INDIA in F1

Category: Founding Members

  • MSCC gears up for Rally of Chikmagalur, a National-level TSD event

    MSCC gears up for Rally of Chikmagalur, a National-level TSD event

    Chikmagalur, 18 Nov 2020: Motor Sports Club of Chikmagalur (MSCC)  will host the Rally of Chikmagalur, a National-level event in Time, Speed, Distance (TSD) format for 4-Wheelers in the Coffee town on December 11 and 12. The rally will offer night sections reminding the good-old long-distance rallies which used to run day-and-night on the hilly treacherous terrain near Baba Budangiri hillocks.

    The 250-km rally will begin in Chikkamagaluru around 5pm and will end the next day morning at Horanadu, where the Prize Giving function will be held, after breakfast.

    Most of the core team members of MSCC are seen in this file photo.

    One of the oldest and prestigious motorsports clubs in India, MSCC has a chequered history hosting the ‘Coffee 500′ rally that began in 1982 and used to run in the `closed roads’ with ABC being a vantage point for briefings, parc ferme and PD (Prizegiving ceremony). Many years it ran on the narrow and steep ghat terrain and during nights, usually at the foothills of Sahayadri mountain ranges. The current ‘Indian National Rally Championship’ round which happens annually began with Special Stages that are run in private Coffee Estates from 1996.

    Farooq Ahmed, multiple national champion co-driver and current FMSCI vice-president

    The blend of the scenic beauty and the sounds of the screeching tyres make the fans eagerly look forward to the most-awaited rally. Not just the features mentioned above but the meticulous efforts by the organisers, a bunch of die-hard fans, working as a team day-in and day-out, make it a special event for the participants and the fans alike. It is also one of the rallies in the National Calendar which attracts a huge number of media, usually more than 50 reporters and photographers thronging to the ceremonial start and the PD. In recent years, the Super Special Stage in private school premises has attracted the attention of huge fan following, and is one of the highlights of the event, making it an annual festival.

    So much so, the Coffee which 500 became Coffee Day Rally from 1997, after the sponsors started Coffee Day chain in 1996, got the FIA recognition for their good efforts and a Candidate Rally was awarded and the round of Asia Cup was approved and ran in 2015, christened as the Coffee Day India Rally. Ably led by Farooq Ahmed, a champion rallyist himself, the team works like a well-oiled machine.

    The FIA later awarded the MSCC a prestigious round of APRC for the year 2016. The MSCC now looks forward to hosting a successful final round of APRC and to cement a permanent spot in the FIA APRC calendar and even look ahead in the coming years but due to the unfortunate demise of the long-standing sponsor’s key man behind the promotion of motorsports, late VG Siddhartha in July 2019, and the arrival of COVID 19 in 2020, the club had to skip the INRC rounds for both the years for different reasons.

    However, the club kept their track record clean, of conducting national-level events by organising the South Zone Gymkhana, a qualifying event for entry into the Nationals and for Indian teams. Leaving the coffee estates, MSCC even hosted the event in December 2019 at Meco Kartopia in Bengaluru. But the popular one as ever, is their TSD event.

    File photo of Marshals and other volunteers of MSCC, courtesy MSCC

    With a keen motive to go back to roots and spread motorsports at grassroots level, the club officials decided to organise, this year too, the national-level TSD rally, which are now called as time-regulated rallies. The TSDs are famous for the challenges they offer in navigation and are often seen as a gateway to bigger things in motorsports because they lay a good foundation of basics and nurtures drivers and navigators to graduate smoothly into stage rallies.

    A 2018 group photo after the successful conduct of the fourth round of INRC.

    The following Categories are on offer:

    1.Pro-expert

    2.Pro-stock

    3.All ladies

    4.Couple class

    5.Corporate class*

    6.Veterans class*

    7.Novice Class*

    8. Star of Chikamaglur*

    (* Terms and conditions apply please refer to Supplementary Regulations)

    (The entry fee Rs. 7,500 per Car for 2 persons and Rs.11,250 for 3 persons, plus GST)

    For details call or WhatsApp Dilip Doshi 9902211792 since the entries are limited on a first-come-first-serve basis. https://www.facebook.com/motorsportsclubofckm/

  • K-1000 winners from 1975: KMSC Hall of fame

    K-1000 winners from 1975: KMSC Hall of fame

    By David Bodapati

    Bengaluru, 16 November 2020: Karnataka is rich in its motorsport history. The state is not only home to many champions of the past but is a cradle of talent and contributed to the Indian motorsport history with many activities. K-1000 rally, the flagship event of the State is a popular and vibrant stage rally that is being organised from 1975. In 1988, it officially joined the calendar of the Indian National Rally Drivers and Co-drivers’ Championship and later, the Nationals were rechristened as Indian National Rally Championship under its current format. K-1000 for the first time shifted to the European Special Stage format in 1996 before which, the rallies were hardcore long-distance endurance events covering many states and usually more than 1000-mile long, and hence the name Karnataka-1000. It is one of the few events that were organised and run successfully by hardcore and passionate motorsports lovers and ran regularly. Some of the other rallies that had multiple editions are the Popular Rally in Kerala, the South India Rally in Chennai, the Charminar Challenge or the Deccan rally and the Coffee Day rally.

    INDIAinF1.com has put together all the winners of the K-1000 from 1975, a compilation first undertaken in 2009 by the late Bharat Raj and Annabelle Manwaring, the promoters of INRC from 2009 to 2011. The last 11 years were added and some gaps were filled. The IMG-PSP duo also sourced historic images of Indian rallying and specially of K-1000 from many sources, with the major contribution coming from the Father of Indian Motorsport Photography, the late George Francis. A poster was released to commemorate the 35th K-1000 celebrations as KMSC completed 35 long years of dedicated service to motorsports, then. Now the club is getting ready to host both the 2w and 4w K-1000 rally once again for the 45th year.

    Here is a list of the all the winners of K-1000, a jewel in the pride of Indian Rallying. Each round’s report will be added shortly. Or you can check the reports at INRC: Winners’ Hall of Fame here. Currently the list contains only the 4-wheel winners and the 2-w biker champions’ list is work in progress and will be updated soon.

    Multiple Asia Pacific Rally champion Gaurav Gill tops the table with six K-1000 wins followed by 7-time INRC champion N Leelakrishnan who bagged the K-1000 five times followed by Naren Kumar, who won it for three times, along with Ravi Gupta, who also had three wins, but it appears he may have navigated for the inaugural edition winner DR Sivaram in 1980, for his second K1000 trophy. Kiran Mody, too had won the K1000 three times.

      K-1000 Winners from 1975   
    No.YearDatesThe man…MachineSurface 
    11975 DR Sivaram, D Vinod Sivappa, Feroze Asgar Ali & Shivprasad, BangaloreAmbassador 1850 km of mixed roads… gravel, kutcha, tarmac 
    21976 Ravi Gupta, Devendra Gupta, BangaloreFIAT  
    31977 Undecided   
    41978 Dayanand Mandre, Jagadish Reddy, HyderabadFIAT  
    51979 Kiran Mody, Dr Rajesh Kakkadia, HyderabadFIAT  
    61980 DR Sivaram, Kiran Mody, Bangalore/HyderabadFIAT  
    71981 Arindam Ghosh, Saswati Ghosh, Sk Yeasin Ali, Nani Chanda, KolkotaFIAT  
    81982 BM Ravi, Noel Gojar, BangaloreFIAT  
    91983 Uday Eswaran, Dr Ravi Prakash, BangaloreFIAT  
    101984 Kiran Mody, Damaraju Kumar Rao (DK Rao), HyderabadDolphin  
    111985 Mohammed Harris, Deepak, UAESUBARU*  
    121986 Subash Goel, Rajan Siyal, ChennaiFIAT  
    131987AugKamlesh Patel, KD Madan, Chennai118 NE  
    141988 Kamlesh Patel, KD Madan, Chennai118 NE  
    151989 Harish Samtani, Rajiv Chaudhary, ChennaiMaruti Gypsy  
    161990 Leelakrishnan, Mahendran, CoimbatoreMaruti Gypsy  
    171991 Aug 12-13Leelakrishnan, Mahendran, CoimbatoreMaruti Gypsy Gravel 
    181992 Leelakrishnan, Mahendran, CoimbatoreMaruti Gypsy  
    191993 Aug 14-15VInyl Varghese, Anil Devaraj, Team Paarel, KeralaMaruti Gypsy  
    201994 Leelakrishnan, Farooq Ahmed, Coimbatore/ChikmagalurMaruti Gypsy  
    211995Aug 12-14Naren Kumar, MK Chander, CoimbatoreEsteem, Group N  
    221996K1000 AshphaltSamir Thaper, Koka Rao, Chandigarh /HyderabadEsteemIndia Mines 
    231997The Club K1000Hari Singh, GS Mann, DelhiEsteem  
    24199824th Castrol K1000Leelakrishnan, Farooq Ahmed,
    Coimbatore/Chikmagalur    		Esteem  
    25199925th K1000Hari Singh, GS Mann, DelhiEsteem  
    262000MAI 26th K1000TSD Rally – Not part of the National Championship round.   
    272001 Aug 10-12Karandeep Singh, Jaidas MenonBaleno  
    282002 Oct 11-13Naren Kumar, Doraikumar Ramkumar, CoimbatoreHonda City Asphalt 
    292003 Nov 14-16Karandip Singh, Jaidas Menon, Chandigarh/Bng Honda city Gravel 
    302004 Aug 6-8Naren Kumar, Doraikumar Ramkumar, CoimbatoreBaleno Asphalt 
    312005 Aug 12-14Naren Kumar, D Ramkumar, CoimbatoreBaleno Asphalt 
    322006 Aug 11-13Gaurav Gill, Farooq Ahmed, Delhi/ChikmagalurCedia Gravel 
    332007 Aug 17-19Gaurav Gill, Musa Sherif, Delhi/ Mangalore (Kasargod)Cedia Asphalt 
    342008 Aug 8-10Vikram Mathias, Srinivasa Murthy, Masinagudi (Karnataka)Cedia Asphalt 
    352009Aug 21-23Arjun Balu, Sujith Kumar BS, Coimbatore/ BengaluruCediaGravel 
    362010Dec 3 -5Arjun Rao Aroor, Satish Rajagopal, KarnatakaCediaGravel 
    372011Aug 19-21Gaurav Gill, Musa Sherif, Delhi/KasargodCediaGravel 
    382012Sept 21-23Lohitt V Urs, Sujith Kumar BS, Mysore/ Bengaluru, PrivateersCediaGravel 
    392013Nov 9-10Gaurav Gill, Musa Sherif, Delhi/KasargodMahindra XUV 500Gravel 
    402014Nov 21-23Gaurav Gill, Musa Sherif, Delhi/KasargodMahindra XUV 500Gravel 
    412015Nov 20-22Pallath Ganesh Abhilash, Anoop Kumar, Kerala/BangaloreLancer Evo 8Gravel 
    422016Dec 17 -18Amittrajit Ghosh, Ashwin Naik, Kolkata/ MangaloreMahindra XUV 500Gravel 
    432017Jan 19-21, 2018Gaurav Gill, Musa Sherif, Delhi/KasargodMahindra XUV 500Gravel 
     2018NOT HELDPromoters RRPM did not include the event in the Natioinal INRC calendar   
    442019Nov 22-24Chetan Shivaram, Dilip Sharan, BengaluruVW Polo, Team AksharaGravel 
    452020 -held 2021 JanFeb 13-14, 2021Cancelled Gravel 
    *Corrected from BMW to Subaru, thanks to Zuhin, the 2012 IRC winner
  • Gautam and Sanjeev take over KMSC reins, promise more activities

    Gautam and Sanjeev take over KMSC reins, promise more activities

    By David Bodapati

    Bengaluru, 15 Nov 2020: International Formula 1 Marshal, BS Gautam, and former K1000 champion in his class, Sanjeev P Shah, were elected as the President and Secretary, respectively, of the Karnataka Motor Sports Club (KMSC) at the AGM held here on November 12.

    Satyavrath

    KMSC is the founding member of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI). Formed in 1954, the Bangalore Motor Sports Club founded by Fred Webb, later became KMSC to cover the motorsports activity in the entire Mysore State, which is now Karnataka. This story published by a German in the erstwhile kmsc.org was verified by INDIAinF1.com with the three granddaughters of Webb, who are now settled in Australia, and visit India, only once in a while. It has a chequered history and is the only active club which has been continuously conducting the K-1000, a premier National rally for 44 years, as part of Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) except in 2018 when it was denied a national round.

    The members of KMSC elected its Managing Committee for a period of two years. A long-standing member and specialist route-setter for the Indian rallies, DA Bhaskar Gupta, now takes the reins as Vice-President after serving as Secretary for the last two years. BS Prakash will be the new Joint Secretary while MD Sathyavratha will be the new Treasurer. The list also includes another senior member Praneet Perumal, Janardan Babu and Shanmuga, elected to the managing committee. The new panel is also expected to co-opt three members and currently advocate and motorsport enthusiast VS Harish is the first to be co-opted and he is likely to take care of the legal issues of the club.

    Praneeth Perumal, a veteran of KMSC, who has been instrumental in the club reaching great heights with various teams in the past, especially with the late Bharat Raj, has served in various commissions of the FMSCI and also has been a steward, but has not been able to give enough time in the last few years. His re-entry into the active action, along with another long-standing and active member Satya, will be a boon to the club and the new office-bearers will do well to take their experience in handling the motorsports activities.

    Praneeth Perumal, a stalwart of KMSC, is
    back into the managing committee

    Shivu Shivappa, the outgoing president, who recently relinquished the vice-president post of FMSCI, is not in the new committee as he opted out after two terms of service to the club. “Time to move on and give space to new faces to take the club forwards,” said Shivappa.

    “On behalf of the Newly- elected Managing Committee, I thank all the members, my predecessor Mr Shivu Shivappa and the past committee for the efforts and wonderful work they have put in to keep the flag of one of the most-prestigious motorsports clubs in India flying high,” acknowledged the incumbent President.

    When asked about his priorities as the new president, Gautham said: “Reviving grassroots motorsports and the time-regulated rallies, what used to be the TSDs, will be among one of the immediate things we want to do as a team. These events are the life-line of the club and are stepping stones for bigger things in motorsports for riders, drivers and navigators. So we will take up more activities to encourage budding sportspersons in each of their sport, irrespective of the discipline. Whether be it rally, or racing, or motocross or sprints and bike events, improving the participating and increasing the number of activities will be our top priority.”

    Sanjeev Shah is elected as the KMSC Secretary.

    “Karnataka has been one of the cradles of motorsport activities and it has produced scores of champions over the years, its flagship event, the K1000 has etched a name for itself as a popular and vibrant event year after year, for 45 years. But many of the experienced and senior motorsports aficionados are feeling left out. So to help youngsters gain from their experience and knowledge and to create a platform for enthusiastic co-operation and learning between the generations, we are planning to start a veterans event,” said the Fire and Recovery Marshal at the Yas Marina F1 Grands Prix, for the last 10 years. He was also an F1 Marshal at all the three Indian GPs from 2011 to 2013.

    Janardhan

    “I have received a call from our new FMSCI President Mr Akbar Ebrahim and he is very keen that we revive all grassroots activity. And we are also hopeful that we will get all the support from the federation,” concluded Gautam, who is a member of KMSC from 1982. He is currently a Covid Warrior supporting the Karnataka officials with HAM radio and communication work along with other Ham team members, many of whom are active Club members.

    Bhaskar Gupta, moves up from secretary to Vice-President for the current 2-year term.

    Sanjeev P Shah, a member of the Club from 1987, was a former biker, who began with one of the first teams under Shekar Bojanna, way back in the nineties. He won the K1000 in 1991, in the 350 class, navigating for the legendary late Rajan Joshua and went on to win the first runners up spot in the Nationals in 1997 after he switched over to cars, the year which saw a huge number of riders and drivers from KMSC winning honours at the national level. “Secretary is just a badge and we at KMSC have always worked as a team and I look forward to contributing to the growth and continue for the betterment of the club. It is the passion for motorsports which kept us hooked to the sport and I am thankful to get this opportunity to give something back to the club,” said Shah, who is now active as a steward and an administrator.

    BS Prakas, Joint Secretary, KMSC

    Another senior member of the club, Bhaskar Gupta, who just relinquished the post of secretary will now be the vice-president of the club. With three decades of experience as a steward and sports administrator, having served the club in various capacities, Gupta is known for his route-setting skills. Along with Satya, he was instrumental in setting the 1996 K-1000 route, near Maddur, and at India Mines which is talked about even now for the five superb stages, after the National championship shifted to the European stage rallying format for the first time that year. Following in the footsteps of his uncle Chakrapani EG, he took to motorsports and never looked back.

    “Our focus and priority will be to increase the number of activities. We want more and more people to take up the sport and also we want to do events at the grassroots in all disciplines including TSD and Picnic rallies. Only when we encourage more sportspersons to take up the sport, then we will have more champions in the making. So it is important to keep organising the activities and get the right sponsors to back them up,” concluded Gupta.

    Shanmuga, new member of the managing committee.

    Office bearers: President: BS Gautam; Vice-President: DA Bhaskar Gupta; Secretary: Sanjeev P Shah; Joint Secretary: BS Prakash; Treasurer: MD Sathyavrath. Managing Committee: 1. Praneet Perumal; 2. Janardan Babu; 3. Shanmuga. Co-opted members: 1. VS Harish; 2 & 3. To be co-opted soon.

  • Akbar Ebrahim elected as FMSCI president again; Farooq Ahmed new VP

    Chennai, 12 October 2020: Former racer and ex-FMSCI president Akbar Ebrahim was unanimously elected as the president of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) at the Annual General Meeting of held 2020 via Video Conference. Farooq Ahmed of Chikmagalur Motor Sports Club will be the new Vice-President replacing Shivu Shivappa for a term of two years.

    Akbar Ebrahim

    The FMSCI is the National Governing body of Motor Sports in India. It is a member of the World Governing body of Motor Sports the FIA the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile and the FIM the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme.

    The FMSCI has more than 50 affiliated units across the country with more than 1200 registered athletes but unlike other federations, only the council members elect the office-members as per the FMSCI Constitution. The council consists of 10 members who are: 1) Akbar Ebrahim, Meco Motor Sports Pvt. Ltd., Chennai 2) Bharat Vivek Chandhok, Madras Motor Sports Club, Chennai 3) Farokh Commissariat, Indian Automotive Racing Club Ltd., Mumbai 4) Farooq Ahmed, Motor Sports Club of Chikmagalur, Chikmagalur 5) Prithiviraj J., Coimbatore Auto Sports Club, Coimbatore, Member of The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) 6) Raj Kapoor, Northern Motorsports, Noida 7) Sanjay Sharma, Performance Cars Racing Trust, Delhi 8) Shivu Shivappa, Karnataka Motor Sports Club, Bengaluru 9) Ms Sita Raina, Calcutta Motor Sports Club, Kolkata 10) Tamal Ghosal, Just Sportz Management Pvt. Ltd., Kolkata.

    Farooq Ahmed file photo, addressing media in front of a Coffee Day Cafe in Chikmagalur in 2018. An FB image courtesy @motorsportsclubofckm 

    Akbar Ebrahim said: “I would like to thank the General Body Members, Outgoing President & Vice President, Current councillors and New councillors of the FMSCI for their unanimous support in mandating me as the President for another term in office. I would also like to congratulate Mr Farooq Ahmed on his election as Vice President which was unanimous and with no contest.”

    “Going forward, it is, without doubt, going to be a very challenging and tough year given the unprecedented pandemic situation the whole world is facing. I am sure that the FMSCI will collectively rise to the occasion and manage the situation to the best of its ability. I am also sure that in the coming days, weeks and months, the sport will start to flourish and bring back the smiles on each and every one of us who are passionate about the sport,” Ebrahim added. 
    `The outgoing President J Prithviral said: `I place on record my gratitude and thanks to the entire Motorsport fraternity for the support during my tenure as President. Motorsport was also affected because of Covid- 19, things are looking brighter now and trust we will be in top gear soon.” 

  • MMSC upgrades Marshals’ cabins; Grandstand to be ready by September

    MMSC upgrades Marshals’ cabins; Grandstand to be ready by September

    Chennai, 10 June 2020: With the easing of lockdown restrictions, the Madras Motor Sports Club is gearing itself up for the “new normal” with a slew of measures conforming to government regulations to create a safe environment at the iconic MMRT circuit here while also carrying out upgrades to the track.  

    Keeping in mind the situation arising out of Covid-19 virus, the MMSC will implement safety protocols as mandated by the government at the MMRT. Simultaneously, a new grandstand, digital flags that can be operated from the Race Control room and self-contained Marshal posts are being added to the facility.

    A model of the Grandstand that is being built at MMRT circuit. An MMSC image
    A model of the Grandstand that is being built at MMRT circuit. An MMSC image

    MMSC president Ajit Thomas said: “This is a difficult and sensitive phase we are going through and it is MMSC’s endeavour to ensure that track users, be it vehicle manufacturers who test their products here or the competitors, are provided a safe and healthy environment.

    “In this context, we have already put in place the ‘new normal’ protocols such as thermal temperature check at the entrance, social distancing and hand sanitisation, as per government regulations.”

    The track has been active for the past few days with testing sessions by vehicle manufacturers, and the facility will be opened to car and bike competitors from June 14 for paid practice sessions.

    Regarding various upgrades to the track, MMSC vice-president Vicky Chandhok, who is also Chairman of Racing Events, said: “The track is open for non-sporting activity as we try to ease into a situation and conditions we are not familiar with. So, we are not taking anything for granted or lightly. Health and safety of our employees, officials, competitors and visitors are our priority.

    “To start with, for the practice sessions, we will be restricting the number of persons attached to each vehicle to two in the case of cars and one for bikes. This will help us enforce social distancing with a gap of at least 10 feet between them. Next up are the Marshals who play a critical role during races. We are replacing all 21 existing Marshal posts with new, self-contained locked enclosures that will protect them from elements, and numbered as per FIA and FIM international standards.

    “We are close to finalising a deal with Tag Heuer for digital flags that will considerably reduce the number of Marshals. We plan to install 12 digital flags at select spots around the track to start off with and go on to 21 in due course. Having said that, I must emphasise that there would be absolutely no compromise on safety and we will have sufficient staff to handle any on-track incidents.”

    MMSC is also addressing a long-felt need for a permanent grandstand along the start-finish straight, facing the eastern paddock and pits. “For the moment, it would be a 600-seater structure with a provision for expansion. The bottom rung of the stand will start three metres above track surface. Below the stands, we are providing space for two-wheeler academies with access to the track, food kiosks and self-contained toilets. This facility should be ready by September.

    Self -contained cabins for flag marshals at the MMRT. An MMSC image

    “We also have plans to actively promote the sport at the grassroot level by putting up suitable facilities, the details of which will be announced later,” said Chandhok.

    As for sporting events, Chandhok said: “The action will commence with the National Championship in September, by which time, hopefully, the overall situation would have improved.”

    Meanwhile, the sport’s World governing body FIA, has extended MMRT circuit’s Grade-2 certification to July 2021 on a request by MMSC and in view of prevailing virus-related situation in India, said Chandhok.

  • Ban on Prithviraj illegal and unjust, says Appellate panel

    Ban on Prithviraj illegal and unjust, says Appellate panel

    Bengaluru, 15 March 2020: The Indian Motor Sports Appellate Committee of FMSCI consisting of Justice KP Sivasubramaniam (Retd.), Mr S Silambanan (Advocate) and Mrs. Lita Srinivasan (Advocate) gave a clean chit to Mr J Prithvi Raj, the President of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) and dismissed the ban imposed on him by the FMSCI Council on 21 November 2019. The Committee said that the Council does not have the power to ban either through the Sporting Code or through the Articles of Association and “…the action per se is improper and illegal.”

    The Appeal was upheld and the ban was dismissed on 11th March 2020.

    In a 6-page verdict signed by all the three members, it also said that the 3-year ban and the demotion as DCoC thereafter for a year, “is clearly illegal and cannot stand any test of reasonable conduct.”

    J Prithviraj

    Prithvi Raj was the Clerk of the Course for the Maxperience Rally, Jodhpur, a round of the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) that was held in September 2019. The rally was organised by Max Experience Private Limited and co-organised by Coimbatore Auto Sports Club (CASC). In the opening stage, three died in an accident and the rally was cancelled.

    After a review meeting on 26 Sept 2019 by FMSCI, its Rally Commission on Oct 4 constituted a committee to inquire into the incident and suggest measures to prevent any such mishaps in the future. On Nov 5, the panel imposed a ban for three years and thereafter a one-year mandatory DCoC period on Prithvi Raj and also fined CASC for Rs.5 lakh.

  • Prithvi Raj files appeal against `unjust ban’; CASC rejects Rs.5-lakh penalty

    Coimbatore, 21 Nov 2019: FMSCI President J Prithvi Raj, issued a statement on 21 November 2019, following the unfair ban imposed on him as Clerk of the Course (CoC). He informed that an appeal was filed by him the Coimbatore Auto Sports Club (CASC) to the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India (FMSCI) appellate body.

    On Nov 5, a Committee formed to inquire into the incident that happened in Jodhpur where three people died, had banned Prithvi Raj as CoC for three years and said that he should serve only as DCoC after serving the 3-year period. It also said that he would continue to be the President of FMSCI.

    The CASC was also penalised Rs 5 lakh and was barred from organising any events outside Coimbatore. CASC said that it is unreasonable to punish them for no fault of theirs and have filed an appeal.

    Prithvi Raj, who is also the president of the Coimbatore Auto Sports Club and a veteran of several National and important events said: “I am sharing this statement in my individual capacity, as the CoC of the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) for the Jodhpur Round.

    “As a responsible and senior official of the FMSCI, with over 28 years in the profession in various capacities, including as CoC of innumerable events, I have always carried out my duties with diligence and a sense of responsibility. I have always considered safety and procedure as top priority, never compromising on either of them ever in my life. 

    “As CoC of the Jodhpur Rally too, I had ensured that every safety measure was in place and FMSCI Observer too went on the route and approved the stage setup before giving it the green signal.

    “So, I disagree with the three-year penalty imposed on me. It is harsh and unfair too, especially as the Council members did not give me any opportunity to present my version nor a copy of the report before passing their verdict. This is against the principles of natural justice. 

    “Taking into account everything that has happened before, during and after the Rally, I have decided to appeal against the penalty imposed on me. If nothing, I should be given an opportunity to put forward my case,” concluded Prithviraj. 

    Appeal by CASC is given below:

    To,

    The Members of the Council,

    The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India, Chennai.

    Sirs,

    We are in receipt of the FMSCI Enquiry Panel report as modified and approved by the Council of FMSCI on 5th November 2019.

    We were shocked and surprised to by the recommendations of the Enquiry Panel and the decision of the Council to impose a monetary penalty of Rs.5,00,000/- on CASC and to ban CASC from organizing National Championship Events outside of Coimbatore till 31stDecember 2022. We hereby place our objections to the same.

    Firstly, CASC was never given any notice by the Enquiry Panel or by FMSCI to attend the enquiry conducted by the Enquiry Panel or to send anyone to represent CASC in the enquiry, which notice should have been sent well before the date of enquiry; second, we were never called upon by any show cause notice to express our objections or differences in respect of the recommendations of the Enquiry Panel post enquiry and post report; we have been, as an entity and as member of FMSCI, entirely unaware of the above developments and recommendations.

    We further find that the report of the Enquiry Panel reads as if Mr. J. Prithiviraj participated in the enquiry as our representative. That is not correct. We never authorized Mr. J. Prithiviraj or anyone else for that matter to represent us in the enquiry since we had not been called upon to do so. The monetary penalty and the ban have been imposed on us is entirely in violation of principles of natural justice and fair play. As such, the same are not legal and binding.

    In light of the above, we request you to withdraw the penalty and ban imposed on us forthwith. In the event of the council failing to withdraw the decision, we reserve our right to seek appropriate remedies.

    Awaiting your reply at the earliest.

    Truly,

    Signed/

    (J.Balu)

    Hony. Jt. Secretary.

  • MMSC delivers another first – Night sessions at MMRT circuit

    MMSC delivers another first – Night sessions at MMRT circuit

    Night Fest, testing for night sessions in progress at MMSC on Wednesday. Photos by Anand Philar

    Chennai, 8 August 2019: The Madras Motor Sports Club made history on Wednesday, August 7 as it took first baby steps towards full-fledged night racing in the future at the MMRT by conducting a four-hour floodlit test session, the first of its kind in India,  that attracted over 100 participants, a clutch of “super cars”, including a Rolls Royce Phantom, first-timers and battle-hardened professional racing drivers in the fully-prepared racing cars, all of whom gave the initiative a thumbs-up.

    The first-timers were all excited at the rare opportunity to drive on the track at pace in the night. The professionals, like former Formula 1 racer Karun Chandhok, Aditya Patel, Chetan Korada, Arfath Mohammed, Karthik Tharani, Ishaan Dodhiwala and ex-rally driver Ranjit Ballal suggested improvements in the lighting while hailing  MMSC’s efforts to provide another dimension to motor racing in India.

    Karun Chandhok, who has raced at night at Le Mans and F1 testing in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi, said: “I think what they (the MMSC) have done is very good. We should do more of these events as they will whet the appetite of the people for the sport. I did a few laps here tonight.

    “The visibility was much better than what I expected. Everyone at the club knows the areas to improve. I think, night racing is entirely doable with saloon cars, but with single-seaters, I think there is still a lot of work to do. A huge amount of investment is required to get the level of lighting up to what you need for single-seaters. Aditya (Patel) and I raced each other in saloon cars and were doing 1:55.4, 1:55.0. That is the pace what people do during daytime. So, it shows the level of lighting is good to race at night with a little improvement.”

    The night session was conducted in a full-fledged racing environment with temporary floodlight towers in place at select locations, besides Marshals manning the posts around the circuit and other safety precautions.

    Volkswagen Motorsport India provided a few race-tuned cars for the night session

    All the participants attended a mandatory pre-session briefing by MMSC Vice-President and former racer Vicky Chandhok on racing regulations and safety. The first-timers were taken around the in a convoy behind the Safety Car to learn the racing lines before being allowed to drive at pace. Helmet for the drivers was compulsory. Volkswagen Motorsport provided race-spec Polo, Vento and Ameo cars on hire while some participants opted to drive their own vehicles.

    MMSC president Ajit Thomas said: “It is a very exciting evening for us. Globally track days are a great way to get people interested in the sport and we realised that with the hot weather in Chennai we needed to do something different. It is the first time that we opened the track up for people to drive at night which makes sense in Chennai. The weather is great and the atmosphere is fantastic. We have some temporary lighting in place as a test, but if we are going to do this on a long-term basis, we will be getting a higher grade lighting on the track. The response has been great with a cross-section of drivers – beginners and professionals.

    “Based on this response and interest, we are hopeful of running a few events. Initially, may be more track days, some short events and then endurance races. As far as the costs are concerned, the MMSC has always been constantly ploughing back funds, both from the club and the Trust (the Madras Motor Race Trust) for the overall development of the sport. We have already invested heavily (about Rs 20 Crores) in upgrading the track, the paddock and various facilities and racing equipment. So, going forward, I think we can manage night racing in the future.”

    An elated Vicky Chandhok said: “I go strictly by the reactions of the participants. The fact that they are smiling ear-to-ear is really important for me. Going by the lap times of the pro drivers, they have matched those done during the day. We will have to make the lighting a bit more brighter. Overall, it is nice to see people having a great time here. We are trying to make motorsport fun and develop more fans to come here and enjoy themselves as against serious, hardcore racing.”

    Former racer and rally champion Harish Samtani applauded MMSC’s latest initiative. “No question that this is a brilliant idea. Globally, night racing, F1 for instance, is catching up. It brings a different paradigm in motorsport. Of course, this is just the beginning. I have spoken with the drivers, both the pros and the newbies. They like the format. It is now up to MMSC to set up a proper, safe lighting environment where one can do serious racing. Definitely, it (night racing) is here to stay.”

    About Madras Motor Sports Club

    Since its humble beginnings in 1953, the Madras Motor Sports Club has grown in stature as the hub of motorsport activity in India. Having moved from Sholavaram to its present location in Sriperumbudur in 1979, MMSC has kept pace with changing times by upgrading facilities. At a cost of about Rs 20 Crore, the MMSC built a pit complex comprising 20 garages, VIP hospitality suites and a viewing gallery, on the eastern side, apart from a second Paddock on the western side with its own short circuit. The Control Room too was upgraded with state-of-the-art hardware while the track itself was improved to meet the exacting FIA standards for Grade-2 certification. The facilities are also extensively used by various vehicle manufacturers for testing their products, displays and corporate days.

  • Night races after evaluation tests: Chandhok

    Night races after evaluation tests: Chandhok

    Chennai, 21 July 2019: Confirming that night races, the first in India, at the MMRT circuit here were definitely on, Vicky Chandhok, the Chairman of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship and vice-president of MMSC, said the club has earmarked funds to install floodlights at the FIA certified Grade 2 track.

    Vickey Chandhok addressing media at MMRT on Sunday. Photo by Anand Philar

    Speaking to the Media here today on the sidelines of the third round of the National car racing championship, Chandhok said: “A very professional lighting expert has given us a quote of Rs.16 Crores do up the lights just like the Singapore circuit. But we are going for low lighting just like they have at Le Mans. We are planning to install basic lighting that can help the Marshals and Officials see the incidents on track so that they make sure that `no one is injured’. Safety is one aspect which I and everyone at the Club, are very particular,”

    To this end, the MMSC has scheduled a “test run” on August 7 between 6 pm and 11 pm to evaluate the possibility of full-fledged night races in the near future, he affirmed.

    Chandhok, the former president of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India, said the Club planned to upgrade many facilities at the MMRT and was keen on taking the green path. On the anvil is a Solar Park to support their needs while a huge compost pit would come up soon.

    “In the long-run, we would like to host a lot of Endurance races and we are also planning to upgrade the track to support racing in the anti-clockwise direction which needs about 56 changes to the track,’’ the veteran administrator who brought F1 to India, said.

    “At MMSC, we have always set the standards. But we will be very conscious of safety. On August 7, we have night testing and once the evaluation process goes through, we will decide if we need more lighting and we will definitely have night races starting with saloon cars,’’ he added.

  • Raghul rangasamy crowned `Upcoming Motorsports Person of the Year’: FMSCI awards

    Raghul rangasamy crowned `Upcoming Motorsports Person of the Year’: FMSCI awards

    Gautam Singhania (CMD Raymond Group), Raghul Rangasamy winner of the FMSCI Upcoming Motorsports Person of the Year Award, Jean Todt (president FIA), J. Prithiviraj President of FMSCI on Monday. An FMSCI image

    Mumbai, 25 Feb 2019: India’s top performers in the world of motorsports were felicitated during the 2018 FMSCI Annual Awards function here on Monday, with Chennai’s Raghul Rangasamy winning the coveted ‘Upcoming Motorsports Person Of The Year Award.

    The awards function once held at a make-shift venue under tents some years back, under the guidance of the late Bharat Raj now travels every year to five-star hotels, with pomp and show. Lakhs and lakhs of rupees, which ideally need to be spent on the sportspersons, riders and drivers, end up in corporate kitties. Many more lakhs are being paid as income tax to the government every year for lack of any innovative programmes by the FMSCI which can reduce such taxes in productive expenditure for the promotion of sport.

    Rangasamy, the 25-year-old racer had a spectacular year, completing a fine double by claiming the LGB Formula 4 title in the JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship and the FF 1600 category in the MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Racing Championship to pocket the prestigious Raymond Gautam Singhania Trophy.

    The chief guest at the glittering function, the President of FIA (Le Federation Internationale de l’Automobile), Jean Todt, gave away the top prize as also a number of other important trophies in the presence of a galaxy of stars.

    Todt, famously known as the force behind Ferrari’s spectacular rise in Formula 1, expressed his delight at the way Indian motorsport has progressed and believed that the country was on its way to bigger things on the world stage. But sadly, the fact is that the Formula One continues to elude the country and there is no positive sign that it would return to India in the near future. The Indian Government and the Indian Olympic Association lay down rules where the sport needs to be democratically governed and represented by all States in its governing body to get the nod for recognition.

    The annual function, held under the stewardship of new FMSCI president J Prithiviraj, saw as many as 61 winners receiving the trophies. The former president of FMSCI (1981-82 & 1985-87), GR Karthikeyan, was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his valuable contribution to Indian motorsport.

    Basking in the progress made in the year gone by, and appreciating the efforts of all the stakeholders, promoters, sponsors and winners, Prithiviraj revealed that much more was in store.

    “We are entering the golden period of Indian motorsports. We have events in virtually all the disciplines possible and our boys and girls are competing and winning at the world level, like never before,” he said. “We are going to introduce many other exciting verticals very soon,” he added.

    The FMSCI handed out Special Awards to all those made the country proud at the international level too while making a special mention of multiple winner Gaurav Gill, for taking part in the World Rally Championship.

    Among others, Armaan Ebrahim (podium finish at the Lamborghini Trofeo series), Anindith Reddy Konda (podium at Lamborghini Trofeo Series), Amiitrajit Ghosh and Ashwin Naik (winners at ERC 2 Acropolis Rally) and Malswandawngliana (2nd in Asia Cup of Road Racing India round) received these awards.

    Leading female drivers of the country, including Mira Erda, Sneha Sharma and Shriya Lohia, were also bestowed with the  ‘Outstanding Women in Motorsport’ trophies.

    The FMSCI meanwhile underlined its new philosophy, ‘equal investment in competitor & training officials’, to take the sport to the next level.

     

    Lifetime achievement award: G R Karthikeyan; Upcoming Motorsport person of the year: Raghul Rangasamy

    JK Tyres FMSCI National Racing Championship

    Euro JK 18: Karthik Tharani; LGB Formula 4: Raghul Rangasamy; Champion Team (LGB Formula 4): Msport; Rookie Driver (LGB Formula 4): Sohil Shah

    MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Racing Championship

    MRF FF 1600: Raghul Rangasamy; FLGB 1300: Sohil Shah; Champion Team (FLGB 1300): Msport; Super Stock K Srinivas Teja; Champion Team (Super Stock ):Performance Racing; Indian Junior Touring Cars: AS Prabhu; Champion Team( Indian Junior Touring Cars):  Arka Motorsports; Indian Touring Cars: Ashish Ramaswamy; Champion Team (Indian Touring Cars): Arka Motorsports

    FMSCI Indian National Autocross Championship

    Driver Stock (2-wheel drive upto 1400 cc ):Sahil Khanna; Driver Stock( 2-wheel drive Over 1400 cc upto 1650 cc): Samrat Yadav; Driver Stock (2-wheel drive Over 1650 cc) Arjun Rao; Driver Open (2-wheel drive upto 1400 cc): Abhishek Mishra; Driver Open (2-wheel drive, over 1400 cc upto 1650 cc): Dean Mascarenhas;  Driver Open (2-wheel drive Over 1650 cc): Arjun Rao; Driver (Open, Unrestricted): Abhishek Mishra; Driver (Ladies):  Bani Yadav

    MMSC FMSCI Indian National Drag Racing Championship

    Driver Indian (Open Stock Body): Vivek Ramachander; Driver Indian (Open Altered Body): Jayant V; Driver Indian (Touring Cars): Kasha Sai; Driver (Unrestricted Class): Vivek Ramachander

    MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship   

    Driver Overall INRC:  Gaurav Gill; Co-Driver Overall INRC: Musa Sherif; Team Overall: INRC Mahindra Adventure; Driver (INRC 1):  Gaurav Gill; Co-Driver (INRC 1): Musa Sherif; Team (INRC 1): Mahindra Adventure; Driver( INRC 2 ):Karna Kadur; Co-Driver( INRC 2 ): Nikhil V Pai; Team (INRC 2): Arka Motorsports; Driver (INRC 3): Aroor Vikram Rao; Co-Driver (INRC 3): Somayya A.G; (Team INRC 3):  Falkon Motorsports

    Meco Motor Sports FMSCI National Rotax Max Karting Championship

    Micro Max: Ishaan Madesh; Team (Micro Max ): Peregrine Racing; Junior Max Shahan Ali Mohsin; Team (Junior Max) Msport; Senior Max: Debarun Banerjee; Team (Senior Max): MSport

    MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship     

    Rider (Pro Stock 301-400 cc): Satyanarayana Raju; Team (Pro Stock 301-400 cc): Gusto Racing India; Manufacturer: (Pro Stock 301-400 cc KTM); Rider (Super Sport Indian upto 165 cc): Jagan Kumar; Team (Super Sport Indian upto 165 cc): TVS Racing; Manufacturer (Super Sport Indian upto 165 cc): TVS; Rider (Pro Stock upto 165 cc): Anish D Shetty; Team( Pro Stock upto 165 cc):  Honda Ten10 Racing; Manufacturer  (Pro Stock upto 165 cc): Honda; Rider (Stock upto 165 cc Girls): Ann Jenifer; Team (Stock upto 165 cc Girls ): Sparks Racing; Manufacturer (Stock upto 165 cc Girls): Yamaha; Rider (Stock upto 165 cc): Karthik Mateti; Team (Stock upto 165 cc): Sparks Racing; Manufacturer (Stock upto 165 cc): Yamaha

    MMSC FMSCI Indian National Drag Racing Championship                                               

    Rider (2 Stroke upto 130 cc):  Hussain Khan; Rider (2 Stroke 131 to 165cc): Hussain Khan; Rider (4 Stroke upto 165 cc): Aravind Ganesh; Rider (4 Stroke 166 to 225 cc): Harshil Thakur; Rider (4 Stroke 226 to 360 cc): Shankar Guru;  Rider(4 Stroke 361 to 550 cc): R Ashwin Kumar; Rider( 4 Stroke 851 to 1050 cc): Hemant Mudappa; Rider( 4 Stroke 1051 & above): Hemant Mudappa; Rider (4 Stroke Unrestricted): Hemant Mudappa; Team:  Mantra Racing

    MRF MOGRIP FMSCI National Supercross Championship

    Rider (Group A SX1 2 Stroke 250 cc & 4 Stroke 500 cc): Harith Noah; Rider (Group C 2/4 Stroke: 260 cc Novice) Imran Pasha; Rider( Group C  2/4 Stroke:260 cc Indian Expert):  Imran Pasha; Rider( Group C 2/4 Stroke 260 cc Expert): Jagdeesh Kumar; Rider (Group A SX2 2 Stroke 250 cc & 4 Stroke 500 cc): Saijith ES; Rider( Junior SX 1 2/4 Stroke 250 cc): Yuvraj Kondedeshmukh;  Rider  (Junior SX 2 2/4 Stroke 250 cc )Sarthak Chavan

    MRF MOGRIP FMSCI National Rally Championship

    Overall R Nataraj; Rider (Super Bike Pro Expert Group A Rider): R Nataraj;  Rider (Super Bike Expert Group A Rider): Jatin Jain; Rider (Super Sport 130 cc Group B Rider):  Rakesh Kumar V; Rider (Super Sport 165 cc Group B Rider ): Imran Pasha J; Rider (Super Sport 260 cc Group B Rider) Rajendra R.E.; Rider (Super Sport 400 cc Group B Rider ): Venu Ramesh Kumar; Rider( Super Sport 550 cc Group B Rider): Vinit Sharma; (Rider Scooters Group B Rider): Pinkesh Thakkar; Rider( Ladies Class): Aishwarya P.M.

    Outstanding Achievement In World Motorsport

    Abhilash PG: Winner APRC  2 Cup for Drivers;  Abdul Wahid: 2nd Overall in category of Rally of Morocco  , a FIM Cross Country World Championship Event; Armaan Ebrahim: Podium in Lamborgini Super Trofeo Asia; Anindith Reddy K: Podium in Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia; Amittrajit Ghosh:Podium ERC Acropolis Rally ERC 2 Driver; Ashwin Naik: Podium ERC Acropolis Rally ERC 2 Co-Driver; Jehan Daruvala: Several Podiums in FIA Euro F3 Championship; Karthik Matei: 2nd in Asia Cup of Road Racing (Indonesia Round); Musa Sherif: Winner APRC 2 Cup for Co-Drivers; Malsawndawngliana: 2nd in Asia Cup of Road Racing India Round.

    Outstanding Women in Motorsports 

    Mira Erda; Sneha Sharma; Shriya Lohia