INDIA in F1

Category: Non-F1

  • Youth vs Experience at South India Rally: 2021 INRC final round

    Youth vs Experience at South India Rally: 2021 INRC final round

    Chennai, 25 March 2022: The South India Rally will be a fight between experience and youth. Experienced giant of Indian motorsports Gaurav Gill will for once will be on the back foot as youngsters Aditya Thakur of Himachal Pradesh and Palakkad lawyer Fabid Ahmer will go all-out to have a shot at their first INRC overall title. The man, the machine and the team are the trinity that power success in motorsports but has proved time and again that despite having bad day with the other two components, he can bulldoze his way up. That is exactly what he did at K1000 in Tumkur after he suffered a casualty in the opening round in Coimbatore due to Electrical issues. His car bonnet opened up suddenly, damaging the windshield and later he had mechanical issues, but the Arjuna Awardee from Delhi made up his loss in the first round and managed to stay in the hunt, lying third in the championships with a 15-point deficit.

    The reduced three-round championship, however, put a new face Adity Thakur, a farmer from Solon, Himachal Pradesh, in the overall championship lead after his stunning win Coimbatore and, consistent and reliable driver, Fabid Ahmer in second, just a point behind Thakur, who is behind a Chettinad Sporting-tuned Volkswagen Polo 1.6. Fabid and Gill, will be hoping to keep the yellow colours flying for JK Tyre. While Gill is behind the wheel of a bulky Mahindra SUV 300, Fabid is also in a VW Polo 1.6.

    Shivani Parmar (Mumbai), who won K1000 INRC4 in Round 2 at the Press Conference on Friday. Photo courtesy Faisal Khan, Indianmotoring.com

    SIR is faster this year than 2019

    The stages in the South India Rally (SIR) are faster this year than in 2019, when it was last held as a round of INRC. Fast and flowing was how a cross-section of competitors described the Sepecial Stages (SS) after a recce run in the morning on the eve of the 44th South India Rally, which is also a round of the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (Asia Cup) and the concluding round of the FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship with MRF Tyres as the Associate Sponsor.

    The competition in the Rally, organised by the Madras Motor Sports Club celebrating its 70th anniversary, begins tomorrow (Saturday) and concludes on Sunday afternoon.

    While three times APRC champion Gaurav Gill (co-driver Musa Sherif) headlines the Asia Cup as the top contender, the entry list that includes APRC debutants Amittrajit Ghosh (Ashwin Naik), Younus Ilyas (Aniruddha Ranganekar) and Karna Kadur (Nikhil Pai), the attention would also be on Himachal’s Aditya Thakur (Virender Kashyap) who heads the Overall standings in the INRC, following a win in the first round in Coimbatore last month.

    “The stages are fast and technical. We have some catching up to do after the DNF (Did Not Finish) in Round 1. Now our focus is to make up and gain maximum points,” said the Delhi-based 7-time INRC champion and Arjuna Awardee, who logged a win in the K-1000 Rally earlier this month to remain in contention for the title. He trails Thakur by 15 points.

    Thakur said: “I am looking forward to the South India Rally. Though my focus is to win in my category (INRC-3), I will give my best shot to win the Overall title as this is the best chance to go for it. As for the Stages, they are very fast and flowing.”

    Aditya Thakur at MMRT on Friday. All photo by Faisal Khan

    Likewise, Palakkad’s Fabid Ahmer (Sanath G), currently placed second in the Overall standings a point behind Thakur, but leading in the INRC-2 category, felt that the Special Stages would be forgiving on the cars, but hoped to turn the deficit into a victory, something he had come close to in 2019 before a time penalty cost him the Overall title.

    “Now I have a better car with some upgrades and the Stages here are to my liking. I missed the championship by a whisker in 2019, but this time, I am in the top-3 Overall, and want to go for the title. I believe in clean and consistent driving which is the best way to get points,” said Ahmer.

    Mumbai’s Shivani Parmar (Vani Parmar), in her debut INRC season, heaped praise on the Special Stages and said she looked forward to a strong performance. “This is my first INRC season and it has been an enjoyable experience. So, I look forward to the South India Rally and hope I can improve on my performances in Coimbatore and the Karnataka-1000 rounds,” said Shivani who is placed third in the INRC-3 category where Bengaluru’s Deepak Chandra (Raghuram CG) is leading.

    Karna Kadur said: “I am happy to make debut in the APRC and being the home rally, it is a perfect place to step up and gain experience.”

    Ghosh, who has driven in European Rally Championship, said: “I have done ERC, and APRC will be a good to get back to bigger things. The Stages are faster than in 2019 when we last took part here.”

    Later, Gill announced that he would be competing in three rounds of APRC this season. “I am back into APRC and have registered for three rounds. I will take part in the Japan round for preparation and then the final round in Australia,” said the 40-year old Gill.

  • MMSC geares up for APRC, Asia Cup, INRC

    MMSC geares up for APRC, Asia Cup, INRC

    Chennai, 23 March 2022: In what promises to be an action-packed weekend, the 44th South India Rally, which doubles up as a round of the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship 2022, and the final round of The FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2021 with MRF Tyres as the Associate Sponsor, will be held in Sriperumbudur, about 40 Kms from here, on March 25-27. 

    Organised by the Madras Motor Sports Club, celebrating its 70th anniversary, the events will be anchored to the iconic MMRT circuit which will be the venue for start and finish of the event besides the Spectator Special Stage (tarmac) and the 12.9 Kms long Special Stage (dirt) bordering the race track. Another Special Stage (17.78 Kms), is located about 23 Kms from the MMRT. Both Stages will be run four times – twice in forward direction (Saturday) and twice in reverse direction (Sunday) while the Spectator Special Stage once on each day. On Friday, March 25, the competitors will do a reconnaissance of the Stages.

    While four entries have been received for the APRC (Asia Cup) round, which returns to India after a four-year gap, the INRC has attracted 44. Three times APRC champion Gaurav Gill (co-driver Musa Sherif), Karna Kadur (Nikhil Pai) of Arka Motorsports, Amittrajit Ghosh (Ashwin Naik) and Younus Ilyas (Anirudha Ranganekar) of Race Concepts will take part in the APRC and also headline the INRC entry list.

    In an initiative to encourage Indian participation in the APRC event, MMSC have offered subsidies in various forms – FIA-approved fuel tank casing; entry fee for the APRC segment, Rs 70,000/- to be returned as start money; Trophies for top three finishers irrespective of the class entered and placing in the INRC.

    APRC Working Group chief and Chairman of South India Rally, Vicky Chandhok said: “The South India Rally is not just another rally but a part of the Indian Rallying Heritage. Running the 44th edition of the event speaks volumes of the standards of National rallying. We have worked hard to offer an event of value to all the stakeholders, and, on behalf of the organisers, the Madras Motor Sports Club, it gives me great pleasure in welcoming the rallying fraternity to the event.

    “Further, the MMSC in its constant support to motorsport, has taken a decision for the FIA APRC South India Rally to encourage competitors and support them, by way of subsidies, in entering an International Event on home soil and the chance to earn a FIA trophy for their shelves.”

    The FMSCI president Akbar Ebrahim said: “It is a matter of pride and privilege that India is hosting a round of the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship after a gap of several years, and concurrently with the third and final round of the FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2021 with MRF Tyres as the Associate Sponsor. All of us have been through some challenging times due to the pandemic and I am happy that the 2021 INRC got underway, though it spilled over into 2022. Once again, on behalf of the FMSCI, I thank our Associate Sponsor MRF Tyres, the competitors, the organizing clubs, officials and the Media for their support. To reiterate, we hope to put together a bigger INRC, with more rounds, in the season ahead.”

    The competition in The FMSC-promoted INRC segment is expected to be fierce since titles in all categories are up for grabs. Aditya Singh Thakur (Virender Kashyap) of Chettinad Sporting leads the Overall standings with 54 points, just one ahead of Fabid Ahmer (Sanath G). Considering that a maximum of 40 points are on offer and the top five competitors, including seven times National champion Gill, are separated by just 16 points, the Overall championship is wide open.

    The top two in other categories after two rounds are:

    INRC-2: Fabid Ahmer (76) and Sahil Khanna (61); INRC-3: Aditya Singh Thakur (78) and Kuber Sharma (56); INRC-4: Deepak Chandra (61) and Mujeeb Rehman (44); Junior INRC: Raghunath Saminathan (78) and Shivani Pruthvi (60); FMSCI Gypsy Cup: Rupender Sheoran (71) and Venkatapathy MR (55).

    Due to the unpredictability of the sport, as could be gauged from the results of the previous two rounds – the Rally of Coimbatore and the Karnataka-1000 – success is not guaranteed. The uncertainty factor, thus, makes this weekend’s action a pot-boiler.

    About the FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2021

    The Indian National Rally Championship 2021, promoted by The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India with MRF Tyres as the Associate Sponsor, comprises three rounds – Rally of Coimbatore (Feb 25-27), Karnataka-1000 (March 11-13) and the South India Rally (Chennai, March 25-27). The grid is segregated into five categories based on various specifications – the INRC, INRC-2, INRC-3, INRC-4 and Junior INRC (26 years and below, and without a win). Competitors are eligible for Overall classification and also separately in their respective categories. The top 15 finishers are eligible for points ranging from 30 to 1. The five quickest on each of the two days (Leg-1 and Leg-2) and in each category receive bonus points (5 to 1) in the respective Legs provided they complete the Rally. The maximum points that can be won in each round is 40. A stand-alone sixth category, the FMSCI Gypsy Challenge, restricted to Maruti Gypsy, and not eligible for championship points or classification, completes the grid.

  • Gaurav Gill wins 7th K1000 title; 300th rally cap for Musa Sherif

    Gaurav Gill wins 7th K1000 title; 300th rally cap for Musa Sherif

    Bengaluru, 13 March 2022: A damaged windscreen, electrical and turbo issues besides brake failure did not stop Gaurav Gill and co-driver Musa Sherif from winning the 45th Karnataka-1000 Rally, the second round of the FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2021 with MRF Tyres as the Associate Sponsor, on Sunday near the town of Gubbi, about 100 Kms from Bengaluru.

    Delhi-based Gill, the seven-times National champion and thrice winner of the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally titles, exercised all his experience and driving skills to bring the Mahindra XUV 300 back to the Parc Ferme, something he couldn’t in the first round at Coimbatore last month. In the process, the Arjuna Award winner successfully countered a strong challenge from Younus Ilyas (Anirudha Ranganekar) of Race Concepts who finished Overall second, about 15 seconds behind, while Fabid Ahmer (Sanath G) was placed third.

    It was Gill’s seventh K-1000 title while for Sherif, from Kasargod, it was a memorable victory that marked his 300th Rally milestone.

    Ahmer topped in the INRC-2 category while the Himachal combination of Aditya Thakur and co-driver Virender Kashyap, Overall winners in Coimbatore, last month, took the honours in the INRC-3 category, and Mumbai’s daughter-mother pairing of Shivani and Vani Parmar won in the INRC-4 class. The Junior INRC category had just two finishers with Coimbatore’s Raghuram Saminathan (Bharath SM, Bengaluru) winning ahead of Shivani Pruthvi from Davangere (Ruthvik Praveen, Tiptur).

    “Undoubtedly, today’s win is very satisfying considering the difficult weekend we had and the non-finish in the Coimbatore round. We had electrical problems, a damaged windscreen when the bonnet flew open in the very first Stage. So, we lost a bit of time as we had to stop and lock the bonnet. Then, in the last Stage, I had to negotiate the last six-seven Kms without brakes which again cost us time. But in the end, I am happy we finished the Rally and won,” said Gill.

    Chandigarh’s Samrat Yadav (M Chandrashekar, Bengaluru) emerged champion in the non-championship FMSCI Gypsy Challenge category.

    Of the 53 entrants, 31 completed the two-day Rally. The final day’s proceedings were delayed due to interruptions of SS-8 following mishaps.

    Classification (Provisional):

    Overall / INRC: 1. Gaurav Gill (Delhi) / Musa Sherif (Kasargod) (01hr, 38mins, 37.800secs); 2. Younus Ilyas (Kollam) / Anirudha Ranganekar (Pune) (Race Concepts) (01:038:53.200); 3. Fabid Ahmer / Sanath G (both Palakkad) (01:43:50:900).

    INRC-2: 1. Fabid Ahmer / Sanath G (both Palakkad) (01:43:50:900); 2. Sahil Khanna (Gurugram) / Harish KN (Bengaluru) (01:46:21.600); 3. Lakshay Veer Dabas (Delhi) / Arjun Dheerendra (Bengaluru) (01:51:33.100).

    INRC-3: 1. Aditya Thakur / Virender Kashyap (both Himachal) (Chettinad Sporting) (01:46:29.700); 2. Kuber Sharma / Karan Aukta (both Himachal) (01:47:21.200); 3. Sanampreet Sekhon (Chandigarh) / Suhan Kabeer (Kodagu) (01:48:05.300).

    INRC-4: 1. Shivani Parmar / Vani Parmar (both Mumbai) (02:14:56.700); Deepak Chandra / CG Raghuram (both Bengaluru, SNAP Racing) (02:16:01.500); 3. Prakhyat Shirole /Arjun SSB (both Bengaluru, Ammyfield Rallying) (02:17:19.000).

    Junior INRC (2 finishers): 1. Raghuram Saminathan (Coimbatore) / Bharath SM (Bengaluru) (02:02:07.300); 2. Shivani Pruthvi (Davangere) / Ruthvik Praveen (Tiptur) (02:14:23.800).

    FMSCI Gypsy Challenge: 1. Samrat Yadav (Chandigarh) / M Chandrashekar (Bengaluru) (01:49:49.000); 2. Rupender Sheoran (Gurugram) / Mohit Malik (Faridabad) (01:57:01.300); 3. Venkatapathy Mettuchetty / Santosh Kumar Selvaraj (both Coimbatore) (01:59:41.500).

  • Gaurav Gill leads after Day 1; Dean, Aditya top their classes

    Gaurav Gill leads after Day 1; Dean, Aditya top their classes

    Bengaluru, 12 March 2022: Speed maestro Gaurav Gill and co-driver Musa Sherif of Kasargod overcame mechanical problems to take a sizeable lead in the K1000 Rally, the second round of the FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2021 organised by Karnataka Motor Sports Club (KMSC) with MRF as associate sponsors, at Gubbi in Tumkur District, about 100 km from here. The Rally concludes on Sunday with a repeat of the four Special Stages that were run today. The fourth stage uphill section was rendered unsafe today for the second run and with many cars failing to pass the treacherous stretch the Rally was stopped twice and finally many cars were given scratch times.

    Despite suffering a turbo problem which led to a noticeable drop in pace, Delhi-based Gill enjoys a comfortable position with a 29-second lead followed by Karna Kadur along co-driver Nikhil Pai, who displayed consistent pace through the day until his Volkswagen Polo suffered a gearbox issue that could impact his performance tomorrow. Third Overall is Kollam’s Younus Ilyas with co-driver Anirudha Ranganekar of Pune who is making a comeback after 8 years. The Race Concepts team are about10 seconds behind Kadur.

    Leading the INRC-2 category is Mangaluru’s Dean Mascarenhas (Gagan Karumbaiah, Virajpet) who paced himself well for a 13-second advantage over Palakkad’s Fabid Ahmer (Sanath G) with Virajpet’s Suhem Kabeer (Jeeva Rathinam, Bengaluru) in third.

    Winner of the first round in Coimbatore, Aditya Thakur (Virender Kashyap) from Himachal is placed seventh Overall, but first in INRC-3 category where he has established a healthy lead over another Himachal pairing of Kuber Sharma and Karan Aukta. In third place is Chandigarh’s Sanampreet Sekhon (Suhan Kabeer, Kodagu).

    Early in the day, seven times National champion Gill set a hot pace and at the end of the first loop of the two Stages, had opened a comfortable lead. But in the second run, his Mahindra XUV 300 developed a turbo problem that cost him some precious time as the focus shifted to nursing the vehicle to the finish.

    “The day began well. I got into a rhythm and the pace was good as we opened up a good lead. But unfortunately, there was a small issue with the turbo gasket that led to a leak in the turbo boost. So basically, it meant we were running on two cylinders, but I decided to push anyway. In SS-3, we lost a lot of time, but in SS-4, which was very technical, I didn’t lose too much time to Younus. Anyway, we are still safe and have a lead. Tomorrow, it will be safe and fast,” said Gill.

    The SS-4 was twice interrupted after a few cars blocked the route due to crashes and mechanical failures.  

    Leg-1 Classification (Provisional):

    Overall / INRC: 1. Gaurav Gill (Delhi) / Musa Sherif (Kasargod) (48mins, 58.200secs); 2. Karna Kadur / Nikhil Pai (both Bengaluru, Arka Motorsports) (49:27.700); 3. Younus Ilyas (Kollam) / Anirudha Ranganekar (Pune) (Race Concepts) (49:37.000).

    INRC-2: 1. Dean Mascarenhas (Mangaluru) / Gagan Karumbaiah (Virajpet) (51:23.000); 2. Fabid Ahmer / Sanath G (both Palakkad) (51:36.300); 3. Suhem Kabeer (Virajpet) / Jeeva Rathinam (Bengaluru) (52:27.800).

    INRC-3: 1. Aditya Thakur / Virender Kashyap (both Himachal) (Chettinad Sporting) (52:26.300); 2. Kuber Sharma / Karan Aukta (both Himachal) (54:04.800); 3. Sanampreet Sekhon (Chandigarh) / Suhan Kabeer (Kodagu) (54:49.600).

    INRC-4: 1. Mujeeb Rahman (Kasargod) / Ravinder Kumar (Bengaluru) (56:48.960); 2. Vaibhav Marathe (Goa) / Harsha Vardhana SN (Bengaluru) (58:05.400); 3. Shivani Parmar / Vani Parmar (both Mumbai) (1hr:01:19.200).

    FMSCI Gypsy Challenge: 1. Samrat Yadav (Chandigarh) / M Chandrashekar (Bengaluru) (54:06.800); 2. Rupender Sheoran (Gurugram) / Mohit Malik (Faridabad) (58:28.600); 3. Abhishek Gowda (Chikkamgalauru) / Dheeraj Manae (Bengaluru) (58:45.700).

  • K1000 flagged off

    K1000 flagged off

    Bengaluru, March 11: The Karnataka-1000 Rally organised by Karnataka Motor Sports Club was flagged off by Karnataka Minister for Youth Empowerment and Sports Narayana Gowda, here on Friday. The 45th edition of the iconic rally that began in 1975 is the second round of the delayed FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2021.

    With MRF Tyres as associate sponsor, the stage-rally attracted 53 entries from all over the country in all categories. While the top class, INRC, has five entries with strong contenders Gaurav Gill and Musa Sherif, leading the pack with Karna Kadur behind them in a Volkswagen Polo 1.6, along with senior navigator Nikhil Pai. The two INRC cars will open the stages in that order followed by 2019 champion brothers Chetan Shivram and Dilip Sharan, who spearhead the INRC2 bunch, followed by current INRC2 leader, Fabid Ahmer (co-driver Sanath G) and Sahil Khanna and co-driver Harish KN.

    There are 10 INRC2 cars while the number in INRC3 reduced from 23 in the first round in Coimbatore to 19 here. INRC4 will be with 9 entries while the FMSCI Gypsy Challenge will witness 10 competitors. Five of these drivers are eligible for the Junior INRC title-fight and the number of lady drivers reduced from 10 in Coimbatore to seven here. The fastest lady driver Athira Murali has skipped the event as her co-dirver George is not well and the popular Malayalam vlogger could not find a replacement in time.

    The competitors who tasted the terrain finishing the reccee on Friday headed back for tedious drive to Bengaluru again for the ill-conceived schedule pitted the important Driver’s briefing and Ceremonial start in a star hotel in the Garden city. Ideally, the show should have been completed on Thursday in Bengaluru. That would have allowed some breathing space for the competitors. The now have the Special Stages for two days of competition near the town of Gubbi, about 100 Kms from Bengaluru on Saturday and Sunday. The first Special Stage is scheduled to start at 9:15 am on Saturday.

    At a pre-event Press Conference, seven times National champion Gaurav Gill, along with co-driver Musa Sherif who is participating in his 300th Rally, described the Special Stages after this morning’s reccee as “super-fast and technical”, a view shared by all competitors.

    “There are some fast tarmac stretches where the speeds can touch 180kmph and there are some rough and tricky bits too. So, it is important to get the right speeds. For me, the mantra is controlled aggression to maximise the points,” Gill, a three times FIA Asia Pacific Rally champion, said.

    Sherif, 50, from Kasargod, in response to felicitations on reaching a milestone of 300 rallies, said: “It started as a hobby in 1993 but soon became a full-time passion and I never thought I would do so many rallies without a break. I thank all the drivers, sponsors, crews, teammates, and my fans, for this wonderful moment. It is they who gave me these opportunities.”

    Musa Sherif, will be starting his 300th rally. Starting as a rider in 1993, he shifted to cars in 1995. These 300 include bike rallies, four-wheeler rallies and also the TSD . rallies, both in India and abroad, for an overall triple century. He read pace notes and “called” for 49 different drivers and competed in 69 international events. Some of the top drivers who he ably assisted were Gaurav Gill, Karamjit Singh and Naren Kumar. He was nominated for Khel Ratna by the federation last year. He won 35 INRC 4W rounds out of which 33 victories came with Arjuna Awardee Gaurav Gill, the longest and greatest partnership ever in the history of Indian National Rally Championship.

    Leader in the INRC-2 category after a class win in the first round at Coimbatore a fortnight back, Palakkad’s Fabid Ahmer said: “The terrain is very technical, rough and bumpy. It is a challenge to understand the car at these speeds, but I have made good pace notes with my co-driver and am looking forward to a fast rally.”

    Echoing the sentiments, Mujeeb Rehman, winner of the INRC-4 class in Coimbatore, said: “The terrain is super. I like the fast stages and as they are technically tough, co-ordination with co-driver is very important.”

    Special invitees to the press conference were two top female drivers, Dr. Shivani Pruthvi from Davangere and Pragati Gowda (Bengaluru) who recently represented India in the Formula Woman McLaren (GT) trials in England. Both concurred that the Special Stages are “fast with flowing corners”, but the terrain called for a bit of caution.

    Dr. Shivani Pruthvi:

    “First stage has fast and flowing corners while there are rough, narrow and tight corners that will challenge us in the second stage. So it is very technical and it is important to keep the basics right,” said the Doctor from Davangere, who is also competing in the Junior INRC.

    Pragathi Gowda, who just represented India in the Formula Woman selections in England for a seat in the McLaren Customer Racing drive in the GT said: “Bringing the car home will be our primary goal as the stages are quite tricky compared to Coimbatore. There are uphill and downhill sections with fast-moving corners. We are game for it and looking forward to a good rally.”

    “The iconic K1000 is the mother of all rallies as it is the only rally in India which is active from 1975. The stages for the 45th edition are a re-visit to the 2014 stages and will challenge the drivers’ skills. All safety aspects are taken care of and I wish all the drivers a safe rally,” said Praneeth Perumal, Clerk of the Course, and a veteran administrator of KMSC.

    Pragathi Gowda said: “Bringing the car home will be our primary goal as the stages are quite tricky compared to Coimbatore. There are uphill and downhill sections with fast corners. We are game for it and looking forward to a good rally.”

    About the FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2021The Indian National Rally Championship 2021, promoted by The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India, comprises three rounds – Rally of Coimbatore (Feb 25-27), Karnataka-1000 (March 11-13) and the South India Rally (Chennai, March 25-27). The grid is segregated into five categories based on various specifications – the INRC, INRC-2, INRC-3, INRC-4 and Junior INRC (26 years and below, and without a win). Competitors are eligible for Overall classification and also separately in their respective categories. The top 15 finishers are eligible for points ranging from 30 to 1. The five quickest on each of the two days (Leg-1 and Leg-2) and in each category receive bonus points (5 to 1) in the respective Legs provided they complete the Rally. The maximum points that can be won in each round is 40. A stand-alone sixth category, the FMSCI Gypsy Challenge, restricted to Maruti Gypsy, and not eligible for championship points or classification, completes the grid.

  • Historic K1000 to begin 45th edition on Friday; 300th rally start for Musa Sherif

    Historic K1000 to begin 45th edition on Friday; 300th rally start for Musa Sherif

    Bengaluru, 9 March 2022: The historic Karnataka-1000 Rally, popularly known as K1000, the longest running rally in India, will see a revival of sorts this weekend when the cream of Indian rallying descends on the dirt stages near Tumkur for the second round of the delayed FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) 2021 that will begin with recce on Friday. Motorsports stalwart Musa Sherif will be entering his 300th rally as a navigator.

    The thrice postponed INRC, saw the departure of Promoters Champions Yacht Club after the Vizag round became a non-starter due to lack of police permissions. Thus, the 7-round original calendar was reduced to three after the FMSCI took upon itself to host three rounds and successfully completed the Coimbatore leg last month. However, they failed to find a sponsor for the iconic Indian Rally Nationals that acquired a National championship status in 1988. But the tyre giants, MRF chipped in once again, but the pandemic hit corporate got involved only as an Associate Sponsor. The event, which has been continuously organised by the Karnataka Motor Sports Club (KMSC), annually since 1975, save for a couple of years, was hit by the pandemic last year after it was dropped from the calendar in 2020.

    However, the 45th edition to be held from March 11 to 13, has attracted 53 entries with giants Gaurav Gill and Musa Sherif beginning as strong contenders. Musa, 50, a native of Kasargod, is knocking on the doors of a huge record as he steps into the Rally car for his personal milestone of 300 rallies, in a non-stop motor sports career of 30 years that began in 1993 as a teenager.

    Musa Sherif – all set for 300th Rally of his career. Photo: Anand Philar

    After a ceremonial flag-off in Bengaluru at the Fairfield Marriott on Friday evening, the action shifts to the Special Stages near Tumakuru, about 65 Kms from the State capital, for a two-day competition on Saturday and Sunday. The total distance of the Rally is 159.82 km of which 121.72 km forms the competitive section.

    Clerk-of-the-Course (CoC) Praneeth Perumal said: “The Karnataka Motor Sports Club welcomes all the competitors to the iconic Karnataka-1000 Rally which we are organising after a gap of two years. The response has been good, going by the 53 entries we have received.

    “Being one of the oldest rallies in India, K-1000 occupies a special place in the country’s motorsport ethos. The event was held every year without a break for over four decades before the pandemic interrupted. The Special Stages, located near Tumakuru, are fairly quick and smooth. We do hope that the competitors have a safe, successful and enjoyable run this weekend.”

    Fabid Ahmer, who lost the 2019 championship by a whisker, losing in road penalties, will be gunning to challenge JK Tyre’s big brother and Guru Gaurav Gill, at K1000.

    The FMSCI INRC 2021 comprises of three rounds – Rally of Coimbatore (Feb 25-27), Karnataka-1000 (March 11-13) and the South India Rally (Chennai, March 25-27).

    With barely a fortnight’s turnaround time between the first round in Coimbatore and the Karnataka-1000, the service crews of the competitors have been working overtime to get the cars in shape after many of them received a pounding in the first round which saw 33 retirements across all categories, including seven times National champion Gaurav Gill (co-driver Musa Sherif).

    Delhi-based Gill, 40, the triple FIA Asia-Pacific Rally champion and Arjuna Award winner, will be keen to add a seventh K-1000 crown after last winning it in 2017.

    Apart from favourite Gill, the performance of Coimbatore round winner (Overall and INRC-3), Aditya Thakur (co-driver Virender Kashyap) from Himachal, will be closely watched. The 32-year old farmer from Rasol showed good pace to pick up 38 of the maximum 40 points and heads the Overall leaderboard, nine clear of second-placed Fabid Ahmer (G Sanath) from Palakkad, with Gurugram’s Sahil Khanna (KN Harish, Bengaluru), a further three points adrift in third.

    Mujeeb Rehman, who was briefly in Yellow Colours after his class win in Itanagar last year, is back in favourite Greens, leading the INRC 4 class.

    The leaders in other categories of the National championship, promoted by the FMSCI, after Round-1 are: Fabid Ahmer (co-driver G Sanath) in INRC-2; Aditya Thakur (Virender Kashyap) in Overall and INRC-3; Kasargod’s Mujeeb Rehman (co-driver Ravindra Kumar, Bengaluru)) in INRC-4; Coimbatore’s Raghuram Saminathan (Bharat Sargur, Bengaluru) in Junior INRC.

    Gurugram’s Rupender Sheoran (Mohit Malik, Faridabad) heads the non-championship FMSCI Gypsy Challenge category.

    About the FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship 2021

    The Indian National Rally Championship 2021, promoted by The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India is segregated into five categories based on various specifications, the INRC, INRC-2, INRC-3, INRC-4 and Junior INRC (26 years and below, and without a win).

    Competitors are eligible for Overall classification and also separately in their respective categories. The top-15 finishers are eligible for points ranging from 30 to 1. The five quickest on each of the two days (Leg-1 and Leg-2) and in each category receive bonus points (5 points for 1st…, 4 for 2nd, 3 for 3rd, 2 for 4th and 1 for 5th) in the respective Legs only if they complete the Rally and bring the car home (Parc Ferme). The maximum points that can be won in each round is 40. A stand-alone sixth category, the FMSCI Gypsy Challenge, restricted to Maruti Gypsy, completes the grid. The gypsy drivers are not eligible for championship points or classification.

  • Llarena-Fernández of MRF Tyres win Spanish Rally Round 1

    Llarena-Fernández of MRF Tyres win Spanish Rally Round 1

    Madrid, 6 March 2022: It was a successful start to the year for Team MRF Tyres in the Spanish Rally Championship with Efrén Llarena and Sara Fernández winning the Rally Tierras Altas de Lorca.

    The opening round of the ‘Supercampeonato de España de Rallyes’ saw a star studded field and many crews competed on MRF Tyres.

    The rally took place on gravel over eight stages and 105.84 competitive kilometres and Llarena/Fernández were immediately competitive in their Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo.

    The moved into the lead by the halfway point in the rally and then controlled the event with two stage wins to win the event by 23.6 seconds.

    The outright win is a valuable boost as MRF Tyres prepares for the opening round of the FIA European Rally Championship next weekend.

    Competitors on MRF Tyres also won in other categories.

    Delbin García and Diago Cruz Ares won the Beca Júnior R2 RFEdA class in their Peugeot 208 Rally4, taking the class win by over a minute from their nearest competitor.

    It was a double success in the N5 category with Oriol Gómez Marco and José Murado González winning the category in their Nissan Micra N5.

    Their MRF Tyres counterparts of Marcos Canedo López and Miguel Ángel Vilas Martínez took third in their Peugeot 208 N5.

    In total there were 11 entrants running on MRF Tyres in the opening round of Spanish Rally Championship and with the outstanding results, it demonstrates the pace of the tyre and proves the development work achieved over the past two years.

    Team MRF Tyres now turns its attention to the first round of the FIA European Rally Championship with the Rally Serras de Fafe – Felgueiras – Cabreira e Botica or the Fafe Rally.

    Three drivers will compete for the win on MRF Tyres with Llarena/Fernández looking for another win. Norbert Herczig and Igor Bacigál join the team with Simone Campedelli and Tania Canton returning for another campaign.

  • Rugved bags a golden double; Prajwal, Jinendra sparkle

    Rugved bags a golden double; Prajwal, Jinendra sparkle

    Raipur, 7 March 2022: Rugved Barguje of TVS Racing dominated the proceedings spearheading a successful TVS romp with a golden double in the feature event while young Jinendra Sangave and upcoming Prajwal, too, bagged a brace in the MRF National Supercross Bike Racing championship which attracted a crowd of over 30,000 at the Budha Para Outdoor Stadium here on Sunday under floodlights.

    Ably organised by Chhattisgarh Motor Sports Association (CGMSA) to promote tourism and adventure, the tiny state rose to the occasion and hosted a glittering gala as the cream of Supercross talent from all over the country descended on the State capital. The Chief Minister of Chhattisgrah, Bhupesh Baghel, who arrived on a motorcycle, into the packed stadium to a standing ovation, to inaugurate the mega event and, Supercross was back with a bang after a two-year haitus due to the pandemic.

    Astride a TVS RTR 300, the 21-year Barguje, took the hole shot in both the motos and withstood immense pressure from veteran CD Jinnan of Thrussur to bag the feature event with 40 points. The under-16 and 2016 Foreign Open champion, who graduated to the top class, won the first moto comfortably to lead the TVS campaign.

    TVS Racing also bagged the prestigious Indian Experts class with Imran Pasha of Mysuru beating teammate and former National champion R Nataraj. Arun (Hassan) took the bronze to make it an all-Karnataka affair. Jinendra Sangave, 12, from Kolhapur displayed his wares with superb bike control to not only win both the Junior SX1 but punched about his weight, getting a podium in the Foreign Open SX2 class.

    Bengaluru’s Prajval V, son of former bike champion TK Viswanath, got his golden double in the SX2, the Foreign Open class. Meanwhile, Akshat Hupale of Pune, making his debut in a major event, also claimed two gold in the Junior SX2 while Arun from Hassan, Banteiling (Shillong) and Kamendra Saho (Raipur) won their classes.

    Russian Freestyle Motocross experts and stunt riders thrilled the spectators with amazing acrobatics and super stunts jumping over 50 feet in the sky.

    Secretary, Chhattisgarh Motor Sports Association, Umesh Bansi said: “It is the endeavour of CGMSA to promote motorsports and, Supercross with freestyle jumps fitted the bill. Thanks to the support from the government, the event became a roaring success promoting tourism and adventure. We thank the Chief Minister, Tourism Department, MRF and all the riders and teams as Raipur establishes itself in the motorsports map of India.”

    “Indian motorsports has not seen an event of this magnitude. It was meticulously organised and the we are having Supercross in an outdoor stadium after many years. The huge crowds and the enormous support from the government, made it a huge success,” Shyam Kothari, a past legend The 7-time National champion is the brain behind the Supercross championships in India.

    Provisional Results: Class 1 – SX Foreign Open Class (2 motos): 1. Rigved Burguje (TVS Racing, Pune) 40 points; 2. CD Jinnan (TVS Racing, Thrissur) 34; 3.  Prajwal V (Privateer, Bengaluru) 28.

    Class 2 – Novice  Group C (1 Moto): 1. Banteilang Jerwa (TVS Racing, Shillong) 20; 2. Sachin D (TVS Racing, Bengaluru) 17; 3. Anthony L (Pvt. Shillong) 15.

    Class 3 – Junior SX2 (2 motos): 1. Akshat Hupale (Pune) 40; 2. Dev Agastya (Bengaluru) 28; 2. Yash Shinde (Pune) 28;  2. Aleena Shaikh (Bengaluru) 28 (All 3 tied on 28points).

    Class 4 – Local Class Group B: 1. Kamendra Saho 20; 2. Premnath Yadav 17; Praveen Yadav 15 (All Raipur).

    Class 5 – INDIAN EXPERTS Class C (1 moto): 1. Imran Pasha (TVS Racing, Mysore) 20; 2. R Nataraj (TVS Racing, Bengaluru) 17; 3. Arun (Hassan) 15.

    Class 6 – Private Experts Group C (1 moto): 1. Arun (Hassan) 20; 2. Jayden WN (Shillong) 17; 3. Darren DK (Shillong) 15.

    Class 7 – SX2 FOREIGN OPEN Class Group A (2 motos): 1. Prajwal V (Bengaluru) 40; 2. Jinendra Sangave (Kolhapur) 32; 3. Jatin Jain (Nagpur) 28.

    Class 8 – Junior SX1 (2 Motos): 1. Jinendra Sangave (Pvt. Kolhapur) 40; 2. Jayden WN (Pvt. Shillong) 34; 3. Mangal Patidar (Indore) 28.

  • Raipur to host National Supercross and scintillating stunts

    Raipur to host National Supercross and scintillating stunts

    Raipur (Chhattisgarh), 4 March 2021: Top Indian motorcycle racing talent is all set to descend in the Capital city to promote adventure sports and tourism as the much-awaited National Dirt Supercross Bike Racing Tournament organised by Chhattisgarh Motor Sports Association kicks off at the Budhapara Outdoor Stadium here on Saturday.

    Secretary, Chhattisgarh Motor Sports Association, Umesh Bansi said: “Top racing talent from all over the country will be here to take part in the National event. The practice sessions will start on Saturday at 1.30 pm. Some of the National champions and many talented Supercross riders will be seen in action as an event of this magnitude is being held in the State for the first time. “

    The tournament will be inaugurated on Sunday, the March 6th at 4 pm by the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh. Riders from all over the country have arrived in Raipur and will race under the floodlight for the next two days. One hundred and fifty trucks of mud track was used to create a motocross track and a huge man-made landing area was put in place for the two Russian bike riders to showcase their throbbing freestyle motocross feats in the air.

    Russians at Raipur displaying their freestyle motocross stunts. Photo by Faisal Khan

    The supercross bike racing event will be followed by a freestyle motorsport event by international riders from Russia in which riders will be seen tossing several feet of bikes to perform acrobatics. Younger riders will be a special attraction

    Dirt bike rider just 11 years old and has so far competed in many championships, many young people including Alina Mansoor Shaikh, 12-year-old bike rider Anastaya and 9-year-old Yash Shinde, one of the country’s youngest dirt bike riders. Riders will participate in this bike racing taking place on 6th March.

    Association’s media in-charge Atul Srivastava told that there will be 10 rounds under foreign open competition, five in class two under Novice, six under Indian in class three and five cycles under Chhattisgarh in class four. Only residents will be able to participate. Each class will have at least half a dozen bike riders. If there are 10 bike riders in a class then five will be awarded and less than 10 the best performing rider will be declared the winner. At the same time, photographers will also be rewarded for the best photography.

    According to the technical rules in the competition, three groups A, B and C have been made for all the players participating in it. Players will have to get personal accident insurance of Rs 5 lakh. Participants will also have to bring a medical certificate from a Registered Medical Practitioner.

    Registration for participating in the Supercross bike racing event has already started. After registration, a trial and practice session will be held on March 5.
    On March 5, spectators can enjoy this event without any pass. On March 6, only invited people will be allowed to enter the venue.

    After the program, prize distribution will be done at 9.30 pm. Prize distribution program Chief Guest will be Honourable Chief Minister of Chhattisgrah Shri Bhupesh Baghel ji.

  • Lightening strikes twice at Madras Race Track as Hemanth Muddappa does a Houdini: Drag National

    Lightening strikes twice at Madras Race Track as Hemanth Muddappa does a Houdini: Drag National

    Chennai, 27 February 2022: Lightening strikes twice at the iconic Madras Race Track’s drag strip of 302-km. Aptly nicknamed LightningR1, Hemanth Muddapa broke his own records in style and set two new circuit records along with a golden double, Bengaluru’s speed maestro of Mantra Racing annexed his ninth National title, and fifth consecutive, on Sunday at the MMSC-owned track, which hosted the third and final round of the fmsci Indian National Drag Racing Championship 2021. Amit Arora, the General Manager (Sport) said that it is an all-time record at the circuit.

    Champions list and photo gallery of all classes shot by commissioned photographer Praveen Jayakaran.

    Astride a Suzuki Hayabusa, Mudappa was the quickest in the Above 1050cc (Super Sport) category while setting a National record of 7.749 seconds over the 300-metre run. Mudappa was on a BMW S1000 R while winning the 851-1050cc (Super Sport) in a record time for 7.755seconds, also over 300 metres. In the process, he overcame his arch-rivals and fellow-Bengalureans Hafizullah Khan and Mohd Riyaz. The old record in the top 1051cc and above class stands in his name, achieved on 11 October 2020.

    Mudappa’s exploits also helped his team, Mantra Racing, Bengaluru, to clinch the team championship crown in both the categories.

    “I am very happy. We are on a mission to improve our performance every time we go out and race. Getting every bit out of the bike is a huge achievement and it is a team success. Clipping almost two-tenths is a very, very big achievement in drag racing. I have also worked on my fitness which also helped me a lot,” said Mudappa

    Meanwhile, Aiyaz (Bengaluru), Bharat Raj (Rockers Racing, Chennai), Kevin Kannan (RACR Castrol Power 1, Chennai), Lani Zena Fernandez (Speed Up Racing, Chennai), Mohd Rafiq (Bengaluru) and R Madhan Kumar (Chennai) also won the National titles in their respective categories.

    The results:

    4-Stroke Above 1050cc Super Sport: 1. Hemanth Mudappa (Mantra Racing, Bengaluru) (07.749secs – National Record); 2. Hafizullah Khan (Bengaluru) (08:301); 3. Harish Naik (Bengaluru) (08.315). National champion: Hemanth Mudappa. Champion Team: Mantra Racing, Bengaluru.

    4S 851-1050cc Super Sport: 1. Hemanth Muddappa (Mantra Racing, Bengaluru) (07.555 – National Record); 2. Tajamul Hussain (Hyderabad) (07.966); 3. Mohd Riyaz (Benaluru) (08.135). National Champion: Hemanth Mudappa. Champion Team: Mantra Racing, Bengaluru.

    4S 361-550cc Super Sport Indian: 1. Aiyaz (Bengaluru) (12.265); 2. Thulasi Ram (Bengaluru) (12.411); 3. Zuheeb Ahmed (Bengaluru) (12.463). National Champion: Aiyaz. Champion Team: Speed Up Racing, Chennai.

    4S 226-360cc Super Sport Indian: 1. Mohammed Shakir (Rockers Racing, Chennai) (12.450); 2. Bharat Raj (Rockers Racing, Chennai) (12.549); 3. Shankar Guru (Chennai) (12.763). National Champion: Bharat Raj. Champion Team: Rockers Racing, Chennai.

    4S Up to 165cc Super Sport Indian: 1. Mohan Babu (Rockers Racing, Chennai) (13.644); 2. Kevin Kannan (RACR Castrol Power 1, Chennai) (13.847); 3. Yogeswaran P (Chennai) (14.738). National Champion: Kevin Kannan. Champion Team: RACR Castrol Power 1.

    4S Girls (Up to 165cc): 1. Lani Zena Fernandez (Speed Up Racing, Chennai) (16.383); 2. Jagruti Penkar (Pune) (16.414); Soundari Ananthraj (Chennai) (16.493). National Champion: Lani Zena Fernandez. Champion Team: Speed Up Racing, Chennai.

    2-Stroke (Up to 165cc): 1. Abdul Shaikh (Bengaluru) (12.868); 2. Mohd Rafiq (Bengaluru) (12.879); 3. Aiyaz (Bengaluru) (13.002). National Champion: Mohd Rafiq.

    2S Up to 130cc: 1. R Madhan Kumar (Chennai) (13.426); 2. Goutham K (Bengaluru) (13.682); 3. Mujahid Pasha (Bengaluru) (13.703). National Champion: R Madhan Kumar.