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Category: Domestic
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Over 200 entries as MMRT set for grand finale of Indian National bike championship
Chennai, 12 Dec 2018: The 2018 MRF MMSC Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship is set for a thrilling finish with close battles for the titles in various categories as the fifth and final round, boasting of over 200 entries, starts at the Madras Motorsports Race Trust (MMRT) circuit, here on Friday with 21 races, besides qualifying sessions, to be run over three days.The final round is organised by Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC) under the aegis of Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI).
The card includes One-Make Championships by Honda (Talent Cup – CBR 250 Open and CBR 150 for Novice) and TVS (Apache 310 Open and Apache 200 for Novice), besides a support event, the Alisha Abdullah Inter-College Star Race (Formula LGB 1300) which will have a 11-car grid comprising college students, including 16-year old Deepika from Krishnagiri, and in a first, transgender Apsara Reddy, also a journalist, as a guest driver who will race on Sunday.
It has been a season of surprises and close races. More notably, MRF Tyres provided a huge boost to the championship by offering slick tyres for the two top categories, the Super Sport 165cc and the Pro-Stock 301-400cc. The slick tyres met with unanimous approval of the riders who were able to put in faster lap times due to the higher grip levels, especially through the corners.
Also, the initiative of Madras Motor Sports Club to unearth fresh talent has been an unqualified success with ever-increasing number of entries from first-timers competing in the Stock 165cc category. With about 50 Novice riders in the fray, MMSC introduced heats to arrive at the final grid for the point-scoring race. Hyderabad teenager Karthik Mateti of Sparks Racing and team-mate Aditya Rao from Bengaluru, exerted dominance to head the leaderboard with 86 and 70 points, respectively, winning three of the four races between them.
Similarly, Honda and TVS attracted over 20 entries apiece for in both Open and Novice categories. The TVS race for girls also proved popular with about 15 riders on the grid. Also to be run is the final round of the TVS Media championship.
While the titles in all the National Championship categories are still up for grabs, much of the attention will be on the premier Super Sport 165cc double-header. With a maximum of 50 points on offer, another bitter fight between TVS Racing and Honda Ten10 riders is on the cards. TVS Racing’s Jagan Kumar (148 points), eyeing his seventh title, enjoys a healthy lead over team-mate KY Ahamed (128). Honda Ten10 rider, Rajiv Sethu, has much work to do as he trails Ahamed by 23 points.
The two races this weekend in the Pro-Stock 301-400cc category will also be closely watched. As many as four are riders in contention for the title. Leading the pack is Hyderabad’s Satyanarayana Raju (119 points), just ahead of his Gusto Racing team-mate Amarnath Menon (118) from Kozhikode. Behind the duo are Chennai’s Prabhu Arunagiri of Team Alisha Abdullah (114) and Hyderabad’s Peddu Sriharsha (91) of Sparks Racing.
Likewise, it is a four-pronged battle for the title in the Pro-Stock 165cc category where Bengaluru-based Anish Shetty (131 points) of Honda Ten10 Racing leads, ahead of Chennai’s Kevin Kannan (115, Rockers Racing). Not far behind the two leaders are Coimbatore’s Senthil Kumar (106, Honda Ten10 Racing) and Hyderabad’s Rahil Pilarishetty (94, Sparks Racing).
The National Championship for girls has been dominated by Chennai riders Ann Jennifer (Sparks Racing) who won three of the four races for a tally of 75 points, Shruthi Nagarajan (Apex Racing Academy) with 63, and Ryhana Bee (Sparks Racing) with 55.
About Madras Motor Sports Club
The Madras Motor Sports Club has been the pioneer in developing and promoting motorsport in India since 1953, and we look to further improve in the years to come. It is the club’s endeavor to provide more opportunities for competitors, and to this end, it has chalked out various progressive programmes. From the days of Sholavaram , MMSC built its own racetrack which was inaugurated in 1979 and secured its FIA Grade-2 international certification in 2014, making it the only club which owns such a facility that has been further upgraded with international-standard Paddock, complete with VIP hospitality suites, 20 spacious garages and a separate Paddock on the western side with its own circuit. The club has organised the Porsche Super Cup, Formula Campos, Formula Asia, Asian touring car championships, Formula 3, Tata Prima Truck racing championship, the FIM Asia Road Racing Championships (2-wheelers) besides a host of other motorsport events over the years. The club also has active participation for its events from vehicle manufacturers who also use the Madras Motor Race Track (MMRT) extensively for testing their products.
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Abemo Yanthan was adjudged Best Spotter: JK Tyre Hornbill off-road Cup
Champions of JK Tyre Hornbill Cup. An INDIAinF1 photo Kohima, 5 Dec 2018: Aviu Rutsa along with co-driver Neiketoulie Meyase, and Rudkuobetvo along with Pete cracked the testing mountain terrain of Kohima to emerge victors in the JK Tyre Hornbill Off-Roading Cup here on Tuesday.
Yanger Lushang / Maken Lepden and Bento Swu / Bovito Kiho came second while Ikweithing (Justin) / Kenrak Thou and Irietui / Elu took the third place in the 1.5-km course that comprised six gruelling challenges and obstacles.
Each team comprises of two cars, manned by a driver and a co-driver, to help each other tackle the various obstacles together.
Abemo Yanthan was adjudged Best Spotter while Aviu Rutsa added another feather to his cap by winning the best off-road rig as well.
It is the first time that the off-road event has been added to the annual JK Tyre Hornbill Motor Rally which is in its ninth year of existence.
The rally coincides with the famous Hornbill Festival of Nagaland, a seven-day extravaganza of cultural performances, ethnic food courts, handlooms and handicrafts bazaars, film and art festivals, fashion shows and a national rock contest.
Earlier on Monday, defending champion Gagan Sethi and co-driver Sabatullah Khan stole the show in the picturesque hills by winning the TSD rally spread over 55 kilometres.
The rally coincided with the World War 2 Peace Rally, to pay homage to the martyrs of the Battle of Kohima.
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5th round of MRF Mogrip Supercross at Nashik
MRF MOGRIP-FMSCI NATIONAL SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP 2018
Nashik, 27 Nov 2018: Top guns are expected to take part in the Round 5 of the the 5th and penultimate round of the 19th edition of the MRF MoGrip FMSCI National Supercross Championship 2018 which returns to Nashik. This will be the 5th round of the 6-round FMSCI National Supercross Championship 2018.
The MRF Mogrip fmsci National Supercross Championship is thebiggest off-road 2-wheeler National Racing Championship in India.
Godspeed Racing, Pune spearheaded by 7-times National motocross champion Shyam Kothari have won the rights to promote the championship for the last 6 years hence, Godspeed Racing is organising this year’s championship too.
MRF Tyres along with Godspeed Racing have made a comeback to Nashik and have made this city a part of the racing calendar for this year due to the massive response this event garnered in the previous year.
VENUES 2018:
R # 1 –COCHIN – Completed
R # 2 – GOA – Completed
R# 3 – COIMBATORE – Completed
R # 4 – JAIPUR – Completed
R # 5 – NASHIK – Scheduled
R # 6 – VADODARA – Scheduled
‘Supercross is a motorcycling sport that involves off-road motorcycles racing on artificially created dirt track consisting of steep jumps and obstacles’
The 19th edition of the MRF MoGrip-FMSCI National Supercross championship has attracted almost 100 participants across the 8 categories in each of their previous events. Supercross is gaining popularity in India, with close to ten thousand spectators in hordes at each of the venues last year, leading to an increase in participation and growing involvement and support from Corporate houses and media alike.
MRF Tyres Limited is the title sponsor; TVS Motor Company, Sidvin Energy and IOC Servo are associate sponsors. Also partnering with this Championship are Amor & Vega Helmets.
The Categories:- SX 1 (Foreign Open, Group A, Two/Four Stroke, up to 250cc Two-Stroke and 500cc Four-Stroke
- SX 2 Foreign Open, Group A, Two/Four Stroke, up to 250cc Two-Stroke and 500cc Four-Stroke
- Junior SX, Group A/B/C/D up to 260cc
- Indian Expert Class, Group B, Two/Four Stroke, up to 260cc
- Indian Expert Class, Group C Two/Four Stroke, up to 260cc
- Expert Class, Group C, Two/Four Stroke, up to 260cc
- Novice Class, Group C, Two/Four Stroke, up to 260cc
- Locals Class
Nashik and its terrain is extremely demanding for the man and the machine and when this event in Nasik is scheduled as a penultimate round of the championship, it promises to change a lot of equations in the points table. The riders and teams are completely focussed on getting their set-up, fitness and strategies spot on in order to take full advantage of these conditions.
The technically demanding track is 750 meters in length, which includes 12 double jumps, a cut tabletop, 1 tabletop, whoops and berms. The organizers have created a very demanding track, which will separate the boys from the men.
1st FMX show in Nashik! For the 1st time in history, the city of Nashik stands to witness a thrilling ‘Freestyle Motocross ‘ show which will be put up by 2 of Australia’s top FMX athletes Shaun Webb who will ride a Honda CR 450 and Jordan Sprague who will be astride a Yamaha YZ 250 and we will be able to witness some of the most unbelievable tricks and stunts ever performed on motorcycles.
The scrutiny & administration checks for this event will be held on Friday the 23rd of November& Saturday the 24th of November 2018
Venue Address: ‘Pethe Nagar, behind Kaka ka dhaba, Indiranagar, ’
Mumbai Agra Nashik Highway
Date: Sunday 25th November 2018
Time : 10:00 a.m onwards
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Jacob fastest driver in CASC Autocross; Fabid wins Unrestricted Open: Coimbatore Autocross
KJ Jacob fastest driver of the day. Photo courtesy CASC Coimbatore, 26 Nov 2018: Driving a Volkswagen Polo Thrissur driver KJ Jacob became the Fastest Driver of the Autocross of Coimbatore 2018, the southern qualification round for the FMSCI Indian National Autocross Championship here on Sunday. Jacob clocked 1minute 37.23 seconds in a modified Polo in up to 1650cc Open class, just one-tenth of a second faster than the second fastest driver.
Palakkad’s Fabid Ahmer, a student of Gaurav Gill’s Drivers’ School of Excellence. Faber clocked 1:37.34 to win the Unrestricted Open, also in a rally-prepared VW Polo, to become the second fastest driver of the event that was well organised by the Coimbatore Auto Sports Club (CASC).
Jacob also bagged the second place in the Unrestricted Open Class behind Faber while another speedster brought his Honda home in third place. Bengaluru’s Druva Chandrasekhar won the SUV Open class while Coimbatore’s Akshaya Sundar won the ladies class.
The Autocross event organised by Coimbatore Auto Sports Club (CASC) at Radhakrishna Mills Premises here attracted 67 participants in the 8 classes. Among them, 17 took part in the Open event comprising of SUV and Open class. “The event ran safely with no incidents and competitors enjoyed the track layout as it was quite challenging technically. The feedback from the competitors has been very encouraging,” said Prithviraj, former FMSCI president and the President of CASC as he thanked the team who worked hard to make the event a grand success.
L Gopalakrishnan, Managing Trustee, PSG Institutions, Coimbatore gave away the prizes.
Provisional Results (final):
Class 1: Stock up to 1400cc: 1. Athul Paul, Cochin, 1:51.14; 2. Tony Kurien, Cochin, 1:55.01; 3. Nycil Latheef, Ernakulam, 1:56.62.
Class2 Stock Over 1400 to 1650cc: 1. MD Ganesh Moorthy, Erode, 1:52.59; 2. Karthick Maruthi, Erode, 1:52.71; 3. A Vinodh, Coimbatore, 2:20.12.
Class 3 Stock Over 1650cc: 1. Sriju Sadasivan, Bengaluru, 1:45.99; 2. G Arun Kumar, Coimbatore, 1:48.93; 3. Karthick Maruthi, Erode, 1: 49.95.
Class 4 Open – Upto 1400cc: 1. Mohamed Ismail Khan, Bengaluru, 1:42.91; 2. Ashad Pasha, Chikmagalur, 1:43.11; 3. Lanu, Nagaland, 1:43.48.
Class 5 Open Over 1400cc to 1650cc: 1. KJ Jacob, Thrissur, 1: 37.23; 2. Ashad Pasha, C’lore, 1:37.93; 3. Philippos Mathai, New Delhi, 1:38.97.
Class 6 Open Over 1650cc: 1. MR Venkatapathy, Coimbatore, 1:45.80; 2. Sriju Sadasivan, Bengaluru, 1:47.85; 3. Vishal Raj, Bengaluru, 1:50.70.
Class 7 Open – Unrestrictecd Open: 1. Fabid Ahmer, Palakkad, 1: 37.34; 2. KJ Jacob Thrissur, 1:37.65; 3. Ashad Pasha, 1:38.68.
Class 8 – Ladies Class: 1. Akshaya Sundar, Coimbatore, 2:09.98; 2. B Sri Varshini, Coimbatore, 2:27.80.
Class 9 – SUV Class (Open): Druva Chandra Shekar, Bengaluru,1:41.45; 2. Athul Thoma, Kerala, 1: 48.91; 3. Vamci Merla, Vijayawada, 1: 50.09.
Class 10 Open Class (Local): 1. D Vidya Prakash, Coimbatore, 1:48.00; 2. Karthick Maruthi, Erode, 1: 48.13; 3. MD Ganesh Moorthy, Erode, 1: 48.54.
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MRF Challenge 2018-19 to be held in Dubai, Bahrain and Chennai
MRF Challenge file photo by Anand Philar/MRF Dubai, 13 Nov 2018: The MRF Challenge, one of Asia’s premier single-seater championships, and an FIA-approved series, is again set to light up the winter season with a clutch of young, exciting talent from Europe and elsewhere in the fray as the seventh edition commences at the Dubai Autodrome here, on Thursday, November 15.
The MRF Challenge 2018-19, organized by the Madras Motor Sports Club, will comprise three rounds, to be run in Dubai (Nov 15-17), Bahrain (Dec 6-8) and Chennai (Feb 8-10, 2019) with a total of 15 races, and offers cars powered by 2-litre engines producing 230 BHP while almost matching Formula 3 in speed and power
Mr. Arun Mammen, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, MRF Tyres, said: “It has been an exciting journey for us as we present the seventh edition of the MRF Challenge which, among other things, offer young drivers a platform to showcase their racing talent. We provide identical cars to all the drivers and so, the key differentiating factor is the driving ability. It has also been our constant endeavour to develop the car which is now among the fastest single-seaters in Asia. The MRF Challenge also offers us rich data that in turn helps us to develop further the MRF Z.L.O. slicks and wet tyres.
“The positioning of the MRF Challenge in the winter months between November and February also offers an opportunity for drivers across the World to keep themselves race-fit during the off-season. As such, we have had some very exciting talent taking part in the MRF Challenge over the years and it will be no different this time around.”
Mr. J Anand, Managing Director, JA Motorsports, who built the car in technical collaboration with Dallara, said: “We carried out lot of improvements for last year. From the data we collected, we have only refined the aerodynamics package for this season. Apart from that, the car remains the same as last year.”
The MRF F2000 car with Dallara chassis, is powered by a 2-Litre Mountune Duratec engine producing 230 BHP with advanced aerodynamics. The car boasts of a Hewland six-speed sequential gearbox equipped with Integrated dash and paddle-shift system.
Europe is expected to have a strong representation as in the previous seasons of MRF Challenge. Several young hopefuls with exposure to junior Formula racing are likely to participate.
Chennai-based Chetan Korada is the lone Indian in the fray. A regular in the Indian National Championship and one of handful of racers in the World competing with a prosthesis leg, Korada is making his debut in the MRF Challenge. “I have been racing in India for over a decade now and I thought I should step outside to race in higher categories. The MRF Challenge car is far more comfortable in terms of space for leg movement than the F1600 I have been driving in India. My target for MRF Challenge is to be in in front. I am putting in lot of time on the simulator at home, besides daily gym work. So, I feel I am fit and ready for MRF Challenge,” said Korada.
This year’s MRF Challenge grid will have Australian Dylan Young who has been participating in the championship since its inception. Returning for a second season of MRF Challenge is Singapore’s Danial Nielsen Frost along with Belgian Michelangelo Amendola.
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Ghosh, Naik win Rally of Arunachal Pradesh as Gill pulls out with mechanical problems
Winners of INRC Round 3 (Rally of Arunachal) overall – Amittrajit Ghosh (Left) and his co-driver Ashwin Naik (in Itanagar’s Police Parade ground (Chimpu) today. Itanagar, 4 November 2018: On a day of upsets, Team Mahindra Adventure’s Amittrajit Ghosh (co-driver Ashwin Naik) showed great tactical acumen to win the Rally of Arunachal, Round 3 of the MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2018, here on Sunday. Ghosh, who exhibited amazing fightback on Day 1 to rise from ninth to third, enjoyed a much-needed slice of luck as overnight leader Gaurav Gill (Musa Sherif) pulled out of the competition as his car broke down in the sixth stage.
Ghosh tackled the day’s three stages cautiously, finishing second in SS5, third in SS6 and again second in SS7 for a cumulative top timing of 00:57:33.6. It was 5.9 seconds faster than INRC 2’s Phalguna Urs and Srikanth Gowda giving them the victory. The Snap Racing pair, who were hot on Gill’s tail all of Saturday, didn’t have a fruitful second day, managing only two fourth-place and one fifth-place finish in the stages.
Amittrajit Ghosh in action Phalguna’s drive was still good enough to earn his team the INRC 2 win. Former champion Karna Kadur (PVS Murthy) made a valiant charge, taking the second place in SS6 and even winning SS7, but that could only fetch him the runner’s up trophy. Kadur’s Arka Motorsports team-mate Rahul Kanthraj (Vivek Y Bhatt) dropped one position to settle for the third place.
The INRC 3 too saw a change in the overnight pecking order, with leaders Suhem Kabeer (Jeevarathinam) of Team Champions slipping out of reckoning in the day’s first stage itself after a crash. It allowed his team-mate and defending champion Dean Mascarenhas (Shruptha Padival) to claim the title. Aroor Vikram Rao (Somayya AG) and local outfit Phurpa Tsering (Chow Tiktha) took the other two places on the podium.
“We started the Rally of Arunachal on an ominous note, taking the ninth place due to a technical issue. But I and Ashwin kept pushing until we managed to bounce back to the pole,” a victorious Amittrajit said.
“Today too, we suffered as we had changed the tyres for wet conditions but the track dried up by the time we hit it. But we drove steadily to win the title, which became easier after Gaurav pulled out with a mechanical failure. We are now looking forward to the next two rounds, even though we know that Gaurav will be back in his elements and will put up a tough fight,” he added.
The results:
INRC Overall: 1. Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Team Mahindra Adventure; 00:57:33.6); 2. Phalguna Urs / Srikanth Gowda (Snap Racing; 00:57:39.5); 3. Dean Mascarenhas / Shruptha Padival (Team Champions; 00:57:57.7).
INRC 1: Ghosh / Naik; 2. Lokesh Gowda / Venu Ramesh Kumar (Team Champions) (01:07:20.8).
INRC 2: 1. Phalguna Urs / Srikanth Gowda (Snap Racing; 00:57:39.5); 2. Karna Kadur / PVS Murthy (Arka Motorsports; 00:58:37.0); 3. Rahul Kanthraj / Vivek Y Bhatt (Arka Motorsports; 00:58:55.2).
INRC 3: 1. Dean Mascarenhas / Shruptha Padival (Team Champions; 00:57:57.7); 2. Aroor Vikram Rao / Somayya AG (Falkon Motorsports; 01:05:17.0); 3. Phurpa Tsering / Chow Tiktha (Phurpa Tsering; 01:14:57.9).
FMSCI 2WD CUP: 1. Adith KC / Arjun SSB (Team Champions; 01:01:20.0); 2. Rakshith Iyer / Sagar Mallappa (Pvt; 01:10:54.4).
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Gaurav Gill shrugs off a puncture to take decisive lead in Rally of Arunachal
File picture of Gaurav Gill who leads Rally of Arunachal at the end of Leg-1. Photo: Anand Philar Itanagar, 3 November 2018: Three-time APRC champion Gaurav Gill recovered from a tyre puncture and only his second stage defeat this season to surge into the lead on Day 1 of the Rally of Arunachal which doubles up as the Round 3 of the MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2018, here on Saturday.
Team Mahindra Adventure’s Gill, with Musa Sherif by his side, won the other three stages in his usual aggressive style to set himself up for another victory in this elite championship. He raced at speeds over 180 Kmph, recording a scorching average speed of 115.55 km/h in the opening stage.
He was at his slowest in the second stage, managing an average of 99.92 km/h, which was still good enough to give him the second position in that stretch.
Gill’s Mahindra Adventure team-mate Amittrajit Ghosh (co-driver Ashwin Naik) won the Stage 2 in style. He had, however, suffered a setback in Stage 1, struggling with a power issue to finish ninth. However, he made up in the remaining rounds to climb to the third position by the end of an exciting day although his car is still not firing on all cylinders.
Snap Racing’s Phalguna Urs (Srikanth Gowda) grabbed the second position with one second and two third place finishes in the Stages. They, however, slipped to fifth place in the fourth and final stage of the day, to be trailing Gill and Sherif by one minute, 31.8 seconds.
Their fine show was good enough to give them the lead in the INRC 2 category, ahead of top contenders Rahul Kanthraj (Vivek Y Bhatt) and Karna Kadur (PVS Murthy).
In the INRC 3 category, Suhem Kabeer (Jeevarathinam) made the most of championship leader Aroor Vikram Rao’s (Somayya AG) bad luck in Stage 4 to streak ahead into the lead. Suhem, however, was in his elements, winning two of the stages in his category.
Five-time INRC champion Gill was pleased with his driving, despite the puncture. “The first stage went off very well. We, however, hit a stone in Stage 2 and picked up a puncture,” he pointed out. “We still managed to finish in decent time, which helped us stay in the lead.”
Gill explained that the final day might be tricky as the track was likely to be muddy following rains while they only had tyres suited for tarmac. “It won’t be easy but we will give it our best shot,” he declared.
Ghosh also was not too unhappy with the way the day panned out. “Our car had power issues during Stage 1 and we fell back to the ninth place. By the end of the day, we have climbed to third. Our goal now is to focus on the second position. First is not within reach as we are quite far behind in terms of speed,” he said.
The results:
INRC Overall: 1. Gaurav Gill / Musa Sherif (Team Mahindra Adventure; 00:31:22.9); 2. Phalguna Urs / Srikanth (Snap Racing; 00:32:54.7); 3. Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Team Mahindra Adventure; 00:33:05.1).
INRC 1: Gill / Sherif; 2. Ghosh / Naik; 3. Lokesh Gowda / Venu Ramesh Kumar (Team Champions; 00:37:30.4).
INRC 2: 1. Phalguna Urs / Srikanth Gowda (Snap Racing; 00:32:54.7); 2. Rahul Kanthraj / Vivek Y Bhatt (Arka Motorsports; 00:33:20.9); 3. Karna Kadur / PVS Murthy (Arka Motorsports; 00:33:52.7).
INRC 3: 1. Suhem Kabeer / Jeevarathinam (Team Champions; 00:33:17.8); 2. Dean Mascarenhas / Shruptha Padival (Team Champions; 00:33:23.2).
FMSCI 2WD CUP: 1. Adith KC / Arjun SSB (00:34:18.6).
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Gaurav Gill set to fire in Rally of Arunachal, Round 3 of MRF FMSCI INRC 2018
(L-R) Aroor Vikram Rao, Amittrajit Ghosh, Gaurav Gill, Karna Kadur & Rahul Kanthraj during media interaction in Itanagar for Round 3 of the MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2018 Itanagar, 2 November 2018: India’s top rallyist Gaurav Gill will be hoping to inch closer to his sixth national title as the Rally of Arunachal, Round 3 of the MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2018, unfolds here over the weekend.
Gill, the Team Mahindra Adventure spearhead, who won the grueling Dakshin Dare Rally last month, has been in imperious form through the season, winning the first two rounds with consummate ease.
Along with his trusted co-driver Musa Sherif, Gill is expected to thrill the local crowds with his speed and daredevilry behind the wheel. He will have to keep his eye on his team-mate Amittrajit Ghosh (co-driver Ashwin Naik), though, who will be aiming to upstage him.
Ghosh is currently in the second position and has been driving a lot more assuredly, even though he had to drop out of contention in the Dakshin Dare Rally owing to vehicle malfunction.
Team Mahindra Adventure will be wary of Arka Motorsports’ Karna Kadur, who is likely to enjoy a slight edge over the tarmac stretches. Kadur has a new co-driver by his side, PVS Murthy, and is leading the charts in the INRC 2 category. He is third behind Gill and Ghosh in the overall championship standings.
His team-mate Rahul Kanthraj (co-driver Vivek Y Bhatt) is also a strong contender, currently holding the second position in the INRC 2 category.
Aroor Vikram Rao (co-driver Somayya AG) is leading the INRC 3 category and he will be keen to consolidate his position in the picturesque locals of Arunachal Pradesh.
The Round 3 of MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2018 being officially flagged off by Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Shri Pema Khandu (with flag) in Itanagar on November 2 Championship standings after Round 2:
INRC Overall: 1. Gaurav Gill & Musa Sherif (Team Mahindra Adventure) 50 points; 2. Amittrajit Ghosh & Ashwin Naik (Team Mahindra Adventure) 36 points; 3. Karna Kadur & PVS Murthy (Arka Motorsports) 30 points.
INRC 1: 1. Gaurav Gill & Musa Sherif (Team Mahindra Adventure) 50 points; 2. Amittrajit Ghosh & Ashwin Naik (Team Mahindra Adventure) 36 points.
INRC 2: 1. Karna Kadur & PVS Murthy (Arka Motorsports) 50 points; 2, Rahul Kanthraj & Vivek Y Bhatt (Arka Motorsports) 36 points; 3. Jacob KJ & Nitin Jacob 24 points.
INRC 3: 1. Aroor Vikram Rao & Somayya AG 50 points; 2. Suhem Kabeer & Jeevarathinam 30 points; 3. Dean Mascarenhas & Shruptha Padival 28 points.
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Ashwin Datta consolidates position; double for Chittesh Mandody
File photo of Kolhapur’s Chittesh Mandody, who won both the LGB Formula 4 races on Sunday. Coimbatore, 14 October 2018: Chennai’s Ashwin Datta moved a step closer to his maiden Euro JK title in the 21st JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship as a dramatic Round 3, replete with ups, downs and upsets, concluded at the Kari Motor Speedway here on Sunday.
Ashwin (74 points after R3 ), who was just two points ahead of Nayan Chatterjee (66 after R3) as the action began on Saturday, made the most of Nayan’s DNF to widen his lead. But Chennai’s Karthik Tharani (68 after R3) won the next two races to come back into the equation.
The final race of the weekend, however, saw a totally new set of winners, with Nirmal Uma Shankar, Brayan Perera and Yash Aradhya claiming the podium places. Ashwin finished fourth, though, ahead of his key competitors to be 6 points ahead of the field.
The LGB Formula 4 too proved to be topsy-turvy but Vishnu Prasad (59) managed to keep his nose barely ahead despite not having the best of weekends with Chittesh Mandody (Avalanche) scoring a fine double.
Delhi’s Rohit Khanna seemed to be cruising ahead after winning the first race on Day 1 and starting Day 2 with another victory. However, a series of incidents led to a number of protests, that saw him being penalized by 20 seconds and slip down from No. 1 to 13.
In the final race, Rohit just couldn’t recover his poise and ended up with a DNF. Vishnu too had a poor race, finishing ninth and without a point. Raghul Rangasamy is now on the second place on the Championship table with 57 points.
The other Chennai star Joseph Mathew too had an eventful race, beating Malsawmdawngliana literally at the post. Joseph began cautiously, allowing his rival from Aizawl to take the lead. He overtook him at the halfway stage only to see Malsawmdawngliana streak past him in the final lap.
Just as victory seemed in Malsawmdawngliana’s grasp, Joseph outwitted him, winning by a wafer-thin margin of 0.087 seconds. This is Joseph’s sixth straight victory in the three rounds and puts him firmly in line for another title.
The JK Tyre Novice Cup too saw a dramatic turn of events, which led to Surya Varathan claiming the championship and Tijil Rao taking the second place.
Hashim EKP, who had won all three races over the weekend to move ahead, was disqualified as he had contravened the competition norms.
The results (Provisional):
Euro JK 18 – Race 3: 1. Karthik Tharani (15:37.117); 2. Nayan Chatterjee (15:38.043); 3. Ashwin Datta (15:40.886). Race 4: 1. Nirmal Uma Shankar (15:42.818); 2 Brayan Perera (15:46.014); 3. Yash Aradhya (15:47.130).
Formula LGB 4 – Race 2: 1. Chittesh Mandody (Avalanche; 18:47.313); 2. Sarosh Hataria (Dark Don; 18:47.409); 3. Sohil Shah (MSport; 18:47.957). Race 3: 1. Chittesh Mandody (20:11.953); 2. Sarosh Hataria (20:12.040); 3. Raghul Rangasamy (MSport; 18:13.676).
Suzuki Gixxer Cup: 1. Joseph Mathew (14:02.704); 2. Malsawmdawngliana (14:02.791); 3. Syed Muzamil Ali (14:13.359).
JK Tyre Novice Cup: 1. Tijil Rao (Momentum; 18:40.030); 2. K Surya Varathan (MSport; 18:40.342); 3. Jamwal Digveshar (Prudent; 18:56.462).
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Ashwin Datta stays ahead in JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship on a day of crashes
Chennai’s Ashwin Datta in action on Saturday in JK Tyre National Racing Championship. Coimbatore, 13 October 2018: On a day of thrills and crashes, Ashwin Datta made the most of his good fortune to hang on to his Euro JK 2018 lead in the 21st JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship at the Kari Motor Speedway here on Saturday.
Joseph Mathew too continued his stunning run in the Suzuki Gixxer Cup, winning his fifth straight race to widen his Championship lead further. The LGB Formula 4, however, saw a mini upset, with Delhi’s Rohit Khanna (Dark Don Racing) pulling off a stunning victory.
Mumbai’s Nayan Chatterjee started the day on a high note in the Euro JK 2018, claiming the pole position in a tight qualifying session. He turned out to be just 0.316 seconds faster than the field but looked set to give Ashwin a mighty fight.
But he was a tad slow off the mark in Race 1, and Karthik Tharani shot past him before the first turn itself. As if that was not enough, Nayan and Tharani got caught in a tangle midway through the race, forcing both of them off the tarmac.
Tharani managed to recover, but Nayan failed to finish, losing valuable points. Ashwin Datta took advantage of the situation to streak ahead into the lead. He began from P3 but came into his own soon, clocking the fastest lap time of 1:01.422.
In Race 2, with the reverse grid for the top six coming into play, young Yash Aradhya started on pole. Yash made the most of the opportunity to build a sizable lead, but he slipped out of contention due to another minor collision.
Karthik Tharani jumped at the chance to win the race while Nayan Chatterjee, racing in a hit car, finished third to keep his Championship hopes alive.
Joseph Mathew reigned supreme in the Suzuki Gixxer Cup once again, claiming another facile victory. He was followed home by Malsawmdawngliana and Sachin Chaudhary.
Rohit Khanna of Delhi made the most of his smart run in the LGB Formula 4 qualifying to win the race. It was a close race, with Sandeep Kumar finishing second just 0.285 seconds behind.
Raghul Rangasamy claimed the third place while championship leader Vishnu Prasad had to be content with the fourth place.
The results (Provisional):
Euro JK 18 – Race 1: 1. Ashwin Datta (15:38.306); 2. Karthik Tharani (15:42.598); 3. Brayan Perera (15:42.829). Race 2: 1. Karthik Tharani; 2. Nirmal Uma Shankar; 3. Nayan Chatterjee.
Formula LGB 4: 1. Rohit Khanna (Dark Don Racing; 23:28.307); 2. Sandeep Kumar (Dark Don; 23:28.592); 3. Raghul Rangasamy (MSport; 23:29.337).
Suzuki Gixxer Cup: 1. Joseph Mathew (12:36.577); 2. Malsawmdawngliana (12:41.202); 3. Sachin Chaudhary (12:44.210).
JK Tyre Novice Cup (under investigation): 1. Hasim EKP (19:09.525); 2. Kunal Maini (19:14.166); 3. Tijil Rao (19:26.560).
