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Category: Domestic
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Keen contest in Sr Class final rounds of Karting Nationals
Bengaluru, 29 October 2020: Coimbatore’s Suriya Varathan, Bengaluru’s Arjun Nair and Chennai’s Nirmal Umashankar are poised for a royal battle in the final two rounds of the Meco-FMSCI National Karting Championship X30 Classes over two days beginning from Saturday here at Meco Kartopia track.
The Junior Class seems to have one hero in the making, what with the domination Bengaluru’s Ruhaan Alva had last-week-end sweeping all the eight races in the two rounds for an overwhelming 80 points. If he continues his wonted form, sure will bag the championship. Citymate Rohaan Madesh followed him past the chequered flag in each of the races to have 56 points in his kitty. He will need to do one better than Ruhaan in all the remaining races to earn the chance of annexing the crown. A tough task for the jovial karter, who is fun to watch.
Suriya Varathan has a compelling lead in the Senior class, having amassed 70 points in the first two rounds held last Saturday-Sunday. He had won three out of the four races in Round 1 and two out of the four in Round 2 to be in the best position to claim this year’s championship.
The championship is the third national-level sporting event organised in the country since the COVID-induced lockdowns in March after the Drag Nationals and 2-w Sprint Rally Nationals. All sanitising and social distancing norms are being followed to ensure the well-being of the young racers.
Arjun Nair managed two second-places in Round 1 and two first-places in Round 2 to have 55 points in his kitty. He and Nirmal Umashankar (51 points) will need a massive change in fortunes to topple Suriya from the perch in the last two rounds.
In the Cadet Class too, another Bengaluru lad, Ishaan Madesh, enjoys a handy 9-point lead over Pune’s Sai Shiva Makesh. Ishaan won all 4 races in Round 1 but had a disastrous start in Round, getting a DNF in Race 1 and a sixth-place finish in Race 2 before regaining his winning touch.
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Short-Video App Roposo ropes in speedqueen Alisha Abdullah
Mumbai, 26 October 2020: Roposo, a video app, has roped in Alisha Abdullah, a top Indian female racing champion to the Roposo Pride of India programme.
Roposo, India’s No. 1 short video app, takes in Alisha Abdullah under its successful programme that recognizes Indian stars by providing them with a platform to mentor and inspire fellow Indians. Alisha, India’s well-known female racing star truly embodies the characteristics of a legend, on and off the racetrack.
“With ‘Roposo Pride of India’, Roposo believes that every one has an innate talent that needs a bit of inspiration and a platform to shine. “With close to 10 crore (100 million) downloads, Roposo is India’s largest social video platform and intends to create a platform that is rooted in Indian culture and ethos,” said Bikash Chowdhury, CMO of Glance which owns Roposo.
“With the Roposo Pride of India’ program, we hope to recognize Indians who have made the nation proud, and contribute to the cause of nation-building by inspiring millions of Indians to realize their full potential,” he added.
“Success in the field of motorsports is not easy, especially for a girl. By sharing my journey, I want to inspire the next generation of girls to take up motorsports as a career and make India proud on a global stage,” said Alisha Abdullah, who is dubbed as SpeedQueen for her exploits in karting and racing. Alisha, through her Roposo account (@Alishaa) will share her experiences and life lessons with other aspiring Indians through Roposo-styled short-video capsules in the coming weeks.
The Roposo Pride of India was launched in July 2020 with Babita Phogat, Neel Ghose, Sangram Singh and Shooter Dadi has already garnered over 50 lakh video views. Alisha Abdullah will be sharing videos of her journey to the racetrack and making a mark in a sport dominated by men. Her exemplary career has led to her winning the President’s award as well.
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Vishwas, Badal Doshi share honours in top-class: Sprint Nationals
Bengaluru, 18 October 2020: Local star Vishwas SD and Badal Doshi of Mumbai shared the honours in the first two rounds in the top-class, while it was another Bengaluru biker Suhail Ahmed, who hogged the limelight with a grand double in both the rounds in the Motorsport Inc FMSCI Indian National Rally Sprint Championship 2020 which began the season conducting the first two rounds in the Kanakapura forests on Saturday and Sunday.
The Indian National Rally Sprint Championship (INRSC), is one of the first National events, after the Drag Nationals, to restart the calendar with the support of Hero MotoSports and Red Bull under a strict bio-bubble taking all the safety precautions as per Corona guidelines.
In the Foreign Bikes category, Group A Upto 800cc Class first round, Vishwas SD took the honours but it was Badal S Doshi who claimed the victory in Round 2 and Sinan Francis, who came second in Round 1, stuck his ground pushing Vishwas to third on Sunday.
The INRSC’s complicated class, the Group B upto 260cc, had 20entries, and the Mysore youngster Imran Pasha won both the rounds and clocked the fastest time in the first round winning the Star of Karnataka in 4 min 28.43 seconds covering the 6.5km Special Stage in forward direction, astride his TVS Apache.
Suhail Ahmed who won the Bullet Class and the upto 400cc Group B Class, in both the rounds, becoming the top-achiever of the week-end.
Ishaan Chandra from Mangalore, riding a Hero Impulse, claimed a double winning both the rounds `upto 165 CC’ category.
“We have made elaborate arrangements for the safety of the riders and others taking part in the event and all the precautionary measures for COVID-19 were in place,” said Jaidas Menon, of Motorsport Inc, the Promoter. “Hero MotoSports are also encouraging the Xpulse riders with special prizes at the end of the Championship,” added Menon, who took the responsibility to make sure that Sprint Nationals is held this year.
Vishwas SD who won the first round Foreign Bikes category on in action on Saturday. INDIAinF1 Photo by Prasanth Sukumaran. Defending champion in Group A, Badal Doshi from Mumbai said: “I was looking forward to participate and win this year’s INRSC, and winning one round is a good beginning. I am glad the season finally, started.”
The third and fourth rounds will be held in Devanahalli area on November 21 and 22.
Final Results (provisional): 2020 Round 1: (119 entries)
Group A Upto 800cc Class: 1. Vishwas SD (Bengaluru) Suzuki, (04:40.82); 2. Badal S Doshi (Mumbai) KTM-500 EXCF (04:48.27); 3. Sinan Francis (Ernakulam) KTM-EXC450 (04:52.66).
Group B 131cc to 165cc: 1. Ishan Chandra (Mangalore) Hero Impulse (04:47.96); 2. Mohammed Zaheer (Bengaluru) Hero Impulse (4:57.43); 3. Pavan BK (Bengaluru) Hero Impulse (4:58.54).
Group B 261cc to 400cc Class: 1. Suhail Ahmed (Bengaluru) KTM-390 (05:00.77); 2. Sudeep Kottary (Mangalore) Duke 390 (05:07.20); 3. Vikram K (Coimbatore) KTM-90 (05:17.20).
Group B Upto 130cc Class: 1. Noldin Thomas (Ernakulam) Yamaha-YBX (05:28.36); 2. Varun Kumar A (Bengaluru) Yamaha-YBX (05:32.14); 3. Vikram Shekar (Coimbatore) Yamaha YBX (05:32.14).
Group B 166cc to 260cc Class: 1. Imran Pasha (Mysore) TVS Apache (04:28.43); 2. Sachin D (Bengaluru) TVS Apache (04:35.44); 3. Samuel Jacob (Udupi) TVS Apache (04:51.63).
Bullet Class: 1. Suhail Ahmed (Bengaluru) Himalayan (04:55.68); 2. Mohammed Zaheer (Bengaluru) Himalayan (05:07.77); 3. Vishwas SD (Bengaluru) Himalayan (05:18.48).
Ladies Class: 1. Ryhana Bee (Chennai) Hero Impulse (05:36.74); 2. Arpitha VM (Mangalore) Honda-Stunner (06:16.78); 3. Tanika Shanbhag (Satara) Hero Impulse (06:21.79).
Scooter Class: 1. Karthik Naidu (Bengaluru) TVS N-Torq (05:20.88); 2. Pinkesh Thakkar (Pune) Aprilla-SR125 (05:29.01); 3. Venkatesh Shetty (Mumbai) Aprilla-SR150 (05:43.68).
Star of Karnataka: 1. Imran Pasha (Mysore) TVS Apache (04:29.57); 2. Sachin D (Bengaluru) TVS Apache (04:41.02); 3. Sanjay Somashekar (Bengaluru) Hero Xpulse (04:59.35).
2020 Round 2: (117 entries):
Group A Upto 800cc Class: 1. Badal S Doshi (Mumbai) KTM-500 EXCF (04:10.19); 2. Sinan Francis (Ernakulam) KTM-EXC450 (04:14.57); 3. Vishwas SD (Bangalore) Suzuki, (04:23.16).
Group B 131cc to 165cc: 1. Ishan Chandra (Mangalore) Hero Impulse (04:19.66); 2. Abrar Ahmed (Mysore) Hero Impulse (4:25.96); 3. Pavan BK (Bengaluru) Hero Impulse (4:30.26).
Group B 261cc to 400cc Class: 1. Suhail Ahmed (Bengaluru) KTM-390 (04:15.55); 2. Sudeep Kottary (Mangalore) Duke 390 (04:15.84); 3. Vikram K (Coimbatore) KTM-390 (04:45.47).
Group B Upto 130cc Class: 1. Rakesh Kumar V (Bengaluru) Yamaha YBX (04:51.19); 2. Durgesh J (Mysore) Honda Stunner (04:51.96); 3. Noldin Thomas (Ernakulam) Yamaha-YBX (04:57.34).
Group B 166cc to 260cc Class: 1. Imran Pasha (Mysore) TVS Apache (04:14.83); 2. Sachin D (Bengaluru) TVS Apache (04:15.81); 3. Samuel Jacob (Udupi) TVS Apache (04:21.90).
Bullet Class: 1. Suhail Ahmed (Bengaluru) Himalayan (04:30.12); 2. Vishwas SD (Bengaluru) Himalayan (04:36.15); 3. Devaraj Venkatewh (Bengaluru) Himalayan (04:37.22).
Ladies Class: 1. Ryhana Bee (Chennai) Hero Impulse (05:10.24); 2. Tanika Shanbhag (Satara) Hero Impulse (05:14.55); 3.Arpitha VM (Mangalore) Honda-Stunner (05:24.99).
Scooter Class: 1. Karthik Naidu (Bengaluru) TVS N-Torq (04:57.84); 2. Goutham N (Bengaluru) TVS N-Torq (05:10.60); 3. Amarendra Sathe (Pune) Aprilla-SR150 (05:13.41).
Star of Karnataka: 1. Anish Shetty (Hubli ) Hero Impulse (04:20.16); 2. Samuel Jacob (Udupi) TVS Apache (04:20.66); 3. Ishan Chandra (Chikmagalur) Hero Impulse (04:24.84).
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Akbar Ebrahim elected as FMSCI president again; Farooq Ahmed new VP
Chennai, 12 October 2020: Former racer and ex-FMSCI president Akbar Ebrahim was unanimously elected as the president of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) at the Annual General Meeting of held 2020 via Video Conference. Farooq Ahmed of Chikmagalur Motor Sports Club will be the new Vice-President replacing Shivu Shivappa for a term of two years.
Akbar Ebrahim The FMSCI is the National Governing body of Motor Sports in India. It is a member of the World Governing body of Motor Sports the FIA the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile and the FIM the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme.
The FMSCI has more than 50 affiliated units across the country with more than 1200 registered athletes but unlike other federations, only the council members elect the office-members as per the FMSCI Constitution. The council consists of 10 members who are: 1) Akbar Ebrahim, Meco Motor Sports Pvt. Ltd., Chennai 2) Bharat Vivek Chandhok, Madras Motor Sports Club, Chennai 3) Farokh Commissariat, Indian Automotive Racing Club Ltd., Mumbai 4) Farooq Ahmed, Motor Sports Club of Chikmagalur, Chikmagalur 5) Prithiviraj J., Coimbatore Auto Sports Club, Coimbatore, Member of The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) 6) Raj Kapoor, Northern Motorsports, Noida 7) Sanjay Sharma, Performance Cars Racing Trust, Delhi 8) Shivu Shivappa, Karnataka Motor Sports Club, Bengaluru 9) Ms Sita Raina, Calcutta Motor Sports Club, Kolkata 10) Tamal Ghosal, Just Sportz Management Pvt. Ltd., Kolkata.Farooq Ahmed file photo, addressing media in front of a Coffee Day Cafe in Chikmagalur in 2018. An FB image courtesy @motorsportsclubofckm Akbar Ebrahim said: “I would like to thank the General Body Members, Outgoing President & Vice President, Current councillors and New councillors of the FMSCI for their unanimous support in mandating me as the President for another term in office. I would also like to congratulate Mr Farooq Ahmed on his election as Vice President which was unanimous and with no contest.”
“Going forward, it is, without doubt, going to be a very challenging and tough year given the unprecedented pandemic situation the whole world is facing. I am sure that the FMSCI will collectively rise to the occasion and manage the situation to the best of its ability. I am also sure that in the coming days, weeks and months, the sport will start to flourish and bring back the smiles on each and every one of us who are passionate about the sport,” Ebrahim added.
`The outgoing President J Prithviral said: `I place on record my gratitude and thanks to the entire Motorsport fraternity for the support during my tenure as President. Motorsport was also affected because of Covid- 19, things are looking brighter now and trust we will be in top gear soon.” -
Hemanth Muddappa smashes National Drag record
Chennai, 10 October 2020: Defending champion Hemanth Muddappa of Mantra Racing, astride a Suzuki Hayabusa broke the National Drag Record, setting a new mark of 7.783 seconds beating his own record over the 302- metre MMRT Drag Strip. The Madras Motor Sports Club kick-started the domestic 2020 motorsport season by successfully conducting the first round of the MMSC Fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Drag Racing Championship in a secure bio-bubble environment at the MMRT circuit here on Sunday.
The 30-year Bengaluru-based Coorgi, a three time National champion, touched a top speed of 222.49 kmph despite the third fastest reaction time of 1.658 sec at the start, to began the season on a winning note. He broke his own National record of 7.976 which he set in the round two last year on 6 October and equalled in the Championship winning last round in December. The bike was tuned by Sharan Pratap of Mantra Racing, Bengaluru. Muddappa won the National championship consecutively in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
While Mudappa expectedly topped the time charts, clocking a blistering time for the sprint in the Super Sport 4-stroke Above 1051cc class, he could only come second in the 851 to 1050cc class as Mohammed Riyaz of Hyderabad won the dash. Rulex Rockers Racing team’s Bharatraj and Mohammed Rafiq notched a double apiece in their respective categories. Defending champion Nivetha Jessica won the girls category on Saturday.
“I have been eagerly waiting to get back on track and am keeping myself fit. I was confident of clocking the best time, but beating the track record again is a bonus. I look forward to a consistent season to retain my National title,” said the Coorgi, who is primarily into civil contracts and also a partner in a leading sports nutrition brand, `1up Nutrition India’. He is based in Bengaluru.
Sporting activity came to a grinding halt in March and since then it was seven months that the Indian motorsports saw no activity. But with the revised calendar announced by the Federation, MMSC Indian National Drag Championship hosted the first Nationals to kick-start the motorsports calendar with a `new normal’, what with all the guidelines to tackle Corona Virus.
Managing some 116 entries besides a host of officials, volunteers and employees, the MMSC went to great lengths to strictly implement Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and protocols as mandated by Government guidelines designed to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. In view of the restrictions, no spectator or guest was permitted entry to the venue, while each competitor was allowed only one helper or mechanic, and the races were spread over two days (Saturday and Sunday) so as to limit the size of the congregation to under 100.
MMSC Vice-President Vicky Chandhok said: “Following weeks of preparations and working on the SOPs as dictated by the government guidelines, it was great to go racing again after a break of seven months. Though we had to make do without a sponsor, we spared no expense to create a secure bio-bubble at the track. Of course, as per sporting regulations, we had a fully-equipped Medical team to deal with any emergency.
“As much as the sport mattered to us, we gave top priority to health of all involved in the event. The strict protocols, followed by all at the venue, involved temperature checks, frequent hand sanitization and physical distancing. We also restricted entry to only essential persons, besides competitors.”
The results: 4-Stroke Super Sport:
Champion in the Above 1051cc class Hemant Muddappa (centre) flanked by second-placed Hafizulla Khan (left) and third-placed Harish Naik. An MMSC image Above 1051cc: 1. Hemant Mudappa (Mantra Racing, Bengaluru) (07.783secs); 2. Hafizulla Khan (Bengaluru) (08.374); 3. Harish Naik (Bengaluru) (08.721).
851-1050cc: 1. Mohammed Riyaz (Hyderabad) (07.922); 2. Hemant Mudappa (08.162); 3. Sugan Prasad (Bengaluru) (08.382).
361-550cc: 1. Aiyaz (Bengaluru) (12.256); 2. Anand R (Speed Up Racing, Chennai) (12.350); 3. Karthik Mateti (Telangana) (12.518).
226-360cc: 1. J Bharatraj (Rulex Rockers Racing, Chennai) (12.805); 2. Vivek Pillai (Team Alisha Abdullah, Chennai) (13.104); 3. P Yogeswaran (Rulex Rockers Racing, Chennai) (13.137).
Up to 165cc: 1. Bharatraj J (Rulex Rockers Racing, Chennai) (14.580); 2. PM Soorya (Rulex Rockers Racing, Chennai) (14.656); 3. Anand R (Speed Up Racing, Chennai) (15.039).
Saturday: Novice (Girls, Stock up to 165cc): 1. Nivetha Jessica (Chennai) (16.512); 2. Ann Jennifer (Chennai) (16.642); 3. Alisha Abdullah (Chennai) (16.781).
2-Stroke Super Sport 131-165cc: 1. Mohammed Rafiq (12.843); 2. Manoj Kumar S (13.228); 3. Mohammed Touheed (13.253).
Up to 130cc: 1. Mohammed Rafiq (13.381); 2. R Madhan Kumar (13.584); 3. Mohammed Touheed (13.954).
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Defending champ Nivetha Jessica wins first round: MMSC Drag Nationals
Chennai, 10 October 2020: Touching a top speed of over 118 kmph, defending champion Nivetha Jessica won the first round of the MMSC fmsci Indian National Drag Championship Madras Motor Sports Club drag strip here on Saturday as Indian Motorsports began after a gap of 7 months due to COVID 19.
The Chennai girl won the four-stroke Upto 165cc Stock Class, the only class for girls, beating the challenge of Ann Jennifer and experienced Alisha Abdullah. The Team Pro-Speed Racing lass did a splendid job despite being a bit slow off the blocks with a reaction time of 0.907 and shot into the top spot clocking stunning 16.512 seconds.
AS Ann Jennifer took the second place timing 16.642 though she had a better reaction time of 0.574 at the start. Alisha Abdullah, who had the best start among the 10 riders, reacting at 0.377 seconds, coiuld only complete the podium in 16.781 seconds.
“I was very nervous at the beginning of the session but I had good fitness level which helped me to focus in the race. It is a long gap because of the pandemic which affected us with lack of practice and also lack of sponsors. But today, I concentrated on winning the race and I believed in myself and my vision,” said the 2019 champion, who was astride Yamaha v3 R15 tuned by Srinivasan.
“Yes, of course, it is a overwhelming moment for me to take the first win of the season and I hope to maintain the same momentum in the upcoming rounds,” concluded Jessica.
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Drag champ Hemanth Mudappa raring to go as Motorsport resumes in India
Chennai, 9 October 2020: Hemanth Mudappa won a hat-trick of National titles on 30 December last year. The time when Corona Virus started its havoc, but it was not until two months later, did the sporting world take a beating and Indian motorsports too came to a grinding halt. Since then it was seven months that the Indian motorsports saw no activity. But with the revised calendar announced by the Federation, MMSC Indian National Drag Championship will be the first Nationals to kick-start the motorsports calendar with a `new normal’, what with all the guidelines to tackle Corona Virus.
The first round of the fmsci MMSC Indian National Drag Championship will take place at the drag strip of the Madras Motor Race Track here on Sunday. Hemanth Mudappa, a triple champion, winning the crown in 2017, 2018 and 2019, is raring to go and the Mantra Racing rider is eagerly waiting for the action to start.
The 30-year-old Bengaluru-based rider, who set-up a new National record on way to his triple crown, will take part in the SuperSport 851-1050cc class on a BMW S1000rr and in the 1050cc and above class astride a Suzuki Hayabusa tuned by champion architect Sharan Pratap of Mantra Racing, Bengaluru.
“It is a long time and we are all eager to get back on the track. I am feeling good and look forward to another good season. My thanks to Mantra racing and all my sponsors, supporters and fans,” said Mudappa.
Off the track, the Coorgi, is primarily into civil contracts and he is also a partner in a leading sports nutrition brand, `1up Nutrition India’ and is based in Bengaluru. And not to forget, he is a fitness freak and physical fitness is his top priority, which he advocates for all.
Among the 11 National championships in the Indian Motorsports calendar, the Madras Motorsports Club promoted Drag Racing will begin this Sunday followed by Karting and Racing championship. The flag-ship Indian National Rally Championship is scheduled to start in December.
It will all Four stroke and the classes to be run will be, the upto 165cc SS Indian, 226 to 365 SS Indian, 361 TO 550 SS Indian, 851 to 1050 SS and Above 1051 Super Sport.
For girls, upto 165cc four stroke Novice class, two stroke upto 130cc Super Sport and two stroke 131 to 165cc Super Sport.
Other National champions in different class expected to take part are girls’ champion Nivetha Jessica, Bengaluru’s Aiyaz, the Nationial Champion in the 361-550cc Supersport Indian class and Chennai challenger Yogeshwaran, who became a champion gaining enough points in the 226-360 Supersport Indian category without a big win beating fellow-Chennai rider AS Alexander. Bengaluru’s Mohammed Rafiq who became champion in both the 2-Stroke categories (up to 130cc and 131-165cc) will also be there. However, it will be Hafeez Khan and Harish Naik, who are once again expected to fight it out with Mudappa for the top honours.
The current drag record stands at 7.976 seconds. Mudappa equalled the record he had set in the 2019 second round in October erasing his own earlier record.
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Organisers must waive-off entry fee for women, to host INRC round: Vamsi Merla
Bengaluru, 2 Sept 2020: Due to the global race against Corona Virus, which affected both national and international motorsports for over five months, the Indian National Rally Championship, too, was postponed after the lockdown was announced in India.
With the country taking measures to bring back normalcy in the sporting arena along with activities in other walks of life, the Indian government announced Unlock 4.0 and the motorsports fraternity is eagerly waiting for the action to begin. International motorsports, including Formula 1 and MotoGP, have started with tight measures to beat Corona and India too, is expected to resume the events amidst the necessary precautions due to the pandemic.
Vamsi Merla of Champions Yacht Group, the INRC Promoters And the first to respond is the Champions Yacht Club, the promoters of Indian National Rally Championship, the flagship event of Indian Motorsports. The calendar for 2020, was expected to begin with the South India Rally in Chennai but it was the first event to get boxed by the lockdown. The Promoters are eager to announce a seven-round calendar once the go-ahead is given by the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI). As announced earlier, the Champions Yacht Club is keen to promote ‘Women in Motorsports (WIM)’ and is offering to waive-off the entry fee for all women participants for the Rally rounds apart from providing a slew of incentives for the drivers and teams to promote rallying. “We have written to the Federation to waive the entry fee for female drivers but it looks like the decision has to be taken by the organising club. So Champions Yacht Club has decided to give hosting rights of a rally round only to those clubs who are willing to waive-off the fee,” said Vamsi Merla, the promoter. “So even a male driver with a female navigator will also get a waiver of the entry fee as the team has a female participant,” he clarified.
He also promised that the accommodation for all the participants would be provided free by the Promoters and arrangements will be made taking strict precautions to beat the Virus. “We have put in place measures to tackle the current situation. Social distancing norms and masks are made compulsory along with checking of temperature with thermal scanners, and sanitisers would be provided at all necessary entry points and other places. All large gatherings will be prohibited,” added Merla.
“Rally championship holds a special place in Indian motorsports and over the years, in its 31-year history, INRC has thrown up many champions and the Promoters are keen to encourage newcomers and young talent by providing the necessary facilities to continue the tradition of making champioins,” he added.
When queried how seven rounds could be possible with only four months available, he said that back-to-back rounds were being planned and permission is being sought to extend the calendar for two months into Feb 2021. “Also five clubs have already agreed to waive the fee and promote women participation. So the confirmed rounds are South India Rally in Chennai, K1000 in Bengaluru, Hampi, also in Karnataka, Arunachal Pradesh and Coimbatore,” Vamsi Merla revealed. The calendar will be announced soon.
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Prithvi, Kothadiya take top honours
Mumbai, 25 August 2020: Chennai’s Sai Prithvi and Pune’s Oshan Kothadiya won a race each in the Pro Class of the fourth round of the Mumbai Falcons Indian eRacing Championship, in association with Volkswagen Motorsport. The duo picked up their first wins this season, at the Daytona International Speedway on Sunday.
Qualifying saw Pune’s Muhammad Ibrahim post a laptime of 1:43.924, a mere 0.021 seconds ahead of defending champion – Amith Kutti. Championship leader Sai Prithvi from Chennai was third.
As the lights went out, Ibrahim made a good start to lead race 1, but a few corners later, Kutti outbraked the leader to grab the lead. The duo fought for a couple of laps, before Ibrahim attempted to retake the lead, resulting in both spectacularly crashing out of the race. Prithvi comfortably won ahead of Raghav Budhiraja (New Delhi). Ujjwal Belwariar (Bangalore) graduated from Junior to Pro Class and had a dream debut with a podium. Mumbai’s Raiden Samervel and Ooty’s Niranjan Kumar were fourth and fifth.
The top 12 from race 1, are reversed for the start of Race 2. Kaushick Mohanraja started from pole and the entire field had a clean start. Unfortunately he spun and a few cars hit him. Eventually Former Volkswagen Polo Cup Runner Up, Oshan Kothadiya (Pune) won the race after an excellent drive from seventh on the grid. Mumbai’s Prathamesh Yedre and Lucknow’s Siddharth Mehdiratta earned their maiden podiums with second and third, ahead of Kumar and Kutti.
“After 4 rounds we have 4 different race winners in the Pro Class. It’s really competitive at the top. The champions now have the best opportunity possible to transition from this, into real world racing.” said Moid Tungekar, CEO of Mumbai Falcons.
Gurgaon’s Garvit Agarwal started on pole and ran away, to win the Junior Race. Mumbai’s Janak Panchal and Tej Patel earned their maiden podiums, ahead of Jahaan Noble and Yash Khare. This weekend saw the commencement of the Amateur category with Deepak Raj, Guru Vishal & Deepak Walvekar finishing in the top three.
Pune’s Oshan Kothadiya Sirish Vissa, Head of Volkswagen Motorsport India said, “It is exciting to see a former Volkswagen Polo Cup runner up battling with and giving his competitors a tough fight. This shows how well the competitors are driving. Both the races were exhilarating to watch, we hope that this close battle continues for the rest of the championship.”
8 Time Champion and Founder of IR eSports, Rayomand Banajee added “We are happy with the excellent response that the Amateur category has received. We are confident that the entry-level classes will grow further, as we add on the Amateur PS4 category and a Women’s category.
Pro Race 1 Position Car No Name City Start Pos. 1 12 Sai Prithvi Chennai 3 2 63 Raghav Budhiraja New Delhi 6 3 9 Ujjwal Belwariar Bangalore 12 4 64 Raiden Samervel Mumbai 11 5 98 Niranjan Kumar Ooty 7 Pro Race 2 Position Car No Name City Start Pos. 1 14 Oshan Kothadiya Pune 7 2 45 Prathamesh Yedre Mumbai 2 3 41 Siddharth Mehdiratta Lucknow 6 4 98 Niranjan Kumar Ooty 8 5 16 Amith Kutti Chennai 18 Junior Race Position Car No Name City Start Pos. 1 13 Garvit Agarwal Gurgaon 1 2 21 Janak Panchal Mumbai 9 3 11 Tej Patel Mumbai 6 4 15 Jahaan Noble Mumbai 10 5 25 Yash Khare Mumbai 12 Amateur Race Position Name City 1 Deepak Raj Chennai 2 Guru Vishal Chennai 3 Deepak Walvekar Bangalore 4 Anish Joshi Kolkata 5 Anish Kumar New Delhi Pro Championship Position Car No Name City Points 1 57/12 Sai Prithvi Chennai 265 2 33 Muhammad Ibrahim Pune* 261 3 9/12/11/16 Amith Kutti Chennai 242 4 777/98 Niranjan Kumar Ooty 211 5 20 Chevlyn Fernandes Mumbai 176 Junior Championship Position Car No Name City Points 1 16/13 Garvit Agarwal Munich 161 2 7 / 19 Ujjwal Belwariar Bangalore 123 3 10 Aditya Iyer Pune 118 4 5 / 30 Avinash Gupta Kalimpong 118 5 21 Janak Panchal Mumbai 94 *
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Ibrahim continues domination in IeRC; Agarwal wins Junior Class
Mumbai, 16 August 2020: Pune’s Muhammad Ibrahim continued his winning streak in the Mumbai Falcons Indian eRacing Championship, in association with Volkswagen Motorsport. The accomplished karter had a near-perfect run, to once again demolish the competition and win both races of the Pro Class here.
Ibrahim started the event on the right note, qualifying on pole with a laptime of 1:22.010. Amith Kutti (Chennai) bagged second on the grid, qualifying 0.48 seconds behind. Sai Prithvi, also from Chennai, was third.
Race 1 saw championship leader Kutti, make a rare mistake to crash out of contention while Ibrahim took advantage of a good start to pull away and win the race. Prithvi had an intense battle with Sohil Shah for many laps before managing to overtake, to finish second. Shah, a former National Formula 1300 Champion, finished third, ahead of Niranjan Kumar and Raiden Samervel.
The starting order for Race 2 is based on the top 12 finishers of Race 1 being reversed. Coimbatore’s Kaushick Mohanraja started on pole and drove a sensible race, but could not keep Ibrahim behind him. Ibrahim won, ahead of Mohanraja, while Bhanu Teja from Hyderabad was third.
The Junior Class saw Sayee Saran (Chennai) lead after starting from pole. A back marker swerved into him, and Saran fell down the order. Debjit Adak from second, got involved in multiple crashes but still managed to finish fourth. Gurgaon boys – Garvit Agarwal picked up his maiden victory, while Amitesh Rao took his maiden podium, with second. Mumbai’s Veer Sheth also earned his maiden podium with a fine third place, ahead of Adak and Ritesh Rai.
“It’s good to see the Championship quite close in both classes. We are coming up with numerous opportunities for youngsters in motorsport & the Mumbai Falcons Indian eRacing Championship, is the ideal avenue for youngsters to start with motorsport.” said Moid Tungekar, CEO of Mumbai Falcons
Sirish Vissa, Head of Volkswagen Motorsport India said, “It is exciting to witness the competition for every position in the championship – this shows the dedication and effort that these young drivers are putting in to battle each other. With five more races to go, the racing is going to be intense as the drivers fight for the top spot.”
“Next round will see the addition of the Amateur Class followed by the Women’s Class. We are confident that this will expand the entry level opportunities and youngsters can register by visiting any social media platform of IReSportsIN.” said 8 Time National Racing and Karting Champion and founder of IR eSports.
The Championship standings in the Pro Class saw a major reshuffle thanks to poor results from Amith Kutti. Sai Prthivi grabbed the lead while, Ibrahim moves into second. After a significant lead, Kutti falls to third. Bangalore’s Ujjwal Belwariar stays in the lead of the Junior Class.
Pro Race 1 Position Car No Name City Start Pos. 1 33 Muhammad Ibrahim Pune 1 2 12 Sai Prithvi Chennai 3 3 24 Sohail Shah Bangalore 5 4 98 Niranjan Kumar Ooty 4 5 64 Raiden Samervel Mumbai 6 Pro Race 2 Position Car No Name City Start Pos. 1 33 Muhammad Ibrahim Pune 12 2 6 Kaushick Mohanraja Coimbatore 1 3 99 Bhanu Teja Hyderabad 5 4 12 Sai Prithvi Chennai 11 5 98 Niranjan Kumar Ooty 9 Junior Race Position Car No Name City Start Pos. 1 13 Garvit Agarwal Gurgaon 4 2 17 Amitesh Rao Gurgaon 6 3 44 Veer Sheth Mumbai 8 4 8 Debjit Adak Bangalore 2 5 12 Ritesh Rai Chennai 7 Pro Championship Position Car No Name City Points 1 57/12 Sai Prithvi Chennai 215 2 33 Muhammad Ibrahim Pune 212 3 9/12/11/16 Amith Kutti Chennai 204 4 16 / 11 / 19 Bhanu Teja Hyderabad 155 5 20 Chevlyn Fernandes Mumbai 151 Junior Championship Position Car No Name City Points 1 43647 Ujjwal Belwariar Bangalore 123 2 16/13 Garvit Agarwal Gurgaon 107 3 10 Aditya Iyer Pune 103 4 11079 Avinash Gupta Kalimpong 99 5 68/44 Veer Sheth Mumbai 83
