INDIA in F1

Category: National Championship

The event counts as the National Championship recognised by FMSCI, the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India, the governing body of motorsports in India, and the ASN recognised by FIA and FIM.

  • Hemanth Muddappa set to extend domination on Drag Nationals

    Hemanth Muddappa set to extend domination on Drag Nationals

    Chennai, 26 Dec 2022: Reigning National champion Hemanth Muddappa representing Mantra Racing team from Bengaluru is expected to extend his domination this week as the curtains come down on the MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Drag Racing Championship 2022 at the Madras International Circuit here this week with Rounds 2, 3 and 4, being run from Tuesday, December 27 to Friday, December 30.

    In the first round in July, Muddappa won two National championship races and is all set to add to his kitty of nine National Championship titles.

    While the first round of the four-round Championship was held in July, the subsequent outings could not be held as scheduled due to monsoon rains and the Mandhus cyclone that severely impacted the region. As such, the promoters, Madras Motor Sports Club, decided to bunch the remaining three rounds and complete the championship.

    Tuesday has been set aside for practice sessions, while the following three days will witness final runs in Rounds 2, 3 and 4 at the end of which the National Champions will be declared.

    As has been the trend in the championship, close to 150 entries, across eight categories, have been received with MMSC incentivising the riders to compete in all the three rounds this week.

    One of the highlights of the weekend would be the 4-Stroke Unrestricted category where Muddappa faces arch-rival and fellow-Bengalurean Alimon Saidalvi who won the 302-metre dash in July.

    On view this week would be an array of super bikes, ranging from the Suzuki Hayabusa to Triumph to BMW, besides a host of modified Indian bikes.

    In fact, Bengaluru is very strongly represented in all the categories while riders from Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai, fill up the rest of the grids.

    Two of the categories – Super Sport 851-1050cc and Super Sport 166-225cc – will be run as support events.

    As in the past, the 2-Stroke categories have attracted the most number of entries, totalling over 60 while the Girls class (4-Stroke up to 165cc) has eight competitors.

    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 Madras International Circuit (earlier MMRT), 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 installed 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.

  • Pune’s Akshat Hupale crowned Junior National Champion: Supercross

    Pune’s Akshat Hupale crowned Junior National Champion: Supercross

    Pune, 29 Nov 2022: Akshat Hupale, a 7th standard student of PICT Model school in Balewadi here was crowned National champion in the Junior section (Class 8) after the conclusion of the five-round MRF Mogrip Indian National Supercross championship recently.

    A few years ago the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), the governing body for motorsports in India, introduced Class 8 junior SX2 to provide an opportunity for young riders in the age group of 8 to 12 years to compete at the national level on the same terrain and courses, that top-class riders take part. This bold step to catch them young saw the Nationals blood many youngsters and it helped prepare riders for the international competitions at an early age, which is the norm abroad.

    Akshat Hupale (Photo AH team)

    The 2022 season comprised six rounds—Nashik, Pune, Coimbatore, Vadodara, Goa, Bangalore. Akshat, who practices at his private facility in Wai in Satara on weekends with Russian trainers Georgy Gusev and, Vitaly Gusev and Dustin Phares from the United States and India’s Dakar Hero Ashish Raorane, aims to ride at Asian and international level in the coming years. Akshat’s total points at the end of six rounds were 225 and his championship winning lead over C. Bhairav was 42 points, which was maximum across all the eight classes.

    After a victory in Class 8…

    The 12-year school boy, Akshat said, Goa Round was most challenging as he was battling with Viral Fever and nursing a bad throat. Having the championship lead was my mantra,” said Hupale.

    “Going into last round and virtually sealing championship was great feeling. I just wanted to Win the championship and then consolidate the lead over the nearest competitor. Happy to have done it in style and sign off under-12 category with a victory. Consistency was key as I am the only rider across categories in 2022 to have won all six rounds with highest points,” is how the Champion narrated his 2022 season.

    Incidentally, after the final round , which completed in bangalore on Sunday last, Thursday was an apt occasion here in Pune when Akshat was felicitated in presence of the top officials of the FMSCI, for his crowning glory. The occasion was the announcement of the first ever franchise-based Supercross league in India. 

  • Rohaan Madesh, Abhay M, Nikhilesh Raju crowned National karting champs

    Rohaan Madesh, Abhay M, Nikhilesh Raju crowned National karting champs

    Bengaluru, 22 October 2022: Peregrine Racing dominated the karting Nationals winning two titles with their leading driver Rohaan Madesh crowned as the Senior National champion 2022 and Nikhilesh Raju as Micro Max National champion after the fifth and final round of the Meco fmsci Rotax Max National Karting Championship which concluded here on Saturday.

    Nikhilesh Raju, Micro Max champ 2022

    Another local karter, Abhay Mohan of Birel Art India completed the Bengaluru sweep, winning the Junior Max National Championship. Rohaan, Abhay and Nikhilesh, the three Indian champions for 2022, booked a ticket for the World finals and will take part in Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals in Portimao, Portugal from November 19 to 26.

    “It is a proud moment for Peregrine Racing to win the Senior National championship for the second year running. We won two titles and missed the third narrowly. It is the result of a lot of hard work and dedication by the team,” said Madesh Lakshman, team Principal, Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru.

    The reigning X30 2021 champion, 15-year Rohaan Madesh from Bengaluru, displayed excellent driving skills and dished out consistent performance throughout the season winning 8 of the 10 races to garner 442. “It is a very special feeling. I am thrilled and excited. After winning X30 title, Rotax Max is a more prestigious championship. I thank all my team, family and supporters,” said Rohaan.

    Rohaan Madesh, takes the win in the final race to be crowned Senior Max National Karting champion as the fifth and final round of 2022 season concluded at Meco Kartopia on Saturday, 22 Oct 2022. Photo by Shajahan

    The 12-year old Nikhilesh Raju, a Class 7 student from Vibgyor school, Bengaluru, overcame a tough fight from Eshanth Vengatesan of MSport, and bagged a double victory in the final round, to clinch the issue with 428 points. With steady performances and sound driving Nikhilesh, the 2021 X30 champion, won six of the 10 races and bounced back brilliantly after a bad Pre-final race in Round 4 to clinch a well-deserving championship.

    The 14-year Abhay M, also from Bengaluru, suffered some anxious moments before he was crowned the champion. A 10-sec penalty pushed him to 9th place in the final race but that was enough for him to score 395 points to tie with Anshul and win the Junior title with more number of race wins.

    Championship Standings:

    Senior Max: 1. Rohaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing team) 442 points; 2. Aditya Patnaik (Rayo Racing) 394; 3. Rishon Rajiv (Birel Art India) 386; Team champion: Peregrine Racing.

    Junior Max: 1. Abhay Mohankumar (Birel Art India) 395 points; 2. Anshul Shivakumar (Birel Art India/ MSport) 395; 3. Ishaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing) 389; Tie broken in favour of Abhay with 3 race wins to Anshul’s zero wins); Team champion: Birel Art India.

    Micro Max: 1. Nikhilesh Raju D (Peregrine Racing)  428 points; 2. Eshanth Vengatesan (MSport) 424; 3. Anuj Arun (MSport) 400; Team champion: Peregrine Racing.

  • Bengaluru’s Chirag Ghorpade tops MRF F2000 Race

    Bengaluru’s Chirag Ghorpade tops MRF F2000 Race

    Chennai, October 9: Bengaluru teenager Chirag Ghorpade and Coimbatore veteran Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) put in near-flawless performances for commanding wins in their respective categories before heavy rains led to abandonment of the first round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2022 at the Madras International Circuit, here on Sunday.

    The day’s other winner was Mumbai youngster Zahan Commissariat who claimed the honours in the MRF Saloon Cars (Toyota Etios) race which was red-flagged after five laps due to heavy rains.

    Chirag, 17, led from the front after starting from pole position on the reverse grid of the MRF F2000 category race and barely had to look in the rearview mirrors as he opened up a big gap in the very first lap.

    Such was his pace that was not apparent in yesterday’s Race-1 where he finished eighth, that he made an untroubled progress through the 12 laps that was briefly interrupted by a Safety Car period. Chirag made a well-timed getaway on restart and eventually spared four seconds to second-placed Rishon Rajeev (Bengaluru) with Chennai’s Dillon Thomas Zachariah finishing third.

    Later, it was an Arjun Balu show in the saloon cars race that was run on a combined 27-car grid comprising all three categories – the premier Indian Touring Cars, Indian Junior Touring Cars and Super Stock.

    Balu, starting from pole, briefly slipped to second behind 2017 champion Arjun Narendran (Arka Motorsports), also from Coimbatore, after missing a gear-shift at the start. However, he swiftly moved to the front and increased the gap gradually for a comfortable win despite alternator failure and the car running only on battery power.

    Narendran finished second ahead of Rayo Racing’s Jeet Jhabakh from Hyderabad who was in the brand new Volkswagen Virtus which made its debut in the championship this weekend.

    Behind the front-runners, Chennai’s Gurunath Meiyappan (Race Concepts), racing in the championship for the first time since 1999, topped the IJTC category, followed by team-mate Diana Pundole (Pune). However, both were disqualified following post-race scrutiny for a “technical infringement”. Chennai’s Anand Prasad (Performance Racing), thus, moved from third to first, ahead of team-mate K Srinivas Teja and Charen Chandran (Arka Motorsports).

    Ritesh Rai (Performance Racing), also from Chennai, won in the Super Stock class, followed by DB Motorsports pair of Jason Deepak Saldanha (Mangaluru) and Jarshan Anand (Chennai).

    Provisional results:

    MRF F2000 (Race-2, 12 laps): 1. Chirag Ghorpade (Bengaluru) (21:09.735); 2. Rishon Rajeev (Bengaluru) (21:13.319); 3. Dillon Thomas Zachariah (Chennai) (21:15.235).

    Indian Touring Cars (Race-1, 8 laps): 1. Arjun Balu (Coimbatore, Race Concepts) (15:14.085); 2. Arjun Narendran (Coimbatore, Arka Motorsports) (15:22.908); 3. Jeet Jhabakh (Hyderabad, Rayo Racing) (15:39.557).

    Indian Junior Touring Cars (Race-1, 8 laps): 1. Anand Prasad (Chennai, Performance Racing) (16:05.841); 2. K Srinivasa Teja (Chennai, Performance Racing) (16:18.879); 3. Charen Chandran (Coimbatore, Arka Motorsports) (16:30.685).

    Super Stock (Race-1, 8 laps): 1. Ritesh Rai (Chennai, Performance Racing) (15:19.989); 2. Jason Deepak Saldanha (Mangaluru, DB Motorsports) (15;22.778); 3. Jarshan Anand (Chennai, DB Motorsports) (15:58.631).

    MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios – Race 2, 5 laps): 1. Zahan Commissariat (Mumbai, Redline Racing) (10:44.711); 2. Angad Matharoo (Chandigarh, Redline Racing) (10:46.640); 3. Jai Prashanth Venkat (Coimbatore, Redline Racing) (10:50.412). Special awards for lady drivers (all Redline Racing): Race-1: Diana Pundole (Pune) and Tarushi Vikram (Chikkamgalur). Race-2: Shravanthika Lakshmi (Coimbatore) and Tarushi Vikram.

  • Sai, Justin, Diljith claim victories; Diana beats the boys for a podium

    Sai, Justin, Diljith claim victories; Diana beats the boys for a podium

    Chennai, 8 Oct 2022: Sai Sanjay, a teenager from Salem, stormed to a brilliant victory in the MRF F2000 category while Thrissur’s Diljith Shaji took the honours in the Formula LGB 1300 class as the first round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2022 commenced at the Madras International Circuit, here on Saturday.

    In the day’s last race, 20-year old Justin Singh from Gurugram, claimed the honours in the MRF Saloons (Toyota Eitos) category with a lights-to-flag win ahead of Pune’s Diana Pundole and Angad Matharoo (Chandigarh).

    Sai, 19, started from P2 on the grid and after a good start, moved into the lead. He then defended his position with aplomb despite coming under pressure from Agra’s Shahan Ali Mohsin for much of the 10-lap race for a deserving win.

    Competing on equal footing, Diana Pundole, Pune, keeps the Women in Motorsports flag flying beating many of the boys on way to a 2nd on the podium in the Saloon class. A Shameem Fahath image

    Shahan Ali, last year’s MRF F1600 champion, had to be content with second place after starting from P4, while Yash Aradhya came in third, holding off pole-sitter and fellow-Bengalurean Rishon Rajeev.

    Earlier, 29-year old Diljith led a 1-2 finish for DTS Racing with Viswas Vijayaraj from Nellore for company while Bengaluru’s Arjun Nair (Momentum Motorsports) was third. The eight-lapper, after much jostling in the early stages, settled down with Diljith forging his way to the front followed by Viswas.

    The pair pulled away from the pack to finish in that order, well ahead of Bengaluru’s Arjun Nair (Momentum Motorsports) who did well to make four spots after starting from P7.

    Coimbatore ace Arjun Balu, 47, the defending champion from Race Concepts (Bengaluru) stable, set the pace in the premier Indian Touring Cars category, by qualifying for pole position with a hot lap of 01min, 50.000secs. He was well ahead of 2017 winner, Arjun Narendran (01:52.560), also from Coimbatore, and who is returning to full-time racing after a five-year break.

    The two Volkswagen Virtus cars, making their debut in the championship, and driven by Jeet Jhabakh (Hyderabad) and Sandeep Kumar (Chennai) were fourth and fifth, respectively, some 2.9 seconds off Balu’s pace.

    From Left: Shahan Ali Mohsin (2nd), Sai Sanjay (winner) and Yash Aradhya on MRF F2000 Race 1 podium at Madras International circuit on Saturday. A Shameem Fahath image

    Chennai veteran Gurunath Meyyappan (Race Concepts), staging a return to racing after a prolonged break, took pole position in the Indian Junior Touring Cars category as did another local racer, Ritesh Rai (Performance Racing) in the Super Stock class.

    Provisional results:

    MRF F2000 (Race-1, 10 laps): 1. Sai Sanjay T (Salem) (15min, 47.253secs); 2. Shahan Ali Mohsin (Agra) (15:47.856); 3. Yash Aradhya S (Bengaluru) (15:51.725).

    Formula LGB 1300 (Race-1, 8 laps): 1. Diljith Shaji (Thrissur, DTS Racing) (14:59.136); 2. Viswas Vijayaraj (Nellore, DTS Racing) (15:03.587); 3. Arjun S Nair (Bengaluru, Momentum Motorsports) (15:12.926).

    MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios – Race 1, 8 laps): 1. Justin Singh (Gurugram) (16:32.066); 2. Diana Pundole (Pune) (16:34.812); 3. Angad Matharoo (Chandigarh) (16:41.338).

    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 Madras International Circuit (earlier MMRT), 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 installed 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.

  • Rajini Krishnan wins a record 11th Indian National title

    Rajini Krishnan wins a record 11th Indian National title

    Chennai, 2 Oct 2022: On a day of drama and suspense, veteran Rajini Krishnan, Mathana Kumar, Jagruti Penkar and Sarvesh Balappa clinched the titles in their respective categories as the fifth and final round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2022 concluded at the Madras International Circuit here on Sunday.

    Rajini (RACR Castrol Power1), needing just one more point for the title, cruised to fourth place to seal the championship, his 11th National career crown, in the premier Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open category, while Mathana Kumar (Pacer Yamaha) from Trichy topped the Pro-Stock 165cc Open class, by also finishing fourth for his third title in 11 years.

    Earlier, Jagruti (Axor Sparks Racing), the 21-year old Science graduate from Mumbai was kept guessing before confirmation came that she indeed was the winner of the Girls (Stock 165cc) championship, her maiden title, following disqualification of race winner, Lani Zena Fernandez (RACR Castrol Power1). Jagruti finished on 81 points to Ann Jennifer’s (Alpha Racing) 80.

    “Shaker’ Bojanna, 2nd from right, raises a toast for Mathana Kumar (astride an Yamaha). Shekar earned the epithet “Shaker” over a decade ago for shaking the big teams. Re-entering the racing scene after over a decade the team achieved the National Championship title with aplomb. Photo by Srinivasa Krishnan

    Until the post-race scrutiny leading to the disqualification, Jagruti was second in the championship behind Alpha Racing’s Ann Jennifer on countback after the pair had tied on points, but the latter clinching the issue having won two races to the Mumbai girl’s none. However, the situation turned on its head after Lani was disqualified. All finishers moved up a spot, pushing Ryhana Bee (Pacer Yamaha) to first, Jagruti to second and Aditi Krishnan (Winverve Apex Racing) to third, while Ann Jennifer ended up sixth.

    Sarvesh Balappa (Axor Sparks Racing), who had taken unassailable lead coming into the final round, kept it clean and avoided close battles for a fourth place. His team-mates Kayan Zubin Patel and Rohan Ramesh came in first and second ahead of Chiranth Vishwanath (Rookies Racing).

    Meanwhile, Rajini did likewise in the concluding Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open race as he was content to follow the Petronas TVS Racing’s trio of KY Ahamed, Jagan Kumar and Deepak Ravikumar. Incidentally, Ahamed completed a double.

    “I took no chances today. After all, I needed just one more point to win the championship. So, I was happy to stay in fourth position throughout the race behind the TVS boys,” said 41-year old Rajini who, incidentally, had the best lap (01:53.099) of the race.

    Jagan also had a brilliant outing in the Pro-Stock 165cc Open race that he won in style ahead of Idemitsu Honda India SK69 Racing’s Rajiv Sethu and Senthil Kumar, for a grand double.

    Two youngsters, Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru), competing in the Rookie category of the Petronas TVS One-Make Championship, and Raheesh Mudassar Khatri (Mumbai) in the Novice (CBR 150) class of the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup, created a buzz by winning all 10 races this season.

    Provisional results (all 6 laps unless mentioned):

    National Championship – Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. KY Ahamed (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (15mins, 17.537secs); 2. Jagan Kumar (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (15:17.757); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (15:18.787). National champion: Rajini Krishnan (Chennai, RACR Castrol Power1). Team championship: Petronas TVS Racing. Manufacturers championship: Yamaha.

    Pro-Stock 165cc Open (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. Jagan Kumar (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (15:45.594); 2. Rajiv Sethu (Chennai, Idemistu Honda SK69 Racing) (15:46.086); 3. Senthil Kumar (Coimbatore, Idemistu Honda SK69 Racing) (15:47.664). National champion: Mathana Kumar (Trichy, Pacer Yamaha). Team championship: Pacer Yamaha. Manufacturers championship: Yamaha.

    Novice (Stock 165cc, Race-2): 1. Kayan Zubin Patel (Mumbai, Axor Sparks Racing) (13:01.987); 2. Rohan Ramesh (Coimbatore, Axor Sparks Racing) (13:02.099); 3. Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru, Rookies Racing) (13:02.368). National champion: Sarvesh Balappa (Hubballi, Axor Sparks Racing). Team championship: Axor Sparks Racing. Manufacturers championship: Yamaha.

    Girls (Stock 165cc, 5 laps): 1. Ryhana Bee (Chennai, Pacer Yamaha) (11:00.132); 2. Jagruti Penkar (Mumbai, Axor Sparks Racing) (11:00.493); 3.  Aditi Krishnan (Bengaluru, Winverve Apex Racing) (11:05.883). National champion: Jagruti Penkar (Mumbai, Axor Sparks Racing). Team championship: Alpha Racing. Manufacturers championship: Yamaha.

    Petronas TVS One-Make Championship: Open (Apache RR 310) Race-1: 1. Rahil Pillarisetty (Hyderabad) (11:46.885); 2. Manoj Yesuadiyan (Chennai) (11:47.317); 3. Ananthraj (Chennai) (11:47.574). Race-2: 1. Rahil Pillarisetty (Hyderabad) (11:46.127); 2. Ananthraj P (Chennai) (11:46.274); 3. Manoj Yesuadian (Chennai) (11:46.437). Champion: Rahil Pillarisetty (Hyderabad)

    Rookie (Apache RTR 200, Race-2): 1. Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru) (12:27.582); 2. Jinendra K Sangave (Kolhapur) (12:28.388); 3. Savion Sabu (Bengaluru) (12:43.778). Champion: Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru)

    Media (Apache RTR 200): 1. Ishan Lee (11:34.557); 2. Karan Singh (11:43.047); 3. Mandar Sheela Sawant (12:00.631). Champion: Ishan Lee.

    Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup: NSF 250 Open (Race-2, 10 laps): 1. Mohsin Paramban (Malappuram) (18:40.383); 2. Shyam Sundar (Chennai) (18:41.542); 3. Rakshith Dave (Chennai) (19:04.772). Champion: Sarthak Shrikant Chavan (Pune).

    Novice (CBR 150, Race-2): 1. Raheesh Mudassar Khatri (Mumbai) (12:50.201); 2. Harshith V Bogar (Bengaluru) (13:09.078); 3. Siddesh Sawant (Kolhapur) (13:10.491). Champion: Raheesh Mudassar Khatri (Mumbai).

    Support Race – Honda Hornet 2.0 (Race-2): 1. G Balaji (Chennai) (13:38.195); 2. Romario John (Chennai) (13:38.377); 3. Prabhu V (Chennai) (13:38.574).

  • Rajini Krishnan on verge of record 11th National title

    Rajini Krishnan on verge of record 11th National title

    Chennai, October 1: KY Ahamed of Petronas TVS Racing completed a hat-trick of wins in the premier Pro-Stock 301-400cc category, but veteran Rajini Krishnan moved within one point of clinching the title after a third-place finish in the fifth and final round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championshp 2022 at the Madras International Circuit, here on Saturday.

    Later, Petronas TVS Racing’s Jagan Kumar notched his second win of the season in the Pro-Stock 165cc Open category, but not before surviving a hectic scramble in the last lap. Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing’s Rajiv Sethu edged out championship leader Mathana Kumar (Pacer Yamaha) for second place to narrow the points deficit to 14 with one more race to be run on the morrow.

    In the Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open race, pole-sitter Ahamed led a 1-2 finish for his team with Deepak Ravikumar in tow, while Rajini Krishnan (RACR Castrol Power1), starting from P4, struggled with a clutch pedal issue, but used his vast experience to good effect and managed to scramble to third position. The result means that defending champion Rajini needs just one point from tomorrow’s concluding race to seal his 11th career National title. Ahamed trails the champion by 25 points with Ravikumar in third, a further eight behind.

    Earlier, Coimbatore’s Rohan Ramesh fashioned a 1-2 for Axor Sparks Racing in the Novice (Stock 165cc) category ahead of Kayan Zubin Patel (Mumbai) with Vignesh Goud, a privateer from Hyderabad in third. Hubballi’s Sarvesh Balappa, also of Axor Sparks Racing, came in fourth, but he has effectively clinched the title in this category as he leads by 54 points going into tomorrow’s Race-2.

    In the Rookie class of the Petronas Racing One-Make Championship organised by MMSC, Bengaluru’s Chiranth Vishwanath posted his ninth win in as many races as did Mumbai youngster Raheesh Mudassar Khatri in the Novice (CBR 150) category of the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup.

     Provisional results (all 6 laps unless mentioned):

    National Championship – Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open (Race-1): 1. KY Ahamed (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (11min, 20.954secs        ); 2. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (11:21.029); 3. Rajini Krishnan (Chennai, RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate) (11:22.050).

    Pro-Stock 165cc Open (Race-1): 1. Jagan Kumar (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (11:50.902); 2. Rajiv Sethu (Chennai, Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing) (11:51.067); 3. Mathana Kumar (Tiruchirapalli, Pacer Yamaha) (11:51.308).

    Novice (Stock 165cc, Race-1): 1. Rohan Ramesh (Coimbatore, Axor Sparks Racing) (13:00.141); 2. Kayan Zubin Patel (Mumbai, Axor Sparks Racing) (13:02.912); 3. P Vignesh Goud (Hyderabad, Pvt.) (13:04.091).

    Support race (Stock 301-400cc, Novice): 1. Ashwin R (Race Abilities) (12:31.762); 2. Naresh Shobha Kaname (Pvt) (12:37.897); 3. Jayanth Prathipati (Pvt) (12:39.376).

    Qualifying (best lap, top 3): Girls (Stock 165cc): 1. Ann Jennifer (Chennai, Alpha Racing) (02:08.446); 2. Jagruti Penkar (Mumbai, Axor Sparks Racing) (02:08.399); 3. Ryhana Bee (Chennai, Pacer Yamaha) (02:09.858).

    Petronas TVS One-Make Championship: Girls (Apache RTR 200) 5 laps: 1. Nithila Das (Bengaluru) (10:59.765); 2. Ananya Awasthi (Chennai) (11:22.981); 3. Aditi Krishnan (Bengaluru) (11:33.456).

    Rookie (Apache RTR 200, Race-1): 1. Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru) (12:46.968); 2. Jinendra K Sangave (Kolhapur) (12:56.733); 3. Abdul Basim RS (Chennai) (13:15.111).

    Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup: NSF 250 Open (Race-1): 1. Sarthak Shrikant Chavan (Pune) (11:15.886); 2. Mohsin Paramban (Malappuram) (11:16.828); 3. Shyam Sundar (Chennai) (11:17.075).

    Novice (CBR 150, Race-1): 1. Raheesh Mudassar Khatri (Mumbai) (12:58.554); 2. Harshith V Bogar (Bengaluru) (13:06.690); 3. Siddesh Sawant (Kolhapur) (13:06.845).

    Support Race – Honda Hornet 2.0: 1. G Balaji (Chennai) 13:37.031); 2. Kayan Zubin Patel (Mumbai) (13:46.308); 3. T Ramakrishnana (Valliyor) (13:46.649).

    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 Madras International Circuit (earlier MMRT), 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 installed 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.

  • Sarvesh grabs pole in Novice class; Ahamed sets the pace

    Sarvesh grabs pole in Novice class; Ahamed sets the pace

    Chennai, 9 Sept 2022: Hubballi’s Sarvesh Balappa (Axor Sparks Racing), with five wins this season, warmed up for the weekend’s double-header by grabbing pole position in the Novice (Stock 165cc) as the fourth round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2022 commenced at the Madras International Circuit, here on Friday.

    Leading the championship in the Novice category, 23-year old Balappa came up with a hot lap of 02mins, 08.591secs in the qualifying session in blazing afternoon sunshine. Filling up the front row were Mumbai’s Kayan Zubin Patel (Axor Sparks Racing, 02:08.616) and Bengaluru’s 12-year old Shreyas Hareesh (Rockers Racing, 02:08.839).

    Meanwhile, Petronas TVS Racing’s KY Ahamed was the quickest in both the premier categories, the Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open and the Pro-Stock 165cc Open during the free practice sessions earlier in the day.

    Ahamed clocked a blistering best lap of 01min, 52.889secs in the Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open category, to nose ahead of veteran Rajini Krishnan (RACR Castrol Power Ultimate1, 01:52.918) who leads the points table going into the weekend and is seeking his 11th National title.

    Later, Ahamed was again in top form, clocking a flying lap of 01:57.379 in the Pro-Stock 165cc Open class, ahead of Pacer Yamaha’s Prabhu Arunagiri (01:58.344), while points table topper Mathana Kumar (Pacer Yamaha) was the seventh quickest in 01:58.740. Less than a second covered the top eight, thus holding out a promise of an intriguing qualifying session on the morrow and the race to follow.

    The results (Qualifying, top 3, Best lap):

    National Championship – Novice (Stock 165cc): 1. Sarvesh Balappa (Huballi, Axor Sparks Racing) (02mins, 08.591); 2. Kayan Zubin Patel (Mumbai, Axor Sparks Racing) (02:08.616); 3. Shreyas Hareesh (Bengaluru, 02:08.839).

    Petronas TVS One-Make Championship – Open (RR 310): 1. Alwin Sundar (Chennai) (01:54.897); 2. Rahil Pillarisetty (Hyderabad) (01:55.058); 3. Kevin Kannan (Chennai) (01:56.327).

    Girls (Apache RTR200): 1. Aditi Krishnan (Bengaluru) (02:11.772); 2. Nithila Das (Bengaluru) (02:13.958); 3. Saimah Ajaz Baig (Pune) (02:15.353).

    Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup – Novice (CBR 150): 1. Raheesh Mudassar Khatri (Mumbai) (02:07.011); 2. Siddesh Sawant (Kolhapur) (02:08.642); 3. Shyam Babu (Chennai) (02:09.200).

  • Rajini, Jagan bounce back; Jennifer, Samrul win

    Rajini, Jagan bounce back; Jennifer, Samrul win

    Chennai, 7 August 2022: Veterans Rajini Krishnan (RACR Castrol Power1) and Jagan Kumar (Petronas TVS Racing) bounced back in style with superb victories to provide a fitting climax to the third round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2022 at the Madras International Circuit, here on Sunday.

    Also notching impressive wins on the day were Hyderabad’s Md Samrul Zubair (Race’ists Motorcycle Club) in the Novice (Stock 165) category after starting 21st on the grid and local rider, Ann Jennifer (Alpha Racing), the former champion, in the Girls (Stock 165cc) class.

    Rajini, chasing his 11th National title, shrugged off a third place finish yesterday to win handily in the next outing today in the premier Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open category to stretch his championship lead to 51 points.

    Rajini’s two decades of racing experience was very much in evidence as he paced himself brilliantly and bided his time starting from P3 before making his move while keeping in mind the track condition which initially was damp following spots of light drizzle before the start. He also dealt with close attention from the Petronas TVS Racing pair of Deepak Ravikumar and Race-1 winner KY Ahamed with panache to notch his fifth win in sixth starts. “I did not really push because of the track conditions, and later eased off just a bit,” said Rajini who now leads Ravikumar by 51 points in the championship standings.

    In contrast, last year’s champion Jagan Kumar, who missed the previous round owing to a wrist injury he suffered in the Rolon Round at Coimbatore in June, and still nursing a painful right wrist, recorded his first win of the season in the other premier category, the Pro-Stock 165cc Open, to end a drought that stretched to 10 months and 12 races.

    Jagan made the best of the situation that saw front-running and yesterday’s winner Rajiv Sethu (Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing) crashing early in the eight-lap race and later, new leader Deepak Ravikumar, also of Petronas TVS Racing, retiring in the second-half of the race. Needing no second invitation, Jagan blasted past team-mate KY Ahamed and Pacer Yamaha’s Prabhu Arunagiri to victory. Arunagiri, who led briefly after Sethu’s exit, finished second ahead of Ahamed. Championship leader Mathana Kumar (Pacer Yamaha) came in fifth and enjoys a 28-point cushion over Sethu.

    Earlier, Md Samrul Zubair came up with a brilliant performance to win the Novice (Stock 165cc) category race which he started from P21. The race also ended a five-win streak of Hubballi’s Sarvesh Balappa (Axor Sparks Racing) who finished ninth. However, Balappa remains at the top of the championship standings in this category with a 36-point lead over Bengaluru teenager Chiranth Vishwanath (Rookies Racing) who finished third behind Mumbai’s Kayan Zubin Patel (Axor Sparks Racing) in today’s race.

    Meanwhile, Ann Jennifer scored her second win of the season after the two front-runners, Ryhana Bee (Pacer Yamaha) and Lani Zena Fernandez (RACR Castrol Power1) crashed in consecutive laps at the same spot exiting the last corner. For much of the five-lap race, the battle raged in front between Ryhana and Lani, with Ann lying in third. However, with the two in front crashing but subsequently recovering to finish the race, it was a comfortable win for Ann who thus moved to the top of the championship standings in this category with 60 points.

    Others who maintained their unbeaten run were:

    Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup – Sarthak Shrikant Chavan from Pune (NSF 250, 6 wins); Raheesh Mudassar Khatri from Mumbai (CBR 150, 6 wins).

    Petronas TVS One-Make Championship – Chiranth Vishwanath from Bengaluru (Rookie, 6 wins); Aditi Krishnan from Bengaluru (Girls, RTR200, 3 wins).

    The results (Provisional – all 6 laps unless mentioned):

    National Championship – Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. Rajini Krishnan (Chennai, RACR Castrol Power1) (15mins, 09.788secs); 2. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (15:10.049); 3. KY Ahamed (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (15:11.842).

    Pro-Stock 165cc Open (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. Jagan Kumar (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (15:50.649); 2. Prabhu Arunagiri (Chennai, Pacer Yamaha) (15:50.794); 3. KY Ahamed (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (15:51.092).

    Novice (Stock 165cc, Race-2, 6 laps): 1. Md Samrul Zubair (Hyderabad, Race’ists Motorcycle Club) (13:06.841); 2. Kayan Zubin Patel (Mumbai, Axor Sparks Racing) (13:07.254); 3. Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru, Rookies Racing) (13:08.310).

    Girls (Stock 165cc, 5 laps): 1. Ann Jennifer (Chennai, Alpha Racing) (11:00.636); 2. Jagathishree (Chennai, Pacer Yamaha) (11:02.138); 3. Jagruti Penkar (Mumbai, Axor Sparks Racing) (11:09.459).

    Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup – NSF 250 Open (Race-2, 10 laps): 1. Sarthak Shrikant Chavan (Pune) (18:19.395); 2. Kavin Quintal (Chennai) (18:41.408); 3. Shyam Sundar (Chennai) (18:45.910).

    Novice (CBR 150, Race-2): 1. Raheesh Mudassar Khatri (Mumbai) (12:49.567); 2. Rajender Beedani (Jangaon) (12:49.849); 3. Harshith V Bogar (Bengaluru) (13:01.044).

    Support Race – Hornet 2.0 (Race-2): 1. Allwin Xavier (Chennai) (13:23.706); 2. Sudheer Sudhakar (New Delhi) (13:25.265); 3. G Balaji (Chennai) (13:25.293).

    Petronas TVS One-Make Championship – Open (Apache RR310, Race-1): 1. Alwin Sundar (Chennai) (11:45.653); 2. Rahil Pillarisetty (Hyderabad) (11:45.659); 3. P Anantharaj (Chennai) (11:47.459). Race-2: 1. Rahil Pillarisetty (Hyderabad) (11:40.643); 2. Jagadeesh N (Bengaluru) (11:40.661); 3. P Ananthraj (Chennai) (11:42.608).

    Rookie (Apache RTR 200, Race-2): 1. Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru) (12:30.498); 2. Shreyas Hareesh (Bengaluru) (12:40.139); 3. Abdul Basim RS (Chennai) (12:40.250).

    Media (Apache RTR 200, 5 laps): 1. Karan Singh (Delhi) (11:53.563); 2. Ishan Lee (Pune) (11:54.038); 3. Mandar Sheela Sawant (Pune) (11:57.498).

  • Ahamed leads TVS 1-2 finish in top class; Rajiv Sethu puts Honda on top in 165cc class

    Ahamed leads TVS 1-2 finish in top class; Rajiv Sethu puts Honda on top in 165cc class

    Chennai, 6 Aug 2022: KY Ahamed led a 1-2 finish for Petronas TVS Racing while Rajiv Sethu of Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing, finally chalked up his first win of the season and Sarvesh Balappa his fifth in a row in their respective categories as the third round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2022 sparked to life at the Madras International Circuit, here on Saturday.

    KY Ahamed (No.33), winner of the Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open category race on Saturday. Photos by Anand Philar

    Ahamed scored a merited win in the premier Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open category with team-mate Deepak Ravikumar in tow even as the unbeaten run of champion Rajini Krishnan (RACR Castrol Power1) who had won the previous four races over two rounds, ended as he went off the track when in the lead due to mechanical issues, but managed to finish third.

    Ahamed, starting from P2 behind pole-sitter Ravikumar, made a decisive move in the last lap to get ahead for a deserving maiden victory of the season in this category. The results notwithstanding, Rajini Krishnan continues to lead the championship table following his four-in-a-row winning sequence over the previous two rounds, with a healthy 44-point advantage over Ravikumar with Ahamed a further 10 points behind, going into Race-2 on Sunday.

    Rajiv Sethu (No.8), winner of the Pro-Stock 165cc race, at MIC on Saturday.

    Later, in a heart-stopper Pro-Stock 165cc race, Rajiv Sethu fought and won a tense battle that kept the final outcome in suspense until the very finish where the lead Honda star held off Petronas TVS Racing pair of Deepak Ravikumar and KY Ahamed even as leader and pole-sitter Prabhu Arunagiri (Pacer Yamaha) crashed in the dying moments of the six-lap race.

    Earlier, Sarvesh Balappa, a 23-year old mechanical student from Hubballi, and a late bloomer as a racer, chalked up his fifth win in a row in the Novice (Stock 165cc) category in a race that was reduced to four laps from scheduled six following multiple crashes in the very first lap. All riders in the crashes escaped with minor injuries.

    Sarvesh Balappa, who chalked up his fifth consecutive win in the Novice (Stock 165cc) category.

    Balappa, starting from P4 on the 33-rider grid, kept his wits amidst the chaotic first lap. On restart, the Hubballi rider made his way up the field and seized the lead which he defended with aplomb, even looking behind as he approached the finish line to take the chequered flag. Following him home in close formation were Bengaluru teenager Chiranth Vishwanath (Rookies Racing) and Aldrin Babu (RACR Castrol Power1) from Chalakudy while Mumbai’s Kayan Zubin Patel (Axor Sparks Racing), starting from pole, finished a distant sixth after suffering an off-track excursion and clutch issues.

    Meanwhile, former champion and Round-1 winner, Ann Jennifer (Alpha Racing) qualified for pole position for Sunday’s race in the Girls (Stock 165cc) category, clocking a best lap of 02:09.11. Puducherry’s Lani Zena Fernandez (RACR Castrol Power1) was second best in 02:09.297, followed by defending champion and Round-2 winner Ryhana Bee of Pacer Yamaha (02:10.031).

    The results (Provisional – all 6 laps unless mentioned):

    National Championship – Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open (Race-1): 1. KY Ahamed (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (11mins, 18.989secs); 2. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (11:19.095); 3. Rajini Krishnan (Chennai, RACR Castrol Power1) (11:28.348).

    Pro-Stock 165cc Open (Race-1): 1. Rajiv Sethu (Chennai, Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing) (11:48.625); 2. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (11:48.900); 3. KY Ahamed (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (11:49.128).

    Novice (Stock 165cc, Race-1, 4 laps): 1. Sarvesh Balappa (Hubballi, Axor Sparks Racing) (08:48.175); 2. Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru, Rookies Racing) (08:48.414); 3. Aldrin Babu (Chalakudy, RACR Castrol Power1) (08:52.063).

    Support Race – Stock 301-400cc (Novice): 1. Jayanth Prathipati (Pvt, Hyderabad) (12:30.951); 2. Shazan Khan (Race Abilities, Bengaluru) (12:33.847); 3. Vivek M (Bengaluru) (Race Abilities, Bengaluru) (12:34.581).

    Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup – NSF 250 Open (Race-1): 1. Sarthak Shrikant Chavan (Pune) (11:06.145); 2. Kavin Qunital (Chennai) (11:15.856); 3. Shyam Sundar (Chennai) (11:18.495).

    Novice (CBR 150, Race-1): 1. Raheesh Mudassar Khatri (Mumbai) (12:58.915); 2. Shyam Babu (Chennai) (13:02.234); 3. Siddesh Sawant (Kolhapur) (13:02.345).

    Support Race – Hornet 2.0 (Race-1): 1. Allwin Xavier (Chennai) (13:27.649); 2. G Balaji (Chennai) (13:28.030); 3. Romario John (Chennai) (13:30.665).

    Girls (Stock 165cc): 1. Ann Jennifer (Chennai, Alpha Racing) (02:09.111); 2. Lani Zena Fernandez (Puducherry, RACR Castrol Power1) (02:09.297); 3. Ryhana Bee (Chennai, Pacer Yamaha) (02:10.031).

    Petronas TVS One-Make Championship – Rookie (Apache RTR 200, Race-1): 1. Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru) (12:26.838); 2. Abdul Basim RS (Chennai) (12:48.315); 3. Tamizhinian KR (Chennai) (12:48.431).

    Girls (Apache RTR200) (5 laps): 1. Aditi Krishnan (Bengaluru) (11:10.496); 2. Ananya Awasthi (Chennai) (11:20.938); 3. Nishitha (Chennai) (11:29.921).