INDIA in F1

Category: Non-F1

  • Pune’s Akshat Hupale crowned Junior National Champion: Supercross

    Pune’s Akshat Hupale crowned Junior National Champion: Supercross

    Pune, 29 Nov 2022: Akshat Hupale, a 7th standard student of PICT Model school in Balewadi here was crowned National champion in the Junior section (Class 8) after the conclusion of the five-round MRF Mogrip Indian National Supercross championship recently.

    A few years ago the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), the governing body for motorsports in India, introduced Class 8 junior SX2 to provide an opportunity for young riders in the age group of 8 to 12 years to compete at the national level on the same terrain and courses, that top-class riders take part. This bold step to catch them young saw the Nationals blood many youngsters and it helped prepare riders for the international competitions at an early age, which is the norm abroad.

    Akshat Hupale (Photo AH team)

    The 2022 season comprised six rounds—Nashik, Pune, Coimbatore, Vadodara, Goa, Bangalore. Akshat, who practices at his private facility in Wai in Satara on weekends with Russian trainers Georgy Gusev and, Vitaly Gusev and Dustin Phares from the United States and India’s Dakar Hero Ashish Raorane, aims to ride at Asian and international level in the coming years. Akshat’s total points at the end of six rounds were 225 and his championship winning lead over C. Bhairav was 42 points, which was maximum across all the eight classes.

    After a victory in Class 8…

    The 12-year school boy, Akshat said, Goa Round was most challenging as he was battling with Viral Fever and nursing a bad throat. Having the championship lead was my mantra,” said Hupale.

    “Going into last round and virtually sealing championship was great feeling. I just wanted to Win the championship and then consolidate the lead over the nearest competitor. Happy to have done it in style and sign off under-12 category with a victory. Consistency was key as I am the only rider across categories in 2022 to have won all six rounds with highest points,” is how the Champion narrated his 2022 season.

    Incidentally, after the final round , which completed in bangalore on Sunday last, Thursday was an apt occasion here in Pune when Akshat was felicitated in presence of the top officials of the FMSCI, for his crowning glory. The occasion was the announcement of the first ever franchise-based Supercross league in India. 

  • Akhil Rabindra, Neel Jani star in Black Birds sweep: Indian Racing League

    Akhil Rabindra, Neel Jani star in Black Birds sweep: Indian Racing League

    Irungattukottai (Chennai), 27 Nov 2022: Indian Racing star Akhil Rabindra displayed excellent driving skills and consistency to post a victory in the Sprint Race 2 and later combined with teammate Neel Jani, sharing the car, to win the Feature Race. The duo put strong contenders Black Birds Hyderabad on top of the championship table with a clean sweep of all the three races in the second round of the inaugural Indian Racing League at the Madras International Circuit here on Sunday.

    Godspeed Kochi’s Ruhaan Alva and Fabienne Wohlwend came second in the Feature Race clocking 37 minutes, 05.957 seconds, followed by Amir Sayed and Shohil Shah of Goa Aces who timed 37:23.507 for their third place. Winners Akhil and Neel posted a winning time of 36:55.401. Each of the 12 cars in the Feature race saw a driver change after a mandatory pit stop. Neel Jani also set the fastest lap in the Feature Race 1:31.274.

    Akhil Rabindra of Black Birds Hyderabad who excelled on Sunday.
    Godspeed Kochi’s Ruhaan Alva and Fabienne Wohlwend celebrate on the podium after taking a second in the Feature race. Photos by Srinivasa Krishnan

    Talking to INDIAinF1.com, Neel Jani said: “It was great to see IRL finally lifting off, after a  bumpy start! Obviously, I am very happy about the 3 wins that Akhil and I could give to Team Hyderabad Black birds!

    “We had our fair share of issues in free practice but we managed to go through them step by step, and by qualifying we started to get ontop of things. Clean sweep this weekend, could not have hoped for more!”

    “It is special as this is my first win on Indian soil,” the Swiss driver, whose father is of Indian origin, added.

    Sprint Race 2

    Earlier Rabindra, the 26-year old Bengaluru-born Aston Martin Racing Academy driver, who is a regular in the GT4 Euro Series, began the day with a deserving win in the Sprint Race 2, dominating from pole to flag. He clocked 46:48.660. The race saw a Safety Car period after an incident where Raoul Hymen of Goa Aces and Shahan Ali Mohsin of Speed Demons Delhi had a contact but later with about four minutes to go, the race was red flagged when Celia Martin of Speed Demons Delhi lost control, spun and slid backwards crashing on to the tyre barriers. All the drivers escaped unhurt.

    Godspeed Kochi’s Fabienne Wohlwend from Liechtenstein came second in 46:49.383, defending admirably against a marauding Jon Lancaster of Chennai Turbo Riders, who clocked 46:49.963. Rabindra set the fastest lap at 1:32.108.

    Ruhaan Alva in action on Sunday.

    Feature Race

    Black Birds dominated the week-end and now top the table with 118 points, with their Team A comprising of Akhil and Neel, garnering full 100 points that are on offer from three races. But they had a heart-break when their second driver combo of Anindith Reddy and Lola Lovinsfosse, who garnered 18 points in the two sprint races together, were well on course for a podium finish but Lola outbraked and lost balance, suffering a DNF on the last lap.

    A brilliant drive by 16-year old Ruhaan Alva and teammate Fabienne Wohlwend got them a well-deserved second place in the Feature race and they put Godspeed Kochi in second place with 84 points. Fabienne put the #1 Blue-coloured machine into fourth place after starting from P9, and handed over to Ruhaan in the 15th minute. Then Ruhaan stepped up the pace and overtook a couple of more cars to get into the podium zone and finished a creditable second.

    “It was an amazing race, a great start from Fabienne getting up to p4 on the first lap. Then I had to really push in the second stint to get into the top 3 because we were trying to undercut the others. We weren’t as quick as we would have liked but we were always there, playing it smart in the races and fighting it out. So I’m pretty happy with the performance,” said Ruhaan Alva, who just returned from the World Motorsport Games a few days back.

    Amir Sayed and Sohil Shah of Goa Aces, despite a 15-sec penalty came third. Yash Aradhya and Anshul Gandhi of Bangalore Speedsters came fourth to bag a valuable 24 points that pushed them to third in the championship table with 60 points. Only six of the 12 teams completed the Feature race which saw many incidents including safety car periods.

    The first round in Hyderabad on Nov 20 was cancelled due to safety issues.

    Provisional Results (Round 2):

    Sprint Race:

    1. Akhil Rabindra (Black Birds Hyderabad) 46:48.660;

    2. Fabienne Wohlwend (Godspeed Kochi) 46:49.383;

    3. Jon Lancaster (Chennai Turbo Riders) 46:49.963;

    Fastest lap: Akhil Rabindra (BB Hyderabad) 1:32.108.

    Feature Race;

    1. Neel Jani/ Akhil Rabindra (BB Hyd) 36:55.401;

    2. Ruhaan Alva/ Fabienne Wohlwend 37: 05.957;

    3. Amir Sayed /Shohil Shah (Goa Aces) 37:23.507;

    Fastest Lap: Neel Jani (BB Hyd) 1:31.274.

    INDIAN RACING LEAGUE – Points Standings after Round 2 at MIC

    #Team NameCar #Sprint Race 1Sprint Race 2Feature RaceTotal PointsTeam Total
    1Black Birds Hyderabad9252550+50150168
     Black Birds Hyderabad10612DNF18 
    2GodSpeed Kochi1121836+36102120
     GodSpeed Kochi218DNFDNF18 
    3Bangalore Speedsters3101016+1652100
     Bangalore Speedsters4DNFDNF24+2448 
    4Chennai Turbo Riders58DNF20+205667
     Chennai Turbo Riders6415DNF19 
    5Goa Aces7DNFDNFDNF068
     Goa Aces8DNF830+3068 
    6Speed Demons Delhi11DNFDNFDNF015
     Speed Demons Delhi1215DNFDNF15 
    In Feature race both drivers get points. Note: Table updated on 1dec22
  • Neel Jani wins Sprint race: Historic Indian Racing League begins

    Neel Jani wins Sprint race: Historic Indian Racing League begins

    Irungattukottai (Chennai), 26 Nov 2022: Swiss racing star Neel Jani of Black Birds Hyderabad won the maiden Sprint Race in the inaugural Indian Racing League (IRL) that began here Saturday.

    Despite all the teething troubles, the launch of league is a historic milestone in Indian motorsports and it took the meticulous organisation and race management of Madras Motors Sports Club to bring back the morale and image of racing in India. The IRL is expected to be a turning point in offering better prospects and an international platform for the budding Indian racers. 

    Neel Jani, the winner of Sprint Race 1 at MIC on Saturday. Photo SK

    The 38-year FIA WEC champion and 24h Le Mans winner, Jani, took a commanding lights-to-flag victory that saw a safety-car period and clocked 21minutes, 33.773 seconds for the 12-lap race at the 3.7-km Madras International Circuit here. A celebrated international racer, Jani, started on pole following his teammate and Indian star Akhil Rabindra topping the times in Q1.  Alister Yoong of Malaysia, representing Godspeed Kochi, came second in 21:40.234 and managed to keep Mitchell Gilbert of Speed Demons Delhi behind him in third place. Gilbert clocked 21:40.714. Neel Jani also clocked the fastest lap of the Sprint race 1:31.438. Yoong, a late replacement for Jordan Albert, arrived in Chennai only on Saturday morning and did a creditable job with only 6-lap seat time before he got a fantastic P2. Alister is the son of Malaysia’s first Formula 1 driver, Alex Yoong, whom this reporter had the pleasure of interviewing and covering his debut at Sepang in 2002.

    Neel Jani, leads the pack, at the third corner (C3) on the first lap of the Indian Racing League (IRL) Sprint Race 1 on Saturday. Photo by Srinivasa Krishnan

    Talented 16-year Bengalurean Ruhaan Alva was the fastest Indian driver in the Sprint race and just missed the podium but did a brilliant job taking fourth after starting from last (P12) on the grid. The multiple National karting champion, who graduated to formula racing only in September 2021, has already won the JK Tyre National Rookie championship. Today, he clocked 21:41.502. Unfortunately, he started from P12 as his fellow driver Fabienne Wohlwend from Liechtenstein, could not set a time in the Qualifying session as her car was not ready in time. The IRL has a different format where Driver A will set the Qualifying position for Driver B and vice-versa for the second Sprint Race.

    Black Birds Hyderabad had a special guest to cheer their winners… The winged visitor, a Black Drongo, seems to be surveying the Black Birds’ exploits at the Madras International Circuit on Saturday. Photo by Srinivasa Krishnan.

    From left: Alister Yoong of Godspeed Kochi (2nd), winner Neel Jani of Black Birds Hyderabad and Mitchell Gilbert (3rd) of Speed Demons Delhi. Photo by Karan Ravi.

    International racing driver Anshul Gandhi of Bangalore Speedsters came fifth followed by Chennai Turbo Riders’ Nicole Havrda (Canada), the top lady driver today.

    Earlier Black Birds Hyderabad dominated the qualifying sessions with Akhil Rabindra topping Q1 while Neel Jani setting the top time in Q2. The race saw a Safety Car period after Bengaluru driver Rishon Rajeev, who was doing well, stalled on the track in the fifth lap. Both the Goa Aces cars later dropped out. Akash Gowda of Speed Demons Delhi also logged a DNF after two laps.

    Another Sprint Race and a Feature Race (45-min) will be held on Sunday. The second Round will be held at the same venue (MIC) next Sunday while the third round is scheduled to be held on the Street Circuit in Hyderabad during the second week-end of December. RPPL has not yet confirmed if a fourth round would be held.

    IRL, is the brainchild of former Indian racing stars Armaan Ebrahim and Aditya Patel, who formed Racing Promotions Private Limited and later roped in Akhilesh Reddy and Navjeet Gadoke. The duo have visualised a six-team city-based franchise teams for the league, a historic first for motorsports in India. They have also started X1 Racing earlier and IRL is the new avatar. They are also planning to bring Formula Regional Indian Championship and Formula 4 Indian championship in the future.

    Both the drivers of the top-3 teams in Sprint Race 1.

    After a couple of minor incidents, the first round at the Street Circuit in Hyderabad was halted as a precaution due to safety issues after a decision was taken by the race Stewards and FMSCI, the governing body for motorsports as per the FIA safety regulations. However, a round of races in the JK Tyre National Racing championship were successfully held as a supporting race. The Street Circuit, attracted huge crowds and was hailed as a brilliant circuit by all the drivers. If the teething troubles and safety issues were sorted out, the street circuit around the Hussain Sagar lake, which acted a test run, is likely to host a Formula E race in February 2023.

    Note: Updated on 27Nov22 at 11am

  • Indian Racing League: All six teams test in dry and wet conditions

    Indian Racing League: All six teams test in dry and wet conditions

    Chennai 14 Nov 2022: Madras International Circuit, the first permanent racing circuit in India successfully hosted Indian Racing League’s season’s Pre-test on Monday where all the six franchise teams tested in both dry and wet conditions.

    Each round will have two sprint races and a feature race. Qualifying session and the first Sprint race of 25 minutes will be held on Saturday while the second sprint and the Feature race (45 min) will be on Sunday. Each team will have two cars. Each car will be shared by two drivers for the two Sprint races. Both cars will see both drivers swap each other in a compulsory pit-stop for the Feature race.

    With a vision to revolutionize motorsports in India, Indian Motorsports Company, Racing Promotions (RPPL) is bringing 24 prominent Foreign and Indian drivers who will take part in four rounds on consecutive weekends starting at the Hyderabad street circuit on November 19. The race will also act a test ahead of the big-ticket Formula E Championship slated to be held on the banks of Hyderabad’s iconic Hussain Sagar lake in February next year.

    Madras International Circuit (MIC), which also hosts the Indian Racing Nationals, will conduct two rounds on Nov 25-27 and Dec 2-4 before the teams travel back to Hyderabad for the final round on Dec 10-11. The races will be telecast live on Star Sports 2 on Saturday and Sunday.

    The six City-Based Teams are Chennai Turbo Riders, Speed Demons Delhi, Bangalore Speedsters, Hyderabad Blackbirds, GodSpeed Kochi and Goa Aces. Each team will have two foreign drivers including a lady driver and two Indian racers. Meanwhile, lady driver Fabienne Wohlwend replaces Aurelia Nobels at the Godspeed Kochi team.

    Check the other teams line-up and details here.

    Quotes from a couple of drivers after the test session at the MIC, Irungattukottai, near Chennai on Monday:

    Amir Sayed, Sohil Shah – Goa Aces

    “Really happy to finally sit in the car and begin an exciting journey. The Wolf GB08 Thunder racing car feels great to drive and is definitely very fast. I have completed pre-season Testing with my team Goa Aces and got a good feel of the car. The test day was interrupted by rain after the first hour but that also helped us to try the wet tyres. We got good track time in the car in both wet and dry conditions to learn and adapt to the new car. I am working with the team and my teammates now and look forward to a strong start to the season in the new Hyderabad Street Circuit,” said Amir Sayed, 18, who along with another talented teenager Sohil Shah will be the two Indian drivers in Goa Aces team. “Testing is done! With a lot of positives and bonding within the team I look forward to the first-ever street circuit in India,” added Sohil Shah.

    Bianca Bustamante – Bangalore Speedsters

    “Test is done. That was lots of fun… new country, new tracks, new car! Absolutely loved driving the  car, it is pretty fast. I got to drive in the wet condition and gain more experience. Still trying to build my confidence up but we’re making progress. Lovely to meet the team as well. It’s gonna be mega working together with such experienced drivers.

    “This is going to be some valuable single-seater experience for me. I’m not used to getting so much seat time in one month, so it is a great opportunity for me to develop my skills. There are also a lot of experienced drivers on the grid, including my teammate Oliver Webb, from whom I am sure I will learn a lot. Big thanks to the team at RPPL for the great opportunity,” said Filipina Bianca Bustamante of Bangalore Speedsters, on Insta @racerbia, where she is popular with nearly 1.4 lakh followers.

    The passes are available on BookMyShow here.

    Schedule for Round 1 in Hyderabad on Nov 19, 20

    TimingsSaturday 19 Nov 2022 – Hyderabad Round 1
    8:00 – 8:30Drivers briefing Indian Racing League
    9:00 – 10:00Indian Racing League- FP1
    11:00 –12:00Indian Racing League – FP2
    12:00–13:00Lunch
    15:30–15:45Indian Racing League – Qualifying (Driver A)
    16:00–16:45Indian Racing League – Race 1 – Sprint – 25 min + 1 Lap (Driver B)
    16:45–17:00Podium + Interviews
     TimingsSunday 20 Nov 2022 – Hyderabad Round 1
    11:00 – 11:30Indian Racing League – FP3
    12:00 – 13:00Lunch
    13:00 – 13:15Indian Racing League – Qualifying (Driver B)
    14:00 – 14:45Indian Racing League – Race 2 – Sprint – 25 min + 1 Lap (Driver A)
    15:30 – 16:30Indian Racing League – Race 3 – Feature – 45 min + 1 lap (Driver A+B)
    16:30 – 16:45Podium + Interviews

    Indian Racing League (2022): Teams & Drivers

    Hyderabad Blackbirds:

    1. Neel Jani, 2. Akhil Rabindra, 3. Anindith Reddy and 4. Lola Lovinsfosse;

    Goa Aces:

    1. Raoul Hyman, 2. Sohil Shah, 3. Amir Syed and 4. Gabriela Jilkova;

    Chennai Turbo Riders:

    1. Jon Lancaster, 2. Parth Ghorpade, 3. Vishnu Prasad and 4. Nicole Havrda;

    Bangalore Speedsters:

    1. Oliver Webb, 2. Anshul Gandhi, 3. Rishon Rajeev and 4. Bianca Bustamante;

    Speed Demons Delhi:

    1. Mitch Gilbert, 2. Akash Gowda, 3. Shahaan Ali Mohsin and 4. Celia Martin.

    Godspeed Kochi:

    1. Jordan Albert, 2. Nikhil Bohra, 3. Ruhaan Alva and 4. Fabienne Wohlwend.

    Calendar 2022:

    Nov 14: Pre-season testing – Madras International Circuit – MIC (formerly MMRT), Chennai.

    Nov 19 – 20: Inaugural round, Street Circuit around Hussain Sagar lake, Hyderabad.

    Nov 25 – 27: Round 2, MIC, Chennai.

    Dec 2 – 4: Round 3, MIC, Chennai.

    Dec 10 – 11: Final round, Street Circuit around Hussain Sagar lake, Hyderabad.

  • Asad Khan crowned Hero Dirt Biking champion

    Asad Khan crowned Hero Dirt Biking champion

    Jaipur, 4 Nov 2022: Multiple National champion and motorsport rally star from Chikkamagaluru, Asad Khan, was crowned as the first-ever Hero Dirt Biking Challenge champion following the finals held here for the top 20 who came through multiple stages of competition after a five month-long rigorous contest that began with over 1 lakh registered riders vying for honours from across the country.

    Rakesh N and Gidyun Benjamin were first and second runners-up respectively. Olesya Dias emerged as the best female rider.

    “It is an amazing moment and I am thrilled to become India’s first dirt biking hero. The sheer magnitude of the event and huge response from over one lakh riders is a great tribute to Hero Motosports. I enjoyed every bit of it,” said an elated Asad Khan.

    It was a big moment for Asad Khan, the Bengaluru-based privateer from the Coffee Land, who was crowned as the off-road riding champion and was awarded a Hero Xpulse 200 4V bike. A regular in the Indian National Rally Championship (2w), it was also a moment of satisfaction for all the hard work over the years fighting with factory teams as the humble giant bagged a sponsorship contract worth Rs 10 lakh. With limited or virtually negligible sponsorship opportunities, privateers in Indian motorsports spend huge amounts on their passion and the Hero sponsorship contracts for the top-three winners comes as a big push to continue their motorsports careers.

    Asad Khan, champion, flanked by Rakesh, left, and Gidyun, right.

    Asad Khan first topped his zone at the Kodman Motopark in Mangaluru, where 60 riders took part in the preliminaries and five were selected for the next stage. The others are Ishan Chandra, Suhail Ahmed, Safwan Hussain (all Mangaluru) and Samson from Mysuru. Later after three more stages, Khan got into the National camp for the top 100.

    Different stages

    The Hero Dirt Biking Challenge (HDBC), which was launched in July 2022, concluded with the final race where only the 20 winners that came through different stages of competition fought for the top prize to become the the first HDBC champion. Earlier, clearing the city and regional rounds, 90 riders reached the Zonal round. Following a 4-day Zonal round, the National Team of Hero MotoSports trained participants before the top-20 Dirt-Biking Heroes made it to the finale.

    Rakesh N, who came second won also received an Xpulse 200 4V and sponsorships contracts worth Rs. 6 lakhs while Gidyun Benjamin will get Rs. 4 lakh sponsorship and a similar bike too. Olesya Dias was recognized as the ‘Best Female off-Road Rider’ in the country for her rousing performance across all the rounds. The HDBC was telecast over MTV and streamed over Voot.

    The finale week was held in and around Hero MotoCorp’s world-class R&D hub, the centre of Innovation and Technology, (CIT), in Jaipur. The entire race and participation experience was designed at par with top international rally events. The entire finale week was curated by the Hero MotoSports Team Rally.

    Huge response

    From July, over 100,000 participants registered for the HDBC and after a rigorous nationwide contest that ran across four stages and 41 cities 20 finalist who were short listed took part in the final Jaipur event.

    Ranjivjit Singh, Chief Growth Officer, Hero MotoCorp, said: “The massive excitement and participation in Hero Dirt Biking Challenge is proof that the off-road riding segment is growing in the country. Xpulse is a favorite of riders and HDBC is a one-of-its-kind initiative in the country that opened doors for riding enthusiasts to achieve glory. We congratulate the winners and wish all the finalist the best for the future.”

    Dr. Arun Jaura, Chief Technology Officer, Hero MotoCorp, said: “The Hero MotoSports Team Rally is the flag-bearer of Indian off-road racing. With superior technology, the Xpulse 200 4V is the ideal bike for riders to get into the sport, pursue their passion and go beyond boundaries. Congratulations to the winners. Hero MotoSports will continue to support national talent in the future too.”

    Hero MotoSports Team Rally, one of the top international teams, is the rally-racing team of Hero MotoCorp and the only Indian team ever to win a stage at the Dakar Rally. Team riders Ross Branch, Joaquim Rodrigues, Sebastian Buhler and Franco Caimi worked with the top participants in a Residential Bootcamp, and provided them with invaluable coaching.


    The Hero Dirt Biking Challenge is the first-of-its-kind pan-India talent-hunt program by an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) which provided a platform for budding riders, enthusiasts and amateurs who want to pursue off-road racing and the response for the maiden edition was amazing.

  • Godspeed Kochi, new team for Indian Racing League

    Godspeed Kochi, new team for Indian Racing League

    Bengaluru, 12 Nov 2022: Godspeed Kochi team, completes the line-up for the high-profile Indian Racing League, and the team will showcase another talented Indian teenager Ruhaan Alva from Bengaluru in the first motorsports league in India for six city-based franchise teams. Other talented Indian teenagers already announced with five other teams are Shahan Ali Mohsin (Delhi team), Sohil Shah, Amir Syed (both Goa), Anshul Gandhi and Rishon Rajeev (both Bangalore).

    The Kochi team was announced as the sixth team by RPPL on Thursday through their social media handles. The Kochi team will also have 26-year Jordan Albert, a British GT4 driver, along with Singaporean with Indian roots, Nikhil Bohra, who took part in F4 races in Germany and UAE, and talented lady driver from Belgium Aurelia Nobels, who finished in the top-4 of the FIA Girls on Track – Rising Stars programme, on Friday. Ruhaan Alva, 16, the only Indian in the Kochi team, was invited to the Ferrari Driver Academy Asia Pacific selection program in September and also represented India in the F4 category of the World Motorsport Games, in October.

    Twentyfour drivers, including six lady racers, as part of six teams will vie for honours in the inaugural Indian Racing League that begins with pre-testing at the Madras International Circuit in Sriperumbudur, about 30-km from Chennai, on November 14. The first round of the Formula-3-level single-seater racing series will begin on the street-circuit in Hyderabad on Nov 19, and the next four consecutive week-ends will witness four back-to-back rounds with three races in each round.

    Originally planned to be five rounds to be held from Feb 2022, the series will now have four rounds and 12 races. The series is also a revised format of the X1 Racing League which was initially planned to run along with Indian F4 races, which along with Formula Regional Indian Championship were put-off and are likely to begin only in 2023.

    Top Indian racers Akhil Rabindra and Anindith Reddy will star in the  home team Hyderabad Blackbirds as the league features some of the best Indian racing talent and will also host India’s first-ever street circuit races on the banks of Hussain Sagar Lake in Hyderabad during the four consecutive weekends starting Nov 19. Promoted by Racing Promotions Pvt Ltd (RPPL), the League,will feature 12 prominent foreign drivers, including six lady stars.

    The six city-based teams are Hyderabad Blackbirds,Speed Demons Delhi, Bangalore Speedsters, Chennai Turbo Riders, Goa Aces and Godspeed Kochi with two foreign drivers in each team including a lady driver each, will enthrall the motorsports fans and spectators. The Indian Racing League will be one-of-its-kind Racing League, where male and female drivers will compete against each other on a level playing field with the same ecosystem and machinery. Originally, Mumbai Falcons were supposed to be the leading lights but Kochi fills their gap this year and Falcons are expected to be back in the line-up from 2023.

    The Hyderabad Blackbirds includes the city’s very own driver Anindith Reddy, besides renowned drivers like Neel Jani, a Swiss Indian professional Porsche factory driver who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2016. Akhil Rabindra, selected as the Aston Martin Racing Academy Driver and female F4 racing driver Lola Lovinsfosse will be the other two.

    Vishnu Prasad, a multiple National karting champion, including the 2013 senior title and a winner of the Formula BMW championship will spearhead the Chennai Turbo Riders team, along with another experienced racer, Kolhapur-based talent Parth Ghorpade, a five-time Indian National karting champion. Jon Lancaster, a British Auto Racing driver and a former World Karting vice-champion, who also won the Euro Le Mans Series LMP2, will be the foreign driver in the Chennai team along with lady driver, Nicole Havrda, a young Canadian who competes in Formula 3 in the USA.

    Jodhpur-born Indian racing driver Anshul Gandhi, who is racing in the Spanish F4 for the last two years, and talented young Bengaluru racer, Rishon Rajeev, both in their teens will star in the Bangalore Speedsters team. While 17-year Gandhi, who polished his racing skills as a professional karter in UAE, has good international exposure and will have Oliver James Webb, 31, another British driver, who also won the Euro Le Mans Series to lead the team with his vast experience in Europe. The lady  driver of the team will be Bianca Bustamante, 17-year old rising star from the Philippines, who recently concluded her debut W Series as the top-placed rookie after the final race in Singapore. “I am super excited to be racing in the Indian Racing League. Besides having a new kind of car and new tracks, I am looking forward to getting behind the wheel once again before 2023 kicks off,” said Bustamante, ahead of the testing in Chennai.

    Akhilesh Reddy, Director MEIL and Chairman, RPPL says: “The Indian Racing league is the ultimate push to bring the Indian motorsports segment to a global stage and provide young racers a platform to compete with international motorsports drivers. Hyderabad plays a crucial role in Indian motorsports from talent to infrastructure and we hope the Hyderabad motorsports enthusiasts and citizens will enjoy the pulsating weekends in the city.”

    The Wolf Racing team will be technical partner, operating all the competing cars with Aprillia 1100cc, 220HP engines. Both men and women will compete on a equal terms and the Indian Racing League aims to establish a better racing infrastructure in India and aims to cultivate top talent.

    Auto enthusiasts can book their passes from BookMyShow India website to witness the exciting races at the event. The passes are available at Rs.749 onwards (Regular Pass) and Rs.1249 onwards (Weekend Pass) on BookMyShow here.

    Indian Racing League (2022): Teams & Drivers

    Hyderbad Blackbirds:

    1. Neel Jani, 2. Akhil Rabindra, 3. Anindith Reddy and 4. Lola Lovinsfosse;

    Goa Aces:

    1. Raoul Hyman, 2. Sohil Shah, 3. Amir Syed and 4. Gabriela Jilkova;

    Chennai Turbo Riders:

    1. Jon Lancaster, 2. Parth Ghorpade, 3. Vishnu Prasad and 4. Nicole Havrda;

    Bangalore Speedsters:

    1. Oliver Webb, 2. Anshul Gandhi, 3. Rishon Rajeev and 4. Bianca Bustamante;

    Speed Demons Delhi:

    1. Mitch Gilbert, 2. Akash Gowda, 3. Shahaan Ali Mohsin and 4. Celia Martin.

    Godspeed Kochi:

    1. Jordan Albert, 2. Nikhil Bohra, 3. Ruhaan Alva and 4. Aurelia Nobels.

    Calendar 2022:

    Nov 14: Pre-season testing – Madras International Circuit – MIC (formerly MMRT), Chennai.

    Nov 19 – 20: Inaugural round, Street Circuit around Hussain Sagar lake, Hyderabad.

    Nov 25 – 27: Round 2, MIC, Chennai.

    Dec 2 – 4: Round 3, MIC, Chennai.

    Dec 10 – 11: Final round, Street Circuit around Hussain Sagar lake, Hyderabad.

  • Rohaan Madesh, Abhay M, Nikhilesh Raju crowned National karting champs

    Rohaan Madesh, Abhay M, Nikhilesh Raju crowned National karting champs

    Bengaluru, 22 October 2022: Peregrine Racing dominated the karting Nationals winning two titles with their leading driver Rohaan Madesh crowned as the Senior National champion 2022 and Nikhilesh Raju as Micro Max National champion after the fifth and final round of the Meco fmsci Rotax Max National Karting Championship which concluded here on Saturday.

    Nikhilesh Raju, Micro Max champ 2022

    Another local karter, Abhay Mohan of Birel Art India completed the Bengaluru sweep, winning the Junior Max National Championship. Rohaan, Abhay and Nikhilesh, the three Indian champions for 2022, booked a ticket for the World finals and will take part in Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals in Portimao, Portugal from November 19 to 26.

    “It is a proud moment for Peregrine Racing to win the Senior National championship for the second year running. We won two titles and missed the third narrowly. It is the result of a lot of hard work and dedication by the team,” said Madesh Lakshman, team Principal, Peregrine Racing, Bengaluru.

    The reigning X30 2021 champion, 15-year Rohaan Madesh from Bengaluru, displayed excellent driving skills and dished out consistent performance throughout the season winning 8 of the 10 races to garner 442. “It is a very special feeling. I am thrilled and excited. After winning X30 title, Rotax Max is a more prestigious championship. I thank all my team, family and supporters,” said Rohaan.

    Rohaan Madesh, takes the win in the final race to be crowned Senior Max National Karting champion as the fifth and final round of 2022 season concluded at Meco Kartopia on Saturday, 22 Oct 2022. Photo by Shajahan

    The 12-year old Nikhilesh Raju, a Class 7 student from Vibgyor school, Bengaluru, overcame a tough fight from Eshanth Vengatesan of MSport, and bagged a double victory in the final round, to clinch the issue with 428 points. With steady performances and sound driving Nikhilesh, the 2021 X30 champion, won six of the 10 races and bounced back brilliantly after a bad Pre-final race in Round 4 to clinch a well-deserving championship.

    The 14-year Abhay M, also from Bengaluru, suffered some anxious moments before he was crowned the champion. A 10-sec penalty pushed him to 9th place in the final race but that was enough for him to score 395 points to tie with Anshul and win the Junior title with more number of race wins.

    Championship Standings:

    Senior Max: 1. Rohaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing team) 442 points; 2. Aditya Patnaik (Rayo Racing) 394; 3. Rishon Rajiv (Birel Art India) 386; Team champion: Peregrine Racing.

    Junior Max: 1. Abhay Mohankumar (Birel Art India) 395 points; 2. Anshul Shivakumar (Birel Art India/ MSport) 395; 3. Ishaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing) 389; Tie broken in favour of Abhay with 3 race wins to Anshul’s zero wins); Team champion: Birel Art India.

    Micro Max: 1. Nikhilesh Raju D (Peregrine Racing)  428 points; 2. Eshanth Vengatesan (MSport) 424; 3. Anuj Arun (MSport) 400; Team champion: Peregrine Racing.

  • Bengaluru’s Chirag Ghorpade tops MRF F2000 Race

    Bengaluru’s Chirag Ghorpade tops MRF F2000 Race

    Chennai, October 9: Bengaluru teenager Chirag Ghorpade and Coimbatore veteran Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) put in near-flawless performances for commanding wins in their respective categories before heavy rains led to abandonment of the first round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2022 at the Madras International Circuit, here on Sunday.

    The day’s other winner was Mumbai youngster Zahan Commissariat who claimed the honours in the MRF Saloon Cars (Toyota Etios) race which was red-flagged after five laps due to heavy rains.

    Chirag, 17, led from the front after starting from pole position on the reverse grid of the MRF F2000 category race and barely had to look in the rearview mirrors as he opened up a big gap in the very first lap.

    Such was his pace that was not apparent in yesterday’s Race-1 where he finished eighth, that he made an untroubled progress through the 12 laps that was briefly interrupted by a Safety Car period. Chirag made a well-timed getaway on restart and eventually spared four seconds to second-placed Rishon Rajeev (Bengaluru) with Chennai’s Dillon Thomas Zachariah finishing third.

    Later, it was an Arjun Balu show in the saloon cars race that was run on a combined 27-car grid comprising all three categories – the premier Indian Touring Cars, Indian Junior Touring Cars and Super Stock.

    Balu, starting from pole, briefly slipped to second behind 2017 champion Arjun Narendran (Arka Motorsports), also from Coimbatore, after missing a gear-shift at the start. However, he swiftly moved to the front and increased the gap gradually for a comfortable win despite alternator failure and the car running only on battery power.

    Narendran finished second ahead of Rayo Racing’s Jeet Jhabakh from Hyderabad who was in the brand new Volkswagen Virtus which made its debut in the championship this weekend.

    Behind the front-runners, Chennai’s Gurunath Meiyappan (Race Concepts), racing in the championship for the first time since 1999, topped the IJTC category, followed by team-mate Diana Pundole (Pune). However, both were disqualified following post-race scrutiny for a “technical infringement”. Chennai’s Anand Prasad (Performance Racing), thus, moved from third to first, ahead of team-mate K Srinivas Teja and Charen Chandran (Arka Motorsports).

    Ritesh Rai (Performance Racing), also from Chennai, won in the Super Stock class, followed by DB Motorsports pair of Jason Deepak Saldanha (Mangaluru) and Jarshan Anand (Chennai).

    Provisional results:

    MRF F2000 (Race-2, 12 laps): 1. Chirag Ghorpade (Bengaluru) (21:09.735); 2. Rishon Rajeev (Bengaluru) (21:13.319); 3. Dillon Thomas Zachariah (Chennai) (21:15.235).

    Indian Touring Cars (Race-1, 8 laps): 1. Arjun Balu (Coimbatore, Race Concepts) (15:14.085); 2. Arjun Narendran (Coimbatore, Arka Motorsports) (15:22.908); 3. Jeet Jhabakh (Hyderabad, Rayo Racing) (15:39.557).

    Indian Junior Touring Cars (Race-1, 8 laps): 1. Anand Prasad (Chennai, Performance Racing) (16:05.841); 2. K Srinivasa Teja (Chennai, Performance Racing) (16:18.879); 3. Charen Chandran (Coimbatore, Arka Motorsports) (16:30.685).

    Super Stock (Race-1, 8 laps): 1. Ritesh Rai (Chennai, Performance Racing) (15:19.989); 2. Jason Deepak Saldanha (Mangaluru, DB Motorsports) (15;22.778); 3. Jarshan Anand (Chennai, DB Motorsports) (15:58.631).

    MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios – Race 2, 5 laps): 1. Zahan Commissariat (Mumbai, Redline Racing) (10:44.711); 2. Angad Matharoo (Chandigarh, Redline Racing) (10:46.640); 3. Jai Prashanth Venkat (Coimbatore, Redline Racing) (10:50.412). Special awards for lady drivers (all Redline Racing): Race-1: Diana Pundole (Pune) and Tarushi Vikram (Chikkamgalur). Race-2: Shravanthika Lakshmi (Coimbatore) and Tarushi Vikram.

  • Sai, Justin, Diljith claim victories; Diana beats the boys for a podium

    Sai, Justin, Diljith claim victories; Diana beats the boys for a podium

    Chennai, 8 Oct 2022: Sai Sanjay, a teenager from Salem, stormed to a brilliant victory in the MRF F2000 category while Thrissur’s Diljith Shaji took the honours in the Formula LGB 1300 class as the first round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2022 commenced at the Madras International Circuit, here on Saturday.

    In the day’s last race, 20-year old Justin Singh from Gurugram, claimed the honours in the MRF Saloons (Toyota Eitos) category with a lights-to-flag win ahead of Pune’s Diana Pundole and Angad Matharoo (Chandigarh).

    Sai, 19, started from P2 on the grid and after a good start, moved into the lead. He then defended his position with aplomb despite coming under pressure from Agra’s Shahan Ali Mohsin for much of the 10-lap race for a deserving win.

    Competing on equal footing, Diana Pundole, Pune, keeps the Women in Motorsports flag flying beating many of the boys on way to a 2nd on the podium in the Saloon class. A Shameem Fahath image

    Shahan Ali, last year’s MRF F1600 champion, had to be content with second place after starting from P4, while Yash Aradhya came in third, holding off pole-sitter and fellow-Bengalurean Rishon Rajeev.

    Earlier, 29-year old Diljith led a 1-2 finish for DTS Racing with Viswas Vijayaraj from Nellore for company while Bengaluru’s Arjun Nair (Momentum Motorsports) was third. The eight-lapper, after much jostling in the early stages, settled down with Diljith forging his way to the front followed by Viswas.

    The pair pulled away from the pack to finish in that order, well ahead of Bengaluru’s Arjun Nair (Momentum Motorsports) who did well to make four spots after starting from P7.

    Coimbatore ace Arjun Balu, 47, the defending champion from Race Concepts (Bengaluru) stable, set the pace in the premier Indian Touring Cars category, by qualifying for pole position with a hot lap of 01min, 50.000secs. He was well ahead of 2017 winner, Arjun Narendran (01:52.560), also from Coimbatore, and who is returning to full-time racing after a five-year break.

    The two Volkswagen Virtus cars, making their debut in the championship, and driven by Jeet Jhabakh (Hyderabad) and Sandeep Kumar (Chennai) were fourth and fifth, respectively, some 2.9 seconds off Balu’s pace.

    From Left: Shahan Ali Mohsin (2nd), Sai Sanjay (winner) and Yash Aradhya on MRF F2000 Race 1 podium at Madras International circuit on Saturday. A Shameem Fahath image

    Chennai veteran Gurunath Meyyappan (Race Concepts), staging a return to racing after a prolonged break, took pole position in the Indian Junior Touring Cars category as did another local racer, Ritesh Rai (Performance Racing) in the Super Stock class.

    Provisional results:

    MRF F2000 (Race-1, 10 laps): 1. Sai Sanjay T (Salem) (15min, 47.253secs); 2. Shahan Ali Mohsin (Agra) (15:47.856); 3. Yash Aradhya S (Bengaluru) (15:51.725).

    Formula LGB 1300 (Race-1, 8 laps): 1. Diljith Shaji (Thrissur, DTS Racing) (14:59.136); 2. Viswas Vijayaraj (Nellore, DTS Racing) (15:03.587); 3. Arjun S Nair (Bengaluru, Momentum Motorsports) (15:12.926).

    MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios – Race 1, 8 laps): 1. Justin Singh (Gurugram) (16:32.066); 2. Diana Pundole (Pune) (16:34.812); 3. Angad Matharoo (Chandigarh) (16:41.338).

    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.

  • Rajini Krishnan wins a record 11th Indian National title

    Rajini Krishnan wins a record 11th Indian National title

    Chennai, 2 Oct 2022: On a day of drama and suspense, veteran Rajini Krishnan, Mathana Kumar, Jagruti Penkar and Sarvesh Balappa clinched the titles in their respective categories as the fifth and final round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2022 concluded at the Madras International Circuit here on Sunday.

    Rajini (RACR Castrol Power1), needing just one more point for the title, cruised to fourth place to seal the championship, his 11th National career crown, in the premier Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open category, while Mathana Kumar (Pacer Yamaha) from Trichy topped the Pro-Stock 165cc Open class, by also finishing fourth for his third title in 11 years.

    Earlier, Jagruti (Axor Sparks Racing), the 21-year old Science graduate from Mumbai was kept guessing before confirmation came that she indeed was the winner of the Girls (Stock 165cc) championship, her maiden title, following disqualification of race winner, Lani Zena Fernandez (RACR Castrol Power1). Jagruti finished on 81 points to Ann Jennifer’s (Alpha Racing) 80.

    “Shaker’ Bojanna, 2nd from right, raises a toast for Mathana Kumar (astride an Yamaha). Shekar earned the epithet “Shaker” over a decade ago for shaking the big teams. Re-entering the racing scene after over a decade the team achieved the National Championship title with aplomb. Photo by Srinivasa Krishnan

    Until the post-race scrutiny leading to the disqualification, Jagruti was second in the championship behind Alpha Racing’s Ann Jennifer on countback after the pair had tied on points, but the latter clinching the issue having won two races to the Mumbai girl’s none. However, the situation turned on its head after Lani was disqualified. All finishers moved up a spot, pushing Ryhana Bee (Pacer Yamaha) to first, Jagruti to second and Aditi Krishnan (Winverve Apex Racing) to third, while Ann Jennifer ended up sixth.

    Sarvesh Balappa (Axor Sparks Racing), who had taken unassailable lead coming into the final round, kept it clean and avoided close battles for a fourth place. His team-mates Kayan Zubin Patel and Rohan Ramesh came in first and second ahead of Chiranth Vishwanath (Rookies Racing).

    Meanwhile, Rajini did likewise in the concluding Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open race as he was content to follow the Petronas TVS Racing’s trio of KY Ahamed, Jagan Kumar and Deepak Ravikumar. Incidentally, Ahamed completed a double.

    “I took no chances today. After all, I needed just one more point to win the championship. So, I was happy to stay in fourth position throughout the race behind the TVS boys,” said 41-year old Rajini who, incidentally, had the best lap (01:53.099) of the race.

    Jagan also had a brilliant outing in the Pro-Stock 165cc Open race that he won in style ahead of Idemitsu Honda India SK69 Racing’s Rajiv Sethu and Senthil Kumar, for a grand double.

    Two youngsters, Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru), competing in the Rookie category of the Petronas TVS One-Make Championship, and Raheesh Mudassar Khatri (Mumbai) in the Novice (CBR 150) class of the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup, created a buzz by winning all 10 races this season.

    Provisional results (all 6 laps unless mentioned):

    National Championship – Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. KY Ahamed (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (15mins, 17.537secs); 2. Jagan Kumar (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (15:17.757); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (15:18.787). National champion: Rajini Krishnan (Chennai, RACR Castrol Power1). Team championship: Petronas TVS Racing. Manufacturers championship: Yamaha.

    Pro-Stock 165cc Open (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. Jagan Kumar (Chennai, Petronas TVS Racing) (15:45.594); 2. Rajiv Sethu (Chennai, Idemistu Honda SK69 Racing) (15:46.086); 3. Senthil Kumar (Coimbatore, Idemistu Honda SK69 Racing) (15:47.664). National champion: Mathana Kumar (Trichy, Pacer Yamaha). Team championship: Pacer Yamaha. Manufacturers championship: Yamaha.

    Novice (Stock 165cc, Race-2): 1. Kayan Zubin Patel (Mumbai, Axor Sparks Racing) (13:01.987); 2. Rohan Ramesh (Coimbatore, Axor Sparks Racing) (13:02.099); 3. Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru, Rookies Racing) (13:02.368). National champion: Sarvesh Balappa (Hubballi, Axor Sparks Racing). Team championship: Axor Sparks Racing. Manufacturers championship: Yamaha.

    Girls (Stock 165cc, 5 laps): 1. Ryhana Bee (Chennai, Pacer Yamaha) (11:00.132); 2. Jagruti Penkar (Mumbai, Axor Sparks Racing) (11:00.493); 3.  Aditi Krishnan (Bengaluru, Winverve Apex Racing) (11:05.883). National champion: Jagruti Penkar (Mumbai, Axor Sparks Racing). Team championship: Alpha Racing. Manufacturers championship: Yamaha.

    Petronas TVS One-Make Championship: Open (Apache RR 310) Race-1: 1. Rahil Pillarisetty (Hyderabad) (11:46.885); 2. Manoj Yesuadiyan (Chennai) (11:47.317); 3. Ananthraj (Chennai) (11:47.574). Race-2: 1. Rahil Pillarisetty (Hyderabad) (11:46.127); 2. Ananthraj P (Chennai) (11:46.274); 3. Manoj Yesuadian (Chennai) (11:46.437). Champion: Rahil Pillarisetty (Hyderabad)

    Rookie (Apache RTR 200, Race-2): 1. Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru) (12:27.582); 2. Jinendra K Sangave (Kolhapur) (12:28.388); 3. Savion Sabu (Bengaluru) (12:43.778). Champion: Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru)

    Media (Apache RTR 200): 1. Ishan Lee (11:34.557); 2. Karan Singh (11:43.047); 3. Mandar Sheela Sawant (12:00.631). Champion: Ishan Lee.

    Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup: NSF 250 Open (Race-2, 10 laps): 1. Mohsin Paramban (Malappuram) (18:40.383); 2. Shyam Sundar (Chennai) (18:41.542); 3. Rakshith Dave (Chennai) (19:04.772). Champion: Sarthak Shrikant Chavan (Pune).

    Novice (CBR 150, Race-2): 1. Raheesh Mudassar Khatri (Mumbai) (12:50.201); 2. Harshith V Bogar (Bengaluru) (13:09.078); 3. Siddesh Sawant (Kolhapur) (13:10.491). Champion: Raheesh Mudassar Khatri (Mumbai).

    Support Race – Honda Hornet 2.0 (Race-2): 1. G Balaji (Chennai) (13:38.195); 2. Romario John (Chennai) (13:38.377); 3. Prabhu V (Chennai) (13:38.574).