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Category: Domestic
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Shaurya Kapani, Sarvesh stars of the day in Pro-Junior class: Ajmera IndiKarting 2nd Edition
Winners all: The second edition of the Ajmera IndiKarting winners in Mumbai on Wednesday. An INDIAinF1 photo Mumbai, 18 Dec 2019: The 2nd edition of the FMSCI approved, Ajmera IndiKarting Clash of Pros, was a spectacular affair of top level racing from some of the best racers in the region across 2 categories – Pro junior and Pro Senior. Shaurya Kapani was on top of the standings at the end of the day after winning 2 of the 3 races in the Pro Junior. Sarvesh Bode with a win and second place, took top honours in the Pro Senior category.
Qualifying was a close affair in both categories. Veer Sheth clocked 25.42 seconds, ahead Shaurya Kapani (25.44 seconds). Raiden Samervel and Nirvaan Chandna who recently made the move up into the Juniors were right behind posting laptimes of 25.46 and 25.63 seconds.
9 drivers in the Pro Senior clocked within 1 second. Tej Patel lapped the 400 meter Ajmera IndiKarting circuit in an impressive 25.87 seconds to bag pole position, a mere hundredth of a second, ahead of the highly rated Aaroh Ravindra (25.88 seconds) and Sarvesh Bode (25.91 seconds).
The Pro Junior Race 1 – Saw an exciting battle for the lead between Veer Sheth and Shaurya Kapani. Both racers with international experience under their belt, enthralled the crowd with multiple overtakes. Eventually Veer won the race ahead of Shaurya. Raiden Samervel came in third.
Tej had a good start in the Pro Senior Race 1. Behind him, Sarvesh and Aaroh were nose to tail, while Rahul Deshpande was under pressure from Jamie Shaw. Their karts touched and Jamie hit the barriers forcing him to retire. Tej won comfortably, followed by Sarvesh and Aaroh.
Race 2 in both categories started as a complete reverse grid of the entire field, based on the result of Race 1. In the Pro Junior, Nikhil Hariharn started on pole, followed by Aashi Hanspal – the only girl in the event. Shaurya made his way up the field and went on to win. Ashay Kadam started third, and drove fantastically to finish second ahead of Hoshmand Elavia.
The Pro Senior Race 2 started with Jamie on pole, followed by Paarth Damani, Neville Tata and Aashwath Chowta. Jamie quickly zoomed away to a comfortable lead. Behind him however, there was total chaos as quicker racers from behind had to contend with racers in front who refused to give up position. They defended aggressively and this proved to be a recipe for disaster. Multiple incidents followed and many racers crashed heavily. Jah Wadia who was unlucky in race 1 where he faced engine trouble, was unlucky a second time as he crashed just a few laps from the end. A few moments early Alyraza Beig and Aashwath crashed out. Jamie won, ahead of Rahul and Aaroh.Shaurya won Race 3 of the Pro Junior, followed by Veer and Raiden. The Senior race 3 was a fantastic display of fierce but clean competition. Five racers were locked in a battle for the lead for over half the race. Eventually Sarvesh triumphed ahead of Rahul and Aaroh.
The Pro Senior Plus category for heavier racers, was won by Raghav Vaishnav followed by Alyraza Beig and Parth Damani.
“It was fantastic to see such close racing. Both the Seniors and Juniors were within hundredths of a second and that speaks volumes of the level of competition. It was also good to see so many new faces. The future looks bright and I hope that many of these racers will soon compete internationally” said 8 Time champion and promoter of IndiKarting, Rayomand Banajee.
The next round will be conducted on January 11 and 12 with qualifying commencing from Dec 24.
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Mumbai Falcons soar high with a double; Bangalore Racing Stars top in Race 1
Mumbai Falcons pair of Kush Maini (right) and Mikkel Jensen who scored a double in the X1 Racing League on Sunday. Chennai, 8 Dec 2019: Mumbai Falcons, represented by Kush Maini and Mikkel Jensen (Denmark), won two of the three races while Bangalore Racing Stars tandem of Arjun Maini and Oliver Webb (England) took the honours in the other outing as the curtains came down on the inaugural franchise-based XI Racing League at the MMRT, here today.
The first race of the day, won by Bangalore, took a heavy toll with six cars packing up due to mechanical reasons. It left a six-car grid for the second and third races, but that did not take anything away from Mumbai’s double.
The Race-1 was interrupted by a Safety Car period after one of the cars blew the engine. Bangalore started fourth on the grid behind Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad, but with some smart tactics managed to pull ahead. The teams were required to make a mandatory driver change between ninth and 14th minutes window and Bangalore, powered by Arjun Maini and England’s Oliver Webb got it spot on and then held off a late charging Mumbai (Kush Maini and Mikkel Jensen) to win the race. Hyderabad (Vitantonio Liuzzi-Gosia Rdest) completed the podium.
The second race began on reverse grid of the previous race standings. As such, Delhi’s Gaurav Gill, the three times Asia Pacific Rally champion, started from pole and led until he pitted for Raghul Rangasamy to take over. Rangasamy maintained the track position to finish second behind Mumbai Falcons (Kush Maini and Jensen). Bangalore Racing Stars who had started fifth, came in third.
Mumbai Falcons went on to complete a double later in the evening, finishing on top in Race-3 ahead of Bangalore Racing Stars and Blackbirds Hyderabad.
Kush Maini (No.1) on a charge in Race 2 on Sunday. Photos by Anand Philar The results (Provisional):
Race-1: 1. Bengaluru Racing Stars (Arjun Maini / Oliver Webb) (27mins, 23.458secs); 2. Mumbai Falcons (Kush Maini / Michel Jensen) (27:24.018); 3. Blackbirds Hyderabad (Vitantonio Liuzzi / Gosia Rdest) (27:28.969).
Race-2: 1. Mumbai Falcons (28:02.222); 2. AD Racing Delhi (Gaurav Gill / Raghul Rangasamy) (28:21.637); 3. Bangalore Racing Stars (28:25.847).
Race-3: 1. Mumbai Falcons (27:59.175); 2. Bangalore Racing Stars (28:03.838); 3. Blackbirds Hyderabad (Luizzi / Akhil Rabindra) (28:28.382).
About X1Racing League
X1Racing League, promoted by Racing Promotions Private Limited, is a hybrid motorsport media business creating, developing and commercializing IPs via live events, experiences and ecosystem. X1Racing League intends to reimagine, reinvent and redefine motorsport. X1Racing League is built on three pillars namely X1Racing League, X1Racing eSports and X1Racing Speed Summits. The X1Racing League powered by JK Tyre takes place in November-December in Delhi and Chennai represented by six franchise teams of 24 race drivers including international and domestic men and women. The X1Racing eSports Season 1 is being held in collaboration with global technology leader OnePlus across each of these six cities prior to the professional league to involve fans in a participative simulator-racing format. Winners will win rewards as well as have an opportunity to be trained by professional race drivers. Additionally, in their attempt to make motorsport a part of a larger lifestyle, the X1Racing Speed Summits will bring about exclusive weekenders in the form of VIP corporate experiences. All these pillars bring together a robust calendar of motorsport activity across India touching fans and talent alike to truly make motorsport much more than a sport, but a lifestyle.
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XI Motorsport League comes to Chennai for 2nd and final round
First round action in Delhi at Buddh International Circuit on 1st Dec 2019. An INDIAinF1 image Chennai, 7 Dec 2019: The cream of Indian racing talent, along with their foreign counterparts, including three former Formula One drivers, will re-assemble at the MMRT, here on Sunday for the second round of the path-breaking, franchise-based X1Racing League, being conducted by the Madras Motor Sports Club.
The three races, scheduled for Sunday, promise high-quality racing with the three ex-F1 drivers, India’s Narain Karthikeyan, Malaysian Alex Yoong and Italian Vitantonio Luizzi, competing against hand-picked racers, both foreign and Indian, with rich international experience, besides domestic talent. Also in the fray is Gaurav Gill, the three-times FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship winner, WRC2 participant and reigning National rally champion who has also competed in single-seater races in India.
The brain-child of two of India’s finest racers, Aditya Patel and Armaan Ebrahim, and promoted by Racing Promotions Private Limited, the X1Racing League, comprises six city-based teams – Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Delhi. The first round was held at the Buddh International Circuit, Delhi, last weekend.
The uniqueness of the X1Racing League lies in its structure that calls for mixed teams of male and female drivers. It also brings together under one umbrella a clutch of Indian racers like the Maini brothers, Arjun and Kush, Akhil Rabindra and Krishnaraaj Mahadik who have been active in various international series with some success.
Also on the grid are drivers with a proven track record in Indian championships, such as young guns Yash Aradhya, Sohil Shah, Arjun Datta, Nayan Chatterjee, Anindith Reddy, besides experienced Ameya Walavalkar, Vishnu Prasad, Raghul Rangasamy, Chittesh Mandody, Karthik Tharani, Arjun Narendran, and Arjun Balu.
The foreign talent includes England’s Oliver Webb, Mikkel Jensen from Denmark and Australian Mitch Gilbert, all with exposure to Touring car championships and Formula racing.
Headlining the female talent is England’s 36-year old Pippa Mann who has been racing internationally for over a decade, including the iconic Indy series in the United States. She will be up against compatriot Alice Powell who finished third overall in the inaugural W Series for women earlier this year, Poland’s Gosia Rdest, Denmark’s Michelle Gatting and Rahel Frey from Switzerland.
The Delhi round of the X1Racing League saw Bengaluru Racing Stars, comprising Arjun Maini, Webb, Gatting, Chatterjee, and Vishnu Prasad, winning two of the four races, while Mumbai Falcons (Kush Maini, Jensen, Mann, Shah and Tharani) topping the other two.
The teams:
Hyderabad Black Birds: Vitantonio Luizzi (Italy), Gosia Rdest (Poland), Akhil Rabindra (IND), Arjun Narendran (IND) and Anindith Reddy (IND).
Bengaluru Racing Stars: Oliver Webb (England), Michelle Gatting (England), Arjun Maini (IND), Nayan Chatterjee (IND) and Vishnu Prasad (IND).
Mumbai Falcons: Mikkel Jensen (Denmark), Pippa Mann (England), Kush Maini (IND), Sohil Shah (IND), Karthik Tharani (IND).
DG Racing Ahmedabad: Alex Yoong (Malaysia), Rahel Frey (Switzerland), Krishna Mahadik (IND), Chittesh Mandody (IND) and Ameya Walavalkar (IND).
AD Racing, Delhi: Gaurav Gill (IND), Raghul Rangaswamy (IND), Ashwin Datta (IND), Mira Erda (IND) and Sandeep Kumar (IND).
Superspeed Racing, Chennai: Narain Karthikeyan (IND), Mitch Gilbert (Australia), Alice Powell (England), Arjun Balu (IND), Yash Aradhya (IND) and Parthiva Sureshwaren (IND).
About X1Racing League
X1Racing League, promoted by Racing Promotions Private Limited, is a hybrid motorsport media business creating, developing and commercializing IPs via live events, experiences and ecosystem. X1Racing League intends to reimagine, reinvent and redefine motorsport. X1Racing League is built on three pillars namely X1Racing League, X1Racing eSports, and X1Racing Speed Summits. The X1Racing League powered by JK Tyre takes place in November-December in Delhi and Chennai represented by six franchise teams of 24 race drivers including international and domestic men and women. The X1Racing eSports Season 1 is being held in collaboration with global technology leader OnePlus across each of these six cities prior to the professional league to involve fans in a participative simulator-racing format. Winners will win rewards as well as have an opportunity to be trained by professional race drivers. Additionally, in their attempt to make motorsport a part of a larger lifestyle, the X1Racing Speed Summits will bring about exclusive weekenders in the form of VIP corporate experiences. All these pillars bring together a robust calendar of motorsport activity across India touching fans and talent alike to truly make motorsport much more than a sport, but a lifestyle.
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Rajendra, Jatin Jain win their classes: 5th round INRC for 2w
Mangaluru, 2 Dec 2019: The following riders won their respective classes in the fifth round of the MRF Mogrip Indian National Rally Championship for 2-wheelers 2019 which concluded near here today. The sixth and final round will be held in Bengaluru.
In the Super Bike Pro Experts Category, Rajendra RE of TVS Racing dominated the proceedings astride his RTR 200 for a comfortable win with over 7 minutes lead against second-place Nikhil Balakrishna.
In Super Bike (Expert) class Group A, Jatin Jain managed to beat Vishwas SD and Badal S Doshi of Mumbai to assure himself of the Championship title taking the top step on the podium.
Provisional final Results: (Organisers and FMSCI failed to provide the results to the Media on time, timings will be updated as and when received)
GROUP A
Class 1 – Super Bike (Pro Expert): 1. Rajendra RE; 2. Nikhil Balakrishna.
Class 1A – Super Bike (Expert): 1. Jatin Jain; 2. Vishwas SD; 3. Badal S Doshi.
GROUP B
Class 2 – Super Sport 130: 1. Nitesh G Poojary; 2. M Srikanth; 3. Hari Krishnan KS.
Class 3 – Super Sport 165: 1. Ishan Chandra; 2. Arshad Ali; 3. Francis PV.
Class 4 – Super Sport 260: 1. Imran Pasha; 2. Samuel Shajan Jacob; 3. Adnaan Ahmed.
Class 5 – Super Sport 400: 1. Sudeep Kottary; 2. Karthikeyan Dhanabal; 3. KN Rohan.
Class 6 – Super Sport 550: 1. Suhail Ahmed; 2. Arun Joy M; 3. Aneesh CK.
Class 7 – S0 to S3 Scooters upto 210cc (S0 to S3): 1. Syed Asif Ali; 2. Shamim Islam Khan; 3. Pinkesh Kishor Thakkar.
Class 8 – Ladies Class (Open Indian Motorcycles): 1. Aishwarya PM; 2. Dimpy A;
Class 9 – Star of Karnataka – 2/4 Stroke Motorcycles up to 210cc: 1. Rohith RS; 2. Shoeb M Khan; 3. Durgesh J.
ends
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Rajini Krishnan bags superbike win for Ducati
New Delhi, 2 Dec 2019: Ducati, swept the 1st and 2nd position at the 23rd edition of JK Tyre FMSCI Indian National Racing Championship 2019 at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) in Noida, Delhi-NCR, securing the championship it won in 2018.
Ducati India’s pilots Rajini Krishnan and Dilip Lalwani successfully bagged the 1st and 2nd position in race 2, in the superbike category aboard the Ducati Panigale V4 S with both bikes running on OEM stock fitments respectively. Also, Neharika Yadav, India’s only woman to race in the 1000cc category, successfully finished the race on her 899 Panigale.
This year’s championship races witnessed over 11 Ducati superbikes on the track making Ducati the biggest superbike manufacturer on the grid. Additionally, Bhumik Lalwani – official pilot of Ducati India’s dealer partner team, Ducati North Star Automotive, secured the championship on Ducati Panigale V4 S, finishing in P1 and P4 in race 1 and 2 respectively and Dilip Lalwani, riding for team Ducati India, came 2nd overall in the championship.
On this occasion, Sergi Canovas Managing Director of Ducati India said, “We are extremely proud of our riders’ performance at this year’s JK Tyre National Racing Championships which is not only one of the biggest but also one of the most competitive racing events in the country. I heartily congratulate Rajini Krishnan, Dilip Lalwani and Bhumik Lalwani for a stellar performance with the supremely capable Panigale V4 S being their weapon of choice. Personally, it feels great to witness and interact with the growing motor-sporting community in India. I am confident that next year will be even bigger and we can’t wait!”
With a legacy of over 90 years, Ducati has strived to reincarnate the racing identity in biking, cultivate an unparalleled riding culture and strive to build the motorsport community in India through various initiatives such as Track Days, Individual Track Riding Academy, etc.
The JK Racing India Series is the premium category in the JK Tyre Racing Championship. Launched in 1997, JK Tyre has now become the revered launch pad for budding motorsport talents in the country. JK Tyre took upon itself to package and design the Championship to suit the masses, which was earlier regarded for the elite. Despite raising the bar each time, the JKNRC remains the most cost-effective programs not only in India but in the world.
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Vishnu Prasad pips Raghul to win Formula LGB-4 title: JK Tyre Nationals
Chennai’s Vishnu Prasad on way to hi championship crown in the LGB4 class of the JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship at BIC, Greater Noida. A JK Tyre photo Greater Noida, 1 Dec 2019: Chennai’s Vishnu Prasad and Bengaluru’s Syed Muzammil Ali demonstrated nerves of steel to emerge as the heroes of the thrill-a-minute JK Tyre Festival of Speed here on Sunday.
Over 35,000 excited and screaming fans had the time of their lives at the Buddh International Circuit, enjoying a wholesome entertainment package topped up by tense races, close finishes and a couple of spectacular crashes too.
Eventually, Vishnu of MSport pipped his friend, team-mate and rival, Raghul Rangaswamy, to the crown in the coveted Formula LGB-4 category of the JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship.
Going into the final day with 73 points apiece, Vishnu and Raghul knew that, for once, they didn’t have to chase victory; they just had to finish ahead of the other to claim the championship.
But, true to their reputation, they went all out, providing for a thrilling race, with Vishnu winning in dramatic fashion; Raghul finished third to take the second position in the championship.
The Suzuki Gixxer Cup too followed the script of the season, with Syed Muzammil Ali and Tanay Gaikwad locked in one last fight. Tanay, however, began with a huge disadvantage following a DNF on Saturday.
He began from the back of the grid and valiantly fought his way up but could only manage a third-place finish to settle for the second position in the championship. Muzammil, who had an overnight 2-point lead, made sure that he hit the post ahead of Tanay to clinch the Cup.
The inaugural X1 Racing competition, Powered by JK Tyre, too proved to be with an instant hit, with its mix of top international and domestic drivers in an exciting new format.
Bangalore Racing Stars, with Arjun Maini, Oliver Webb, Vishnu Prasad and Michelle Gatting, claimed Round 1 in style, thanks to their two wins on Day 1. They also won the last race of the round, the relay race, to emerge clear victors.
Mumbai Falcons, (Kush Maini, Mikkel Jensen, Karthik Tharani and Pippa Mann) won one of the two races of the day and had to settle for the second position.
Rajini Krishnan (JK Tyre Superbike 1000cc), P. Sai Rahil Shetty (JK Tyre Superbike Cup 600cc) and Japan’s Karen Ogura (Asia Cup Road Racing) were the other heroes of the day, winning their respective races on Sunday.
Car stunts at the JK Tyre Festival of Speed. RESULTS (Championship winners):
JK Tyre LGB Formula 4: 1. Vishnu Prasad (83); 2. Raghul Rangasamy (79); Diljith T S (68)
JK Tyre LGB Formula 4 Rookie: 1.Megaa K. S. (85); 2. Mihir Barve (73); 3. Akshay Kapoor (62)
JK Tyre Suzuki Gixxer Cup: 1. Syed Muzammil Ali (64); Tanay Gaikwad (60); Sidharth Sajan (36)
Provisional Results:
JK LGB Formula 4: 1. Vishnu Prasad (23:16.961); 2. Ashwin Datta (23:18.060); 3. Raghul Rangasamy (23:18.675)
JK Tyre Suzuki Gixxer Cup: 1. Sanjeev Mhatre (23:28.022); 2. Syed Muzammil Ali (23:29.287); 3. Tanay Gaikwad (23:35.746)
Asia Cup Road Racing: 1. Karen Ogura (20:51.318); 2. Eane Jaye Sobretodo (20:51.478); 3. Mei Sakurai (21:01.006)
JK Tyre Superbike 1000cc: 1. Rajini Krishnan (11:49.834); 2. Dilip Lalwani (11:51.070); 3. Simranjeet Singh (11:53.166)
JK Tyre Superbike Cup 600cc: 1. P. Sai Rahil Shetty (12:21.241); 2. Gurvinder Singh (12:26.929); 3. Vishal Khubchandani (12:41.629)
X1 Racing Powered by JK Tyre:
Race 1: 1. Mumbai Falcons; 2. Bangalore Racing Stars; 3. DGR Ahmedabad
Race 2: 1. Bangalore Racing Stars; 2. Mumbai Falcons; 3. NK Racing Chennai
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MRF MoGrip INRC two-wheeler championship at Mangaluru from today
Mangaluru, 30 Nov 2019: A record number of 63 entries were received for the Rally of Mangaluru, the fifth and final round of the MRF Mogrip Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) for two-wheelers being organised under the aegis of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India (fmsci) at Panja, near Puttur, on Saturday.
Reigning champions in the top class, RE Rajendra of TVS Racing, astride an Apache RTR 450, leads Class 1 with 75 points followed by teammate R Nataraj (51). Rajendra, will spearhead the rally with six bikes in the class, the Super Bike Expert class. The TVS duo will be in the Super Bike pro-expert class. In class 2, there are 26 entries with Azeeb Mohammed leading the Class 2 and Ishan Chandra on top of Class 3 table. Aishwarya Pissay is on top of the ladies’ category which has two entries.
TVS Racing’s riders Syed Asif Ali, Shamim Khan, and Pinkesh Thakkar are expected to fight between themselves in the Scooter class. The ceremonial flag-off will be on Saturday and the action begins at Panja on Sunday. The riders will have to negotiate a total stage distance is 60km, to be run over two different stages in Karkala and Jaake.
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Chetan Shivaram-Dilip Sharan thwart pressure from Dr Bikku Babu-Milen to win K1000 Rally
Chetan Shivram (left) and Dilip Sharan on the podium after winning the K1000 rally, the 4th Round of Champiojns Yacht Club INRC 2019 in Bengaluru on Sunday. INDIAinF1 photo Bengaluru, 24 Nov 2019: Gaurav Gill, Dean Mascarenhas, Karna Kadur, Fabid Ahmer… the top drivers, stalwarts, experienced veterans, talented seniors and upcoming youngsters… many of them bit the dust. The unforgiving terrain of Khoday’s Special Stages saw that only 23 of the 50 cars finished the 44th edition of the K1000 rally, which was run entirely on a private property after many years, with special focus on spectator safety.
In the SUV Challenge, Gagan Karumbaiah (co-driver Thimmu Uddapanda) of Team Champions took the first place to virtually seal the 2019 title.
File photo of Chetan Shivram. @FB Coimbatore round winners, Chetan Shivaram and Dilip Sharan of Team Akshara won the fourth round of the Indian National Rally Championship after thwarting sustained pressure from Dr Bikku Babu and Milen George of Team Champions, and took the overall win by 12.7 seconds and also topped their class INRC3. The Doctor from Kerala had to be content with the overall second place but topped INRC2 and Team Mahindra Adventure’s second entry Amittrajit Ghosh and Ashwin Naik were overall third, a good three minutes and 27 seconds behind, but were rewarded for finishing the rally with the top prize in the top class, the INRC. Chetan Shivaram took the overall lead in the Championship replacing Fabid Ahmer, with one round remaining, the Popular Rally in Kerala.
Mujeeb Rahman (left) and Goutham, INRC4 winners Motoring stalwart and speed demon Gaurav Gill and co-driver Musa Sherif, too, had a disappointing outing as he failed to take the start on Sunday and other pre-event favourites Dean Mascarenhas and Shruptha Padival (SS6), and Karna Kadur and Nikhil Pai (SS5) failed to finish the day along with championship leaders Fabid Ahmer and Sanath Gopalan (SS7).
After the shock exit of Gaurav Gill, order seemed to have been restored, with another JK favourite Dean Mascarenhas winning SS5. But he promptly fell in the next stage, leaving the field for Championship leader Fabid Ahmer. But the MRF driver, who was nursing his car carefully, suffered a mechanical failure in SS7 and tumbled out. “What looked like a promising result ended up with broken tie-rod end! Had to stop in SS7 when running 3rd Overall and 2nd in INRC3. We will bounce back at our home rally in Kerala,” quipped Fabid Ahmer.
“The top guns may not have fired today but we couldn’t have hoped for a more thrilling finish. It was good to see so many of the INRC 2 and 3 teams making a mark here, ahead of the known champions,” Hema Malini Nidamanuri, co-promoter of the INRC, said.
SUV winners of K1000 on 24 Nov 2019. (INDIAinF1 publishes other class winners’ photos as they usually get buried in mainstream media. We encourage drivers to send their winning photos to INDIAinF1@gmail.com) Photo: Prabhu Kethanur Dr Bikku Babu and Melen George, winners of INRC2 at K1000 on Sunday. Photo: FB Chethan Shivaram in action at K1000. Photo by Prabhu Kethanoor Fabid Ahmer and Sanath G stall in Special Stage 7 due to tie-rod failure on Sunday. @Fabid on FB File photo of Team Akshara. Courtesy: FB @ChetanShivram Final Provisional Unaudited Results:
Overall: 1. Chetan Shivaram/ Dilip Sharan (Akshara Racing) (1hour, 47minutes, 37.200seconds); 2. Dr Bikku Babu/ Milen George (Team Champions) (1:47:49.900); 3. Amittrajit Ghosh/ Ashwin Naik (Team Mahindra Adventure) (1:51.04.300).
INRC: 1. Amittrajit Ghosh/ Ashwin Naik (Team Mahindra Adventure) (1:51.04.300); 2. Phalguna Urs/ Chandramouli M (Sanp Racing) (1:53:00.500). (only two cars finished out of six)
INRC2: 1. Dr Bikku Babu/ Milen George (Team Champions) (1:47:49.900); 2. Sahil Khanna/ Rajit Kadian (Snap Racing) (1:52:00.200); 3. Younus Ilyas/Harish Gowda (Race Concepts) (4:50:24.200).
INRC3: 1. Chetan Shivaram/ Dilip Sharan (Akshara Racing) (1:47:37.200); 2. Jacob KJ/ Murthy PVS (Arka Motorsports) (1:53.35.600); 2. Pradeep Kumar/Ahammad Ansary (Pipe & Pipe) (2:19:58.000).
INRC4: 1. Mujeeb Rahaman/ Gautham CP (Privateers) (1:55:17.900); 2. Shirole Prakhyat H/ Bharath SM (Pvt) (1:57:16.300); 3.Satish Peddineni/ Vinay Kumar PM (Team Champions) (2:33:19.500).
FMSCI SUV Challenge: 1. Gagan Karumbaiah/ Thimmu Uddapanda (Team Champions) (2:47:46.800); 2. Thomas Kuncheria M/ Dwarakanath Sudarshan (Pvt.) (2:13:41.200); 3. Sanjay Agarwal/ Smitha N (Team Champions) (5:03:17.100).
(Note: Results were revised after confirmation from official version at 6.15pm.)
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Gaurav Gill takes lead in K1000; 24 of the 50 cars that took the start suffer casualties
Gaurav Gill leads K1000 at the end of Day 1 in Bengaluru on Saturday. Photo by Sriharsha Nadiger Bengaluru, 23 Nov 2019: Speed Maestro Gaurav Gill touched his wonted form, making an immediate impact as he returned to rallying, by speeding to the first-Special Stage win of the popular K1000 rally, the fourth leg of the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) organised by Karnataka Motor Sports Club (KMSC) at the Khoday’s stages in Amruthnagar, about 20km, near here, on Saturday. But the champion driver was forced to pay attention and drive with caution as the tough stages took a toll on many an experienced driver during the four stages run on Day 1. Still Gill won two of the four stages but displayed controlled aggression and went steady in the other two.
Of the 50 cars that took the flag at the ceremonial start on Friday, 24 cars suffered casualities on Day 1 in the demanding and treacherous dirt stages but five cars out of them will not be able to start the final day of the 44th K1000 Rally, promoted by Champions Yacht Club under the aegis of Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI). Only 45 cars will take the start on Sunday.
The Arjuna Awardee and three-time Asia Pacific Rally Championship winner, Gill, dashed with vengeance taking the 18.5km stage in 13min, 43.6sec, the only driver on the day to go under 14-min mark on Special Stage 1. The five-time INRC champion in JK Tyre colours, was followed by talented Karna Kadur, who took 29 seconds more behind him, but kept the pressure on Gill (co-driver Musa Sherif) to finish the day in second place. Karna Kadur and navigator Nikhil Pai, of Arka Motorsports, won Special Stage 4 to reduce the deficit and will be gunning for maximum points. Then, it was Dr Bikku Babu who sprang a surprise. Watch Prabhu Kethanoor’s 8-sec Video of Karna Kadur here…
But it was Dr Bikku Babu and Milen George, who won SS2. The doctor from Kerala, who was involved in reviving the Popular rally along with his team, pelted to take a stunning win and Karna despite losing time and finishing 7th in this stage came back and took the second place behind Gill and Musa Sherif in SS3 and went on to win SS4 to make up enough time and stand second, behind Gill, the Delhi-based master of speed.
Overall leader before the start of this round, Fabid Ahmer, driving a Volkswagen Polo, with partial sponsorship from MRF tyres, opted for the smart option, driving steadily in each of the four stages, with the finishing post in his mind. He was in the sixth position at the end of the day and could well go full throttle on the big day.
Fabid Ahmer and co-driver Sanath Gopal, of Team Champions, had their strategy of steady and clean driving as the track took a toll on man and machine on Saturday. Only Popular Rally is remaining in the calendar as the Coffee Day rally at Chikmagalur is likely to be cancelled for want of a sponsor. The Palakkad driver began with caution and was keen on completing the day and could only finish 8th in SS1 but reeled out consistent times and made sure he is safe. The duo was fifth in SS2 but again lost time in SS3 and SS4 finishing 7th and 8th respectively. But Dean Mascarenhas of Mangalore with Shruptha Padival as co-driver has finished the day in overall third and with only 7 points behind to Fabid’s 49, is likely to take the overall lead as INRC goes to Kerala for the last round. Dean has a lead of about 75 seconds to Fabid and will be looking to be cautious on the four stages to be run on Sunday.
Fabid and Sanath even fell behind brothers Chetan Shivaram and Dilip Sharan, who also compete in INRC3. The Bengaluru brothers are in 5th place at the end of the day. Chetan managed to take the 6th place in the first stage and put in some consistent time finishing 3rd in both SS2 and SS3 and clocked fourth best time in SS4 to finish overall 5th after four stages.
Mangaluru boy Dean Mascarenhas in action finishing Day 1 in second place in the K1000 at Bengaluru on Saturday. An INDIAinF1 image Dean, meanwhile, continued to hold sway in the INRC2 category, although he had Dr Bikku Babu and co-driver Milen George, breathing down his neck, only 9.8 seconds behind. The good doctor was the clear surprise package of the day, going past the winning post in SS2; he even left Gill in his wake in SS4, taking the second place to Gill’s third, and claimed the fifth position in SS3 and the 6th in SS1 to boast of the best show of the day. Shahil Khanna and Rajit Kadian are placed third in INRC2.
However, all eyes will be on Karna Kadur and Nikhil Pail. The Arka Motorsports duo, who had two disappointing rounds at Chennai and Coimbatore, showed their mettle to take the overall second position behind Gill and also in the INRC class. Karna showed glimpses of his talent and won SS4 with an impressive timing of 12:24.200. The technically sound driver could be a major threat on Sunday if he can control his speed and manage the tough terrain. They are also second in the INRC class behind Gill and are followed by Phalguna Urs and Chandramouli M, who recovered from a bad crash in Jodhpur.
The INRC 4 class, saw Vaibhav Marate suffering a setback, withdrawing from the first stage itself after a mechanical problem. He should, however, be back in action on Sunday to put his title aspirations back on track, gunning for stage points. In his absence, Mujeeb Rahman and co-driver Gautham CP, privateers on a Honda City took the top position on Day 1. Shirole Prakhyat and Bharath SM, on a Honda City VTech are second, followed by Karthik Arumugam and Lenin Jose in third place.
Thomas Kuncheria M and co-driver Dwarakanth Sudarshan brought their Maruti Gypsy to the top in the SUV Challenge class. Leaders Gagan Karumbaiah and Thimmu Uddapanda are trailing in second place and will be gunning for the final shot on Sunday to take back the lead. K Shivakumar Reddy and Dheeraj KV, also in a Gypsy, are place third with four more Special Stages to be run on Sunday.
“It was an exciting day, opening up the championship in this penultimate round,” Hema Malini Nidamanuri, co-promoter of the rally, said. “We got to see some amazing driving and I am sure it’s going to be even more fun on Sunday,” she added.
Satyapal, communication head, briefing the team at K1000 on Saturday. Photo Moto Port SeenaProvisional Unaudited Results after Leg 1 (Day 1):
Overall: 1. Gaurav Gill/ Musa Sherif (Team Mahindra Adventure) (52minutes; 58.200seconds); 2. Karna Kadur/ Nikhil Pai (Arka Motorsports) (53:47.800); 3. Dean Mascarenhas/ Shruptha Padival (Privateers) (54:14.300).
INRC: 1. Gaurav Gill/ Musa Sherif (Team Mahindra Adventure) (52minutes; 58.200seconds); 2. Karna Kadur/ Nikhil Pai (Arka Motorsports) (53:47.800); 3. Phalguna Urs/ Chandramouili M (Snap Racing) (55:37.800).
INRC2: 1. Dean Mascarenhas/ Shruptha Padival (Privateers) (54:14.300); 2. Dr Bikku Babu/ Milen George (Team Champions) 54:27.100; 3. Sahil Khanna/ Rajit Kadian (Snap Racing) (56:05.800).
INRC3: 1. Chetan Shivaram/ Dilip Sharan (Akshara Racing) (54:28.500); 2. Fabid Ahmer/ Sanath G (Team Champions) (55:32.900); 3. Pradeep Kumar/ Ahammad Ansary (Pipes & Pipes) (56:17.400).
INRC4: 1. Mujeeb Rahaman/ Gautham CP (Privateers) (58:56.100); 2. Shirole Prakhyat H/ Bharath SM (Pvt) (59:11.500); 3.Karthik Arumugam/ Lenin Jose (Pvt) (1:02:11.400).
FMSCI SUV Challenge: 1. Thomas Kuncheria M/ Dwarakanath Sudarshan (Pvt.) (1:07:09.700); 2. Gagan Karumbaiah/ Thimmu Uddapanda (Team Champions) (1:13:36.800); 3. K Shivakumar Reddy/ Dhiraj KV (Pvt.) (3:03:01.800).
Note: The report was edited and results added at 10.45 pm
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Fabid Ahmer ready to sustain momentum at K1000; Gaurav Gill back on track
Documentation by the drivers on Thursday at Resort Area83, the Rally HQ2 for K1000. By David Bodapati
Bangalore, 22 Nov 2019: Overall championship leader Fabid Ahmer and co-driver Sanath Gopalan, from Kerala, are raring to go and are eager to reinforce their lead in the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) as the 44th edition of the popular K1000 Rally begins here on Saturday.
The rally attracted a record number of 55 entries with the number 13 left out of the lot, with no stickering done due to the supposed bad-omen it brings. About 49 cars took the start at the Ceremonial Start on Friday.
However, Team Champions’ Fabid and Sanath duo, who got their Volkswagen Polo tyres sponsored by MRF, will face stiff competition from rival JK Tyre-supported Dean Mascarenhas and Shruptha Padival, the winners of the season opener in Chennai, also in a VW Polo. But both the pairs will be wary of speed maestro Gaurav Gill, who will be rallying after a gap of two months, after the unfortunate incident in Jodhpur.
The Mahindra Adventure team’s Gill, navigated by veteran Musa Sherif, stated that he put the `tragedy’ behind him and was eager to get back on wheels in the WRC2 in Australia, but the rally was cancelled due to bush fires and the multiple-Indian National champion lost a chance to get back into the groove. But the three-time Asia Pacific Rally Champion want to be back in full force and it would be a pleasure to see him ease into his own gracious self, thrilling the crowds with speeds, only he can churn out. “I have always enjoyed driving here in the K-1000. I am really looking forward to go out there and enjoying myself. Hopefully, things will turn in my favour this weekend,” said Gill who is currently fifth in the championship along with Musa Sherif.
Karna Kadur and co-driver Nikhil Pai, are always a threat to any team in K1000, and Amittrajit Ghosh and Ashwin Naik, the second team of Mahindra Adventure, will also be looking to make amends for a late-season splash. Rahul Kantharaj and Vivek Bhatt, in INRC2 and brothers Chethan Shivaram and Dilip Sharan winners of the Coimbatore rally will be the others to watch out for. The other INRC2 pair of Dr Bikku Babu and Milen George can spring a surprise, or two.
Gaurav Gill at the Ceremonial Start at the Uru Brewpark in Amruthnagar, on Friday. Photo by Sriharsha Nadiger Champions Yacht Club promoted National Championship, under the aegis of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India (FMSCI) will enter its final stretch, with its Round 4, the K-1000 Rally at a private property in the Garden City. The premier rally organised by Karnataka Motor Sports Club is one of the oldest rallies in the country but after a chequered run, the previous promoters, RRPM, denied K1000 a round in the 2019 National Championship, after many successful decades of running.
The final round, the Coffee Day Rally at Chikmagalur is a doubtful starter with the Coffee Day said to be withdrawing the full sponsorship support after the death of its founder Siddharth but the postponed Popular Rally is likely to be held in December or January. The Popular Rally was put off due to a PIL filed in a Kerala court but the court refused to stop the rally.
Along with Fabid Ahmer, INRC4 topper Vaibhav Marate from Goa along with co-driver Arjun, too would get the support from MRF. Both of them are comfortably placed in their categories and look poised to end the year on a high note. Fabid and Sanath, representing Team Champions are also leading INRC 3 class and have a unique style of driving that can be smooth and graceful. Fabid and Sanath, are also leading the Junior INRC class.
The Mangalore pair of Dean and Shruptha are leading the INRC2 class with 65 points followed by another JK stablemate, Younus Ilyas (42 points).
“We have a very strong field of 55 teams in this round too, creating a record in itself,” Vamsi Merla, the promoter of INRC, said. “Every category is very closely contested, with the backing of two very strong supporters. This is what motorsport is all about,” he added.
The rally will have a Special Stage distance of 125km split into two legs. Leg one on Saturday with six Special Stages will run for a distance of 75km while the leg 2 on Sunday will have 50km distance. There are two physical stages, Khoday’s Lakes and Khoday’s Woods. The rally is run completely in private property, in the Resort Area83 and partly in Khoday’s property. The Lakes stage is 18.5km and Woods stage is 6.5km. Both the stages will be run thrice in the same direction on Saturday and twice in reverse direction on Sunday. Fortunately, the liaison distance will be one of the shortest in the recent times with the drivers taking only 13.8km in transport distance. It is a pity that the crowd favourite stage, the Super Special Stage is done away with, this year.
(Note added on Nov 24: Despite SR on FMSCI (on Nov 22) saying six stages on Day1, only four were run in the actual rally.)
The Rally offers a prize money of Rs.1 lakh for the top three classes and Rs.75,000 for INRC4, and Rs.40,000 for SUV class. Rally teaser!
A new clause is added in the Supplementary Regulations, in hind sight, for “Accident Reporting’’: If a driver taking part in a rally is involved in an accident in which a member of the public sustains physical injury, the driver concerned must report this to the next radio point as specified in the road book and signposted on the route according to Article 3.3.3 of the GP’s. If he fails to observe this rule, the Stewards may impose on the crew responsible, a penalty which may go as far as disqualification. The laws of the country must also be complied with in relation to procedures at accidents.
POINTS TABLE after 3 rounds: INRC: 1. Fabid Ahmed & Sanath G 49 points; 2. Dean Mascarenhas & Shruptha Padival 42 points; 3. Chetan Shivram & Dilip Sharan 40 pts.
INRC 2: 1. Dean Mascarenhas & Shruptha Padival 65 points; 2. Younus Ilyas & Harish Gowda 42 points; 3. Vinoth G Kumar & Krishna Charan Dasari 35 points.
INRC 3: 1. Fabid Ahmed & Sanath G 69 points; 2. Chetan Shivram & Dilip Sharan 45 points; 3. Arjun Rao & Rajit Kadian 30 points
INRC 4: 1. Vaibhav Marate & Arjun SSB 74 points; 2. Rakshith Iyer & Chadrashekar 58 points; 3. Suraj Thomas & Shob George 41 points.
SUV Challenge: 1. Gagan Karumbaiah & Thimmu Uddapanda 78 points; 2. Sanjay Agarwal & Smitha N 60 points; 3. Nikhil J & Arjun Dheerendra 49 points.
