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Category: India In F1
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DTM: Maini has a difficult start to 2022 season in Portimao
Arjun Maini kick-started his 2022 DTM campaign with Haupt Racing Team (HRT) last weekend at Portimao driving the #36b Mercedes-AMG GT3 machine alongside teammate Luca Stolz.
Starting the weekend, Maini finished 22nd and 24th in the two practice sessions, where he was 15th in Qualifying 1 and 22nd in Qualifying 2. It was a difficult qualifying for the Indian which left him in a difficult spot in races.
In Race 1, he dropped places at the start and managed to recover to 17th in the end, while in Race 2, he had a better run to move from outside of Top 20 to finish 13th eventually but out of points.
“Overall, it was a difficult weekend for me,” said Maini. “But we had strong pace, just that not everything came together. In Qualifying 1, we had few issues which didn’t allow me to improve on the second set.
“In Race, once again, the pace was good but I was in a few unlucky positions and I lost a lot of positions on start and re-starts. In Qualifying 2, the car was very good but unfortunately we got blocked on the fastest lap.
“After that we had no tyres, so we had to start Race 2 from the back. Also, we had a penalty from the previous day. We started P25, the car was mega, the guys did a really good job in the pit stops, so we finished P13.
“In the end, that was the best we could do but pace is there, we just need everything to come together now, massive thanks to whole HRT team and Mercedes for giving me a strong car.”
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Rovanpera wins WRC Croatia Rally ahead of Hyundai duo
Toyota’s Kalle Rovanpera did enough to win WRC Croatia Rally from Hyundai pair of Ott Tanak and Thierry Neuville.
Friday:
Kalle Rovanpera demolished his opponents in Friday’s treacherous opening leg of the WRC Croatia Rally to build a convincing lead of more than a minute. Despite rain, mud and mist in the hills west of capital Zagreb, he won six of the eight asphalt speed tests in a Toyota GR Yaris to head a resilient Thierry Neuville by 1min 04.0sec.
FIA World Rally Championship leader Rovanpera thrived in the tricky conditions. He won three of the morning’s four special stages to lead by 47.5sec and stretched it during an equally dominant afternoon. Having missed valuable experience when he crashed in the opening kilometres of Croatia’s WRC debut 12 months ago, the Finn expected to be at a disadvantage.
But first in the start order helped as conditions progressively worsened as each car dragged mud onto the road. Neuville endured a topsy-turvy day. The Belgian completed the opening quartet of tests 12.5sec adrift, but a broken alternator belt in his Hyundai i20 N’s engine twice stopped the car en route to service. Neuville and co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe pushed the car the final 800m.
The exhausted pair fell to the floor as they arrived four minutes late and a 40sec penalty demoted them to fourth. A spirited afternoon, including fastest time in the final stage, propelled them back to second. They had 19.3sec in hand over team-mate Ott Tanak. The Estonian’s low start position hindered him, along with a penultimate stage puncture, but Tanak was content with third.
Despite overshooting a corner and narrowly missing a water hydrant, Craig Breen was fourth on his first time aboard a Ford Puma in the wet. The Irishman overnighted 11.9sec back. Oliver Solberg was delayed by a spin and was fortunate to survive an impact in a water-filled corner en route to fifth in his i20 N. He was more than a minute adrift of Breen and 10.6sec clear of Evans, who denied Rovanperä a clean sweep of morning stage wins.
That was the Welshman’s only joy as two punctures on his GR Yaris cost valuable time. He was almost 40sec clear of the similar car of a low-on-confidence Takamoto Katsuta. In worse trouble was Esapekka Lappi who retired his GR Yaris in the first stage after clipping a boulder and wrecking the front right corner.
Aside from Breen’s efforts it was a disappointing day for M-Sport Ford. Adrien Fourmaux went out after sliding his Puma through a hedge into a roadside garden, while both Pierre-Louis Loubet and Gus Greensmith exited when three punctures left them with no more usuable tyres onboard. WRC2 leader Yohan Rossel was eighth with Nikolay Gryazin and Eric Camilli completing the leaderboard.
Saturday:
Kalle Rovanpera’s commanding WRC Croatia Rally lead came under threat from Ott Tanak during Saturday’s absorbing second leg. FIA World Rally Championship leader Rovanpera began the second day of three in the hills near Zagreb with a seemingly impregnable lead of almost 90sec over the Estonian in his Toyota GR Yaris.
He ended with that advantage slashed to just 19.9sec after a puncture and Tanak’s persistence set up an exciting Sunday finale. Tanak had already trimmed Rovanperä’s lead when the Finn punctured his front left tyre on the morning’s penultimate speed test amid heavy rain and thick fog at the Platak ski resort above the Adriatic coast.
The pair were the only frontrunners who had the advantage of Pirelli’s wet weather tyres on all four corners of their cars. While Tanak pushed on through the gloom to win the stage in his Hyundai i20 N, Rovanpera conceded nearly 55sec. Tanak sniffed the opportunity of a first victory for more than a year and nibbled back more time, despite an afternoon gearchange problem. But Rovanpera sent a clear message in the final test, setting fastest time to regain 5.1sec.
Tanak admitted the Platak test was an eye opener. While conditions on the other stages were drier than yesterday, the weather deteriorated in Platak and the afternoon’s repeat pass was cancelled. Craig Breen and Thierry Neuville were blanketed by 4.9sec for the final podium place, almost a minute behind Tänak. Breen overshot a hairpin in his Ford Puma while Neuville’s torrid weekend took yet more twists.
He received a one-minute penalty overnight for speeding on Friday which relegated him from second to fourth. His i20 N had to be pushed into service this morning and another 10sec penalty came for leaving a minute late. Neuville clawed back almost 40sec from Breen to end hot on the Irishman’s heels and 49.9sec clear of Elfyn Evans. The Welshman won the opening test in a GR Yaris but was reluctant to take risks when on course for his first points finish of the year.
Takamoto Katsuta rounded off the top six. The Japanese pilot dropped time with a puncture and an overshoot and was almost 3min 40sec adrift of Evans. WRC2 leader Yohan Rossel was seventh, with fellow support category contenders Nikolay Gryazin, Kajetan Kajetanowicz and Emil Lindholm completing the top 10.
Oliver Solberg crashed his i20 N out of fifth in the opening stage, which was cancelled as rescue vehicles attended a fire at the rear of the car. Esapekka Lappi returned after hitting a rock and retiring his GR Yaris yesterday. The Finn benefited from opening the roads and scored three fastest times.
Sunday:
Kalle Rovanpera snatched an extraordinary WRC Croatia Rally victory on Sunday afternoon as a downpour turned the event on its head in the final kilometres. The Finn led from the start of the three-day rally in the hills around Zagreb in his Toyota GR Yaris, only for a storm in the penultimate speed test to wipe out his hard-earned advantage.
A resurgent Ott Tanak, whose gamble on softer Pirelli tyres gave his Hyundai i20 N a performance edge on the streaming asphalt, grabbed a 1.4sec lead. The pendulum swung back towards Rovanpera as drier roads in the closing Wolf Power Stage offered hope, but the odds remained firmly in Tanak’s favour as mud and dirt littered the final 14.09km.
Rovanpera threw caution to the wind and remarkably overturned the deficit to claim back-to-back FIA World Rally Championship wins by 4.3sec. Victory extended his points lead to 29 after three rounds of the 13-event season. He had dominated the early stages of the event and was almost 90sec clear until falling into Tanak’s clutches following a puncture on Saturday morning. He rebuilt his lead to half a minute until the deluge set up a breathtaking finale.
It was a disappointing outcome for Tanak, whose victory drought dates back to February 2021. The Estonian finished 2min 16.7sec clear of team-mate Thierry Neuville. The Belgian overhauled Craig Breen on the final morning to claim a podium despite a torrid weekend which would have forced many to give up.
He and co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe were on the point of collapse after pushing their car for 800 metres into service on Friday after stopping with alternator problems. Time penalties and speeding fines knocked them further back and they almost gave up a podium with sight of the finish after hitting a bank and almost rolling.
Breen survived an overshoot and a spin to take fourth in a Ford Puma. The Irishman fended off a closing Elfyn Evans, whose fifth place marked a first points finish of the year for the GR Yaris driver. Japan’s Takamoto Katsuta was a distant sixth in another Yaris.
The tricky asphalt, allied with heavy rain and fog, proved highly attritional and the remainder of the leaderboard was filled by drivers from the WRC2 support category. Yohan Rossel secured seventh ahead of Kajetan Kajetanowicz and Emil Lindholm. A poor tyre choice cost Nikolay Gryazin valuable time across the closing stages and he dropped two places to 10th.
Here’s WRC Croatia Rally: https://www.wrc.com/en/wrcplus/live-timing/
[Note: The above is per press release with no edits made]
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Enea Bastianini masterclass at display in Austin: MotoGP
Austin, 10 April 2022: Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP) is now a two-time MotoGP race winner! The Beast delivered a Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas masterclass to retake the title lead heading to Europe, taking Ducati’s first win at the venue and staking his claim on a serious charge for the crown at the fourth round of the MotoGP World Championship here on Sunday.
Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) scrapped it out on the last lap for second, with the Suzuki rider coming out on top with a late lunge – and thus securing Suzuki’s 500th podium. Miller, nevertheless, took his first rostrum of the season.
Behind the fight for the win, there was also an almighty comeback ride from Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team)…
As the lights went out, Miller got the best start of the leading Ducati trio on the front row and grabbed the holeshot ahead of Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), but thus began the drama for the number 93. The eight-time World Champion suffered an issue off the line, plummeting through the order to the very back of the field. He got going, and then the race was on.
From left: Miller, Bastianini and Rins at the Podium celebrations on Sunday. A MotoGP image Up ahead, Bastianini got the better Bagnaia for P3 on Lap 1 as Martin lunged for the lead at the penultimate corner. Miller instantly retaliated though and it was the Australian who held the race lead baton on Lap 2. It was a Ducati 1-2-3-4-5, with Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) scrapping away with Pecco for P4, followed by Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) and Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Rins and Joan Mir in P6, P7 and P8 behind the Desmosedici quintet.
The fifth round of the MotoGP World Championship in Algarve, Portugal is on April 24.
By Lap 5 meanwhile, Marc Marquez had climbed his way up to 13th. Lap 7 saw him pass teammate Pol Espargaro at Turn 12 and in doing so, the number 93 was inside the top 10 – 0.6s off Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) in eighth and just five seconds off the lead.
Further up the road, Rins had pounced on Pecco and the Ducati stranglehold had been breached on Lap 6. Rins was an absolute demon on brakes into Turn 11 and the Spaniard picked off Zarco on Lap 9, crucially holding the Frenchman at bay coming out of Turn 12 too. Rins then latched himself onto the coattails of third place Bastianini, diving up the inside of the ‘Beast’ at Turn 11 on the next lap but Bastianini able to power back past.
Meanwhile, Marc Marquez had picked off Aleix Espargaro and had Quartararo next on his list as the number 93 set the fastest lap of the race on Lap 11 of 20.
Lap 12 saw Bastianini slice past Martin into second at Turn 1, and Rins followed Bestia through and into third. Up ahead, Miller had opened up a 0.7s lead as the Australian pushed on doing the leg work of leading, with Bagnaia, Mir and Zarco battling it out as the top nine riders down to Marc Marquez were split by five seconds – and the latter, once again, set the fastest lap of the race.
It was all happening. Lap 14 saw Quartararo push his way past countryman Zarco as the number 5 dropped backwards, and Marc Marquez then passed Quartararo on the back straight as, up ahead, both Mir and Pecco made their way through on Martin. Bastianini, in second, then set the best lap of the race as Miller’s lead was cut to 0.3s, the race for the win very much on. The top two also had 1.4s in hand to Rins, who in turn had 1.3s to teammate Mir. Could the Suzukis bridge the gap?
With five laps to go, it looked like it was only a matter of time before Bastianini took the lead off Miller. Sure enough, ducking into the slipstream of the Australian, Bastianini then sliced up the inside of the number 43, hitting the front at Turn 12.
How would Miller respond? Bastianini eked out about three tenths and with three laps to go, the gap was half a second. From there, it only grew – and Rins was closing in fast, too. The Suzuki was now 0.7s behind Miller, Mir was a further second down the road, Bagnaia 0.8s off Mir, and Marquez and Quartararo were getting their gloves off as they shoved Martin down to P8.
Starting the final lap, Bastianini had 1.6s in his pocket and it seemed his to lose. Miller was now on defence duty against a charging Rins, with Mir not too far off the podium fight either. Bagnaia was in a lonelier fifth, and Marquez vs Quartararo was a sensation in the battle for sixth.
For second, the fight started at Turn 11 as the Suzuki got by, but Miller got his Ducati hooked up on the straight and the Aussie was back into P2. Rins then got a great run out of Turn 18, and at Turn 19, the number 42 went for it and dived up the inside. Stopped and turned to perfection, there was no way back for Miller and that was that: Bastianini a MotoGP™ race winner once more, Rins taking second and making that history for Suzuki, and Miller forced to settle for third but still taking a first podium of the season.
Mir’s podium attack didn’t quite come to fruition in the end but it’s a second consecutive P4 for the 2020 World Champion, with Bagnaia also taking a second successive result, his of fifth. And then came Marquez…
From 24th to sixth was a truly stunning comeback, enough even without threatening the podium for it to be a serious warning shot for the rest. Quartararo gave it some elbows to try and deny the number 93 though, taking P7 in the end but the top Iwata machine by some margin.
Martin slipped to P8 as the Pramac duo struggled in the second half of the race, with Zarco just behind in P9. Maverick Viñales got the better of Aprilia Racing teammate Aleix Espargaro as the Aprilias pick up P10 and P11 from P13 and P14 on the grid, with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) coming home in P12 on a difficult weekend for KTM.
A fatigued and under the weather Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) saw the chequered flag in P13, just ahead of Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu). Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) crossed the line in P15 but was demoted one place, handing Andrea Dovizioso (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP™ Team) the final point.
Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) and Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) crashed out, the former headed to the medical centre for a check-up and was declared fit.
What a way to celebrate 500 GPs of racing together, with Bastianini putting on a show to remember at the Circuit of the Americas. The Beast is back on top and in winning race #GP500, joins Cal Crutchlow (400th), Casey Stoner (300th), Valentino Rossi (200th), Kenny Roberts Jr (100th) and Mick Doohan, the first winner of the era back in 1992, with a nice little milestone.
Now the stunning Autodromo Internacional do Algarve awaits, with a very different looking Championship table to the one on MotoGP™’s last visit. What will the rollercoaster bring? Find out in two weeks!
MotoGP podium:
1 Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) – Ducati – 41’23.111
2 Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) – Suzuki – +2.058
3 Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – +2.312Enea Bastianini: “Fantastic day! It has been really hard this race. The first part of the race Miller put a very fast pace, but then during the middle of the race when I saw Rins very close to me trying to overtake me many times I decided it was time to push for the front because also the temperature of the front tyre was too high. In the end I pushed like a bastard. It’s incredible to win here in America it’s a fantastic track, fantastic people and now it’s time to eat some hamburgers.!”
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SIR APRC/INRC live timing
44TH SOUTH INDIA RALLY the third and final round of the 2021 Indian National Rally Championship will decide the APRC 2022 first round winner and the National Champion for INRC 2021. Follow the Live timing here:
http://vgonext.com/ControlCenter/PLI.aspx?Key=c6680d53-0a46-49ff-9be4-60ad8a8a91f6http://vgonext.com/ControlCenter/PLI.aspx?Key=c6680d53-0a46-49ff-9be4-60ad8a8a91f6
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Indian company Tata Communications returns to Formula 1
Formula 1 and Tata Communications today are delighted to announce a multi-year strategic collaboration, with Tata Communications returning to the sport as the Official Broadcast Connectivity Provider of Formula 1, to deliver and enhance a world-class, technologically advanced experience for fans globally.
Tata Communications will empower Formula 1 with global end-to-end managed network services for video contribution, thereby transforming the motorsports experience. For this, the company will facilitate the transfer of more than 100 video feeds and over 250 audio channels to be transmitted between the Grand Prix venue and F1’s Media & Technology Centre in the UK every race weekend in under 200 milliseconds, enabling F1 to broadcast to over 500m fans in 180+ territories globally.
Tata Communications’ industry-recognised and built-for-media connectivity solutions will enable Formula 1 to transform the broadcast content production worldwide while continuing to support the sport’s drive for agility and sustainability. Following the introduction of Formula 1’s remote broadcast operations in 2020, Tata Communications has allowed reduction in the organisation’s travelling freight by 34%.
Stefano Domenicali, President & CEO of Formula 1, said:
“We are delighted to welcome Tata Communications back as a partner following previous successes in our partnerships. They have been an integral part of our growth journey over the last decade, and we completely trust their expertise and abilities to deliver what we need for our fans. This trust has been built over many years of working together, pushing forward advancements in technology in sport – on and off the track. Tata Communications’ connectivity continues to support F1’s drive for agility and sustainability with remote production introduced in 2020 – part of our aim to be Net-Zero Carbon by 2030. We are excited to grow together in the future and share the incredible journey Formula 1 is on.”
Amur S Lakshminarayanan, MD and CEO, Tata Communications, said:
“As businesses evolve to a digital-first model, I believe the sporting world also has a great opportunity to leverage technology for delivering innovative and exhilarating experiences to motorsports enthusiasts. And, Formula 1 is at the core of all things speed, action and thrill. We are delighted to renew our relationship and empower Formula 1’s tomorrow, today!”
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Hero MotoSports begins well with all-3 riders in top-6
Yas Marina, 5 March 2022: Hero MotoSports Team Rally’s Franco Caimi led the Indian team’s challenge taking a creditable fourth place followed by his teammates in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (ADDC) 2022, the second round of the FIA-FIM World Rally-Raid Championship here on Saturday.
Following the Dakar Rally earlier this year with a first-ever Dakar stage win, the team is back in action with renewed focus.
At Abu Dhabi, the team is represented by riders Joaquim Rodrigues and Franco Caimi, with Ross Branch becoming the third rider. Competing in the Rally GP class, the three riders Caimi, Branch and JRod finished the Prologue stage in the 4th, 5th and 6th positions respectively, making a dominant entry into the five-day race.
After completing the administrative checks and technical scrutiny on March 4, the riders took to the start line for the Prologue on Saturday. A short 2-km sprint, starting from the Yas Marina Circuit, determined the start order for Stage 1.
ADDC 2022 is also the debut race for Ross Branch a.k.a the Kalahari Ferrari, in Hero MotoSports colors. A well-known top talent in the Rally-Raid circuits, Branch is expected to enhance the overall outlook, performance, and competitiveness of the 6-year-old young team. JRod, who won a stage at the Dakar Rally 2022 is currently at his peak performance, and Franco Caimi makes a comeback after his unfortunate injury from before the Dakar.
The first official stage of the ADDC 2022 is due on Sunday and this will take the riders on a 262-km special in the sands of Arabia. The team will start from the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, and end the day in the desert, at Hameem-Qasr Al Sarab.
Wolfgang Fischer, Team Manager, Hero MotoSports Team Rally:
“We are back again at Abu Dhabi, not long after the race here in last November. ADDC is now the second race of the year according to the calendar of the new World Rally-Raid Championship. We had a very productive week here in training and preparations with our three riders – Franco Caimi, Joaquim Rodrigues, and the new entry to the team, Ross Branch. The presence of Ross with us reinforces our position as a top rally team. We’re also much happy about Franco’s recovery and return to the team. We are still waiting for Sebastian Buhler to recover completely from his crash at ADDC last year.
All the big names in the Rally GP class and the big teams are here at the start of ADDC, and we’re eager to get on the track for this exciting race. Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is also the only race in the world that feature 100% sand and dunes. I hope we will have a good end to the race, and finish safe and healthy. We are privileged and glad that we can enjoy the sport we dearly love. Our thoughts go out to people in other parts of the world who are going through brutally difficult times, and we wish things will get better soon.”
Joaquim Rodrigues:
“The prologue here at Abu Dhabi was short, but a good start to the testing conditions that start tomorrow. We have been working hard, the bikes are running well, and I am feeling good. So, looking forward to a good rally.”
Franco Caimi:
“I’m super happy to be back with the team and racing once again. The prologue today was fun, and I really enjoyed being back on my Hero Rally 450. It was definitely a good first contact before the show that starts tomorrow, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the race.”
Ross Branch:
“It was really fun to be back on the track today! It was just 2 kms so it wasn’t long enough to make good time, but I still enjoyed it and felt great to ride my new bike. I am really excited to be a part of Hero MotoSports Team Rally, and am very happy to have started my first race with the team. I think we have prepared well, and I can’t wait for stage 1!
Provisional Rankings – Qualifying Stage (Rally GP Class)
1. Matthias Walkner Red Bull KTM Factory Team 20m 16s
2. Toby Price Red Bull KTM Factory Team + 8s
3. Kevin Benavides Red Bull KTM Factory Team + 40s
4. Franco Caimi Hero MotoSports Team Rally + 40s
5. Ross Branch Hero MotoSports Team Rally + 40s
6. Joaquim Rodrigues Hero MotoSports Team Rally + 48s
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Jagan Kumar of TVS wins historic 10th Indian National title: Bike racing
Chennai, 4 Feb 2022: Road Racing champion and the most-decorated rider from the stables of TVS Racing, Jagan Kumar, 33, made a stunning statement in style conquering his tenth National crown with a race to spare in the fifth and final round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2021 at the MMRT, here on Friday.
From cycling house to house as a newspaper boy to grabbing regular headlines in all the newspapers winning astride his TVS machine year after year, the humble genius achieved a racing milestone in the history of Indian motorsports. With a handsome lead in the championship table, he just needed 10 points and a third in the premier Pro-Stock 165cc race was more than enough as he fetched 15 points. TVS Racing teammates, the mechs, and all in the camp, were ready to receive him with brand new No.1 T-shirts that proclaimed and celebrated Jagan’s success.
Earlier, Bengaluru-based Anish Damodara Shetty (Race Concepts), astride a KTM 390, shrugged off a hip injury that he suffered after a high-speed crash in the qualifying session a couple of hours earlier, to win a thrilling race in the Pro-Stock 301-400cc category that headlines the championship.
Also hogging the limelight on the day was Thrissur’s Allwin Xavier (Sparks Racing) who won both the races in the Novice (Stock 165cc) category to move to third spot on the championship leaderboard. Alwin Sundar (AS Motorsports), with two second-place finishes today, took a 16-point lead over another Thrissur rider Anfal Akdhar (Rockstar Racing) to head the championship standings in this category with one more race to be run tomorrow (Saturday).
Keeping the title in sight, 33-year old Jagan rode a conservative race and was content to finish third behind winner and team-mate KY Ahamed who broke the Honda hearts by passing race leader Rajiv Sethu (Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing) entering the start-finish straight on the final lap.
An ecstatic Jagan, said: “The No.10 title was always my goal. In fact, after I won title No.5, I said I would like to double it, but people laughed. Anyway, I am extremely happy to have sealed the championship and it has been a long and difficult journey for me. Today, I did not really push in the race as I wanted to pick up the points I needed for the championship.”
Jagan, who had started the season with a hat-trick of wins, moved to 174 points, well clear of Rajiv Sethu (134), Deepak Ravikumar (128) and Ahamed (124) with just one more race to be run tomorrow (Saturday) and a maximum of 25 points on offer.
Anish Shetty suffered a hit on the right side of the hip after a highspeed high-side crash during the qualifying session, but managed to scramble from a P3 start to the front after a battle with front-running pole-sitter Deepak Ravikumar (TVS Racing). Also in the mix was Rahil Shetty (Gusto Racing). As the six-lap race progressed, Ahamed made two places to tuck in behind Anish Shetty and Rahil as the trio crossed the finish line in that order.
“It was a tough race to win especially after my crash earlier in the day. In the qualifying a couple of hours before the race, I had a high-side crash on the back sweep on just my second hot lap. I must have been doing about 135-140Kmph. I landed on the right side of the hip. Luckily, I didn’t suffer any other injuries, but the team did a fantastic job in getting the bike ready for the race. I had a twitch on the right side and so I couldn’t lean much on the right-hand turns,” said Anish who thus moved within 22 points of leader Rajini Krishnan (RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate) for whom it was a disastrous outing as he crashed in the second lap and finished without a point in12th.
Provisional results (all 6 laps unless mentioned):
Pro-Stock 301-400cc (Race-1): 1. Anish Damodara Shetty (Race Concepts, Bengaluru) (11mins,19.140secs); 2. Ahmed KY (TVS Racing, Chennai) (11:19.332); 3. Rahil Shetty (Gusto Racing, Hyderabad) (11:19.636).
Pro-Stock 165cc (Race-1): 1. KY Ahmed (TVS Racing, Chennai) (11:45.710); 2. Rajiv Sethu (Idemitsu Honda, Chennai) (11:45.953); 3. Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing, Chennai) (11:48.726).
Novice (Stock 165cc – Race 1): 1. Allwin Xavier (Sparks Racing, Thrissur) (12:54.639); 2. Alwin Sundar (AS Motorsports, Chennai) (12:54.845); 3. Samrul Zubair (Raceists, Hyderabad) (13:03.969). Race-2: 1. Allwin Xavier (12:57.130); 2. Alwin Sundar (12:57.484); 3. Jinendra Kiran Sangave (Sparks Racing, Kolhapur) (13:02.255).
TVS One-Make Championship – Girls (Apache RTR 200) 5 laps: . Deepika Reddy (Hyderabad) (11:15.788); 2. Rakshita Dave (Chennai) (11:15.948); 3. Adlin Seles (Chennai) (11:18.401).
Rookie (Apache RTR 200, Race-1): 1. Jinendra Kiran Sangave (Kolhapur) (12:52.657); 2. Chiranth Viswanath (Bengaluru) (12:52.784); 3. Abdul Bhasim (Chennai) (12:52.877).
Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup – NSF 250 Open (Race-1, 4 laps): 1. Sarthak Chavan (Pune) (07:26.094); 2. Kavin Quintal (Chennai) (07:32.266); 3. Mohsin Paramban (Valancherry) (07:34.544).
CBR 150 (Race-1): 1. Vivek Gaurav (13:04.401); 2 Siddesh Sawant (13:06.114); 3. Raheesh Khatri (13:06.157).
Hornet 2.0 (Support class, Race-1): 1. Kevin Kannan (Chennai) (13:25.983); 2. G Balaji (Chennai) (13:26.336); 3. Ajai Xavier (Nagerkoil) (13:31.652).
Race-2: 1. G Balaji (13:29.763); 2. Ajai Xavier (13:37.493); 3. Prabhu V (Chennai) (13:43.956).
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Chirag Ghorpade, Arjun Balu set hot pace: Indian car racing Nationals
Chennai, 20 Jan 2022: Chirag Ghorpade, the schoolboy from Bengaluru, and Coimbatore veteran Arjun Balu lit up the free practice sessions with some serious pace to kick-start the third round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2021 at the MMRT, here on Thursday.
Chirag, who heads the championship table, topped the two practice sessions in the premier MRF F1600 category with a best lap of one minute, 39.950 while his closest rival, teenager Shahan Ali Mohsin from Agra, posted the second best of 01:40.018 as the talented duo seemed to be heading for a close battle for honours in the triple-header to be run over the next two days.
On the other hand, veteran Arjun Balu, piloting the Race Concepts-prepared Honda VTec, was in a league of his own in the Indian Touring Cars category. He was about a couple of seconds quicker than his nearest rivals, the Rayo Racing pair from Hyderabad, Jeet Jhabakh and Ishaan Dodhiwala, both driving the Volkswagen Polo. Balu’s best laps in the two practice sessions were 01:51.211 in the morning and 01:50.768 in FP2.
Bengaluru’s Varun Anekar (Race Concepts) and Performance Racing’s Deepak Ravikumar from Chennai, set the fastest laps in the Indian Junior Touring Cars and Super Stock categories, respectively.
Earlier, two teenagers from Bengaluru, Tijil Rao (Momentum Motorsport) and Ruhaan Alva (MSport) topped the two practice sessions in the Formula LGB 1300 category. Tijil was the fastest on the day, clocking a best lap of 01:51.242 in FP1, but was only third quickest in 01:51.886 in the next session. Ruhaan topped FP2 with a lap of 01:51.511, an improvement of over two seconds on his FP1 best of 01:53.700.
In the 22-car Volkswagen Polo category, local challenger Sandeep Kumar set the fastest time of 01:55.657 over two sessions as he seeks to consolidate his position at the top of the leaderboard in this class.
Haryana’s Justin Singh put in the quickest lap of the day in the MRF Saloon Cars (Toyota Etios) with a 02:03.391.
The qualifying sessions for all categories followed by five races will be run on Saturday.
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 its racing activities from Sholavaram to its present location, the MMRT circuit 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. Parallelly, MMSC imported timing equipment specifically for Drag racing. 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. MMSC also constructed a 500-capacity grand stand with provision for garages / storage below. In another upgrade, the MMSC purchased Digi flags from TAG Heuer Chronolec that will be positioned strategically around the track. The facilities are also extensively used by various vehicle manufacturers for testing their products, displays and corporate days.
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National Champions 2021: All* 12 motorsports disciplines
FMSCI Indian National Championships – 2021
1. MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Racing Championship
2. JK Tyre FMSCI Indian National Racing Championship
3. FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship
4. MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship
5. MRF MOGRIP FMSCI National Supercross Championship
6. MRF MOGRIP FMSCI National Rally Championship 2W
7. MMS FMSCI National Karting Championship
8. MMS Indian National Karting X30 Championship
9. MMSC FMSCI Indian National 2W Drag Championship
10. FMSCI Indian National Rally Sprint Championship 2021
11. Indian National Regularity Run (INRRC), the TSD nationals 2021
Some of the following results are for 2020, 2021 results will updated as and when the championships are completed.
1. National Racing Championship (NRC): 2W Champions for 2020
1. Indian Touring Cars: Driver – Arjun Balu (Coimbatore, Race Concepts, 151 points). Team – FB Motorsport (262)
2. Super Stock: Driver – Raghul Rangasamy (Mamallapuram, Performance Racing, 154). Team – Race Concepts (289).
3. MRF Saloon Car Series: Diljith TS (Thrissur, 113).
4. Formula LGB 1300: Driver – Tijil Rao (Bengaluru, 122). Team – Momentum Motorsport (215).
2. JK Tyre National Racing Championship 2020 (2021 yet to be completed)
LGB Formula 4: 1. Champ: Sandeep Kumar, Dark Don Racing –66 points;
2. Ashwin Datta, Dark Don Racing –63 points;
3. Vishnu Prasad, MSport –54 points
Novice Cup: 1. Champion: Amir Sayed, Msport – 120 points;
2. Dhruvin Gajjar, DTS Racing –49 points;
3. Aman Chaudhary, DTS Racing –46 points.
Ladies Class: 1. Champion: Anushriya Gulati, Ahura Racing;
2. Mir Erda; 3. Phoebe Nongrum.
Rookie Class: 1. Champion: Anushriya Gulati, Ahura Racing, 77 points.
3. Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) for 4-wheelers
1. 1. Gaurav Gill; 2. Karna Kadur; 3. Fabid Ahmer.
2.Co-Drivers: 1. Musa Sherif; 2. Nikhil Pai; 3. Eldo Chacko.
3. INRC2: 1. Sahil Khanna 78; 2. Dean Mascarenhas 77; 3. Rahul Kantharaj 62;
4. Co-drivers: 1. Vidit Jain 83; 2. Shruptha Padival 77; 3. Vivek Bhatt 66;
5. INRC2 Team: 1. Snap Racing; (Sahil Khanna 117; Lakshay 24) Total=141;
6. INRC3: 1. Fabid Ahmer 98; 2. Aditya Thakur 90; 3. Maninder Singh Prince 86;
7.Co-drivers: 1. Eldo Chacko 98; 2. Virender Kashyap 90; 3. Vinay Kumar Padmashali 86;
8. INRC3 Team: 1. Snap Racing; (Maninder 77; Amer Beg 7; Arjun Rao 7) Total =91.
9. INRC4: 1. Vaibhav Marathe 68; 2. Mujeeb Rehman 65; 3. Rohit Iyer 55;
10. Co-drivers: 1. Suhan MK (68); 2. Goutham CP (65); 3. Manjunath (62);
4. National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2021 (Fifth & final round concluded on 5 Feb. 2022 – Extended calendar)
- Pro-Stock 301 to 400cc: Rider: Rajini Krishnan (Chennai, RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate). Team championship: TVS Racing. Manufacturer title: KTM.
- Pro-Stock 165cc Open – Rider: Jagan Kumar (Chennai, TVS Racing). Team Championship: TVS Racing. Manufacturer title: TVS.
- Novice (Stock 165cc) – Rider: Alwin Sundar (Chennai, AS ‘Anand-Sindy’ Motorsports). Team Championship: Sparks Racing. Manufacturer: xxx.
- Girls (Stock 165cc) – Rider: Ryhana Bee (Chennai, RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate). Team Championship: RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate. Manufacturer: xxx.
TVS One-Make Championship titles (NOT counted as NATIONAL Title as per fmsci)
- TVS One-Make Championship – Open (Apache RR310): Champion: Amarnath Menon.
- TVS Rookie (Apache RTR 200): Champion: Jinendra Kiran Sangave.
- TVS Media (Apache RTR 200): Champion: Soham Thakur.
Honda One-Make Championship titles (NOT counted as NATIONAL Title as per fmsci)
- Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup – NSF 250R: Champion: Kavin Quintal (Chennai).
- CBR 150cc: Champion: Prakash Kamat (Bokaro Steel City).
- Hornet 2.0: Champion: Kevin Kannan (Chennai).
6. MRF MoGrip National Rally Championship for 2W
- Overall champion: Samuel Jacob
8. Indian National X30 Karting Championship 2021
- Senior Class: Surya Varathan, Coimbatore
- Junior Class: Ruhaan Alva, Bengaluru
- Cadet Class: Ishaan Madesh, Bengaluru
9. Indian National Drag Championship 2w 2020:
1. Hemanth Muddappa (Mantra Racing, Above 1051cc and 851-1050cc);
2. Aiyaz (Pvt, 361-550cc and 131-165cc);
3. J Bharath Raj (Rulexx Rockers Racing, Up to 165cc, 226-360cc);
4. Ann Jennifer (Sparks Racing, Girls).
4. 2-Stroke: Aiyaz (131-165cc); Mohammed Rafiq (2S, Up to 130cc).
10. FMSCI Indian National Rally Sprint Championship 2020
PROMOTER = Motorsport INC
1. Group A Upto 800cc Class:
1. Sinan Francis (Ernakulam) KTM-EXC450 = 101 points
2. Sarath Mohan, Suzuki RMX450z, Mallapuram = 80 points
3. Vishwas SD (Bengaluru) Suzuki ?, = tied on 76 points
3. Badal S Doshi (Pune) Vishwas SD (Bengaluru) Suzuki RMX450z, = tied on 76 points
2. Group B 131cc to 165cc:
1. Pavan BK (Bengaluru) Hero Impulse = 130;
2. Ishan Chandra (Mangalore) Hero Impulse = 122;
3. Vinay Prasad = 84.
3. Group B 261cc to 400cc Class:
1. Sudeep Kottary (Mangalore) Duke 390 = 150;
2. Sajeesh Reghunathan = 104;
3. Uday Ganguli = 84.
4. Group B Upto 130cc Class:
1. Noldin Thomas (Ernakulam) Yamaha-YBX = 116;
2. Rakesh Kumar V =115;
3. Durgesh =93.
5. Group B 166cc to 260cc Class:
1. Sachin D (Bengaluru) TVS Apache = 150;
2. Yuvakumar = 90;
3. Sanjay Somashekar = 87.
6. Ladies Class: 1. Ryhana Bee (Chennai) Hero Impulse = 136;
2. Tanika Shanbhag (Satara) Hero Impulse = 119;
3. Dimpy A = 79.
7. Bullet Class:
1. Suhail Ahmed (Bengaluru) Himalayan = 125;
2. Devaraj Venkatesh Himalayan = 11;
3. Sarath Kumar = 81.
8. Scooter Class:
1. Karthik Naidu (Bengaluru) TVS N-Torq = 143;
2. Pinkesh Thakkar (Pune) Aprilla-SR125 = 105;
3. Goutham N = 90.
11. JK Tyre Indian National Regularity Run (INRRC), the TSD nationals 2021
Champions: Sk Ajgar Ali & Md. Musthafa were crowned champions
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Harith Noah’s focus on finishing, as Dakar 2022 beckons
Saudi Arabia: It is the Sherco TVS, the name that brings in the only representation for India in the form of Harith Noah, who enshrined his name as the best Indian performer at Dakar, with a stunning 20th overall in 2021 last January, after becoming the third Indian at the Dakar behind CS Santosh and teammate Arvind KP. Along with another privateer, Ashishrao Rane, it makes four in the Indian history of Dakar Rally, the mother of all cross-country events, which acquired the status of a World Championship round this year. Watch Dakar2022 Teaser here.
SHERCO TVS RALLY FACTORY
- Mark : SHERCO FACTORY
- Model : 450 SEF RALLY
- Performance tuner : Sherco TVS Rally Factory
- Assistance : Sherco TVS Rally Factory
- Class : M_GP_NO
Harith Noah, left for Saudi after Christmas, after training in Spain and France for over a month fine-tuning he navigation skills and all set for another edition astride a #20 Sherco 450 SEF Rally in his now popular red boots and the yellow and blue riding gear. “My focus continues to be to finish the Dakar 2022. I will take it day by day and stage by stage and will be looking to face all the issues and tackle the myraid problems as quick as I can… So the target is to cross the finish line once again,” said the 28-year TVS Racing talent, to this writer in a chat on the day he left for Jeddah. This will be the third consecutive Dakar for Noah, who had faced issues with the bike on Day 3 in his maiden Dakar in 2020, but was lucky for the new class, and he duly gained all the experience by finishing in the “Dakar Experience Class.” That stood him in good stead as he became the best Indian in 2021 with a stunning 20th Overall finish.
But along with the Sherco TVS team which supports Harith Noah as a private entry, the Hero MotoSports team too fields three foreign riders to keep the Indian flag flying for it is the only Indian manufacturer at Dakar. Meanwhile, the Indian constructor Hero will have its work cut out for it to bag a podium spot now that former Yamaha man Franco Caimi has been forced to sit out this one after crashing during training. Sherco has a clearer path to the same goal with the Spaniard Lorenzo Santolino, backed up by the dependable Harith Noah from Shoranur in Kerala, the southern Indian state.
Harith Noah gets #20 as his competition number for 2022 as Sherco launches the kit on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia for the three riders. Honda has won the two previous editions of Dakar rally in Saudi Arabia, courtesy of Ricky Brabec and Argentina’s Kevin Benavides, but KTM is hell-bent on regaining the upper hand, going as far as to sign the Argentinian reigning champion.
Despite a drought that started last century, Yamaha is still banking on Adrien Van Beveren to restore the brand with the tuning forks to its former glory.
The 34 riders in the “Original by Motul” class may not grab as many headlines as the big stars of the category but they embody the shared adventure of pros and amateurs in the Dakar and will also be vying for a coveted title.
The scene has changed a lot in the interlude between the 2021 and 2022 acts of the Dakar, and while the actors of the January melodrama remain mostly the same, a few now wear different costumes. Saudi Arabia shook up the competition and ushered in a new era of dominance by Honda, which brought down the curtain on the KTM hegemony, first with Ricky Brabec in 2020 and then with Kevin Benavides in 2021.
However, the Argentinian reigning champion’s move to the Austrian outfit has made rivals of the former teammates, who not even a year ago were standing next to Sam Sunderland on the podium in Jeddah. As well as boosting its firepower in a major way, KTM has deployed its resources masterfully by sending its champions to its cousins at Gas-Gas and Husqvarna. Kevin Benavides will form a trident with Toby Price and another biker clad in orange overalls, Matthias Walkner, perhaps the man of the season after winning the Silk Way Rally, the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and the FIM World Championship.
KTM’s sphere of influence extends to its Spanish ally, Gas-Gas, whose red bikes will be left to the care of Sam Sunderland and the up-and-coming Daniel Sanders, fourth last year in his first Dakar start.
Meanwhile, Skyler Howes, fifth in 2021, has earned a spot on the Husqvarna factory team and is a credible title contender. Aware that the key battles are also decided behind the scenes, KTM has also recalled Marc Coma, one of its all-time stars, as a supervisor and strategist… The Austrians are bringing out the big guns!
Honda is bound and determined to extend its victorious streak and has also landed a good catch in the transfer market. Ricky Brabec has stayed loyal to the Japanese brand, as has his teammate “Nacho” Cornejo, who crashed out of the overall lead two days before the finish in Jeddah. The young Chilean, who has made waves with his uncanny talent for navigation, will be riding alongside an older countryman, signing of the year Pablo Quintanilla, who adapted to his new machine so quickly that he has already claimed the Rallye du Maroc on it. Joan Barreda could also take over leadership duties depending on how the race unfolds. The most prolific active stage hunter in the category has a real shot at improving on his best finish so far (fifth in 2017) and even clinching the rally in his twelfth start.Lady Luck has not been kind to Yamaha riders in recent years, but they are still heading into the race with lofty ambitions. Their natural and historic leader, Adrien Van Beveren, remains as motivated as ever despite four consecutive withdrawals. The French biker has proved that he has racing on sand down to a science multiple times this season (second in the World Championship). He is joined by two dark horses, the American Andrew Short and the Botswanan Ross Branch, in a quest to bring Yamaha back to the top.
Several young riders have already shown that they have what it takes to fight for the places of honour in their Dakar debut. 20-year-old American Mason Klein and 23-year-old South African Bradley Cox could steal the show on their first try, as could Italian Danilo Petrucci, now starting a new adventure in rally raids after a successful MotoGP career (two Grand Prix victories, sixth in the 2019 championship).
Original by Motul: necessity is the mother of inventionIt is a band of companions, an oddball’s paradise and a field of fearsome competitors —all at the same time. “Original by Motul” bikers are nothing if not resourceful. They tackle the Dakar on its hardest difficulty setting by taking it upon themselves to maintain their bikes at the end of each stage. Seasoned veterans are joined by newcomers to the extreme “Original by Motul” challenge year after year. One thing is for sure: anyone would love to get their hands on this trophy.
2022 should be a rematch for the same competitors who dominated the race in 2021. Lithuanian Arūnas Gelažninkas came out on top in his first outing in this class, beating 2020 champion Emanuel Gyenes and Benjamin Melot, who has finished on every step of the podium bar the top one.
