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Category: Domestic
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Rivaan Dev Preetham retains Micro Max National title; Arafath wins maiden Jr. National title: Karting
Chennai, 29 Sept. 2024: Reigning National champion Rivaan Dev Preetham of MSport stamped his authority and showed maturity beyond his 11 years to let go the win in the Final to clinch a more important second National Championship title in the Micro Max category a winning the fifth and final round of the MECO-FMSCI National Karting Championship Rotax Max Classes 2024, jointly organized by the Madras Motor Sports Club, at the Madras International Karting Arena (MIKA), here on Sunday.
In the Senior Max class, Ruhaan Alva (MSport) emerged National champion while Pune’s 12-year-old Arafath Sheikh of Crest Motorsports annexed his maiden crown in the Junior Max category gathering just enough points even as Chennai’s Eshanth Vengatesan, also of MSport, won both the Pre-Finals and Finals. The Bishop School Pune student, Sheikh, was consistent through out the year and watched his win fade away in the final laps, but kept his cool, as he enjoyed a huge lead in the championship table.
The three National champions qualified to represent India in the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals in Sarno, Italy, from October 19 to 26.
On a day of exciting action, Rivaan, cheered on by his supporters, had to work hard for his victory in the Pre-Finals, but finished second behind Chennai’s Rehan Khan (MSPORT) in the Finals in a battle that went down to the wire. Rehan overtook Rivaan a couple of corners before the finish for a deserving win.
Competition in the Junior Max was razor sharp. Eshanth Vengatesan dominated the heats, Pre-Finals and Finals winning by the proverbial country mile starting from pole position. His efforts, though, were not enough to fetch him the championship. Arfath Sheikh had to contend with traffic and some stiff opposition behind the leader, but ultimately, he garnered enough points to clinch the championship.
Ruhaan Alva, the front-runner in the championship stakes in the Senior Max category, was unlucky not to win the Pre-Finals as he was twice shunted and finished seventh but gained enough points to stay on top of the leaderboard. Chennai’s Varun Hari Praveen led a 1-2 finish for Peregrine Racing with Bengaluru’s Ishaan Madesh.
In the Finals, Ruhan made a few spots to tuck himself behind leader, fellow-Bengalurean Rohaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing) and after a few failed attempts to overtake, he seemed content with a P2 finish with which he sealed the championship, his second after the maiden win in 2021.
The results (Provisional):
Senior Max (Finals – 15 laps): 1. Rohaan Madesh (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing) (13:03.772); 2. Ruhaan Alva (Bengaluru, MSport) (13:03.909); 3. Ishaan Madesh (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing) (13:04.295).
Pre-Finals (14 laps): 1. Varun Hari Praveen (Chennai, Peregrine Racing) (12:22.022); 2. Ishaan Madesh (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing) (12:22.127): 3. Akshat Misra (Bengaluru, Crest Motorsports) (12:22.674).
National champion: Ruhaan Alva (Bengaluru, MSport).
Junior Max (Finals – 14 laps): 1. Eshanth Vengatesan (Chennai, MSport) (11:17.334); 2. Aahil Mecklai (Mumbai, Rayo Racing) (11:24.232); 3. Nikhilesh Raju (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing) (11:25.318).
Pre-Finals (12 laps): 1. Eshanth Vengatesan (Chennai, MSport) (10:22.565); 2. Nikhilesh Raju (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing) (10:27.010); 3. Aarav Dewan (Gurugram, Leapfrog Racing) (10:27.265).
National champion: Arafath Sheikh (Pune, Crest Motorsports).
Micro Max (Finals – 12 laps): 1. Rehan Khan R (Chennai, MSport) (11:08.858); 2. Rivaan Dev Preetham (Chennai, MSport) (11:09.788); 3. Danish Dalmiya (Pune, Rayo Racing) (11:10.120).
Pre-Finals (10 laps): 1. Rivaan Dev Preetham (Chennai, MSPORT) ((09:17.686); 2. Rehan Khan R (Chennai, MSPORT) (09:17.774); 3. Hamza Balasinorwala (Mumbai, Rayo Racing) (09:17.981).
National champion: Rivaan Dev Preetham (Chennai, MSport).
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MIKA to host final round of National Karting Championship
Irungattukottai (Chennai), 28 Sept. 2024: The Madras International Karting Arena (MIKA), inaugurated only last week, will host its maiden competitive event, the fifth and final round of the MECO-fmsci National Karting Championship Rotax Max Classes 2024 on Sunday.
With 54 entrants in the fray and titles up for grabs, the two-day event that started with qualifiers on Saturday, commencing on Saturday, September 28, is expected to dish out high octane action.
The big incentive for the participants is that the championship winners in each of the three categories – Micro Max, Junior Max and Senior Max – will represent India in the 24th Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals 2024 to be held at Sarno, Italy, from October 19 to 26.
Considering that it would be the first competitive outing at the MIKA track, not counting a three-day unofficial practice sessions previous weekend, it will be a fresh start for all the racers as they will have to learn and master the track layout in quick time.
The previous four rounds witnessed intense competition across all categories resulting in bunching up of title contenders on the leaderboard. With a maximum of 110 points (55 each for Pre-Finals and Finals) on offer in the concluding round of the season, the championship is wide open.
Chennai’s 11-year-old Rivaan Dev Preetham (MSPORT) leads the championship in the Micro Max, on the back of two dominating performances with a double by winning the Pre-Finals and Finals in Rounds 3 and 4, that helped him to open a 32-point lead over Hamza Balasinorwala (Rayo Racing) going into this weekend.
The title fight is much closer in the Junior Max with Pune’s Arafath Sheikh (Crest Motorsports) ahead of Aahil Mecklai of Rayo Racing from Mumbai, by just 17 points.
Former National champion Ruhaan Alva (MSPORT) from Bengaluru heads the Senior Max category with some strong results, notably in Round 2 where he topped both Pre-Finals and Finals. Consequently, he enjoys a 22-point advantage over Chennai’s Varun Hari Praveen (Peregrine Racing).
Ranged behind the front-runners in all the categories, are some equally talented racers capable of scripting surprise results.
The two-day card provides for official practice and Qualifying sessions besides Heats 1 and 2 for all categories on Saturday while Pre-Finals and Finals, both of which offer championship points, are scheduled for Sunday, followed by podium ceremonies.
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Arindam Ghosh elected fmsci president
Chennai, 25 Sept. 2024: Former rally driver and K1000 winner, Arindam Ghosh of Ramakrishna Race Performance Private Limited, Kolkata, is elected as the president of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (fmsci) at the Annual General Body Meeting and election of the office bearers held here at a private hotel on Wednesday.
The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India convened its 51st Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 25th September 2024 here at Chennai. There were a total of 17 Clubs which were eligible to vote and 15 Clubs were eligible to contest and vote based on the Criteria of Performance. FMSCI office bearers are elected for a term of two years. Any office bearer can only serve for a maximum of three terms (six years) as per the guidelines of the Government of India. Arindam Ghosh from Ramakrishna Race Performance Management Pvt. Ltd., Kolkata and Gautam Shantappa B from Karnataka Motor Sports Club, Bengaluru stood for election for President. Arindam Ghosh was elected President. In the case of Vice President, Farooq Ahmed from the Motor Sports Clubs of Chikmagalur was elected Vice President unopposed as the other candidate J Balamurugan (Spitfire Motor Sports Pvt. Ltd., Coimbatore) did not get elected to the Council.Election officer lawyer Sriram declared the results and announced that Arindam was elected as President and Farooq Ahmed of Chikmagalur was elected as the Vice President.
Out of the total of 13 Clubs which contested for election to the Council, the following Councillors were elected. 1. Calcutta Motorsports Club, Kolkata: Vir Raina; 2. Coimbatore Auto Sports Club, Coimbatore: J. Prithiviraj; 3. Indian Automotive Racing Club, Mumbai: Farokh Commissariat; 4. Karnataka Motor Sports Club, Bengaluru: B. S. Gautam; 5. Madras Motor Sports Club, Chennai: Bharat Vicky Chandhok; 6. Ramakrishna Race Performance Management, Kolkata: Arindam Ghosh; 7. Motor Sports Club of Chikmagalur, Chikkamagaluru: Khazi Farooq Ahmed; 8, Northern Motorsports, Noida: Raj Kapoor; 9. Motor Sports Association of Eastern India, Kolkata: Saurav Chatterjee; 10. Just Sportz Management Private Limited, Kolkata: Tamal Ghosh;
New office bearers of fmsci -
Gautam Shanthappa and Arindam Ghosh locked in a tight battle for fmsci president post
Chennai, 22 September 2024: President of the Karnataka Motor Sports Club (KMSC) Gautam Shanthappa, who is also the current vice-president of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (fmsci), has filed his nomination for the post of President of the fmsci in the elections to be held during the Annual General Body Meeting to be held at Hotel Trident, here on Wednesday, the 25th of September.
Arindam Ghosh of Ramakrishna Race Performance Management Private Limited, (RRPM) Kolkata, is the only other nomination filed for the post of fmsci President which falls vacant after the incumbent Akbar Ebrahim finishes his tenure. Ghosh headed RRPM which was the INRC promoter for three years from 2013. After the last date for nominations, two nominations were received for the post of President and Vice-President.
Coimbatore’s J. Balamurugan of Spitfire Motorsports Private Limited, filed his nomination as the vice-presidential candidate while Farooq Ahmed, also filed his nomination for the post of VP against Balamurugan. Ahmed is a multiple times National champion co-driver and is also part of Motor Sports Club of Chikmagalur, which used to conduct the Coffee Day Rally. Apart from these two crucial posts, 13 nominations were filed for the post of councillors.
Arindam Ghosh’s nomination was proposed by Saurav Chatterjee, Kolkata Automotive Sports Association, Tamal Ghosh of Just Sportz Management, Kolkata, seconded it. Akbar Ebrahim, Meco Motorsports, proposed the name of B.S. Gautham while C. Rajaram of Spit Fire Motorsports seconded it. Farooq Ahmed’s name was proposed for the post of vice-president by former fmsci president J. Prithiviraj and seconded by Arindam Ghosh. J. Balamurugan’s name name was proposed as vice-president by Gautam of KMSC and seocnded by Akbar Ebrahim, Meco Motorsports.
The Electoral College consists of 17 members including the five permanent members of the Federation. The 17 clubs will have their representatives to vote on behalf of them and each will have one vote, provided the club owes no dues. They are:
1. Calcutta Motorsports Club, Kolkata: Vir Raina;
2. Coimbatore Auto Sports Club, Coimbatore: J. Prithiviraj;
3. Indian Automotive Racing Club, Mumbai: Farokh Commissariat;
4. Karnataka Motor Sports Club, Bengaluru: B. S. Gautam;
5. Madras Motor Sports Club, Chennai: Bharat Vicky Chandhok;
6. Bengal Motor Sports Club, Kolkata: Pratim Chowdhury;
7. Indian Motor Sports Marshals Club, Chennai: Manoj Dalal;
8. Just Sports Management Private Limited, Kolkata: Suchandan Das;
9. Kolkata Automotive Sports Association, Kolkata: Surav Chatterjee;
10. Meco Motor Sports Private Limited, Chennai: Akbar Ebrahim;
11. Motor Sports Club of Chikmagalur, Chikkamagaluru: Khazi Farooq Ahmed;
12. Northern Motorsports, Noida: Raj Kapoor;
13. Performance Cars Racing Trust, New Delhi (formerly represented by Hardy): Proxy -To Be Announced;
14. Ramakrishna Race Performance Management, Kolkata: Arindam Ghosh;
15. Spitfire Motor Sports Private Limited, Coimbatore: C. Rajaram;
16. Malwa Motor Sports Club, Indore: Dr. Afzal Bunglowala;
17. Motor Sports Association of Eastern India, Kolkata: Saurav Chatterjee*
Note: Saurav Chatterjee name is given for two clubs; It is not clear if it is an error or he would represent two clubs.
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Mika Hakkinen opens Madras International Karting Arena, aka MIKA
Chennai, 19 Sept. 2024: Double Formula One World Champion Mika Hakkinen flagged off Indian motorsports on a new and exciting journey when he inaugurated the state-of-the-art Madras International Karting Arena (M.I.K.A.), here on Thursday at a gala and landmark ceremony that was attended by India’s two former F1 drivers, Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok.
Hakkinen, on a whistle-stop visit to Chennai enroute to Singapore for the F1 Grand Prix, was received on his arrival at the airport by Madras Motor Sports Club vice-president Vicky Chandhok and was brought to the MIC for the launch ceremony that the traditional lighting of the lamp and unveiling a commemorative tablet which will be on display at the MIKA circuit.
At an emotionally charged function after Hakkinen, the F1 champion in 1998 and 1999, and popularly known as the “Flying Finn”, posed for a group photograph with young karting drivers, he provided an insight into the mind and making of a World Champion. “I like MIKA because it is my name too!” he declared but added on a serious note: “You must learn to lose and enjoy the win, and to control your emotions. As you move up the racing ladder, it is a whole different World out there. There is a lot of pressure from family, friends and teams. So, you must be able to deal with the pressure. But everything is up here,” he said, pointing to his temple.
On prompted by Karun Chandhok during a one-on-one interview, Hakkinen spoke at length about his Formula One career, especially his inability to win a single race for six years after debut before tasting success by winning two back-to-back World Championship titles. He also touched upon his rivalry with seven times World Champion Michael Schumacher. “You learn a lot watching Michael though, at times, he can be a bit naughty,” said Hakkinen.
Later, Hakkinen, along with Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok, performed demonstration laps on the MIKA track in specially prepared electric karts after the traditional lighting of lamp and a ribbon-cutting ceremony. A bunch of 34 drivers, in their own karts, did a processional run watched by a huge crowd of MMSC members, invitees and Media.
Later, at an impromptu Media interaction, Hakkien was all praise for the MIKA track which he said can spawn a generation of talented drivers in India. “Karting is a good way to start your racing career, and this MIKA track offers a wonderful platform for kids to make a beginning. I hope they enjoy their karting stint,” he said.
Hakkinen singled out Kush Maini as possibly the next Indian to make it to Formula One. “Kush Maini is good. He is doing well in F2. I feel he has it in him to go all the way to F1,” he opined.
Narain Karthikeyan, India’s first F1 driver, too heaped praise on the MIKA circuit, describing it as challenging, but a driver’s delight. “The kids have to first learn the track which is fun to drive on, but challenging too with its layout,” he said.
MMSC president Ajit Thomas, also present at the Media interaction, said: “We have big plans to conduct major international events at MIKA circuit. That is one of the reasons why we undertook the project besides contributing our mite to promoting the sport at grassroot level.”
Conceived and developed by the Madras Motor Sports Club, the 1.2-km long MIKA circuit, designed by UK-based Driven International in active consultation with Karun Chandhok, is the first of its kind in India, and located in the premises of the iconic Madras International Circuit, in Sriperumbudur, about 40 Kms from Chennai.
Incidentally, the foundation stone for the Madras International Circuit was laid by three times F1 World Champion Jackie Stewart, also known as the “Flying Scot”.
Built to exacting global standards, complete with floodlights, sophisticated control room and a holding area with charging facilities for electric go-karts, the MIKA will be open to the public for leisure activity and competitions. The facility is still a work in progress as there are major plans to make it attractive for family outings and corporate activities.
Hakkinen said in a statement: “This is my first visit to Chennai, and it’s been my pleasure to open the MIKA circuit today along with India’s only two F1 drivers, Narain and Karun.
“Karting is such an important first step for any driver today as they begin their journey towards Formula 1. The investment made by the Madras Motor Sports Club into this facility will be a big step towards preparing the future racing drivers from India.
“The layout of the circuit is really interesting for the drivers with a good mix of corners. It will be challenging and fun for the drivers and combined with the latest CIK (the World governing body for Karting) safety standards, it really is comparable with the top Karting tracks in the World.”
MMSC secretary Prabha Shanker delivered the vote of thanks at the conclusion of the ceremony that the Titan Edge and GMT partnered the Madras Motor Sports Club.
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Ruhaan Alva, Veer Sheth, Alibhai win a race each: Indian F4
Chennai, 15 Sept. 2024: Jaden Pariat ‘won’ on the track, but was stripped away and demoted to P8 in Race 3, as the final day of Round 3 of the Formula 4 Indian Championship, produced three different winners in three races held on Sunday.
The premier F4 championship was held along with the Indian Racing League and the JK Tyre National Racing Championship at the Madras International Circuit, Irungattukottai, near here.
Ruhaan Alva of Shrach Rarh Bengal Tigers, Veer Sheth of Ahmedabad Apex Racers, who moved up from P2 to P1 after Bangalore Speedsters’ racer winner Jaden Pariat was docked a 20-second penalty, and South African Aqil Alibhai (Black Birds Hyderabad), all won a race each in the three F4 races today. Jaden won the Indian F4 Race 1 on Saturday.
From left – Isaac Demellweek, Aqil Alibhai, Ruhaan’s team principal, Ruhaan Alva and Jaden Pariat at MIC on Sunday. Photo by IRL In the day’s first race, Alva was in a league of his once he moved to the front in the very first lap and was simply unstoppable. As the race progressed, Australian teenager Isaac Demellweek (Chennai Turbo Riders), Alibhai, Pariat and pole-sitter Aiva Anagnostiadis (Goa Aces JA Racing), the 2021 Australian female karting champion, settled into a formation behind Alva until the Safety Car came into play in the 15th minute which bunched up the grid. On resumption with close to two minutes and one lap left, Alibhai and Pariat jumped to P2 and P3 behind Alva who continued serenely to victory while also being credited with the fastest lap of the race.
IRL cars lined up at MIC on Sunday. Photos IRL In the next race, it was Pariat all the way after surviving a contact with Alibhai while trying to regain his track position. The incident pushed Alibhai to P16 but he finished P4 eventually. Pariat was docked a post-race 20-second penalty “for causing avoidable collision” and it dropped him to eighth in the final standings. Consequently, Veer Sheth, Ruhaan Alva and Abhay Mohan (Bangalore Speedsters) all moved up a spot to finish first, second and third, respectively.
In the final race, Alibhai built a winning lead after moving from P3 to P1 before Turn-1 in the very first lap and enjoyed a trouble-free run to spare nearly 19 seconds to second-placed Divy Nandan (Ahmedabad Apex Racers) and Ruhaan Alva who did well to hold off an aggressive Pariat in the latter half of the race.
IRL
Mohammed Ryan converted a pole position start to a maiden win while delivering a double for Chennai Turbo Riders the Indian Racing League races. The 22-year-old Ryan’s win came on the back of team-mate Jon Lancaster’s success in IRL Race-1 yesterday.
Mohd Rayan takes a win from pole in the IRL race on Sunday at MIC. Photos supplied by IRL The 2019 Rotax Karting champion Ryan, racing on home circuit, had a brilliant start and put in consistent fast laps for his first win in the IRL which triggered celebrations in the Chennai Turbo Riders.
While Ryan disappeared into the distance at the start, Sohil Shah (Goa Aces JA Racing) moved aggressively past Jaden Pariat (Bangalore Speedsters) going into Turn-1. Pariat then dropped one more spot when team-mate Rishon Rajeev got a jump on him later in the opening lap. The top three then maintained their track positions without much ado, while behind them others scrapped for points.
An elated Ryan said: “I had a good start and kept my focus to put some consistent laps. I am happy that my team, Chennai Turbo Riders won both the IRL races this weekend and picked up some big points.”
The Indian Racing League and Indian F4 Championship, to be held over five rounds, is sponsored by Kingfisher Soda, JK Tyres, Mobil 1 and Megha Engineering & Infrastructure Limited.
JK Tyre-fmsci Indian National Championship
Bengaluru’s Tijil Rao led a podium sweep for Dark Don Racing team as he came up with a brilliant drive starting from P5 for his third win in six starts this season.
Finishing behind him were team-mates Viswas Vijayaraj from Nellore and Coimbatore’s Bala Prasath. Despite losing the front nose cone of his car, Bala Prasath gave a fine exhibition of defensive driving to hold off rookie and Bengaluru teenager Dhruv Goswami (MSPORT) over the last three of the 10-lap race.
Goswami, in fact, started from P12 on the grid and aided by some daring overtakes, all but managed to secure a podium spot in the overall standings, though he topped the Rookie category, way ahead of Monith Kumaran (Ahura Racing) and Abhinav Reddy (Avalanche Racing).
The weekend results put Tijil Rao on top of the overall leaderboard while Goswami also moved up the championship standings in the Rookie category.
The Round 4 of the Indian Racing Festival will be held on October 19-20 at the Kari Motor Speedway, Coimbatore.
The results (Provisional):
Veer Seth, was promoted as the winner of Indian F4 Championship Race 3 at MIC on Sunday. Indian Racing League: Race-2 (B Driver) (25 minutes + 1 Lap):1. Mohammed Ryan (India, Chennai Turbo Riders) (26mins, 57.602secs);2. Sohil Shah (India, Goa Aces JA Racing) (26:59.183);3. Rishon Rajeev (India, Bangalore Speedsters) (27:14.841).
Formula 4 Indian (25mins + 1 Lap):
Race-2:1. Ruhaan Alva (India, Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers) (28:16.720); 2. Aqil Alibhai (South Africa, Black Birds Hyderabad) (28:17.475); 3. Jaden Pariat (India, Bangalore Speedsters) (28:18.697).
Race-3: 1.Veer Sheth (India, Ahmedabad Apex Racers) (27:41.457); 2. Ruhaan Alva (India, ShrachiRarh Bengal Tigers) (27:41.622); 3. Abhay Mohan (India, Bangalore Speedsters) (27:43.916).
Race-4: 1. Aqil Alibhai (South Africa, Black Birds Hyderabad) (27:31.329); 2. Divy Nandan (India, Ahmedabad Apex Racers) (27:50.567); 3. Ruhaan Alva (India, ShrachiRarh Bengal Tigers) (27:51.089).
JK Tyre-FMSCI Indian National Racing Championship:
Formula LGB 4: Race-3 (10 Laps):1. Tijil Rao (Bengaluru, Dark Don Racing) (19:42.876); 2. Viswas Vijayaraj (Nellore, Dark Don Racing) (19:44.762); 3. Bala Prasath (Coimbatore, Dark Don Racing) (19:52.697).
Rookie: 1. Dhruvh Goswami (Bengaluru, MSport) (19:52.770); 2. Monith Kumaran (Chennai, Ahura Racing) (19:59.569); 3. K Abhinav Reddy (Hyderabad, Avalanche Racing) (20:05.030).
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IRL returns to MIC; Barter skips Round 3 which begins on Saturday
Chennai, 13 Sept. 2024: The Indian Racing League 2024 and the Formula 4 Indian Championship returns to the Madras International Circuit for the third round to be run on September 14 and 15.
Promoted by Racing Promotions Private Limited (RPPL) the IRL contested by six teams with the Shirachi Rarh Bengal Tigers being the most consistent, leading the points table with one win and three podium finishes.
The two-day event which was initially scheduled to be run at Coimbatore was shifted to Chennai due to concerns about safety barriers and will also see the JK Tyre-FMSCI National Racing Championships including the Formula LGB 4 races. The first round of IRL and Indian F4 was held at MIC followed by the historic night races on the Chennai Formula Racing Circuit, a street circuit in the heart of Chennai.
The four IRL races over two rounds, saw outright wins by four different teams, Chennai Turbo Riders, Shirachi Rarh Bengal Tigers, Goa Aces JA Racing and Speed Demons Delhi.
Each team has four drivers, including one female racer, who share two Aprilia-powered World Thunder GB08s that are capable of top speeds of 240 Kmh.
Leading Indian racers in the IRL include Akhil Rabindra and Ruhaan Alva besides Jaden Rahaman Pariat, Sai Sanjay and Sandep Kumar, who all have won National titles. Youngsters like Divy Nandan and Rishon Rajeev are also doing well in the Indian F4 championships. There is also representation from Australia, Spain, Czech Republic, Denmark, Portugal, South Africa and Germany, injecting international flavour.
The Indian Racing Festival, to be held over five rounds, is sponsored by Kingfisher Soda, JK Tyres, Mobil 1 and Megha Engineering & Infrastructure Limited. All these races will be live on Start Sports and Fancode. Fans can buy tickets from Paytm Insider.
Formula 4 Indian Championship
A notable absentee in Round 3 of the Formula 4 Indian category is Japanese born, Australian youngster Hugh Barter who dominated the two rounds. That should open the field considerably with the likes of Bengaluru teenager Ruhaan Alva (Schirach Rarh Bengal Tigers) and South African Aqil Alibhai (Hyderabad Black Birds) being the top contenders.
JK Tyre-FMSCI National Racing Championship
The popular Formula LGB 4 category, which has always attracted a big grid, will be no different in Round 3 with 26 drivers in the fray. Leading the pack in the championship standings is Bengaluru’s Tijil Rao followed by his Dark Don team-mate Diljith TS from Thrissur. Tijil, known for his daring drives, has two wins to Diljith’s one. Their team-mate Bala Prasath took the honors in the very first race to herald Dark Don team’s domination.
JK Tyre-FMSCI Indian National Racing Championship
Round 2 of the 29th JK Tyre-FMSCI Indian National Racing Championship happened at the Chennai Formula Racing Circuit, thus becoming the first domestic motor racing competition to run a night street circuit race. Earlier, the JK races were also held at the inaugural street race in Hyderabad along with IRL
Spread over two races, with 24 competitors competing in the Formula LGB4 Class, the event witnessed Dark Don Racing continue their brilliant start to the season, courtesy of Diljith TS’s victory in Race 1. Diljith retained a podium finish in Race 2, finishing P2 behind second-time winner Tijil Rao, who, with 31 points, leads the Drivers’ Standings after two rounds. Meanwhile, Dark Don Racing extended their lead at the top of the Teams’ Standings to 65 points, nearly twice as much as their closest challenger MSport.
Furthermore, Neythan McPherson’s twin P1s in the LGB4 Rookie segment saw him tie Abhay M at the summit of the leaderboard, both drivers accumulating 34 points until now.
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Abdul Basim clinches National title; Double for Pune teenager Sarthak Chavan
Chennai, 8 Sept. 2024: Abdul Basim (Rockers Racing), the 17-year-old from Chennai, virtually sealed the championship in the Novice (Stock 165cc) category by notching his seventh win in eight races to take an unassailable 57-point lead going into the fifth and final round next month.
Meanwhile, Pune teenager Sarthak Chavan of TVS Racing team capped a brilliant weekend by winning four of the five races he took part in as the fourth and penultimate round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2024 – Powered by STORM concluded at the Madras International Circuit, here on Sunday.
Sarthak, who will turn 18 next month, completed a grand double in the Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open category besides winning Race-2 of the Pro-Stock 165cc Open and the TVS Electric RTE race. To top it, he received Indian Oil special awards for posting the fastest laps on Saturday and Sunday.
TVS Racing team-mates Sarthak Chavan (centre, winner), second-placed KY Ahamed (left) and third-placed Jagan Kumar after the Pro-Stock 165cc Open race (Sept 8) Photos by Anand Philar In the Girls (Stock 165cc) class, Ryhana Bee (Rockers Racing) extended her domination by recording a double as she comfortably took Race-2 following up on her win yesterday to take a slender lead in the championship standings.
Chennai’s Kaushik Subbiah Ganesan (RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate) roared to his fourth win to consolidate his leadership position in the Stock 301-400cc (Novice) class.
Three different leaders over six laps best describes the proceedings in the Pro-Stock 301-400cc race before Sarthak made a decisive move in the last lap to achieve a double, having won Race-1 yesterday. Finishing in P2 was arch-rival and TVS Racing team-mate Chiranth Vishwanath from Bengaluru followed by Chennai’s Alwin Sundar (KTM Gusto Racing India).
In the other headline race of the day, the Pro-Stock 165cc Open, witnessed a thrilling contest between TVS Racing mates, Sarthak and KY Ahamed. The two exchanged leads through the race until Sarthak stepped up the pace for a fine win. Another veteran and multiple National champion Jagan Kumar took the third spot.
Kaushik Subbiah Ganesan (25) en route to winning the Stock 301-400cc (Novice) race on 8 Sept 2024. Photos by Anand Philar Behind the front-runners, Chiranth Vishwanath, the other top contender, was penalized for an incident in Saturday’s race involving Sarthak and started from the pit lane. He made swift progress to jump to P3 before an engine issue on the last lap saw him hop off the bike and push it across the finish line for ninth spot.
Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup
Winning both the races this weekend, Mohsin Paramban, the 22-year-old from Malappuram, took an unbeatable lead in the NSF 250R category. In Race-2 today, Mohsin was in a league of his own and won comfortably ahead of Prakash Kamat (Bengaluru) and Kolhapur’s Siddesh Sawant. Thus, after four rounds and eight races, Mohsin, with five wins, has effectively sealed the championship in this category.
TVS India One-Make Championship
Chalking up his fifth win in eight starts, Senthilkumar C from Coimbatore maintained his slender championship lead in the Open (Apache RR 310) class after overcoming Manoj Yesuadian (Chennai) by three-tenths of a second in today’s Race-2. Another Coimbatore racer Raj Kumar C finished third.
Bengaluru’s Harshith V Bogar with a win in today’s Race-2 has one hand on the championship title, requiring just a handful of points in the concluding round next month to take the crown in the Rookie (Apache RTR 200) category. The 20-year-old Harshith survived a tight battle with Vijayawada’s Akarsh Jangam while Tejash BA from Tumakuru finished third.
Sarthak Chavan swept to his fourth consecutive win in the TVS Electric RTE race to further underline his domination.
The results (Provisional, all 6 laps unless mentioned):
National Championship:
Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open (Race-2): 1. Sarthak Chavan (Pune, TVS Racing) (11mins, 07.139secs); 2. Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru, TVS Racing) (11:08.980); 3. Alwin Sundar A (Chennai, Gusto Racing India) (11:10.406).
Pro-Stock 165cc Open (Race-2): 1. Sarthak Chavan (11:33.380); 2. KY Ahamed (Chennai, TVS Racing) (11:33.655); 3. Jagan Kumar (Chennai, TVS Racing) (11:42.248).
Novice (Stock 165cc, Race-2): 1. Abdul Basim (Chennai, Rockers Racing) (12:55.319); 2. Tasmai Cariappa (Mysuru, Motul Sparks Racing) (12:55.563); 3. Lal Nunsanga (Mizoram, Motul Sparks Racing) (13:06.387).
Girls (Stock 165cc, Race-2, 5 laps): 1. Ryhana Bee (Chennai, Rockers Racing) (10:55.879); 2. Rakshita Dave (Chennai, RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate (11:05.008); 3. Jagathishree Kumaresan (Chennai, One Racing) (11:05.156).
Stock 301-400cc (Novice, Race-2): 1. Kaushik Subbiah Ganesan (Chennai, RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate) (12:16.248); 2. Pradeep C (Bengaluru, pvt) (12:17.309); 3. Raj Kumar (Coimbatore, RDX Torque Racing) (12:17.469).
Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup (NSF 250R, Race-2, 8 laps): 1. Mohsin Paramban (Malappuram) (15:06.939); 2. Prakash Kamat (Bengaluru) (15:08.635); 3. Siddesh Sawant (Kolhapur) (15:11.172).
TVS India One-Make Championship:
Open (Apache RR 310, Race-2): 1. Senthilkumar C (Coimbatore) (11:43.600); 2. Manoj Yesuadian (Chennai) (11:43.988); 3. Raj Kumar C (Coimbatore) (11:49.742).
Rookie (Apache RTR 200, Race-2): 1. Harshith V Bogar (Bengaluru) (13:20.484); 2. Akarsh Jangam (Vijayawada) (13:20.600); 3. Tejash BA (Tumakuru) (13:30.522)
Electric RTE (4 laps): 1. Sarthak Chavan (Pune) (07:20.468); 2. Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru) (07:24.199); 3. Alwin Sundar (Chennai) (07:26.215).
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Rivaan Dev Preetham clinches a double after a nail-biting fight: Karting Nationals
Bengaluru, 8 Sept. 2024: Chennai’s 11-year-old Class 6 student Rivaan Dev Preetham of MSport won both the races in a nail-biting contest in the Micro Max class while another Chennai lad Eshanth Vengatesan, too, bagged a double in the Junior Max class in the fourth round of the Meco Fmsci National Rotax Max Karting Championship 2024 at Meco Kartopia track here on Sunday.
In a close contest, Rivaan, the Lady Andal House of Children student, pulled off a fine victory in the Pre-Final beating Hamza Balasinorwala of Mumbai overtaking him in the final lap to regain the lead for a hard-fought win. Vadodara’s Yug Jain from Peregrine Racing came in third. In the Final, Rivaan, once again won a close race after he exchanged the lead twice in the final lap with Hamza, who had to be content with a second place. Yug Jain finished third once again.
In the Junior Max class, Eshanth Vengatesan from Peregrine Racing won both the Final and the Pre-Final beating Pune’s Arafath Sheikh of Crest Motorsport. Sheikh gave a tough fight in the Pre-Final but ended up second again in the Final race. Gurugram’s Aarav Dewan of Leapfrog Racing finished third in both the races.
In the Senior Max Pre-Final, former champion Rohaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing) of Bengaluru took a convincing win beating Huuner Singh of Birel Art India, and Varun Hari Praveen, also from Peregrine came third. But, Varun Hari Praveen of Chennai turned the tables in the Final for a comfortable victory ahead of another multiple champion Ruhaan Alva of MSport, and Madesh finished third.
The results (Provisional):
Senior Max – Final (16 laps):
1. Varun Hari Praveen (Chennai, Peregrine Racing) (15:11.207);
2. Ruhaan Alva (Bengaluru, MSport) (15:14.077);
3. Rohaan Madesh (Bengaluru, Peregrine Racing) (15:16.317).
Pre-final (5 laps): 1. Rohaan Madesh (04:53.038); 2. Hunner Singh (Gurugram, Birel Art India) (04:54.067); 3. Varun Hari Praveen (04:54.838).
Junior Max – Final (14 laps):
1. Eshanth Vengatesan (Chennai, MSport) (14:01.468);
2. Arafath Sheikh (Pune, Crest Motorsport) (14:03.229);
3. Aarav Dewan (Gurugram, Leapfrog Racing) (14:05.584).
Pre-final (12 laps): 1. Eshanth Vengatesan (11:13.275); 2. Arafath Sheikh (11:13.371); 3. Aarav Dewan (Gurugram, Leapfrog Racing) (11:14.202).
Micro Max – Final (12 laps):
1. Rivaan Dev Preetham (Chennai, MSport) (12:40.762);
2. Hamza Balasinorwala (Mumbai, Rayo Racing) (12:40.836);
3. Yug Jain (Vadodara, Peregrine Racing) (12:41.217).
Pre-final (10 laps): 1. Rivaan Dev Preetham (10:17.041); 2. Hamza Balasinorwala (10:17.246); 3. Yug Jain (10:23.919).
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Ryhana Bee in top form, wins girls race to mount title challenge; Chiranth, Sarthak notch wins
Chennai, 7 Sept. 2024: Chennai’s Ryhana Bee, seeking to regain the National title in the Girls category (Stock 165cc) after three years, scored a lights-to-flag win after topping the practice and qualifying sessions with her new team, Rockers Racing.
Meanwhile, teenagers and TVS Racing team-mates Sarthak Chavan (Pune) and Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru) split the day’s honours with a victory apiece in the two premier Pro-Stock categories on a day of stirring action in the fourth and penultimate round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2024 – Powered by STORM at the Madras International Circuit, here on Saturday.
Sarthak overcame a poor start to post his sixth win in the Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open category ahead of Chiranth and veteran Rajini Krishnan (RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate).
National Championship Girls (Stock 165cc) race winner Ryhana Bee (centre) flanked by second-placed Jagathee Kumaresan (left) and third-placed Rakshitha Dave at the Madras International Circuit on 7 Sept 2024. Photos by Anand Philar The result in the Pro-Stock 165cc Open class race was the reverse with the Chiranth coming through an up-and-down six laps, the last of which saw him and Sarthak coming together, but staying in the saddle to complete the race with KY Ahamed, recovering from a viral fever, made it a 1-2-3 for TVS Racing.
Mysuru’s 22-year-old Tasmai Cariappa (Motul Sparks Racing) kept his nerves in a tense finish to score his maiden win the Novice (Stock 165cc) race while Pradeep C, a private entrant from Bengaluru, wrote his own script in winning the Stock 301-400cc (Novice) race after starting from P4.
TVS India One-Make Championship
Sarthak Chavan celebrating his win in the Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open race (Sept 07) Coimbatore’s Raj Kumar C upstaged favourites to record his first win of the season in the Open (Apache RR 310) category as he finished well ahead of Manoj Yesuadian (Chennai) and championship leader Senthilkumar C (Coimbatore).
CS Kedarnath from Tirupati held off Bengaluru’s Harshith Bogar and Akarsh Jangam (Hyderabad) in a tight finish as the trio finished the Rookie (Apache RTR 200) race in close formation that also included Tejash BA (Tumakuru) in P4. Less than a second separated the quartet. It was Kedarnath’s second win of the season.
Later, SP Shuria from Trichy won a battle royal against Pune’s Saimah Ajaz Baig with a last lap overtaking to win the Girls (Apache RTR 200) race that was briefly interrupted by a red flag stoppage due to an on-track incident. Finishing third was Aisvariya of Coimbatore, ahead of Bengaluru’s Poojita Anil Kumar.
Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup
Mohsin Paramban from Malappuram extended his hold on the NSF 250R class with fourth win of the season that took him further away from the pack in the championship standings. Completing the podium were Kolhapur’s Siddesh Sawant and Prakash Kamat (Bengaluru). The outcome of the six-lap race was in suspense until the top three crossed the finish line within a second of each other.
The results (Provisional, all 6 laps unless mentioned):
National Championship:
Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open (Race-1): 1. Sarthak Chavan (Pune, TVS Racing) (11mins, 06.531secs); 2. Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru, TVS Racing) (11:07.005); 3. Rajini Krishnan (Chennai, RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate) (11:07.445).
Pro-Stock 165cc Open (Race-1): 1. Chiranth Vishwanath (11:36.813); 2. Sarthak Chavan (11:37.144); 3. KY Ahamed (Chennai) (11:39.098) (All from TVS Racing).
Novice (Stock 165cc, Race-1): 1. Tasmai Cariappa (Mysuru, Motul Sparks Racing) (12:54.080); 2. Abdul Basim RS (Chennai, Rockers Racing) (12:54.197); 3. Kamal Niwas (Chennai, Rockers Racing) (13:10.998).
Girls (Stock 165cc, Race-1, 5 laps): 1. Ryhana Bee (Chennai, Rockers Racing) (10:58.147); 2. Jagathishree Kumaresan (Chennai, One Racing) (11:05.691); 3. Rakshita Dave (Chennai, RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate) (11:05.793).
Chennai’s Ryhana Bee who won the Girls (Stock 165cc) race by a big margin (Sept 07) Stock 301-400cc (Novice, Race-1): 1. Pradeep C (Bengaluru, Pvt) (12:18.943); 2. Kaushik Subbiah Ganesan (Chennai, RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate) (12:20.582); 3. Aldrin Babu (Chalakudy, RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate) (12:22.718).
Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup (NSF 250R, Race-1): 1. Mohsin Paramban (Malappuram) (11:22.639); 2. Siddesh Sawant (Kolhapur) (11:23.163); 3. Prakash Kamat (Bengaluru) (11:23.280).
TVS India One-Make Championship:
Open (Apache RR 310, Race-1): 1. Raj Kumar C (Coimbatore) (11:48.043); 2. Manoj Yesuadiyan (Chennai) (11:48.455); 3. Senthilkumar C (Coimbatore) (11:48.567).
Rookie (Apache RTR 200, Race-1): 1. CS Kedarnath (Tirupati) (13:29.012); 2. Harshith Bogar (Bengaluru) (13:29.760); 3. Akarsh Jangam (Hyderabad) (13:29.811).
Girls (Apache RTR 200, Race-1, 4 laps): 1. SP Shuria (Trichy) (09:04.823); 2. Saimah Ajaz Baig (Pune) (09:04.888); 3. Aisvariya V (Coimbatore) (09:16.913).
