INDIA in F1

Category: National Rally Championship

  • JK Tyre presents Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup 2021: 18 make the grid

    JK Tyre presents Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup 2021: 18 make the grid

    The first round of the 24th JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship is scheduled from October 22 to 24 at the Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore.

    Coimbatore, 18 October 2021: JK Tyre, India”s leading tyre manufacturer, partnered with Royal Enfield for the first edition of Continental GT Cup, a Manufacturer’s Single Make Cup to be organised by Performance Cars Racing Trust, New Delhi at Kari Motor Speedway, which will be part of the JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship (JKNRC) 2021. The fourth and last round of the event will be held at Buddh International Circuit (BIC), near New Delhi.

    Of the 120 riders who take part in the trials, 18 riders were selected for the main event while five riders were kept as stand-byes. The drivers briefing, selection trails were conducted on Monday while training to the selected group was imparted on Tuesday. Two media riders from the trials on Thursday will join the 18 to form a 20-bike grid for the first round.

    Riders’ briefing before action began on Monday for the selection trials. From an overwhelming response of over 300 bikes, 120 took part in the trials and 23 made the final cut. two media riders will join the 18 to make a 20-bike grid. Photos: Dhinesh Kannan.

    The first round of the 24th JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship is scheduled to be held here on Saturday and Sunday.

    JKNRC continues to run the flagship racing championship for the 24th year and companies like Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai Motor India, General Motors and Suzuki Motorcycles have participated over the years. As Royal Enfield joins the bandwagon, the maiden round of Continental GT Cup attracted over 300 entries and selection trials were held on Monday. The track-spec Continental GT-R650 has minimalistic, yet purpose-built performance modifications which offer an un-intimidating, agile and spirited performance on track, the release said.

    According to Srinivasu Allaphan, Director, Sales & Marketing, JK Tyre & Industries: “Being the pioneers of promoting motorsport in India, JK Tyre has been at the forefront in formalising the Indian racing programmes and nurturing young talent in the country…our partnership with Royal Enfield for Continental GT Cup adds another feather to our hat. We are confident that it will definitely give an added fillip to the ever-growing popularity of motorsport in India.”

    Action at the maiden Continental GT selection trials in Coimbatore on Monday. Photo by INDIAinF1/Dhinesh Kannan

    Speaking about Royal Enfield’s motivation to foray into motorsports, Adrian Sellers, Custom Programme Lead & Manager, Product Strategy & Industrial Design said: “Nurturing and encouraging the spirit of pure motorcycling has been the core philosophy of Royal Enfield for over a century. With a long history of rides and events that have spawned riding communities across the world, we have also actively engaged in racing, with success in top level racing events such as 1914 Isle of Man TT, the 1960 Big Bear Run, the 2020 Daytona at the American Flat Track, and the 2021 DTRA Flat Track ‘Twins Class’ Championship, among several others. In 2019, we developed two race ready Continental GT 650 motorcycles with Harris Performance, leveraging their 40 years of racing experience to make the most track worthy GTs we could, all without fundamentally changing the base motorcycles. The result exceeded our expectations, and so we are excited to continue that story and launch the Continental GT Cup in India.”

    Selection Trials Provisional Unaudited Results: Top-18 from 121 riders: 1.Navaneeth Kumar 01:22.6; 2. Karthik Mateti 1:23.01; 3. Anfal 1:23.1; 4. Anish Damodara Shetty 1:23.6; 5. Lani Zena Fernandez (01:24.9); 6. Allwin Xavier (01:25.1); 7. Dhiraj Vijay Baikar (01:25.2); 8. Syed Muzzammil Ali (01:25.3); 9. Amy (01:25.3); 10. Vijay Singh (01:25.4); 11. Jayanth Prathipati (01:25.5); 12. Bharath Balan (01:25.6); 13. Raivat (01:25.7); 14. Sam Paul Osbourne (01:25.7); 15. Rohit Lad (01:25.8); 16. Harshad Sumra (01:25.9), 17. Sudheer Sudhakar (01:126);  18. Meka Vidhuraj (01:26.0);

    Stand-byes: 19. Naresh Kaname (01:26.4); 20. Rajkumar (01: 26.6); 21. Pradeep C (01:26.6); 23. Sreenidhi S (01:26.8); 24. Lokesh V (01:26.8).

    Editor’s note on 20 October 2021: These unaudited results as per the notice board were later audited and many including the top two were disqualified and the reserves got a chance into the main draw. The top rider was disqualified as he is part of another one-make event, and the second fastest rider, for an unwritten rule, that said that riders should not crash when the track is green. Or else they would forefeit their best lap times. Strange but true indeed. David Bodapati.

    For the benefit of doubting Thomases we are publishing the photo of the result displayed at Kari Motor Speedway notice board on 18th.

    Photo of unaudited results sourced by David Bodapati, Editor and Special Correspondent (F1) on 18 October 2021 and uploaded on 20th.
  • Rajendra bags overall honours; Aishwarya begins campign in style

    Rajendra bags overall honours; Aishwarya begins campign in style

    Hosapete, 17 October 2021: 2019 National champion Rajendra RE of Team TVS Racing won the feature event and the overall honours and 2019 World Cup Baja winner Aishwarya Pissay as they led Team TVS Racing sweep in Rally de Hampi, the first Round of the MRF Mogrip fmsci National Rally Championship for bikes (2w) 2021, the final event of the Utsav de Hampi 2021, here on Sunday.

    Defending champion in the top Pro-Expert class Nataraj of TVS Racing suffered a DNF (did not finish). Pune mariner Ashish Raorane, could only come 4th in the Expert class, but his very presence here gave a chance to the fans to watch a Dakar hero and his super machine. “It is like training for a marathon and coming for sprint. But is a rear op for our fans to watch our heroes,’’ said a veteran motorsport enthusiast, Rohit of the organising club, Motorsports Academy of Vijayanagar, about Ashish, who is one among the two confirmed for Dakar 2022 in Saudi Arabia next January along with Kerala’s Harith Noah.

    Making a clean sweep of the top-four places in the overall honours and winning every class they entered, the Hosur-based 2-wheeler tyre specialists, TVS Racing, made their speed statement in style on the dirt tracks around the Hampi heritage region in the first round supported by Karnataka Tourism, Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports, TVS Apache and Hotel Royal Orchid.

    2019 Champion Rajendra RE of TVS Racing who won the overall honours in Round 1 of the MRF Mogrip National Rally Championship 2w 2021 at Hosapete on Sunday.

    Sarath Mohan, a privateer from Mallapuram, won the Expert class while another Kerala rider Ajin Abraham clinched the gold in the Super Sport 130cc Group B class. Coimbatore riders Sasikumar (165cc), and veteran biker and Riders’ representative Venu Ramesh Kumar (400cc), also took the top spot on the podium in their respective classes. Samuel Jacob, Mohammed Zaheer won gold in their classes while Nadeem Ahmed became the Star of Karnataka, the support race.

    The Bike Rally Nationals promoted by GodSpeed Racing are scheduled to run five more rounds for the 2021 championship.

    Provisional (Unaudited) Results:

    Overall: 1. Rajendra RE (TVS Racing) (01:01:39.474); 2. Samuel Jacob (TVS) (01:02:12.993); 3. Abdul Waheed Tanvir (TVS) (01:02:25.753); 4. Imran Pasha J (TVS) (01:02:29.794); 5. Sarath Mohan (Privateer-Pvt.) (01:03:22.563); 6. Sachin D (TVS) (01:03:54.305); 7. Yuva Kumar (Hero MotoSport) (01:04:31.790); 8. Asad Khan (Pvt.) (01:05:26.509); 9. Sathyaraj Arumugam (Hero Motosports) (01:06:23.036); 10. Badal Subhash Doshi (Pvt.) (01:06:35.506).

    Class 1: Super Bike-Pro Expert Group A: 1. Rajendra RE (TVS Racing) (01:01:39.474); ); 2. Abdul Waheed Tanvir (TVS) (01:02:25.753); 3. Goutham Rao R (Pvt.) (01:11:52.935). All 3 Bengaluru.

    Class 1A: Super Bike (Expert) Group A: 1. Sarath Mohan (Privateer – Mallapuram) (01:03:22.563); 2. Asad Khan (Chikmagalur – Pvt.) (01:05:26.509); 3.  Badal Subhash Doshi (Vashi – Pvt.) (01:06:35.506).

    Class 2: Super Sport 130 Group B: 1. Ajin Abraham (Kerala) (01:10:45.998); 2. Nithesh G Poojari (Mangaluru)(01:13:27.186); 3. Deepak Naidu (Bengaluru) (01:14:12.420).

    Class 3: Super Sport 165 Group B: 1. Sasikumar K (Coimbatore) (01:07:12.705); 2. Pavan BK (Bengaluru) (01:07:55.068); 3. Stephen Roy (Kushalanagar) (01:10:11.197). (All 3 privateers)

    Class 4: Super Sport 260 Group B: 1. Samuel Jacob (Hosur) (01:02:12.993); 2. Imran Pasha J (Mysuru) (01:02:29.794); 3. Sachin D (Hosur) (01:03:54.305). (All three are from TVS Racing)

    Class 5: Super Sport 400 Group B: 1.Venu Rameshkumar (Coimbatore) (01:12:15.155); 2. Sajeesh Reghunathan (Bengaluru) (01:12:26.679); 3. Sravan Kumar Kuttoor (Hyderabad) (01:20:46.064).

    Class 6: Super Sport 550 Group B: 1. Mohammed Zaheer (01:10:52.393); 2. Sharath Kumar (01:15:20.814); 3. Naresh VS (1:20:12.947); All 3 Bengaluru).

    Class 7: Group “B” (S0 to S3 Scooters up to 210CC): 1. Shamim Khan (Hosur) (01:09:31.818); Karthik (01:09:36.111); 3. Syed Asif Ali (Bengaluru) (01:10:18.611). All 3 TVS Racing).

    Class 8: Group “B” Ladies Class (Open Indian M/c): 1. Aishwarya Pissay M (Bengaluru – TVS Racing) (01:10:20.050); 2. Tanika Shanbhag (Satara pvt.) (01:13:20.998); 3. Ryhana Bee (Chennai pvt.) (01:13:33.072).

    Class 9: Star of Karnataka (Non-Championship support class): 1. Nadeem Ahamed (Mysuru) (01:11:54.369); 2. Mohammed Israr (Mysuru) (01:19:33.041); 3. Vinay Channarudraiah (Bengaluru) (01:23:10.010).

  • Aman, Aishwarya, Ashishrao Rane descend on Hampi

    Aman, Aishwarya, Ashishrao Rane descend on Hampi

    Hampi, 14 October 2021: Himalayan Hero Aman Prabhakar Pawde of Nagpur, the inaugural Overall winner of the Rally of Himalayas astride a KTM EXCF450, along with FIM World Cupper Aishwarya Pissay, who made a triumphant comeback after an injury-layoff, Dakar Indian Ashishrao Rane will spearhead the challenge at Rally de Hampi, the first Round of the fmsci MRF Mogrip National Rally Championship 2021 for 2-wheelers, the final event of the Utsav de Hampi 2021, here on Sunday.

    Prominent international Cross Country rider Ashishrao Rane of Pune, will be the cynosure of all eyes as he makes a rare appearance in the Indian rally circuit. The Dakar rider could not go to Rallye du Maroc last week but will be looking to get back to form for the toughest rally in the world next year.

    “Organised by Motorsports Academy of Vijayanagar and enthusiastically backed by Karnataka Tourism, the record number of 81 entries from all over the country and their team members will enjoy the scenic sights, in the true spirit of “One State, Many Worlds,” that Karnataka heritage sites and the rally route offers. The Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), TVS Apache and hospitality partners Hotel Royal Orchid have joined with title sponsor MRF to make the two-wheeler National championship an attractive affair to both the riders and the fans as well,” said Promoter Shyam Kothari, a 7-time National champ in three different motorsports disciplines. Kothari heads GodSpeed Racing, the promoters of the 6-round INRC 2w Nationals and Supercross Nationals.

    Four-time successive National 2w Rally champion in the women’s category, Miss Pissay, of TVS Racing, is the 2019 FIM World Cup Baja champion but her 2021 WC campaign came to an abrupt halt due to a major incident at the Baja last March but the gritty champion recovered from multiple surgeries and is back to her winning ways beating many ‘Big Boys’ on the foothills of Himalayas last Sunday for a creditable Overall fifth among 75 bikers and a sweet victory in her own class. Apart from the 8 girls, Pissay on her TVS Apache RTR will be eyeing the INRC Overall honours as she prepares to get back to the tougher international cross-country rallies. “After seven months, I was raring to get back into true competition mode and I feel better now after the Himalayan rally and hope to begin my fifth season on a positive note,” said the 7-time racing and rally National champ.

    Team TVS Racing will be descending, as usual, with three other defending National champions R Nataraj, Samuel Sajan Jacob and Pinkesh Thakur. R Natarajan will have to do with teammates Rajendra RE, who won the last round here in Hampi and Abdul Waheed Tanveer, who missed the Rallye Maroc. Though there are only three entries in the Group A, the Super Bike Pro-Expert class is expected to have tough competition among the three TVS wards, all on TVS Apache RTR.

    Team Hero MotoSports’ Yuva Kumar of Bengaluru and Sathyaraj Arumugam of Coimbatore along with other National champions Kochi’s Sinan Francis, Asad Khan (Chikmagalur), Jatin Jain (Nagpur), Badal Doshi (Vashi), Sachin D (TVS Hosur) racing champion Ryhana Bee (Chennai) and youngster Tanika Shanbag (Satara), who showed a glimpse of her rally prowess at the Himalayas, will all be raring to go in the other classes. Karthik, Syed Asif Ali of TVS Racing and Elango of Erode will fight in the Scooter class.

    “This is the first round of the National 2w rally championship. All safety aspects are taken care of with trained marshals and, safety officers will make sure that all COVID19 protocols are strictly adhered to. Doctors and ambulances will be on standby along with a dedicated team of HAMs. I wish all the participants a safe rally,” said GS Joshy, the Clerk of the Course (CoC) and a rally champion himself. He will be ably assisted by home club’s Deputy CoC Rohit Gowda, another noted rider of yesteryears.

    “The rally consists of five Special Stages (SS) of 57.85km, which are held on roads closed to traffic. There will be two physical stages, Jumbo and Hampi, 12.05km and 10.8km long, respectively. While Jumbo is run thrice, the riders will take the dirt track of Hampi SS, twice, all in the forward direction, for an overall distance of 115.42 kms including a liaison or transport section of 57.57 kms,” said Santosh HM of Motorsports Academy of Vijayanagar, the organising club. Bhaskar Gupta, CK Chinnappa and Abhijeet Pai will be the stewards (judges). Anagha J Bharadwaj will be the Secretary of the Meet.

    The Star of Karnataka with five entries will be a support class. Following are the Championship classes where winners will get a trophy and split prize money of around Rs.2 lakh. More importantly they garner championship points and the table toppers in the below classes will be declared National champions.

    Class 1: Super Bike-Pro Expert (Group “A” Single class irrespective of engine capacity. Sub classes may be formed if sufficient entries are received.

    Class 1A: Super Bike (Expert) Group A;

    Class 2: Super Sport 130 Group B;

    Class 3: Super Sport 165 Group B;

    Class 4: Super Sport 260 Group B;

    Class 5: Super Sport 400 Group B;

    Class 6: Super Sport 550 Group B;

    Class 7: Group “B” (S0 to S3 Scooters up to 210CC);

    Class 8: Group “B” Ladies Class (Open Indian M/c);

    Class 9: Star of Karnataka.

  • Karthik Maruthi & Sankar Anand begin favourites

    Karthik Maruthi & Sankar Anand begin favourites

    Bengaluru/Hospeta, 1 Oct 2021: The third edition of the Utsav de Hampi, a mega motorsports festival, will begin with the JK Tyre Indian National Regularity Run Championship (INRRC), before an exciting 4×4 off-road challenge a week later and will culminate with the MRF Mogrip Indian National Rally Championships (INRC) for 2-wheelers on October 17 & 18 at Hampi. The INRRC South Zone Round 1 will start in Bengaluru on Saturday with back-to-back 2nd round in Hampi on Sunday.

    The National Championship round will kick-off with a Vintage car rally sprint for about 10-km where around 40 `Beauties of yesteryears’ will be paraded from Kanteerava Stadium to Vidhana Soudha and back.

    Champion drivers Karthik Maruthi, and navigator Sankar Anand from Erode begin as favourites among the 29 entries with 58 drivers. The Women in Motorsport concept will be popularised by the lady doctor-pair from Davangere, Dr Shivani Pruthvi, and her navigator mom Deepthi. With the entry fee waived, 11 lady teams have entered the fray but all eyes will be on Dr Shivani, who just finished a successful Car Racing round at Chennai last week and it would be Bengaluru Techies Aparna Pathak and Lalitha Gowda who are all set to give a tough fight to doctors.

    Organised by ProSports in Bengaluru and Motorsports Academy of Vijayanagar in Hampi, the TSD (Time, Speed and Distance) rallies are a popular format, returns as Nationals under the aegis of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) and backed by JK Tyre. Ordinary road cars can be used to race and rally in a safe environment and the TSD National, which was virtually forgotten and off the list of 12 National Championships is back with a new name, INRRC.

    “Regularity Run is usually conducted on public roads, both clean tarmac and flat dirt tracks which don’t break the cars. Each team, has a driver and a navigator, and needs precise times and average speed on various segments of pre-defined but undisclosed route. A Tulip (route map) would be provided to the teams, but there would be about 20 to 25 undisclosed Time Controls (TC), that the navigators (co-driver) cannot miss as they guide the drivers and check-in their times. Speed is not permitted, as the maximum permitted speed would be 45-kmph and they should follow all traffic rules. Early comers log double penalty times” said said BS Sujith Kumar, a three-time National TSD Rally Champion and current FIM Asia Vice-Chief.

    “Utsav de Hampi, is a popular annual motorsports festival, that is growing bigger by the year. This year four events are lined up to promote motorsports in the Heritage region of Hampi. The club has attracted national and international champions and top priority is given to all safety aspects. We are conducting the events following strict protocols of COVID19,” said Santosh HM of Motorsports Academy of Vijayanagar, Hampi.

    Sanjay Sharma, Head-Motorsport, JK Tyre said, “Promoting motorsports at the grass-root level in India has always been a key priority for JK Tyre. Our idea endeavors to create an eco-system and provide racing opportunities to enthusiasts, as always. By launching the JK Tyre Prosports FMSCI India National Regulatory Run Championship, we hope to nurture the new generation of rally sport to represent India on a global map. Our activities and initiatives have further strengthened our leadership position in the segment and we continue our commitment towards building more professional rally drivers.”

    “INRRC will have a Championship Class that will see National champions for 2021, one Navigator, a Driver and the team. A supporting event to promote TSD rallies will offer a Couple Class and a Corporate class for Ladies Cup 2021 and Zonal Champions,” said Rohit Gowda, Deputy CoC of MAV, Hampi.

  • Hampi becomes a hotbed of Motorsports activity in India

    Hampi becomes a hotbed of Motorsports activity in India

    Bengaluru, 29 Sept. 2021: Motorsports Utsav de Hampi is a household name, thanks to the frenetic sports activity of high-degree in just three years after the birth of Motorsports Academy of Vijayanagar, that attracted top drivers and riders, and National events to the Heritage land, in and around Hampi. Whether it is the Special Stage rallying for four-wheelers or two-wheelers, Autocross or Motocross, time-tested TSD or the highly-competitive Indian National Rally Championship, all roads lead to Hampi, and even the endurance and adventure sports like 4×4 off-road challenge made the Club special, in the hearts of motorsports lovers. The heritage site and the pride of Karnataka, truly reflecting the slogan, One State, Many Worlds, is not just the only reason for fans and athletes to flock in, `Mecca of Motorsport’ MAV is.

    MAV – The Motorsports Academy

    Motorsports Academy of Vijayanagar, Hampi, is an FMSCI affiliated club started in 2019 by a group of motorsport fanatics with an intention to bring high-performance motorsports athletes and top-rated National events to northern parts of Karnataka to a very well-known world heritage site. With a vision to take Indian motorsports arena to newer heights, the Academy lines up events and trainings throughout the year in different parts of the country and at home, which culminate into a grand annual Utsav de Hampi, a mega Motorsports Festival consisting of many formats of motorsport events. The Academy successfully bid for the FMSCI Indian National Autocross Championship for a period of 3 years, to add to its armoury, which already has a round of the Indian National Rally Championship for 4-wheelers and 2-wheelers after the successful 4w Candidates round in 2020 where multiple National champions like Musa Sherif, sparkled. He is the only active senior-most Navigator with nine national titles in the country.

    Some of the marquee events of the club are National rallies and highly-challenging 4×4 off-road events, which extend the competitive spirit beyond the rally element, and the club cleverly incorporated motortainment and display of vintage cars that attracted tens of thousands of spectators, who thronged to the tracks to have a glimpse of the high-speed precision racing and stunning off-road action. The club has the knack to pack a visual punch and has cordial relations that cater to even minor needs of the sportspersons making it a truly-attractive event for fans, drivers, riders, officials and media. No wonder sponsors like MRF, JK Tyre, TVS, Karnataka Tourism, Department of Youth Empowerment & Sports, Red Bull, Ultramile Tyres, Brut Force and Royal Orchid Hotels lined up to associate themselves with a hot property called Utsav de Hampi.

    A wheelie for you, come and enjoy motorsports, Hampi is calling…
    Santosh, left and Rohit, the brains behind MAV success.

    The Festival consists of many formats of motorsports, run on multiple weekends, with different disciplines like Stage Rally for 2-wheelers, 4-wheelers, Autocross, TSD Rally, some of which have National status and have attracted top Indian and International drivers and riders in the last three years. The Utsav found its ‘God Father’ in Parth Jindal of JSW Group, who provided the initial thrust, but it was local stalwarts like Santosh HM, Rohit Gowda and Darpan Gowda, who plunged in as the Club took off on its own with a team of dedicated volunteers, going into the last edition of the Festival in 2020 despite the COVID threats, as they managed to follow strict protocol and government’s SoP.  With permissions relaxed for Sports events, the Utsav is back with a bang and has four events lined up for 2021 on the eve of Gandhi Jayanthi. The spirit of Gandhiji, the heritage of Hampi and the adrenalin of a National-level sports event, that is the cocktail of motorsports, that the Motorsports Academy offers and no fan can resist.

    1. JK Tyre FMSCI Indian National Regularity Run Championship – 1, 2, 3 October, 2021

    The 2021 Utsav de Hampi, has become bigger with two National-level events and an even bigger Off-road extravaganza. First off, the Motorsports Academy starts with the JK Tyre fmsci Indian National Regularity Run Championship (INRRC), a popular TSD format which offers the ladder for a lay person to enter motorsports and enjoy the thrills. The event finals has the National status accorded to it by the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India (FMSCI), the sole governing body of motorsports in India. The Time, Speed, Distance format with about 20 Time Controls (TC) is from October 1 to 3 and will be the South Zone qualifiers where the top-5 (top-3 for Women’s Cup) will take a shot to become the National Champ in three classes, team, driver and navigator. The Club offered free entries to Women in Motorsports (WIM), an FIA concept to encourage gender diversity and MAV has quickly embraced it providing Lady Freebies, and many gleefully entered the fray with Daughter-Mom Doctor pair of talented Shivani and Deepthi Pruthvi spearheading a bevy of women drivers.

    2. The 4×4 Hampi off-road Challenge – 8 to 10 October 2021

    The Hampi off-road challenge will see some of the finest professionally modified and stock four-wheel drive vehicles and the event, in the backwaters of the beautiful River Tungabhadra, is known to break man and machine, and is an ultimate challenge for expert drivers, who ably assisted by knowledgeable navigators, make the complex tasks look simple thus, delivering fun and frolic for fans that leads to a rich mix of motorsport madness.

    In 2019, the introduction of 4×4 Hampi Off-road Challenge for Jeeps which are ripped-off, curated and tuned for one of the best off-road competitions in the country on par with international events, saw the beginning of a tradition. The record 42 entries in its very 1st edition, consisting of Professionally modified, Modified and Stock category vehicles showcased a plethora of talent and became an instant success. And the tradition of excellence goes on…

    4×4 action that makes every fan skip a heart beat, land in Hampi, experience the thrills!

    3. Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) – FMSCI to Confirm new dates

    The popular Indian National Rally Championship is a flagship event of the Indian Federation which acquired its National status way back in 1988 and has thrown up veteran champs like Leelakrishnan, Naren Kumar, Hari Singh and Gaurav Gill. Considered in the top-3 showpiece events as one of the 12 Motorsports Nationals, it attracts a highly-talented youth and experienced veterans and the event requires high degree of organisational skills with a well-prepared terrain and tulip, as finding good tracks, tarmac or dirt, has become a gigantic task, of late for organising clubs, but not for MAV.

    It conducted the Contender round successfully and is officially granted a round in the National Championship this year, which was put off due to the side effects of COVID19. The Federation and the Promoters are expected to announce the new dates any time now.

    The 2020 INRC contender round Champions display their wares on the podium in Hampi.

    4. MRF Mogrip FMSCI Indian National 2w Rally Championship (INRC-2w) – 16, 17 Oct 2021

    The INRC for 2-wheelers is a popular sister-event of the four-wheeler Rally Nationals. Despite missing from the calendar for some years, Clubs like MAV have taken up the task to set the rally routes and organise the Nationals to the satisfaction of the riders and fans alike and the MRF Mogrip Calendar for 2w rallies is on track again. This year, the inaugural round of the MRF Mogrip FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship for motorcycles (INRC-2w) will be Rally de Hampi organised by MAV that is expected to witness national and international stars like Aishwarya Pissay, the Baja World Cup winner, Hero Yuva Kumar,  a multiple National champion, and many other stars and National champoins like Nataraj of TVS, Vishwa, in other classes, fight for Overall honours on the tricky tracks of Hampi. The rally will have two special stages closed for regular traffic and include an 80.2-km liaison distance (non-competitive transport section)  apart from the 62.5-km of closed to traffic competitive Stage distance for an overall 142.5-km rally. It is efficiently conducted by one of the best Clerks of the Course (CoC) Girijashankar Joshy, a former National rally champion himself, who has an impeccable record in knowledge of rules and the calm and cool nature in which he relays commands to a team of efficient Marshals and officials, in a pious “poojari” style of his own. It is the devotion required for Motorsports safety that separates him from also rans… as he breathes a whiff of fresh air into the motorsports culture.

    Pack your helmet, belt-up and begin the journey into motorsports ecstasy, come to Hampi! A red carpet awaits!

    For details: visit www.mavh.co.in, www.utsavdehampi.com

    Follow & share Instagram: @MAVHAMPI @utsavdehampi

  • Big-time Motorsport returns to Kolkata with 2w Sprint Rally Nationals

    Big-time Motorsport returns to Kolkata with 2w Sprint Rally Nationals

    Kolkata, 17 Sept. 2021: Two-wheeler rally returns to the City of Joy after a gap of 18 years with the MotorsportsInc FMSCI Indian National Rally Sprint Championship 2021 for two-wheelers set for the two-day East Zone qualifiers in the mixed-tarmac and murram dirt terrain of the jungles in Bardhaman district, about 180 km, from here on Saturday and Sunday. The South Zone rounds were held in August and two more rounds in North and West Zone would culminate in the Grand Finale at Goa from November 6 to 7.

    Locals stalwarts Vishal Das, Uday Ganguli and Jayaraj will spearhead the competition with the `Flying Lady’ Buli Nath providing the North-East edge with a bevy of young riders and fans descending from Assam. A veteran of 20 years riding in different disciplines of motorsports including Desert Storm, the 42-year young Vishal Das, is a Stock class winner of the Holy Grail, the Raid de Himalaya, blazing his KTM390 on the dangerous terrain when it was last held in 2018. Uday Ganguli is also a popular name in these parts with his motorsports exploits being second to none. He too has taken part in cross country rallies and other disciplines including Desert Storm. “These veterans will be challenged by a host of youngsters, some of whom have high skills but no platform to showcase their talent and have to travel to north or south of the country. Many of them will ride in multiple classes with a handful of bikes in the special stage which is closed to road traffic, said Sandeep Sardar, who received 72 entries as Treasurer of BMSC.

    “It is our endeavour to bring back the popular sport to the riding fraternity of Kolkata and North East region. We are organising this with strict respect to all the COVID protocols and it is a good chance for riders to win medals at the National level again,” said Jaidas Menon of Motorsports INC, the promoter and the brain behind the concept of Sprint. Menon has multiple INRC wins as navigator in four-wheelers and now runs the Dakshin Dare and the Sprint Nationals.

    File photo of veteran rider Vishal Das, who has over 20 years of experience in various disciplines of motorsports including victories in big events like Raid de Himalaya and Desert Storm, not to mention the 2-wheeler Indian National Rally Championship. INDIAinF1 photo by arrangement.

    Organised by Bengal Motorsports Club and promoted by Motorsports INC, the Federation of Motor Sports Club Sprint Nationals for 2w stage rally is a recent concept on the lines of T20 cricket to provide a thrilling shorter version where an 8-km stage is run twice, once in the forward direction on Saturday and once in the reverse direction on Sunday. The top-five qualifiers in each of the 9 classes will make it to the Finals in Goa. The sponsorship from Hero Moto Corp has not only helped their two star riders Yuva and Satyaraj from Bengaluru take part and provide the impetus to motorsports in East and North-East but also to bring back a big-ticket event to this region with the Kavi Guru rally being the last held here 2019 by BMSC.

    Overnight rains can make the red murram slushy and interesting for the 10 classes which will showcase a plethora of machines, in the picturesque forest backdrop, with Group A upto 600cc class for motocross tuned bikes and the Open Class upto 600cc class being the feature events. The scooter class, Bullet class among the ten categories add spice as they provide intense competition and the response is overwhelming with over 70 entries expected to fight for honours. The presence of Buli Nath adds spice to the ladies event as the `Flying Lady’ from Assam coming to the Sprint Nationals within two months of delivering a baby had inspired a few other bikers from Assam to take part.

    “To bring rich-man’s sport to the commoners, the Bengal Motor Sports Club was born in 1998 and is taking the initiative to organise the Sprint Rally Nationals. The club regularly runs events and has a team of motorsports enthusiasts and veterans who volunteer to maintain high standards while running the events, said Pratim Chowdhury, Secretary of BMSC. The Rally Headquarters will be at the Deul Park Eco Resort, near Durgapur, and the terrain is famous for the INRC four-wheeler round, last held in 2011.

    The 2w Sprint Rally Nationals is one of the 10 different motorsports disciplines that were given the National Championship status by the FMSCI and nine National Champions for 2021 will emerge after the final round.

    Championship classes: Class 1. Group A upto 600cc (Foreign bikes only) 2. Group B upto 130cc 3. Group B 131cc to 165cc 4. Group B 166cc to 260cc 5. Group B 261cc to 400cc 6. Group D upto 260cc 7. Scooter Class 8. Bullet Class 9. Open Class upto 600cc.

  • Yuva, Suhail, Sarath Mohan hog limelight: Sprint Nationals

    Yuva, Suhail, Sarath Mohan hog limelight: Sprint Nationals

    By David Bodapati

    Bengaluru, 22 August 2021: Celebrated bike racer Yuvakumar of Hero Motosports and privateers Suhail Ahmed and rookie Sarath Mohan hogged limelight with three gold each in the week-end Sprint Rally Nationals here. While the `Hero star’ pipped the other two bagging the `fastest rider’ tag, clocking superfast sprint times in both the opening rounds of the Motorsport Inc FMSCI Indian National Rally Sprint Championship at the Moto Farm in Kanakapura, about 70 km from here, on Saturday and Sunday, another veteran Vishwas SD sparkled with a 15-year old bike winning the first race of the year, the Group A upto 600cc class which has foreign bikes.

    The 2021 Round 1 brief report is here. For those who want to comapare with last year, 2020 Round 1 and 2 report is here. 2020 Champions’ List.

    Promoted by Motorsport Inc, with Jaidas Menon, a former National Rally champion at the helm, the Sprint Nationals became the fourth Motorsport FMSCI National, to begin action in a tight bio-bubble following all COVID protocols after Meco Karting and MMSC Bike and Drag Nationals. The Sprint Nationals are supported by Reach Home Safe, a safety app, Chandan Motors (Bengaluru), Hero Motosports, Red Bull and of course, the Motofarm at Kanakapura, who offered their lovely dirt track which was well-maintained. Sprint is a T20 version of the 2w stage rally with the bikes taking a short 7.5km stretch once each in Round 1 and 2 on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. From this year, a select few from South Zone round will join the finalists from other zones in the Championship finals, which decides the National Championship titles in 9 different classes.

    Hero Motosports’ #37 Yuvakumar teases a wheelie as privateer and former Hero rider Vishwas SD (#18 in Blue) has none of it in the non-competitive section. Privateers proved a point beating better bikes in the first two rounds of the Motorsport Inc fmsci Sprint Nationials in Bengaluru.
    Sarath Mohan, in action, on Saturday at Kanakapura, Bengaluru. All Photos by Moto Farm

    Competing against foreign bikes, the 34-year Yuvakumar, left behind a disappointing 2020 and began the 2021 campaign for another National title in right earnest. Yuva, as he is popularly known, overcame a disqualification in Race 1 on Saturday and went on to claim three more top finishes for gold. The three-time Desert Storm winner and five time National champion in Dirt Track and 2w rallies said: “I was keen on winning both the races today. The track is slippery and very tricky (after the rain) but my bike `Hero Xpulse200′ was up to it and helped me take the challenge with ease. Going into the season with these victories, I am confident of good performance and looking to better show this year.”

    Winners All: Sprint riders of the 11 different categories pose with Promoter Jaidas Menon (4th from left, sitting) at Moto Farm on Sunday. Rider Representative to the Federation Venu Ramesh Kumar is sitting third from right. Triple gold Suhail Ahmed is kneeling in the front.

    Yuvakumar’s loss on Saturday in the Group D upto 260cc class in the Stock class, saw that three privateers zoom to the podium. It was a success story for debutant Samuel ‘Pablo’ Abraham, who stole the gold with a fairy-tale victory. Nicknamed `Pablo’, in his home state, the Ernakulam rider beat the field despite a crash where he hit a tree and lost over 10 seconds, about 1 km before the chequered flag but brought home his bike with a gold. Piloting a Unni PK (Kawasaki garage, Bengaluru) prepared XPulse 200, the 27-year old B.Com student went flat out sprinting to the finish in style clocking 09min, 08seconds to win the Stock Group D upto to 260cc class followed by another Bengaluru rider Sanjay Somasekhar, who is dubbed as the `fastest privateer’ by his friends. Sanjay, who took the silver behind Samuel, and won a golden double in the non-championship class, the Star of Karnataka, which is now renamed as South Zone Star. Sneha, also had a double delight winning both the rounds in the depleted Ladies class, the other support race, to encourage women in motorsports. “I would like to thank Veekshak KY and Vishnu Prasad Jahagirdar from Speed Lab Aautomotive Solutions, for the well-prepared bikes and also my sponsors Project83x and Radical & Co,” said Sanjay.

    Another Bengaluru war horse, Naresh VS of Venus Racing, got only a bronze in this class but had two gold in the Group B upto 165cc Class and also a silver in the second round in the Open upto 600cc class on Sunday. Two gold, three silver and two bronze in different classes in the two rounds makes him the highest decorated medallist in the week-end. The former Hero and TVS rider, who has six National Championship titles under his belt in both Supercross (2012, 2013) and Dirt Track Nationals (4 titles in 4 different classes in 2010, his debut year as rookie), had to be content with the bronze in this class. The 2014 K1000 INRC winner, also missed the Group B 130cc National Sprint title by a point last year, as he had issues with the bike but promised to come back with better show this year.

    The third rider who was the cynosure of all eyes on the week-end is defending Bullet class champion Suhail Ahmed, another former champion, who won eight national titles over the years. The Garden City rider, who turns 34 in another few days on August 28, began his title defence with a double gold in the Bullet class, winning both the rounds on Saturday and Sunday. He also added one more gold winning the Group B up to 400cc Class on Sunday, pushing aside the challenge from reigning champion in this class, Sudeep Kottary, who took the gold on the first round on Saturday. “It was like an enduro type of track and very challenging. And I have to appreciate the tough competitors that we have this year. I had issues with the engine but I am glad to qualify for the next round in Goa,” quipped Kottary from Mangalore.

    “I am very elated with the double win in bullet class on both the days and the win on Duke 390 in Round 2. I lost out in the first round because of electrical issues. However, I am so glad to qualify for both the classes for the final round. The terrain was tricky with short corners with a few jumps and overall, I enjoyed the stage,” said Suhail Ahmed who rode XPulse in Group B upto 400cc and Himalayan in Bullet class.

    Samuel `Pablo’ Abraham (centre) of Group D stock 260 Class Round 1 on Saturday. From left: Rakesh Kumar V (5th), Sanjay Somasekhar (2nd both rounds), Samuel (Ro1 winner), Vinay Prasad (4th) and Naresh VS (3rd both rounds). To encourage riders, the Promoters have given trophies to the first four runners-up as seen here. Photo courtesy Insta @isirfans

    The class also saw evergreen biker, who rides out of passion, Venu Ramesh Kumar, a garment exporter more famous for his exploits in the Indian National Rally Championship, both for bikes and cars. Astride a KTM Duke 390, the 51-year biker is the ‘Big Daddy’ of them all and is rightly appointed the Rider Representative from this year. Maturing like old wine, as do rally drivers world over, he is still beating much younger riders and getting podiums regularly like the silver he got in the Group B upto 400cc bikes in Round 1. “It is a pleasure to see huge response from the bikers for the past few years as the number of entries in all 2w-rallies increased consistently. But the life of privateers had not changed much and it is time to provide them support and sponsors. Factory teams have to come forward at least by providing spares and service at nominal price and also by way of sponsoring part expenses for talented and young riders. It will be much helpful for them to grow faster and we are also working with FMSCI trying to rope in factory teams. Let us hope for the best,” said the passionate motorsport lover from Coimbatore.

    Unable to kick off the motorsport bug, the 42-year Bengalurean, Vishwas SD, still rides for fun and frolic and has not left his 2006 model Yamaha WR250F, a 250cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder four-stroke DOHC engine. Despite the fancy words, the bike with less than 40 per cent power than the present-day monsters, was a beauty in the hands of Vishwas, as he tamed it to take the gold over the 7.5-km dirt tract at the Moto Farm with some beautiful jumps in the feature event, the Group A upto 600cc Class in Round 1 on Saturday, the first race that began the Sprint National 2021. “Riding on such terrain needs rhythm. I managed to do it despite some suspension issues,” said the respected IT professional, who along with his team designed a Professional and affordable CCTV app which uses Artificial Intelligence (AI).

    From Left #84 Pavan BK, #23 Sanjay Somashekar and (behind) #46 Karan M, on a free run!

    However, the Malayali trio took over Group A upto 600cc Class on Sunday winning all the podium places with Sarath Mohan taking the gold followed by Samuel Abraham from Ernakulam and Sinan Francis, the defending Overall champion of 2020 (last year it was Group A upto 800cc). Amidst all these racing stories there is another bit which showcases the Biker-spirit, the true old culture that seems to continue with the two-wheeler riders. The Ernakulam IT professional, Sinan, was kind enough to lend his bike to Samuel, to enter the biker folklore as Samuel, under Bethania Racing banner, riding such a powerful bike for the first time went on to not only beat him (Francis) to silver by 0.05 seconds but also made his mentor proud winning the stock class upto 260cc despite a crash beating another privateer Sanjay Somasekhar. “I am extremely thankful to my technical team Unni TK,N1 Concept, Bike Point and Sinan Francis from 72 Racing but for whom I would not have won,” confessed Samuel.

    But it was 25-year youngster, Sarath Mohan who was another star of the weekend bagging three gold. The rider from Ponnani in Malappuram district racing a Ramdev-tuned Suzuki RMX 450 won both the Open Class upto 600cc races but also won the Group A upto 600cc Class on Sunday. “I could not push a lot. But I enjoyed the stage as the terrain was dry yesterday and I was trying to flow through the corners and made up speed in the long stretches,” said the 25-year-old who made his debut in the Sprint nationals. Last year, he took part in the INRC 2w rally and finished second in the championship in his class.

    Sarath Mohan, who got three victories in two classes, astride a Suzuki RMX450.

    The Scooter class was won by Elango G, a privateer from Erode on Saturday, while Subramanya T, who came second in Round 1 turned the tables and won the second round on Sunday with Karthik N from Bengaluru, who finished third on Day 1, taking the second on Sunday. Elango recovered to a bronze in Round 2 as he faced some mechanical issues.

    The 32-year Rakesh Kumar, astride a Yamaha YBX, won a double gold in the Group B upto 130cc Class as he defeated defending champion Sudeep Kottary on both the days. Ajin Abraham from Kottayam took the third place in Round 1 on Saturday while V Patteeswaran came third on Sunday. Popular as Rocky among his friends, Rakesh said: “I feel good to get a double victory. Winning both the rounds is a very satisfying feeling and want to improve and get more wins.”

    Sprint Nationals 2021 Final (provisional) results: (Round 1 on Saturday and Round 2 on Sunday; Bike number given after podium place):

    1. Group A Upto 600cc Class (Foreign bikes only): 1. #18 Vishwas SD (Yamaha WR250F) (Bengaluru) (09min, 03sec); 2. #1 Badal Subash Doshi (KTM450EXC-F 6days) (Pune) (09:06); 3. #4 Sarath Mohan (Suzuki RMX450z) (Malappuram) (09:11).

    Round 2: 1. Sarath Mohan (Suzuki RMX450z) (Malappuram) (00hrs, 08min, 10.000sec); 2. Samual Abraham (KTM450EXC) (Ernakulam) (00:08:19.460); 3. Sinan Francis (KTM450EXC) (Ernakulam) (00:08:19.510).

    2. Group B upto 165cc Class: 1. #32 Naresh VS (Hero Impulse) (Bengaluru) (08:55); 2. #29 Pavan BK (Hero Impulse) (Bengaluru) (09.10); 3. #55 Subramanya T (Bengaluru) (09:14).

    Round 2: 1. Naresh VS (Hero Impulse) (Bengaluru) (08:30.280); 2. Pavan BK (Hero Impulse) (Bengaluru) (08:30.650); 3. Subramanya T (Bengaluru) (08:32.000).

    3. Scooter Class: 1. #59 Elango G (Erode) (09:50); 2. #65 Subramanya T (09:56); 3. #97 Karthik Naidu (TVS N-Torq) (Bengaluru) (10:00).

    Round 2: 1. Subramanya T (09:08); 2. Karthik N (Bengaluru) (09:18); 3. Elango G (Erode) (09:47);

    4. Group B Upto 130cc Class: 1. #63 Rakesh Kumar V, (Yamaha YBX) (Bengaluru) (09:35); 2. #8 Sudeep Kottary (Honda Stunner) (Mangaluru) (09:41); 3. #58 Ajin Abraham (Kottayam) (09:48).

    Round 2: 1. Rakesh Kumar V (Yamaha YBX) (Bengaluru) (09:12); 2. Sudeep Kottary (Honda Stunner)  (Mangaluru) (09:13); 3. V Patteeswaran (09:37).

    5. Open Class upto 600cc: 1. #12 Sarath Mohan (Suzuki RMX450) (Malappuram) (08:38); 2. #19 Badal Subhash Doshi (Pune) (09:01); 3. #72 Sinan Francis (KTM450EXC) (Ernakulam) (09:06).

    Round 2: 1. Sarath Mohan (Suzuki RMX450z) (Malappuram) (08:06); 2. Naresh VS (Bengaluru) (08:24); 3. Sinan Francis (KTM450EXC) (Ernakulam) (08:27).

    6. Bullet Class: 1. #14 Suhail Ahmed (Himalayan) (Bengaluru) (09:17); 2. #22 Naresh VS (Himalayan) (Bengaluru) (09:18); 3. #51 Sarath Kumar S (Himalayan) (Bengaluru) (09:20).

    Round 2: 1. #14 Suhail Ahmed (Bengaluru) (08:37); 2. Naresh VS (Bengaluru) (08:38); 3. Sarath Kumar S (Himalayan) (08:51).

    7. Group D upto 260cc Class: 1. #40 Samuel Abraham (Hero XPulse) (09:08); 2. #23 Sanjay Somasekhar (Bengaluru) (09:09); 3. #50 Naresh VS (09:11)

    Round 2:  1. #100 Yuvakumar (XPulse 200) (Bengaluru) (08:24); 2. #23 Sanjay Somashekar (Bengaluru) (08:39); 3. #50 Naresh VS (Bengaluru) (08:42).

    8. Group B upto 260cc Class: 1. #37 Yuvakumar (XPulse 200) (Bengaluru) (08:36); 2. #84 Pavan BK (Hero XPulse 200) (Bengaluru) (08:48); 3. #06 Suhail Ahmed (XPulse 200) (Bengaluru) (8:49).

    Round 2:  1. #37 Yuvakumar (Bengaluru) (08:04); 2. Sanjay Somashekar (Bengaluru) (08:12); 3. (Hero XPulse) Pavan BK (Bengaluru) (08:15).

    9. Group B upto 400cc Class: 1. #02 Sudeep Kottary (KTM Duke 390) (Mangalore) (09.26); 2. #09 V Venu Ramesh Kumar (KTM Duke 390) (Coimbatore) KTM Duke 390 (10:12); 3. #16 Sajeesh Reghunathan (Mangaluru) (10:15).

    Round 2: 1. #5 Suhail Ahmed (KTM Duke 390) (Bengaluru) (08:35); 2. #02 Sudeep Kottary (KTM Duke 390) (Mangalore) (09.04); 3. #16 Sajeesh Reghunathan (Kerala) (09:26).

    Non-Championship classes: Ladies Class: 1. #27 Sneha (09:56). Round 2: 1. Sneha (10:46).

    South Zonal Star (formerly Star of Karnataka): 1. #66 Sanjay Somashekar (Bengaluru) (09:12); 2. Karan M (10:34).

    Round 2: 1. #66 Sanjay Somashekar (Bengaluru) (08:27); 2. Anoop Manjappa (09:46); 3. Nikhil  S Shrivatsa (10:19).

    (Note: Timing given till the nearest second, except for a tie)

    Riders can contact INDIAinF1 at 98455 69496

  • K1000 postponed due to COVID19 second wave

    Bengaluru, 11 May 2021: Karnataka 1000, popularly known as K1000, scheduled to run as the second round of the Champions Yacht Club fmsci Indian National Rally Championship 2021, from May 28 to 30, was postponed due to the second wave of COVID 19 that hit Bengaluru badly. The new dates will be announced later.

    With the way the pandemic is raging, the Indian Championship is expected to be stretched to the end of the year and two back-to-back rounds beginning with South India Rally are likely to be held Chennai and Bengaluru. Last year, Champions Yacht Club conducted two back-to-back rounds in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh and the calendar concluded with the third round in Coimbatore as K-1000, scheduled to be the last round, was cancelled.

    The first round of the scheduled six-round National Championship this year, the MMSC South India Rally was postponed last month. The rally which attracted a record number of 73 entries was supposed to be held concurrently with the Asia Leg of the Asian Pacific Rally Championship (APRC). The third round at Coimbatore to be run by the Coimbatore Auto Sports Club, slated to be held from July 16 to 18, also looks like a non-starter.

    The postponement was announced by the National body, the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (fmsci) on May 11 and was confirmed by the BS Gautham, President, Karnataka Motor Sports Club (KMSC).

  • South India Rally postponed to June 23-25: INRC Round 1

    South India Rally postponed to June 23-25: INRC Round 1

    Chennai, 19 April 2021: The South India Rally, a round of the 2021 Indian National Rally Championship, scheduled for April 23-25, has been postponed in the wake of fresh government restrictions due to rising number of Covid-19 virus cases, organisers Madras Motor Sports Club announced here today.

    The tentative fresh dates for the event, promoted by Champions Yacht Club, and which doubled up as a round of the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship, are June 25 to 27. The South India Rally had attracted a record 70 entries of which 21 were women crews.

    Chairman of the event and MMSC Vice-President Vicky Chandhok said: “Much as the sport is always our priority, we are very concerned about the huge spike in Covid-19 cases in the recent days. With an all-time record of 70 entries of which 21 are women competitors the enthusiasm for the sport has also spiked and is at its peak! But after discussions with promoter Vamcy Merla who had put in massive efforts, we decided to postpone the South India Rally keeping in mind the safety and health of those involved in the event.”

    Promoter Vamcy Merla said: “Unfortunately, in the last couple of days, a lot of restrictions have been imposed in many States due to the spike in Covid-19 cases in the country. I am in total agreement with the decision to postpone, giving due consideration to the safety and health of participants and organizers.

    “We have had extensive discussions with everyone concerned or associated with the event, and then decided to postpone the event to June 25-27 in the hope that the situation would have improved by then.”

  • To SIR with love, South India Rally receives huge response

    To SIR with love, South India Rally receives huge response

    Bengaluru, 16 April 2021: To SIR, with love, is a popular song of the sixties. But now the SIR is on a song. South India Rally, popularly known as SIR, has received an overwhelming response and a record 65 entries for the 43rd edition that begins on April 23, and is also run concurrently with APRC.

    To SIR with love, is actually a British drama, on social issues starred by Sydney Poitier in 1967. Here in India we continue our song in motorsports, to SIR with love. And it will be a big tribute to the grand old Sir, Indu Chandhok, who first won the rally in 1954, when it all began as South India 800 Rally. But after another edition of the TSD event in between in 1955, the South India Rally took its birth in 1957.

    Manoj Dalal, the long-time navigator of Vicky Chandhok, is the current CoC (Clerk of Course) for the 43rd SIR, the first round of INRC 2021. And the CoC has confirmed that the final number of entries is 65. Sixty five is the record in the 34-year INRC history. The last highest number was at the 2009 K-1000 which attracted 61 entries.

    Chandhok Senior, won the rally in 1954 in a Triumph Mayflower and went on to print his name in the history books winning the first edition in 1957 in a Standard Ten.

    Vicky Chandhok. File photo by INDIAinF1

    Coming back, the Indian National Rally Championship 2021 (INRC), the first round which is clubbed with Asia Pacific Rally Championship, received a record 65 entries and the organisers Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC) was forced to restrict further (late) entries. Another record will be over 10 entries by Lady drivers, making it 23 lady participants in the rally. “This is the first time such huge number of ladies are taking part in an INRC round,” said a regular, who lamented about the ban on spectators.

    “When Vamsi (Merla) first said that he would make sure that the South India Rally gets sixty entries, I laughed, and asked him if he was joking. But the response is overwhelming and I have not seen such a rush in the past. I must congratulate the Promoter who worked tirelessly, calling drivers and helping with goodies, providing tyres and supporting the Women in Motorsport initiative enthusiastically by getting them sponsors,” said Vicky Chandhok, the chairman of the meet and the man who brought F1 to India. “Yes, he pulled it off,” he added. “There will not be much imported cars and we will have national cars in the APRC. The number will be known only after a couple of days,” he said talking about the APRC entries.

    Due to the Covid second wave, the Organisers and the Promoters, Champions Yacht Club have decided that there would no spectators for the first round of the INRC. “Unfortunately, we had to close the doors on spectators. I am really sorry for all the fans but to compensate, we are making arrangements to live stream and put out live results,” said Vamsi Merla, the Promoter. “We believe upon the best club in the country. MMSC has conducted two Nationals in a strict `Bubble’ and they are known to follow all the procedures and government restrictions thoroughly. They are the active and the best club with great infrastructure. So all the safety precautions, both rally wise and Covid wise are taken care of and we are fully confident,” said Merla, who praised the Marshals of MMSC `who are on the toes always’.

    Promoter Vamsi Merla, who encouraged more women to participate by providing sponsors, managed to get over 60 entries.

    Vicky Chandhok, who won the South India Rally four times, in a Dolphin, Montana and a Fiat, predicts tough competition. Gaurav Gill, three times APRC champion, who was crowned with the Arjuna Award, will be raring to go in Yellow colours. Amittrajit Ghosh and Ashwin Naik, will complete the Mahindra line-up. The rally will also witness talented drivers Karna Kadur, Dean Mascarenhas, Bikku Babu, Chetan Shivram and other youngsters Fabid Ahmer, Aditya Thakur and Arjun Rao.

    “I thank MRF for sponsoring many lady drivers. This will be a milestone year in women participation and we wish them all the best,” said Vamci. Apart from regulars Smitha Prasad, Dr Shivani Pruthvi (Deeksha Balakrishna) and Pragathi Gowda (Trisha Jagannathan), 10 other lady teams are expected to take part. Around 10 drivers including Khyati Mody will be supported by MRF. Taking the support of 2019 Overall champion Chetan Shivram, Champions Yacht Club conducted a Talent Hunt over two days in Bengaluru, where about 28 ladies took part. Dhruva Chandrasekhar and Suhem Kabir, also trained the participants. Prominent among them who will be taking part in the INRC Round 1 will be Pathanamthitta lass Athira Murali, a popular Auto Vlogger, and then Renuka G from Andhra Pradesh, who came second in the Talent Hunt, besides Amnadeep Kaur (Amman Jubbal), Madhi Sri Elangovan, Anupma Bindra, Chandrika Thampuratty, and mother-and-daughter duo Shivani and Dr Vani Parmar. However, Ojasvi Mehta, an MBA student from Mumbai, who did well in the Talent Hunt, will not be making it to the first round due to academic clashes.

    The first round of the INRC will be held at Irungatuukottai on April 24 and 25. There will be two Special Stages, Avisa (16.8km) and Track (12.10km) besides a Super Special Stage of two laps covering a total distance of 4.8km on the tarmac of MMRT.

    There will be four classes, Overall INRC, INRC2, INRC3, INRC4 and INRC NR4 for the National Championship. The SUV class and the Gypsy class will also be run as support classes, and the National Junior Championship will test the best juniors below 25 years who never won any round. The APRC Asia Cup round will have 4 more stages to complete the mandatoroy 150km mark. Yes SIR, we are ready!

    Note: Updated on 17 April 2021 at 3.20pm