INDIA in F1

Category: Domestic

  • Arjun Narendran ends Deepak’s win-streak: FMSCI Racing Nationals

    Arjun Narendran ends Deepak’s win-streak: FMSCI Racing Nationals

    • Sandeep Kumar, winner of MRF FF1600 Race-2 on Sunday (23July 2017). An AP Media Comm. image

      Anindith, Sandeep share honours in MRF FF1600

    • Maiden win for Bengaluru schoolboy Yash Aradhya

    Chennai, 23 July 2017: Anindith Reddy from Hyderabad and Coimbatore’s Arjun Narendran provided a thrilling finale to the third round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Racing Championship at the MMRT track, Sriperumbudur, near here, even as 14-year old schoolboy from Bengaluru Yash Aradhya chalked up his maiden win.

    Reddy finished the weekend on a high by chalking up his second win in the MRF FF1600 triple-header with Chennai’s Sandeep Kumar denying the Hyderabad racer a hat-trick, while Coimbatore-based Narendran (Red Rooster Performance), the defending champion in the premier Indian Touring Cars class, scored his first victory this season, to end the four-in-a-row win-streak of Bengaluru’s Deepak Paul Chinnappa (Race Concepts).

    Earlier, Yash (Momentum Motorsports), a ninth standard student of Bishop Cotton’s school, drove a well-judged race to claim top honours in both Formula LGB 1300 and the Rookie categories which also produced its share of tight finishes.

    Kolhapur’s Dhruv Mohite, starting third on the grid, drove a near-flawless race for his first win in the MRF MMSC Volkswagen Ameo Cup race ahead of Karminder Singh (Delhi) and South African guest driver Devin Robertson.

    Both the MRF FF1600 races today dished out exciting fare. Sandeep Kumar shrugged off a bad start owing to wheelspin and recovered well to take a jump on the front-runners Chetan Korada and winner of lung-opener on Saturday Reddy, in the very first lap before nursing the lead to the finish.

    In the next race, the third of the weekend in this class, it was Reddy’s turn to fight his way through the pack and survive a spin after coming into contact with race leader Korada who thus dropped out of contention while Sandeep Kumar came in second with Kolkata schoolboy Arya Singh finishing third.

    “It was a good weekend overall, but it wasn’t clear-cut as the results would suggest. I am happy to come away with two wins and a podium,” said Anindith who has four wins in seven outings which put him firmly in front in the championship the winner of which earns a chance to compete in the Road To Indy shootout in the United States later this year.

    Likewise, both the ITC races, especially the duel between Narendran and Chinnappa were as close as they could get with little separating the two. In the day’s first race, Chinnappa, starting third on the reverse grid, had the measure of Narendran for his fourth win in a row. However, in the next race, pole-sitter Narendran enjoyed his best outing of the weekend to pip Chinnappa by a mere half-a-car length in a thrilling finish.

    “Yes, I am absolutely relieved to score my first win in nearly a year. My last win was in August of 2016 and hopefully, this victory will turn my luck over the next couple of rounds. I had a tough time staying ahead of Deepak. We were quicker than each other in different sections of the track, but in the end, I am happy that scored my first win of this season,” said Narendran who is currently studying in England.

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

    MRF FF1600 – Race 2: 1. Sandeep Kumar (Chennai) (13mins, 47.962secs); 2. Anindith Reddy (Hyderabad) (13:48.564); 3. Chetan Korada (Chennai) (13:55.975). Race 3: 1. Anindith Reddy (14:00.875); 2. Sandeep Kumar (14:02.022); 3. Arya Singh (Kolkata) (14:05.415).

    Indian Touring Cars – Race 2: 1. Deepak Paul Chinnappa (Race Concepts) (15:37.529); 2. Arjun Narendran (Red Rooster Performance) (15:38.209); V Nikanthram (Red Rooster Performance) (16:14.611). Race 3: 1. Arjun Narendran (Red Rooster Performance) (15:34.638); 2. Deepak Paul Chinnappa (Race Concepts) (15:34.769); 3. B Vijayakumar (Prime Racing) (16:07.988).

    Formula LGB 1300 – Race 2: 1. Yash Aradhya (Bengaluru, Momentum) (15:17.864); 2. Arya Singh (Kolkata, DTS Racing) (15:18.316); 3. Rupesh Sivakumar (Salem, DTS Racing) (15:31.142). Rookie: 1. Yash Aradhya; 2. Arya Singh; 3. Bala Prasath A (Coimbatore, DTS) (15:46.420).

    MRF MMSC Volkswagen Ameo Cup – Race 2: 1. Dhruv Mohite (Kolhapur) (15:53.219); 2. Karminder Singh (Delhi) (15:59.667); 3. Devin Robertson (Johannesburg, South Africa) (16:01.045).

    eom/AP Media Comm. press release

  • Rana-Ashwin win cars class; Natraj claims bikes event: Dakshin Dare

    Rana-Ashwin win cars class; Natraj claims bikes event: Dakshin Dare

    Pune, 23 July 2017: Defending champion Suresh Rana of Manali and co-driver Ashwin Naik of Mangaluru won another Maruti Suzuki Dakshin Dare title, as Rana added another feather to his 10 Raid de Himalaya titles, at the cross-country event which concluded here on Saturday.

    Samrat Yadav and SN Nizami came second followed by Sandeep Sharma and Karan Arya.

    TVS Racing dominated the two-wheeler section, with R Natraj heading the TVS campaign followed by Abdul Waheed Tanveer in second. Sanjay Kumar came third.

    Kolkata’s Subir Roy and Nirav Mehta pair won the Endurance Cars TSD (Time, Speed, Distance) event followed by Karthick Maruthi and Sankar S Anand from Erode.

    TVS’ star rider and Desert Storm winner, Natraj won the Group A and also the overall category astride an RTR 450FX, beating teammate Abdul Waheed Tanveer in Group A.

    Rajendra RE came out triumphant in the Group B upto 260cc class on his TVS Apache RTR 200 and Aishwarya Pissay too was in the same category bike winning the women’s section, also on an RTR 200. Scooter specialist and two-time Gulf Monsoon Challenge winner Syed Asif Ali claimed the scooter’s category on a TVS SXR150.

    Final Results:
    Extreme category: 1. Suresh Rana and Ashwin Naik 10 hours 11 minutes 26 seconds; 2. Samrat Yadav and SN Nizami 10:14:52; 3. Sandeep Sharma and Karan Arya 10:24:17.
    Ultimate Bikes: 1. R Natraj 6:12:38; 2. Abdul Waheed Tanveer 6:15:37; 3. Sanjay Kumar 6:26:53.
    Endurance Cars (TSD): 1. Subir Roy and Nirav Mehta 12 minutes 20 seconds (penalty); 2. Karthick Maruthi and Sankar S Anand 12:45; 3. Raghu Nandan and Prakash M 12:49.

  • Deepak Paul Chinnappa tops Indian Touring Cars race: FMSCI Racing Nationals

    Deepak Paul Chinnappa tops Indian Touring Cars race: FMSCI Racing Nationals

    Deepak Paul Chinnappa (No.39), winner of Indian Touring Cars race at Chennai on Saturday. An AP Media Comm. image

    Chennai, 22 July 2017: Anindith Reddy from Hyderabad kept his wits about him after a bad start to post a fine win the MRF FF1600 race as did Bengaluru’s Deepak Paul Chinnappa (Race Concepts) who scripted his third consecutive victory in the premier Indian Touring Cars class in the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Racing Championship at the MMRT track, Sriperumbudur, near here on Saturday.

    While Reddy made the best of the opportunities that came his way to move from third to first, Chinnappa, after easing past pole-sitter and defending champion Arjun Narendran (Red Rooster Performance), maintained a consistent pace for a well-deserved win.

    Also tasting victories on the day were AS Prabhu (Red Rooster Performance) in the Indian Junior Touring Cars class, team-mate Sudanand Rajan (Esteem Cup) and Deepak Ravi Kumar of Quickshift Racing in the Super Stock category after original winner Varun Anekar was docked 30-second penalty for “dangerous driving”.

    Rookies dominated the Formula LGB 1300 class race with Kolkata schoolboy Arya Singh (DTS Racing) finishing ahead of Momentum Motorsport team-mates Pune’s Aanjan Patodia and Yash Aradhya from Bengaluru. Arya, only 16, had won the Student Cup on Friday.

    South African guest driver, Devin Robertson drove a near-flawless race to win the MRF MMSC Volkswagen Ameo Cup race comfortably ahead of Delhi’s Karminder Singh and A Sandeep Kumar (Chennai). Robertson enjoyed an untroubled outing leaving the rest to battle for minor positions.

    Reddy, after slipping to third at the start of the eight-lap race, managed to fight his way back into the lead after front-runner Raghul Ramaswamy was docked a drive-through penalty for jump start and Chetan Korada ran wide. Reddy then hung on to the slender lead to win from Chennai lads Korada and Sandeep Kumar.

    “It was a tough race. I had a bad getaway and lost two places behind Raghul and Chetan. However, in the very lap itself, Chetan made a mistake going into the back “D” and it allowed me to move up one spot. In the next lap, Raghul went in for a drive-through penalty for jump start and I broke clear.

    “Thereafter, I concentrated on keeping my track position and only once Chetan came close which was when I set my fastest lap. I am happy that it all came together today and it should be fun in the next race on Sunday with the reverse grid start,” said Anindith after chalking up his third win in five outings in the championship whose winner at the end of the season earns a right to participate in the Road To Indy shootout in the United States.

    Chinnappa had a great start and eased into the lead by Turn-1 and then drove extremely well to keep Narendran at bay. The duo was separated by mere inches most of the eight laps while pulling away from the field. Chinnappa, while clocking the fastest lap (01:54.228) of the race defended his line very capably to prevent Narendran from passing him.

    Behind the front-runners, Ashish Ramaswamy fought and beat his team-mate Nikanth Ram to third place.

    “I had a good start and passed Arjun going into Turn-1. Thereafter, it was a pretty close race. We both had some advantages in some of the sections. I had some issues with the car with handling and understeer, , but I am happy that I was able to defend my track position,” said Deepak Paul.

    Arjun Narendran conceded that he lost to a quicker driver. “At the start, I had wheel-spin and he passed me. I stayed with him through the eight laps, but was not able to find a way past him. I too had some issues with the understeer.”

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

    MRF FF1600 (Race-1): 1. Anindith Reddy (Hyderabad) (13mins, 51.925secs); 2. Chetan Korada (Chennai) (13:52.904); 3. A Sandeep Kumar (Chennai) (13:53.497).

    Indian Touring Cars (Race-1): 1. Deepak Paul Chinnappa (Race Concepts) (15:42.078); 2. Arjun Narendran (Red Rooster Performance) (15:42.599); 3. Ashish Ramaswamy (Red Rooster Performance) (16:05.018).

    Indian Junior Touring Cars (Race-2, 7 laps): 1. Prabhu AS (Red Rooster Performance) (15:57.245); 2. Kamlesh Parmar (Team N1) (16:04.112); 3. Arjun M Zaveri (Team Game Over) (16:44.437).

    Super Stock (Race-2, 7 laps): 1. Deepak Ravi Kumar (Quickshift Racing) (15:34.021); Varun Anekar (Race Concepts) (15:53.594); 3. Swajit Achrekar (Team N1) (15:55.816).

    Esteem Cup (Race-2, 7 laps): 1. Sudanand Rajan (Red Rooster Performance) (15:13.237); 2. Charan Chandran (Red Rooster Performance) (15:14.695); 3. Anant Pithawalla (Team N1) (15:15.014).

    Formula LGB 1300 (Race-1): 1. Arya Singh (Kolkata,  DTS Racing) (18:56.746); 2. Aanjan Patodia (Pune, Momentum) (18:57.218); 3.Yash Aradhya (Bengaluru, Momentum) (18:57.516).  Rookie Cup: 1. Arya Singh; 2. Aanjan Patodia; 3. Yash Aradhya.

    MRF MMSC Volkswagen Ameo Cup (Race-1): 1. Devin Robertson (South Africa) (15:39.262); 2. Karminder Singh (Delhi) (15:50.095); 3. A Sandeep Kumar (Chennai) (15:56.471).

    eom/AP Media Comm press release

  • Arjun grabs pole position: FMSCI Racing Nationals

    Arjun grabs pole position: FMSCI Racing Nationals

    • Arya Singh (No.12) on way to winning the Student Cup race at MMRT, Irungattukottai,
      near Chennai on 21 July 2017. An MMSC image

      Anindith Reddy quickest in MRF FF1600 practice sessions

    • Kolkata schoolboy Arya Singh annexes Student Cup
    • Top honours for Parmar, Pithawalla, Anekar 

    Chennai, 21 July 2017: Hyderabad’s Anindith Reddy warmed up nicely for this weekend’s races by emerging the quickest in both the free practice sessions of the MRF FF1600 while Arya Singh, a 16-year old schoolboy from Kolkata, clinched the Student Cup (Formula 1300) with two wins and a podium finish in the third round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Racing Championship at the MMRT track, Sriperumbudur, near here on Friday.

    South African Devin Robertson, a guest driver, qualified for pole position in the Volkswagen Ameo Cup, a clear second off joint championship leaders Sandeep Kumar (Chennai) and Karminder Singh (Delhi), while defending champion Arjun Narendran (Red Rooster Performance) from Coimbatore topped the qualifying session in the premier Indian Touring Cars class.

    In the day’s last event that was run on a combined grid, Mumbai’s Kamlesh Parmar (Indian Junior Touring Cars) and Anant Pithawalla (Esteem Cup), both of Team N1, and Bengaluru’s Varun Anekar (Super Stock) of Race Concepts won in their respective categories.

    Championship leader in the MRF FF1600 class, Reddy, 27, was clearly ahead of the pack as he put in a series of consistently quick laps in the two free practice sessions, but expected a tough fight in the double-header this weekend.

    “I had a really good run in the morning when the track conditions were excellent. In the afternoon, the track was quite hot and I was off the morning pace. Anyway, we still have the qualifying tomorrow and two races. There is not much difference between the top three and it will boil down to who strings together a few good laps,” said Anindith.

    The winner of the MRF FF1600 championship earns a berth in the Road To Indy shootout in the United States, provided the qualifier is under 25 years of age. “I guess, I will not be eligible for the shootout even if I win the championship,” Anindith pointed out.

    The day undoubtedly belonged to 16-year old Arya Singh, a 11th standard Commerce student of Heritage School, Kolkata. After finishing third in the first of the three races in the Student Cup class (Formula 1300), Arya, in just his second full season, put in impressive drives to win the next two of the triple-header.

    “My intention was to have fun and drive fast. I am happy that I managed to win two of the three races. In the first race, I made a mistake at Turn-3 when in the lead and had to settle for second spot, but in the next outing, I had a good start and won comfortably.

    “The third race was most exciting as I had a good battle with Rithvik after I lost position due to a mistake again at Turn-3. In the end, I managed to pass him going into Turn-1 on the last lap and held the lead,” said Arya who idolises former World F1 champion Fernando Alonso.

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

    Indian Junior Touring Cars – Race 1: 1. Kamlesh Parmar (Team N1) (19mins, 52.565secs); 2. Prabhu AS (Red Rooster Performance) (19:57.069); 3. Mikhail Merchant (Team Game Over) (20:14.408).

    Super Stock – Race 1: 1. Varun Anekar (Race Concepts) (19:18.592); 2. RP Rajarajan (Performance Racing) (19:31.053); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (Quickshift Racing) (19:37.032).

    Esteem Cup – Race 1: 1. Anant Pithawalla (Team N1) (19:15.634); 2. Charan Chandran (Red Rooster Performance) (19:15.817); 3. Sudanand Rajan (Red Rooster Performance) (19:22.041).

    Student Cup – Race 1 (7 laps): 1. Aanjan Patodia (Pune, Momentum Motorsports) (08: 16.251); 2. Arya Singh (Kolkata, DTS Racing) (08:16.362); 3. Rithvik Thomas (Bengaluru, Wallace Sports) (08:17.064). Race 2: 1. Arya Singh (09:11.388); 2. Aanjan Patodia (09:21.109); 3. Rithvik Thomas (09:22.361). Race 3: 1. Arya Singh (09:25.868); 2. Bala Prasath (Coimbatore, DTS Racing) (09:27.129); 3. Rithvik Thomas (09:28.836).

    QUALIFYING – Indian Touring Cars: 1. Arjun Narendran (Red Rooster Racing) (01:54.365); 2. Deepak Paul Chinnappa (Race Concepts) (01:55.023); 3. C Rajaram (Performance Racing) (01:57.724).

    Volkswagen Ameo Cup: 1. Devin Robertson (South Africa) (01:54.150); 2. A Sandeep Kumar (Chennai) (01:55.252); 3. Karminder Singh (Delhi) (01:55.268).

    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 a progressive program for 2016. From the days of Sholavaram , MMSC built its own racetrack which was inaugurated in 1979 and secured its FIA Grade-2 international certification in 2015, making it the only club which owns such a facility. The club has organised the Porsche Super Cup, Formula Campos, Formula Asia, Asian touring car championships, Formula 3, Tata Prima Truck racing championship, the Asian 2-wheeler racing championships 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.

    eom/AP Media Comm. press release

  • MRF Formula 1600 to blaze MMRT track; Race to Indy shootout to resumes

    Chennai, July 19: The battle for Road To Indy shootout resumes at the MMRT track in Sriperumbudur, near here, on Friday after a five-month break when the third round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Racing Championship gets underway with MRF F1600 headlining the programme comprising 14 races.

    The MRF F1600 is one of the most competitive events as a ticket to the coveted Mazda Road To Indy shootout in the United States is on offer for the champion driver at the end of the season. The winner of the shootout is eligible for a scholarship of USD 200,000.

    Last year, Karthik Tharani took part in the shootout contested by 21 drivers from across the World, but was not among the top six who qualified for the final 30-minute race.

    The two rounds of the MRF F1600 so far this year have witnessed extremely close competition for top honours. Anindith Reddy from Hyderabad heads the championship with 93 points.

    The weekend’s schedule includes the Volkswagen Ameo Cup which replaced last season’s Vento Cup. The double-header in the one-make series dished out exciting fare last weekend in Coimbatore with Karminder Singh (Delhi) and Sandeep Kumar (Chennai) winning one race apiece.

    The first round of the 2017 MMSC fmsi National Drag Racing Championship for four-wheelers is also in the programme with practice runs on Saturday followed by the final sprints on Sunday.

    For the first time this season, the saloon cars in the top-end Indian Touring Cars, Indian Junior Touring Cars and Super Stock will come on the same card along with the entry-level Formula LGB 1300 which also has a Rookie class that provides an option for youngsters moving up from karting to open-wheel racing.

    MMSC’s continuing efforts to attract fresh and young talent, especially among students has led to the introduction of a Student Cup where the competitors will drive the Formula LGB 1300 cars.

    As the name suggests, the category is open to college students.

    “I am happy to say that the Student Cup has attracted good number of entries and it is our hope that this category will throw up talent among youngsters who will get a taste of open-wheel racing,” said Vicky Chandhok, Chairman of the Meet.

    The three races in the premier Indian Touring Cars class will be the other highlight of the weekend. The previous outing in Coimbatore witnessed exciting duels between Red Rooster Performance and Race Concepts, the two front-running teams.

    There is much to look forward to as defending champion Arjun Narendran (Red Rooster Performance) seeks to stamp his authority following his winless weekend in Coimbatore where Deepak Paul Chinnappa (Race Concepts) won two of the three races. Narednran’s team-mate Ashish Ramaswamy topped the other.

    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 a progressive program for 2016. From the days of Sholavaram , MMSC built its own racetrack which was inaugurated in 1979 and secured its FIA Grade-2 international certification in 2015, making it the only club which owns such a facility. The club has organised the Porsche Super Cup, Formula Campos, Formula Asia, Asian touring car championships, Formula 3, Tata Prima Truck racing championship, the Asian 2-wheeler racing championships 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.

    eom/MMSC press release

  • Rabindra, Ghorpade, Rajiv shine in National Karting Championship

    Rabindra, Ghorpade, Rajiv shine in National Karting Championship

    Hyderabad, 17 July 2017: Aaroh Rabindraand of Mumbai and Bengaluru school student Chirag Ghorpade caught the limelight along with Arjun Rajivin the second round of the FMSCI National Rotax Karting Championship, here on Monday.

    All three fought back from P2 or P3 to emerge victorious in their respective final races in what proved to be an action-packed and closely fought weekend.
    In the Senior Max, Manav Sharma of Faridabad (BPC Racing) dominated the qualifiers and pre-finals but couldn’t hold on to his advantage in the day’s marquee race.
    He was pipped to the post by Aaroh Rabindra (Rayo Racing), who started from P2 but still managed a handsome 3.586-second margin victory in the 20-lap race.
    The Junior Max final was won by Chirag Ghorpade (BPC) in a gripping race but young Tijil Rao almost grabbed all the attention in this category.
    Tijil took part in the races despite being born with club feet, which means he was born with both his legs turned inwards. He underwent four corrective surgeries but his deformity is yet to be completely corrected.
    Yash Aradhya and Shahan Ali Mohsin (both of MSport) and Chirag were engaged in a nail-biting tussle. Sai Satish began on pole but he was quickly overtaken by Arjun Syam.
    After a few laps, Chirag passed him and held on to the lead until the 15th lap; at that stage, Aradhya overtook him but on the final lap he made a crucial mistake, allowing Aradhya to reclaim the lead.
    In the Micro Max, all the podium places were claimed by Bengaluru lads. Arjun Rajiv got the better of Ruhaan Alva, who began on pole,
    Results: Senior Max: 1. Aaroh Ravindra (Rayo Racing); Aanjan Patodia (Rayo); Manav Sharma (BPC)
    Junior Max: 1. Chirag Ghorpade (BPC Racing); 2. Yash Aradhya (MSport); Shahan Ali Mohsin (MSport)
    Micro Max: 1. Arjun Rajiv (Peregrine Racing); 2. Ruhaan Alva (Birel Art); 3. MR Rishon (Birel Art).

  • Double delight for Rajiv, Amarnath: Bike Nationals

    Double delight for Rajiv, Amarnath: Bike Nationals

    Amarnath Menon after winning a double in Chennai on Sunday. Image by Anand Philar.

    Chennai, 9 July 2017: Riders from Honda Ten10 Racing team put in dominant performances as Rajiv S


    Mithun Kumar, winner of the Pro-Stock race on Sunday 9Jul2017 Image by Anand Philar

    ethu and Mithun Kumar hogged the limelight even as another youngster Amarnath Menon of Gusto Racing achieved a grand double in the second round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship which concluded at the MMRT track, Sriperumbudur, near here on Sunday.

    While 18-year old Sethu, in scoring a double, led a 1-2 finish for Honda Ten10 Racing in the premier Super Sport Indian (up to 165cc) class with Mathana Kumar finishing second, the team, spearheaded by Mithun Kumar, swept all three podium spots in the Pro-Stock (up to 165cc) category.

    Equally impressive was 21-year old Amarnath Menon from Kozhikode who extended his domination in the Super Sport Indian (300-400cc) class to repeat his performance of the first round at Coimbatore last month. Menon, thus, has won all four races in his class.

    Peddu Sri Harsha (Sparks Racing) survived an incident-filled Stock (up to 165cc) race that boasted a grid of 39 riders and red-flagged after two laps following a series of crashes before re-starting to complete the scheduled five laps.

    Much of the focus today was on the Super Sport Indian (up to 165cc) and the Pro-Stock (up to 165cc) classes which were run on a combined grid. Like in the first outing on Saturday, Sethu rode a well-judged race. Starting from pole, Sethu yielded ground to reigning champion Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing) who made a daring pass on the left-hander in the Bridge Complex only to crash out at Turn-4.

    Jagan’s exit came a lap after his team-mate KY Ahamed who was shadowing Sethu had crashed. It gave Sethu a clean run up front and he opened up a gap. for a comfortable win ahead of team-mate Mathana Kumar while Prabhu Arunagiri (RACR) finished third.

    “I had a tough fight with Jagan initially and after he passed me at the Bridge Complex, I decided to bide my time before trying to regain the lead. But he crashed soon after and I broke free to win,” said Sethu who through meditation has learnt to reign in his aggression and impatience.

    Mithun Kumar more than compensated for a horrendous first race where he finished sixth after starting last on the grid due to an errant bike, by destroying the Pro-Stock field for his third win in four races. His team-mates Anish D Shetty and Aravind Balakrishnan, winner of the first race yesterday, came in second and third, respectively.

    “I was very disappointed yesterday when my bike had some electrical issues. Today, I started from pole and managed to open up a big lead. In the latter half of the race, I decided to play safe and just cruised,” said 23-year old Mithun who had won both the races in the first round.

    The results (Provisional): Super Sport Indian (165cc, 9 laps): 1. Rajiv Sethu (Honda Ten10 Racing) (18 mins:11.528 secs); 2. Mathana Kumar S (Honda Ten10 Racing) (18:15.594); 3. Prabhu Arunagiri (RACR) (18:16.178).

    Super Sport Indian (300-400cc, 10 laps): 1. Amarnath Menon (Gusto Racing) (11:54.706); 2. Deepak Ravi Kumar (MotoRev) (11: 54.865); 3. Vivek Pillai (Rockers Racing) (11:55.134).

    Pro-Stock (165cc, 9 laps): 1. Mithun Kumar PK (Honda Ten10 Racing) (18:55.557); 2. Anish D Shetty (Honda Ten10 Racing) (19:06.148); 3. Aravind Balakrishnan (Honda Ten10 Racing) (19:06.610).

    Stock (Novice, 165cc, 6 laps):1. Peddu Sri Harsha (Sparks Racing) (11:23.303); 2. Vysakh Sobhan (Speed Up Racing) (11:25.804); 3.Anup Kumar M (RACR) (11:28.032).

    One-Make Championship – Honda CBR250 Open (Race 1, 6 laps): 1. Hari Krishnan (Honda Ten10 Racing) (12:35.539); 2. Arvind Balakrishnan (Honda Ten 10 Racing) (12:36.307); 3. Rajiv Sethu (Honda Ten 10 Racing) (12:40.917). Race 2 (9 laps): 1. Rajiv Sethu (Honda Ten10 Racing) (2:02.550); 2. Anish D Shetty (Honda Ten10 Racing) (18:59.675); 3. Aravind Balakrishnan (Honda Ten10 Racing) (19:00.290).

    Honda CBR150 (Novice, 6 laps): 1. Satyanarayana (Hyderabad) (13:28.437); 2. Amala Jerald A (Chennai) (13:28.861); 3. Vysakh Sobhan (Kerala) (13:29.072).

    TVS Apache RTR 200 (Open, 6 laps): 1. Prabhu V (Chennai) (08:56.086); 2. Sivanesan S (Chennai) (08:56.781); 3. Yashas RL (Bengaluru) (08:57.054). Novice (6 laps): 1. Peddu Sri Harsha (Hyderabad) (13:22.472); 2. Shankar Guru A (Chennai) (13:25.083); 3. Romario J (Chennai) (13: 40.846).

    eom/MMSC press release

  • Rajiv Sethu wins as Jagan suffers mechanical failure; Double for Ryhana: MMSC Bike Nationals

    Rajiv Sethu wins as Jagan suffers mechanical failure; Double for Ryhana: MMSC Bike Nationals

    Ryhana Bee bags a double on Saturday. Photo by Anand Philar

    Ryhana Bee celebrates after winning the Honda all-girls race at MMRT on Saturday. Photo by Sriharsha Nadiger

    Aravind-Balakrishnan-No.13-winner-of-Super-Sport-Indian-Pro-Stock-up-to-165cc-race-at MMRT on Saturday 8 July 2017. Photo by Anand Philar

    Chennai, 8 July 2017: Rajiv Sethu of Honda Ten10 Racing, showing maturity far beyond his 18 years, came up with a stunning ride to win the premium Super Sport Indian (up to 165cc) class race in the second round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Morocycle Racing Championship at the MMRT track, near here on Saturday.

    Aravind Balakrishnan, only 22, brought more cheer to Honda Ten10 Racing team by topping the Pro-Stock class that was run on a combined grid with the Super Sport Indian (165cc) while Kerala’s Amarnath Menon (Gusto Racing) scored a dominant win, his third in as many outings, in the 300-400cc category.

    In the Girls (Stock, up to 165cc) category, Ryhana Bee, the 23-year old from Chennai studying shipping and logistics, pulled off a fine win over pole-sitter Aishwarya Pissay (Apex Racing Academy) with a late-braking manoeuvre at Turn-4 mid-way through the five-lap race.

    Aishwarya, winner of the first-ever National championship race for girls in Coimbatore last month, eventually came in third behind Madhya Pradesh’s Kalyani Potedar (Team Speed Up Racing).

    Sethu, starting from pole position, yielded ground to reigning National champion Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing) early in the six-lap race. However, in the third lap, Jagan dropped out of contention due to a technical problem with his bike and Sethu needed no second invitation to forge ahead. He gradually increased the lead to win from TVS Racing’s KY Ahamed and Prabhu Arunagiri (RACR) with about three seconds to spare.

    “Early in the race, I had some problems with the bike and had no choice but to allow Jagan to pass me, but when he dropped out, I moved in front and did not look back. The team did an excellent job in giving me a winning bike,” said Sethu on notching his second in three outings.

    Further down the field, another intense battle raged in the Pro-Stock class after pole-sitter Mithun Kumar (Honda Ten10 Racing) was shifted to the back of the combined grid for having missed the warm-up lap due to mechanical problems.

    It left Aravind Balakrishnan and Aravind Ganesh (Team MotoRev) to fight for top honours. The duo kept trading leads before Balakrishnan got his nose in front to win with little to spare.

    In sharp contrast, Menon, though starting second on the grid behind Deepak Ravikumar (Team MotoRev), was in a league of his own in the 300-400cc class race once he got into his stride that saw him move up from third to first and then extend his lead with each lap for another commanding win. Vivek Pillai (Rockers Racing) finished second while Ravikumar came in third.

    The results (Provisional):

    National Championship – Super Sport Indian (Up to 165cc) (6 laps): 1. Rajiv Sethi (Honda Ten 10 Racing) (12 mins, 02.236secs); 2. KY Ahamed (TVS Racing) (12:05.154); 3. Prabhu Arunagiri (RACR) (12:07.398).

    Super Sport Indian (300-400cc) ( 6 laps): 1. Amarnath Menon (Gusto Racing) (11:56.238); 2. Vivek Pillai (Rockers Racing) (11:59.744); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (Team MotoRev) (12:03.661).

    Pro-Stock (Up to 165cc) (6 laps):1. Aravind Balakrishnan (Honda Ten10 Racing) (12:50.292); 2. Aravind Ganesh (Team MotoRev) (12:50.712); 3. Naresh Babu (RACR) (12:50.912).

    Girls (Stock, Up to 165cc) (5 laps): 1. Ryhana Bee (Speed Up Racing) (11:43.645); 2. Kalyani Potekar (Team Speed Up Racing) (11:46.130); 3. Aishwarya Pissay (Apex Racing Academy) (11:46.783).

    One-Make Championship – Honda CBR 150 (Novice – 5 laps): 1. Amala Jerald (Chennai) (11:28.014); 2. Vysakh Sobhan (Kerala) (11:28.196); 3. Mahesh Murali (Thiruvananthapuram) (11:28.226).

    TVS Apache RTR200 Open (6 laps): 1. Prabhu V (Chennai) (13:20.820); 2. Sivanesan S (Chennai) (13:20.867); 3. Yashas RL (Bengaluru) (13:26.414). Novice (6 laps): 1. Peddu Sri Harsha (Hyderabad) (13:49.082); 2. Shankar Guru A (Chennai) (14:01.893); 3. Venkatesan I (Chennai) (14.06.260).

    Support Races (Girls – 5 laps) – Honda: 1. Ryhana Bee A (Chennai) (11:51.658); 2. Shruthi (Chennai) (11:56.585); 3. Kalyani Potekar (Madhya Pradesh) (11:58.728). TVS (5 laps): 1. Soundari A (Chennai) (11:55.836); 2. Aishwarya Pissay (Bengaluru) (11:56.091); 3. Priyamvada Saradhi (Bengaluru) (12:36.799).

    eom/AP Media Comm. press release

  • Pole for Rajivi, Mithun, Deepak: Bike Nationals

    Pole for Rajivi, Mithun, Deepak: Bike Nationals

    Deepak Ravikumar in action at the MMRT on Friday. Image by Anand Philar

    Chennai, 7 July 2017: Young Rajiv Sethu of Honda Ten10 Racing put the hammer down with a blistering lap to grab the pole position ahead of reigning champion Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing) in the premium Super Sport Indian (up to 165cc) class as the second round of the MRF MMSC Fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship got off to a flier at the MMRT track in Sriperumbudur, near here, on Friday.

    Also topping the qualifying session in their respective categories were Mithun Kumar of Honda Ten10 Racing (Pro-Stock 165cc), Deepak Ravikumar (Super Sport Indian 300-400cc) and Apex Racing Academy’s Aishwarya Pissay (Girls, Stock up to 165cc).

    Sethu, the 22-year old from Chennai, who has been improving with each outing and a regular in the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship, clocked the fastest lap of one minute 59.344 seconds while Jagan Kumar, who went out at the fag end of the session after sorting out his bike and managed just three laps, had a best of 02:00.396) while KY Ahamed, also of TVS Racing, completed the front row with a 02:00.497.

    Championship leader Mathana Kumar (Honda Ten10 Racing) was placed sixth after clocking 02:03.820, behind Prabhu Arunagiri (02:01.842) and S Kannan of TVS Racing (02:03.174).

    Bengaluru’s Aishwarya Pissay expectedly took the pole position in the girls category ahead of Chennai’s Rhyana Bee (Speed Up Racing) and Ann Jennifer.

    In the Pro-Stock (up to 165cc) qualifying session, Mithun Kumar, who won both the races in the first round at Coimbatore last month, was the quickest in 02:06.403, followed by Shyam Shankar and Naresh Babu.

    Meanwhile, local entrant Deepak Ravikumar, who missed the Coimbatore round, snatched the pole position (01:58.716) in the Super Sport Indian (300-400cc) class as he pipped championship front-runner Amarnath Menon (Gusto Racing) by four-hundredth of a second while Vivek Pillai of Rockers Racing was third quickest in 01:58.882.

    The results (Qualifying – Provisional):

    National Championship – Super Sport Indian (up to 165cc): 1. Rajiv Sethu (Honda Ten10 Racing) (01min, 59.344secs); 2. Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing) (02:00.396); 3. KY Ahamed (TVS Racing) (02:00.497). 300-400cc:  1. Deepak Ravikumar (Pvt) (01:58.716); 2. Amarnath Menon (Gusto Racing) (01:58.758); 3. Vivek Pillai (Rockers Racing) (01:58.882).

    Pro-Stock (up to 165cc): 1. Mithun Kumar PK (Honda Ten10 Racing) (02:06.403); 2. Shyam Shankar (Pvt) (02:06.868); 3. Naresh Babu (Pvt) (02:07.022).

    Girls (Stock up to 165cc): 1. Aishwarya Pissay (Apex Racing Academy) (02:18.767); 2. Rhyana Bee (Speed Up Racing) (02:19.238); 3. Ann Jennifer (Chennai) (02:19.315).

    One-Make Championship – TVS Apache RTR200 (Open): 1. Prabhu V (Chennai) (02:10.770); 2. Sivanesan S (Chennai) (02:10.970); 3. Arun Muthukrishnan (Chennai) (02:11.464). Novice: 1. Shankar Guru (Chennai) (02:11.883); 2. Peddu Sriharsha (Hyderabad) (02:12.356); 3. Romario J (Chennai) (02:14.066).

    Honda CBR 250 Open: 1. Hari Krishnan Rajagopal (Honda Ten10 Racing) (02:03.437); 2. Abhishek Vasudev (Bangalore) (02:03.567); 3. Rajiv Sethu (Honda Ten10 Racing) (02:03.900). CBR 150 (Novice): 1. Mahesh Murali (Thiruvananthapuram) (02:12.765); 2. Satya Narayana (Hyderabad) (02:12.775); 3. Vysakh Sobhan (Kerala) (02:12.975).

    eom/AP Media Comm. press release

  • Huge response for MMSC MRF bike Nationals

    Huge response for MMSC MRF bike Nationals

    • Racing action returns to MMRT track
    • Over 200 entries for National bike championship
    • 2017 Drag Championship set to start

    Chennai, 6 July 2017: After a four-month summer break, high octane action returns to the MMRT track in Sriperumbudur, near here this weekend with the second round of the MRF MMSC Fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship.

    The weekend programme includes the inaugural round of the 2017 MMSC FMSCI Indian National Drag Racing Championship for two-wheelers that will see an exciting congregation of bikers and their machines.

    To top it, country’s leading two-wheeler manufacturers Honda and TVS are having their separate One-Make Championships in Novice and Open classes where competition, as witnessed in the first round in Coimbatore last month, is extremely sharp.

    While the 19 races are spread over three days, beginning Friday with qualifying sessions, the Drag competition gets underway on Saturday afternoon with practice runs, followed by the final runs on Sunday, making for one of the busiest weekends in recent memory.

    The two-wheeler races have again attracted over 200 entries in the Super Sport Indian (300-400cc and 165cc), Pro-Stock, Stock and Girls categories which comprise the National Championship.

    The championship for girls proved to be an unqualified success with Bengaluru’s Aishwarya Pissay of Apex Racing Academy winning a tight battle against Madhya Pradesh’s Kalyani Potekar (Team Speed Up Racing).

    “We are very pleased with the response for the girls’ championship and we are hoping that the entries keep increasing through the season,” said Manoj Dalal, Chairman of the Meet.

    As in the past, the Super Sport Indian (165cc) double-header is the showpiece of the weekend with country’s top two-wheeler racers. Reigning National champion Jagan Kumar along with his TVS Racing mates KY Ahamed and Harry Sylvester, besides Honda Ten10 Racing’s Rajiv Sethu and Mathana Kumar are set to renew their rivalry that is marked by plenty of thrills.

    With two podium finishes in the first round, Mathana Kumar heads the championship with 36 points as against 29 of Jagan Kumar who after dropping points in Race-1 won by Sethu, bounced back to win the second outing in Coimbatore.

    Equally competitive is the Pro-Stock class that will be run concurrently with the Super Sport Indian (165cc). Young Mithun Kumar of Honda Ten10 Racing has already had a head-start, having won both the races in this class in Coimbatore and will be looking to extend his domination.

    In the Super Sport Indian (300-400cc) class, Kerala’s Amarnath Menon of Gusto Racing won both the races in Coimbatore with a measure of comfort and again, he will be the rider to beat in this class.

    The Stock (165cc) class for Novice riders proved to be a huge success with over 50 entries for the first round that necessitated in qualifying heats to arrive at a grid of 40 for the point-bearing final race. It will be much the same this weekend.

    eom/AP Media Comm press release


    File photo of Aishwarya Pissay at Kari Motor Speedweay, Coimbatore on June 10. Image by Anand Philar