INDIA in F1

Category: Domestic

  • Ahamed leads 1-2-3 finish for TVS; Anish Shetty heads Honda podium sweep

    Ahamed leads 1-2-3 finish for TVS; Anish Shetty heads Honda podium sweep


    Rajiv Sethu (No.80) en route Pro-Stock 165cc win. Photos by Anand Philar

    Chennai, 8 Sept 2019: KY Ahamed led a podium sweep for TVS Racing in the premier Pro-Stock 301-400cc category while Anish Shetty spearheaded a 1-2-3 finish for Idemitsu Honda Ten10 Racing while notching his fifth consecutive win in the Pro-Stock 201-300cc class as the fourth round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship concluded at the MMRT, here today.

    Earlier, international rider Rajiv Sethu continued his win-spree in the popular Pro-Stock 165cc category after overcoming a poor start as Idemitsu Honda Ten10 team swept all the podium spots. For 21-year old Chennai-based Sethu, it was his sixth win in a row.


    A 1-2-3 for Idemitsu Honda Ten10 Racing in Pro-Stock 165cc class – winner Raiv Sethu (centre), 2nd placed Sarath Kumar (left) and third-placed Kevin Kannan on Sunday.

    Also continuing his golden run was Venkatesan I in the Novice (Stock 165cc) category as he headed a 1-2 finish for Team Moto Maniacz Racing with Manoj Y in tow. For the Chennai-based Venkatesan, it was his fourth win on the trot.

    Meanwhile, Ryhana Bee, the 22-year old from Chennai, notched her third consecutive win in the Girls category of the National Championship to give herself a 35-point lead over defending champion and Sparks Racing team-mate Ann Jennifer who finished second ahead of Alisha Abdullah (Alishaa Racing).

    The podium sweep in the 301-400cc category that Ahamed scripted provided a big cheer for TVS Racing on a weekend dominated by arch-rivals Honda. Ahamed managed to finish ahead of his mentor and former seven-times National champion Jagan Kumar who finally picked up his first points this weekend after failing to finish Race-1 and retiring in both the Pro-Stock 165cc races he had taken part. Championship leader in this category, Deepak Ravikumar came in third.

    Podium sweep for TVS Racing in Pro-Stock 301-400cc class – winner KY Ahamed (centre), 2nd placed Jagan Kumar (left) and third-placed Deepak Ravikumar.

    Sethu, starting from pole position, had another poor start due to electrical problems, but he recovered quickly to tuck in behind Sarath Kumar even as two key TVS Racing rivals, Jagan Kumar and KY Ahamed, retired due to engine problems. Sethu and Sarath exchanged lead until the last lap when the former moved to the front for his sixth consecutive win. Sarath was content to follow home in second place while team-mate Kevin Kannan crossed the finish line in third position for his maiden podium of the season.

    Meanwhile, 15-year old Md Mikail, riding the FIM Moto3-spec NSF 250R in the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup one-make championship organised by MMSC, completed a treble this weekend as he zipped to his fifth consecutive win and sixth in seven starts.


    Ryhana Bee, winner of the Girls’ race

    The fifth and final round of the championship will be held at the same venue from September 27 to 29.

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

    National Championship:

    Pro-Stock 301-400cc (Race-2): 1. KY Ahamed (TVS Racing) (15mins, 29secs); 2. Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing) (15:30.137); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (15:31.307).

    Pro-Stock 201-300cc (Race-2): 1. Anish Shetty (Idemitsu Honda Ten10 Racing); Abhishek Vasudev (Idemitsu Honda Ten10 Racing) (16:10.234); 3. Aravind Balakrishnan (Idemitsu Honda Ten10 Racing) (16:20.165).

    Pro-Stock 165cc (Race-2): 1. Rajiv Sethu (Idemitsu Honda Ten10 Racing) (16:04.365); 2. Sarath Kumar (Idemitsu Honda Ten10 Racing) (16:04.708); 3. Kevin Kannan (Idemitsu Honda Ten10 Racing) (16:17.731).

    Novice (Stock 165cc, Race-2, 6 laps): 1. Venkatesan I (Motomaniacz Racing) (13:15.876); 2. Manoj Y (Motomaniacz Racing) (13:16.699); 3. Abhimanyu Gautam (Sparks Racing) (13:17.100).

    Girls (Stock 165cc, 5 laps): 1. Ryhana Bee (Sparks Racing) (11:10.964); 2. Ann Jennifer AS (Sparks Racing) (11:14.255); 3. Alisha Abdullah (Alishaa Racing) (11:24.427).

    One-Make Championship organised by MMSC:

    TVS Open (RR 310, Race-2): 1. Anand R (Chennai) (15:56.926); 2. Vivek Pillai (Chennai) (15:58.525); 3. Anup Kumar (16:00.556). Novice (RTR 200, Race-2, 6 laps): 1. Venkatesan I (Chennai) (13:19.642); 2. Manoj Y (Chennai) (13:19.928); 3. Alwin Sundar (Chennai) (13:20.311).

    Idemitsu Honda Talent Cup – NSF 250R (Race-3): 1. Md Mikail (Chennai) (14:38.263); 2. Geoffrey Emmanuel (Chennai) (14:49.888); 3. Kritik Vasant Habib (Gadag) (14:50.114). CBR 150 (Race-2, 6 laps): 1. Lal Nunsanga (Aizwal) (13:13.907); 2.Samuel Martin (Bengaluru) (13:15.559); 3. S Rajsaswanth (Trichy) (13:15.960).

  • JK Tyre X30 Karting Nationals: Nirmal, Ruhaan, Ishaan crowned National champions

    JK Tyre X30 Karting Nationals: Nirmal, Ruhaan, Ishaan crowned National champions

    (L-R) The JK Tyre FMSCI National Karting X30 Class winners-Ruhaan Alva (Junior Class), Nirmal Umashankar (Senior Class) and Ishaan Madesh (Cadet Class) in Bengaluru on Saturday. JK Tyre photo

    Bengaluru, 7 Sept 2019: Bengaluru’s Ruhaan Alva capped off his spectacular run in the X-30 Junior class of the JK Tyre-FMSCI National Karting Championship to emerge the 2019 champions here on Saturday. Chennai’s Nirmal Umashankar and Bengaluru Ishaan Madesh became the National Champions in the Senior and Cadet classes in the last round itself.

    Nirmal, a regular on the JKNRC, collected a total of 23 points in the fifth and final round to amass 160 points to win the Senior category by a mile. Bengaluru’s Aditya Swaminathan (101 points) is the first runner up in the National Championship in Senior category followed by Delhi’s Debarun Banerjee (81) .
     
    It was an eventful start to the weekend, with a carnival-like atmosphere prevailing at the Meco Kartopia. Even as X-30 class was running its final course and the JK Tyre FMSCI National Karting Championship – Sodi Junior & Sodi Senior class’ qualifying rounds began, all eyes were on the `Girls on Track’ programme that attracted racing enthusiasts from across the country.
     
    Ruhaan Alva on way to winning the National Championship in the last round. Photo Shajahan

    Apart from girls from New Delhi, Chennai and Coimbatore, there were four from Nepal too. A handful of 8-year-olds too turned up to get initiated into motorsports along with teenagers and women in their twenties and thirties.

     
    They went through the entire drill of starting on racing simulators before eventually competing in the go-karting slaloms. In between, they underwent a batak reflex test and a basic pit-stop to be set for proper racing.
     
    Meanwhile, local boy Ruhaan Alwa underlined his supremacy in the Junior Category by sealing the title in the first race of the fifth round itself. He returned with a tally of 164 points to be crowned as the National Champion in the Junior class. 
     
    City-mate Arjun S Nair (134 points) is the runner-up in the National Championship and Chennai’s Ryan Mohammed collected a total of 24 points to take the third position in the National Championship with a total of 91 points.
     
    In the Cadet Category, it was Bengaluru’s Ishaan Madhesh who maintained his vice-like grip on the top of the table, winning three more races to accumulate 36 points win with a grand sum of 189 points. Shriya Lohia, a 11-year-old driver from Pune, picked up 27 points to end on the second spot with 134 points. While Ishaan was outstanding and became the National Champion in Cadet class winning all the races, it was a creditable show by Shriya Lohia, who beat many of the boys to stand first runner-up in the National Championship.  
     
    Another Pune driver Sai Shiva Makesh Sankaran finished third with a modest total of 117 points.
    Final poinst tally: (top 3) Cadet Category- 1. Ishaan Madesh (Bangalore) 189 points; 2. Shriya Lohia (Pune) 134 points; 3. Sai Shiva Makesh Sankaran (Pune) 117 points
     
    Junior Category- 1. Ruhaan Alva (Bangalore) 164 points; 2. Arjun Nair (Bangalore) 134 points; 3. Ryan Mohammed (Chennai) 91 points.
     
    Senior Category- 1. Nirmal Umashankar (Chennai) 160 points; 2. Aditya Swaminathan (Bangalore) 101 points ; 3. Debarun Banerjee 81 points.
  • Rajiv Sethu, Anish Shetty continue winning spree; Deepak, Venkatesan sparkel: MMSC bike Nationals

    Rajiv Sethu, Anish Shetty continue winning spree; Deepak, Venkatesan sparkel: MMSC bike Nationals

    Rajiv Sethu celebrating his fifth consecutive win in the Pro-Stock 165cc class at MMRT on Saturday. Photos by Anand Philar

    Chennai, 7 Sept 2019: On a day of serial winners and Honda domination, Deepak Ravikumar spared the blushes for TVS Racing with a brilliant win in the premier Pro-Stock 301-400cc category to consolidate his top position on the leaderboard in the fourth round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship at the MMRT, here on Saturday.

    While Ravikumar chalked up his third win of the season, Idemitsu Honda Ten10 Racing camp celebrated as Rajiv Sethu (Pro-Stock 165cc) stormed to his fifth consecutive win in the class and Anish Shetty (Pro-Stock 201-300cc) led a 1-2 finish with his fourth straight success. Not to be outdone, 22-year old from Chennai, Venkatesan I (Moto Maniacz Racing) completed a hat-trick of wins to consolidate his top position in the Novice (Stock 165cc) championship.

    Deepak Ravikumar (No.25), winner of the Pro-Stock 301-400cc race.

    Ravikumar, a businessman from Chennai and a versatile racer who is a familiar figure on the podium in the National car racing championship, started the race from P3, eased his way past pole-sitter and team-mate Jagan Kumar and Alishaa Racing’s Amarnath Menon to hit the front. With Jagan retiring due to a mechanical issue midway through the six-lap race, Ravikumar opened up a big lead.

    Rajiv Sethu after completing his fifth consecutive win in Pro-Stock 165cc class

    However, with two laps remaining, he had to deal with an errant sprocket, but he managed to nurse the wobbly bike over the finish line, just ahead of Rahil Shetty (Sparks Racing) and Menon. “For the last two laps, my bike was literally dancing and I had a tough time to control the machine, but somehow managed to maintain my track position,” said a relieved Ravikumar who enjoys a 28-point lead over team-mate KY Ahamed going into tomorrow’s Race-2.

    The other notable win of the day was by international Rajiv Sethu, the 21-year old also from Chennai. Starting from pole position, Sethu lost two positions in the very first lap with Jagan Kumar establishing a massive lead. However, Jagan crashed in the third lap, leaving Sethu, who had fought his way to second spot, in the lead. Sethu kept his cool despite close attention from Ahamed and team-mate Sarath Kumar to post his fifth straight win of the championship.

    Venkatesan, winner of the Novice (Stock 165cc) race

    Likewise, Venkatesan had to work hard for his win in the Novice race that was reduced to four laps from scheduled six following a multiple-bike pile-up immediately after the start, leading to red flag and restart. After a poor start from pole position saw him drop a few positions, Venkatesan fought his way to the front for a deserving third consecutive win.

    Late in the day, 15-year old Md Mikail from Chennai, completed a double by winning his second race of the day and fourth win in a row and fifth from six starts, in the Idemitsu Honda Talent Cup (NSF 250R).

    The results (Provisional – all 6 laps unless mentioned):

    National Championship:

    Pro-Stock 301-400cc (Race-1): 1. Deepak Ravikumar (TVS Racing) (11mins, 38.822secs); 2. Rahil Shetty (Sparks Racing) (11:38.823); 3. Amarnath Menon (Alishaa Racing) (11:40.477).

    Pro-Stock 201-300cc (Race-1): 1. Anish Shetty (Idemitsu Honda Ten10 Racing) (12:09.576); 2. Abhishek Vasudev (Idemitsu Honda Ten10 Racing) (12:15.051); 3. Mithun Kumar PK (Honda Erula Atomic Racing) (12:25.325).

    Pro-Stock 165cc (Race-1): 1. Rajiv Sethu (Idemitsu Honda Ten10 Racing) (11:58.132); 2. KY Ahamed (TVS Racing) (11:59.420); 3.Sarath Kumar (Idemitsu Honda Ten10 Racing) (12:03.811).

    Novice (Stock 165cc, 4 laps): 1. Venkatesan I (Team MotoManiacz Racing) (08:51.011); 2. Mohan Babu P (Rockers Racing) (08:52.301); 3.Abhimanyu Gautham (Sparks Racing) (08:52.311).

    One-Make Championship organised by MMSC:

    TVS Open (RR 310, Race-1): 1. S Vivek Pillai (Chennai) (11:58.389); 2. Anup Kumar (Chennai) (12:01.632); 3. Arun Muthukrishnan (Chennai) (12:05.125). Novice (RTR 200, Race-1, 4 laps): 1. Venkatesan I (Chennai) (13:18.180); 2. Veera Ashwin Lal M (Madurai) (13:19.885); 3. Annish Samson D (Bengaluru) (13:22.141). Girls (Race-1, 5 laps): 1. Lani Zena Fernandez (Puducherry) (11:20.428); 2. Nivetha Jessica (Chennai) (11:37.015); 3. Lakiya Lee Charles (Chennai) 11:37.280).

    Idemitsu Honda Talent Cup – NSF 250R (Race-1): 1. Md Mikail (Chennai) (10:59.155); 2. Geoffrey Emmanuel (Chennai) (11:09.952); 3. Sarthak Shrikant Chavan (Pune) (11:11.201). Race-2: 1. Md Mikail (10:58.935); 2. Varoon Sadasivam (Chennai) (11:03.295); 3. Kritik Vasant Habib (Gadag) (11:11.955).

    CBR 150 (Race-1): 1. Lal Nunsanga (Aizwal) (13:14.704); 2. Samuel Martin (Bengaluru) (13:14.798); 3. S Rajdashwanth (Trichy) (13:14.922).

    About Madras Motor Sports Club

    Since its humble beginnings in 1953, the Madras Motor Sports Club has grown in stature as the hub of motorsport activity in India. Having moved from Sholavaram to its present location in Sriperumbudur in 1979, MMSC has kept pace with changing times by upgrading facilities. At a cost of about Rs 20 Crore, the MMSC built a pit complex comprising 20 garages, VIP hospitality suites and a viewing gallery, on the eastern side, apart from a second Paddock on the western side with its own short circuit. The Control Room too was upgraded with state-of-the-art hardware while the track itself was improved to meet the exacting FIA standards for Grade-2 certification. The facilities are also extensively used by various vehicle manufacturers for testing their products, displays and corporate days.

  • Mikail clocks a stunning lap record in 250cc bikes; Jagan takes pole

    Mikail clocks a stunning lap record in 250cc bikes; Jagan takes pole

    Chennai, 6 Sept 2019: Fifteen-year old Md Mikail from Chennai lit up the fourth and penultimate round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship by setting a record of sorts at the MMRT here on Friday and grabbed pole position in the Honda NSF 250R category while TVS Racing’s ace rider Jagan Kumar qualified first in the premier Pro-Stock 301-400cc category.

    Also qualifying for pole positions in their respective National championship categories were Ann Jennifer of Sparks Racing (Girls, Stock 165cc), Idemitsu Honda Ten10 Racing’s Anish Shetty (Pro-Stock 201-300cc) and Venkatesan I (Novice, Stock 165cc) of Team Motomaniacz.

    Mikail, riding the FIM Moto3-spec NSF 250R bike in the Idemitsu Honda Talent Cup one-make championship, clocked a blistering lap of 01minute, 47.887secs around the 3.717-km MMRT circuit in the qualifying session. It was the fastest lap ever in a National championship event for bikes up to 250cc.

    Second behind Mikahil who is full time into racing and studies from home, was another Chennai teenager, Varoon Sadasivam (01:49.327) with Pune’s 12-year-old Sarthak Shrikant Chavan (01:51.342) qualifying third.

    “I am very happy with my qualifying session, but I am working hard to do even better,” said Mikail who is leading the championship in his category.

    Md Mikail who qualified for pole position in the Honda NSF 250R .category. Photos: Anand Philar

    As well as these teenagers rode, the spotlight was on the Pro-Stock 301-400cc qualifying session where seven-time National champion in the lower category Jagan Kumar, lying a distant ninth on the leaderboard after a string of disappointing performances, showcased his mettle by putting in a hot lap of 01:54.037 for pole position. Former National champion in this class, Amarnath Menon (Team Alishaa Racing) was second in 01:54.807 while TVS Racing Deepak Ravikumar (01:55.221) completed the front row on the grid for tomorrow’s race.

    Bengaluru-based Anish Shetty (Idemitsu Honda Ten10 Racing) topped the qualifying session in the Pro-Stock 201-300cc category with a flying lap of 01:57.646. Erula Racing’s Mithun Kumar (01:58.310) was the second quickest and Aravind Balakrishnan (Idemitsu Honda Ten10 Racing) qualified third in 01:59.192.


    Jagan Kumar who qualified for pole position in the Pro-Stock 301-400cc class.

    Earlier, international Rajiv Sethu (Idemitsu Honda Ten10 Racing), leading the championship in the Pro-Stock 165cc class, put the hammer down by topping the Free Practice session with a flying lap of 01minute, 59.115 seconds, pipping his closest rival, TVS Racing’s Jagan Kumar (01:59.239). Sethu’s team-mate Sarath Kumar, also in the championship reckoning and trailing Jagan by just one point, was third quickest in 02:00.103, ahead of TVS Racing’s Kevin Kannan (02:01.102). The qualifying session is scheduled for Saturday.

  • Rajiv Sethu, Jagan Kumar all set for fourth round of the National Racing Championship

    Rajiv Sethu, Jagan Kumar all set for fourth round of the National Racing Championship

    File photo of Rajiv Sethu (80),(Round 3 Pro-Stock 165cc race) by Anand Philar

    Chennai, 5 Sept 2019: India’s top two-wheeler racers along with manufacturers, Honda, TVS, Yamaha and KTM, will return to action in the fourth and penultimate round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2019 at the MMRT, here on Friday.

    The 2019 season has been a roller-coaster with reputations taking a beating and the race for the title in various categories is thrown wide open. The weekend’s races assume significance as the contenders go wheel-to-wheel for precious points as the championship enters its last leg.

    The Pro-Stock categories comprising the premium 301-400cc class besides 201-300cc and the 165cc, all run on MRF slick tyres, have witnessed thrilling battles through the season.

    Thus, going into Round 4, Chennai-based TVS Racing pair of Deepak Ravikumar (101 points) and KY Ahamed (98), both with two wins apiece from six starts, head the 301-400cc class where defending champion Satyanarayana Raju (Gusto Racing) is placed sixth with 51 points with just one win. In contrast, Bengaluru-based Anish Shetty (Honda Ten10 Racing) is comfortably placed with 90 points in the 201-300cc class following a hat-trick of victories, well ahead of teammate and fellow-Bengalurean Abhishek Vasudev (63).

    The popular Pro-Stock 165cc class has seen long-time rivals Honda and TVS, locked in a fierce fight. Honda’s international rider Chennai’s Rajiv Sethu, after missing the first round due to his commitments in Japan, won four races in a row to lead the championship with 100 points, ahead of seven-times National champion Jagan Kumar of TVS Racing (94) who, in turn, enjoys a one-point lead over Honda’s Sarath Kumar. Both Jagan and Sarath have won one race apiece.

    The Novice class (Stock 165cc), with its 40-bike grid and packed with talent, has Chennai’s I Venkatesan (Moto Maniacz Racing) in the lead with 98 points with Abhimanyu Gautam (Sparks Racing, 80) from Jind, Haryana, and Bengaluru’s Anish Samson (Speed Up Racing, 70) in tow.

    Ryhana Bee (Sparks Racing), having won two consecutive races, is closing in on Girls title with a tally of 68 points, while defending champion and team-mate Ann Jennifer (40) is third behind private entrant Nivetha Jessica (42). Incidentally, all three are from Chennai.

    The active involvement of the two-wheeler manufacturers in the championship has cast the net wider and snared a clutch of fresh talent.

    The championship received a massive boost with Honda introducing FIM Moto3-spec NSF 250R bikes, the fastest in the championship and ridden by hungry-for-success teenagers, all part of the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup programme designed to unearth and nurture talent. The NSF 250R replaced the CBR 250 while the CBR 150 category, boasting of a big grid, has been retained.

    TVS have showcased their Apache RR 310 in the Open class for experienced riders beside the RTR 200 (Novice and Girls) has attracted sizeable and highly competitive grids, while KTM and Yamaha have strong presence in the Pro-Stock, Novice and Girls categories of the National championship.

  • Raghul Rangasamy takes lead in the Formula LGB class: JK Tyre Nationals

    Raghul Rangasamy takes lead in the Formula LGB class: JK Tyre Nationals

    Race 3 Winner Raghul Rangasamy flanked by 2nd placed Vishnu Prasad, left, and Sohil Shah.

    Coimbatore, 1 Sept 2019: On a day of intense battles and loads of drama, Chennai’s Raghul Rangasamy came out trumps, collecting 18 points to shoot to the top of the FLGB-4 standings as Round 2 of the JK Tyre FMSCI Indian National Racing Championship concluded here on Sunday.

    Tanay Gaikwad (Pune), Aaroh Ravindra (Mumbai), Sai Prithvi S (Chennai), Mira Erda (Vadodara) and Ikshan Shanbag (Satara) were the others stars of the day, emerging victorious in their respective categories.
    Most of the big excitement, as expected, emanated from the LGB category, with multiple national champions gunning for glory. After Sohil Shah (MSport) set the stage for a no-holds-barred fight on Saturday with a cheeky win, it was Diljith TS’s (Dark Don) turn to bring Sunday to life.
    Beginning at P7 as the reverse grid came into play, he exhibited speed and control to steadily move up and take the first place. Raghul (MSport), who was at P5, got caught in the front pack to lose the initiative and settled for the second position.
    Raghul, however, took advantage of a similar situation in the day’s second and final LGB-4 race to win it in dramatic fashion. His fourth-place finish on Saturday was enough to give him a total of 47 points. That took him past teammate Vishnu Prasad, who didn’t have the best of weekends despite racing out of his skin.
    Vishnu also suffered the worst of lucks, being cheated by the safety car when he was leading with a big margin in the last race. He had to settle for the second position while he had already endured a sixth-place finish in the earlier race to slip down to a total of 45 points in the two rounds. Diljith, who often seemed alone in this dog-fight, was placed third with 31 points.
    Tanay Gaikwad stole the thunder in the Suzuki Gixxer Cup, collecting the maximum possible 20 points to join Syed Muzammil Ali (Bangalore) at the top of the table.
    After winning the first race on Saturday, Tanay showed his class on Day 2 too, posting his second straight victory. Muzammil clocked the day’s fastest lap (1:23.681) but finished 0.068 seconds behind in the 10 laps.
    Mira Erda (centre) who won the ladies class. A JY Tyre image

    Mumbai’s Aaroh Ravindra stayed ahead in the JK Tyre Novice Cup, by collecting 10 more points to make it a grand sum of 52, including 28 this weekend. Bangalore’s Chirag Ghorpade was second with 39 points, after a second-place finish.

    Vadodara’s Mira Erda continued to rule in the women’s category, finishing ahead of all the ladies for the sixth consecutive time. Coimbatore’s Megaa KS (45) and Anushriya Gulati (28) were in the hunt behind her.
    Chennai’s David Ryan, who was the standout performer in the JK Tyre Inter-College Cup on Day 1 with two wins, lost his pre-eminent position to Sai Prithvi (also Chennai) on Sunday. He, however, finished second to hold on to his overall lead with 28 points.
    The day’s winner Sai Prithvi S (Chennai) and Kedin Akhil (Kolkata) were tied on 16 points for the next two positions.
    Ikshan Shanbag (Satara) claimed the JK Tyre Redbull Road to Rookies, winning both the races over the weekend. He maintained a clean slate after showing his class in Round 1 too.
    Provisional Results: LGB Formula 4 (15 laps)
    Race 2: 1. Diljith TS (Dark Don Racing; 18:14.76); 2. Raghul Rangasamy (MSport; 18:14.96);  3. Sandeep Kumar A (Dar Don; 18:15.31)
    Race 3: 1. Raghul (20:29.90); 2. Vishnu Prasad (Chennai; 20:29.92); 3. Sohil Shah (Bangalore; 20:29.10)
    Suzuki Gixxer Cup (10 laps): Race 3: 1. Tanay Gaikwad (Pune) – 14:18.57; 2. Syed Muzammil Ali (Bangalore; 14:18.64); 3. Shazan Khan (Bangalore; 14:32.58)
    JK Tyre Novice Cup: (15 laps): Race 3: 1. Aaroh Ravindra (Mumbai; 18:19.30); 2. Chirag Ghorpade (Bangalore; 18:24.87); 3. Mohamed Ryan (Chennai; 18:29.31)
    JK Tyre Redbull Road to Rookies: (10 laps): Race 3: 1. Ikshan Shanbag (Satara; 14:56.42); 2. Aditi Krishnan (Bangalore; 15:20.92); 3. Aryan Gurav (Pune; 15:23.78)
    JK Tyre College Cup (8 laps): Race 3: 1. Sai Prithvi S (Chennai; 10:20.80); 2. David Ryan (Chennai; 10:22.73); Chetan Surineni (Bangalore; 10:46.82)

  • Sohil upstages Diljith, Vishnu on Day 1 of JKNRC-2

    Coimbatore, 31 August 2019: Bangalore’s Sohil Shah made the most of an acrimonious but sensational battle between Vishnu Prasad and Diljith TS to win Race 1 in Round 2 of the JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship here on Saturday.

    After a delayed start due to technical safety regulations, two privateers ManavDougall and Akshay Kapoor, both Delhi, found themselves at P1 and P2. Diljith (Dark Don) and Vishnu (MSport) began at P3 and P4 and brought the race alive at the first corner itself, jumping into the lead.

    Chennai’s Vishnu veered to the outside line and smartly overtook the three racers head of him. But Diljith made his move in the second lap, shooting past Vishnu to set up a tense dog-fight. Vishnu chased Diljith relentlessly, forcing him into his first mistake in the 8th lap.

    Sohil took advantage of their engaging tussle to jump into the lead. The 18-year-old showed nerves of steel to build on it and eventually win the race for MSport. Diljith took the second place while Vishnu, after a energy-sapping contest, had to be content with the third position.

    In the JK Tyre Suzuki Gixxer Cup, Pune’s TanayGaikwad converted his pole position to a comfortable victory, beating last round’s winner Syed Muzammil Ali (Bangalore). Tanay clocked the fastest lap time of 1:23.750 to mark his superiority on the day.

    The JK Tyre Novice Cup too had its share of twists and turns, with Mumbai’s AarohRavindra winning the first race but yielding the second to Mohamed Ryan (Chennai), when the reverse grid came into play.

    Aaroh took the second place, though, to maintain his hold on the championship. Strong contender ChiragGhorpade (Bangalore) finished second in one of the races and eighth in the other to stay in contention.

    In the first-ever JK Tyre College Cup, David Ryan of Chennai underlined his prowess by winning the day’s two races.

    RESULTS (Provisional): LGB Formula 4:  Sohil Shah (Bangalore) – 20:05.863; 2. Diljith TS (Kerala) – (20:08.136; 3. Vishnu Prasad (Chennai) – 20:08.263.

    Suzuki Gixxer Cup : RACE 1: TanayGaikwad (Pune) – 10:07.050; 2. Syed Muzammil Ali (Bangalore) – 10:07.119; 3. SidharthSajan (Coimbatore) – 10:15.558.

    JK Tyre Novice Cup:  RACE 1: AarohRavindra (Mumbai) – 12:17.448; 2. ChiragGhorpade (Bangalore) – 12:19.122; 3. Mohamed Ryan (Chennai) – 12:19.620.

    RACE 2: Mohamed Ryan (Chennai) – 12:11.047; 2. AarohRavindra (Mumbai) – 12:17.177; 3. UdbhavGoyal (Gurgaon) – 12:20.106

     

    JK Tyre College Cup

     

    RACE 1: David Ryan (Chennai) – 11:44.004; 2. Aman Chaudhary (Calcutta) – 12:07.282; 3. SaiPrithvi S (Chennai) – 12:10.876

    RACE 2: David Ryan (Chennai) – 10:22.369; 2. ChetanSurineni (Bangalore) – 10:33.006; 3. KedinAkhil (Kolkata) – 10:44.975

     

     

     

  • Arjuna Award for Gaurav Gill – a recognition long time coming, but fully deserving! #GillRacing

    Arjuna Award for Gaurav Gill – a recognition long time coming, but fully deserving! #GillRacing

    Former Sports Editor and respected senior journalist, Anand Philar, who specialises in motorsports, has tracked Arjuna Award winner Gaurav Singh Gill from his nascent days, and chronicled and photographed his exploits throughout his career, both at home and abroad.

    In a special article to IndiaInF1, he shares his thoughts on Gaurav Gill.                 

    Gaurav Gill receiving the Arjuna Award from the President of India on August 29, the National Sports Day. Photo courtesy @GauravGill FB page

    By Anand Philar

    Bengaluru, 30 August 2019: Back in 2005, a new sensation called Gaurav Gill burst on to the National Rally scene as a “replacement driver” for Vikram Mathias who was injured in a major crash the previous round in Delhi. Vikram’s navigator, Sujith Kumar, was asked to partner the tearaway Gill at a time when few were willing to sit in the co-driver’s seat. Gill finished Overall second to JK Tyre’s lead driver, VR Naren Kumar, after dominating most of the event by clocking seriously fast Stage times. Gaurav Singh Gill has arrived.

    The following year, in Pune, it was the turn of veteran Farooq Ahmed, to partner Gill who again finished behind Naren Kumar, who went on to win the championship. Both Sujith and Farooq sang praises of not just Gill’s extreme pace, but his “phenomenal memory”.

    Sujith recalled: “I have never sat with any driver with such memory. I realised then that he was a special talent and a superstar in the making.” Farooq said much the same. “Just phenomenal talent Anand. He will go places. I have never co-driven for a guy with such raw pace and memory. I mean, he remembered every corner and dip. I wondered whether he needed a navigator at all!”

    File photo of Gaurav Gill negotiating a corner in the Coffee Day Rally 2017. Photos by Anand Philar

    For sure, Gill had cast a magical and mesmeric spell on the Indian motorsport fraternity which continues to this day. MRF Tyres, taking note of his immense talent, was quick to sign up Gill and thus began the Delhi lad’s long journey to international stardom. APRC titles in 2013, 2016 and 2017, cemented Gill’s status as a World-class driver. At home, his dominance was even more absolute as National titles came his way.

    From the raw pace of the youth to mature driving of the experienced, Gill has come a long way. “Over the years and with experience, I learned to pace myself in a rally. It meant, knowing when to push and when to nurse your position without taking undue risks. It has made me a better driver and in rallying, much like a good wine that tastes better with age,” he had told me in a rare moment of introspection as we drove to Chikmagaluru for the Coffee Day India Rally a couple of years ago.

    Gaurav Gill signals six, after his sixth win in a row. He won the APRC for the third time, winning all the rounds. Photo by Anand Philar

    Through his decade-long campaign in the APRC with MRF team, Gill was pitted against more experienced team-mates, not necessarily in terms of age, but seat time and the number of competitions.

    “These guys do about 20 to 25 rallies in a year as against five or six in my case, and another few in INRC. A couple of my team-mates have been factory drivers, constantly testing the cars that were being prepared for APRC. They literally lived in them! So, straight away, I am at a disadvantage going into an APRC round. Yet, I am able to match and beat them on the Stages. This is what people back home should know, understand and appreciate,” has been Gill’s constant refrain each time we met at an APRC event abroad.

    For me, there is more to Gill than the titles (including one track racing championship). Statistics do no justice to his talent that is so apparent even to a novice watcher. For Indian motorsport, he is once-in-a-lifetime beacon leading the way and setting benchmarks.

    The Arjuna Award came his way exactly 20 years after he made his rally debut on a bike before switching to cars. Through those two decades of living on the edge, as it were, Gill has maintained his focus and motivation, while blossoming into a man who is officially certified fit enough to pilot a monstrous Formula 1 speedboat!

    Gaurav Gill takes a huge jump during the APRC Malaysian round in 2017. Photo by Anand Philar

    For Gill, speed is the elixir of life, beautifully complemented by his unshakable belief and confidence in his ability to drive quick but safe, take calculated risks that would deter a lesser mortal, the special bonding with the car that becomes an extension of self, quickly learning its limits to push it to the very edge and, sometimes, beyond – all traits of a man who belongs to the elite class of motorsport drivers.

    Gill is a natural. “Give him a bullock cart, and he will still be the quickest!” This is not said in jest, but with awe and admiration. I have had the privilege of sitting with him in the Skoda ahead of Rally of Hokkaido. I barely noticed the stunning acceleration, the cornering, and braking. The silken touch and precision driving had me mesmerised, just like it has always been when I focussed my camera on his car power-sliding through the corner or attacking a crest!

    Family Time: Gaurav Gill with family at the Coffee Day round in 2017. Photo by Anand Philar

    Hailing from a family of rally drivers, his uncle Dicky Gill (Team MRF) being the best known among them, Gaurav took to driving like a duck to water. “I learned to drive very early in life, taking our family car out without informing anyone. Then came the Play Station games and the bikes, which are still my first love, before I moved to cars. So, I grew up in such an environment and here I am, driving Rally cars!”.

    Hopefully, the Arjuna Award would not only motivate Gaurav further, but also spawn a generation of young guns who will not just emulate him, but go a step further. He has waited long for this overdue National recognition, dealing with frustrations and triumphs with supreme equanimity, never once taking his eyes off the goals he had set. Now, looking to his 38th birthday on December 2, Gill has his sights set on the big stage, the WRC. “My ultimate wish is to compete with the best in the World and prove to myself first that I belong to.” His words, spoken over a year ago. It’s time we all got behind this maverick of a driver.

    Pursue your dreams champ and conquer new horizons.

  • Fabid Ahmer, an epitome of clean driving: INDIAinF1 Champion Series #FabidRally

    Fabid Ahmer, an epitome of clean driving: INDIAinF1 Champion Series #FabidRally

    INDIAinF1 series on champion drivers and riders presents the second article this week. As we head to the third round of the Indian National Rally Championship in Jodhpur next month, we feature Fabid Ahmer, the leading driver in the overall and INRC3 class after two rounds.

    Fabid Ahmer poses with the car after the Rally of Coimbatore. Photo by Sriharsha Nadiger

    Bengaluru, 29 August 2019: There is a new kid on the block and he is doing extremely well this season to catch all the eyeballs. It is Fabid Ahmer, who with his smooth and clean driving has won many a heart this season. With cool and steady performances, the youngster from Palakkad has become the cynosure leading the overall standings of the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC), the flagship event of Indian Motorsports calendar.

    The Kerala driver, who is registered for INRC3 category, began the season with a bang taking the runner-up spot behind Dean Mascarenhas in the South India Rally at Chennai, the season opener. In the same event, he topped the INRC3 category along with co-driver Sanath Gopalan. Last month, the talented driver, who completed 26 years last Saturday, again churned out some smooth driving to take the third position in overall standings conquering the treacherous slushy conditions which claimed many a famed driver including some top guns like Gaurav Gill, his idol, and Amittrajit Ghosh among others. Once again he scored good points, as he came second in his class, INRC3. Thus, after two rounds, he is leading the championship and promises to keep up the good work in the remaining rallies.

    Fabid made his debut in the last rally of 2015 season, the Coffee Day Rally at the coffee plantations of Chikkamagaluru and was adjudged as the best novice driver. And after just a year of full season, he came second in the FMSCI 2WD Cup in 2017. Last year, he upgraded himself to the INRC3 class and once again did well to take the third in the Nationall Championship.

    This writer had the chance to follow him from his early days and had a wonderful chance to sit in his car, prepared by Chettinad Sporting, at the testing track at Kethanur in Coimbatore. It was an amazing experience during the Advanced Driving School run by speed king, Gaurav Gill, who was finally recognised and presented with an Arjuna Award by the President of India on Thursday, the National Sports Day. “He is a very smooth driver. I have made some subtle changes to his style to make it more effective and he is a quick learner,” said Gill, about the Team Champions’ driver after three days of his school last year.

    Fabid Ahmer and Sanath G on the podium. Photo by Sriharsha Nadiger

    “The school was a big learning experience. It felt great to understand rally driving from the technical side through Gaurav (Gill). He helped me understand the importance of finesse while driving and I have been improving on what he had taught me over the last two seasons. The way he teaches is really amazing and tips are so useful during the events,” said Fabid about the coaching he underwent with Gill.

    When asked about motorsport lovers in his family, he said: “Motorsports has been a part of my family from the very beginning. My dad and his friends had organised rallies in my hometown back in the 90s. My uncle Mohammed Kasim is an active INRC driver. And after growing up watching his rallies, I can say that he has been my inspiration to get into INRC.”

    As a young kid, Fabid was fond of cars. “From a very young age, I took a liking towards cars. But motorsports started gripping me when I was into my teens. When my uncle started driving in INRC, I also wanted to join but I had to wait until my Engineering course was completed. But my family has been very supportive and have provided me with all the opportunities to prove myself as a rally driver,” said the modest youngster, who had completed his B.Tech before taking up LLB and successfully completing it. He currently practices law, that is when he is not rallying.

    When asked who is your idol, bang came the reply: “Gaurav Gill! I look up to him because he’s a genius. He is sure of what he does and he does it in style, which appears effortless as he does it with ease and grace.” Fabid also follows the World Rally Championship and admires Thierry Neuville, because the Belgian driver chooses smooth driving over aggression. “That is the way I like it to drive too,” says the modest driver, who is getting attention for his effective and clean driving.

    Fabid Ahmer kicks up the dust but manoeuvres the corner in a smooth manner in the Avisa stage of the South India rally in June. Photo by Srinivasa Krishnan

    When asked about his driving style, which is very different from many in the scene, he said: “I have always been a smooth and clean driver rather than an aggressive driver. But different rallies need a different approach. I have learned that over the past seasons and have been able to improvise my driving according to different rallies and as such I’ve improved my driving consistency. My strength is the ability to stay calm inside the rally car even when am leading the rally and when I am pushing hard to make up my position.” That is his way of unleashing aggression in a smooth way!

    “I would also like to thank Team Champions, who have been a big support to achieve my goals. I am happy to be associated with Chettinad Sporting who have been doing a great job on my car to suit my needs,” he added. Fabid pilots a Volkswagen Polo prepared by Chettinad Sporting.

    “My goal this year is to win the INRC3 championship and get into JK tyre team where I aim to prove my talent and hope to get the international exposure through Jk tyres,” he concluded.

  • Imran Pasha bags overall honours; Rajendra misses the event as Group A is with-held

    Imran Pasha bags overall honours; Rajendra misses the event as Group A is with-held

    Imran Pasha on way to top honours in the windmill stages of INRC. Photo by Prabhu Kethanur

    Coimbatore, 25 August 2019: Twenty-one-year-old rider from Mysuru, J Imran Pasha competing in C4 class was the hero of the Round 4 as he emerged victorious bagging the overall bagged the overall honours in the Rally of Coimbatore, a round of the MRF Mogrip National Rally Championship held at the windmill farms of Kethnur, near Palladam, here on Sunday.

    Imran Pasha of Team TVS Racing had the opportunity to showcase his skills as firm favourite and championship leader Rajendra RE, who won all the first three rounds and other TVS teammates could not take the start as they failed to submit the necessary documents for the bikes before the deadline given by the federation. Thus, Rajendra, Nataraj, Tanveer among others, could not compete in the round and the Pro-Expert Group A event was withheld.

    The 2W Rally of Coimbatore, promoted by Godspeed Racing of Pune and organised by Coimbatore Auto Sports Club (CASC), was run on a mix of dirt and gravel Special Stages which were battered by rains a few days before the run-up of the event. The event has attracted 70 riders in nine classes.

    The total distance of the route included transport section distance of 109.27 km. The two Special Stages, Black Thunder consisting of 14.35 kms and the Thunder World of 14.10 km, were run twice in the same direction taking the Special Stage rallying distance to 56.90 km.

    The stage-rallying took place in nine classes that formed the National championship. They are Super Bike (Pro Expert, Group A), Super Bike (Expert Group A), Super Sport 130 Group B, Super Sport 165 Group B, Super Sport 260 Group B, Super Sport 400 Group B, Super Sport 550 Group B and Scooter 210 Group B and Ladies Class Group B.

    Imran Pasha clocked a time of 52min 17sec beating teammate Samuel Jacob who took 21 seconds more to complete the stages. Mangalore’s Adnaan Ahmed, a privateer rider, came third.

    Pasha also won the C4 class with Samuel and Adnaan in tow.

    Badal Doshi from Mumbai won the Group 1A while local hero Venu Ramesh Kumar won the C1 Class. Noldin Thomas from Kochi topped C2 class and another local rider Sasikumar K bagged the C3 class. In the C5 class, Sudeep Kottary from Mangaluru won with Bengaluru’s Suhail Ahmed winning the C6 class making a comeback kafter Dakshin Dare crash.

    Syed Asif Ali from TVS Racing won C7 class and World Cup Baja winner Aiswarya Pissay continued her winning run topping Class 8. Rakesh Kumar won the Star of Coimbatore class.

    Provisional unaudited Results:

    Overall: 1. J. Imran Pasha (TVS Racing)(penalty 0:52:17); 2. Samuel Jacob (TVS Racing) (0:52:38); 3. Adnaan Ahamed (Mangalore) (0:52:52).

    Super bike Pro Expert: C-1: 1. Venu Ramesh Kumar (Coimbatore) (0:56:27); 2. R. Vignesh (Chennai) (1:02:59).

    Super Bike Expert: C-1A: 1. Badal Doshi (Mumbai) (0:55:35); 2. Jatin Jain (Nagpur) (0:56:11).

    C-2 130cc: 1. Noldin Thomas (Kochi); 2. Azeeb Mohammed (Kottayam); 3. P. Janardhanan (Bengaluru).

    C-3 165cc: K. Sasi Kumar (Coimbatore); 2. Ishaan Chandra (Mangalore); 3. Akshay Siddaramaiah (Bengaluru).

    C-4 260cc: 1. J. Imran Pasha (TVS Racing); 2. Samuel Jacob (TVS Racing); 3. Adnaan Ahamed (Mangalore).

    C-5 400cc: 1. Sudeep Kottary (Mangalore); 2. Mithun Gopal (Trivandrum); 3. K. Vikram (Coimbatore).

    C-6 550cc: 1. Suhail Ahamed (Bengaluru); 2. Arun Joy (Kochi); 3. Jeemon Antony (Kochi).

    C-7 Scooter class 210cc: 1. Syed Asif Ali; 2. Shamim Khan; 3. Pinkesh Thakkar (all from TVS Racing).

    C-8 Ladies: 1. Aishwarya Pissay (TVS Racing); 2. A. Ryhane Bee (Chennai); 3. Baishali Nath (Assam).

    C-9 (Star of Tamil Nadu): 1. Rakesh Kumar; 2. S. Vishnu Prakash; 3. Jaideep Joshi (all from Coimbatore).