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.

  • Big wins for Sohil Shah, Arjun Narendran; Double for Sandeep

    Big wins for Sohil Shah, Arjun Narendran; Double for Sandeep

    Chennai, January 21: Sohil Shah from Bengaluru and Coimbatore’s Arjun Narendran won their respective races in the two premier categories, the MRF Formula 2000 and the Indian Touring Cars, respectively, on Day 2 of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2022 at the Madras International Circuit, here on Saturday.

    While 21-year old Sohil won untroubled from pole position in a six-car MRF F2000 grid, Arjun Narendran (Arka Motorsports), the 29-year old former National champion, made the best of the situation after pole-sitter and last year’s champion Arjun Balu retired in the second lap with mechanical issues, to post his maiden win of the season.

    Defending champion, Bengaluru’s 19-year old Tijil Rao (Momentum Motorsports) won the Formula LGB 1300 race that was red-flagged after five laps following a crash involving two cars (drivers okay).

    Meanwhile, Chennai’s Sandeep Kumar achieved a double in the Volkswagen Polo Cup by winning both races today. He topped Race-1 from pole position and the second from P8 on the reverse grid.

    Sandeep Kumar at Madras International Circuit on Saturday. Photos Anand Philar

    Raja Rajan from Chennai (Performance Racing) won ien the Indian Junior Touring Cars category and team-mate Ritesh Rai, also from Chennai, clinched the Super Stock class.

    For Sohil Shah, it was a lights-to-flag victory. Starting from pole position, he gradually increased his lead that grew to a little over three seconds at the finish. Behind him, Chennai’s Mohamed Ryan and championship leader Sai Sanjay (Salem) came in second and third.

    Gurugram’s Justin Singh consolidated his position in the MRF Saloon Cars (Toyota Etios) category by notching his fourth win in six starts.

    The results (Provisional):

    MRF F2000 (Race-1, 8 laps): 1. Sohil Shah (Bengaluru) (12mins, 27.972sec); 2. Mohamed Ryan (Chennai) (12:31.048); 3. Sai Sanjay T (Salem) (12:36.671).

    Indian Touring Cars (Race-1, 10 laps): 1. Arjun Narendran (Coimbatore, Arka Motorsports) (18:56.144); 2. Sandeep Kumar (Chennai, Rayo Racing) (19:03.394); 3. Jeet Jabakh (Hyderabad, Rayo Racing) (19:22.955).

    Indian Junior Touring Cars (Race-1, 10 laps): 1. Raja Rajan (Chennai, Performance Racing) (19:30.161); 2. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Performance Racing) (19:31.523); 3. Gurunath Meiyappan (Chennai, Race Concepts) (19:31.882).

    Super Stock (Race-1, 9 laps): 1. Ritesh Rai (Chennai, Performance Racing) (18:59.178); 2. Narendran S (Chennai, Redline Racing) (19:15.744); 3. Dilijith TS (Thrissur, DTS Racing) (19:16.928).

    MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios) (Race-1, 8 laps): 1. Justin Singh (Gurugram) (16:31.126); 2. Diana Pundole (Pune) (16:36.109); 3. Zahan Commissariat (Mumbai) (16:44.802).

    Formula LGB 1300 (Race-1, 5 laps): 1. Tijil Rao (Bengaluru, Momentum Motorsports) (09:35.064); 2. Viswas Vijayraj (Nellore, DTS Racing) (09:35.418); 3. Vinith Kumar (Tirupur, DTS Racing) (09:35.871).

    Volkswagen Polo Cup (Race-1, 8 laps): 1. Sandeep Kumar (Chennai) (15:43.450); 2. Pratik Sonawane (Mumbai) (15:49.732); 3. Jeet Jabakh (Hyderabad) (15:51.490). Race-2 (10 laps): 1. Sandeep Kumar (Chennai) (19:47.287); 2. Raaj Bakharu (Mumbai) (19:54.806); 3. Pratik Sonawane (Mumbai) (19:55.983).

  • Sohil Shah takes pole position: Car Racing Nationals

    Sohil Shah takes pole position: Car Racing Nationals

    Chennai, 20 Jan 2023: Sohil Shah, the 21-year old from Bengaluru, qualified for pole position in the MRF Formula 2000 category as the third and penultimate round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2022 commenced at the Madras International Circuit here on Friday.

    In the only other qualifying session, for Volkswagen Polo Cup, Chennai’s Sandeep Kumar, the defending champion, grabbed the pole position to complete a fine day as he was also quickest in the free practice session for the touring cars category (Indian Touring Cars), earlier in the day.

    Sohil, a former National karting champion, who sat out the previous five races over two rounds, carried his free practice form into the qualifying session where he put in a lap of one minute, 31.910 secs, to take P1 for tomorrow’s Race-1, ahead of Chennai’s Mohammed Ryan (01:32.062). Championship leader Sai Sanjay (01:32.404) from Salem qualified for P3.

    Sandeep Kumar, 30, shaved almost a second off his practice session timing, with a lap of 01:55.729 in the qualifying run. Pune’s Pratik Sonawane, the 2019 VW Ameo Cup vice-champion, filled the front row clocking 01:56.376.

    Earlier in the day during practice sessions, Chennai drivers hogged the limelight in the touring cars categories. Sandeep Kumar (Rayo Racing) was the quickest among Indian Touring Cars in a Volkswagen Virtus, clocking a best lap of 01:54.751. Akkineni Anand Prasad (Performance Racing, 01:55.286) topped in the Indian Junior Touring Cars class while team-mate Ritesh Rai (02:04.254) was the best in the Super Stock. Incidentally, championship leader in the ITC category, Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) from Coimbatore sat out the practice session due to engine issues.

    In other practice sessions, Mamallapuram’s Raghul Rangasamy (MSport, 01.51,696) headed the timesheet in the Formula LGB 1300 category, while Justin Singh from Gurugram (02:02.422) topped the MRF Saloon Cars (Toyota Etios) field.

    The results (qualifying – top 3):

    MRF F2000: 1. Sohil Shah (Bengaluru) (1min, 31.910sec); 2. Mohamed Ryan (Chennai) (01:32.062); 3. Sai Sanjay T (Salem) (01:32.404);

    Volkswagen Polo Cup: 1. Sandeep Kumar (Chennai) (1:55.729); 2. Pratik Sonawane (Mumbai) (1;56.376); 3. Jeet Jabakh (Hyderabad) (1:56.630).

  • Chirag Ghorpade tops F2000 race; Double for Arjun, Raghul

    Chirag Ghorpade tops F2000 race; Double for Arjun, Raghul

    Chennai, 8 Jan 2023: Bengaluru’s Chirag Ghropade held his nerve to win his second race of the season in the premier MRF Formula 2000 category on the concluding day of the second round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2022 at the Madras International Circuit, here on Sunday.

    Also in the limelight were Coimbatore veteran Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) and Mamallapuram’s Raghul Rangasamy (MSport) who completed a double each this weekend in the Indian Touring Cars and the Formula LGB category, respectively.

    The day’s schedule came to an abrupt end with two remaining races cancelled following the demise of Chennai racer KE Kumar in a hospital where he was attended to for the injuries he suffered in a crash during the saloon cars race.

    Ghorpade, 17, did well to survive close attention from Salem’s Sai Sanjay, before crossing the finish line while Mohammed Ryan from Chennai completed the podium.

    “It (the win) was a long time coming. I struggled a bit at the start as we had new tyres fitted in. Once the tyres heated up, I managed to open up a good lead, but had to defend my position at certain times,” said Ghorpade.

    In contrast, Balu, starting P5 on the reverse grid, showed amazing pace as he jumped into the lead by Turn-4 in the very opening lap of the scheduled 12-lap race which was reduced to nine after it was red-flagged following the incident involving Kumar and then re-started. Thereafter, Balu again went into cruise mode to destroy the field.

    Chennai’s Raja Rajan (Performance Racing) topped in the Indian Junior Touring Cars category while another local racer, Narendran S (Redline Racing) won in the Super Stock class.

    Rangasamy, who earlier in the day had won the Formula LGB 1300 race after starting form P11 on the reverse grid, continued his winning-ways by topping the next outing to complete a fine double.

    The third round of the championship is slated for January 20-22 at the same venue followed by the fourth and concluding round on January 27-29.

    The results (Provisional):

    MRF F2000 (Race-3, 10 laps): 1. Chirag Ghorpade (Bengaluru) (15mins, 48.752secs); 2. Sai Sanjay T (Salem) (15:49.462); 3. Mohamed Ryan (Chennai) 15:51.211).

    Indian Touring Cars (Race-2, 9 laps): 1. Arjun Balu (Coimbatore, Race Concepts) (17:30.324); 2. Ananth Pithawalla (Mumbai, Team N1) (17:43.103); 3. Biren Pithawalla (Mumbai, Team N1) (17:44.389).

    Indian Junior Touring Cars (Race-2, 9 laps): 1. Raja Rajan (Chennai, Performance Racing) (17:55.058); 2. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Performance Racing) (18:02.406); 3. Akkineni Anand Prasad (Chennai, Performance Racing) (18:06.320).

    Super Stock (Race-2, 9 laps): 1. Narendran (Chennai, Redline Racing) (19:18.726); 2. Ritesh Rai (Chennai, Performance Racing) (19:23.585); 3. Fahad Kutty (Mumbai, Redline Racing) (19:26.875).

    Formula LGB 1300 (Race-2, 10 laps): 1. Raghul Rangasamy (Mamallapuram, MSport) (18:57.069); 2. Diljith Shaji (Thrissur, DTS Racing) (18:57.511); 3. Tijil Rao (Bengaluru, Momentum Motorsports) (18:58.585). Race-3 (8 laps): 1. Raghul Rangasamy (15:14.465); 2. Viswas Vijayaraj (Nellore, DTS Racing) (15:14.620); 3. Chetan Surineni (Bengaluru, Momentum Motorsports) (15:17.331).

    MRF Saloon Cars (Toyota Etios, Race-3, 8 laps): 1. Justin Singh (Gurugram) (16:44.314); 2. Angad Mathroo (Chandigarh) (16:44.325); 3. Jai Prashanth Venkat (Coimbatore) (16:54.057).

  • Racing stalwart KE Kumar succumbs to injuries

    Racing stalwart KE Kumar succumbs to injuries

    Chennai, 8 Jan 2023: K.E. Kumar, 59, a noted and well-respected racer, died at the hospital following a crash in the second round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2022 at the Madras International Circuit, here on Sunday.

    The incident occurred when Kumar’s car came in contact with that of a competitor during the saloon cars race this morning. The car slid across the track and landed on the roof after slamming into a fence.

    The race was immediately stopped (red flag). Within minutes, Kumar was extricated from the wreckage and transferred into an ambulance before being shifted to a nearby hospital after a preliminary examination at the track’s Medical Centre. Despite the best efforts of the hospital’s doctors, he succumbed to injuries.

    Chairman of the Meet Vicky Chandhok said: “It is a most unfortunate incident. Kumar was an experienced racer. I have known him for several decades as a friend and competitor. The MMSC and entire racing fraternity mourn his passing away and convey heartfelt condolences to his family.”

    Chandhok added that the national governing body for the sport FMSCI and the organisers, MMSC, have launched an investigation into the incident. Meanwhile, as a mark of respect to Kumar, who was a life member of MMSC, the remainder of the day’s schedule was cancelled.

  • Divy Nandan, Sai Sanjay share honours in MRF F2000

    Divy Nandan, Sai Sanjay share honours in MRF F2000

    Chennai, 7 Jan 2023: Gurugram’s Divy Nandan and Salem lad Sai Sanjay notched double podium apiece with a win and a third place in the two MRF F2000 races that headlined the opening day of the second round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2022 at the Madras International Circuit here on Saturday.

    Divy Nandan, 20, who enjoyed a great start in the first race for a comfortable win, finished the day with a third-place finish in the next outing starting from P6. Sai Sanjay, also 20, made amends for a disappointing first race with a fine win in the next starting from P4.

    Also tasting success today was Nellore’s 24-year old Viswas Vijayraj (DTS Racing) in the Formula LGB 1300 category, with a pole-to-flag effort.

    Earlier, 10-times National champion Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) powered to another fluent win in the premier Indian Touring Cars category as he led a Coimbatore sweep of the podium spots, sparing over seven seconds to Arjun Narendran (Arka Motorsports) while 77-year old D Vidya Prakash (Performance Racing), the oldest man in the championship, finished third.

    The ITC along with Indian Junior Touring Cars and the Super Stock classes, was run in a combined grid of 27 cars that saw as many as four drivers penalized for jump start resulting in a couple of podium finishers getting demoted.

    Local veteran Gurunath Meiyappan (Race Concepts) took the honours in the IJTC class with Narendran S (Redline Racing), also from Chennai, topping the Super Stock category.

    Meanwhile, Viswas Vijayaraj chalked up a dominating win from pole to flag in the Formula LGB 1300 category race, easily holding off second-placed Mamallapuram veteran Raghul Rangasamy (MSport) while local ace Deepak Ravikumar (Momentum Motorsports) came in third with a last-lap pass on Bengaluru youngster and team-mate Tijil Rao.

    Justin Singh (Gurugram) and Angad Mathroo (Chandigarh) won a race apiece in the MRF Saloon Cars (Toyota Etios) category.

    The results (Provisional):

    MRF F2000 (Race-1, 8 laps): 1. Divy Nandan (Gurugram) (12mins, 42.224secs); 2. Mohamed Ryan (Chennai) (12:42.715); 3. Sai Sanjay T (Salem) (12:43.385).

    Race-2 (10 laps): 1. Sai Sanjay T (16:01.632); 2. Chirag Ghorpade (Bengaluru) (16:03.564); 3. Divy Nandan (16:08.073).

    Indian Touring Cars (Race-1, 10 laps): 1. Arjun Balu (Coimbatore, Race Concepts) (19:04.128); 2. Arjun Narendran (Coimbatore, Arka Motorsports) (19:11.427); 3. Vidya Prakash (Coimbatore) (20:07.604).

    Indian Junior Touring Cars (Race-1, 10 laps): 1. Gurunath Meiyyappan (Chennai, Race Concepts) (19:32.970); 2. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Performance Racing) (19:36.462); 3. Akkineni Anand Prasad (Chennai, Performance Racing) (19:52.477).

    Super Stock (Race-1, 9 laps): 1. Narendran S (Chennai, Redline Racing) (19:07.337); 2. Ritesh Rai (Chennai, Performance Racing) (19:07.867); 3. Angad Mathroo (Chandigarh, Pvt) (19:41.701).

    Formula LGB 1300 (Race-1, 8 laps): 1. Viswas Vijayraj (Nellore, DTS Racing) (15:06.989); 2. Raghul Rangasamy (Mahabalipuram, MSport) (15:10.325); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Momentum Motorsports) (15:13.839).

    MRF Saloon Cars (Toyota Etios, Race-1, 8 laps): 1. Justin Singh (Gurugram, Redline Racing) (16:34.046); 2. Diana Pundole (Pune, Redline Racing) (16:34.050); 3. Angad Mathroo (Chandigarh, Redline Racing) (16:58.560). Race-2 (10 laps): 1. Mathroo (20:55.583); 2. Jai Prashanth Venkat (Coimbatore, Redline Racing) (21:13.776); 3. Zahan Commissariat (Mumbai, Redline Racing) (21:14.940).

  • Indian car racing Nationals resumes this week-end

    Indian car racing Nationals resumes this week-end

    Chennai, 5 Jan 2023: The MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2022 resumes this weekend after a three-month break with the second round scheduled for January 6-8 at the Madras International Circuit.

    Monsoon rains and cyclone Mandous led to an enforced break, but despite the longish interval, over 60 entries have been received for the second round which will commence on Friday with free practice sessions, followed by qualifying and 13 races spread over Saturday and Sunday.

    It will be a busy month for the competitors as the third and fourth (concluding) rounds are scheduled for January 20-22 and January 27-29, also at the MIC, to complete the 2022 championship.

    Meanwhile, in a major initiative, promoters Madras Motor Sports Club, celebrating their 70th anniversary, have taken another step forward by going digital with event information, including results, via the infoboard application “SPORTITY”. Users can access the information with the password “MRFCARS2022”.

    Chairman of the Meet and MMSC Vice-President Vicky Chandhok said: “By opting for the Sportity application, we enable racing enthusiasts and fans to access information about the event, including result sheets, from their mobile phones. This will supplement our live streaming of the races. It is another MMSC initiative as we endeavour to keep up with the changing times and embrace technology.”

    Undoubtedly, the MRF Formula 2000, among the quickest racing cars in India, will highlight the weekend card with a bouquet of four races, including one held over from the previous round in October that was truncated due to rains.

    The other categories – Indian Touring Cars, Indian Junior Touring Cars, Super Stock, MRF Saloon Cars (Toyota Etios) and the Formula LGB 1300 – will all have three races apiece.

    As for the competition on track, the races are expected to be close and exciting as was the case in the first round in October. Salem lad Sai Sanjay and Bengaluru’s Chirag Ghorapde won a race apiece in the MRF F2000 where both outings in the first round witnessed wheel-to-wheel competition.

    In the premier Indian Touring Cars category, defending champion Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) from Coimbatore, piloting the modified Honda City VTec, was in a league of his own, taking the flag in the only race run in this class.

    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.

  • Indian Supercross/Motocross Archives: Hall of Fame

    Motocross and Supercross are the popular disciplines of motorsports which enjoyed huge fan following in India. The motocross events attract huge crowds, especially in Bengaluru, Pune and Coimbatore for many years now.

    From 2005 onwards, the motocross events gave way to the new nomen clature when the arrival of MRF National Supercross Championships.

    Here INDIAinF1 attempts to pool all the articles in one place. It is work in progress and we aim to put together a Hall of Fame for Supercross by the end of the year 2023:

    2018:

    Round 4: Jaipur: 10 September 2018: In rain Jinan beats Harith Noah.

    2017:

    Round 4: Kolhapur: 24 August 2017: Karan wins Round 4

    Round 5: Goa: 14 October:

    Round 6: Bengaluru: 9 December 2017:

    2013 – MRF National Supercross Championship

    Final, Round 5: Coimbatore: 21 November 2013: TVS Racing’s Aravind KP wins MRF National Supercross Championship

    2012 – MRF National Supercross Championship

    2011 – MRF National Supercross Championship

    Round 1: Bengaluru: 15 May 2011: HK Pradeep bags top honours in MRF Supercross Round 1

    Round 2: Coimbatore: 22 May 2011: KP Arvind leads TVS domination in Round 2

    2010 – MRF National Supercross Championship

    Final Round : Pune: 13 December 2010: CS Santosh blazes away to National Supercross title

    2009 – MRF Supercross Challenge

    Round 1: Goa: 24 May 2009: Team TVS Racing Sweep First Round Of MRF Supercross Challenge 2009

    Round 2: Hyderabad: 31 May 2009: TK Vishwanath, Veer Patel share honours in Foreign Class

    2008 – MRF National Supercross Championship

    Round 1: Hyderabad: 20 July 2008: CS Santosh wins battles with Veer, crowned champ

    2007 – MRF National Supercross Championship

    Round 1:

    Round 2:

    Round 3: Baroda: 10 June 2007: C S Santosh of TVS Racing capture’s glory

    Round 4: Kolhapur: 9 October 2007: TVS’ Karan Kadam ‘best rider of the day’

    Round 5: Bangalore: 9 December 2007: Karan Kadam crowned 2007 MRF Motocross champion

    2006 – MRF National Supercross Championship

    TVS Awards in 2006.

    Round 1: Pune: 14 May 2006: Vijaykumar claims honours in Round 1

    Round 2: Chennai: 20 August 2006: Vijaykumar, Karan Kadam win a moto each; Vijay, best rider

    Round 3: Coimbatore: 8 October 2006: TVS’ Karan Kadam takes honours at Round 3

    Round 4: Goa: 29 October 2006: Karan Kadam of TVS Racing declared best rider.

    2005 – MRF National Supercross Championship

    Round 1: Goa: 8 May 2005: Vijaykumar bags double in top class; TVS Racing Sweeps MRF National Supercross

    Round 2: Pune: 15 May 2005: CS Santosh, Eathasham share honours; Vijaykumar keeps lead

    Round 3: Vadodara: 23 October 2005: Vijaykumar falls to CS Santosh; Bengalurean wins both motos

    Round 4: Chandigarh: 5 Nov 2005: CS Santosh hogs limelight winning ‘Best Rider’.

    2004:

    Round 1: Chandigarh: 29 Feb 2004: C. Vijay Kumar of TVS Racing excels, awarded ‘Best Rider Of The Day’

    Round 2:

    Round 3: Chennai: 1 August 2004: Vijaykumar enthralls Chennai, bags best rider award

    Round 4: Pune: 26 September 2004: C Vijaykumar consolidates position in Foreign Open class

    Round 5:

    2003;

    Round 6: Bangalore: 23 Dec 2003: C Vijaykumar rated best; TVS Racing wins National Motocross

  • Hemanth Muddappa bags 10th National crown; Alimon clinches top class: Drag Nationals

    Hemanth Muddappa bags 10th National crown; Alimon clinches top class: Drag Nationals

    Chennai, 30 Dec 2022: Reigning champion Hemanth Muddappa added one more title to his glittering shelf to join the rare elite club 10-time National champions, as he clinched the National Championship titles in the superbike category in the fourth and final round of the MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Drag Racing Championship 2022 at the Madras International Circuit here on Friday.

    As declared yesterday, Bengaluru’s Alimon Saidalavi won the premier Unrestricted class National Championship with an all-win record, winning the final round with ease astride the Kawasaki Ninja H2.

    Champions All: (from left) Prashanth, Hemanth Muddappa, Alimon Saidalavi, Saurabh Parab, Bharath Raj and Abdul Shaikh. Photos by Karan Ravi.

    Muddappa, with three wins in four outings in the Super Sport 4-stroke 1051-1650cc class retained his title astride a Suzuki Hayabusa. Muddappa’s team Mantra Racing bagged the team honours in both these superbike classes. Muddappa and Mantra Racing combination, thus achieved a record 10 National titles.

    Chennai-born engineer from Rockers Racing, Bharath Raj hogged the limelight bagging a hat-trick in the 361-550cc class and made it a grand double adding another National title in the Upto 165cc category. He also helped his team Rockers Racing win the team championship in both the classes.

    Puducherry’s Lani Zena Fernandez (RACR Castrol Power Ultimate1) won the Round-4 race which helped her to finish on top in the championship standings in the Girls category (Stock 165cc), just three points ahead of favourite Soundari Ananthraj (AS Motorsports) who finished a distant sixth today.

    Lani Zena Fernandez of Puducherry made a brilliant comeback to win the Girls title.

    Mumbai’s Saurabh Parab, with two wins and four podiums, picked up the National crown in the 551-850cc category. Bengaluru’s Abdul Shaikh of G1 Motors Racing finished second behind Chennai’s Madhan Kumar in the 2-stroke upto 130cc class, but that was enough for the 29-year rider to clinch the National title.

    Bharath Raj of Team Rockers Racing bags his fifth National title from two different classes.

    Round-4 – Provisional results:

    Unrestricted: 1. Alimon Saidalavi (Bengaluru) (07.732secs); 2. Attaulla Baig (Bengaluru) (07.956); 3. Hemanth Muddappa (Bengaluru, Mantra Racing) (07.968). National champion: Alimon Saidalavi (Bengaluru). Team champions: Mantra Racing, Bengaluru.

    4-Stroke Super Sport 1051-1650cc: 1. Hemanth Muddappa (Bengaluru, Mantra Racing) (07.866); 2. Mujahid Pasha (Bengaluru) (07.877); 3. Attaulla Baig (Bengaluru) (08.038). National champion: Hemanth Muddappa. Team champions: Mantra Racing, Bengaluru.

    851-1050cc (Support race): 1. Saurabh Parabh (Mumbai) (07.827); 2. Hemanth Muddappa (Bengaluru, Mantra Racing) (07.861); 3. Mohammed Riyaz (Hyderabad) (08.029).

    551-850cc 4-Stroke Super Sport: 1. Saurabh Parab (Mumbai) (08.476); 2. Mohammed Riyaz (Hyderabad) (08.510); Hemanth Muddappa (Bengaluru, Matra Racing) (08.664). National champion: Saurabh Parabh. Team champions: Mantra Racing, Bengaluru.

    361-550cc (Super Sport Indian): 1. Nadeem Pasha (Bengaluru) (12.003); 2. Anish Shetty (Bengaluru, PRN Motorsports) (12.020); 3. Bharath Raj (Chennai, Rockers Racing) (12.029). National champion: Bharath Raj. Team champions: Rockers Racing, Chennai.

    166-225cc (Support race); 1. Badhusha M (Chennai) (13.438); 2. Srikantha P (Bengaluru) (13.647); 3. Aiyaz Rem (Bengaluru) (14.297).

    Upto 165cc (Super Sport Indian): 1. Mohammed Fazil (Bengaluru) (14.095); 2. Mohammed Arfath (Bengaluru) (14.214); 3. Yogeshwaran (Chennai) (14.654). National champion: Bharath Raj. Team champions: Rockers Racing, Chennai.

    2-Stroke 131-165cc: 1. Prashanth (Bengaluru) (12.822); 2. Ashok S (Bengaluru) (12.995); 3. Abdul Shaikh (Bengaluru) (13.115). National champion: Prashanth. Team champions: Rockers Racing, Chennai.

    2-Stroke Upto 130cc: 1. Madhan Kumar R (Chennai) (13.517); 2. Abdul Shaikh (Bengaluru) (13.551); 3. Arvind Ganesh (Chennai, AP Motorsports) (13.611). National champion: Abdul Shaikh. Team champions: AP Motorsports, Chennai.

    GIRLS (165cc, Novice): 1. Lani Zena Fernandez (Puducherry, RACR Castrol Power Ultimate 1) (16.461); 2. Nivetha Jessica (Chennai) (16.601); 3. Aditi Krishnan (Bengaluru) (16.619). National champion: Lani Zena Fernandez. Team champions: Axor Sparks Racing, Chennai.

    Abdul Shaikh, National champion 2022 Upto 130cc class.
    MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcylce Drag Racing Nationals – Champions for 2022
    1.      Unrestricted: 
    Alimon Saidalavi (Bengaluru). Team champions: Mantra Racing, Bengaluru.
    2.      4-Stroke Super Sport 1051-1650cc: 
    Hemanth Muddappa. Team champions: Mantra Racing, Bengaluru.
    3.      551-850cc 4-Stroke Super Sport: 
    Saurabh Parabh. Team Mantra Racing, Bengaluru.
    4.      361-550cc (Super Sport Indian): 
    Bharath Raj. Team champions: Rockers Racing, Chennai.
    5.      Upto 165cc (Super Sport Indian): 
    Bharath Raj. Team champions: Rockers Racing, Chennai.
    6.      2-Stroke 131-165cc:
    Prashanth. Team champions: Rockers Racing, Chennai.
    7.      2-Stroke Upto 130cc:
    National champion: Abdul Shaikh. Team champions: AP Motorsports, Chennai.
    8.      GIRLS (165cc, Novice):
    National champion: Lani Zena Fernandez. Team champions: Axor Sparks Racing, Chennai.
     
  • Alimon sets record; Strong comeback by Hemanth Muddappa: Drag Nationals

    Alimon sets record; Strong comeback by Hemanth Muddappa: Drag Nationals

    Chennai, 29 Dec 2022: Bengaluru riders Alimon and Hemanth Muddappa scored dominating wins in their respective superbike categories in the third round of the MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Drag Racing Championship 2022 at the Madras International Circuit, here on Thursday.

    Alimon continued his win-spree to clinch the National Championship with a round to spare in the Unrestricted category as he took the honours on a Kawasaki Ninja H2, and also set a track record of 07.556 seconds over 302 metres. He won all the three rounds thus far and, today he finished ahead of Hemanth Muddappa (Mantra Racing) and Attaulla Baig, also from Bengaluru. The Unrestricted class was introduced this year and the 851-1050cc class was made as a Support Race.

    Alimon, thus, set the fastest time at the MIC, bettering the previous best of 07.749 by Muddappa. The victory also gave Alimon an unassailable 32-point lead over Baig in the championship standings with a round to spare.

    Alimon Saidalvi who won the Championship in the Unrestricted class at the Madras International Circuit on Thursday. Photo for INDIAinF1.com

    “With strong contenders in fray, it’s been a challenging field in the Nationals for this class. Perseverance and dedication helped me and the team to achieve this incredible feat. I would like to thank Topgun Racing team for the support and motivation throughout my racing career. Highlighting motorsport in India is my vision and I hope to set an example for many aspiring talents who look to enter motorsport in India,” said Alimon.

    Earlier, Muddappa, the multiple National champion, was in his elements in the 1051-1650cc category astride a Suzuki Hayabusa, with a winning time of 07.910 seconds while Mujahid Pasha (Bengaluru) and yesterday’s Round-2 winner Md Riyaz (Hyderabad) came in second and third, respectively. After three rounds, Muddappa leads Riyaz by 20 points in the championship and needs just six more points to clinch the title, he is set to take his 10th National Championship title.

    Another Bengaluru rider, Anish Damodara Shetty (PRN Motorsports) notched a splendid win in the 361-550cc class on a KTM RC-390 bike while Chennai rider Mohan Babu of Rockers Racing won the Super Sport Indian upto 165cc class.

    In the Stock 165cc Girls class, Mumbai’s Sarah Khan of Axor Sparks Racing topped astride a Yamaha R15, to keep the championship race open with Soundari Sindy Anantharaj leading the points table with 62 points. But it will winner take it all in the final round and Sarah (58) will be looking to turn the tables on the defending champion.

    The fourth and concluding round of the 2022 Championship will be run at the same venue on Friday.   

    Hemanth Muddappa on his Suzuki Hayabusa. INDIAinF1 File photo by Srinivasa Krishnan
    Girls class winner Sarah Khan (centre), along with Senior Technician Ebbi (red ‘T’), is flanked by second-placed Aditi Krishnan and Lani Zena Fernandez (extreme right). Chief guest Anoop, (MMSC) left, is also seen. Photo: Axor Spark Racing

    Round-3 results (Provisional, all 4-Stroke Super Sport unless mentioned):

    Unrestricted: 1. Alimon Saidalavi (Bengaluru) (07.556secs); 2. Hemanth Muddappa (Mantra Racing, Bengaluru) (07.768); 3. Attaulla Baig (Bengaluru) (08.037).

    1051-1650cc: 1. Hemanth Muddappa (Mantra Racing, Bengaluru) (07.910); 2. Mujahid Pasha (Bengaluru) (08.019); 3. Md Riyaz (Hyderabad) (08.103).

    851-1050cc (Support race): 1. Saurabh Parabh (Mumbai) (07.880); 2. Hemanth Muddappa (Mantra Racing, Bengaluru) (08.065); 3. Sugan Prasad SP (Bengaluru) (08.236).

    551-850cc: 1. Sidharth Ratan Parmar (Mumbai) (08.510); 2. Saurabh Parab (Mumbai) (08.552); 3. Mohammed Riyaz (Hyderabad) (08.630).

    361-550cc (Super Sport Indian): 1. Anish Shetty (PRN Motorsports, Bengaluru) (12.243); 2. Bharath Raj (Rockers Racing, Chennai) (12.244); 3. Aiyaz Rem (Bengaluru) (12.363).

    166-225cc (Support race): 1. Srikantha P (Bengaluru) (13.520); 2. Aiyaz Rem (Bengaluru) (14.293); 3. Madhan Kumar R (Chennai) (14.333).

    Upto 165cc (Super Sport Indian): 1. Mohan Babu (Rockers Racing, Chennai) (14.154); 2. Arvind Ganesh (Chennai) (14.234); 3. Bharath Raj (Rockers Racing, Chennai) (14.235).

    2-Stroke 131-165cc: 1. Prashanth (Bengaluru) (12.821); 2. Aiyaz Rem (Bengaluru) (12.983); 3. Shreyas Hareesh (Rockers Racing, Bengaluru) (13.069).

    2-Stroke Upto 130cc: 1. Abdul Shaikh (Bengaluru) (13.497); 2. Mohamed Rafiq (Bengaluru) (13.778); 3. Mohammed Arfath (Bengaluru) (13.784).

    GIRLS (165cc, Novice): 1. Sarah Khan (Axor Sparks Racing, Mumbai) (16.562); 2. Aditi Krishnan (Bengaluru) (16.639); 3. Lani Zena Fernandez (RACR, Puducherry) (16.704).

  • Alimon wins top class; Debut victory for Shreyas; Double for Bharath: Drag Nationals

    Alimon wins top class; Debut victory for Shreyas; Double for Bharath: Drag Nationals

    Chennai, 28 Dec 2022: Bengaluru’s Alimon Saidalvi, astride a Kawasaki Ninja H2, raced to victory in the Feature race, the Unrestricted category, while Rockers Racing’s Bharath Raj scored a double in the second round of the MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Drag Racing Championship 2022 at the Madras International Circuit, here on Wednesday.

    Earlier, the 12-year old inaugural MiniGP India champion, Shreyas Hareesh, who made his debut in the Drag Nationals here, won the 2-Stroke upto 165cc Super Sport class beating a strong field of 29 riders. Astride a Yamaha RX 135, the Rockers Racing rider, clocked an impressive 12.615 seconds for the 402-metre dash. Fellow-Bengalureans Prashanth (12.748) and Aiyaz Rem (12.931) came in second and third respectively to make it an all-Bengaluru affair.

    Shreyas Hareesh, the 12-year Bengaluru school boy makes a winning debut in Drag Nationals at Madras International Circuit on Wednesday. Photo SH team

    Bharath Raj, 33, an engineer at Ola Electric from Chennai, also from Rockers Racing, defeated Mohammed Arfath of Bengaluru to win the Super Sport Indian upto 165cc class clocking 14.395 seconds. Later, Raj topped his favourite 361-550cc class, astride a KTM RC390, edging past teammate Mohammed Shakir. Anish Shetty finished third. Raj, who won the 361-550cc for the last two years said: “I am happy to be on the top step of the podium once again. But no time to rest as we will be going all out in the next two rounds.”

    In the Unrestricted class, Alimon clocked a blistering 08.022 seconds for the 302-metre sprint to pip Mumbai’s Saurabh Parab (08.073s) and Hyderabad’s Md Riyaz (08.178s).

    Earlier, Riyaz, riding a Suzuki Hayabusa, scored a notable victory over fancied Hemanth Muddappa (Mantra Racing) from Bengaluru in the 1051-1650cc category with Mujahid Pasha, also from Bengaluru, finishing third.

    Muddappa drew some consolation by claiming the top spot in the support race (851-1050cc) ahead of Saurabh Parab (Mumbai) and Riyaz.

    Reigning champion Soundari “Sindy’ Ananthraj of AS Motorsports took the honours in the Girls (4-Stroke, Stock 165cc) category, edging out Mumbai’s Sarah Khan of Axor Sparks Racing and Lani Zena Fernandez (RACR) from Puducherry.

    Soundari “Sindy’ Antanthraj of AS Motorsports, the defending champion, wins Girls class in Round 2 at MIC on Wednesday.

    The Round 3 of the championship will be held on Thursday while the Round 4, which is the final round, is scheduled for Friday, also at the MIC.

    Round-2 Provisional results (all 4-Stroke Super Sport unless mentioned):

    Unrestricted: 1. Alimon Saidalvi (Bengaluru) (08.022secs); 2. Saurabh Parab (Mumbai) (08.073); 3. Md Riyaz (Hyderabad) (08.178).

    1051-1650cc: 1. Md Riyaz (Hyderabad) (08.108); 2. Hemanth Muddappa (Mantra Racing, Bengaluru) (08.144); 3. Mujahid Pasha (Bengaluru) (08.220).

    851-1050cc (Support race): 1. Hemanth Muddappa (Mantra Racing, Bengaluru) (08.012); 2. Saurabh Parabh (Mumbai) (08.013); 3. Md Riyaz (Hyderabad) (08.228).

    551-850cc: 1. Saurabh Parab (Mumbai) (08.424); 2. Sidharth Parmar (Mumbai) (08.561); 3. Hemanth Muddappa (Mantra Racing, Bengaluru) (08.774).

    361-550cc (Super Sport Indian): 1. Bharath Raj (Rockers Racing, Chennai) (12.033); 2. Mohammed Shakir (Rockers Racing, Chennai) (12.332); 3. Anish Shetty (PRN Motorsports, Bengaluru) (12.348).

    166-225cc (Support race); 1. Srikantha P (Bengaluru) (13.276); 2. Badhusha M (Chennai) (13.721); 3. Madhan Kumar R (Chennai) (14.393).

    Upto 165cc (Super Sport Indian): 1. Bharath Raj (Rockers Racing, Chennai) (14.395); 2. Mohammed Arfath (Bengaluru) (14.621); 3. Badhusha M (Chennai) (14.880).

    2-Stroke 131-165cc: 1. Shreyas Hareesh (Rockers Racing, Bengaluru) (12.615); 2. Prashanth (Bengaluru) (12.748); 3. Aiyaz Rem (Bengaluru) (12.931).

    2-Stroke Upto 130cc: 1. Abdul Shaikh (Bengaluru) (13.296); 2. Prashanth (Bengaluru) (13.381); 3. Mohamed Rafiq (Bengaluru) (13.565).

    GIRLS (165cc, Novice): 1. Soundari ‘Sindy’ Ananthraj (AS Motorsports, Chennai) (16.340); 2. Sarah Khan (Axor Sparks Racing, Mumbai) (16.421); 3. Lani Zena Fernandez (RACR, Puducherry) (16.453).