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Category: Indians Abroad
News about Indians racing in different motorsports events abroad
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Harith Noah finishes fifth in Rally2 class and Overall P22: Dakar Stage 2
Al Duwadimi (Saudi Arabia), 7 January 2024: Ace rider from India, Harith Noah, pelted out another strong performance to stay in the top-10 of his class and an overall P22 in the 655-km Stage 2 on Sunday and is all set for the marathon stage on Monday. Harith Noah finished fifth in his class and is currently fourth in the General Overall ranking after two stages.
The Kerala rider from Sherco TVS Rally team put in a stellar performance and was feeling better on the bike after yesterday’s ‘mysterious’ cramps. “I felt physically better today. It was a fast stage and though I did many small navigation mistakes, especially towards the end, I tried to put my head down and stayed focused. Tomorrow is the marathon stage and I am ready for it,” said the fastest rider at Dakar from India. Harith Noah astride a Sherco 450 SEF Rally bike is on his fifth Dakar. He is attempting to finish the mother of all rallies for a second time. In 2021, he finished a creditable 21 to become the fastest rider from India.
Sam Sunderland and Daniel Sanders rattled up leader board
After easing themselves into the 2024 Dakar Rally on stage one, Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s Sam Sunderland and Daniel Sanders certainly turned things up a notch on Day 2. Faring best for the potent pairing was Sunderland who, despite riding through a lot of dust, clocked in with the sixth-fastest time to advance to seventh in the provisional standings. Meanwhile, for Sanders, a couple of small mistakes proved costly, but the good news is, he’s perfected the set-up of his RX 450F and his unquestionable raw speed returned on stage two. Chucky placed 12th and slides up the leaderboard to sixth overall.
Overall Provisional Classification (after stage 2) RallyGP
1. Ross Branch (Hero) 9:50:05
2. Jose Ignacio Cornejo (Honda) 9:53:00
3. Ricky Brabec (Honda) 09:57:20
6. Daniel Sanders (GASGAS) 10:07:29
7. Sam Sunderland (GASGAS) 10:08:24Provisional Stage Classification Rally2 (after Stage 2)
1. Jeanloup Lepan (Fra), Duust Rally Team 4:40:41;
2. Diego Gamaliel Llanos (Arg), Xraids Experience 4:42:28;
3. Toni Mulec (Svn), BAS World KTM Racing Team, 4:44:07;
4. Paolo Lucci (Ita), BAS World KTM Racing Team, 4:45:19;
5. Harith Noah (India) Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team, 4:45:35;
Overall Provisional Classification Rally2 (after Stage 2)
1. Romain Dumontier (Fra), Team Dumontier Racing, 10hours, 15min, 48sec;
2. Bradley Cox (Zaf), BAS World KTM Racing Team, 10:28:35;
3. Jeanloup Lepan (Fra), Duust Rally Team, 10:32:54;
4. Harith Noah (India) Sherco TVS Rally Factory Team, 10:40:31;
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Harith Noah finishes P6 in his class despite cramps; ends Stage 1 in Overall 21st
Al Henakiyah (Saudi Arabia) 6 Jan. 2024: Despite cramps and severe pain, TVS Racing product, Harith Noah, proved that he is made of sterner mettle and began his fifth Dakar cautiously but on a strong note, finishing Stage 1 at 21st place among 132 riders in the Moto class of the Dakar Rally after riding a tough 414-km terrain on Saturday.
“Saturday was a very hard day for me. After refuelling at kilometre 200 or so, I started getting cramps all over my body and then a very bad headache. This has never happened to me before. Quitting really crossed my mind a couple of times. Trying to figure out what could have caused this and hopping it won’t happen again,” said Harith Noah from Dakar and on a note of hope, continued… “On to tomorrow!”
The hiccups notwithstanding, the fastest rider at Dakar from India, Noah, posted his best Stage ranking in his class Rally2, with a commendable sixth position. He is supported by TVS company, Sherco, Scott India, Red Bull India, Stanley Tools India, 100%, Alpine Stars and Mobius Braces.
Harith Noah at Dakar 2024 in Saudi Arabia. A TVS photo Ashish Raorane crashes out with fractured collar bone
The other Indian at Dakar, privateer Ashish Raorane from Pune, crashed out after 168 km mark as he fractured his collar bone in two places. A disappointed Ashish, who was riding a a KTM 450 Rally Replica, said: “I am absolutely gutted. At KM169 of today’s stage, I had a crash and fractured my collar bone. I tried to ride on, but it was an impossible task. It’s a hard pill to swallow when you’ve spent a few years preparing to have all that hard work wiped off in seconds but I guess that’s the nature of off-road sport. I definitely was feeling great on the bike today, unfortunately a silly crash did me in. It’s definitely gonna take sometime to digest this.”
“For now, I’ve to head back to India to get a surgery done to fix me up. Thank you for the support and wishes, I wish there was a better outcome to this campaign,”he lamented.
The Indian rider supported by Xraids Experience team is in Rally2 class. He finished Dakar in the experience class in 2021 and this is his second attempt. He is supported by Rynox Gear, Reise Moto, Dosmoto Design, Slipstream Performance, Motousher, Bigbadbikes, Lazyassbikers, Eleven777, Wanderlooms, Baycity Powerparts.
Ashish Raorane in action on Stage 1, before he crashed out at 168-km point on 6 Jan. 2024. Harith Noah… on to tomorrow
Starting the Special between rocks and canyons on sand for the first 25km, similar to what he tackled in the prologue on Friday. While the sandy canyons are more open and faster till PK22, the later mountainous canyons with lots of eroded rocks offered more technical terrain that is difficult to navigate and easy to make mistakes. But the Kerala champion then navigated the terrain which was open alternating sections of wadis, off-piste and lots of changes of direction despite being wavy and winding. It went on to rough ground, rocks of volcanic lava for about another 130 km before finishing on the alternating tracks and wadis to end the day with an overall P21 finish. Towards the second half, he started getting cramps and had to ride with grit and will power, even though the route offered gravel tracks inside of narrow valleys surrounded by mountains and volcanic rivers of black stones and wide valleys on gravel. They had beautiful sectors of vegetation too but the TVS rider was struggling to continue. But with a determined focus on the finish line, Noah continued the tempo and never gave up to end overall 21st clocking, 5 hours, 33 minutes and 42 seconds astride his Sherco TVS 450 SEF Rally from AlUla to Al Henakiyah.
Indian Constructor Hero’s Ross Branch romped home with the fastest time in the special and scooped up his fourth career Dakar stage win. The Botswanan airline pilot who moonlights as a rally-raid racer also surged ahead in the overall, where he now holds a 12-minute margin over the 2020 Dakar champion, Ricky Brabec, and Mason Klein, who embraced the task of opening the road with panache and spent the entire stage alone at the front.
J-Rod crashes out
Rule number 1 in a motorbike race is to stay upright no matter how many pebbles, stones or rocks stand in the way. A couple of riders broke this cardinal rule this morning, as the seasoned Joaquim Rodrigues crashed out of the race at km 82 and the budding talent Tosha Schareina bowed out of his third Dakar at km 240 with a fractured arm. “J-Rod” had earned the Hero Motosport Rally team their maiden stage-win in 2022.
Performance of the Day
Mason Klein, once the training partner of Harith Noah, was not even sure that he would be able to start his third Dakar on his brand-new second-generation Kove, which got stuck in customs in Dubai, but his Chinese mount finally arrived a few hours before the gong rang on the technical scrutineering.
The American finished in the top-10 in the prologue and picked his starting order for Stage 1. The 22-year-old privateer chose to start first, a position typically avoided by Rally GP riders that would have usually gone to Skyler Howes, the worst performer in the opening romp.
“The idea of opening the first stage at the Dakar is really cool so, in the end, no regrets because now I can say I’ve done it.” Klein again showed that he is a box full of surprises, not just because he spent the 400-km long hard slog alone at the front, picking up 6 hours, 21min. in bonuses and third place at the finish, but also because he did it on a motorbike that he had barely even touched before, “This is my third time on the bike now and I couldn’t be happier.” Today, Klein proved two things to himself and the rest of the field. First, that China has what it takes to become a rally-raid superpower in the near future. And second, that the word “impossible” is just a challenge to the 22-year-old American.
Cox-Dumontier, a duel at the summit
Bradley Cox and Romain Dumontier finished third and first, respectively, in the 2023 FIM Rally-Raid World Cup in the Rally 2 class, the last rung on the ladder before Rally GP. The South African and the Frenchman make no secret of their common ambition in this edition of the Dakar: to show their faces in the top 10 of each stage to try and catch the eye of a factory team. Alfie Cox’s son, victorious in the last two Rally 2 rounds in 2023, finished the special in fourth place, within two minutes of the overall podium. “Dudu”, sixth today, is less than a minute behind his new arch-rival for the championship. The two Rally 2 riders outperformed as many as thirteen of the sixteen factory riders still in the Dakar. The Rally 2 scene is gaining depth. Take Mason Klein: a veteran of the Rally 2 class, which he won in 2022, he is now standing on the provisional podium of the Dakar.
On Sunday, 7th of January, the riders will set off for the 2nd stage of the Dakar, from Al Henakiyah to Al Duwadimi, 655 km of racing.
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Geoffrey Emmanuel to take part in FIM Junior World Championship 2024
Chennai, 2 Jan 2024: Nineteen-year Chennai’s Geoffrey Emmanuel has confirmed his participation in the FIM Junior World Championship 2024 and he will be representing AGR Team astride a KTM.
The FIM JuniorGP 2024 comprises 14 races spread across seven rounds. The first round is scheduled to be held in Italy (April 20-21). Spain will host two rounds and Portugal, four, including the final round (Nov 23-24).
Looking ahead to the new season, Geoffrey, who made his international debut in 2022, participating in the Hawkers European Talent Cup at the age of 17, said: “I’m very excited to be part of the AGR Team and to be able to train with 111 Management to improve my career as a professional rider. I can’t wait to have new experiences with my new team!” Geoffrey will be shifting to Spain in February to prepare for the 2024 season.
Geoffrey Emmanuel file photoAccording to team owner Anscari Nadal, having an Indian rider like Geoffrey is a challenge, but the goal is to nurture his talent and help him progress in the FIM Junior GP, eventually leading to a Wild Card promotion in the World Championship.
In 2023, Geoffrey made history as the first and only Indian competitor in the FIM JuniorGP, riding a KTM for the Cuna de Campeones team. Although he didn’t score any points, his overall improvement was encouraging.
Reflecting on his 2023 experience, Geoffrey said: “It was a steep learning curve. Adapting to a new bike, unfamiliar tracks, and tough competition was not easy. However, I managed to narrow the gap with the front-runners, placing more emphasis on personal growth and improvement rather than specific results.”
Geoffrey, however, tasted success in the Malaysian Superbike Championship 2023, competing in the Group A MSBK 250 category. Despite facing challenges in Round 2 where he finished fifth, he showcased his skills in the Round-3 double-header by securing third place in Race 1 and topping Race 2 for his maiden international victory. He also achieved an overall third place finish in the Championship standings.
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Rakshith Dave misses Malaysian SBK Championship title by a whisker
Sepang, 19 December 2023: Indian teenager Rakshith Dave bagged two podium places in the third and final round to clinch a creditable runners-up spot, in his debut season, in the Malaysian Superbike Championship 2023, which concluded here at the Sepang International Circuit.
Rakshith, who made his international debut in Round 1 with a stunning double victory in his class went on to bag the second place in the highly-competitive Championship in Malaysia.
In Round 3, Rakshith won two podiums, a second and a third place in the MSBK 250 B Race category but had to be content with the second in the overall standings of his class for the championship. In the in the 8-lap Race 1, he timed 20min, 53.558sec and later clocked 20:41.903 for a second place in Race 2.
Earlier, astride a Honda CBR250RR, Rakshith won both the Round 1 races in his class in the Malaysia SBK 250cc category (B category), at the famed MotoGP circuit, the Sepang International Circuit, Kuala Lumpur. Rakshith bagged the ‘Week-end Warrior Trophy’ in the first round.
Rakshith Dave in action at Sepang in the first round in August 2023. INDIAinF1 image Chennai’s Rakshith, 15, a Class X student of Lady Andal, said: “I am very happy to take a second place in the prestigious Malaysian Super Bike Championship. I am really elated and this gives me a push to continue my dreams. I thank my family, my team and crew who have worked really hard for this season and I hope to launch a new and better season soon.”
Rakshith made his debut at the Madras International circuit in 2020 after he was selected for the Honda India Talent Cup and took a podium in his very first race. In the next two years, he scored many victories and podiums and graduated to NSF 250 class and went on to take part in the inaugural MiniGP India series in 2022. In 2023, he not only won the second place in the Idemitsu Honda 2023 Championship but also won the overall title in the teenage class of the MMSC Sprint Rally.
The highlight of 2023 for Rakshith came when he was selected to represent India in the Asia Talent Cup 2024 to be held over six rounds across as many countries. He was one among the 10 riders to be selected from the Asia Pacific Region.
The MSBK championship consisted of six races over three rounds at the same venue in Sepang. After winning both the races in Round 1, he came back strongly to win the second race in Round 2 after some technical issues with the bike prevented him from starting Race 1. In Round 3, he achieved another two podiums to finish the season on a bright note with 111 points, just 4 points behind Muhd Izrul Huzaimie Amran who won the 250B class title.
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Jahaan Singh Gill leads 2nd with 19 points at Asia Cup segment, APRC final round
Danau Toba (Indonesia), 23 Nov. 2023: Championship leader and three-time winner, Arjuna Awardee Gaurav Gill will be missing from the line-up at the the Danau Toba Rally, which acts as final round of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship 2023 (APRC) Asia Cup but India will have a strong presence with Team JK Motorsports fielding three Subarus. The 19-car field will also have Sanjay Takkale, the first Indian to win any APRC title,being a production winner in the past. The event simultaneously run along with the local INRC will be run here from November 24 to 26.
Will championship leader Gill missing in the line-up, and third-placed Amittrajit Ghosh of India, staying away for want of a car, Thailand’s Pornsiricherd Mana will lead the table with 24 points but India’s Jahaan Singh Gill with 19 points, has the best chance to turn the tables on the Thai veteran and stake claim for his maiden APRC Asia Cup title.
Considered as one of the toughest rallies on the circuit, the Danau Toba Rally will run on gravel and cover a distance of 433 kms, with 150.35 kms earmarked for 11 special stages and one super special stage.
On a combined grid, 63 competitive, including 18 APRC cars, will take part in the Indonesian National Rally Championship and for the Asia Cup honours. India’s well-known promoter of motorsport JK Tyre together with Vamcy Merla Sports Foundation fielded three drivers under the yellow colours namely Jahaan Singh Gill from Chandigarh with co-driver Suraj Prasad, Coorg lad Suhem Kabeer with co-driver PVS Murthy and Lokesh Gowda from Mysore with co-driver Ashwin Naik of Mangaluru.
Jahaan Singh Gill who has just sealed his Junior INRC title in the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) will be driving the N11 Subaru and Suhem Kabeer and Lokesh Gowda will be behind the wheels of N12 Subaru. These four-wheel drives producing over 300bhp, are certain to spice up things over the weekend on the tricky wet surface that the rally will offer.
The competitors had their initial brush with conditions when they tested their cars for the first time on the challenging turf. Greeted with rains, it was a new experience for them as they are used to two wheel drives back in India and it was their first outing behind the wheels of four-wheel drive cars.
Talking post the official testing session, Jahaan who has just in the last weekend sealed his Championship title back home in the JINRC and is also leading in INRC 3 category is expected to carry forward the momentum in his maiden international outing said, “We are looking forward to this rally because it is something different which we had never experienced before. Thanks to JK Tyre & Vamcy Merla for this opportunity to drive in the finals of APRC.”
“We tested the car and realised it’s a totally different ball game. These cars are much faster than what we drive back home. Braking and acceleration usage is limited as these cars don’t turn with steering input but use throttle in the corners unlike our two-wheel drive cars where we brake much later. As of now our main aim is to get used to the car and focus on completing the rally more than anything else,” he further added.
Sharing the same sentiment, Suhem Kabeer from Bangalore said, “Stepping onto the international stage is a thrilling challenge and a new road to conquer. We are happy with the progress so far and will give it our best shot during the weekend.”
Lokesh, making his comeback into rallying after a break, knows the challenges that lie ahead but is confident of using all his experience and making it count. His seasoned co-driver Ashwin Naik has helped him get upto paces with the car and said, “It is a new learning for all of us and we want to make the most of it and have a good weekend with an aim to strive for the podium.”
The rally will officially start on Friday, November 24, followed by Leg 1 on Saturday and Leg 2 on Sunday. The prize giving ceremony will be on Sunday.
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Sai Sanjay Makes Spectacular Debut in the UK GT4 Arena
Snetterton (UK), 10 October 2023: Indian racing star Sai Sanjay made his international debut winning a race in the GT Cup Championship 300 finale here in the GTH class. During the weekend, Sai won two races and finished P2 in the second feature race. For his stellar performance, he was also awarded the ‘Driver of the Day’ in a grid of seasoned competitors.
On Day 1, teammate, Davies, put the car on pole with a best timing of 1:55:744 and won the first Sprint race in 25:39.518. In the first Feature race of the weekend, Davies started as first driver and after the pit stop, Sai did a creditable job to keep the lead and finish the race with ease and grace. The Racelab pair clocked 51 minutes, 45.513 seconds in the 25-lap race. They clocked a best lap of 1:58.009.
On Day 2, Sai, who hails from Salem, proved the pace in the #13 Racelab McLaren Artura by putting in a storming 3rd lap with a timing of 1:55:472 to qualify 1.4s ahead of Hart’s Morpheus Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 in Group GTH. Sai won the 13-lap second Sprint race of the weekend from pole-to-finish in 25:40.512 and with more than 30-second gap. The team managed a second place with a time of 51:31.167 in the Feature (Pit-Stop) race. Davies pulled well clear in the early stages for Racelab but due to an incident, the pair had to settle for a second. Competing in his first weekend in sportscars, the Indian showed that his Qualifying speed was no flash in the pan, pulling clear to take an emphatic team victory.
“Competing in the UK for the first time in a GT4 car has been an exhilarating experience. I was elated to know that I would’ve been in the Top-5 of British GT Championship with my time in Qualifying. Looking ahead, I’m planning to explore the car more at Silverstone as we had very limited track time prior to the race weekend,” said Sai Sanjay.
Jon Lancaster (Driver Coach) said: “It is an unbelievable start to his GT career. Sai adapted well making his transition from single seaters to GT cars. We had an open mind before the first test but just after five laps in Donnington, I was super excited. He has been very professional and his feedback about the car has been good. He’s been the fastest man all weekend and a very promising start indeed.”
The 20-year Mechatronics student of VIT, Chennai was driving in the GTH category for the first time. The Indian National champion of 2022 in the MRF Formula 2000 car was encouraged and supported by mentor Aditya Patel, who was instrumental in Sai making his international debut in UK. He was coached by Jon Lancaster, a seasoned race driver and qualified instructor.
The GT Cup Championship is one of the UK’s leading sports car categories, catering for all levels of driver ability and a huge range of gorgeous machinery. Sai Sanjay and Team Racelab are now gearing up for the test at Silverstone today.
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Harith Noah claims victory in B1 class at TransAnatolia rally, finishes Overall 4th
Imzir (Tureky), 11 Sept. 2023: Imzir (Turkey), 11 Sept. 2023: Dakar rider from TVS Factory Racing Team, Harith Noah, completed the grueling seven days of TransAnatolia Rally and came out in flying colours winning in the B1 class (bikes under 450cc), to pep-up his preparation for the Dakar Rally 2024. “It is nice to be on the top of the podium again. I am very happy as this is the first time I am winning an international rally-raid event,” said the RedBull athlete from Turkey.
Trans Anatolia Rally Raid, which was first held in 2010, ran this year with 122 competitors and 83 vehicles from 13 countries, including professional factory teams from Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Netherlands, Iran, India and England. It ran from September 2 to 9. After 14 Special Stages and 2350kms, the rally concluded on Izmir’s Independence Day.
Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tunç Soyer attended the award ceremony and he said that he was pleased to host the final ceremony of TransAnatolia.
Harith Noah, the veteran of four Dakar rallies chose TransAnatolia as preparation for the Dakar 2024 and put his Sherco TVS 450RTR on top in the B1 Motorcycles class for the single cylinder bikes of 450cc. Representing India, Harith Noah created history becoming the fastest rider at the almighty Dakar Rally, finishing in the top-20 in his second attempt in 2021.
The TransAnatolia race started at Samsun and finished at Imzir after seven days of tough action that saw many ups and downs. With the incessant rhythm of his navigational notes of very precise Road Books, Harith Noah conquered the rally-raid, finishing fourth overall clocking a cumulative time of 17 hours, 09 minutes and 55seconds and winning his class with confidence.
“Coming back from a wrist surgery, the goal was to finish and learn as much as possible as it was a rally raid with navigation. I was riding this bike for the first time with a new suspension setup the team has worked on. Overall, I was confident on the bike and the stages went well. I will be going to Morocco to test this bike again in the desert,” said Harith Noah, from TVS Racing, who was also supported by Stanley Tools.
On Day 5, he was 6th overall despite facing some technical problems but completed the two Special Stages and a Super Special on the Turkey Motocross GP circuit. Earlier, on Day 4, Noah had some drama in store. The small 25-km SS7 taught him some lessons. “If you ain’t focused you will lose. Yes, I lost a lot of time searching for the correct way. But in SS8 I pushed hard to make-up some time which I did,” he said. After starting on Day 1 with a lot of rain, Hairth Noah opened Stage 2, as stage 1 was cancelled. Day 2 and 3, he made some mistakes but recovered with grit and determination to stay in the hunt for the podium. “The new suspension on the bike is really good. Blessed to be here doing what I love,” said the five-time Indian Supercross champion from Turkey after Day 1.
Top class result:
In the Castrol POWER1 motorcycle category, Andorran biker Pol Tarres from Yamaha team took the first place in 16 hours 10 minutes 10 seconds. Italian Alessandro Botturi from Yamaha took second position with 16 hours 21 minutes 17seconds and Italian biker Jacopo Cerutti from Aprilla team took third place with 16 hours 23 minutes 00 second. Harith Noah of India came fourth in 17 hours, 09 minutes and 55seconds.
The Dakar 2024, the fifth edition at Saudi Arabia will be from January 5 to 19, 2024.
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Gaurav Gill to take part in WRC2 at Acropolis Rally of Greece
New Delhi, 5 Sept. 2023: Indian rally ace Arjuna Awardee Gaurav Gill, is all set for another World Rally Championship (WRC) outing in the 2023 season as he is all set to take part in one of the world’s toughest rallies, the Acropolis Rally of Greece scheduled from September 7 to 10.
Widely hailed as the ‘Rally of Gods’, the event will cover a total distance of 1,235 km, including 15 special stages stretching across 307 km over four days this weekend. This year as well, the spectators will witness 72 teams fighting it out for their spot in the grueling event.
The only Indian among the world’s best rally drivers, Gill will compete in the 30-car WRC2 category in a specially-prepped Škoda Fabia R5 alongside his French co-driver, Florian Barral. Supported by a potent pit crew team of Italian team Delta Rally, Gill will try to set new benchmark for himself. The rally will also be featuring previous Acropolis winner and current WRC2 championship leader Andreas Mikkelsen along with title rivals Yohan Rossel and Sami Pajari.
The Skoda Fabia R5 Rally 2 spec car with a 5-speed, sequential, manual gearbox, that enables a driver to shift gears in milliseconds. The R5 is geared to touch a top speed of 200 km/h
Seven-time national champion and three-time APRC champion, Gill, will be in his element around the hot, dusty, and rock-strewn stages of the Rally Acropolis. Gill had put on a dazzling display of speed to finish sixth in a 35-car WRC 2 field last year.
On his participation this season,Gill said, “I’m really looking forward to driving in the Rally Acropolis. The sweltering heat, the dust, the rocky mountain passes and loose gravel all combine to make this one of the most punishing rallies on the calendar. This event is not for the faint-hearted but these conditions play to my strengths. I expect to be in my element this weekend and I’m going to give it everything to bring home a strong result.”
Last year, Gill, a master of gravel, finished his campaign just about 1 second per km behind WRC 2 leader E. Lindholm, while recording some of his best performances against seasoned WRC top category competitors, like T. Neuville. Putting himself and his car to the ultimate test in a low-visibility situation in the previous year, Gaurav is all set to take on the challenge this season as well.
The action starts post the ceremonial flag-off in Athens on Thursday as the teams will be ready to take on the brand new EKO Super Special Stage located in and around the city’s waterfront spanning 1.48kms. World’s top Rally drivers will run one at a time displaying their mean machines in front of thousands of fans.
Fans cheering for Gill can watch the event live on www.wrc.com
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Mathana Kumar wins Asia Cup Road Racing Race 1
Nakhon Pathom (Thailand), 2 Sept. 2023: S Mathan Kumar of India dished out splendid stuff to come out victorious in Race 1 the first round Asia Cup Road Racing championship held concurrently with the Thailand Superbike Championship at the Thailand Circuit Motor Sport Complex here on Saturday.
Mathana Kumar, earlier on Saturday, qualified P8 clocking a best lap of 1min 46.398seconds but managed to overtake a tough field and notched up his maiden international victory. Mathana Kumar is the reigning Indian National champion in the 165cc class and races for Team Pacer Yamaha in the Indian Nationals.
Representing Team fmsci India, Mathana clocked 29minutes, 14.523seconds for the 10-lap race. He edged past Dustin Esguerra of Phillippines by0.628 seconds to top Race 6, that saw the participation of 14 riders from seven countries. Tz Jiun You of Chinese Taipei came third.
Mathana Kumar with the Tricolour on podium on 2 Sept 2023. INDIAinF1 photo Talking to INDIAin F1 from Thailand, Mathana Kumar said: “I am very happy to get this victory. It is the result of a lot of hardwork and I thank my team, sponsors and all those who stood by me. This is an unforgettable moment to raise the Tricolour with pride.”
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Double podium for Geoffrey Emmanuel at Malaysian SBK
Chennai, August 21, 2023: India’s Geoffrey Emmanuel, the 18-year-old from Chennai, marked his debut in the Malaysian Superbike Championship 2023 with podium finishes in both races astride a Honda CBR 250 machine at the Sepang International Circuit, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, over the last weekend.
Participating in the 250cc category (A Class) of the championship, Geoffrey (Gusto Racing India) finished third overall, starting from P3 on the 27-bike grid, in both races despite limited seat and track time at the SIC. He narrowly missed second spot by less than tenth of a second in a tight finish in Race-1.
Geoffrey Emmanuel in action at Sepang. INDIAinF1 image Summing up his performances, Geoffrey, who also takes part in the FIM World Junior Championship, said: “It was a very challenging weekend for me. We had barely three days to set up the stock CBR 250 bike apart from I learning the track. Racing at the SIC was a big opportunity for me and another step towards achieving my goal of making it to the MotoGP.
“The race itself was very competitive, but I managed to hold my position till the finish and am absolutely delighted that I made the podium in both races. I would like to thank my team for its support and the work the boys put in to transform the stock bike into a race-spec machine in such a short span of time. The podium finishes have motivated me to work even harder to realize my racing dreams.”The championship comprises six races to be run over three rounds to be held at the same venue. Round 2 is scheduled for September 8-10 and the concluding round will be held on December 15-17.
