Category: Non-F1

Hemanth Muddappa scores a double at Vroom 8th edition

Bengaluru, 6 Feb 2023: Team Mantra Racing’s drag racer from Bengaluru, Hemanth Muddappa won the top-two premier classes in the 8th edition of the Vroom Drag meet, an fmsci-licensed Annual event at the Taneja Aerospace strip, near here, on Sunday.

Muddappa, who recently annexed his 10th Indian National title at the Madras International Circuit, won the top two events beating Mohammed Riyaz and Sean Rogers.

Winners of C3 class Abdul Shaik (right) and second-placed Mohammad Arfath (Left).

Meanwhile, Faheem Zahran became the fastest racer at the event clocking 9.673sec in the Group D 1651cc and above class, which had a compact field but high competition between Zahran and former winner at fmsci Drag Nationals Mohammed Riyaz. Today, Zahran was in his elements bagging a win in the top class and a third place in the D1 class.

Mohammed Riyaz also took one victory in the E3 551cc and Above Class, and managed two other podiums.

G1 Motors Waseem Akram (not in pic) tuned bikes won the first two place in C1 class. Winner Mohammad Arfath, centre, on the podium with second-placed Mohammed Fazil and Hardik Solanki. Photo courtesy winner.

The 2022 2Stroke 131 to 165cc National Drag Champion Abdul Shaikh, won the C3 226 to 360cc class on his Bajaj NS, and his teammate Mohammad Arfath astride an Yamaha R15, won C1 upto 165cc class followed by another teammate Mohammed Fazil in second. All the three bikes were tuned by Waseem Akram of G1 Motors.

Over 230 bikes took part in 22 different classes. The Vroom Drag Rev Nights were held under floodlights and cooler conditions for both bikes and cars organised by Vroom Motorsports Bengaluru and Speedway Motorsports Hyderabad.

The following results are sourced from the timers and are provisional and the official results are awaited.

Results for Quarter Mile (as per official timer, provisional):

1. D3 1651cc and Above: 1. Faheem YY Zahran 09.673 seconds; 2. Mohammed Riyaz 9.717;

2. D1 851 to 1050cc: 1. Hemanth Muddappa 09.710; 2. Sean Rogers Pachigalla 09.746; 3. Faheem YY Zehran 9.857;

3. D2 1051 to 1650cc: 1. Hemanth Muddappa 09.985; 2. Mohammed Riyaz 10.149; 3. Zubair Ali Jung 10.165;

4. F1 Wheelie Class for Indian/ Superbikes: 1. Saurabh Parab 09.715; 2. Ashpak Anwar 15.844; 3. Rajesh Swami 15.973;

5. F2 Naked Open: 1. Zubair Ali Jung 10.526; 2. Arif Khan 11.085; 3. Sabi Ualla 11.244;

6. F3 4Stroke Open upto 500cc: 1. Shahrukh Khan 12.394; 2. Aiyaz Rem 12.442; 3. Mujahid Pasha 12.678;

7. F4 2Stroke Jawa Yezdi Open: 1.Yacoob Shaik 15.679; 2. Vikranth Hegde 17.972; 3. Abdul Hafeez 17.993;

8. E1 Upto 395cc: 1. Mohammed Aymaan Baig 11.901; 2. Aiyaz Rem 12.256; 2. Nadeem Pasha 12.430;

9. E2 396 to 550cc: 1.Nasir Jamal Ansari 12.484; 2. Ataulla Baig 12.557; 3. Thulasiram 12.704;

10. E3 551cc and Above: 1. Mohammed Riyaz 09.746; 2. Saurab Parab 09.799; 3. . Sean Rogers Pachigalla 09.841;

11. C1 Upto 165cc: 1. Mohammad Arfath 14.962; 2. Mohammed Fazil 15.131; 3. Hardik Solanki 15.644;

12. C2: 166 to 225cc: 1. P Srikantha 13.933; 2. Aiyaz Rem 14.532; 3. Mubarak Pasha 15.624;

13. C3 226 to 360cc: 1. Abdul Shaikh 13.212; 2. Mohammad Arfath 13.452; 3. Mohammed Fazil 13.762.

14. C4 361 to 550cc: 1. Shahrukh Khan 12.207; 2. Aiyaz Rem 12.378; 3. Mubarak Pasha 12.809;

15. C5. 551 to 850cc: 1. Saurabh Parab 10.975; 2. Naveed Ahmed 11.401; 3. Iqbal Sheik 11.483;

16. C7 751cc: 1. Lokesh Thakur 11.507; 2. Junaid Mansoori 12.441; 3. Narinder Singh Chanana 13.433;

17. B1 Upto 130cc: 1. Aiyaz Rem 14.014; 2. Abdul Shaikh 14.078; 3. Prahanth 14.309;

18. B2 131 to 165cc: 1. Prashanth 13.213; 2. Abdul Shaikh 13.486; 3. Nasir Jamal Ansari 13.582;

19. B3 350cc and Above: 1. Delhi Salman Khan 12.471; 2. Mubarak Pasha 12.585; 3. Ataulla Baig 12.614;

20. A4 161cc and Above: 1. Prasanth 17.891; 2. Fazlu Khalikbava Khan 19.318; 3. Pushpak V Porob 19.511;

21. EV1 Electric Vehicle Open: 1. Mohammed Rafiq 18.376; 2. Shashi Kiran 18.781; 3. Mohammed Aymaan Baig 18.867;

22. A2 81 to 110cc: 1. Zayeem Ahmed 23.300; 2. Mohammed Azharuddin 23.468; 3. Daulith Khan 24.850;

February 8, 2023
Rajendra, Overall National Rally Champ; Sarath Mohan, claims Experts class title

Nashik, 5 Feb 2023: Multiple National champion from Petronas TVS Racing team, Rajendra RE, regained the overall crown for 2022 in the top Super Bikes Pro-Expert class winning the Rally of Nashik while Sarath Mohan clinched his maiden National title in the other premier Expert class, without even shifting a gear, as the sixth and final round of the MRF MoGrip fmsci National Rally Championship for two-wheelers – 2022 concluded here on Sunday.

Sarath Mohan, claims Experts class 1A National title

Meanwhile, Sarath Mohan from Mallapuram, Kerala, clinched the National crown in the Super Bike Expert Group A Class 1A with two rounds to spare and did not take part in the Rally of Nashik, as the dates clashed with his Rally Raid cross-country training in UAE.

Other champions who clinched the National title with a round to spare are Sasi Kumar K in the Super Sport 165 Group B Class 3, TVS rider Imran Pasha, in the Super Sport 260 Group B Class 4 and VS Naresh, in the Super Sport 550 Group B Class 6.

P2 good enough for Aishwarya to clinch 6th consecutive Ladies title

Today, Bengaluru’s TVS talent Aishwarya Pissay came second behind rookie local rider Tanya Singh, who won the Ladies class. The champion took it easy, with one hand on the title, and the second place was enough to clinch her a sixth-straight title. Second in the championship standings, Kerala rider Fazeela, did not take part in the Nashik Rally.

Entering the final round with a 12-point lead, the TVS speedster, Aishwarya, avoided any risks as she navigated the technical course with deft control on her TVS TR 200R, a lean machine that rounded off her 2022 campaign. She maintained steady pace and cleverly played it easy to clock 40min, 21.597seconds for the two special stages before the final stage was cancelled today.

Oldest still the quickest – Venu claims title beating younger boys

Veteran Venu Ramesh Kumar, a privateer from Coimbatore who is the oldest competitor in the Nationals, gained points with his consistency and clinched the title in Super Sport 400cc Group B Class 5. TVS Racing star Shamim Khan, astride a NTorq won the Scooter class crown.

Going into the final round with 73 points, a third place was enough for Venu Ramesh Kumar to clinch the National title in Class 5 as his closest rival Hansraj Saikia (also 73) from Assam did not take the start as his bike did not arrive. Russell Jossy won the Nashik Rally and Amog Nag finished second.

Third Special Stage cancelled

The Rally of Nashik was organised by AW Events. The six-round MRF MoGrip fmsci National Rally Championship for two-wheelers, promoted by GodSpeed Racing, concluded with champions decided in eight classes. With time lost due to incidents in Stage 1, the final Special Stage (SS 3) was cancelled. Two other Support classes, including one for Star of Maharashtra, were also held.

Petronas TVS Racing factory rider from Shivamogga, Rajendra, began with a blistering 15min, 58.429 seconds in the first Special Stage (SS) and pelted out another fastest time in SS2 but with his teammate and nearest rival Abdul Wahid Tanveer, pulling out in the very first stage, the 2019 National champion, won the title with ease. Rajendra began with a fourth place in the first round and did not start Round 2. Later, he won all the four rounds to clinch the National title again.

Shamim Khan (80), who was leading by just three points against Pinkesh Thakkar (77) needed a victory and he did it in style clocking fastest times in both the stages today. Syed Asif Ali came second and Thakkar finished third.

Of the 49 entries, 47 took the start only 40 riders finished the course in Nashik.

National Rally Championship classes 2W) title winners for year 2022 (Provisional):

Class 1: Super Bike Pro- Expert: Rajendra RE, (TVS, Shivamogga) Points 112;

Class 1A: Super Bike Expert Group A: Sarath Mohan (Mallapuram) 100;

Class 2: Super Sport 130cc Group B: Chalass K Bose (Kottayam) 136;

Class 3: Super Sport 165cc Group B: Sasi Kumar K (Coimbatore) 108;

Class 4: Super Sport 260cc Group B: Imran Pasha J (TVS, Mysuru) 125;

Class 5: Super Sport 400cc Group B: Venu Ramesh Kumar (Coimbatore) 88;

Class 6: Super Sport 550cc Group B: Naresh VS (Bengaluru) 125;

Class 7: Group B Ladies Class: Aishwarya Pissay (TVS, Bengaluru); 118;

Class 8: Group B Scooters upto 210cc: Shamim Khan (Nashik) 105;

Provisional Results (Rally of Nashik):

Class 1: Super Bike Pro- Expert: 1. Rajendra RE, (TVS) 32min, 19.538sec; 2. Samuel Jacob (TVS) 33:25.601; 3. Nataraj R (TVS) 33:46.862.

Class 1A: Super Bike Expert Group A: 1. Badal S Doshi 37:34.399; 2. Tabish Rizvi 40:40.487; 3. Yogesh Kagale 43:10.991.

Class 2: Super Sport 130cc Group B: 1. Chalass K Bose 37:39.479; 2. Anoop Manjappa 39:37.944; 3. Nadir Khan 44:57.644.

Class 3: Super Sport 165cc Group B: 1. Niraj Wanjale 38:14.280; 2. Muzaffar Ali 41:05.577; 3. Rahul S Mokashi 41:41.440 (including 10sec penalty);

Class 4: Super Sport 260cc Group B: 1. Imran Pasha J (TVS) 33:30.616; 2. Banteilang Jyrwa (TVS) 33:40.991; 3. Sachin D 34:03.492.

Class 5: Super Sport 400cc Group B: 1. Russel Jossy35:45.979; 2. GS Amogh Nag 36:14.097; 3. Venu Ramesh Kumar 36:58.612;

Class 6: Super Sport 550cc Group B: 1. Hitesh S Ghadge 39:49.175; 2. Nilesh Y Thakare 41:46.765; 3. Santosh Sarkale 41:59.796.

Class 7: Group B Ladies Class: 1. Tanaya S Singh40:04.057; 2. Aishwarya Pissay (TVS, Bengaluru) 40: 21.597;

Class 8: Group B Scooters upto 210cc: 1. Shamim Khan (TVS) 36:07.905; 2. Syed Asif Ali 36:25.659; 3. Pinkesh Thakkar 36:54.406.

Class 9: Super Stock Group D upto 450cc: 1. Sabarish R 36:28.257; 2. Goutham Rao R 38:43.776; 3. Tanay S Kasera 39:28.858.

Class 10: Star of Maharashtra: 1. Lokesh A Bhosale 38:17.522; 2. Amarendra Sathe 39:43.636; 3. Kaustubh Machhe 45:53.070;

February 5, 2023

Rajendra favourite for title; Tanveer takes the fight to final round

Nashik, 4 Feb 2023: Petronas TVS Factory rider Rajendra RE begins as hot favourite, as the fight goes to wire with teammate and defending champion Abdul Wahid Tanveer on Sunday for the Overall National Rally title. The Rally of Nashik, the sixth and final round of the MRF MoGrip fmsci National Rally Championship is flagged off here on Saturday and the three competitive stages will be run on Sunday.

With Champions already decided in many classes, the entries fell to 49 (including two ladies) and there are only four factory bikes in the Super Bike Pro-Expert Class here making it a family affair. However, the compact field has high competition with Rajendra, the 2019 National champion, leading by eight points and he needs to just finish ahead of Tanveer. But the reigning champion, who began with a win this year, could only garner three second place in the next three rallies (all TVS riders did not participate in Round 2). Thus to win the title, Tanveer not only needs to win the rally outright, but hope that Rajendra finishes third or behind.

In four classes, champions were decided before the final round here. They are Sarath Mohan, Sasikumar K, Imran Pasha and VS Naresh.

Sarath Mohan, Expert class National champion

Sarath Mohan from Kerala, who met with a serious accident in the 2021 Chikmagalur round, made a stunning comeback with a clean sweep of all the first four rounds. Having garnered an unbeatable lead and winning the title in the Super Bike Expert (Group A) Class 2 by fourth round itself, the aggressive rider skipped the next two rounds opting to train in the dunes of Dubai preparing for bigger Rally Raid international events.

165cc National champ is Sasikumar

Sasikumar K also became the National champion in the Super Sport 165 Group B Class with a round to spare. He took an unbeatable 47-point lead over second-placed Francis PV. Both these top riders are not present in Nashik and the class has only four entries.

Imran Pasha bags Class 4 title – 260cc Group B

Imran Pasha, another Petronas TVS Racing team rider, has pocketed the Super Sport 260 Group B Class 4 title on his RTR 200 with 100 points beating his nearest rival Adnan Ahmed who has only 70 points. He won all the four rallies he took part.

Naresh is 550cc Group B champion 2022

VS Naresh, also captured the National crown astride a Himalayan in the the Super Sport 550 Group B Class 6.

Aishwarya all set for 6th consecutive title

In other classes, Aishwarya Pissay looks set to lay her hands on the sixth consecutive National crown in the Ladies class. The Women in Motorsports campaign reduced from 8 lady riders in ‘Round 1 to only two in the final round. (Read a detailed report here).

Veteran rider and the oldest among the lot in the entire 2W rally field, is locked in a tough battle with Hansraj Saikia of Assam in the Super Sport 400cc Group B class 5. Despite missing Round 2, he garnered 73 points, the same as the Saikia. Amog Nag in third has 64 points and has an outside chance to sideline the top guns.

In the Scooter class 8, Shamim Khan on an NTorq has a slender lead of three points from Aprilia riders Pinkesh Thakkar (77) and Subramanya T (58).

The MRF Rally of Nashik will have a 17.5-Km Special Stage (SS) run thrice from Nandgaon Kolikharwal, all in forward direction, for a combined competitive distance of over 52.5Km, mostly broken tarmac. Along with a transport section of about 70Km, the total rally distance will be 122.5Km.

The six-round MRF Mogrip fmsci National Rally Championship for two-wheelers 2022 promoted by GodSpeed Racing is one of the 12 Nationals conducted in various motorsports disciplines by fmsci, the National Federation.

Start Order for the final rally:

#	BIB No	RIDER	VEHICLE	CONTEST	TEAM
1	1	RAJENDRA RE	RTR450	CLASS 1		HOSUR
2	2	ABDUL WAHID	RTR450	CLASS 1		HOSUR
3	3	SAMUEL JACOB	RTR450	CLASS 1		HOSUR
4	4	NATRAJ R	RTR450	CLASS 1		HOSUR
5	5	IMRAN PASHA	RTR 200	CLASS 4		HOSUR
6	6	SACHIN D	RTR 200	CLASS 4		HOSUR
7	7	BANTEILANG JYRWA	RTR 200	CLASS 4		HOSUR
8	8	BADAL S DOSHI	KTM 500 EXCF	CLASS 1A		NAVI MUMBAI
9	9	TABISH RIZVI	EC 350F	CLASS 1A		MUMBAI
10	10	VENU RAMESH Kr	DUKE390	CLASS 5		COIMBATORE
11	11	HANSRAJ SAIKIA	KTM DUKE 390	CLASS 5		GUWAHATI
12	12	GS AMOGH NAG	KTM 390 DUKE	CLASS 5		BENGALURU
13	13	RUSSELL JOSSY	DUKE 390	CLASS 5		NAVI MUMBAI
14	14	AISHWARYA P M	RTR200	CLASS 7		HOSUR
15	15	CHALASS K BOSE	STUNNER	CLASS 2		KOTTAYAM
16	16	ANOOP MANJAPPA	STUNNER	CLASS 2		BENGALURU
17	17	NIRAJ WANJALE	IMPULSE	CLASS 3		PUNE
18	18	JEEVARATHINAM J	APACHE RTR 180	CLASS 4		BENGALURU
19	19	MUZAFFAR ALI	IMPULSE	CLASS 3		BHOPAL
20	20	RAHUL S MOKASHI	IMPULSE	CLASS 3		PUNE
21	21	SAMPATH GOWDA C	APACHE RTR	CLASS 3		BENGALURU
22	22	YOGESH KAGALE	DUKE 200	CLASS 1A		KOLHAPUR
23	23	NADIR KHAN	YBX	CLASS 2		BHOPAL
24	24	HITESH S GHADGE	HIMALAYAN	CLASS 6		PUNE
25	25	NILESH Y THAKARE	HIMALAYAN	CLASS 6		NASHIK
26	26	SANTOSH SARKALE	HIMALAYAN	CLASS 6		NASHIK
27	27	SHAMIM KHAN	NTORQ 124	CLASS 8		HOSUR
28	28	PINKESH THAKKAR	APRILIA SR 150	CLASS 8		PUNE
29	29	SUBRAMANYA T	APRILIA SR 150	CLASS 8		PUNE
30	30	GOUTHAM N	APRILIA SR 125	CLASS 8		PUNE
31	31	KARTHIK N	NTORQ 124	CLASS 8		HOSUR
32	32	SYED ASIF ALI	NTORQ 124	CLASS 8		HOSUR
33	33	VENKATESH SHETTY	APRILLA SR 150	CLASS 8		MUMBAI
34	34	AAKASH SATPUTE	APRILIA SR 150	CLASS 8		PUNE
35	35	HITEN THAKKAR	SR150	CLASS 8		NASHIK
36	36	SABARISH R	RTR200	CLASS 9		BENGALURU
37	37	GOUTHAM RAO R	RTR 200	CLASS 9		BENGALURU
38	38	ABHIMANYU RAY	XPULSE	CLASS 9		PUNE
39	39	TANAY S KASERA	ADVENTURE	CLASS 9		NAVI MUMBAI
40	40	ROHIT TIWARI	HIMALAYAN	CLASS 6		PUNE
41	41	LOKESH A BHOSALE	XPULSE	CLASS 10		PUNE
42	42	AMARENDRA SATHE	XPULSE 200	CLASS 10		PUNE
43	43	KAUSTUBH MACHHE	XPULSE 200 4V	CLASS 10		NASHIK
44	44	SURYA K TATINENI	XPULSE 2004V	CLASS 10		NASHIK
45	45	PURSHOTTAM MATE	XPULSE	CLASS 10		PUNE
46	46	SHRIDHAR PANDEY	XPULSE RALLY	CLASS 10		PUNE
47	47	TANYA S SINGH	XPULSE 2004V	CLASS 7		PUNE
48	48	GAURAV PATHARE	GLADIATOR	CLASS 2		MUMBAI
49	49	HARSHAL KADBHANE**	XPULSE	CLASS 10		NASHIK

February 5, 2023

Petronas TVS Racing talent Aishwarya Pissay, eyes her 6th straight National title

Nashik, 4 Feb 2023: PETRONAS TVS Racing factory rider, Aishwarya Pissay, the only FIM World Cupper from India is all set for the final round of the MRF MoGrip FMSCI National Rally Championship (INRC-2w) 2022 .

The Bengaluru racing star, is eyeing her record sixth consecutive National Rally crown when action begins after a gap of over two months with the Rally of Nashik, the sixth and final round of the GodSpeed Racing’s MRF MoGrip FMSCI National Racing Championship – 2W 2022 here on Sunday.

The 2019 FIM Bajas World Cup champion in the Ladies class, after her brief stint in the ‘Big Boss Kannada’, was back in November to do what she loves the most – biking, and won the fifth round in Pune to set-up a grand finale. Later, the final round here was put off and the multiple-National title holder, Aishwarya Pissay is leading the championship table in her class, despite missing a round earlier, and is raring to go to defend her title once again. She has put in over a month’s training on her reliable TVS TR 200R, including on tarmac sessions, and is ready for the final hurrah.

Supported by PETRONAS TVS Racing, Aishwarya, who is also backed by Micro Labs, IIFL and Surana College, won the first round in Chikkamagaluru by a mile after which the 27-year-old missed the second round. Pissay then came back strongly to reclaim the title-lead with splendid victories in the next three rounds in Coimbatore, Bengaluru, and Pune respectively.

“I am eagerly waiting to get back into competitive racing. The terrain will be broken tarmac and very technical. I have trained hard during this long break on my much-accomplished TVS TR 200R that is based on the TVS Apache RTR 200. I thoroughly enjoyed riding the motorcycle, all thanks to which I am going strong into the last race of the season. I will be giving my 100 per cent to win one more National title,” said the talented Bengaluru rider.

The MRF Rally of Nashik will have a 17.5-Km Special Stage (SS) run thrice from Nandgaon Kolikharwal, all in forward direction, for a combined competitive distance of over 52.5 km, mostly broken tarmac. Along with a transport section of about 70 km, the total rally distance will be 122.5 km. The ceremonial flag-off from Amboli Holiday Home, Opp Amboli Dam, Tal Trimbakeshwar will take place at 11 a.m. on Saturday while the Special stages will be held on Sunday.

The six-round MRF MoGrip FMSCI National Rally Championship for two-wheelers (INRC-2w)2022 promoted by GodSpeed Racing is one of the 12 Nationals conducted in various motorsports disciplines by FMSCI.

February 4, 2023
Champions 2022 – Sai Sanjay: MRF Formula 2000 class

Chennai, 2 Feb 2023: Young racing talent Sai Sanjay dished out dominating performance in the top category for the fastest Formula cars in India to be crowned the National champion in the MRF Formula 2000 class, in the MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Car Racing Championship 2022, at the Madras International Circuit here on Sunday.

Sai Sanjay, the 20-year-old from Salem, won his maiden National title in his debut season in the premier open-wheel Formula category. He notched up three race wins, and displayed mature driving skills and consistent performance throughout the season that got him eight podium places. He garnered 201 points from the 12-race, four-round Nationals and won with a race to spare beating second-placed Ryan Mohamed by (165) 36 points.

“I am very excited and the moment feels surreal. It’s an honour to be crowned the Indian National Champion of the fastest national car racing series in India. We’ve had a great season, the pace was consistently there and the hard work of my team, mechs, finally paid off. Thanks to JA Motorsport and MRF Racing for giving us an opportunity to race in these cars,” Sai Sanjay said.

A Mechatronics student at VIT Chennai, Sai, made his motorsports debut in 2015 and after gaining some international exposure racing in the karting championships in the UAE and also became the Rotax Senior Max UAE vice-champion in 2018. He made the switch to formula cars the same year and raced in the LGB Formula 1300 and MRF 1600 championships. He also has experienced racing the well-known Volkswagen Polo Cup in 2021. All along, he notched up many podiums and dished out many fastest laps and made the switch to faster Formula cars for a successful winning debut in the top class of the country. Sai is currently a part of NK Racing Academy and is being mentored by India’s first Formula 1 driver, Narain Karthikeyan.

“Coaching by Aditya Patel and Armaan Ebrahim during the season also helped polish my skills,” he added. And the restart of the MRF Formula 2000 class after two years of pandemic, gave a huge opportunity for the consistent performer.

“I thank my family for being the biggest and best support in this huge journey. I will continue to push limits and try reaching new heights,” he concluded and had a special word of thanks for Rajarajan, the race mechanic, for pushing and encouraging him. Sai will continue in the Formula races and hopes to go racing abroad in pursuit of his dreams.

In the other championship classes, Viswas Vijayraj won the LGB F1300 National title while veteran Arjun Balu bagged the ITC crown, his 11th National title. Ritesh Rai (Super Stock) and Akkineni Anand Prasad (IJTC) were the other National champions.

February 4, 2023
Salem’s Sai Sanjay clinches MRF F2000 crown; 11th National title for Arjun Balu

Chennai, 29 Jan 2023: On a day of twists and turns, Salem’s Sai Sanjay pocketed the title in the premier MRF Formula 2000 category as the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2022 concluded at the Madras International Circuit here on Sunday.

While Sai Sanjay gathered enough points this weekend in the three races to seal the championship, Bengaluru’s Sohil Shah, winner of Race-1 yesterday, won both the races today to complete a triple crown. The 21-year old Sohil, who missed two of the four rounds, finished fourth in the championship behind Sai Sanjay, Ryan Mohamed (Chennai) and Divy Nandan (Gurugram).

Also sealing the titles in their respective categories were: Viswas Vijayraj (Nellore, DTS Racing) in the Formula LGB 1300; Ritesh Rai (Chennai, Performance Racing) in Super Stock; Akkineni Anand Prasad (Chennai, Performance Racing) in Indian Junior Touring Cars; Justin Singh (Gurugram) in the MRF Saloon Cars (Toyota Etios) and Pratik Sonawane (Mumbai) in the Volkswagen Polo Cup.

Polo Cup winner Pratik Sonawane is flanked by National championship winners Vishwas Vijayraj, left, (Formula LGB1300) and Sai Sanjay (F2000) at MIC on Sunday. Photo by Anand Philar.

Meanwhile, the popular Indian Touring Cars category witnessed as many as three disqualifications for technical infringements. Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) and Arjun Narendran (Arka Motorsports), both from Coimbatore, were disqualified from yesterday’s Race-1. Narendran suffered the same fate in Race-2 today, but later won Race-3. However, the revised results fetched Balu the National title ahead of Narendran in the provisional championship standings.

Viswas Vijayraj sealed the title in the Formula LGB 1300 category though finishing second behind Bengaluru’s Tijil Rao (Momentum Motorsports) in the final race today. The other championship leader Raghul Rangasamy (MSport) dropped out of contention after he was disqualified for ignoring a black flag.

Defending champion Arjun Balu, retains his ITC National championship at MIC, to earn his 11th National title on Sunday. File photo by Anand Philar.

“I don’t know what to say. It is such an emotional moment for me. After missing the championship a few times in the past, it is great to finally win it in my fifth season. I owe everything to my parents who I know are watching the live streaming, and MRF Tyres for their support,” said Viswas.

Mumbai’s Zahan Commissariat, hailing from a family of racers, scored an impressive win starting from P10 in the MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios) category, and the victory helped him to finish fifth in the championship. Gurugram’s Justin Singh failed to finish following an incident, but had sufficient cushion to annex the title ahead of Angad Mathroo (Chandigarh) by five points. Mathroo came in second behind Commissariat and ahead of Pune’s Diana Pundole, who ended up third in the championship.

Ritesh Rai, who won the National title for 2022 in Super Stock class.

The results (Provisional – all 10 laps unless mentioned):

MRF F2000 (Race-2): 1. Sohil Shah (Bengaluru) (15min, 36.462sec); 2. Mohamed Ryan (Chennai) (15:40.983); 3. Dillon Thomas Zachariah (Chennai) (15:42.064). Race-3 (8 laps): 1. Sohil Shah (Bengaluru) (12:28.545); 2. Sai Sanjay T (Salem) (12:33.894); 3. Chetan Korada (Chennai) (12:52.777).

Indian Touring Cars (Race-2, 12 laps): 1. Arjun Balu (Coimbatore, Race Concepts) (25:00.290); 2. Sandeep Kumar (Chennai, Rayo Racing) (25:08.270); 3. Jeet Jabakh (Hyderabad, Rayo Racing) (25:11.802). Race-3: 1. Arjun Narendran (Coimbatore, Arka Motorsports) (18:58.937); 2. Arjun Balu (Coimbatore, Race Concepts) (19:12.399); 3. Sandeep Kumar (Chennai, Rayo Racing) (19:14.297).

Indian Junior Touring Cars (Race-1, 12 laps): 1. Raja Rajan (Chennai, Performance Racing) ( 25:27.541); 2. Akkineni Anand Prasad (Chennai, Performance Racing) (25:27.700); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Performance Racing) (25:27.997). Race-3: 1. Raja Rajan (Chennai, Performance Racing) (19:36.876); 2. Gurunath Meiyappan (Chennai, Race Concepts) (19.38.441); 3. Akkineni Anand Prasad (Chennai, Performance Racing) (19:40.541).

Super Stock (Race-2, 12 laps): 1. Narendran S (Chennai, Redline Racing) (26:19.871); 2. Ritesh Rai (Chennai, Performance Racing) (26:23.033); 3. Jason Deepak Saldanha (Mangaluru, DB Motorsports) (26: 28.874). Race-3 (9 Laps): 1. Ritesh Rai (Chennai, Performance Racing) (19:01.675); 2. Narendran S (Chennai, Redline Racing) (19:07.807); 3. Dilijith TS (Thrissur, DTS Racing) (19:12.675).

Formula LGB 1300 (Race-2, 10 laps): 1. Tijil Rao (Bengaluru, Momentum Motorsports) (20:10.154); 2. Viswas Vijayraj (Nellore, DTS Racing) (20:10.291); 3. Dhruvh A Goswami (Bengaluru, MSport) (20:10.865).

Volkswagen Polo Cup (Race-3, 8 laps): 1. Ritesh Rai (Chennai) (15:50.470); 2. Pratik Sonawane (Mumbai) (15:54.571); 3. Raaj Bakhru (Mumbai) (15:57.079). Race-4: 1. Ojas Surve (Mumbai) (19:42.853); 2. Avik Anwar (Dhaka) (19:49.034); 3. Pratik Sonawane (Mumbai) (19:52.460).

MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios – Race-2): 1. Zahan Commissariat (Mumbai) 20:49.191; 2. Angad Mathroo (Chandigarh) 20:53.991; 3. Diana Pundole (Pune) 20:54.112.

January 29, 2023
Sohil wins but Sai Sanjay on course for title; Diana back on podium in Saloon cars’ race

Chennai, Sat, 28 Jan, 2023: For the second-day running, Bengaluru’s Sohil Shah became the fastest driver of the day as he roared to a big win, his second of the season, in the premier MRF Formula 2000 category in the fourth and final round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2022 at the Madras International Circuit here on Saturday.

Coimbatore veteran Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) who hardly played a false note while orchestrating a massive victory, his fourth of the season, in the top-end Indian Touring Cars category.

Nellore’s Viswas Vijayraj (DTS Racing) also notched a fluent lights-to-flag win in the Formula LGB 1300 race to move within eight points of championship leader Raghul Rangasamy (MSport) from Mamallapuram who took the second spot ahead of Kolkata’s Arya Singh (Momentum Motorsports).

The win notwithstanding Sohil, 21, will not be fighting for the title as he missed the first two rounds of the championship. Sohil is the only driver to dip under the one minute, 32-sec mark in the compact field driving the F2000 machine, the fastest formula car in India. The Indian Racing League driver missed five races from the first two rounds.Salem’s Sai Sanjay finished second behind Shah. Divy Nandan, a late starter from Gurugram, who made his racing debut in the karting Nationals a couple of seasons ago under the tutelage of Narain Karthikeyan, has worked hard not only to shed a huge amount of weight to become fighting fit but improved his racing skills admirably to take a podium again, finishing third. Earlier, Divy also got himself a birthday gift with a maiden win on Jan 7 in Round 2, two days after he turned 20. Sai Sanjay’s 34-point lead means, a fifth-place in both the remaining races is enough for the Salem lad, even if second-placed Mohamed Ryan wins the last two races. With his parents watching the race, Sai did a commendable job once again with a cool head, knowing that Shah’s win will not deter his chances. Chennai’s Ryan finished fourth in today’s race.

Later, Balu was in a league of his own as he built up a commanding lead of about six car lengths by the third corner itself and halfway into the first of the 10 laps extended his lead, after starting from pole position to make up for a disappointing third round a week back, where he scored a second (18) and zero points from the two races that saw his 39-point lead dwarf to 8 points. Behind him, Arjun Narendran (Arka Motorsports), also from Coimbatore, came in second, but remained 14 points adrift of Balu in the championship standings with two races to go on the final day on Sunday. In third was Rayo Racing’s Sandeep Kumar, the lawyer from Chennai, the reigning Polo Cup champion. However, the ITC race is under review after post-race scrutiny,but the 10-time National champion came out unscathed from the Stewards meeting to retain full points.

Chennai racers dominated the Indian Junior Touring Cars category with Gurunath Meiyappan (Race Concepts) finishing ahead of Performance Racing pair of Akkineni Anand Prasad and Deepak Ravikumar. Consequently, Anand Prasad extended his championship lead to 22 points ahead of team-mate Raja Rajan.

Another Chennai driver, Ritesh Rai (Performance Racing) came through untroubled in the Super Stock category with Narendran S (Redline Racing) and Diljith TS (DTS Racing) following home in that order. Rai, thus, opened up a commanding 38-point lead over Narendran on the leaderboard.

Ritesh Rai and Avik Anwar from Dhaka, Bangladesh recorded their maiden win each in the Volkswagen Polo Cup double-header today. After winning the first race, Ritesh sat out the second that was won by Anwar, who has raced in the UAE and Malaysia, and is in his second season here. The win took Anwar (79 points) to third place in the championship behind Pratik Sonawane (89) and Raaj Bakhru (83) with two more races to be run on Sunday.

Later, Gurugram’s Justin Singh scored his fifth win of the season in the MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios) category that gave him a 23-point advantage with just one more race to be run on Sunday and a maximum of 25 points on offer. But the highlight of the race is the return of “Racing Queen”, after a disappointing third round. The lady driver from Pune, who has been giving a tough fight to all the men, and to Justin at the top, all through the season, finished a creditable second. The lady cut her teeth in karting and later earned a free drive in the JK Nationals in an open-wheel formula car, before a stint in the polo cup in 2021. Starting on P2, she maintained a close distance with the leader and even pelted a best lap (02:02.021) mid-way through to reduce the gap from 0.7 ,to 0.5 seconds, (about a car’s length in actual distance) but decided to play safe to salvage a podium and deservedly took second, beating a handful of male drivers to promote FIA “Women in Motorsports” concept at the domestic level. Among other ladies, Sravanthika Lakshmi, another graduate from karting did well, and both the ladies were given Special prizes for finishing first the second among women.

Sunday will be the last day of the National Championship with all the title-fight for all the five National classes going to the wire. The champions will be decided in Indian Touring Cars class, Indian Junior touring Cars, Super Stock and the Formula classes MRF Formula 2000 and Formula LGB 1300. Apart from these, two one-make, non-championship classes for the VW Polo Cup and MRF Saloon class.

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

MRF F2000 (Race-1): 1. Sohil Shah (Bengaluru) (12min, 31.381sec); 2. Sai Sanjay T (Salem) (12:36.091); 3. Divy Nandan (Gurugram) (12:39.156).

Indian Touring Cars (Race-1, 10 laps): 1. Arjun Balu (Coimbatore, Race Concepts) (18:53.861); 2. Arjun Narendran (Coimbatore, Arka Motorsports) (18:57.871); 3. Sandeep Kumar (Chennai, Rayo Racing) (19:13.150).

Indian Junior Touring Cars (Race-1, 10 laps): 1. Gurunath Meiyappan (Chennai, Race Concepts) (19:37.194); 2. Akkineni Anand Prasad (Chennai, Performance Racing) (19:38.495); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Performance Racing) (19:44.652).

Super Stock (Race-1, 9 laps): 1. Ritesh Rai (Chennai, Performance Racing) (19:00.108); 2. Narendran (Chennai, Redline Racing) (19:09.762); 3. Diljith TS (Thrissur, DTS Racing) (19:10.429).

Formula LGB 1300 (Race-1): 1. Viswas Vijayraj (Nellore, DTS Racing) (15:06.216); 2. Raghul Rangasamy (Mamallapuram, MSport) (15:13.825); 3. Arya Singh (Kolkata, Momentum Motorsports) (15:13.984).

Volkswagen Polo Cup (Race-1): 1. Ritesh Rai (Chennai) (15:49.646); 2. Pratik Sonawane (Mumbai) (15:52.970); 3. Raaj Bakhru (Mumbai) (15: 53.869). Race-2 (10 laps): 1. Avik Anwar (Dhaka, Bangladesh) (19:51.961); 2. Prashanth Tharani Singh (Chennai) (19:54.052); 3. Munjal Savla (Mumbai) (19:55.725).

MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios – Race-1): 1. Justin Singh (Gurugram) (16:29.741); 2. Diana Pundole (Pune) (16:30.531); 3. Zahan Commissariat (Mumbai) (16:36.259).

January 28, 2023
Pole position for Sohil Shah, Ritesh Rai: Racing Nationals

Chennai, 27 Jan 2023: Bengaluru youngster Sohil Shah and Chennai’s Ritesh Rai grabbed pole position in the MRF Formula 2000 and Volkswagen Polo Cup categories, respectively, on the opening day of the fourth and final round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2022 at the Madras International Circuit, here on Friday.

Sohil Shah is the only driver to dip under 1 minute 32-second mark, both in practice session and qualifying, and became the fastest driver of the day.

The 21-year old Shah set a best time of one minute, 31.668 seconds to qualify for the pole position ahead of championship leader Sai Sanjay from Salem (01:32.095) and Gurugram’s Divy Nandan (01:32.246). In fact, Sohil went quicker in the qualifying as compared to his time in the practice session (01:31.969) earlier in the day. Shah, who missed the first two rounds, is not in contention for the title. Sai Sanjay leads the championship table with 153 points ahead of Mohamed Ryan who has 125 points in second. Three more races offering a total of 75 points are in the menu for the week-end.

Meanwhile, 40-year old Chennai racer, Ritesh Rai, who is placed eighth in the championship, put in a hot lap of 01:56.000 to earn himself the pole position in the VW Polo Cup. Qualifying for P2 was Mumbai’s Pratik Sonawane (01:56.419) who heads the points table, while Raaj Bakhru (01:56.605), also from Mumbai, will start tomorrow’s race from P3.

Earlier, Coimbatore’s Arjun Narendran (Arka Motorsports), placed second in the points table behind Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) warmed up for the double-header by topping the time sheets in the Indian Touring Cars practice session with a 01:52.389. Veteran Balu, the defending champion, had issues with an overheating engine after just two laps which forced him to pit.

Gurunath Meiyappan (Race Concepts, 01:54.901) and Ritesh Rai (Performance Racing, 02:03.252) were the fastest in the practice session for Indian Junior Touring Cars and Super Stock categories, respectively.

Championship contender in the Formula LGB 1300, Viswas Vijayraj from Nellore (DTS Racing) was the fastest in the practice sessions with a best lap of 01:51.451. Behind him were team-mate Diljith TS (01:51.533) from Thrissur and championship leader Mamallapuram’s Raghul Rangasamy (01:51.698) of MSport.

Gurugram’s Justin Singh, who heads the points table, was the fastest in practice for the MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios) category, clocking 02:02.427.

The results (Qualifying – top 3):

MRF F2000: 1. Sohil Shah (Bengaluru) (1:31.668); 2. Sai Sanjay (Salem) (1:32.095); 3. Divy Nandan (Gurugram) (1:32.246).

Volkswagen Polo Cup: 1. Ritesh Rai (Chennai) (1:56.000); 2. Pratik Sonawane (Mumbai) (1:56.419); 3. Raaj Bakhru (Mumbai) (1:56.605).

January 27, 2023
British Touring cars champ, takes a fun-drive on a Virtus, gives a thumbs up to MIC

Chennai, January 28: Three times British Touring Cars champion Matt Neal labelled the Madras International Circuit as unique in the sense that he has never driven on a race track like the one here and rated it seven on a scale of 10.

On a business trip to India, Neal, 56, visited the MIC on invitation today during the final round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2022 and even drove a few laps in the Volkswagen Virtus of the Indian Touring Cars category.

Branding the track as “very technical and challenging” given its mix of tight and fast corners besides a couple of fast straights, Neal opined that the circuit is an excellent platform for those cutting their racing teeth.

“I have never driven on a track like this (the MIC) and it was quite enjoyable. I did about five-six laps. It has a character that is unique in its own way, like other tracks around the World. The track has a very fast corner at Turn-1, a few mid-speed corners and some tight sections like the ‘S’ leading up to the bridge. Yes, I would say the track is very technical and challenging,” he said.

The grass run-off areas add to the personality of the track, but you got to respect the limits,” said Neal, a six-times BTCC Independents champion between 1993-2006.

“To be honest, I would rate this track about seven on a scale of 10. You could have more variety with fast corners, but it has its own challenges and personality. Definitely in the top half. It is great for motorsport in India as well,” Neal said.

January 27, 2023
4W Racing Championship poised for a thrilling finish

Chennai, 26 Jan 2023: The stakes and expectations are as high as they can get in the fourth and final round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2022 to be held at the Madras International Circuit on the weekend of January 27-29.

The two premier categories, MRF F2000 and the Touring Cars comprising three classes, will have three races apiece while four will be run in the Volkswagen Polo Cup, and two each in the Formula LGB 1300 and the MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios).

The titles in each of these categories are up for grabs and few points separate the front-runners, thus setting the stage for an exciting finish to the monsoon-interrupted 2022 season that spilled over into 2023.

In what could be a humdinger, the MRF F2000 is headed towards a nail-biting finish with as many as five drivers having realistic as well as mathematical chances (depending on the results) of clinching the championship. With a maximum of 75 points on offer, Sai Sanjay (153), Mohamed Ryan (125), Dillon Thomas Zacharaiah (117), Divy Nandan (113) and Chirag Ghorpade (112) are the front-runners.

Of the lot Salem’s Sai Sanjay has won three races as against two by Bengaluru youngster Chirag Ghorpade who dropped a lot of points with a non-finish in one of the four races last weekend.

Two Coimbatore stars, 10 times National champion Arjun Balu (Race Concepts, 93 points) and former title winner, Arjun Narendran (Arka Motorsports, 86), head the Indian Touring Cars category. Narendran scored a double in the previous round last weekend to move closer to Balu who retired from the first of the two races due to engine issues. However, three wins in the earlier rounds ensured Balu stayed at the top in the points table.

As per provisional standings, Chennai drivers and Performance Racing team-mates Akkineni Anand Prasad (92) and Raja Rajan (78) who between them have won four of the five races so far, are ahead of the pack in the Indian Junior Touring Cars category. Another Chennai and Performance Racing driver, Ritesh Rai (111) enjoys a healthy 31-point lead over Narendran S (Redline Racing) in the Super Stock class.

The Formula LGB 1300 category has seen the closest races this season with plenty of wheel-to-wheel competition. Raghul Rangasamy (MSport) from Mamallapuram and Nellore’s Viswas Vijayaraj are separated by 15 points in the provisional points table.

Gurugram’s Justin Singh (129) leads Angad Mathroo (119) in the MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios) category while there is only a 10-point gap among the top three in Volkswagen Polo Cup – Pratik Sonawane (71) form Pune, Raaj Bakhru (66) from Mumbai and Bengaluru’s Adtiya Swaminathan (61).

Incidentally, Sandeep Kumar won all four Polo Cup races last weekend, but is not eligible for championship points since he is a guest driver.

Chairman of the Meet Vicky Chandhok said: “On the evidence of last weekend’s races, there is much to look forward to in the final round as we bring closure to the 2022 season that stretched into 2023. We at the MMSC take this opportunity to thank our sponsors MRF Tyres, the competitors and the Media for their wholehearted involvement in various roles.”

About Madras Motor Sports Club

Since its humble beginnings in 1953, the Madras Motor Sports Club has grown in stature as the hub of motorsport activity in India. Having moved its racing activities from Sholavaram to its present location, the Madras International Circuit (earlier MMRT), in Sriperumbudur in 1979, MMSC has kept pace with changing times by upgrading facilities. At a cost of about Rs 20 Crore, the MMSC built a pit complex comprising 20 garages, VIP hospitality suites and a viewing gallery, on the eastern side, apart from a second Paddock on the western side with its own short circuit. Parallelly, MMSC imported timing equipment specifically for Drag racing. The Control Room too was upgraded with state-of-the-art hardware while the track itself was improved to meet the exacting FIA standards for Grade-2 certification. MMSC also constructed a 500-capacity grand stand with provision for garages / storage below. In another upgrade, the MMSC installed Digi flags from TAG Heuer Chronolec that will be positioned strategically around the track. The facilities are also extensively used by various vehicle manufacturers for testing their products, displays and corporate days.

January 26, 2023