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Category: Domestic
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Arindam Saikia, Nataraj Revanna emerge champs in Raid de Himalaya 2018
Nataraj Revanna of TVS Racing, the fastest competitor in Raid de Himalaya 2018 Leh, 13 October 2018: Arindam Saikia of Team Polaris and Nataraj Revanna of Team TVS were crowned the undisputed champions in the 20th Raid de Himalaya here on Saturday. Arindam, who jumped ahead on Day 2, hung on to his lead tenaciously for the next two days to claim the Xtreme 4×4 category. He logged a total penalty of 6.32.49 hours.
Nataraj, on the other hand, has been in a class if his own among the bikers, and easily won in the Moto Xtreme. He, in fact, proved to be the fastest competitor in the entire field, with total penalty of 4 hours, 58 minutes, 52 seconds.
The iconic Raid started from Kargil on October 10 and concluded today, with the competitors coping with extreme cold and demanding terrain across Kargil, Zanskar and Ladakh.
The 2015 Raid winner Captain AVS Gill, in his Grand Vitara, finished 10.53 minutes behind to take the second position. Himanshu Arora of Haree Rallying, driving a Gypsy, took the third place. Amitrajit Ghosh of Team Mahindra made a major comeback to claim the fourth place.
With Nataraj comprehensively beating the field, the others had to settle for the remaining honours. His teammate Imran Pasha finished with a total penalty of 5:15:21 hours to take the second place. Vishwas SD finished third while Jatin Jain was fourth.
Vijay Parmar, President Himalayan Motorsport, pointed out that these were all provisional results as the final audit was still in progress.
“Raid 2018 was very difficult. We kept facing bad weather at every turn. For the first time, we encountered temperatures as low as -16 degrees. Wind chill was well over -20 degrees, making the going really tough for the bikers,” Parmar said.
Raid de Himalaya, considered among the top ten toughest motorsport rallies of the world, is organized by Shimla-based Himalayan Motorsport, India’s premier motorsport club.
Remarkably, both the amputees in fray, Vinod Rawat of Mumbai and Ashok Munne of Nagpur, finished the Raid successfully, even finishing second and third in the Group D category, featuring stock bikes with no modifications. Vishal Das of Kolkata was the winner.
Parmar said reducing the Raid de Himalaya format to four days kept the competition alive till the end. “The Raid has usually been six days long. By Day Four, the likely winners usually emerge and it’s just a question of holding on to your lead after that,” Parmar said.
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Ashwin, Vishnu start favourites for Round 3 of 21st JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship
EURO JK 18 championship leader Chennai’s Ashwin Datta in action. Coimbatore, October 13: Round 3 of the 21st JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship will commence here today at the Kari Motor Speedway with the Chennai trio of Ashwin Datta, Vishnu Prasad and Joseph Matthew looking to consolidate their positions on the leaderboard.
Ashwin, who had surprised everyone with speed and guile this season, has managed to stay ahead of the pack with three podium finishes in the Euro JK 18 category with 51 points. He will be looking anxiously over this shoulder as he has a slender two-point lead.
Mumbai’s Nayan Chatterjee Nayan Chatterjee (49 points) was breathing fire in Round 2 and will be keen to carry that momentum forward to stake his claim for the championship in the final round next month.
“The championship has reached a very exciting stage, with anyone capable of winning in each of the championships,” Sanjay Sharma, Head of JK Motorsports, said. “It is going to be an intense battle this weekend.”
In the LGB 4 category, MSport’s Vishnu was at his imperious best in the last round, winning two races and finishing second in one to gather a total of 28 points. With 50 points in the kitty from two rounds, he will look to widen the gap further at the top. Vishnu, however will be wary of his buddy and team-mate Raghul Rangasamy who is not too far behind him at 45 points.
In the JK Tyre Novice Cup, all eyes will be on 14-year-old Tijil Rao of Momentum Motorsports, who annexed his maiden win to end the round with 13 points. He is currently third in the championship standings. Tijil’s team-mate Siddharth Mehdiratta is currently leading the standings with 16 points, just one ahead of but Viswas Vijayaraj.
Chennai’s Vishnu Prasad Defending champion Joseph Matthew of Chennai continues to rule the Suzuki Gixxer Cup. He is yet to drop a point in the championship and has four wins from as many starts for a total of 40 points. He will be the man to beat once again.
The top 3 after Round 2 – EURO JK 18: Ashwin Datta – 51 points; Nayan Chatterjee – 49 points; Brayan Perera – 43 points
LGB Formula 4: Vishnu Prasad (Msport) – 50 points; Raghul Rangasamy (Msport) – 45 points; Rohit Khanna – 37 points
NOVICE CUP: Siddharth Mehdiratta (Momentum Motorsports) – 16 points; Viswas Vijayraj (DTS Racing) – 15 points; Tijil Rao (Momentum Motorsports) – 13 points.
JK Tyre Suzuki Gixxer Cup: Joseph Matthew – 40 points; Syed Muzzammil Ali – 30 points; Malsawmdawngliana – 21 points.
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Raid de Himalaya 2018: All-women teams set to explore new horizons
The Rana sisters….all set for new challenges. Shimla, 02 October 2018: Delhi’s Shuchi Thakur, a St Stephen’s alumnus and global number one in extreme cross country high-altitude motorsport racing among women, is again taking on the challenge at the 20th edition of the Raid de Himalaya.
The Raid will start from Leh on October 8, and will finish on October 14. Competitors at Raid 2018 will take on mountain roads, hairpin curves and dangerous drop-offs in Kargil, Zanskar and Ladakh sectors, covering approximately 3,000 Kms every year.
Shuchi has competed at the Raid an astounding 12 times. That is a formidable record, since the Raid is considered among the top ten toughest motorsport rallies of the world. Shuchi, who hails from Dharamshala and now lives at Delhi, first competed in Raid de Himalaya in 2005. She has been racing at the Raid every year since then, except 2016. This makes Shuchi the only woman globally who has raced a 4×4 vehicle over 100,000 Kms of high-altitude dangerous roads in an extreme motorsport event.
Shuchi’s commendable podium finishes include second in T1 category at Raid 2017, first in T2 category at Raid 2015, and second in T2 category at Raid 2013. At the Maruti Suzuki National Autocross Championship 2016-17, she ranked first in North Zone 4-Wheel Drive category.
Shuchi says it is important for a professional rallyist to be fit all the year round. “For cross country endurance rallying, fitness is key. One has to be prepared for long hours of strenuous driving under all kinds of conditions. I run a lot, also do resistance training and high intensity interval workout.”
Shuchi Thakur and her co-driver. Shuchi works in the advertising industry in the creative section. “Everything else that I do is a means to this end – rallying. I am there to compete, not for a fun drive in the hills. I try to do as many events in a year as possible. Seat time is essential. The more seat time you get, the better you get at your craft,” she says.
Shuchi has been competing in other cross-country rallies in the country like the Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm and the SJOBA sub-Himalayan Rally. She also races at autocross events in the country.
The other major woman rallyist in the Xtreme category of the Raid is Anu Rana of Chandigarh. Anu has been competing in Xtreme motorsport racing since 2014. This is the fourth time she is competing at the Raid de Himalaya.
In 2015, Anu was second in the T2 category at the Raid. She bagged the Coup de Dames trophy, given to the all-women team that performs best at the Raid, in 2015 and also 2016. Anu was second in the T2 category at the Dakshin Dare 2015, and first in the women’s category at Dakshin Dare in 2016 and 2017.
Anu, a financial consultant, will compete at the Raid with her sister Poonam Rana as navigator. The duo has won various trophies together.
Anu says the Raid is her favourite motorsport race. “Competitive driving for long hours at high altitudes requires completely different set of training and conditioning of your body. The terrain keeps getting steeper with every turn, and you will not know when you will be racing on loose rocks or even sand, which makes the drive tougher with distance. For a racer like me, the terrain looks tempting, but you should never forget limits of your car,” said Anu, a seasoned rallyist now.
Raid de Himalaya is the flagship event of the country’s premier motorsport club, Shimla-based Himalayan Motorsport. President Himalayan Motorsport Vijay Parmar said women drivers who come to the Raid are are really, really tough. “Their level of dedication, fearlessness and outright driving skill is a world apart. Shuchi Thakur has been coming for the Raid for over a decade. She has always aimed for an overall win, beating men and women in her category. Anu Rana, teaming with her sister, can be a formidable combination in Xtreme 4×4. Interesting times ahead.”
For Raid de Himalaya 2018, motorsport adventure seekers will race on the new pass of Kaldang-Kildang La at an elevation of 4.092m in the Ladakh region. The Raid will also have competitive stretches across the daunting stretches of Photoksar and Sirisir La.
This year’s Raid will run its first stage on the never-before traversed section from Lamayuru, called the moonland of Ladakh, to Photoksar. Competitors are going to race on a newly-upgraded road that was earlier a mule track into Zanskar.
Competitors at the Raid will also on the road leading to Umba La, a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.496 meters above sea level. This is one of the most spectacular stretches globally, and is listed on dangerousroads.org. Crossing the Sirisir La at a height of 4,805 meters above sea level, the 20th Raid De Himalaya is going to enter totally unchartered territory.
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Raid de Himalaya 2018: Two amputees to compete on motor-bikes, a global first!
Vinod Rawat…..all set for a new challenge in his life. Shimla, 30 September 2018: In a global first, two amputees are going to compete on motorcycles in the World’s highest cross-country rally raid, the Raid de Himalaya. Setting this global record are Vinod Rawat of Mumbai and Ashok Munne of Nagpur. What makes these amputees take on a rally that is the litmus test for motorsport adventure seekers in the country? The four words that people have thrown at them over the years. ‘You can’t do it’.
The Raid is considered among the top ten toughest rallies of the World. It will take off from Leh on October 8 this year, and finish on October 14. Over 200 competitors participating in Raid de Himalaya 2018 will race over some of the most challenging roads in the Kargil, Zanskar and Ladakh sectors, speeding over rocks, gravel and dust.
The amputees, Vinod Rawat and Ashok Munne are competing in the toughest category at the Raid – Xtreme Moto. Racing motorcycles at high-altitude roads and mountain passes is a task few can accomplish.
Munne is a Nagpur man, and nobody who knows him is surprised that he is going to compete at the Raid de Himalaya. Munne is a para-athlete whose achievements can dazzle any able-bodied individual. The 34-year-old is a mountaineer, an expert para glider, a scuba diver, a marathon runner, a black belt in martial arts, a skilled gymnast and kayaker, yoga expert and ace swimmer.
Munne climbed the Everest in 2016, and is planning to repeat the feat in 2019. He lost his leg in a train accident in 2008, but didn’t let the handicap limit his life. His current passion is finishing the Raid de Himalaya. “I was 24 when I lost my leg in a train mishap. People said my life was over. I proved to people that I can and will do everything in life. There is no physical limitation. I will live my life the way I want to.”
Ashok Munne…..living his dream Munne, who uses a blade leg, is the brand ambassador for two multi-national artificial limbs companies. He climbed the Mera Peak in Nepal, at a height of 6,476 meters, without oxygen. In 2013, he rode 3,000 Kms through Ladakh on his motorcycle. He is ecstatic, he says, to be fulfilling his dream of participating in the Raid de Himalaya.
“Now everything is a surprise in life. Everything is a new joy. It feels so wonderful that I am competing in the Raid this year. I had never thought I would live such an exciting life,” said Munne.
Rawat has lived the Raid dream in his head for nine years. His leg was amputated when he was child. He got his driving license in the year 2000, and has been an avid motorcyclist since. “I came to know about the Raid in 2010. Since then, it has been my most cherished dream to compete at the Raid and finish it,” he said.
Rawat was not the one to take his Raid dream lightly. He has been going to Leh since 2011 at least once a year, practicing motorcycling there so that his body got used to the demands of high-altitude terrain.
In 2017, as part of his Raid preparation, Rawat went to Leh on a cycle all the way from Manali via Khardung La. Rawat says he undertook the rally to check his stability and stamina. “Like we test the power of the bike, I wanted to test myself. Machine doesn’t take the man. The man takes the machine,” said Rawat.
Rawat is driving a 150cc four-stroke Indian bike at the Raid. Experienced motorsport champions know that finishing the Raid successfully is a challenge. Rawat is confident that he will be a Raid finisher. “You may call it overconfidence, but I believe in it 100 per cent. For 18 years, ever since I became a motorcyclist, people scared me because I am an amputee. I have always stood my ground. I will prove them wrong this time too,” said the determined 43-year-old.
Rawat’s Raid dream is being sponsored by Jaipur Foot, the artificial-limb providing company that gave him the rubber-based prosthetic leg to enable normal movement. “We want to reach the disabled and fill them with hope,” said Rawat. “When I compete at the Raid, people with disabilities will know that they don’t have to live restricted, fearful lives,” said Rawat.
The Mumbai man admits that he could have chosen to be the first amputee globally to participate on a motorcycle in a rally as formidable as the Raid de Himalaya. “But I thought I should take another amputee along who is a high-achiever. This would be such amazing inspiration for the disabled,” he said.
Raid de Himalaya is the flagship event of the country’s premier motorsport club, Shimla-based Himalayan Motorsport. President Himalayan Motorsport Vijay Parmar said that their club has always promoted the spirit of excellence in life, of achieving against all odds, by supporting para-athletes like Deepa Malik, Arun Bareja and now Ashok Munne and Vinod Rawat. “At the end of the day, without the possibility of an impossible challenge the human being is nothing at all! We are amazed by their determination, and what they have achieved,” said Parmar.
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Raid de Himalaya 2018: New section will challenge the best of men and machine
Shimla, 28 September 2018: On the most impossible roads of the Kargil, Zanskar and Ladakh sectors, motorsport titans of India are going to clash at the 20th edition of the Raid de Himalaya, the World’s highest cross-country motorsport challenge. The Raid 2018 will run from October 8 to October 14. It will begin and finish at Leh.A total of 31 teams for Xtreme cars and trucks, 37 teams for Xtreme motorcycles and quads, 12 bikers in the Alpine two-wheeler category, and 31 teams in Adventure Trail, which follows the Time-Speed-Distance format, are going to race on the highest reaches of the Himalayas.
This year’s Raid will run its first stage on the never-before traversed section from Lamayuru, called the Moonland of Ladakh, to Photoksar. Rallyists are going to race on a newly-upgraded road that was earlier a mule track into Zanskar. Crossing the Sirisir La at a height of 4,805 meters above sea level, the 20th Raid De Himalaya is going to enter totally unchartered territory.
Raid 2018 is all set for the clash between motorsport titans Philippos Mathai and Amittrajit Ghosh of Team Mahindra, Raid winner 2015 Lhakpa Tsering, Raid 2017 runners-up Sanjay Razdan and Sanjay Agarwal, Raid 2017 third overall.
The choice of vehicles for these motorsport champions is diverse. The gruelling Raid de Himalaya 2018 is going to feature Mathai and Ghosh driving the XUV 500, Sanjay Razdan driving the Maruti Gypsy, Sanjay Agarwal driving the Grand Vitara, and Lakhpa Tsering of Arunachal Pradesh challenging them all with the Polaris RZR 1000 Turbo Dynamix.
Raid 2018 will see competitors racing to Umba La, a high mountain pass at an elevation of 4.496 meters above sea level. This is one of the most spectacular stretches globally, and is listed on dangerousroads.org. The high mountain road features more than 50 hairpin curves and dangerous drop-offs.
Lhakpa Tsering, Raid Winner 2015, said it takes guts to race at the heights and the roads that form part of the Raid de Himalaya. “Rallying is not cricket or tennis where you have 17-18 year olds as champions. Competitive high-altitude racing needs maturity, brains and physical fitness, and tremendous grit,” said Lakhpa, 45, who has been in motorsport for 20 years.
The Raid is considered among the top ten toughest rallies of the World. The Raid was established in 1999, and those in the motorsport circuit admit that it’s made grown men cry ever since.
In 20 years, the Raid has mapped a total of 13.23 lakh kilometres over the highest motorable roads of the Himalayas, including route reconnaissance and transport stages. Competitors driving four wheelers, two wheelers and scarabs have raced over 41,570 kilometers in two decades.
Raid de Himalaya, India’s most formidable motorsport race, is the flagship rally of the country’s leading motorsport club, Himalayan Motorsport. Vijay Parmar, President of Himalayan Motorsport, said that it has been the Raid’s tradition to open new areas every year to adventure tourism.
“Raid 2018 offers new winding high-altitude dirt roads as extremely challenging stages on the worlds’ highest cross-country challenge. We have been discovering new routes every year. For the 20th anniversary of our epic rally, there had to be something special. Racing on the new pass of Kaldang-Kildang La at an elevation of 4.092m in the Ladakh region, and the daunting stretches of Photoksar and Sirisir La promises to make Raid 2018 a nail-biting finish,” said Parmar.
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Rajiv Sethu leads Honda charge; double for Prabhu Arunagiri; Maiteti tops in Novice class
Chennai, 23 September 2018: Rajiv Sethu successfully led a Honda assault on TVS Racing’s supremacy to score a brilliant victory over defending champion Jagan Kumar in the premier Super Sport Indian 165cc class as the fourth round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship concluded at the MMRT, here on Sunday.
The victory notwithstanding, Jagan, the TVS Racing team’s spearhead, garnered crucial 18 points for his second-place finish today that consolidated his position at the top of the championship table with a tally of 148 ahead of team-mate KY Ahamed (128), winner of the first race yesterday and who finished fourth behind Honda Ten10 Racing’s Mathana Kumar in the second outing today.
The other highlight of the day was the grand double by Prabhu Arunagiri (Team Alisha Abdullah) in the Pro-Stock 301-400cc category which is set for a grandstand finish in the final round in December. Only five points separate the top three – Satyanarayana Raju of Gusto Racing (119), team-mate Amarnath Menon (118) and Arunagiri (114).
Hyderabad’s 19-year old collegian Karthik Mateti (Sparks Racing) chalked up a dominating win in the Novice (Stock 165cc) race to take a 16-point lead in the championship. Another rider from Hyderabad, 20-year old Rahil Pillari Shetty, also from Sparks Racing, followed suit with a season’s maiden win in the highly competitive Pro-Stock 165cc category where Bengaluru-based techie Anish Shetty (Honda Ten10 Racing), who finished second today, continues to head the leaderboard with 131 points to Kevin Kannan’s (Rockers Racing) 115.
The focus today was on the Super Sport race which turned out to be Hitchcockian thriller with pole-sitter Sethu and Jagan playing the lead roles. Sethu lost his track position early in the first lap with gearing problem which allowed Jagan to move into the front. However, Sethu, who had finished fifth in yesterday’s Race 1 after a crash, fought back to regain the lead midway through the eight-lap race and then hung on grimly to score his third win of the season. Jagan was just one-tenth of a second adrift at the finish, but well ahead of Mathana Kumar who held off Ahamed.
“At Turn-3 in the first lap, the gears tended to slip and I had to firmly put my foot down on the pedal to avoid any more slippage. Jagan went past me, but later, I managed to pass him on the straight. Thereafter, it was a close fight and I had a scary moment in the penultimate lap when I almost lost balance in the Bridge Complex, but managed to hold it together for the win,” said Sethu.
Jagan said: “I did my best and pushed the bike to its limit, but Rajiv was a bit more quicker. He overtook me on the straight and from then on, I just could not catch him.”
The Pro-Stock 301-400cc race saw another dominant performance by Arunagiri who set a scorching pace from the start to win from Raju and Rahil Pillari Shetty (Sparks Racing). In a repeat of yesterday’s Race-1, Arunagiri kept increasing his lead with every lap while behind him, Raju strove manfully to catch up, but failed. Further down the grid, Menon, who led the championship going into this weekend’s Round 4, came in a distant fifth behind Peddu Sriharsha (Sparks Racing).
Varun Sobhan (Cherthala) won the Yamaha-MMSC One-Make Championship race comfortably, ahead of Abhimanyu Gautam (Jind, Haryana) and Sanjay Kumar (Coimbatore).
The results (Provisional):
Super Sport Indian 165cc (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. Rajiv Sethu (Honda Ten 10 Racing) (15mins, 32.320secs); 2. Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing) (15:32.450); 3. S Mathana Kumar (Honda Ten 10 Racing) (15:37.725).
Pro-Stock 301-400cc (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. Prabhu Arunagiri (Team Alisha Abdulla) (15:24.129); 2. Satyanarayana Raju (Gusto Racing) (15:24.706); 3. Rahil Pillari Shetty (Sparks Racing) 15:34.637).
Pro-Stock 165cc (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. Rahil PIllari Shetty (Sparks Racing) (16:09.127); 2. Anish Shetty (Honda Ten 10 Racing) (16:14.615); 3. Senthil Kumar (Honda Ten 10 Racing) (16:14.851).
Novice (Stock, 165cc) 6 laps: 1. Karthik Mateti (Sparks Racing) (13:00.950); 2. Varun Sobhan (Speed Up Racing) (13:03.720); 3. Venkatesan I (pvt. Chennai) (13:05.622).
Yamaha-MMSC One-Make Championship (Novice, Race-2, 6 laps): 1. Varun Sobhan (Cherthala) (13:12.040); 2. Abhimanyu Gautam (Jind) (13:15.887); 3.Sanjay Kumar (Coimbatore) (13: 17.760).
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KY Ahamed pips mentor Jagan in the last lap; Jagan still leads the table: SuperSport 165 cc Class
- Ann Jennifer takes honours in Girls race
KY Ahamed (33) on way to winning the Super Sport Indian 165cc race from Jagan Kumar (3) and Mathana Kumar (46) on 22 Sept 2018. Photos by Anand Philar Chennai, 22 Sept. 2018: KY Ahamed scored a sensational last-lap victory in the premier Super Sport Indian 165cc class to lead a 1-2 finish for TVS Racing in the fourth round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship at the MMRT, here on Saturday.
On a day which witnessed crashes in virtually every race, Prabhu Arunagiri (Team Alisha Abdullah) took the honours in the Pro-Stock 301-400cc class race that was red-flagged and re-started while Senthil Kumar (Honda Ten10 Racing) was gifted a victory in the Pro-Stock 165cc race after leader and team-mate Mithun Kumar went down.
Ann Jennifer, wins the National Championship Girls race to extend her Championship lead. Meanwhile, 17-year old collegian from Chennai, Ann Jennifer chalked up her third win of the season in the Girls (Stock, 165cc) race after surviving a close fight with her Sparks Racing team-mate Ryhana Bee.
The final outcome of the Super Sport race was in suspense until the last lap with Ahamed, his team-mate and defending champion Jagan Kumar and Honda Ten10 Racing’s Rajiv Sethu locked in a tight battle. On the last lap, going into the right-hander before the Bridge Complex “S”, Sethu ran wide and crashed even as Jagan dipped on the inside to overtake. It put Ahamed in the clear as he flashed across the finish line ahead of his mentor Jagan for his third win of the season. Honda Ten10 Racing’s Mathana Kumar came home a distant third, followed by team-mate Sarath Kumar while Sethu picked himself up to finish fifth.
The result took Jagan’s tally to 130 followed by Ahamed (116), Sarath and Mathana (both 82) and Sethu (80), going into tomorrow’s Race-2 of the double-header.
Senthil Kumar, winner of the Pro-Stock 165cc raceThe Pro-Stock 301-400cc race saw championship leader Amarnath Menon (Gusto Racing) crashing at Turn-3 which brought out the red flag. On re-start, Arunagiri, who had led from pole, maintained his track position at the very front to win comfortably even as his nearest challenger Satyanarayana Raju (Gusto Racing) retired due to an electrical failure. Finishing behind Arunagiri were Sparks Racing duo of Rahil Shetty and Peddu Sriharsha. With his second win of the season, Arunagiri moved up to 89 points to be placed third behind Menon (108) and Raju (101), going into the second race tomorrow.
The results (Provisional):
Super Sport Indian 165cc (Race-1, 6 laps): 1. KY Ahamed (TVS Racing) (11mins, 43.269secs); 2. Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing) (11:43.938); 3. S Mathana Kumar (Honda Ten10 Racing) (11:47.955).
Pro-Stock 301-400cc (Race-1, 5 laps): 1. Prabhu Arunagiri (Team Alisha Abdullah Racing) (09:47.289); 2. Rahil Shetty (Sparks Racing) (09:53.426); 3. Peddu Sri Harsha (Sparks Racing) (09:58.214).
Pro-Stock 165cc (Race-1, 6 laps): 1. Senthil Kumar (Honda Ten10 Racing) (12:09.582); 2. Kevin Kannan (Rockers Racing) (12:11.485); 3. Rahil Shetty (Sparks Racing) (12:11.778).
Girls (Stock, 165cc, 5 laps): 1. Ann Jennifer AS (Sparks Racing) (11:11.767); 2. Ryhana Bee (Sparks Racing) (11:12.072); 3.Shruthi Nagarajan (Apex Racing Academy) (11:25.611).
Yamaha-MMSC One-Make Championship (Novice, Race-1, 5 laps): 1. Varun Sobhan (Cherthala) (11:07.221); 2. Ajai Xavier (Pune) (11:07.843); 3. Hari Prasath (Vellore) (11:20.423).
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Rajiv Sethu, Prabhu Arunagiri, Mithun Kumar grab pole positions
Chennai, 21 Sept. 2018: Rajiv Sethu of Honda Ten10 Racing snatched the pole position in the premier Super Sport Indian 165cc class ahead of his TVS Racing rivals to set up an intriguing contest on the morrow after qualifying session in the fourth round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship at the MMRT, here on Friday.
Sethu put in a blistering lap of one minute, 54.999 seconds to nose out TVS Racing duo of defending champion Jagan Kumar (01:55.034) and Deepak Ravikumar (01:55.409). Jagan heads the championship table with 112 points, well clear of team-mate KY Ahamed (91) who qualified fourth (01:55.481). Sethu (70), who drew a blank in the previous round earlier this month, is placed fourth in the championship behind Ravikumar (74).
Earlier, Prabhu Arunagiri (Team Alisha Abdullah) qualified for pole position in the Pro-Stock 301-400cc category though he did just three laps, but his timing of 01:54.857 was enough to put him ahead of the pack. Sparks Racing’s Rahil Pilari Shetty was second quickest followed by championship leader in this category, Amarnath Menon (Gusto Racing).
Mithun Kumar of Honda Ten10 Racing topped the qualifying session in the Pro-Stock 165cc class with Naresh Babu (RACR) and Senthil Kumar (Honda Ten10 Racing) completing the front row for tomorrow’s race.
Sparks Racing riders dominated the qualifying sessions in the Novice (165cc) and Girls (Stock 165cc) categories by claiming top two slots. In the Girls category, championship leader Ann Jennifer expectedly took the pole position ahead of team-mate Ryhana Bee while Bengaluru’s Aditya Immaneni and Karthik Mateti from Hyderabad were 1-2 in the Novice (165cc) class.
Immaneni enjoyed a fruitful afternoon as he also clinched pole position in the Yamaha MMSC One-Make Championship (Novice).
The results (Qualifying):
Super Sport Indian (165cc): 1. Rajiv Sethi (Honda Ten 10 Racing) (01min, 54.999sec); 2. Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing) (01:55.034); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (TVS Racing) (01:55.409).
Pro-Stock (301-400cc): 1. Prabhu Arunagiri (Team Alisha Abdullah) (01:54.857); 2. Rahil Pilari Shetty (Sparks Racing) (01:55.962); 3. Amarnath Menon (Gusto Racing) (01:56.307).
Pro-Stock (165cc): 1. Mithun Kumar PK (Honda Ten10 Racing) (1:59.601); 2. Naresh Babu (RACR) (1:59.658); 3. Senthil Kumar (Honda Ten 10Racing) (2:00.510).
Novice (Stock 165cc): 1. Aditya Rao Immaneni (Sparks Racing) (02:08.109); 2. Karthik Mateti (Sparks Racing) (02:08.570); 3. Venkatesan I (Pvt, Chennai) (02:09.011).
Girls (Stock 165cc): 1. Ann Jennifer AS (Sparks Racing) (02:13.582); 2. Ryhana Bee (Sparks Racing) (02:13.605); 3. Shruthi Nagarajan (Apex Racing Academy) (02:16.014).
Yamaha MMSC One-Make Championship (Novice): 1. Aditya Rao Immaneni (Bengaluru) (02:09.825); 2. Nithin S (Bengaluru) (02:10.873); 3. Sanjay Kumar (Coimbatore) (02:11.571).
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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TVS Racing-Honda rivalry continues but it’s advantage Jagan: Bike Nationals
Chennai, 20 Sept 2018: Reigning champion Jagan Kumar, who began his campaign on a slow note this year, in the premier Super Sport Indian 165cc class, but picked up speed and is now well ahead of his staunch rivals from Honda who were trailing behind another TVS riders as the fourth round of the MRF Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2018 organised by Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC) under the aegis of Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India (fmsci) begins here on Friday.Jagan is riding high with 112 points for TVS Racing while teammate KY Ahamed is second with 91 points in second with another TVS rider Deepak Ravikumar (74) in third. Honda rivals Rajiv Sethu (70), Sarath Kumar (70) and Mathana Kumar (67) are placed in that order from 4th to 6th before the start of the fourth round. The round which is put off due to the death of former Chief Minister Karunanidhi is scheduled for the middle of December after the monsoon break.
The season enters its crucial phase when the focus shifts from just performance to scoring points as the fourth and penultimate round gets underway at the MMRT circuit.
The final rounds of MMSC Indian National Drag Racing Championship 2018 for both four and two-wheelers will also be held post-lunch on Saturday and Sunday.
With the two-wheeler racing championship titles in all categories still wide open and no rider within a sniffing distance of it, this weekend is expected to be more about strategy and tactics in a bid to gain maximum points possible.
A unique feature of the racing championship is the participation of India’s top motorcycle manufacturers in various categories, dishing out thrilling contests involving not just the country’s leading riders, but also the Novice whose numbers is on the upswing with each round.
Further, title sponsors of the championship, MRF, have also upped the ante by providing slick tyres to three categories – the premier Super Sport Indian 165cc, Pro-Stock (301-400cc) and Pro-Stock 165cc – leading to faster lap timings. The riders in these categories are unanimous in their appreciation of MRF’s gesture that has taken racing a couple of notches higher.
While the top guns have benefitted greatly using the MRF slick tyres, MMSC’s continued efforts to spread the sport among Novice riders has borne rich dividends if the growing number of entries is any indication.
Likewise, the Yamaha MMSC One-Make Championship in the Novice category has attracted about 60 entries with 40 being the cut-off to make the multiple qualifying rounds which, in turn, decide the final 20 riders for the two points-scoring races.
If the competition among Novice (Stock 165cc) riders is razor-sharp with just three points separating Sparks Racing team-mates Karthik Mateti (61) and Aditya Rao Immaneni (58).
The Pro-Stock 301-400cc category is developing into a straight fight between Gusto Racing team-mates Amarnath Menon (108) from Kozhikode and Hyderabad’s Satyanarayana Raju (101) while in the Pro-Stock 165cc class, Bengaluru-based techie Anish Shetty (101) has a healthy lead over local challenger Kevin Kannan (85) of Rockers Racing.
In the Girls category, it is extremely tight at the top with Ann Jennifer (50 points, Sparks Racing) leading Shruthi Nagarajan (48, Apex Racing Academy) by just two points. Jennifer, after winning two races on the trot, crashed in the third round which Shruthi won to stay in contention.
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In rain, CD Jinan beats leader Harith Noah in Supercross Round 4
Jaipur, 10 Sept. 2018: Veteran CD Jinan of Angata Racing astride a Kawasaki KX 250F won both the Motos with a display of skill and talent to beat favourite and championship leader Harith Noah in the fourth round of the 19th MRF MoGrip-FMSCI National Supercross Championship here on Sunday.
Team TVS Racing rider Noah, who began the fourth round of the season with 110 points to 86 of privateer Jinan, needed to win both Motos to solidify his position at the top, but the track conditions probably made it difficult for him to adjust to.
Jinan on the other hand used his experience of riding in the Dubai desert where he practices, thanks to his team Ang’ata Racing, which based in the Middle-east Kingdom.
“The races were very closely fought and there was all the effort for competitors to get past each other despite the course having been battered overnight by heavy torrential rain,” explained Shyam Kothari, the Director of Godspeed Racing, the promoters of National Supercross.
“When it started raining last night we were skeptical whether we would be able to conduct the championship, but the course was all intact though some table tops had got slushy, but it was all manageable,” Kothari said.
The competition was worth a watch not just in the foreign bikes section but also in the other categories too. As Noah finished second in both Motos behind Jinan, his lead was reduced from 24 to 18 points going into the Round 5. Noah now has 144 to Jinan’s 126, which makes the final two rounds very crucial for both the riders and their respective teams.
TVS Racing nonetheless kept its flag flying high by winning in other categories-Imran Pasha winning the Class 2 Novice Group and M Kalimohan taking the honours in Class 5 Indian Experts. Both these groups saw TVS riders dominating with the RTR machines all through the course.
Pune’s Sarthak wins
There was interesting battle in the Junior classes in the absence of the championship leader Yuvraj Kondedeshmukh, who recently represented India at the World Motocross Championship in Australia.
In Class 9 Junior SX2, Sarthak had a tough fight with Shlok Ghorpade of Satara with both riding Kawasaki bikes while others in the fray were on KTMs.Provisional Results:
Class 1 SX1 Foreign Open Class Group A: 1. CD Jinan (Ang’ata Racing, Kawasaki KX250F) (20, 20) 40; 2. Harith Noah (TVS Racing, TVS RTR300) (17, 17) 34; 3. Yash Pawar (Nashik, Kawasaki KX250F) (13, 15) 28; 4. Saijith ES (13 Racing, Kawasaki KX250F) (15, 9) 24; 5. Mahesh VM (Ang’ata Racing, KawasakiKX250F) (10, 13) 23.Class 2 Novice Group C: 1. Imran Pasha (TVS Racing, TVS RTR) 20; 2. Sachin D (Bengaluru, Hero Impulse) 17; 3. M Kalimohan (TVS Racing, TVR RTR) 15; 4. Asif Gour (Jaipur, Hero Impulse) 13; 5. Nitin Singh (Jaipur, Hero Impulse) 11.
Class 4 Locals Group B: 1. Santosh Visnoi (Hero Impulse) 20; 2. Raju Mathur (Hero Impulse) 17; 3. Asif Gaur (Hero Impulse) 15; 4. Ravikant Sharma (Hero Impulse) 13; 5. Nitin Singh (Hero Impulse) 11.
Class 5 Indian Experts Group C: 1. M Kalimohan (TVS Racing, TVR RTR) 20; 2. Imran Pasha (TVS Racing, TVS RTR) 17; 3. Samual Jacob (TVS Racing, TVS RTR) 15; 4. Jagdeesh Kumar (Coimbatore, Hero Impulse) 13; 5. R Natraj (TVS Racing, TVS RTR) 11.
Class 6 Private Experts Group C: 1. Gajendra Jangid (Jodhpur, Hero Impulse) 20; 2. Jagdeesh Kumar (Coimbatore, Hero Impulse) 17; 3. S Karthikeyan (Pollachi, Hero Impulse) 15; 4. Mani Kandan (Coimbatore, Hero Impulse) 13; 5. Asif Gour (Jaipur, Hero Impulse) 11.
Class 7 SX2 Group A: 1. Saijith ES (13 Racing, Kawasaki KX250F) (20, 20) 40; 2. Prithvi Singh (Chandigarh, Kawasaki KX250) (17, 17) 34; 3. Yash Pawar (Nashik, Kawasaki) (15, 15) 30; 4. Mahesh VM (Ang’ata Racing, Kawasaki KX250) (13,13) 26; 5. Kayan Patel (Mumbai,Suzuki RM) (11, 11) 22.
Class 8 Junior SX1 Group A/B/C/D: 1. Prajwal V (Bengaluru, KTM SX85) 20; 2. Ikshan Shanbhag (Satara, KTM SX85) 17; 3. Gaurang Naik (Pune, Honda CRF) 14; 4. Sarthak Chavan (Pune, Kawasaki KX) 13; 5. Shlok Ghorpade (Satara, Kawasaki) 12.
Class 9 Junior SX2 Group A/B/C/D: 1. Sarthak Chavan (Pune, Kawasaki KX 100) 19; 2. Shlok Ghorpade (Satara, Kawasaki) 18; 3. Jinendra Sangaye (Kolhapur, KTM SX65) 15; 4. Raheesh Khatri (Mumbai, KTM SX65) 12; 5. Akash Hupale (Kolhapur, Kawasaki) 10.
Shimla, 28 September 2018: On the most impossible roads of the Kargil, Zanskar and Ladakh sectors, motorsport titans of India are going to clash at the 20th edition of the Raid de Himalaya, the World’s highest cross-country motorsport challenge. The Raid 2018 will run from October 8 to October 14. It will begin and finish at Leh.
