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Category: Non-F1
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Alimon sets record; Strong comeback by Hemanth Muddappa: Drag Nationals
Chennai, 29 Dec 2022: Bengaluru riders Alimon and Hemanth Muddappa scored dominating wins in their respective superbike categories in the third round of the MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Drag Racing Championship 2022 at the Madras International Circuit, here on Thursday.
Alimon continued his win-spree to clinch the National Championship with a round to spare in the Unrestricted category as he took the honours on a Kawasaki Ninja H2, and also set a track record of 07.556 seconds over 302 metres. He won all the three rounds thus far and, today he finished ahead of Hemanth Muddappa (Mantra Racing) and Attaulla Baig, also from Bengaluru. The Unrestricted class was introduced this year and the 851-1050cc class was made as a Support Race.
Alimon, thus, set the fastest time at the MIC, bettering the previous best of 07.749 by Muddappa. The victory also gave Alimon an unassailable 32-point lead over Baig in the championship standings with a round to spare.
Alimon Saidalvi who won the Championship in the Unrestricted class at the Madras International Circuit on Thursday. Photo for INDIAinF1.com “With strong contenders in fray, it’s been a challenging field in the Nationals for this class. Perseverance and dedication helped me and the team to achieve this incredible feat. I would like to thank Topgun Racing team for the support and motivation throughout my racing career. Highlighting motorsport in India is my vision and I hope to set an example for many aspiring talents who look to enter motorsport in India,” said Alimon.
Earlier, Muddappa, the multiple National champion, was in his elements in the 1051-1650cc category astride a Suzuki Hayabusa, with a winning time of 07.910 seconds while Mujahid Pasha (Bengaluru) and yesterday’s Round-2 winner Md Riyaz (Hyderabad) came in second and third, respectively. After three rounds, Muddappa leads Riyaz by 20 points in the championship and needs just six more points to clinch the title, he is set to take his 10th National Championship title.
Another Bengaluru rider, Anish Damodara Shetty (PRN Motorsports) notched a splendid win in the 361-550cc class on a KTM RC-390 bike while Chennai rider Mohan Babu of Rockers Racing won the Super Sport Indian upto 165cc class.
In the Stock 165cc Girls class, Mumbai’s Sarah Khan of Axor Sparks Racing topped astride a Yamaha R15, to keep the championship race open with Soundari Sindy Anantharaj leading the points table with 62 points. But it will winner take it all in the final round and Sarah (58) will be looking to turn the tables on the defending champion.
The fourth and concluding round of the 2022 Championship will be run at the same venue on Friday.
Hemanth Muddappa on his Suzuki Hayabusa. INDIAinF1 File photo by Srinivasa Krishnan Girls class winner Sarah Khan (centre), along with Senior Technician Ebbi (red ‘T’), is flanked by second-placed Aditi Krishnan and Lani Zena Fernandez (extreme right). Chief guest Anoop, (MMSC) left, is also seen. Photo: Axor Spark Racing Round-3 results (Provisional, all 4-Stroke Super Sport unless mentioned):
Unrestricted: 1. Alimon Saidalavi (Bengaluru) (07.556secs); 2. Hemanth Muddappa (Mantra Racing, Bengaluru) (07.768); 3. Attaulla Baig (Bengaluru) (08.037).
1051-1650cc: 1. Hemanth Muddappa (Mantra Racing, Bengaluru) (07.910); 2. Mujahid Pasha (Bengaluru) (08.019); 3. Md Riyaz (Hyderabad) (08.103).
851-1050cc (Support race): 1. Saurabh Parabh (Mumbai) (07.880); 2. Hemanth Muddappa (Mantra Racing, Bengaluru) (08.065); 3. Sugan Prasad SP (Bengaluru) (08.236).
551-850cc: 1. Sidharth Ratan Parmar (Mumbai) (08.510); 2. Saurabh Parab (Mumbai) (08.552); 3. Mohammed Riyaz (Hyderabad) (08.630).
361-550cc (Super Sport Indian): 1. Anish Shetty (PRN Motorsports, Bengaluru) (12.243); 2. Bharath Raj (Rockers Racing, Chennai) (12.244); 3. Aiyaz Rem (Bengaluru) (12.363).
166-225cc (Support race): 1. Srikantha P (Bengaluru) (13.520); 2. Aiyaz Rem (Bengaluru) (14.293); 3. Madhan Kumar R (Chennai) (14.333).
Upto 165cc (Super Sport Indian): 1. Mohan Babu (Rockers Racing, Chennai) (14.154); 2. Arvind Ganesh (Chennai) (14.234); 3. Bharath Raj (Rockers Racing, Chennai) (14.235).
2-Stroke 131-165cc: 1. Prashanth (Bengaluru) (12.821); 2. Aiyaz Rem (Bengaluru) (12.983); 3. Shreyas Hareesh (Rockers Racing, Bengaluru) (13.069).
2-Stroke Upto 130cc: 1. Abdul Shaikh (Bengaluru) (13.497); 2. Mohamed Rafiq (Bengaluru) (13.778); 3. Mohammed Arfath (Bengaluru) (13.784).
GIRLS (165cc, Novice): 1. Sarah Khan (Axor Sparks Racing, Mumbai) (16.562); 2. Aditi Krishnan (Bengaluru) (16.639); 3. Lani Zena Fernandez (RACR, Puducherry) (16.704).
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Alimon wins top class; Debut victory for Shreyas; Double for Bharath: Drag Nationals
Chennai, 28 Dec 2022: Bengaluru’s Alimon Saidalvi, astride a Kawasaki Ninja H2, raced to victory in the Feature race, the Unrestricted category, while Rockers Racing’s Bharath Raj scored a double in the second round of the MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Drag Racing Championship 2022 at the Madras International Circuit, here on Wednesday.
Earlier, the 12-year old inaugural MiniGP India champion, Shreyas Hareesh, who made his debut in the Drag Nationals here, won the 2-Stroke upto 165cc Super Sport class beating a strong field of 29 riders. Astride a Yamaha RX 135, the Rockers Racing rider, clocked an impressive 12.615 seconds for the 402-metre dash. Fellow-Bengalureans Prashanth (12.748) and Aiyaz Rem (12.931) came in second and third respectively to make it an all-Bengaluru affair.
Shreyas Hareesh, the 12-year Bengaluru school boy makes a winning debut in Drag Nationals at Madras International Circuit on Wednesday. Photo SH team Bharath Raj, 33, an engineer at Ola Electric from Chennai, also from Rockers Racing, defeated Mohammed Arfath of Bengaluru to win the Super Sport Indian upto 165cc class clocking 14.395 seconds. Later, Raj topped his favourite 361-550cc class, astride a KTM RC390, edging past teammate Mohammed Shakir. Anish Shetty finished third. Raj, who won the 361-550cc for the last two years said: “I am happy to be on the top step of the podium once again. But no time to rest as we will be going all out in the next two rounds.”
In the Unrestricted class, Alimon clocked a blistering 08.022 seconds for the 302-metre sprint to pip Mumbai’s Saurabh Parab (08.073s) and Hyderabad’s Md Riyaz (08.178s).
Earlier, Riyaz, riding a Suzuki Hayabusa, scored a notable victory over fancied Hemanth Muddappa (Mantra Racing) from Bengaluru in the 1051-1650cc category with Mujahid Pasha, also from Bengaluru, finishing third.
Muddappa drew some consolation by claiming the top spot in the support race (851-1050cc) ahead of Saurabh Parab (Mumbai) and Riyaz.
Reigning champion Soundari “Sindy’ Ananthraj of AS Motorsports took the honours in the Girls (4-Stroke, Stock 165cc) category, edging out Mumbai’s Sarah Khan of Axor Sparks Racing and Lani Zena Fernandez (RACR) from Puducherry.
Soundari “Sindy’ Antanthraj of AS Motorsports, the defending champion, wins Girls class in Round 2 at MIC on Wednesday. The Round 3 of the championship will be held on Thursday while the Round 4, which is the final round, is scheduled for Friday, also at the MIC.
Round-2 Provisional results (all 4-Stroke Super Sport unless mentioned):
Unrestricted: 1. Alimon Saidalvi (Bengaluru) (08.022secs); 2. Saurabh Parab (Mumbai) (08.073); 3. Md Riyaz (Hyderabad) (08.178).
1051-1650cc: 1. Md Riyaz (Hyderabad) (08.108); 2. Hemanth Muddappa (Mantra Racing, Bengaluru) (08.144); 3. Mujahid Pasha (Bengaluru) (08.220).
851-1050cc (Support race): 1. Hemanth Muddappa (Mantra Racing, Bengaluru) (08.012); 2. Saurabh Parabh (Mumbai) (08.013); 3. Md Riyaz (Hyderabad) (08.228).
551-850cc: 1. Saurabh Parab (Mumbai) (08.424); 2. Sidharth Parmar (Mumbai) (08.561); 3. Hemanth Muddappa (Mantra Racing, Bengaluru) (08.774).
361-550cc (Super Sport Indian): 1. Bharath Raj (Rockers Racing, Chennai) (12.033); 2. Mohammed Shakir (Rockers Racing, Chennai) (12.332); 3. Anish Shetty (PRN Motorsports, Bengaluru) (12.348).
166-225cc (Support race); 1. Srikantha P (Bengaluru) (13.276); 2. Badhusha M (Chennai) (13.721); 3. Madhan Kumar R (Chennai) (14.393).
Upto 165cc (Super Sport Indian): 1. Bharath Raj (Rockers Racing, Chennai) (14.395); 2. Mohammed Arfath (Bengaluru) (14.621); 3. Badhusha M (Chennai) (14.880).
2-Stroke 131-165cc: 1. Shreyas Hareesh (Rockers Racing, Bengaluru) (12.615); 2. Prashanth (Bengaluru) (12.748); 3. Aiyaz Rem (Bengaluru) (12.931).
2-Stroke Upto 130cc: 1. Abdul Shaikh (Bengaluru) (13.296); 2. Prashanth (Bengaluru) (13.381); 3. Mohamed Rafiq (Bengaluru) (13.565).
GIRLS (165cc, Novice): 1. Soundari ‘Sindy’ Ananthraj (AS Motorsports, Chennai) (16.340); 2. Sarah Khan (Axor Sparks Racing, Mumbai) (16.421); 3. Lani Zena Fernandez (RACR, Puducherry) (16.453).
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Hemanth Muddappa set to extend domination on Drag Nationals
Chennai, 26 Dec 2022: Reigning National champion Hemanth Muddappa representing Mantra Racing team from Bengaluru is expected to extend his domination this week as the curtains come down on the MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Drag Racing Championship 2022 at the Madras International Circuit here this week with Rounds 2, 3 and 4, being run from Tuesday, December 27 to Friday, December 30.
In the first round in July, Muddappa won two National championship races and is all set to add to his kitty of nine National Championship titles.
While the first round of the four-round Championship was held in July, the subsequent outings could not be held as scheduled due to monsoon rains and the Mandhus cyclone that severely impacted the region. As such, the promoters, Madras Motor Sports Club, decided to bunch the remaining three rounds and complete the championship.
Tuesday has been set aside for practice sessions, while the following three days will witness final runs in Rounds 2, 3 and 4 at the end of which the National Champions will be declared.
As has been the trend in the championship, close to 150 entries, across eight categories, have been received with MMSC incentivising the riders to compete in all the three rounds this week.
One of the highlights of the weekend would be the 4-Stroke Unrestricted category where Muddappa faces arch-rival and fellow-Bengalurean Alimon Saidalvi who won the 302-metre dash in July.
On view this week would be an array of super bikes, ranging from the Suzuki Hayabusa to Triumph to BMW, besides a host of modified Indian bikes.
In fact, Bengaluru is very strongly represented in all the categories while riders from Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai, fill up the rest of the grids.
Two of the categories – Super Sport 851-1050cc and Super Sport 166-225cc – will be run as support events.
As in the past, the 2-Stroke categories have attracted the most number of entries, totalling over 60 while the Girls class (4-Stroke up to 165cc) has eight competitors.
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.
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TVS Apache RR 310 in Gameloft’s Asphalt 8
Bengaluru, 15 Dec 2022: TVS Motor Company, a reputed manufacturer of two-wheelers and three-wheelers globally, announced today its partnership with Gameloft for brands for Asphalt 8: Airborne featuring its flagship motorcycle, TVS Apache RR 310. It makes TVS Motor the first Indian two-wheeler manufacturer to bring a virtual racing experience of its motorcycle to Gameloft’s Asphalt 8, one of the world’s leading motor racing game. This integration marks TVS Apache’s foray into the world of gaming, extending its commitment to deliver an unparalleled racing experience to its 4.8 million+ customers, online as well as offline. It is in line with the growing interest for gaming amidst the racing enthusiasts and target audience for TVS Apache, making this integration another medium for the company to engage with enthusiasts across the world even when they are off their motorcycles.
The TVS Apache series built out of TVS Racing, is based on the “Track to Road” philosophy. This philosophy manifests itself in each of TVS Apache motorcycles through the best-in-segment performance, technology and unique stye.
Commenting on the partnership, Vimal Sumbly, Head Business – Premium, TVS Motor Company, said, “TVS Motor Company is excited about its partnership with Gameloft for brands, as it brings TVS Apache RR 310 in the popular gaming franchise – Asphalt 8: Airborne. TVS Apache series has been instrumental in flourishing premium motorcycling culture and is a popular brand among motorcycle enthusiasts and the Gen-Z. We are sure that this collaboration with Gameloft will help in increasing the awareness for TVS Apache brand, targeting a new set of audience while engaging online with our customers. With initiatives like these, TVS Apache has become one of the fastest growing brands in its segment, and continues to demonstrate its focus on bringing innovative platforms to connect with the customers.”
Speaking on the integration, Alexandre Tan, SVP Brand Partnerships & Advertising at Gameloft for brands, said, “TVS Motor is a great partner and we are excited that they are joining us for the first time in this new competition. With this new partner, we are thrilled to bring new innovative and exclusive in the game, creating a deeper connection with the TVS Motor brand and the Asphalt franchise community.”
Key highlights:
- As part of this association, gamers across the world can now compete against each other on TVS Motor Company’s flagship motorcycle – the TVS Apache RR 310
- With this new integration, the 4.8 million TVS Apache customers and owners worldwide will get an all-new platform to experience their favourite TVS Apache RR 310 virtually in an exciting setting
- TVS Motor is the first Indian two-wheeler manufacturer to bring its motorcycle to the popular gaming franchise
- Players will discover the new TVS Apache branded booster & billboards and the new TVS Apache World Series Season. In the process, they also stand a chance to win exciting prizes
- TVS Apache customers find keen interest in online gaming, and this association is set to bolster the brand’s awareness and imagery in engaging newer audiences
- The TVS Apache RR 310 integration in Asphalt 8: Airborne can be experienced in Career, Player vs Player and Multiplayer modes
About TVS Motor Company
TVS Motor Company is a reputed two and three-wheeler manufacturer globally, championing progress through Sustainable Mobility with four state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Hosur, Mysuru and Nalagarh in India and Karawang in Indonesia. Rooted in our 100-year legacy of Trust, Value, and Passion for Customers and Exactness, we take pride in making internationally aspirational products of the highest quality through innovative and sustainable processes. We are the only two-wheeler company to have received the prestigious Deming Prize. Our products lead in their respective categories in the J.D. Power IQS and APEAL surveys. We have been ranked No. 1 Company in the J.D. Power Customer Service Satisfaction Survey for consecutive four years. Our group company Norton Motorcycles, based in the United Kingdom, is one of the most emotive motorcycle brands in the world. Our subsidiaries in the personal e-mobility space, Swiss E-Mobility Group (SEMG) and EGO Movement have a leading position in the e-bike market in Switzerland. TVS Motor Company endeavours to deliver the most superior customer experience across 80 countries in which we operate. For more information, please visit www.tvsmotor.com
About Gameloft for brands
Gameloft for brands offers leading advertising and gamification solutions to help brands better connect with their audiences. Through interactive content and immersive experiences supported by its extensive in-game media network, Gameloft for brands leverages its longstanding gaming expertise to engage people in meaningful ways with an unparalleled level of transparency and safety. Gameloft for brands has received the TAG Certification Against Fraud Seal and follows MOAT’s standards. To date, Gameloft for brands has delivered more than 10,000 campaigns for prestigious brands such as Air France, Coca-Cola®, Ferrero, Ford, FOX™, Automobili Lamborghini, ING, Netflix, Procter & Gamble, Samsung and LEGO, in over 40 countries around the world (North America, Latin America, Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, etc.) and our work has been honoured with over 50 awards from marketing organizations.
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Godspeed Kochi crowned maiden IRL champions
Hyderabad, 11 Dec 2022: Scintillating performance winning all the three races on the final day saw dark horses Godspeed Kochi crowned as the team champions in the inaugural Indian Racing League (IRL) as strong favourites Black Birds Hyderabad fell by the way side in the fourth and final round which concluded at the street circuit on the banks of Hussain Sagar here on Sunday.
Akhil Rabindra, who won the Driver’s championship. Photo Shameem Fahath Black Birds Hyderabad’s Akhil Rabindra, ace Indian driver, was adjudged as Driver champion followed by teammate Neel Jani in Second. Kochi team’s Alister Yoong of Malaysia was third.
All the four drivers of Kochi, Ruhaan Alva and Fabienne in Car #1 and Alister Yoong and Nikhil Bora in Car #2 turned in excellent performance on the final day to close the championship with a bang.
Despite the early hiccups, the historic Racing League, the first city-based motorsports league in the country also gave India its first Street Circuit, thanks to the support from the Telangana government. The new Circuit is expected to host the Formula E world Championship next February after the homologation of the track.
Godspeed Kochi’s Alister Yoong and Nikhil Bora finished the final day of the League season and the Round 4 on a high note, posting thumping victories in both the Sprint Races and the Feature Race. Meanwhile, their second car piloted by Ruhaan Alva and Fabienne Wohlwend, chipped in with a sixth place, despite technical issues with the car, after finishing fourth on the track and logging a penalty. Thus, Godspeed Kochi (313.5), who went into the final race trailing by 23.5 points to Black Birds Hyderabad (337) garnered enough points to turn the tables and overthrow the Championship leaders and were crowned the inaugural Team Champions of IRL promoted by Racing Promotions Private Limited. Kochi ended up with 417.5 points to Hyderabad’s 385.
Alister Yoong, centre, and Nikhil Bohra, right, with Kochi team boss Jose Pottamkulam Ootta, a former Rally star. File photo by Karan Ravi. In the Feature Race, both the Blue cars of Kochi started on the front row but there was much drama with a Red flag at the very beginning following Hyderabad’s Akhil Rabindra’s car stalling on the grid. Later, after three formation laps the race began with most of the cars on wet tyres on a drying track.
In car #2, Nikhil Bora started on pole and lead the race and after driver swap, Alister Yoong, surprisingly found himself in third place and finished second on the track. But later, he was credited with a victory in the Feature Race, thus making a clean sweep for Kochi team.
File photo of Ruhaan Alva, left, and Fabienne Wohlwend of Godspeed Kochi team. Photo by Akhil (IRL/Shameem’s team) Behind Alister, Kevin of Goa Aces, who began in P3 overtook Ruhaan and soon Jon Lancaster of Chennai followed suit. But with some skilful driving Ruhaan, the 17-year Bengalurean, gained back a place and jumped into the pits quite early and there was confusion if he missed the pit-window. However, Fabienne took over after the driver swap and retained the third place till the final lap before finishing the race in fourth place on the track. But later, a penalty saw them end up in sixth place. But that classification was enough to garner valuable 32 points for the team which counted in their snatching the Team Championship.
Earlier, Alister, the son of Malaysia’s first F1 racer Alex Yoong, won the first Sprint Race followed by Gabriela Jilkova and Sohil Shah (Both Goa Aces).
In the second Sprint Race, Nikhil Bora and Ruhaan Alva posted a 1-2 victory for Kochi to gain full points and Kevin Mirocha of Goa Aces finished third. With today’s exploits Goa Aces finished the championship in third with 282 points.
Godspeed Kochi team file photo from Round 2 by Shameem Fahath. Final Results – Feature Race:
1. Nikhil Bora/ Alister Yoong (Godspeed Kochi);
2. Kevin Mirocha / Gabriela Jilkova (Goa Aces);
3. Anindith Reddy/ Lola* (Black Birds Hyderabad);
4. Jon Lancaster / Sandeep Kumar (Chennai Turbo Riders);
5. Nicole Hvarda / Parth Ghorpade (Chennai Turbo Riders);
6. Ruhaan Alva /Fabienne Wohlwend (Godspeed Kochi);
*(Unwell Lola did not take part on Sunday and Anindith drove the race alone with a 3-min pitstop)
Not Classified:
7. Amir Sayed/ Sohil Shah (Goa Aces);
8. Rishon Rajeev / Bianca Bustamante (Bangalore Speedsters);
9. Mitchell Gilbert / Celia Martin (Speed Demons Delhi);
10. Akash Gowda/ Shahan Ali Mohsin (Speed Riders Delhi);
11. Oliver Webb /Anshul Gandhi (Bangalore Speedsters);
12. Akhil Rabindra /Thomas Canning (Black Birds Hyderabad);
Sprint Race 1:
1. Alister Yoong (Godspeed Kochi);
2. Gabriela Jilkova (Goa Aces)
3. Shohil Shah (Goa Aces)
4. Thomas Canning (Black Birds Hyderabad);
5. Akash Gowda (Speed Demons Delhi);
6. Nicole Havrda (Chennai Turbo Riders);
7. Sandeep Kumar (Chennai Turbo Riders);
8. Celia Martin (Speed Demons Delhi);
9. Fabienne Wohlwend (Godspeed Kochi);
10. Rishon Rajeev (Bangalore Speedsters);
11. Oliver Webb (Bangalore Speedsters);
12. Anindith Reddy (Black Birds Hyderabad).
Sprint Race 2:
1. Nikhil Bohra (Godspeed Kochi);
2. Ruhaan Alva (Godspeed Kochi);
3. Kevin Mirocha (Goa Aces);
4. Jon Lancaster (Chennai Turbo Riders);
5. Akhil Rabindra (Black Birds Hyderabad);
6. Amir Sayed (Goa Aces);
7. Parth Ghorpade (Chennai Turbo Riders);
8. Shahan Ali Mohsin (Speed Demons Delhi);
9. Mitchell Gilbert (Speed Demons Delhi);
10. Bianca Bustamante (Bangalore Speedsters);
11. Anshul Gandhi (Bangalore Speedsters);
12 Anindith Reddy (Black Birds Hyderabad).
Final Championship Points table
1. Godspeed Kochi 445.5;
2. Black Birds Hyderabad: 397;
3. Goa Aces: 294;
4. Chennai Turbo Riders 226.
5. Bangalore Speedsters 147.5;
6. Speed Demons Delhi 141;
Drivers title:
1. Akhil Rabindra (Black Birds Hyderabad);
2. Neel Jani (Black Birds Hyderabad);
3. Alister Yoong (Godspeed Kochi).
eom/david/7.42pm
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Shahan Ali, Akash shine for Speed Demons Delhi; Neel, Akhil salvage win for Hyd: IRL
Chennai (Tamil Nadu), 4 Dec 2022: Neel Jani and Akhil Rabindra chalked out an opportunistic victory in the Feature Race to help Black Birds Hyderabad maintain their grip at the top after young racing talent Shahan Ali Mohsin took a brilliant win in the Sprint Race 2 for Speed Demons Delhi in the third and penultimate round of the Indian Racing League promoted by Racing Promotions Pvt. Limited (RPPL) at the Madras International Circuit at Irungattukottai, about 40 kms from here, on Sunday.
Going into the third round, Speed Demons Delhi were lying at the bottom of the points table but with a strategic win in the qualifying session 2, Akash Gowda put his teammate Shahan Ali Mohsin in pole position and the 18-year Agra driver did a brilliant job with a mature drive as he kept experienced Jon Lancaster of Chennai Turbo Riders behind him with excellent defensive tactics despite a Safety Car period and brought home full points. Despite having issues with the gear box, the Speed Demons Delhi, took a gamble and preferred to start on pole, opting not to change the gear box which would have invited a 5-place gird penalty. Lancaster finished second ahead of Nikhil Bohra (Godspeed Kochi) in third, after Bianca Bustamante was hit by a mechanical failure.
“We did not have it easy in the race, nor earlier in the warm-up as we had gear-box issues. But we had the pace and I kept my focus despite the pressure from Jon (Lancaster). The team did a great job and the strategy worked,” said Shahan Ali.
Later, Shahan Ali combined well with Akash Gowda and were well on course for a victory but two Safety Car periods spoiled their party. Shahan who started the Feature race, defended well and slowly increased the lead with two fastest laps and handed over the car with a 5-second lead to Akash. Surprisingly, despite being in the lead when the second Safety Car period started, Delhi’s second driver Akash Gowda found himself in third. Sandeep Kumar of Chennai, who was in second place at that point with just a lap to go, stalled his car and the race finished behind the Safety Car. Akash finished behind Jani and Rishon took final place on the podium.
However, it was an opportunistic victory for Neel Jani, who salvaged full points along with Akhil Rabindra for Black Birds Hyderabad as the championship leaders failed to get on to the podium in both the sprint races in Round 3. Akash Gowda (Shahan Ali) finished second and a lucky Rishon Rajeev (Bianca Bustamante) of Bengaluru finished third, thanks to the Safety Car. During the Safety Car period, the lapped cars were allowed to un-lap themselves and with the mechanical failure for the Chennai car, Rishon suddenly found himself on the podium.
“I was a bit confused. Suddenly I was behind the Safety Car and I was wondering if I was in P1, then the Safety Car allowed us to pass and I came back into P4 and then the podium,” said a happy Rishon Rajeev of Bangalore Speedsters, whose teammate Bianca did well with some fine defensive driving but was unlucky to miss the podium in the Sprint.
The Fourth and the final leg of the Indian Racing League will return to the Street Circuit of Hyderabad December 10 and 11.
Results – Day 2, Round 3:
Feature Race:
1. Neel Jani / Akhil Rabindra (Black Birds Hyderabad) 41:20.818;
2. Shahan Ali Mohsin / Akash Gowda (Speed Demons Delhi) 41:21.384;
3. Rishon Rajeev /Bianca Bustamanta (Bangalore Speedsters) 41:22.633.
Sprint Race 2:
1. Shahan Ali Mohsin (Speed Demons Delhi) 23:04.788;
2. Jon Lancaster (Chennai Turbo Riders) 23:06.750;
3. Nikhil Bohra (Godspeed Kochi) 23:13.585.
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Karna Kadur-Nikhil Pai win K1000, clinch Indian National Rally title with a round to spare
Tumakuru (Karnataka), 4 Dec 2022: All the hard work and years of patience paid rich dividends as Bengaluru rally stars Karna Kadur and co-driver Nikhil Vittal Pai claimed the Indian National Rally Championship, with a round to spare here on Sunday. This is the second National overall title for the talented duo, who won their maiden Nationals in 2016 in the top class.
Kadur along with Nikhil Pai, one of the senior-most navigators in the country along with Musa Sherif, brought the second National title for Volkswagen Polo. Pai, who made his INRC debut aboard a two-wheeler in 1992, the victory is a justification for his meticulous work ethic, deep knowledge of the sport and the terrain that helps him to guide his driver, engineers in the car set-up and other technical aspects beyond his call of duty, the pace notes.
On the other hand, the seven-time National champion Karna Kadur, who switched from Road Racing to Rally and delighted his fans with his exploits as a young driver of Red Rooster Racing took a mind-boggling tumble in Nashik in 2009 when he graduated to a powerful Mitsubishi Cedia. Undaunted, the champion in him went on to build a successful career, which missed a probable maiden National title in 2012 due to the controversial “Penalty” at the Coffee Day rally in Chikmagalur.
Multiple National champions in the sub-categories, Karna and Nikhil bagged full 40 points with their overall INRC class victory, including full leg points, while their nearest rival Gaurav Gill (Musa Sherif), drew a blank in this round, remaining on 44 points. The Bengaluru duo garnered a total of 112, an unbeatable lead of 68 points, to clinch the National Overall title.
Driving a Volkswagen Polo 1.0 Comfortline tuned by Leelakrishnan, the Arka Motorsports stalwarts clinched their maiden Overall Karnataka-1000 title by finishing first in the Prasaditya 46th Karnataka-1000 Rally, the third and penultimate round of the Blueband FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship at the Special Stage run near Gubbi, in Tumakuru taluk, despite suffering a heavy damage to their car after clipping a rock.
Karna Kadur and long-time co-driver Nikhil Pai, after winning INRC Overall title.
Photos by Anand Philar.Finishing second, over a minute behind Kadur was Mangaluru’s Aroor Arjun Rao (co-driver Satish Rajagopal, Bengaluru) of Mandovi Racing while Delhi’s Philippos Matthai (Harish Gowda, Bengaluru), who returned to rallying after a 13-year break, finished third Overall.
Karna Kadur & Nikhil Pai in action on Sunday. Photo by Anand Philar Matthai also took the honours in INRC 3 category while Virajpet’s Suhem Kabeer (Jeeva Rathinam, Bengaluru) topped in the INRC 2 class. Further down the grid, Chikkamagaluru’s Aeman Ahmed (Sagar Mallappa, Bengaluru) of Ammyfied Racing won in the INRC 4 class with Delhi’s Arnav Singh Pratap (Arjun SSB, Bengaluru) of SNAP Racing bagged the Junior INRC crown. Chandigarh’s Samrat Yadav (Chandrashekar M, Bengaluru) of Ammyfied Rallying emerged champion in the Gypsy Challenge, a non-championship category.
The 34-year old Kadur, who enjoyed a comfortable lead after Leg-1 on Saturday, kept his wits about him after suffering some heavy damage to the sump guard in Sunday’s second Stage when he clipped a rock. His mechanics carried out the necessary repairs in 20 minutes flat during the service break which enabled Kadur to continue and finish the second loop without much ado.
A six-time INRC winner himself, N Leelakrishnan, mentor and coach, gives an appreciative hug to his ward Karna Kadur, who brought the legend his 20th National title as “Tuner” in the Indian National Rally Championship. Photo by Anand Philar (FB) Reflecting on the weekend, Kadur said: “It (the win) still hasn’t sunk in, but I am very happy that we won our first K-1000 Rally. We had a fairly smooth run yesterday, but this morning, we had a scare when we clipped a rock in the second Stage.
“The damage was pretty bad in the front because the sump guard got cut. I managed to come back to service and the boys did a tremendous job in carrying out the necessary repairs, including some cutting, chopping and welding, besides fabricating and fitting a new sump guard, all in 20 minutes flat.
“We checked into parc ferme with just 30 seconds to spare. All kudos to our team who did a tremendous job. Yes, a pretty emotional moment. My dad (late Prakash Kadur) never won a K-1000 Rally and so, I am first in the family.”
Meanwhile, seven times National champion Gaurav Gill (Musa Sherif), who retired in Leg-1 with a drive-shaft issue on Saturday, suffered another setback after rejoining for Leg-2 today with a broken front right knuckle leading to his retirement in the day’s second Stage after being the fastest in the first.
The last round of the INRC 2022 promoted by Blueband Sports is scheduled to be held at Meghalaya pending approval from FMSCI.
Provisional final classification:
Overall / INRC: 1. Karna Kadur /Nikhil Pai (Bengaluru, Arka Motorsports) (01hr,13mins, 56.5secs); 2. Aroor Arjun Rao (Mangaluru)/ Satish Rajagopal (Bengaluru, Mandovi Racing) (01:15:11.9); 3. Philippos Matthai (Delhi)/ Harish Gowda (Bengaluru, Arka Motorsports) (01:16:54.0).
INRC-2: 1. Suhem Kabeer (Virajpet) / Jeeva Rathinam (Bengaluru, Pvt) (01:16:57.1); 2. Rahul Kanthraj / Vivek Y Bhatt (Bengaluru, Arka Motorsports) (01:17:28.5); 3. Harkrishan Wadia (Delhi) / Amber Udasi (Chandigarh, Arka Motorsports) (01:25.08).
INRC-3: 1. Matthai / Harish; 2. Maninder Singh Prince (Delhi) / Vinay Padmashali (Bengaluru, JK Rallying) (01:17:23.1); 3. Arnav Singh Pratap (Delhi) / Arjun SSB (Bengaluru, SNAP Racing) (01:19:51.7);
INRC-4: 1. Aeman Ahmed (Chikkamagaluru) / Sagar Mallappa (Bengaluru, Ammyfied Racing) (01:28:11.4); 2. Rakshith Iyer (Mysuru) / Avinash CA (Bengaluru) (01:31:40.4); 3. Deepak Chandra / Raghuram CG (Bengaluru, DC Racing) (01:43.58.4).
Junior INRC: 1. Arnav / Arjun; 2. Pragathi Gowda / Trisha Alonkar (Bengaluru, Arka Motorsports) (01:20:13.2); 3. Ajay Sankar (Kollam) / Rohit Gowda (Bengaluru) (01:21:24.1).
Gypsy Challenge (Non-Championship): 1. Samrat Yadav (Chandigarh) / Chandrashekar M (Bengaluru, Ammyfied Rallying) (01:18:26.7); 2. Himanshu Arora (Delhi) / Vikram Thakur (Chandigarh, Ammyfied Rallying) (01:22:01.9); 3. Kariappa Mekerira (Kodagu) / Supreeth Sagar (Bengaluru, Ammyfied Rallying) (01:26:06.9).
All Women (Open): 1. Pragathi Gowda / Trisha Alonkar; Shivani Pruthvi / Deepti Pruthvi (Davangere, Pvt) (01:24.16.6); 3. Nikeetaa Takkale (Pune) / Deeksha Balakrishna (Bengaluru, Snap Racing) (1:29:20.9).
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Alister Yoong wins Sprint Race 1; Rishon Rajeev sparkles: IRL Round3
Irungattukotti, 3 Dec 2022: Malaysia’s Alister Yoong continued his good run bringing a victory for GodSpeed Kochi in the Sprint Race 1 to make a strong comeback in the Round 3 of the inaugural Indian Racing League at the Madras International Circuit which saw spells of rain here on Saturday.
While Alister Yoong, son of the first Malaysian F1 driver Alex Yoong, who did brilliant work last week-end, was upto it again and clocked 12min, 22.995 seconds for the eight laps before the race was Red flagged due to heavy rain. With only seven minutes left and 75 per cent completed, the race was not started again and Yoong took the victory in the first sprint followed by young talented Bengalurean Rishon Rajeev, who did a splendid job for Speedsters clocking 12:25.421. Lola Lovinfosse of Black Birds Hyderabad came third bagging 15 valuable points to save the blushes for the Championship leaders. Her teammate in the second car Akhil Rabindra came fifth to chip in 10 points to salvage a total of 25 point in the Sprint race behind the 33 bagged by Kochi team.
Besides Alister’s 25 points, Ruhaan Alva in the other Kochi car garnered 8 points with a sixth place to steal the day’s honours for Godspeed Kochi.
Akhil Rabindra finishes 5th in Sprint Race 1 to get 12 valuable points that helped retain their top spot on the IRL standings on Saturday. Photos Karan Ravi for INDIAinF1. After the first Sprint Race in Round 3, Black BIrds Hyderabad continue to lead the standings with 193 points followed by Kochi on 153 and Bangalore, 119.
Earlier, Nikhil Bohra put GodSpeed Kochi on pole in the first Qualifier, to put Alister Yoong on pole with the best lap time of 1:31.825. Jani Neel representing the Black Birds Hyderabad settled for the second spot with the best lap timing of 1:33.212 helping his teammate Akhil Rabindra start on P2 for the Sprint Race 1. Each car has two drivers, and Driver A will qualify for Driver B and vice-versa for the two sprint races. The combined qualifying times will decide the grid for the Feature race.
In Qualifier 2, Akash Gowda (1:42.017) took pole position in changing weather conditions for Speed Demons Delhi along with Sandeep Kumar from Chennai Turbo Riders (1:45.354) who cemented the second place.
On Sunday, the Sprint Race 2 will be held followed by the Feature Race.
The finale of the Indian Racing League will take place in Hyderabad on 10th & 11th December 2022.
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Karna Kadur takes sizeable lead; Gaurav Gill retires: K1000
Tumakuru (Karnataka), 3 Dec 2022: The Bengaluru pair, Karna Kadur and co-driver Nikhil V Pai of Arka Motorsports, stepped up to the challenging terrain to finish Leg-1 as the Overall leaders in the Prasaditya 46th Karnataka-1000 Rally, the third round of the Blueband FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) here on Saturday which also saw the retirement of previous edition’s winner, Gaurav Gill (Musa Sherif) due to mechanical issues.
The day’s schedule was shortened to four Special Stages as against scheduled six following a delayed start due to a technical hitch. However, Kadur, the championship leader, kept his focus and came up with a well-paced drive to take a 47.4-second lead over Palakkad’s Fabid Ahmer (Sanath G) on completion of Leg-1 with Mangaluru’s Aroor Arjun Rao (Satish Rajagopal) of Mandovi Racing in third, trailing the leader by one minute. Four more Stages are scheduled to be run tomorrow (Sunday), the concluding day of the event.
Ahmer, who missed the 2021 National championship narrowly, leads in the INRC 2 category while Maninder Singh Prince (Suraj Keshava Prasad) of JK Rallying is ahead in the INRC 3 category.
Fabid Ahmer and co-driver Sanath G in action on Saturday. Photos: Anand Philar Leaders in the other classes were: Aeman Ahmed (Sagar M) of Ammyfied Rallying, in INRC 4; Arnav Pratap Singh (Arjun SSB) of SNAP Racing in JINRC and Samrat Yadav (Chandrashekar M) in Gypsy Challenge which is a non-championship category.
As well as Kadur drove today, the expected clash with seven-times National champion Gill dissipated in the day’s very first Stage with the Delhi star pulling out due to an issue with the gearbox of his Mahindra XUV 300 barely two Kms in the first Stage. “We had put in some new parts, but in SS-1, we had to pack up due to some issue with the gearbox. I was looking forward to the event as the Stages were to my liking. We will restart tomorrow and I hope to score some leg points,” said a disappointed Gill.
Kadur, aiming to win the National title this season, and who leads Gill by 44 points in the championship standings, said: “We stuck to our plan today which was to bring the car home. We pushed more in the second loop in the afternoon and made time on our morning run. I enjoyed the drive today. As for tomorrow, again, our aim will be to finish the event, exercise caution where required and push when we can. The car is still a work in progress and I am learning it all the time. Hopefully, we will have a good run tomorrow.”
Maninder Singh Prince and Vinay Padmashali lead INRC3 after Day 1. The Prasaditya Karnataka-1000 rally is being organised by the Karnataka Motor Sports Club under the aegis of FMSCI, the governing body of motorsports in India and promoted by Blueband Sports.
Of the 65 cars that took the start, 24 cars logged DNF and failed to finish on Day 1. Some of the cars will take the start again on Sunday for leg points.
Provisional partial classification (After Leg-1): (After Day1)
Overall / INRC: 1. Karna Kadur / Nikhil V Pai (Bengaluru, Arka Motorsports) (36mins, 03secs); 2. Fabid Ahmer / Sanath G (Palakkad) (36:50.4); 3. Aroor Arjun Rao (Mangaluru) / Satish Rajagopal (Bengaluru, Mandovi Racing) (37:04.7); 4. Suhem Kabeer (Virajpet)/ Jeeva Rathinam (Bengaluru) (37:09.300); 5. Aditya Thakur (Solan) / Virender Kashyap (Shimla, Chettinad Sporting) (37:21.7); 6. Jahaan Singh Gill (Chandigarh)/ Suraj Keshava Prasad (Bengaluru, SNAP Racing) (37:50.700); 7. Maninder Singh Prince (New Delhi) / Vinay Padmashali (Bengaluru, JK Rallying) (38:10.9); 8. Philippos Mathai (New Delhi) / Harish KN (Bengaluru, Arka Motorsports) (38:10.9); 9. Samrat Yadav (Chandigarh) / Chandrashekar M (Bengaluru) (38:54.300); 10. Arnav Pratap Singh (Delhi) / Arjun SSB (Bengaluru, SNAP Racing) (39:05.9); 11. Pragathi Gowda / Trisha Alonkar (Bengaluru, Arka Motorsports) (39:08.7);
INRC 2: 1. Ahmer / Sanath; 2. Suhem Kabeer (Virajpet) / Jeeva Rathinam (Bengaluru) (37:09.3); 3. Aditya Thakur (Solan) / Virender Kashyap (Shimla, Chettinad Sporting) (37:21.7); 4. Jahaan Singh Gill (Chandigarh)/ Suraj Keshava Prasad (Bengaluru, SNAP Racing) (37:50.700).
INRC 3: 1. Maninder Singh Prince (New Delhi) / Vinay Padmashali (Bengaluru, JK Rallying) (38:10.9); 2. Philippos Mathai (New Delhi) / Harish KN (Bengaluru, Arka Motorsports) (38:10.9); 3. Kuber Sharma (Solan) / Kunal Kashyap (Shimla) (38:18.1); 4. Arnav Singh Pratap (Delhi) /Arjun SSB (Bengaluru) (39:05.900).
INRC 4: 1. Aeman Ahmed (Chikkamagluru) / Sagar M (Bengaluru, Ammyfied Rallying) (43:25.2); 2. Rakshith Iyer (Mysuru) / Avinash CA (Bengaluru) (43:45.6); 3. Jagbir Nirwan (Patiala) / Karanpreet Mattu (Kurukshetra) (47:43.2); 4. Ruthuparna Vivek (Chikkamagaluru) /Santosh Thomas (Hyderabad) (59:18.900).
Junior INRC: 1. Arnav Pratap Singh (Delhi) / Arjun SSB (Bengaluru, SNAP Racing) (39:05.9); 2. Pragathi Gowda / Trisha Alonkar (Bengaluru, Arka Motorsports) (39:08.7); 3. Ajay Shankar (Kollam) / Rohit Gowda (Bengaluru) (40:47.8); 4. Shivani Pruthvi/ Deepti Pruthvi (Both Davangere) (41:21.900).
Gypsy Challenge (Non-championship): 1. Samrat Yadav (Chandigarh) / Chandrashekar M (Bengaluru) (38:54.300); 2. Himanshu Arora (Delhi) / Vikram Thakur (Chandigarh, Ammyfield Rallying) (40:14.300); 3. Kariappa Mekerira (Kodagu) / Supreeth Sagar (Bengaluru, Ammyfied Rallying) (43:02.200); 4. Darshan Nachappa /Abhinav Ganapathy (Both Kodagu, Ammyfied Rallying) (43:14.300).
Fabid Ahmer on Saturday. Photo courtesy Twitter @JKtyreracing -
Prasaditya 46th K1000 Rally flagged off: INRC Round 3
Tumakuru (Karnataka), 2 Dec 2022: The Prasaditya 46th Karnataka-1000 rally, the third round of the Blueband FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship, was flagged off here today by former Minister S Shivanna to signal the start of the event which will be run near here over two days starting Saturday, Dec 3.
The Prasaditya K1000 rally, which has attracted 65 entries, is being organised by the Karnataka Motor Sports Club under the aegis of FMSCI, the governing body of motorsports in India and promoted by Blueband Sports.
Following a reconnaissance run this morning of the Special Stages, most of the competitors expressed happiness at the terrain which was variously described as fast, flowing and technical.
Championship leader, Bengaluru’s Karna Kadur (co-driver Nikhil Pai) of Arka Motorsports, said: “I am quite pleased with the Special Stages. The terrain is a good mix of fast, flowing corners, a few jumps and water splashes which should make for a good viewing for the spectators. We have prepared the car well and hope to finish strongly.”
Delhi-based seven times National champion and Arjuna Awardee Gaurav Gill (Musa Sherif), who is currently second in the championship, was impressed with the Special Stages. “I quite liked the stages. The organisers have put in a lot of hard work to prepare the route which I think will take rallying to the next level. The Stages are quite fast in some sections and also technical with blind corners and crests. The pace notes have to be spot-on and it will also test your driving skills. I won the 2021 event despite many setbacks and I hope I can win my eighth K-1000 title on Sunday,” he said.
Karna Kadur holds advantage with a handsome lead
The battle is all set to resume between championship leader Karna Kadur of Arka Motorsports on MRF Tyres and 7-time National champion Gaurav Gill, a private entry in yellow colours, supported by JK Tyres.
The popular Karnataka-1000 rally, the oldest rally in the in the country, which has attracted 65 entries is being organised by the Karnataka Motor Sports Club under the aegis of FMSCI, the governing body of motorsports in India and promoted by Blueband sports.
Karna Kadur and co-driver Nikhil Pai, who won the South India Rally, the first round of the season, lead the championship table with 72 points while strong contenders Gaurav Gill and co-driver Musa Sherif, who had a mechanical failure in first round came back strongly with a victory in the second round in Coimbatore have 44. While Gill will be gunning for his 8th K1000 victory, Kadur with a 28-point lead will be safe and cautious, looking to bag crucial points to protect his lead. With a total of 40 points on offer, the dark horse of the rally, will be defending champions from Himachal Pradesh, Aditya Thakur and Virender Kashyap, who are trailing third with 34 points.
Guttedar leads INRC2
Bengaluru pair of Ritesh Guttedar and co-driver Lokaranjan lead the INRC2 standings with 47 points followed by Thakur and Kashyap while another experienced duo Rahul Kantharaj and Vivek Bhat are in third.
Another Himachal pair Kuber Sharma and Kunal Kashyap lead the INRC3 table while Samrat Yadav and Chandrasekhar M leads the Gypsy class. The Junior INRC will see close competition between the top-two ladies teams. While Dr Shivani Pruthvi (Dr Deepthi) leads the table with 66points, Pragathi Gowda (Trisha Alonkar) is just a point behind with third-placed Arnav Pratap Singh (Arun SSB) on 40 points.
27 entries for INRC3
The top INRC class has six cars while there are nine entries in INRC2 category and ten in INRC4. The bulk of rally cars with 27 entries will feature in the popular INRC3 class. There are 13 entries in the Gypsy section for the Challenge Cup, which is a non-championship class.
“The iconic K-1000 rally is running continuously for close to five decades, except a couple of years, and has once again attracted the cream of talent from all over the country. KMSC has put in place all safety requirements and I wish all the drivers a happy rally,” said Gautham Shantappa, the President of KMSC, who is also the vice-president of FMSCI.
10 Special Stages of dirt tracks
The K-1000 rally will have 10 Special Stages. There will be four physical stages with an total special stage competitive distance of 119.11km. The 15.10-km long Hatyalu and Kondli (9.67km) will be run thrice on Saturday while the cars will take on Yallapura (6.87km) and Thirtharama (15.53km) on Sunday. Along with a liaison distance of close to 105 km, the total distance of the rally will be about 224km.
The final round of the INRC, the Rally of Nagaland is scheduled for Jan 12-14 subject to approval by FMSCI, as it is a new venue.
