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.

  • Pole for Michelangelo Amendola; Arjun Balu quickest in saloon category

    Pole for Michelangelo Amendola; Arjun Balu quickest in saloon category

    Michelangelo Amendola who qualified for pole position in MRF Challenge on Friday. Photos by Srinivasa Krishnan

    Chennai, 14 Feb 2020: Belgium’s Michelangelo Amendola, the championship leader, picked up two crucial points by qualifying for pole position as the third and final round of the MRF Challenge got underway at the MMRT, here today. He saved his best for the last lap of the session when he posted his quickest timing.

    The 17-year old Amendola, in his third MRF Challenge season, though felt that he could have gone even quicker, but was happy with the pole position which he secured with a timing of one minute, 30.856 seconds. Close behind him was Jordanian Manaf Hijjawi (01:31.128) while British teenager Joshua Mason was third quickest in 01:31.154. Behind the trio was Aussie veteran Dylan Young, who is second in the championship, trailing Amendola by 16 points, qualified fourth in 01:31.245.

    Just one second covered the top seven, a clear indication of the closeness of the competition going into this weekend’s six races.

     “It wasn’t the best qualifying session I had. But it was a long duration session (30 minutes), so we had the pace. Anyway, we got the pole position and that is two more points. But we still have a long way to go with three races tomorrow and three more on Sunday.

    “There is still some work to be done on the car, we can be quicker, but we are halfway there. I did the Free Practice sessions on old tyres and also the first part of the qualifying. After switching to new tyres, I went quicker and took pole position on my last flying lap of the session,” said Amendola.


    Arjun Balu, who qualified for pole position in the Indian Touring Cars class.

    Earlier, last year’s first runner-up Arjun Balu from Coimbatore, driving the Race Concepts-prepared Honda City Vtec, was in a league of his own while taking pole position in the Indian Touring Cars class of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship (Round-1), clocking one minute, 49.894 secs which was a considerable improvement on his last season’s best of 1:50.9.

    Such was the veteran’s pace that he was over four seconds quicker than the next best in the ITC class, Goa’s Keith D’Souza (FB Motorsports) who piloted the Volkswagen Vento (01.54.001), while another Coimbatore veteran, the ageless Octagenarian D Vidyaprakash of Prime Racing (01:54.849) in an Esteem, was third fastest.

    “I am absolutely ecstatic, though my car is still a work in progress. We were looking for improvement, but did not expect this (sub-1:50) to happen so quickly. Anyway, I am happy that we went quicker than last year when my best was a 1:50,” said Balu.

    The results (Qualifying):

    MRF F2000: 1. Michelangelo Amendola (Belgium) (01min, 30.856secs); 2. Mannaf Hijjawi (Jordan) (01:31.128); 3. Joshua Mason (GBR) (01:31.154).

    National Championship – Indian Touring Cars: 1. Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) (01:49.894); 2. Keith D’Souza (FB Motorsports) (01:54.001); 3. D Vidyaprakash (Prime Racing) (01:54.849).

    Super Stock: 1. A Balaprasath (Race Concepts) (01:59.220); 2. Rithvik Thomas (Race Concepts) (01:59.962); 3. Raghul Rangasamy (Performance Racing) (02:00.338).

    Support race: Volkswagen Ameo Super Race: 1. Saurav Bandyopadhyay (Thane) (01:54.222); 2. Anindith Reddy (Hyderabad) (01:54.536); 3. Avik Anwar (01:54.817).

  • MRF Challenge set for exciting finish; MRF MMSC National car racing season begins

    MRF Challenge set for exciting finish; MRF MMSC National car racing season begins

    File photo of MRF Challenge in action. Photo by Anand Philar

    Chennai, 13 Feb 2020: A clutch of hungry teenagers from across the globe, besides a couple of veterans, will be again going head-to-head as the third and final round of FIA-approved MRF Challenge, organised by the Madras Motor Sports Club, gets underway at the MMRT here on Friday, February 14, with a card of six races.

    The weekend racing bouquet also includes the first round of MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship for saloon cars (ITC, IJTC and Super Stock) besides two support events, the MRF F1600 and Volkswagen Ameo Super Race. In all, 12 races have been scheduled for this weekend.

    The previous two rounds witnessed thrilling battles while throwing up some exciting young talent like championship leader Belgium’s 17-year old Michaelangelo Amendola, Britain’s Joshua Mason, and first-timers in MRF Challenge Indian-American Yuven Sunderamoorthy, 16, who chalked up a fine win in Dubai, and Japanese-American Reece Ushijima who clocked two fastest laps, also in Dubai.

    A newcomer to the MRF Challenge is England’s 16-year old Louis Foster who enjoyed a tremendous run in the British F4 Championship last year to finish third overall with six wins and 13 podiums. In 2018, he emerged “Champion Rookie” in the Ginetta  Junior Championship with nine wins.

    MRF Tyres Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, Mr. Arun Mammen said: “We have had some exciting races in the previous two rounds in Dubai and Bahrain. Now, with the championship still wide open, we expect more of close and thrilling competition up and down the grid, here in the final round at Chennai. Over the years, MRF Challenge, India’s only FIA-approved Formula racing championship which is also one of the best in Asia, has thrown up a clutch of talented youngsters who have utilized the MRF Challenge, run in the off-season winter months, as a platform to achieve their racing goals, and it has been no different this season too with drivers from the United States, Europe and Australia lining up.  MRF Tyres’  commitment to motorsports is evident by our strong presence in various championships across the globe, be it racing or rally.”

    After two rounds, Amendola, with three wins in Dubai, is well-placed at the top with 143 points. He is followed by Australia’s 30-year old Dylan Young (127) who notched his first and only win so far in seven MRF Challenge seasons. Behind the pair is Mason (115) who notched four podium finishes in the Dubai round.

    The top three title contenders, however, have to watch out for Danish teenager Valdemar Eriksen and Jordanian Manaf Hijjawi, tied on 87 points, but well clear of Ushijima and Sunderamoorthy who have 70 apiece. Denmark’s Largim Ali (43) and the lone Indian in fray and Chennai native, Chetan Korada (19) close out the grid.

    With six races to be run, there are plenty of points on offer and it puts premium on consistency given the close competition.

    ABOUT MRF TYRES

    Motorsports in India is synonymous with MRF. In fact, the development and popularity of various forms of the sport could be directly attributed to the pioneering efforts of the company, be it racing, rallying, motocross or karting. To encourage motorsport enthusiasts MRF has spared no resources in offering World-class facilities. Being the largest promoters of motorsports in India, MRF has the added advantage of being able to use the racetrack to test the tyres. MRF also supplies tyres to various other championships in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

    MRF is the only tyre company in India to have developed Formula car tyres, world- class rally tyres for tarmac and dirt, motocross tyres and also karting tyres. Today, the company caters to almost all segments of the tyre industry and is proud to be the manufacturer of the largest range of tyres. Heavy-duty truck and bus tyres, passenger car tyres, two-wheeler tyres and farm tyres are just some of the tyres that MRF manufactures.

    The one thing that puts MRF head and shoulders above its competition is the fact that MRF is the only tyre company in India without any foreign technical collaboration. The company is where it is today, thanks mainly to its know-how and its ability to develop indigenous technology. With this technology, MRF now supplies original equipment tyres to multinational manufacturers such as Honda, Hyundai, Renault, Nissan, Mahindra, Tata, Volkswagen, Toyota, Suzuki and Ford. In total, MRF exports to more than 90 countries. MRF has been the undisputed leader in the tyre industry for more than three decades now, notwithstanding the competition from various multinational and Indian tyre brands.

  • Hattrick of National titles in Junior Supercross for Yuvraj Konde Deshmukh: MRF Mogrip Nationals

    Hattrick of National titles in Junior Supercross for Yuvraj Konde Deshmukh: MRF Mogrip Nationals

    Sachin D (#40) winner of Indian Experts Class flanked by 2nd placed Rajendra (#31) and Kalimohan (#72) at Pune on Sunday. Madhusudhan of MRF is on the right. An INDIAinF1 photo

    By David Bodapati

    Pune, 26 Jan 2020: Yuvraj Konde Deshmukh was crowned the Junior Supercross National champion for the third year running as he dominated the proceedings once again winning both the motos in two classes. He was also declared as the Best Rider of the Race as the sixth and final round of the MRF Mogrip National Supercross Championship 2019 promoted by Godspeed Racing under the aegis of Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (fmsci) concluded here on Sunday.

    The 15-year old Yuvraj Konde Deshmukh of Ajmera Racing won the first Moto in the premier Foreign Open class beating veteran rider CD Jinan of TVS Racing while Jinan’s teammate Rugved Barguje ended up third. In the second Moto too, Yuvraj dominated the race and won but it was Rugved who was in the second this time with Jinan relegated to third place.

    Astride a KTM 250, Yuvraj Konde Deshmukh also won both the Motos in the Class 8 Junior Supercross 1 to steal the day’s honours. Now the Pune youngster will be back to the studyroom with exams looming large from Jan 29.

    Sachin D brought some relief to the TVS Racing camp winning the Class 5, Indian Experts Class C beating teammates Rajendra RE and Imran Pasha to second and third positions respectively.

    “I am really thrilled to win the Rider of the Day. I won both motos in both the Foregin Open and the Junior classes. I am grateful to my sponsors Racing India, Mountain Dew, Go Pro and especially I thank my parents and friends and all those who supported me,’’ said a visibly pleased Yuvraj.

    With the Pune leg, the MRF Mogrip Supercross Nationals 2019, the biggest off-road two-wheeler Nationals, came to an end. The previous five rounds of the season were held in Coimbatore, Bengaluru, Baroda, Nashik and Goa.

    Yuvraj Konde Deshmukh photo courtesy FB @yuvrajmotocross

    Provisional results (Round 6 in Pune):

    Class 1: SX-I foreign open class (up to 250 CC/500 CC): 1. Yuvraj Konde Deshmukh (Ajmera Racing) 40 Points; 2. Rugved Barguje (TVS Racing) 32; 3. CD Jinan (TVS Racing) 32; 4. Mahesh VM (Thrissur) 24; 5. Prithvi Dhillon (Chandigarh) 23.

    Class 2: Novice Group C (up to 260 CC, Moto 1): 1. M Kali Mohan (TVS Racing) 20; 2. Sachin D (TVS Racing) 17; 3. RE Rajendra (TVS Racing) 15; 4.Banteilang Jyrwa (TVS Racing) 13; 5. Sabrish R (Coimbatore) 11.

    Class 4: Local class (up to 260 CC, Moto 1): 1. Pinkesh Thakkar 20; 2. Lokesh Bhosale 17; 3. Nikhil Kamthe 15; 4. Prasad Ghorpade (Kolhapur) 13; 5. Shivam Kamble 11. (all others from Pune).

    Class 5: Indian Experts Class C (up to 260 CC): 1. Sachin D (TVS Racing) 20; 2. RE Rajendra (TVS Racing) 17; 3. Imran Pasha (TVS Racing) 15; 4. M Kalimohan (TVS Racing) 13; 5. Banteilang Jyrwa (TVS Racing) 11.

    Class 6: Private experts (up to 260 cc): 1. R Sabrish (Coimbatore) 20; 2. Ankush Rao (Goa) 17; 3. Shivam Kamble (Pune) 15; 4. Pinkesh Thakkar (Pune) 13; 5. Bhushen Bhosale (Kolhapur) 11.

    Class 7: SX-2 (up to 250 cc): 1. Prithvi Dhillion (Chandigarh) 40; 2. VM Mahesh (Thrissur) 34; 3. Zabi Mulla (Goa) 30; 4. Tanika Shanbhag (Satara) 23; 5. Pravith P (Ernakulam) 20.

    Class 8: JR SX-1 (up to 250 cc): 1. Yuvraj Konde Deshmukjh (Ajmera Racing) 40; 2. Gaurang Naik (Pune) 28; 3. Ishan Shanbhag (Satara) 28; 4. Sarthka Chavan (Pune) 25; 5. Tanika Shanbhag (Satara) 24.

    Class 9: JR X-2 (up to 250 cc): 1. Ikshan Shanbhag (Satara) 40; 2. Shlok Ghorpade (Satara) 34; 3. Jinendra Sangave (Ichalka Racing) 30; 4. Akshat Huple (Pune) 26; 5. Abhimanu Bose (Goa) 21.

    Best Rider of the Race: Yuvraj Konde Deshmukh

    All photographs for INDIAinF1 by Special Arrangment with Mr Sandeep Konde Deshmukh, Pune.

  • Imran Pasha of TVS Racing wins National title in Class 4: INRC for 2-wheelers

    Imran Pasha of TVS Racing wins National title in Class 4: INRC for 2-wheelers

    File photo of Imran Pasha from a round in 2019.
    Imran Pasha who won the National title in the Super Sport 260 class in Bengaluru on Sunday. Photo by Keshava Murthy

    Bengaluru, 19 Jan 2020: Imran Pasha of TVS Racing astride an Apache RTR 200 hogged the limelight winning the honours in overall classification of the sixth and final round of the MRF Mogrip fmsci Indian National Rally Championship for two-wheelers held at Devanahalli, near here, on Sunday.

    The 2w-rally National Championship was organised by Karnataka Motor Sports Club (KMSC) and promoted by Godspeed Racing under the aegis of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (fmsci). With this win Imran Pasha is crowned National champion in Class 4 for Super Sport 260 bikes, even as his title rival, a privateer from Mangaluru, Adnan Ahmed, could finish only one stage and logged a DNF (did not finish).

    Another Bengaluru privateer Yuva Kumar was overall second followed by Sachin D, also of TVS Racing. Yuva Kumar, astride a Hero Impulse, also won Class 1. Ishan Chandra A of Mangaluru on a Hero Impulse clocked a commendable 56:25.5 to win Class 3 while another local lad Rakesh Kumar took Class 2.

    Top TVS rider and National champion Aishwarya Pissay won the ladies class with Ryhana Bee in second while Vijay Prasad of Bengaluru claimed the Star of Karnataka title, also finishing a creditable 5th overall with two compatriots Ansar Mohamed and Sanjay Somashekar finishing in that order.

    Imran Pasha with the Overall and Class 4 trophy on Sunday. Photo: AutoTrack

    Provisional final results (Round 6) (Privateer unless mentioned):

    Overall: 1. Imran Pasha (TVS Racing) 53min, 52.817seconds; 2. Yuva Kumar (privateer) 54:01.915; 3. Sachin D (TVS Racing) 54:25.149.

    Class 1: 1. Yuva Kumar (Pvt.) 54:01.915; 2. Nikhil B (Pvt.) 57:41.844; 3. Santhosh Kour (Pvt.) 1:15:44.990.

    Class 2: 1. Rakesh Kumar 1:00:01.575; 2. Ajin Abraham 1:01:55.919; 3. Azeeb Muhammed 1:03:35.736.

    Class 3: 1. Ishan Chandra A 56:25.520; 2. Pavan BK 58:40.028; 3. Francis PU 58:52.540.

    Class 4: 1. Imran Pasha (TVS Racing) 53:52:817; 2. Sachin D 54:25.149; 3. Samuel Jacob (TVS Racing) 59:18.346.

    Class 5: 1. T Vijay Kumar 1:05:23.335; 2. Uday Ganguli 1:13:45.510.

    Class 6: 1. Devaraj V 58:01.677; 2. Arun Joy M 1: 00:36.275; 3. Arvind Kumar Singh 1:14:11.931.

    Class 7: 1. Syed Asif Ali (TVS Racing) 1:01:41.731; 2. Pinkesh Thakkar 1:02:04.557; 3. Shamim Khan 1:02:26325.

    Class 8: 1. Aishwarya PM (TVS Racing) 1:06:06.791; Ryhana Bee A 1:08:15.208.

    Star of Karnataka: 1. Vinay Prasad 57:21.630; 2. Ansar Mohamed 58:19.685; 3. Sanjay Somashekar 59:05.447.

     

  • Final round of INRC for two-wheelers on Sunday

    Final round of INRC for two-wheelers on Sunday

    File photo of INRC action from a 2019 round. Photo courtesy KMSC release

    Bengaluru, 19 Jan 2020: Imran Pasha from TVS Racing and privateer Adnaan Ahmed from Mangaluru will be fighting for honours in the Upto 260cc class in the Rally de Bengaluru, the 6th and final round of the MRF Mogrip Indian National Rally Championship for 2-wheelers 2019, here on Sunday.

    Organised by Karnataka Motor Sports Club and promoted by Promoted by God Speed Racing, Pune, the event has attracted 46 riders, including two ladies, from across India. The INRC for 2-wheelers will be flagged off at the Tribal Adventure Café, situated near Kundana in Devanahalli on the outskirts of the city. Two stages of 8-km each will be run thrice in forward direction cumulating to 168 kms including Liaison distance.

    Aishwarya Pissay, also from TVS Racing, who has already sealed the championship, will have National Racing champion in the ladies class, Ryhana Bee to fight in the last rally of the season. Suhail Ahmed, who has also sealed the championship in the Bullet class, will have a final go in the last round.

    A total on nine classes will be part of the event. For the first time in Indian Motorsports, three 2-wheeler `Trauma Ambulances’ will be part of the medical team, popularly known as BEAST, which is provided by Apollo Spectra Hospitals, Brookefield, Bengaluru.

    Shivu Shivappa, President, KMSC and Vice-President FMSCI, said that all arrangements are made for running the rally in a safe manner. “Safety measures are in place with adequate ambulances and highly-professional medical team and we look forward for good performances and crowning of the National champions,’’ he concluded.

    KMSC file photo 2019 action during INRC for 2w
  • Volkswagen Motorsport call for aspiring drivers for the Polo Cup 2020

    Volkswagen Motorsport call for aspiring drivers for the Polo Cup 2020

    Pune, 14 January 2020: Volkswagen Motorsport India has announced the Polo Cup for 2020. The drivers’ selection process for the 11th Edition of the Volkswagen Championship has already begun. Aspiring drivers with a keen interest in Motorsport can register themselves for the selection process on or before 20th January. This edition of the Volkswagen Championship has already witnessed 1,300 registration entries and counting.

    The two-day driver selection process scheduled on January, 25 & 26 at Ajmera Indi Karting Track, Mumbai will have Sirish Vissa, Head of Volkswagen Motorsport India, Rayomand Banajee, Driver Coach and former multiple National Champion, Steve Hodges, Karting Expert as the member of the Jury. The process will comprise of judging drivers on their overall driving skills which includes consistency in performance, understanding of racing lines, lap times, driving attitude and ability to learn. The selection process will also include a fitness test that will focus on the overall capabilities of race drivers to secure their position on the grid of the One-make series.

    Steffen Knapp, Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars said: “The Volkswagen Polo is synonymous to a fun-to-drive experience, equipped with highest safety standards and build quality that is needed on the race track. We’re extremely delighted to bring back this carline for the 11th edition of Volkswagen Motorsport’s One Make Championship. The team has made relentless efforts in training young talent and providing opportunities of global Volkswagen Motorsport standards. We encourage all those interested participants to come witness the Race Polo at the upcoming Auto Expo 2020.

    Sirish Vissa, Head of Volkswagen Motorsport India said, “It is a proud moment for us to mention that with a decade’s presence in India, Volkswagen Motorsport continues to be the only OEM directly involved in Motorsport. Aspiring drivers from within the country and neighbouring countries have been trained by our program and have gone on to race internationally. With the 11th edition of this championship, Volkswagen would like to reiterate its continued commitment in promoting Motorsport in India.”

    With over 1,600 registrations in 2019, Volkswagen Motorsport received the highest number of registrations for drivers’ selection in Indian history. Such great numbers is a testimony of growing popularity of the Motorsports in India and Volkswagen Motorsport’s continued efforts to provide a great platform to budding race drivers in India.

    Registration Link :: https://www.volkswagen.co.in/en/volkswagen-motorsportindia/ championship.html

    About Volkswagen Motorsport India: Taking ahead more than 50 years of enriching global motorsport legacy of Volkswagen, Volkswagen Motorsport India commenced operations with the Polo Cup India in 2010. The vast global expertise, coupled with rich dynamic history of the Group has enabled Volkswagen Motorsport India to progress swiftly and become the best one make series in a short span of time. The Volkswagen Polo R Cup enhanced awareness as well as underlined the technological advancement of Volkswagen in India. In 2015, Volkswagen Motorsport India shifted to Vento Cup and continued to provide a vital platform for the talented young racers to demonstrate their capabilities nationally and internationally by nurturing them. In the one-make series, all participating cars are technically identical with the same performance making it possible for only the most skilled drivers to leave an impact. Since 2017, Volkswagen Motorsport India has been running the Ameo Cup in the same format with a car that has been completely developed and built with local talent at Volkswagen plant in Pune. Successes in Indian Rallying: Under the Customer Sport Initiative, Volkswagen Motorsport India started providing teams and individuals running Volkswagen Polo rally cars in the Indian Rally Championship (IRC) with technical assistance and spares support from 2013. The Volkswagen Polo since then has won several championships and is has become popular in national rallying to the extent that more than half the competing grid in 2018 comprised of Volkswagen Polo cars.

  • Dhruva Chandrasekhar hogs the limelight: INAC

    Vijayawada, 11 Jan 2020: Dhruva Chandrasekhar of Andhra Pradesh Tourism on MRF Tyres won his class in the finals of the Indian National Autocross Championship 2019 held for the first time in Andhra Pradesh at Pavithra Sangaman near Ibrahimpatnam here on Saturday.

    Closely behind the leader is Arjun Rao, also of Andhra Tourism, on MRF Tyres. As many as 60 cars took part in the race on the day one, which witnessed a close contest among MRF Tyres, JK Tyres, Snap Racing, and Arka Motorsport teams.

    There would be a local touch to the high-voltage racing contest as Ibrahimpatnam’s teenager Tejas would be taking part on his Tata Safari.

    Earlier, Minister for tourism Avanti Srinivasa Rao inaugurated the sporting event.

  • Top Indian drivers to display skills at Indian National Autocross Finals

    Top Indian drivers to display skills at Indian National Autocross Finals

    Gautam Shantappa, Chief Safety Officer speaking to the media recently at a Press Conference in Vijayawada. Former National champion and veteran administrator of Coffee Day Rally fame Farooque Ahmed (right) and ace Indian rallyist Phalguna Urs (2nd from right) are also seen.

    Vijayawada, 10 Jan 2020: The cream of motorsport talent from across the country will showcase their talent in the Champions Yacht Club Indian National Autocross Championship Finals 2019 which will be held at Pavithra Sangamam, near Ibrahimpatnam, about 25km from here on the Vijayawada-Hyderabad highway, on Saturday. The 2019 National Championship is approved by the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India to spill over into 2020 and is being organised with the Technical Support of Motor Sports Club of Chikmagalur.

    The Nationals will be supported by the Race of Titans where all the top guns in the country are expected to vie for honours on Sunday. INRC champions Chetan Shivram, Dilip Sharan, Dean Mascarenhas, Younus Ilyas, Dhruv Chandrasekhar and Bikku Babu are expected to take part.

    The top-4 finalists in the nine classes held across the country in the five regional championships in 2019 will vie for the grand finals. “Champions Yacht Club has made unprecedented preparations providing competitors a slew of benefits including free entry fee, free transportation of cars and accommodation,’’ said Gautam Shantappa, one of the top F1 Marshals in the country and the Chief Safety Officer for the event.

    “It is the endeavour of the Champions Group to dig out Champions in every region and as such we are bringing a National-level prestigious championship for the first time to Vijayawada. All safety aspects are taken care of. Ambulances and fire vehicles will be in place. All are invited to attend the top-class event as many of the champions in the country will be taking part,’’ said Vamsi Merla, the head of Champion Yacht Club, the promoters of Indian National Rally Championship, who have also accepted to organise the INAC Finals this year.

    The Championship began with the West Zone qualifying round in Thane on the dirt tracks on October 18 and 19 with the North Zone round happening a day later on October 19 and 20 at Delhi on Tarmac surface. The South Zone was held at Bengaluru on gravel from Novemeber 8 to 10 while Mumbai conducted the second round of West Zone from Nov 29 to Dec 1 on tarmac and the Chandigarh North Zone was held on gravel on Dec 6 and 7. The Haldia Autocross 2019 was the East Zone Qualifier-1 and the proposed round in north-east was not held.

    Abhijit Pai of Motor Sports Club of Chikmagalur (MSCC) will be Clerk of the Course, the sporting director who will conduct the event looking after all the technical and sporting regulations while he will be assisted by an experienced MSCC team. Nishanth Bendict is the Secretary of the Meet and Samrud Pai will be coordinating the drivers as the Competitor Relations Officer. Dilip Kumar will be the event coordinator.

    The finals will start at 8am on Saturday while the scrutiny and documentation will be on Friday. The prize distribution is scheduled for 5pm on Sunday. A prize money of around Rs.2 lakhs will be on offer and the gates are open. However, the VIP tickets for Rs.2000 and Rs.5,000 (with lunch) can be purchased at bookmyshow.

    The following classes are open to vehicles manufactured in India:

    Group A – Stock

    Class 1 Stock : 2-wheel drive | up to 1650 cc

    Class 2 Stock : 2-wheel drive | above 1651 cc

    Group B – Modified

    Class 3 Stock : 2-wheel drive | upto 1400 cc

    Class 4 Open : 2-wheel drive | upto 1650 cc

    Class 5 Open : 2-wheel drive | above 1651 cc

    Group C – Unrestricted

    Class 6 Open : 2-wheel drive | upto 1650 cc

    Class 7: 2-wheel drive | above 1651 cc

    Group D – Unrestricted

    Class 8: 4-wheel drive cars/SUVs | Open

    Group E – Stock

    Class 9: Ladies Open

     

     

  • Champions Yacht Club brings big time motorsports to Vijayawada: INAC finals

    Champions Yacht Club brings big time motorsports to Vijayawada: INAC finals

    File photo of Mysore Autocross 2019 for representational purpose courtesy Keshava Murthy

    By Jayaram Sridhar

    Vijayawada (AP), 30 Dec 2019:  Big time motorsport is all set to enter Vijayawada as the finals of the Indian National Autocross Championship (INAC) will be held at Pavithra Sanghamam from January 10 to 12 in which as many as 64 cars are participating, according to Merla Vamsi of Champions Yacht Club, which is organizing the event.

    Speaking at the pre-event press conference, he said the motor racing will be held at the 2-km track laid at the parking area of Pavithra Sanghamam in which around 10 to 12 curves would be designed for the cars to tackle. “Top racers like Gaurav Gill, Dean Mascarenhas and other top Indian drivers will set the track ablaze,” he added.

    “The driver eligibility for the INAC final was based on the performance in the four regional rounds – South Zone, West Zone, North Zone and East Zone. Run under the aegis of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), Auatocross is an entry point for many budding drivers to kick-start a career in motorsports. The championship is based on a point system”.

    He said the cars will be allowed to drive a distance of 200 metres at a single stretch before they prepare to tackle a curve. “Two cars will take the track simultaneously with a speed limit of 80 kmph”.

    Vamsi said efforts were on spruce up galleries for 10,000 spectators. “The galleries will be properly barricaded and it will be spruced up 30 feet away from the track. We are taking all precautionary steps for the safe conduct of the event which will witness several nail-biting finishes,” said senior rally driver Phalguna Urs, who is in charge of the team that designed the track.

    “Ambulances, fire tenders and hospital backup and all safety arrangements for the event are in place,” he added.

    Vamsi said the cars will enter the city on the trailers and would go through various safety checks and official scrutiny before they are allowed to hit the track.

    “It is a good opportunity for the motorsport enthusiasts to witness the race and it is held for the first time in Vijayawada. After Amaravati F1H2O Power Boat racing championship in 2018, this is the biggest sporting event to be held in Vijayawada”.

  • Hemanth Mudappa annexes drag crown for a hat-trick; Jessica wins girls title: Drag Nationals

    Hemanth Mudappa annexes drag crown for a hat-trick; Jessica wins girls title: Drag Nationals

    Hemanth Mudappa with the trophies at MMRT on Sunday. Photo by Team Mudappa for INDIAinF1

    Chennai, 30 Dec 2019: Defending champion from Bengaluru, Hemanth Muddappa of Mantra Racing dominated the 2019 MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Drag Racing Championship as he annexed the title for the third year in a row with a grand double while also equalling the course record at the MMRT, here last weekend.

    Attributing his success to the team work by Mantra Racing, in preparing his BMW S1000RR bike in the top-end Unrestricted Supersport class, Muddappa won both the Rounds 3 and 4 for a clean sweep. He clocked 8.070 seconds in Round 3 on Saturday and then, in the next round on Sunday, he did 7.976 seconds to equal the record he had set in the second round in October erasing his own earlier record.

    The 29-year old Coorgi made a clean sweep winning all the four rounds for a maximum of 100 points. Hafeez Khan and Harish Naik finished second and third in the National championship. Hemanth, currently heads the leading sports nutrition brand, `1up Nutrition India’ and is based in Bengaluru.

    Also scoring a double and claiming the National title is Nivetha Jessica in the Girls category. The 22-year old rider scored her maiden National Championship scoring 93 points. The Bio-Tech engineering graduate from Chennai who made her debut as a privateer in 2017, said: “I have faced a lot of hurdles and finally to overcome all of them with hardwork and support from my team, family and friends makes me so glad.”

    Another rider to score a double is Bengaluru’s Aiyaz, who is crowned Nationial Champion in the 361-550cc Supersport Indian class. Local challenger Yogeshwaran, though failing to win a race over the weekend, still garnered enough points to claim the title in the 226-360 Supersport Indian category with 67 points, just two ahead of fellow-Chennai rider AS Alexander.

    Bengaluru’s Mohammed Rafiq topped both the 2-Stroke categories (up to 130cc and 131-165cc) and bagged the National title in both classes.

    Round 3 of the championship was held on Saturday, Dec 28 and Round 4 on Sunday, Dec 29.

    File photo of Hemanth Muddappa with his BMW S1000R and his trophy from Round 2

    Sporting a T-shirt that proclaimed him as 2019 champion, with years 2017and 2018 at the bottom denoting his hat-trick, a visibly pleased Mudappa said: “Much hard work went in this year and I am thrilled to complete my hat-trick and a big thank you to my team.’’

    “I can’t thank the almighty enough for all his blessings to close this perfect season and end 2019 on a high. I thank the prayers and blessings of my parents and the special lady,’’ he added.

    He had a special mention for Mantra Racing and the man behind it, Sharan J Pratap but did not forget his mechs Maruti, Mueen, Manju, Omkar and Nithin. “And off course, the big daddy Pratap Jayaram. Without all of them this season would not have been possible. Big thank you to my wingmen And #1 bike transporter Appu Raj of Power Star and Mohan who are the best support crew I could ask for.

    In his hour of triumph, he remembered his friends who gave him a tough fight with the top-three finishing very close. “Hearty congratulations to my great friend Hafeez Khan on securing 2nd in the championship. Congratulations to Harish Naik to get 3rd in his debut racing season,’’ he quipped adding kudos to Zubair Ali Jung for giving a great fight. There was also a special shout-out to Nihas from Colour Me Crazy Customs, who custom-made the Gold championship helmet, in MotoGP style.

    “Thank you MMSC and FMSCI, the organisers and governing body of motorsports in India. Thank you all my friends and supporters for the wishes you showered me with,’’ he concluded.

    Nivetha Jessica with her tropies at the MMRT on Sunday. Photo by Team Jessica for INDIAinF1

    The results (All 4-Stroke unless mentioned):

    Unrestricted Supersport (Round-3): 1. Hemanth Muddappa (Mantra Racing, Bengaluru) (08.070secs); 2. Zubair Ali Jung (Bengaluru) (08.315); 3. Harish Naik (Bengaluru) (08.676). Round-4: 1. Muddappa (07.976, equals course record); 2. Hafizulla Khan (Bengaluru) (08.411); 3. Naik (08.554). National champion: Hemant Muddappa (100 points).

    361-550cc Supersport Indian (Round-3): 1. Aiyaz (Bengaluru) (12.503); 2. Attaulla Baig (Bengaluru) (12.522); 3. Anandhu KK (12.583). Round-4: 1. Aiyaz (12.230); 2. Baig (12.337); 3. Anandhu (12.443). National champion: Aiyaz (90 points).

    226-360cc Supersport Indian (Round-3): 1. AS Alexander (Chennai) (13.123); 2. Bharath (Chennai) (13.192); 3. Ashish Rungta (Chennai) (13.413). Round-4: 1. Shankar Guru (Bengaluru) (12.896); 2. Rungta (12.986); 3. Alexander (13.009). National champion: Yogeshwaran (Chennai) (67 points).

    166-225cc Supersport Indian (Round-3): 1. N Deepak (Chennai) (13.655); 2. Aiyaz (Bengaluru) (14.194); 3. S Ahamed Vasin (Chennai) (14.883). Round-4: Deepak (13.366); 2. Venu SMD (Bengaluru) (13.835); 3. Mohammed Imran (Bengaluru) (14.251). National champion: N Deepak (83 points).

    Up to 165cc Supersport Indian (Round-3): 1. Sooriya PM (Chennai) (14.352); 2. Anand R (Chennai) (14.468); 3. Bharath (Chennai) (14.501). Round-4: 1. Anand R (14.373); 2. Sooriya (14.472); 3. Bharath (14.586). National champion: Sooriya PM (68 points).

    GIRLS (Up to 165cc, Round-3): Nivetha Jessica (Chennai) (16.075); 2. Czimkhy (Kerala) (16.438); 3. Ann Jennifer (Chennai) (16.450). Round-4: 1. Nivetha Jessica (15.954); 2. Soundari Ananth Raj (Speed Up Racing, Chennai) (16.328); 3. Ann Jennifer (16.387). National champion: Nivetha Jessica (93 points).

    2-Stroke Up to 130cc Supersport (Round-3): 1. Mohammed Rafiq (Bengaluru) (13.183); 2. Hussain Khan (Mumbai) (13.376); 3. Syed Nayeem (Bengaluru) (13.549). Round-4: 1. Mohammed Rafiq (12.990); 2. Hussain Khan (13.499); 3. R Madhan Kumar (Chennai) (13:590). National champion: Mohammed Rafiq (100 points).

    2-Stroke 131-165cc Supersport (Round-3): 1. Aiyaz (Bengaluru) (13.042); 2. K Mohan (Chennai) (13.055); 3. Mohd Rafiq (Bengaluru) (13.059). Round-4: 1. Mohd Rafiq (12.356); 2. Salman Khan (Bengaluru) (12.815); 3. Syed Nayeem (Bengaluru) (12.918). National champion: Mohammed Rafiq (90 points).

    Mantra Racing, the team behind the National Champion Hemanth Mudappa’s success. Photo for INDIAinF1 from Mudappa/Team Mantra Racing