when Martin crashed out from the MotoGP race lead at Sepang circuit. It handed Bagnaia the grand prix lead as he had Bastianini on his tail still.
Quartararo was third as a result having passed Marquez, who also lost to Bezzecchi. The Italian also passed both the Suzuki riders before his move on the Honda rider to be fourth. Mir was fifth after passing Marquez, with Rins slotting in seventh.
Binder was eighth with teammate Oliveira also climbing up well in ninth from another gainer Jack Miller in 10th on his Ducati. Up front, Bastianini started to hurry on Bagnaia and eventually made the move on the cautious Italian to lead Malaysian GP.
A section of the crowd on Race Day at Sepang. Image: Srinivasa Krishnan Bagnaia stayed on his tail though, while Quartararo had Bezzecchi just behind. Behind them, Marquez had quite the back and forth fight with the Suzuki riders where Rins head Marquez and Mir, while Binder, Miller and Pramac’s Johann Zarco rounded Top 10.
The fight at the front started to get tensed as Bagnaia started to come back on Bastianini and eventually he passed him to retake MotoGP race lead. Quartararo steadied in third from Bezzecchi with the Frenchman keeping him at bay well.
Despite the last lap tactics, Bagnaia held on to win the Malaysian GP race with a big chance to win the MotoGP title in Valencia, as Bastianini and Quartararo completed the podium. Bezzecchi was fourth from Rins as Miller climbed up the order to be sixth.
The Australian’s result helped them clinch the teams’ title having already won the constructors’ title. Marquez was seventh from Binder, Zarco and Morbidelli in the Top 10 where the Italian is under investigation for his last lap barging move against Espargaro.
Kavin Quintal, the Indian Honda Idemitsu One-Make champion, is the only Indian rider who had a golden chance to take part in the MotoGP weekend, in the Support Race, the Asia Talent Cup. “It is exciting to ride on a big stage… but it is a big learning experience too,” the Chennai rider told Srinivasa Krishnan, who freezed his action at the Sepang circuit. Crtuchlow was 12th from Oliveira with Espargaro 14th and Tech 3 KTM’s Raul Fernandez in the points places in 15th. Vinales was 16th from LCR’s Alex Marquez, Tech 3’s Remy Gardner and Mir, who had a late crash but managed to continue on.
DNF: Binder, Fabio di Giannantonio, Martin, Nagashima, Marini
