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Category: Domestic
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Dhruv Mohite leads 1-2 for VW Motorsport in ITC race; Bengaluru racers sweep Super Stock podium
Coimbatore, June 22: Kolhapur’s Dhruv Shivaji Mohite led a 1-2 grandstand finish for Volkswagen Motorsport as he scored a commanding win in the premium Indian Touring Cars class in the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2019 at the Kari Motor Speedway here on Saturday.
The day’s schedule was cut short due to heavy showers that led to the cancellation of Formula LGB 1300 races, just after Bengaluru-based Race Concepts team made a clean sweep in the Super Stock race with Rithvik Thomas, Prateek Benya and R Rajashekar finishing in that order. Incidentally, the three podium finishers are all from Bengaluru.
Mohite, 21, who has graduated from Karting and winner of the Ameo Cup last year, marked his debut in the ITC category in the Volkswagen Vento with a comfortable start-to-finish win ahead of team-mate Karthik Tharani while veteran Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) completed podium.
While Mohite, starting from pole position, was quick off the blocks at the start of the 15-lap race, Balu, from second position, dropped two positions as he missed a gear when the lights went out. But the Coimbatore racer gathered himself to move into third after a couple of laps, easing past Dodhiwala. Thereafter, Mohite, Tharani and Balu were content to nurse their track positions to finish in that order.
“This is my first season in the ITC and I am happy to win my debut race. I had a good start and after opening up a good lead, I held my position as I had a team-mate (Tharani) behind me rather than a competitor,” said Mohite.
For Balu, who is expected to be a top contender for the championship, it was a disappointing outing. “I missed a gear at the start and in the latter half of the race, I didn’t have brakes and I had to use the handbrake. With a lot to make up and a good lead over Ishaan, it was pointless to push. My car is still a work in progress and we have to work on a bit to make it more competitive,” said Balu.
Earlier, Hyderabad’s Jeet Jhabakh chalked up a fluent lights-to-flag victory after starting from pole position, in the Volkswagen Ameo Class race, holding off Anmol Singh Sahil (Delhi) and Saurav Bandyopadhyay (Mumbai). The race was run in tricky conditions. A wet and slippery track following a drizzle besides strong winds, were not ideal for racing on slick tyres, but Jhabakh handled the situation with aplomb while behind him, Sahil, having started fourth on the grid, fought his way to second spot, pipping Bandyopadhyay.
Bangladesh’s Aiman Sadat topped the Junior category ahead of Nashik’s Viraj Jairaj Jhala and Bengaluru’s Chetan Surineni.
The results (Provisional – all 15 laps unless mentioned):
Indian Touring Cars (Race 1): 1. Dhruv Shivaji Mohite (VW Motorsport) (17mins, 20.105secs); 2. Karthik Tharani (VW Motorsport) (17:27.062); 3. Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) (17:44.280).
Volkswagen Ameo Class (Race 1): 1. Jeet Jhabakh (Hyderabad) (17:48.937); 2. Anmol Singh Sahil (Delhi) (17:52.579); 3. Saurav Bandyopadhyay (Mumbai) (17:55.182). Junior: 1. Aiman Sadat (Bangladesh) (18:14.077); 2. Viraj Jairaj Jhala (Nashik) (18:15.882); 3. Chetan Surineni (Bengaluru) (18:04.139, 14 laps).
Super Stock (Race 1): 1. Rithvik Thomas (Race Concepts) (22:21.408); 2. Prateek Benya (Race Concepts) (22:23.462); 3. R Rajashekar (Race Concepts) (22:24.390).
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After 12 years, Gaurav Gill leaves MRF and returns to JK Tyre fold; 3 WRC2 rounds in the offing
Sanjay Sharma Head- Motorsport, JK Tyre (L) with Gaurav Gill at New Delhi on Friday. A JK Tyre image New Delhi, 21 June 2019: In a stunning move that jolted the motorsport fraternity of India, celebrated Indian rally driver Gaurav Gill returned to the JK Tyre fold after 12 long years with MRF and breathed a fresh life into his dream… to continue the quest for a full run in the World Rally Champioship.
JK Tyre announced here on Friday that the 37-year old speed merchant will be their primary force and face behind JK Tyre’s all-new rallying programme. More importantly, Gill is expected to take part in at least three rounds of WRC2 this year.
The three-time Asia Pacific and six times Indian National Rally champion, who began his sparkling career as a JK Tyre Go-karting prodigy almost two decades ago, will return to lead Team JK Tyre Rallying’s charge in all national and various international events, making it a true homecoming for the prodigal star after 12-long years. He joined MRF in January 2007 and his last rally for the red-outfit was Rally Finland 2018.
The Delhi-based Speed Master got into motorsport making his debut on bikes in the National Motocross Championship in 1999. He then moved to 4-wheel racing and soon also started to take part in rallies and endurance races. He was runner-up in the National Road Racing Championship in 2003 and won the title in the following year. He finished the 2006 season, second overall.
“I am thrilled to be back with JK Tyre under whose guidance and inspiration I learnt everything about this beautiful sport,” Gaurav said during an interaction with senior journalists.
The star will embark on a bold new journey later this month, starting with the Champions Yacht Club Indian National Rally Championship in Chennai. At the same time, a much bigger and more exciting plan has been laid out for him, which will etch the champion’s legacy in the annals of motorsports forever.
“We are delighted to have one of the world’s finest rallying talent with us,” Sanjay Sharma, Head- Motorsport, JK Tyre, said. “He will not only strengthen our immediate rallying thrust but more excitingly will work with us to develop the next generation of drivers. Gaurav’s experience and expertise will also come in handy for the brand in testing and developing even more robust tyres,” he added.
Gaurav, who is easily at the peak of his driving as also his fitness, will make a fresh assault on key international events, with his eyes firmly locked on the European Rally Championship, to begin with. He will continue to pursue his long-cherished dream of making his presence felt in the World Rally 2 Championship too, taking part in at least some of its events.
The fearless and nearly invincible rallyist will play multiple roles during his new stint, with the JK Tyre powered Gaurav Gill Rallying Academy soon becoming the hub for all off-roading activities. He and the team’s array of experts will work in tandem to develop a new breed of drivers in his own mould.
The immediate goal is to zero in on young talented drivers from the existing grid, sharpen them and absorb them for bigger things if they show the aptitude for it. A full-fledged JK Tyre Rallying team too will soon be launched even as international FIA- R2 spec cars of various Indian manufacturers are being developed with collaborations and inputs from world-class tuners and teams by JK Tyre.
A clear and logical progression ladder will be put in place for all worthies, with even cross-karts powered by 600cc superbike engines to be simultaneously introduced for beginners.
“The sport has given me everything that I have today. I want to give something back to it, even as I chase my other goals in motorsport. JK is the perfect platform for both. Their programme has been designed to help new talent be on par with international counterparts, honing their skills in the most conducive environment and ambience,” Gaurav Gill said.
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Kari Motor Speedway set for MRF MMSC fmsci Car Racing Nationals 2019
Action from the 2018 National Championship. File photo by Anand Philar. Coimbatore, 19 June 2019: The eagerly-awaited MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2019 resumes at the Kari Motor Speedway here on Friday, June 21, in a new avatar following a rejig of regulations designed to make racing more competitive and exciting than ever before. The weekend card will see 59 entrants, from across India, competing in 11 races.
In a significant development, the Volkswagen Ameo Cup has received the status of National Championship and rechristened as the Ameo Class. The eventual winners (Pro and Rookie categories) after four rounds and 10 races spread across four race weekends, will be declared National champions. Volkswagen Motorsport India had launched their one-make series in 2010 through the Polo Cup before progressing to the Vento and now the Ameo.
Apart from the Ameo Class races, the weekend will witness competitions in the popular and premium Indian Touring Cars (ITC), the Super Stock and the entry-level Formula LGB 1300 which has attracted the most number of entries of 19 young aspirants. However, the MRF 1600 races are expected to start only from the next round in Chennai.
MMSC Vice-President and Chairman of the Meet Vicky Chandhok said: “At the outset, MMSC would like to acknowledge and appreciate MRF’s unstinted commitment and active involvement in the National Championship, be it two-wheeler or four-wheeler races. In fact, MRF has been the backbone of motorsport in India due to the support they have extended and continue to do so, for all formats of the sport. With MRF’s support, MMSC has been able to take racing a notch higher with every season. This year, we welcome Volkswagen Motorsport into our National Championship by way of the Ameo Class which we expect to be as competitive as before when it was called the Ameo Cup.”
For the Super Stock and the Formula LGB 1300 categories, this weekend’s outing will be Round 2 after the season-opener in February at the MMRT, Chennai, when they were run on the same card as the MRF Challenge international series, while the other classes join the National Championship.
There will be three races each for the ITC, Ameo Class and the Formula LGB categories, and two in the Super Stock class.
The weekend action commences on Friday which is entirely devoted to Free Practice sessions, while qualifying and five races are scheduled for Saturday, followed by six more races on Sunday.
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.
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Nirmal Umashankar, Ruhaan Alva, Ishaan Madesh excel in X-30 class JK Tyre Karting Nationals
Winners of Junior class Race 3: from left: Mihir Suman Avalakki (2nd) with winner Ruhaan Alva and Shahan Ali Mohsin (3rd) at Meco Kartopia in Bengaluru on Sunday. Photos: JK Tyre Bengaluru, 16 June 2019: Chennai’s Nirmal Umashankar came up with another power-packed performance to consolidate his lead in the X-30 class of the JK Tyre-FMSCI National Karting Championship at the Meco Kartopia near Bengaluru on Sunday.
Nirmal, an accomplished driver in the Euro JK category of JKNRC, was unstoppable in the Senior Category and won all four races during the day to collect a total of 40 points to maintain his vice-like grip at the top of the leaderboard with 76 points after two rounds. Debarun Banerjee of Delhi, who started the round behind Nirmal, began with two, second-place finishes. But he could not better that show and finished third and fourth respectively in the next two races to drift away. He is currently on 49 points after two rounds.
Senior Class winners: From left: Debarun Banerjee (2nd), Nirmal Umashankar (1st) and Shahan Ali Mohsin (3rd) Agra’s Shahan Ali Mohsin, who started 7th on the leaderboard, collected 22 points, thanks to his three third-place finishes catapulting to the third spot with a total of 32 points.
In the Junior Category, it was Bangalore’s Ruhaan Alva who made the most of the round, winning three races to collect a total of 34 points to climb up the charts with a total of 57 points. His city-mate Arjun S Nair won one race and posted two, second-place finishes to log in 27 points and maintain his second spot with a total of 51 points. Shahan Ali, just like in the Senior Category, covered good ground to go to the third position (38 points), courtesy of two second and two third-place finishes. However, Round 1 leader Mihir Suman Avalakki did not have the best of the days and could collect only 23 points to slide down to 4th position.
Cadet winners: From left: Shriya Loha (2nd), Ishaan Madesh (1st) and Sai Shiva Makesh Sankaran (3rd). In the cadet category, Bangalore’s Ishaan Mahesh collected a perfect 40 to accumulate a total of 77 pointsto hold on to his lead. Young Shriya Lohia of Pune is in the distant second with a total of 52 points, while Sai Shiva Makesh Shankara is in the third spot with 45 points.
Arafath Sheikh from Pune, the youngest driver on the grid also proved his mettle as he managed to collect 12 points in the cadet category.
Round 2: (provisional unaudited results):
Senior Race 1 (15 laps): 1. Nirmal Umashankar (Chennai) 14:07.082; 2. Debarun Banerjee (Delhi) 14:07.545; (Fastest lap: 0:55.935); 3. Shahan Ali Mohsin (Agra) 13:18.160 (one lap less).
Senior Race 2 (15 laps): 1. Nirmal Umashankar (Chennai) (14:05.620); 2. Debarun Banerjee (Delhi) (14:09.057); 3. Shahan Ali Mohsin (Agra) (14:09.274). Fastest lap: Nirmal 0:55.740.
Senior Race 3 (15 laps): 1. Nirmal Umashankar (Chennai) 13:58.958 (Fastest lap 00:55.437); 2. Manav Sharma (Faridabad) 14:04.372; 3. Debarun Banerjee 14:04.951.
Senior Race 4 (18 laps): 1. Nirmal Umashankar (Chennai) 16:46.845 (Fastest lap 00:55.674); 2. Manav Sharma (Faridabad) 16:54.526; 3. Shahan Ali Mohsin (Agra) 16:58.972; 3.
Junior Race 1 (12 laps): 1. Ruhaan Alva (Bengaluru) (11:13.420); 2. Shahan Ali Mohsin (Agra) (11:16.546); 3. Arjun S Nair (Bengaluru) (11:19.207); Best Lap: Arjun Nair 0:55.916.
Junior Race 2 (12 laps): 1. Arjun S Nair (Bengaluru) (11:20.283); 2. Mihir Suman Avalakki (Bengaluru) (11:20.547); 3. Shahan Ali Mohsin (Agra) (11:20.895); Best lap: Mihir Avalakki 0:55.581.
Junior Race 3 (15 laps): 1. Ruhaan Alva (Bengaluru) (13:49.402); 2. Mihir Suman Avalakki (Bengaluru) (13:52.230); 3. Shahan Ali Mohsin (Agra) (13:53.388); Best lap: Ruhaan Alva 0:55.100.
Junior Race 4 (15 laps): 1. Ruhaan Alva (Bengaluru) (13:53.045); 2. Shahan Ali Mohsin (Agra) (13:57.120); 3. Arjun S Nair (Bengaluru) (13:57.428); Best lap: Ruhaan Alva 0:55.255.
Cadet Class Race 1 (10 laps): 1. Ishaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (11:21.358); 2. Shriya Loha (Pune) (11:31.894); 3. Sai Shiva Makesh Sankaran (Pune) (11:33.527); Best Lap: Ishaan: 1:03.313.
Cadet Class Race 2 (10 laps): 1. Ishaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (10:36.489); 2. Shriya Loha (Pune) (10:40.277); 3. Sai Shiva Makesh Sankaran (Pune) (10:50.596); Best Lap: Ishaan: 1:02.802.
Cadet Class Race 3 (10 laps): 1. Ishaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (10:34.779); 2. Shriya Loha (Pune) (10:40.682); 3. Sai Shiva Makesh Sankaran (Pune) (10:42.887); Best Lap: Ishaan: 1:02.722.
Cadet Class Race 4 (12 laps): 1. Ishaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (12:45.365); 2. Sai Shiva Makesh Sankaran (Pune) (12:53.594); 3. Shriya Loha (Pune) (13:00.311); Best Lap: Ishaan: 1:03.314. (Shriya demoted to thrid place after a 10-second penalty for jump start)
Provisional Rankings post Round 2:
Cadet Category: 1. Ishaan Madhesh (Bangalore) 77 points; 2. Shriya Lohia (Pune) 52 points; 3. Sai Shiva Makesh Sankaran (Pune) 45 pointsJunior Category: 1. Ruhaan Alva (Bangalore) 57 points; 2. Arun S. Nair (Bangalore) 51 points; 3. Shahan Ali Mohsin (Agra) 38 points
Senior Category: 1. Nirmal Umashankar (Chennai) 76 points; 2. Debarun Banerjee (Delhi) 49 points; 3. Shahan Ali Mohsin (Agra) 32 points
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Agra’s Shahan, Bengaluru’s Mihir shine in opening round of Rotax Class: Karting Nationals
Shahan Ali Mohsin (centre) who won Senior Max Category with third-placed Manav Sharma (2nd from right) and Bala Prasath (2nd from left) who finished second. A JK Tyre photo Bengaluru, 9 June 2019: Agra’s Shahan Ali Mohsin and Bengaluru’s Mihir Avalakki stole the limelight in Round 1 of the Rotax Class of the JK Tyre-FMSCI National Karting Championship at the Meco Kartopia here on Sunday.
Shahan of MSport proved to be the star of the day in the Senior Max category, winning both his races (the pre-final and final) of the day to accumulate a total of 89 points to surge into the lead.
Manav Sharma of Faridabad and Coimbatore’s Bala Prasath, both regulars in the LGB Formula 4 category of the JKNRC, took the second and third spot respectively.
Peregrine Racing’s Manav finished second in both races of the day and collected 85 points while Bala of MSport finished third in his two outings to end the day with a total of 82 points.
Local boy Mihir, who starred in the opening round of the X-30 class earlier this month, sizzled again to go atop the leader board in the Junior Max category.
Mihir, racing for Birel Art, finished on top in both the races and picked up 89 points. He is being trailed by his team-mate Rushon, who has 83 points.
Another Birel Art racer and Bengaluru’s own Ruhaan Alva ended the day on the third spot. He finished second in the opening race and third in the last to register 83 points and tie with Rushon but had to be content with the third spot for finishing behind his team-mate in the final race.
In the Micro Max category, it was the young Ishaan Madhesh of Peregrine Racing who emerged on top with two wins and a total of 89 points in his kitty. Trailing in the second spot is Ranveer Singh of Birel Art with 85 points while Jagrat Detroja of Peregrine Racing is third with 82 points.
Provisional Results (After Round 1):
Micro Category – 1. Ishaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing) 89 points; 2. Ranvir Singh (Birel Art) 85 points; 3. Jagrat Detroja (Peregrine Racing) 82 pointsJunior Category – 1. Mihir Avalakki (Birel Art) 89 points; 2. Rishon (Birel Art) 83 points; 3. Ruhaan Alva (Birel Art) 83 points
Senior Category – 1. Shahan Ali Mohsin (MSport) 89 points; 2. Manav Sharma (Peregrine Racing) 85 points; 3. Bala Prasath (MSport) 82 points
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Sarath Kumar takes a win after a long time: Pro-Stock 165cc
Sarath Kumar (69) leading the pack en route to winning the Pro-Stock 165cc race in Coimbatore on Saturday.. Photo by Anand Philar Coimbatore, 8 June 2019: Deepak Ravikumar (TVS Racing) and Sankar Sarath Kumar (Idemitsu Honda Ten10 Racing) survived a day of drama and crashes to post deserved wins in the Pro-Stock 301-400cc and Pro-Stock 165cc categories, respectively, as the first round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2019 sparked to life at the Kari Motor Speedway here on Saturday.
The results are provisional as a late evening protest is yet to be decided by the stewards.
Starting sixth, Ravikumar, nursing injuries he suffered during last week’s testing, overcame pain and discomfort to score a merited win in the premium Pro-Stock 301-400cc race after pole-sitter Prabhu Arunagiri (Team Alisha Abdullah) and Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing) came together in the second of the 10-lap race. While Arunagiri retired, Jagan Kumar, who had started second on the grid, got up and continued to finish eighth.
In second place behind Ravikumar was TVS Racing’s KY Ahamed, followed by Gusto Racing’s Satyanarayana Raju who was nursing a collar-bone fracture.
Earlier, the two outstanding riders in the Pro-Stock 165cc race were the eventual winner Sarath Kumar and third-placed Jagan Kumar. Sarath, 26, overcame a poor start that pushed him to sixth before he climbed his way to the front for a comfortable win by over five seconds.
Behind him, seven-times Super Sport National champion Jagan, starting from the pit-lane after the chain snapped during the formation lap, requiring quick repairs, rode like the wind as he cut through the field to finish third behind team-mate KY Ahamed who also did extremely well after starting eighth on the grid following this morning’s qualifying session.
Reflecting on his first win in three years, Sarath said: “It feels great to win a race after I think three years. I did not have a good start and was running sixth going into Turn-1, but I was confident of making up and by the second lap, I was ahead. Thereafter, it was fairly comfortable.
“It has been a frustrating three years during which I was part of the development programme. I also put on weight during that time, going up to 76 Kgs which is far too heavy for a 165cc bike. So, I reduced my weight to 66 Kgs, but still concede about 12 Kgs to Jagan. I had a strategy today, but unfortunately, he had a technical issue, so, I didn’t need to employ that strategy. Tomorrow, I know, he will be with me, but I am confident.”
Jagan, who was chaired to the garage after the post-race weigh-in by his team members, said: “The chain snapped and so I had to start from the pitlane after repairs. Otherwise, it was a good race and am happy to finish third considering the circumstances. Hopefully, I will have a better race tomorrow.”
The day started with Sparks Racing’s Vijay S taking the honours in the Stock 165cc (Novice) race that was red-flagged after just two laps following crashes.
Varoon (Idemitsu Honda Talent Cup, CBR 150), Anish Samson (TVS 200 RR, Novice), Lani Zena Fernandez (TVS 200 RR Girls) and Anand R (TVS 310RR Open) were the other winners of the day.
The results (Provisional):
National Championship – Pro-Stock 301-400cc (Race 1, 10 laps): 1. Deepak Ravi Kumar (TVS Racing) (11 mins, 40.315 secs); 2. KY Ahemed (TVS Racing) (11:41.960); 3. Satyanarayana Raju (Gusto Racing) (11:58.709).
Pro-Stock 165cc (Race 1, 10 laps): 1. Sarath Kumar (Idemitsu Honda Ten10 Racing) (12:23.441); 2. Ahamed KY (TVS Racing) (12:26.672); 3. Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing) (12:27.061).
Stock 165cc (Race 1, 7 laps): 1. Vijay S (Sparks Racing) (09:29.877); 2. Manoj Y (Pvt) (09:31.371); 3. Abhimanyu Gautam (Sparks Racing) (09:36.358).
One-Make Championship – Idemitsu Honda Talent Cup (CBR 150) Race 1 (10 laps): 1. Varoon (13:31.952); 2. Lalrinuala Tlau (13:51.910); 3. Charan T (14:11.186).
TVS (Open, RR 310) Race 1 (10 laps): 1. Anand R (12:17.045); 2. Aravind Ganesh (12:18.822); 3. Soorya PM (12:18.865).
Novice (RR 200) Race 1 (4 laps): 1. Anish Samson (05:34.808); 2. Manoj Y (05:34.860); 3. Ullas Santruptnanda (05:36.011).
Girls (RR 200): 1. Lani Zena Fernandez (04:19.084); 2. Nivetha Jessica (04:19.766); 3. Shifa Shabir Ahmed (04:35.568).
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Prabhu Arunagiri takes Pro-Stock 301-400cc class pole: MRF Bike Racing Nationals
Prabhu Arunagiri takes Pro Stock 301-400 cc pole on Friday. Photo by Srinivasa Krishnan Coimbatore, 7 June 2019: Prabhu Arunagiri of Team Alisha Abdullah scorched the track at the Kari Motor Speedway as he qualified for pole position in the premium Pro-Stock 301-400cc class as the first round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship commenced here today.
Arunagiri came up with the flier in his very second lap, clocking one minute, 09.241 seconds, while TVS Racing duo of Jagan Kumar (01:09.269) and KY Ahamed (01:09.270) completed the front row of the grid for tomorrow’s race. Finishing a close fourth was young Rahil Shetty (Sparks Racing) with a best of 01:10.130.
TVS Racing’s Jagan Kumar yet again underlined his caliber and class with a brilliant performance to top the practice session in the Pro-Stock 165cc class with a flying lap of 01:13:529 ahead of Idemitsu Honda Ten10 Racing’s Sarath Kumar (01:13.544) and team-mate KY Ahamed (01:13.688). The trio was separated by less than a second, pointing to an exciting battle tomorrow when the qualifying and first of the two races are to be run.
Jagan, who last season clinched his seventh National title in the Super Sport Indian 165cc class which was not in the first round here, has since moved to the Pro-Stock category, but adapted himself well to top the timesheets. Sarath and Ahamed also participated in the Super Sport category last year.
There was plenty of action elsewhere with riders in the Honda and TVS One-Make Championships, and the Novice class entrants getting a feel of the conditions during the practice sessions that occupied much of the day’s programme.
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.
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178 entries as new season set to begin in Coimbatore: Motorcycle Racing Nationals
File photo of National Bike Championship at Coimbatore in 2018. Image by Anand Philar Coimbatore, 6 June 2019: The 2019 season of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship, commencing at the Kari Motor Speedway here on Friday, June 7, will move up a couple of notches in quality and competitiveness with country’s leading 2-wheeler manufacturers Honda and TVS, playing key roles in the process.
With 178 entries and a record 15 teams, the highest-ever in the championship’s history, in the fray, the weekend card has 17 races scheduled. The National Championship will be headlined by the Pro-Stock 301-400cc class, besides Pro-Stock 165cc, Pro-Stock 201-300cc and Stock 165cc (Novice and Girls). That apart, the One-Make Championships by Honda (Idemitsu Honda Talent Cup, CBR 150) and TVS Racing (Apache RTR 310 Open, RTR 200 Novice, and Girls), will be run concurrently.
Title sponsors MRF will provide slick tyres for Pro-Stock 165cc and Pro-Stock 301-400cc classes. The slicks were introduced for the 2018 season and met with immediate approval and appreciation from the riders for the better grip, especially through the corners.
MMSC President Ajit Thomas said: “We at the MMSC have been actively working towards our vision of providing a strong platform for young riders to express their talent on the race track before moving on to the next level. In this regard, we acknowledge the active involvement of our long-time partners MRF Tyres who have spared no effort to provide us with high-quality racing tyres. The MMSC also have kept pace with changing times by constantly upgrading equipment and infrastructure to make racing more safer and competitive.”
Over the past couple of seasons, the competition in every category has become sharper and closer, resulting in exciting fare, and there are pointers that it would be even more so in the new season.
The two top manufacturers, Honda and TVS, have also contributed hugely to the National championship with their respective one-make series. This season, in a landmark move, Honda will be introducing FIM Moto3 spec NSF250R that will replace the CBR 250 in their One-Make Championship from the next round. It is part of the Honda India Talent Cup programme designed to unearth young talent that can be groomed for participation in various international events, including the World Championship.
The Honda Novice class (CBR 150) will see a grid of 15 riders, all under 19 years of age, thus emphasising the focus on young talent with a long-term development programme.
Similarly, TVS Racing, through their talent-spotting programme, have shortlisted riders for their Novice and Girls categories through an exhaustive selection process. The grid for the Girls race will have 16 riders who were chosen from 33 entrants who received training from TVS Racing’s experienced riders prior to the selection run.
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-looped 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.
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Chennai’s Nirmal, Bengaluru’s Ishaan, Mihir star in X30 Round 1
Winners of Round 1 of JKNKC X30 Senior Class. From Left: Debarun Banerjee (2nd) Nirmal Umashankar (Winner) and MR Rishon (3rd). Photos: JK Tyre Motorsports Bengaluru, 26 May 2019: Chennai’s Nirmal Umashankar and Bengaluru’s Mihir Suman Avalakki emerged as the heroes of Round 1 of the JK Tyre-FMSCI National Karting Chamionship 2019, X-30 class, at the Meco Kartopia here on Sunday.
Nirmal, a regular in the Euro JK category of JKNRC, proved to be the man with nerves of steel as he strolled into the lead in the Senior category. He finished third in the opening race of the day but won the next three to accumulate a total of 36 points.
Delhi’s Debarun Banerjee surged to the second spot by picking up 24 points; thanks to his two second-place finishes in the last two races of the round. Another local boy M R Rishon is on their tail with 23 points with two third places and one second-place finish.
In the Junior category, Mihir did not have the best of the starts, finishing sixth in the opening race. However, he won the next three races to register a total of 33 points to go atop the leaderboard. With three podium finishes and 24 points in his kitty, Mihir’s city-mate Arjun S Nair ended the round in the second spot.
Another local boy and one of the favourites of the championship, Ruhaan Alva, is on the third spot with 23 points. He started the round on a glorious note winning the opening race and finishing second in the next race. It looked like it was going to be his day but a DNF in the third race cost him. He recovered well in the final race finishing third, to be pushed down to the third place.
X30 Cadet Winners: From left: Saathvik Raju (2nd), Ishan Madesh (winner) and Shriya Lohia (3rd) at Meco Kartopia in Bengaluru on Sunday. A JK Tyre image In the Cadet category, Ishaan Madesh from Bengaluru took the first spot with three wins and one second-place finish with 37 points. Trailing on the second spot is Bengaluru’s Saathvik Raju (30 points) and 9-year-old Shriya Lohia (25 points) of Pune.
Standings after Round 1 – X-30:
Senior: Nirmal Umashankar (36 points); Debarun Banerjee (24 points); M R Rishon (23 points)
Junior : Mihir Suman Avalakki (33 points); Arjun S Nair (24 points); Ruhaan Alva (23 points)
Cadet : Ishaan Madesh (37 points); Saathvik Raju (30 points); Shriya Lohia (25 points.
Results: (Unaudited results): X 30 Senior Class:
Race 1 (15 laps): 1. Aditya Swaminathan 14:30.208; 2. Mihir Suman Avalakki 14:30.316; 3, Nirmal Umashankar 14:31.455; Best lap: Debarun Banerjee 56.936 (4th place)
Race 2 (15 laps): 1. Nirmal Umashankar 14:20.166; 2. MR Rishon 14:28.593; 3. Aditya Swaminathan 14:28593; Best lap: Debarun Banerjee 56.672 sec (4th place)
Race 3 (15 laps): 1. Nirmal Umashankar 14:49.633; 2. Debarun Banerjee 14:50.891; 3. MR Rishon 14:52.133; Best lap: Mihir Suman Avalakki 56.362 secs (4th place)
Race 4 (4 laps): 1. Nirmal Umashankar 3:50.159; 2. Debarun Banerjee 3:50626; MR Rishon 3:51.602; Best Lap: Debarun 56.649.
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Aabhishek Mishra-Srikanth Gowda win Desert Storm Xtreme class
Jaisalmer, 11 May 2019: Defending champion Aabhishek Mishra, along with co-driver Srikanth Gowda, proved to be in a league of his own as he dominated each leg of the grueling Desert Storm to claim the coveted title for the fourth time here on Saturday.The 30-year-old from Jaipur thus became only the third driver to defend the Storm, an FMSCI-approved event, along with six-time winner Sunny Sidhu and Suresh Rana. With co-driver Srikanth Gowda by his side, he conquered the heat, the desert and one of the strongest fields ever in 9 hours 21 minutes and 45 seconds for a commendable victory.In the Moto Category, Adrian Metge of Team TVS Racing was equally commanding, winning the country’s longest motorbike rally with a cumulative time of 6 hours 13 minutes and 25 seconds. Ankur Chauhan (and co-driver Prakash M) was the other big winner, taking the Endure Category.“This is an incredibly special win for us,” Aabhishek Mishra, who shepherded his Maruti Vitara smartly, said, shortly after his victory. “I have won the title in the four-wheel category four times and once in the motorbike category. But this year was the toughest due to the conditions as also because of the competition, which attracted all the top drivers, teams and manufacturers in the country,” he added.Driving a Toyota Fortuner for the first time in a rally, Chandigarh’s Samrat Yadav (and co-driver Kunal Kashyap) grabbed the second position in 09:41:34 by showing remarkable poise and consistency over the scorching four days. Arunachal Pradesh’s Lakhpa Tsering (co-driver V Venu Rameshkumar) overcame a slow start to corner the third position in his Polaris RZR 1000.The Army Team, returning to competitive rally after a long hiatus, will be proud of their show in the Thar Desert. Capt AVS Gill (co-driver Diwakar Kalia) claimed the fourth place in the Extreme Category while Aman Katoch (Siddhartha Nandal), Parth Bharadwaj (Mohit Bisht) and Sanjay Jadon (Sahil Dua) took the third, fourth and fifth places in the Endure Category.India’s Dakar star CS Santosh breathed fire down Adrian Metge’s neck in each of the stages, surpassing him a few times too, to finish second in the Moto Category. The Hero Motorsports frontman will rue the second day which handed Metge a huge lead and proved to be impossible to bridge in the final analysis. TVS Racing’s Abdul Wahid Tanveer, who clocked a cumulative timing of 06:35:28, took the other place on the podium.Aabhishek Mishra and co-driver Srikanth Gowda from Team Sparky’s Garage have emerged as the ultimate champions of Xtreme Category (cross country rally for cars) at Rally Desert Storm 2019 with cumulative time of 9 hours 21 minutes 45 seconds. With this win, Aabhishek Mishra joined the likes of Suresh Rana and Sunny Sidhu to have successfully defended their Desert Storm Xtreme Title.The three champions — Mishra, Metge and Chauhan – and other podium finishers, category winners and special award winners, were felicitated at a glittering prize distribution ceremony at the Jaisalmer Marriott Resorts & Spa late in the evening.Among the key awards won, the Team Trophy (Xtreme Category) went to Team Army Adventure Wing, Team Trophy (Moto) to TVS Racing, Team Trophy (Ndure) to Team Army Adventure Wing. The Coupe des Dames (Best Female Contender) Awards were claimed by Khyati Mody in the Xtreme category, Aishwarya Pissay in the Moto category and to Capt. Abhilasha Singh in the Ndure category.
