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.

  • Tijil Rao wins another race to lead the table; Sarvesh, Abhishek shine on bikes

    Tijil Rao wins another race to lead the table; Sarvesh, Abhishek shine on bikes

    Coimbatore, August 27, 2023: Bengaluru teenagerRuhaan Alva of MSport signed off on a merry note winning the first race on Day 2 but compatriot Tijil Rao of Dark Don Racing had the last laugh with a fine victory in the last race as he made it a double in the in the premier LGB Formula 4 class of the 26th JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship, the first round of which concluded at the Kari Motor Speedway here on Sunday.

    Tijil Rao, who shared honours with Arya Singh yesterday, won another race and made it a double to take the championship lead. In the opening race, all eyes were on the Dark Don Racing stars but it was Bengaluru’s Ruhaan who won Race 3 with a stunning overtake in the final lap. However, Tijil made a comeback with a facile win in the final Race 4 and ended Round 1 on a high leading the points table in the LGB F4 class.

    Arya Singh (Dark Don Racing) dominated for most part but Ruhaan played catch up with some brilliant driving. The former was beginning to feel the pressure. There was a little bumping and jostling now and then between the two but Ruhaan kept searching for space to sneak in. He managed to find one in the final lap and crossed the line much without any further hiccups.

    Kolkata’s Arya Singh, #10, leads Dilijit TS, #44 while Ruhaan Alva, Yellow #27, waits for his time. INDIAinF1 photo

    The second was as good as the first but Tijil did one better than the rest to clinch the thriller. With the reverse grid in play, it was Saran Vikram Tmars (Mars Racing) who started off on a blitzy note staying in the lead for good five laps, however it was Ruhaan who overtook him and was primed for victory.

    Tijil Rao after Race 3 (in pic) makes a strong comeback.

    Tijil Rao at his best:

    Ruhaan failed to hold on to the lead as he spun out of the race giving the Dark Don’s racers a fresh leash of life with Diljith and Tijil battling it out for the victory. While it looked like the senior pro Diljith would close the round on a high, it was the young Tijil who showed grit and great skills to overtake in the 13th lap. It was a sight to behold as both the racers were involved in a to and fro action but eventually Tijil brought in his car ahead of others to win the race, and a double in the weekend.

    Neythan McPherson wins Novice Cup Race 3

    In the JK Tyre Novice Cup, Bengaluru’s Arjun S. Nair of Momentum Motorsports, who cracked a double on Saturday, for once could not celebrate on top of the podium in the first race as his teammate Neythan McPherson from Pune staved off a stiff challenge from him and Aman
    Nagdev (MSport) and took a good win.

    The nine-lap race saw the safety car out twice and that took some flow and shine out of the event.  Aman and Arjun finished second and third respectively.

    But in the second race, Joel Joseph (DTS Racing) came out victorious, while Arjun and McPherson wrested the next two spots.

    Good week-end for Arjun Nair

    However, it was a good week-end for Arjun Nair, who took two victories and two podiums to lead the table in the Novice class after Round 1. “The weekend results justified the countless hours spent fine-tuning our strategies, perfecting my driving, and pushing myself all the time. The competition is fierce, but I managed to raise my performance up to it. I am motivated to work hard physically and to give my best for the remainder of the championship,” said Arjun Syam Nair confidently.

    Sarvesh Balappa rules the roost

    Hubballi’s Sarvesh Balappa, starting on P2, ruled the field in the JK Tyre presents 250 Cup. Pole sitter G Abhinav (Coimbatore) brought some cheer to the home crowd clocking the fastest time of 1:25.00. He maintained a good pace but not good enough to outsmart Sarvesh at the end. Bengaluru’s Rohit ad had to be content with the third spot.

    Abhishek Vasudev at his best

    In the JK Tyre Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup, it was the Bengaluru boys who stole the show with a clean sweep. Abhishek Vasudev emerged victorious with an impressive timing of 13 minutes 53.248 seconds, while his city-mates, Ullass Nanda (13:53.651) and Md Samrul Zubair (13:57.403) were the others who stood second and third on the podium respectively. 

    Provisional Results (Day 2):
    LGB Formula 4 Race 3

    1. Ruhaan Alva, MSport: 22 minutes 09.037 seconds;

    2. Arya Singh, Dark Don Racing: 22:09.084;

    3. Tijil Rao, Dark Don Racing: 22:10.131.

    Race 4

    1. Tijil Rao, Dark Don Racing: 27:51.142;

    2.Diljith TS, Dark Don: 27:51.822;

    3.Saran Vikram Tmars, Mars Racing: 28:05.523.
    Novice Cup Race 3

    1. Neythan McPherson: Momentum Motorsports; 14:28.205;

    2. Aman Nagdev; MSport: 14:28.801;

    3. Arjun S Nair, Momentum Motorsports: 14:29.264.

    Race 4
    1. Joel Joseph, DTS Racing: 16:20.908;

    2. Arjun S Nair, Momentum Motorsports: 16:21.077;

    3. Neythan McPherson, 16:21.201, Momentum Motorsports.

    Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup Race 2
    1. Abhishek Vasudev, 13:53.248;

    2. Ullass Nanda 13:53.651;

    3. Md. Samrul Zubair 13:57.403.

    JK Tyre 250 Cup

    1. Sarvesh Balappa: 15:16.3452;

    2. Abhinav G: 15:19.623;

    3.Rohit Lad: 15:27.436.

    ends

  • Arjun Nair bags a double in Novice class; Arya Singh, Tijil Rao share LGB F4 honours

    Arjun Nair bags a double in Novice class; Arya Singh, Tijil Rao share LGB F4 honours

    Coimbatore, August 26, 2023: It was a fantastic start by Dark Don Racing as their drivers Tijil Rao and Arya Singh shared a win apiece in the LGB Formula 4 class, the premier event, in the opening round of the 26th JK Tyre National Racing Championship which began at the Kari Motor Speedway in Chettipalayam here on Saturday.

    Tijil started the day finishing on top of the podium in the opening race. It was not easy though for the Bengaluru youngster as his teammates Arya Singh (Kolkata) and T.S. Diljith (Thrissur) gave him a run for his money. The lead kept changing hands lap after lap and, midway through, it was all about holding one’s nerve. But Tijil, despite the pressure, kept his cool, waited for the right moment to strike, and planned his move well in the final lap to take the checkered flag in style.

    For Team Dark Don racing it did not matter as Arya and Diljith wrested the next two positions. In the second race, Arya gained sweet revenge over Tijil with a thrilling win. It was wheel-to-wheel racing between the two and, with three laps to go, it looked like anybody’s game and, with it, another clean sweep for Dark Don Racing. The arrival of the safety car made it even more exciting for the spectators but not for the top three contenders as the back markers gained a slight
    advantage.

    At this juncture, all eyes were on Arya and Tijil but the former did one better than the latter when it mattered most to finish the day on a merry note. Tijil and Viswas Vijayaraj of Ahura Racing had to rest content for the second and third spots respectively.

    Bengaluru’s Arjun Nair, representing Momentum Motorsports, started the season on a super note as well clinching a sweet double in the JK Tyre Novice Cup. He clocked the fastest timing in both the races and showed all that he had the race pace to beat the best.

    R. Anand of Chennai scored over a strong field to take the prime spot on the podium in the JK Tyre presents Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup. In an incident filled race, which had to be restarted due to a couple of accidents saw Md Samrul Zubair of Hyderabad give Anand a run for his money but Anand crossed the line with rather consummate ease.

    Jagadish in action in the Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup races on Saturday. Photo by Rahul Reghu

    Results (Day 1)

    LGB Formula 4 Race 1

    1. Tijil Rao, Dark Don Racing: 23:21:171 minutes; 2. Arya singh, Dark Don Racing: 23:21:369 minutes; 3. Diljith TS, Dark Don Racing: 23:21:586 minutes

    LGB Formula 4 Race 2

    1. Arya Singh, Dark Don Racing: 22:28.087 minutes; 2. Tijil Rao, Dark Don Racing: 22:28.370 minutes; 3. Viswas Vijayaraj: Ahura Racing, 22:31.297

    Novice Cup 1

    1. Arjun S Nair Momentum Motorsports: 13:23:275 minutes; 2. Neythan McPherson, Momentum Motorsports: 13:24:517 minutes; 3. Joel Josheph, DTS Racing: 13:27:272 minutes

    Novice Cup Race 2

    1. Arjun S Nair, Momentum Motorsports: 13:41.982 minutes; 2. Saishiva Sankaran, MSport: 13:47.537 minutes; 3. Abhay M, Msport: 13:48.318 minutes

    Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup
    1. Anand R: 14:53.242 minutes; 2. MD Samrul Zubair: 14:53.806 minutes; 3. Abhishek Vasudev :14:54.196 minutes

    About JK Tyre Motorsport:

    JK Tyre has been closely associated with the world of motorsports for almost three decades. The company laid down a long-term plan to popularize and promote the sport in the country. Its first target was to change the notion that this was a sport for the elite. So, it packaged and redesigned it in a spectator-friendly way, drawing the masses to the sport. JK Tyre’s efforts started paying dividends in just a few years’ time, with the likes of Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandok going all the way to the F1 rung, the highest level of single-seat racing in the world. Since then, a number of stars emerged, including Armaan Ebrahim, the Maini brothers (Kush and Arjun), Anindith Reddy Konda, amongst many others. JK Tyre Motorsports is very proud of the role it has played in bringing women into motorsports in a big way. Apart from encouraging them to get into the sport through karting as kids, the company also gave them opportunities in various national championships. With a vision to promote women in motorsports, the company has curated women-centric events such as JK Tyre WIAA Women’s Rally to Valley, JK Tyre Defence Wives Power Drive, JK Tyre-YFLO Women’s Power Drive, JK Tyre Times Women’s Drive apart from introducing an all-women’s team in the JK Tyre National Racing Championship to encourage women to take up to the sport.

  • Ishaan Madesh begins campaign in style; Adithiya, Varun share honours: Karting Nationals

    Ishaan Madesh begins campaign in style; Adithiya, Varun share honours: Karting Nationals

    By David Bodapati

    Bengaluru, 13 August 2023: Ishaan Madesh began his 2023 campaign in style bagging a double in the first round even as his team, defending champions Peregrine Racing dominated the proceedings in the Senior Max and Junior Max classes while MSport took the honours in the Micro Max classes at the Meco fmsci National Rotax Max Karting Championship 2023 which got off to a rousing start with a record 27 karts in the Senior section. The Junior and Micro Max classes attracted 15 and 16 competitors respectively.

    Winners All… All the winners of the First round from all the three classes pose after the prize distribution. Photo by Shajahan

    Twenty-year Mumbai’s Raaj Bakhru of Rayo Racing became the fastest driver of the first round clocking a 54.217sec in the Free Practice. He set the record time at Meco Kartopia on “MRF Tyres” from 2020. Earlier Arjun Maini and Yash Aradhya had the honour in their names. Nikhilesh Raju set the quickest time of the week-end in the Junior class. He clocked a 54.747 lap in the qualies but it was young Rivaan Dev Preetham of MSport, who made everyone sit-up and take notice as he commenced the weekend with a stunning lap in the official Free Practice 2. He dipped under one-minute barrier, which is a record of sorts in the Micro Max category as he clocked 59.884 seconds on Saturday, the fastest Micro kart during the weekend.

    Adithiya Aravind winner of the Finals. Photo by Shajahan
    Varun Hari Praveen, winner of Pre-Finals in the Senior Max class.

    Peregrine racing drivers Adithiya Arvind and Varun Hari Praveen, both from Chennai, shared a win each in the senior class as the first round of the Karting Nationals concluded at the 1.2Km Meco Kartopia track here on Sunday. Adithiya, the 15-year 11th grade student SBOA Junior College could only take a 5th place in the Pre-Final but went on to beat a strong field of 27 to clinch the top place on the podium in the Finals beating Mumbai’s Adithya Patnaik of Rayo Racing to second. In the Pre-Finals, it was Varun Hari Praveen, also of Peregrine Racing who took the victory beating teammate Akshat Mishra and reigning Junior champion Abhay M of Birel Art, who graduated to Seniors this year, came third. Defending champion Rohaan Madesh, who will be moving to the MRF2000 Formula cars did not take part, but was at hand to coach the Peregrine youngsters.

    Ishaan Madesh shines in Junior Max class

    Ishaan Madesh, a multiple National champion, who missed last year’s title by a whisker, began in whirlwind fashion bagging both the point-scoring races, the Finals and Pre-Finals as he launched his 2023 campaign on a winning note.  He clocked 11min, 08.545 to win the Pre-Finals beating his staunch rival on track and friend off it, Nikhilesh Raju by a huge margin of over 5 seconds. And he went on to clinch the Finals, pushing aside the challenge of Hunner Singh of Birel Art, who got a double podium. The 15-year Hunner, a Grade 10 student of Pathways International School in Delhi, was consistent throughout the week-end and showed glimpses of his talent. Young Aarav Dewan, only 13 years, also from Gurugram put Leapfrog Racing in third as he completed the podium in the Finals.

    Darsh Nawalgaria and Rivaan Dev Preetham fight in Micro Max class

    Rivaan Dev Preetham, who won the Pre-Finals in the Micro Max class.
    Darsh Nawalgaria, who won the Micro Max Finals on Sunday. Rahul Reghu image

    A 13-year Bengaluru karter, Darsh Nawalgaria, took the championship lead in the Micro Max category after a fierce fight with another 10-year talent Rivaan Dev Preetham, who had to be content with a second place in the table after one round. Rivaan began well with a victory in the Pre-finals and mopping up both the heats and taking the pole in the qualies. But Darsh won the Finals with a clean race with a lead of over a second. Yatharth Gaur of Faridabad came second in the finals followed by Rivaan. In the Pre-finals, Bengaluru’s Rishik Rohit Reddy  of Birel Art came third.

    The second round of the Rotax Max Karting Nationals is scheduled to be held at the same venue, Meco Kartopia from September 1 to 3.

    Provisional Results:

    Senior Max: Finals: (16 laps)

    1. #72 Adithiya Arvind (Peregrine Racing, Chennai) (15min, 08.232);

    2. #76 Adithya Patnaik (Rayo Racing, Mumbai) (15:11.682);

    3. #62 Arjun Chheda (Crest Motorsports, Pune) (15:14.862).

    Fastest Lap: #69 Akshat Mishra (Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru) 55.359sec.

    Senior Max: Pre-Finals: (14 laps)

    1. #66 Varun Hari Praveen (Peregrine Racing, Chennai) (12:57.636);

    2. #69 Akshat Mishra (Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru) (12:59.187);

    3. #88 Abhay M (Birel Art India, Bengaluru) (12:59.356).

    Fastest Lap: #76 Adithya Patnaik (Rayo Racing, Mumbai) (54:946sec).

    Qualifying session on Saturday:

    1. #76 Adithya Patnaik (Mumbai) (00:54.706);

    2. #69 Akshat Mishra (Bengaluru) (00:54.720);

    3. #77 Raaj Bakhru (Mumbai) (00:54.749).

    Junior Max: Final: (14 laps)

    1.  #55  Ishaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru) (13min, 02.610seconds);

    2. #52 Hunner Singh (Birel Art India, Gurugram) (13:04.347);

    3. #45 Aarav Dewan (Leapfrog Racing, Gurugram) (13;05.018).

    Fastest lap: #36 Nikhilesh Raju (Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru) 55.170sec.

    Junior Max: Pre-Final: (12 laps)

    1.  #55  Ishaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru) (11:08.545);

    2. #36 Nikhilesh Raju (Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru) (11:14.246);

    3. #52 Hunner Singh (Birel Art India, Gurugram) (11:16.765);

    Fastest lap: #36 Nikhilesh Raju (Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru) 55.014sec.

    Qualifying session on Saturday:

    1. #36 Nikhilesh Raju (Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru) (54.747);

    2.#55  Ishaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru) (54.837);

    3. #44 Arafath Sheikh (Pune) (54.998).

    Micro Max: Finals: (12 Laps)

    1. #6 Darsh Nawalgaria (MSport, Bengaluru) (12:15.006);

    2.  #21 Yatharth Gaur (Leapfrog Racing, Faridabad) ( 12:16.103);

    3.  #12 Rivaan Dev Preetham (MSport, Chennai) (12:16.519).

    Fastest Lap: #12 Rivaan Dev Preetham 1:00.248.

    Micro Max: Pre-Finals: (10 Laps)

    1.#12 Rivaan Dev Preetham (MSport, Chennai) (10:09.634);

    2. #6 Darsh Nawalgaria (MSport, Bengaluru) (10:11.471);

    3. #5 Rishik Rohit Reddy (Birel Art India, Bengaluru) (10:13.502).

    Fastest Lap: #6 Darsh Nawalgaria 1:00.061.

    Qualifying session on Saturday:

    1. #12 Rivaan Dev Preetham (Chennai) (1:00.158);

    2. #06 Darsh Nawalgaria (Bengaluru) (1:00.227);

    3. #08 Hamza Balasinorwala (Mumbai) (1:00.44).

  • Rivaan Dev Preetham makes a stunning debut, takes pole

    Rivaan Dev Preetham makes a stunning debut, takes pole

    Bengaluru, 12 August 2023: Rivaan Dev Preetham of Chennai qualified on pole for the Micro Max class in the first round of the Meco fmsci National Karting Championship for Rotax Max 2023 at Meco Kartopia on Saturday.

    He is the son of Preetham Dev Moses, a six-time National champion and a celebrated rider in the early years after the turn of the century. He now let the junior debut in karting. His son Rivaan began the 2023 National Championship well and took the pole position beating a strong field of 16 drivers. He also won both the heats on Saturday. He clocked 10:14.687 for 9 laps in the first heat beating Yatharth Gaur of Faridabad, while he timed 10:45.940 for the second heat over 6 laps defeating Gaur again to second place. Darsh Nawalgaria of Bengaluru came third. In heat 1, Rishik Rohit Reddy of Bengaluru came third.

    In the Senior Max class experienced drivers like Akshat Mishra and Abhay M, the defending champion lost to Adithya Patnaik from Mumbai. However, Akshat Mishra won both the heats.

    Rivaan Dev Preetham of Chennai qualified on pole for the Senior Max class. All photos Rahul Reghu, exclusively commissioned by INDIAinF1.com

    Reigning champion Nikhilesh Raju of Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru, kept his cool and bagged the pole position in the Junior Max category.

    In the Senior class, Adithya Patnaik of Mumbai defeated Akshat Mishra of Bengaluru by hundredths of a second while another experienced Mumbai karter Raaj Bhakru took the third place.

    The Pre-finals and Finals of the first round will be held on Sunday. A record number of over 50 drivers including a huge grid of 27 drivers in the Senior Class were seen competing in the 2023 opener, a record in the last 10 years.

    Provisional Results: Qualifying sessions:

    Junior Max:

    1. #36 Nikhilesh Raju (Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru) (54.747);

    2.#55  Ishaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru) (54.837);

    3. #44 Arafath Sheikh (Pune) (54.998).

    Micro Max:

    1. #12 Rivaan Dev Preetham (Chennai) (1:00.158);

    2. #06 Darsh Nawalgaria (Bengaluru) (1:00.227);

    3. #08 Hamza Balasinorwala (Mumbai) (1:00.44).

    Senior Max:

    1. #76 Adithya Patnaik (Mumbai) (00:54.706);

    2. #69 Akshat Mishra (Bengaluru) (00:54.720);

    3. #77 Raaj Bakhru (Mumbai) (00:54.749).

    Adithya Patnaik on pole in the Senior class.
  • Racing prodigy Shreyas Hareesh dies in racing incident

    Racing prodigy Shreyas Hareesh dies in racing incident

    Chennai, August 5: Copparam Shreyas Hareesh, a 13-year-old prodigy from Bengaluru, succumbed to injuries he suffered following a crash in the third round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2023 at the Madras International Circuit, here on Saturday. Promoter of the event, Madras Motor Sports Club, cancelled the remaining races scheduled for today and tomorrow. 

    Born on July 26, 2010, Shreyas, a student of Kensri School in Bengaluru, was being hailed as a rising star, as he had won several races at the National level, including four in a row, competing in the Rookie category of the Petronas TVS One-Make Championship this season. 

    Shreyas Hareesh, poses for our Photographer Rahul Reghu, after qualifying on pole, a couple of hours before he passed away in an unfortunate three bike collusion at MIC on Saturday.

    The incident occurred soon after the start of the Rookie race for which he had qualified for pole position this morning. Exiting Turn-1, Shreyas fell following a crash and suffered grievous head injury.  

    The race was red-flagged immediately and he was rushed to a nearby hospital in a trauma care ambulance stationed at the track. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. His father, Copparam Hareesh was at his bedside. 

    MMSC president Ajit Thomas said: “It is tragic to have lost a rider so young and talented. Shreyas, who was making waves with his prodigious racing talent, was provided medical assistance on the spot immediately after the incident and taken to the hospital.  

    Photo by Anand Philar just before the race. Later on Saturday, Shreyas passed away in following an accident.

    “Under the circumstances, we have decided to cancel rest of this weekend’s programme. The MMSC offers heart-felt condolences and our thoughts are with his family.” 

    In May this year, Shreyas, having won the MiniGP India title, had participated in the MiniGP races in Spain, finishing both races in fifth and fourth positions. He was scheduled to compete in the MSBK Championship 2023 at Sepang Circuit, Malaysia, in August, representing team CRA Motorsports in the 250cc category (Group B). 

  • Pole position for Rajiv Sethu, Vignesh Goud: National 2w Racing Round 3

    Pole position for Rajiv Sethu, Vignesh Goud: National 2w Racing Round 3

    Chennai, 4 August 2023: Chennai ace Rajiv Sethu and Hyderabad’s Vignesh Goud, both looking to extend their unbeaten run, qualified for pole position in their respective categories as the third round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2023 commenced at the Madras International Circuit, here on Friday. 

    The 24-year-old Sethu (RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate), winner of all four races so far this season, showed impressive pace in the latter half of the 15-minute qualifying session for pole position in the premier Pro-Stock 301-400cc category, clocking a best lap of 01 minute, 50.457secs, to finish ahead of Petronas TVS Racing team’s threesome of Jagan Kumar (01:50.787), Deepak Ravikumar (01:50.845) and Pune youngster Sarthak Chavan (01:50.849). 

    Later, 19-year old Vignesh Goud (Race’ists Motorcycle Club) from Hyderabad, who is unbeaten in the Novice (Stock 165cc) category after four races over two rounds, put in a best lap of 02:08.750 for pole position, ahead of Bengaluru’s Savion Sabu (Axor Sparks Racing, 02:09.170) and Chennai rider Sangeeth S (ACCSYS India Rookie Racing, 02:09.753). 

    Earlier, in the free practice session for Pro-Stock 165cc Open category, Petronas TVS Racing’s KY Ahamed (01:55.455) and multiple National champion Jagan Kumar (01:55.471) set the early marker, ahead of championship leader Rajiv Sethu (RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate, 01:56.344) and defending champion Mathana Kumar (Pacer Yamaha, 01:56.480). 

    In the Girls’ category (Stock 165cc), Ann Jennifer (Alpha Racing) was the quickest with a hot lap of  02:10.645, while Lani Fernandez (RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate) from Puducherry was second fastest in 02:10.925, ahead of Nadine Faith Balaji (Alpha Racing) whose best was 02:13.791.  

    Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup (NSF 250): Unsurprisingly, Kavin Samaar Quintal, the teenager from Chennai, topped the practice session time sheets with a best lap of 01:50.859, well clear of another local rider Rakshith Dave (01:51.993) and Bengaluru’s AS James (01:52.818). 

    Petronas TVS One-Make Championship: Coimbatore’s Senthilkumar S took the pole position in the Open (RR 310) category with a best lap of 01:54.221 while Alwin Sundar from Chennai (01:54.871) and Chiranth Vishwanath from Bengaluru (01:54.961) completed the front row. 

    Chennai’s Nadine Faith Balaji outpaced the Girls (Apache RTR 200) field for pole position, clocking a top lap of 02:14.670, ahead Bengaluru’s 13-year-old Nithila Das (02:15.534) and Sarah Khan (02:15.751) from Mumbai. 

    Bengaluru riders, Copparam Shreyas Hareesh, 13, winner of four consecutive races this season, and Savion Sabu, 16, were the quickest in the free practice session for Rookie (RTR 200) category. Shreyas clocked a best of 02:06.150 as against Savion’s 02:07.914 while local rider, Nandanan, 13, was third quickest in 02:09.185.  

    The results (Qualifying – Top 3 Best laps): 

    National Championship – Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open: 1. Rajiv Sethu (Chennai, RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate) (01 min, 50.457secs); 2. Jagan Kumar (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (01:50.787); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (01:50.845). 

    Novice (Stock 165cc): 1. Vignesh Goud (Hyderabad, Race’ists Motorcycle Club (02:08.750); 2. Savion Sabu (Bengaluru, Axor Sparks Racing) (02:09.170); 3. Sangeeth S (Chennai, ACCSYS India Rookie Racing) (02:09.753). 

    Support Event – Stock 301-400cc (Novice): 1. S Rohit Lad (Bengaluru, Pvt) (02:04.718); 2. Aldrin Babu (Thrissur, RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate) (02:04.786); 3. Anand N (Chennai, RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate) (02:05.181). 

    Petronas TVS One-Make Championship: Open (RR 310): 1. Senthilkumar C (Coimbatore) (01:54.221); 2. Alwin Sundar A (Chennai) (01:54.871); 3. Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru) (01:54.961). 

    Girls (Apache RTR 200): 1. Nadine Faith Balaji (Chennai) (02:14.670); 2. Nithila Das (Bengaluru) (02:15.534); 3. Sarah Khan (Mumbai) (02:15.751). 

  • MIC set to host Round 3 of National 2W Racing Championship

    MIC set to host Round 3 of National 2W Racing Championship

    Chennai, 3 August 2023: The MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2023, boasting of over 150 entries, moves into its crucial phase this weekend as the third round gets underway at the Madras International Circuit here on August 4-6 with front-runners looking to consolidate their positions on the leaderboard with a clutch of challengers snapping at their heels. 

    The two premier Pro-Stock categories – 301-400cc Open and 165cc Open – will undoubtedly headline the card that includes Stock 165cc, Girls classes and a support race for Novice (301-400cc) riders, besides the Petronas TVS One-Make Championship and the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup, both organised by promoter Madras Motor Sports Club which is celebrating its 70th anniversary. A total of 16 races, besides practice and qualifying sessions, are scheduled for the weekend.

    The ongoing season has seen the emergence of a new generation of teenaged riders who have come through the ranks and some of whom have benefitted from exposure at the Asian level. As such, the established stars are feeling the heat as these young guns are unafraid to race wheel-to-wheel with their seniors, thus scripting some thrilling and knife-edge contests. 

    MMSC President Ajit Thomas said: “Presently, it is an extremely exciting scenario where the old guard is being pushed by a new crop of talented youngsters who are fast making a mark in the championship. Further, the entries are not any more metro-centric as the championship is attracting riders from smaller towns across India, and their numbers are growing. While MMSC has striven hard to promote and popularise the sport, kudos to the manufacturers TVS and Honda, besides our title sponsors MRF Tyres, for providing a platform for the talent to be nurtured and groomed.”  

    As for the championship standings in various categories, not much separates the title contenders. Rajiv Sethu (RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate) leads both premier Pro-Stock Open fields. He enjoys a 46-point cushion against Petronas TVS Racing’s new recruit Sarthak Chavan, a 16-year-old from Pune, in the 301-400cc Open class, having won all four races in his debut season in this category. 

    Sethu also heads the 165cc Open category with a 10-point lead over Pacer Yamaha’s 2022 champion Mathana Kumar, who scored a double in the first round in Coimbatore but failed to secure any points in the next outing last month following a disqualification (technical infringement) and a non-start. Behind this pair are Sarthak Chavan, winner of one race, and three other Petronas TVS Racing riders – Chiranth Vishwanath, the 16-year-old from Bengaluru, KY Ahamed and multiple National champion Jagan Kumar. Just 19 points separate the top six. 

    In the Novice class, Hyderabad’s 19-year-old Vignesh Goud (Race’ists Motorcycle Club), winner of all four races over two rounds, has a healthy 40-point advantage over Bengaluru teenager Savion Sabu (Axor Sparks Racing) while Alpha Racing’s Ann Jennifer, a former National champion, tops the Girls category, albeit by just three points over Puducherry’s Lani Fernandez (RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate), both having won a race apiece. 

    Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup (NSF 250): Chennai teenager Kavin Samaar Quintal, with three wins in four starts this season, is firmly entrenched at the top of the points table, some 19 points clear of Steel City’s Prakash Kamath with another local rider, Rakshith Dave, only 14, a further two points adrift. 

    Petronas TVS One-Make Championship: Two Chennai riders, Alwin Sundar (78 points) and Manoj Yesuadiyan (70) are locked in a close battle in the Open (RR 310) category. Shreyas Hareesh, a 13-year-old from Bengaluru), with four wins from as many starts, heads the Rookie (RTR 200) class, 37 points ahead of Chennai’s Nandanan. Another Bengaluru rider, Nithila Das, 13, leads Nadine Faith Balaji from Chennai, by 14 points in the Girls (RTR 200) category. 

    The races will be streamed live on various social platforms. 

  • Deepak Ravikumar dominates; Arjun Balu extracts a win from ‘old’ Car

    Deepak Ravikumar dominates; Arjun Balu extracts a win from ‘old’ Car

    Chennai, July 23, 2023: Chennai’s Deepak Ravikumar dominated the first round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2023 at the Madras International Circuit here this weekend with three wins and two podium finishes in six races as he led a Team Performance Racing sweep in both Indian Junior Touring Cars and Formula LGB 1300 categories. 

    Ravikumar, who celebrated his 36th birthday on July 20, shuttled between the two categories barely without a pause to underline his supreme fitness and adaptability to conditions that turned wet on Sunday which saw persistent light drizzle. He reserved his best for the three Touring Cars races that had a combined 17-car grid comprising three categories, the Indian Touring Cars, IJTC and Super Stock, winning two races and notching a second-place finish behind team-mate Akkineni Anand Prasad. 

    In the Formula LGB 1300 race today, Ravikumar won quite comfortably after front-runners, Viswas Vijayaraj, the 2022 champion in this category, and yesterday’s Race-2 winner Tijil Rao knocked each other out half-way through the eight-lapper when battling for the lead. 

    Deepak Ravikumar in action #25… All photos by Rahul Reghu

    Meanwhile, last year’s champion Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) from Coimbatore, who won yesterday’s Race-1, completed a double in the Indian Touring Cars category with team-mate Gurunath Meiyappan winning the other race. With his regular Honda City in full ITC-trim still under preparation, he drove virtually a stock car that was anything but competitive as compared to the IJTC cars, while Thrissur’s Diljith TS (DTS Racing) won all three races in the Super Stock class without much ado.   

    Deepak with his five trophies including three for victories…

    Also achieving a triple for the weekend was experienced racer Angad Matharoo from Chennai in the MRF Saloon Car category (Toyota Ethios) without raising a sweat. 

    The results (Provisional, 10 laps except mentioned): 

    Indian Touring Cars (Race-2): 1. Gurunath Meiyappan (Chennai) (19mins, 53.610secs); 2. Arjun Balu (Coimbatore) (19:54.013); 3. Rithvik Thomas (Bengaluru) (19:58.313) (All Race Concepts Motorsports). Race-3 (8 laps): 1. Arjun Balu (18:25.875); 2. Rithvik Thomas (19:16.427); 3. Gurunath Meiyappan (19:40.365). 

    Indian Junior Touring Cars (Race-2): 1. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai) (19:31.198); 2. Akkineni Anand Prasad (Chennai) (19:37.062); 3. Hatim Shabbir Jamnagarwala (Chennai) (19:43.329) (All Team Performance Racing). Race-3 (8 laps): 1. Akkineni Anand Prasad (17:59.606); 2. Deepak Ravikumar (18:00.195); 3. Srinivas Teja (Chennai, Performance Racing) (18:16.233). 

    Super Stock (Race-2): 1. Diljith TS (Thrissur, DTS Racing) (21:09.014); 2. Yokeswaran (Coimbatore, Momentum Motorsports) (21:24.193); 3. Jarshan Anand (Chennai, DB Motorsports) (21:24.775). Race-3 (8 laps): 1. Diljith TS (18:56.803); 2. Justin Singh (Delhi, Redline Racing) (19:17.529); 3. Yokeswaran (19:26.035). 

    Formula LGB 1300 (Race-3, 8 laps): 1. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Ahura Racing) (15:26.665); 2. Raghul Rangasamy (Chennai, MSport) (15:27.719); 3. Aman Nagdev (Noida, MSport) (15:29.919). 

    MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios) (Race-2): 1. Angad Matharoo (Chennai) (23:07.072); 2. Anirudha Arvind (Chennai) (23:44.035); 3. Jaiprashant Venkat (Coimbatore) (23:45.017) (All Redline Racing). Race-3 (8 laps): 1. Angad Matharoo (19:36.048); 2. Zahan Commissariat (Mumbai) (19:43.684); 3. Jaiprashant Venkat (19:45.769). 

  • Tijil Rao stuns field to win Formula LGB 1300 Race 2; Arjun Balu begins with a win

    Tijil Rao stuns field to win Formula LGB 1300 Race 2; Arjun Balu begins with a win

    Chennai, July 22, 2023: Bengaluru’s Tijil Rao (Momentum Motorsports) came up with a stunning drive to win Race-2 in the Formula LGB 1300 category after starting from P14 on the opening day of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2023 Round 1 at the Madras International Circuit, here on Saturday. 

    Rao, 20, a Business Management student, made up for a retirement in Race-1 that Raghul Rangasamy (Chennai, MSport) won earlier in the day after coming into contact with another competitor. Starting form P14 on the reverse grid, Tijil scythed through the field for a tremendous victory. 

    “Unfortunately, I was involved in an incident in the first race and so, had to make up for that in the next race. It was fun as I managed to overtake all the 13 cars in front of me and win. I should have more such performances,” said Tijil after finishing ahead of Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Ahura Racing) and last year’s champion Viswas Vijayaraj (Nellore, DTS Racing) who started from P11 on the reverse grid.  

    The day’s other winners were Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Performance Racing) in the Indian Junior Touring Cars category, Coimbatore veteran Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) in the Indian Touring Cars class, Thrissur’s Diljith TS (DTS Racing) in the Super Stock segment, and Angad Matharoo (Chennai, Redline Racing) who authored a lights-to-flag win in the MRF Saloons (Toyota Ethios) race. 

    While Tijil and Raghul scored good wins, much of the attention was in the Touring Cars race. Driving an under-powered stock car since his regular Honda City in ITC-trim was not ready for the race weekend, Balu quickly dropped to fourth overall after starting from pole position in the combined grid. Showing good pace, Ravikumar did not take long to get a jump on Balu early in the eight-lap race. So did two others, Akkineni Anand Prasad and Srinivas Teja. The three front-runners, taking part in the Indian Junior Touring Cars category, went on to deliver a podium sweep for Team Performance Racing with Ravikumar finishing well ahead of Prasad and Teja. 

    Behind the foursome, there were close battles up and down the grid. Balu’s team-mates Gurunath Meiyappan and Diana Pundole were locked in a tight tussle before the former finished second ahead of the Pune driver in the ITC category. 

    Further back, Dilijth claimed the honours in the Super Stock category ahead of local challenger Jarshan Anand (DB Motorsports) and Delhi’s Justin Singh (Redline Racing). 

    In the first Formula LGB 1300 race, pole-sitter Viswas Vijayaraj and Deepak Ravikumar forged ahead after the initial jostle through first of the eight laps. Viswas was harried by Ravikumar through much of the six laps, including a brief Safety Car period until the two made contact in the closing stages. Ravikumar dropped to ninth where he finished while Raghul passed Viswas who was nursing a damaged camber strut following the incident, to take the lead and eventually win the race. Finishing third behind Viswas was Bengaluru’s Chetan Surineni (MSport) who had started from P6. 

    The results (Provisional – all 8 laps unless mentioned): 

    Indian Touring Cars (Race-1): 1. Arjun Balu (Coimbatore) (15mins, 45.687sec); 2. Gurunath Meiyappan (Chennai) (16:03.174); 3. Diana Pundole (Pune) (16:04.053). All three from Race Concepts. 

    Qualifying (best lap – top 3): 1. Arjun Balu (01:56.126); 2. Rithvik Thomas (01:56.154); 3. Gurunath Meiyappan (01:57.086). 

    Indian Junior Touring Cars (Race-1): 1. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai) (15:37.461); 2. Akkineni Anand Prasad (Chennai) (15:37.923); 3. Srinivas Teja (Chennai) (15:38.747). All three from Performance Racing. 

    Qualifying (best lap – top 3): 1. Deepak Ravikumar (01:55.197); 2. Srinivas Teja (01:55.341); 3. Akkineni Anand Prasad (01:56.670). 

    Super Stock (Race-1): 1. Dilijith TS (Thrissur, DTS Racing) (16:51.283); 2. Jarshan Anand (Chennai, DB Motorsports) (17:03.385); 3. Justin Singh (Delhi, Redline Racing) (17:08.050). 

    Qualifying (best lap – top 3): 1. Diljith TS (02:04.728); 2. Jarshan Anand (02:05.110); 3. Justin Singh (02:06.132). 

    Formula LGB 1300 (Race-1): 1. Raghul Rangasamy (Chennai, MSport) (16:36.969); 2. Viswas Vijayaraj (Nellore, DTS Racing) (16:39.114); 3.  Chetan Surineni (Bengaluru, MSport) (16:40.603). Race-2 (10 laps): 1. Tijil Rao (Bengaluru, Momentum Motorsports) (19:18.886); 2. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Ahura Racing) (19:31.153); 3. Viswas Vijayaraj (19:31.557). 

    Qualifying (best lap – top 3): 1. Viswas Vijayaraj (01:52.719); 2. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Ahura Racing) (01:52.809); 3. Raghul Rangasamy (01:53.060). 

    MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios) (Race-1): 1. Angad Matharoo (Chennai) (16:38.754); 2. Zahan Commissariat (Mumbai) (16:39.058); 3. Jaiprashant Venkat (Coimbatore) (16:47.584). All three from Redline Racing. 

    Qualifying (best lap – top 3): 1. Angad Matharoo (02:03.052); 2. Diana Pundole (Pune, Redline Racing) (02:03.076); 3. Zahan Commissariat (02:03.458). 

  • MRF MMSC Indian National Car Racing Championship 2023 to begin on Saturday

    MRF MMSC Indian National Car Racing Championship 2023 to begin on Saturday

    Chennai, 20 July 2023: The 2023 season of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship will commence at the Madras International Circuit here over the weekend. The two-day event (July 21-22) with a nine-race card has attracted over 50 entries. 

    The touring and saloon cars will be headlining the season-opener. The ever-popular touring cars will be contested across three classes – the premium Indian Touring Cars, Indian Junior Touring Cars and Super Stock. Races in these three categories will be run concurrently from a combined grid. 

    Two other categories are the MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios) and the Formula LGB 1300 which saw some of the closest races last season. 

    There will be three races for all the classes, offering a maximum of 75 championship points. 

    Organising committee chairman and MMSC vice-president Vicky Chandhok said: “We welcome the participants to the new season that we expect to be as competitive and well-fought as in the previous years.  

    “Having said that, it is heartening to note that the entries include a few women drivers who, going by last season’s performance, are capable of holding their own competing against their male counterparts. 

    “As promoter of the championship, the MMSC is thankful to the main sponsor, MRF Tyres, who have been associated with us for many years.” 

    New timing equipment: Meanwhile, the MMSC will be deploying MYLAPS timing equipment as part of upgrading process. “We plan to give a transponder for each competitor for the weekend against a deposit which they can return after the event. The move is a reflection of MMSC’s endeavours to constantly upgrade facilities and equipment,” said Chandhok.

    There will be live streaming of the races on various social media platforms.