Category: Non-F1

Amir sayed shines for Ahura Racing; Ruhaan wins Rookie race

Coimbatore, 20 Nov 2021: Amir Sayed outclassed a classy field of stars to finish on top of the podium for his new team, Ahura Racing, on the opening day of Round 2 of the 24th JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship at the Kari Motor Speedway in Chettipalayam, near here, on Saturday.

But it was Ruhaan Alva, who kept the flag flying for MSport, in the Rookie section winning over another graduate from karting and teammate Jaden R Pariat from Guwahati. The Bengaluru racer is the reigning Senior National karting champion. Aditya Parusuram of Hasten Performance completed the podium

In the Formula LGB, Amir Sayed won by less than half a second but he had the pleasure of beating Tijil Rao and experienced Sandeep Kumar, both from Dark Don Racing. All three finished within 0.600th of a second.

Ruhaan Alva continues his winning spree in Round 2 of the JK Tyre Rookie races in his first year of Formula cars at Kari Motorspeedway at Coimbatore on Saturday. JK Tyre photo

It wasn’t easy for the youngster from Kottayam. He had to battle hard right through before stamping his class. Starting fourth on the grid, he pulled off to a great start. Pole sitter Arya Singh was right up there and so was Sandeep Kumar and Tijil Rao (all from Dark Don). The safety car, which came out thrice, further added to his pressure but he withstood it all to take the checkered flag ahead of Tijil and Sandeep.

Anish Damodar Shetty of Hubbali, was in his elements once again, winning the first race of the JK Tyre Continental GT Cup Round 2, too, beating talented Thrissur youngsters Allwin Xavier and Anfal Akdar. Anish dominated the Round 1 and is leading he table.

Provisional Results:

JK Tyre Formula LGB4:

Race 1:

Amir Sayed (Ahura Racing) 26:03.085

Tijil Rao (Dark Don Racing) 26:03.524

Sandeep Kumar (Dark Don Racing) 26:04.623

JK Tyre Novice Cup:

Race 1:

Ruhaan Alva (MSport) 14:33.431

Jaden R. Pariat (MSport) 14:36.442

Aadithya Parasuram (Hasten Performance) 14:42.833

JK Tyre presents Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup:

Anish Damodara Shetty (Hubli) 13:54.772

Allwin Xavier (Thrissur) 13:55.503

Anfal Akdhar (Thrissur) 14:00.130

November 20, 2021
JK Tyre Racing Nationals Round 2 from Friday

Coimbatore, 18 Nov. 2021: Chennai’s Vishnu Prasad and Bengaluru boys Sohil Shah and Ruhaan Alva who showed fighting spirit and refused to accept defeat in the first round are raring to go in the Round 2 of the 24^th JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship (JKNRC) 2021 at the Kari Motor Speedway (KMS) which begins at the Karimotorspeedway from Friday.

There is much more in store in the second round to be held at the KMS circuit yet again this weekend. The riders and drivers, who have come from across the country, are now even better prepared and battle ready to push themselves up the order in the provisional points table.

After the first round, Vishnu heads the premier LGB Formula 4 standings with 21 points from three races followed by Sohil Shah (14 points).

Amir Sayed of Kottayam is not far behind. He is currently lying third and it is only a few points that is now separating him from his former MSport teammates.

But the top three are aware of the other drivers, who are capable of pulling off a surprise on their day. The list includes Mohamed Ryan and A. Sandeep Kumar (both Chennai), Arya Singh (West Bengal), Chirag Ghorpade (Bengaluru), T.S. Diljith (Kerala), to name a few.

The ever-popular Mira Erda from Vadodara, Gujarat, showed fine form as well battling alongside the adventurous boys. There are a host of other drivers from Delhi, Haryana and Faridabad who are also keen to show their bit of magic on the track.

The JK Tyre presents Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup, which made its debut in the opener, was equally enthralling. The bikes looked bigger and heavier but the riders were stronger and faster.

Anish Damodara Shetty from Hubli was the man in command. He was hotly challenged by Allwin Xavier from Thrissur. The duo, having tested the machines for one full round on the smooth and flowing Kari track, is expected to build an even better show during the weekend.

Raivat Dhar (Jammu) and Lani Zena Fernandez (Puducherry), the only girl racer on the grid for the RE GT Cup, will all look to better their performance in the second round.

Ruhaan Alva ruled the races in the JK Tyre Novice Cup. There was not even a slight whiff of underperformance from this youngster from Bengaluru. It’s going to be tough for the rest in fray to play catch up with him.

The exciting part of the turnover in a JK Tyre racing championship, of course, is the effort in finding new and promising talents. There are many coming in from every nook and corner of the country to test their skills in the Novice Cup.

There will three races each of JK Tyre LGB Formula 4 & JK Tyre novice Cup and 2 races of JK Tyre presents RE Continental GT cup over the weekend.

About JK Tyre Motorsport:

JK Tyre has been closely associated with the world of motorsports for almost three decades back. The company laid down a long term plan to popularise and promote the sport in the country. Its first target was to change the notion that this was a sport for the elite. So it packaged and redesigned it in a spectator-friendly way, drawing the masses to the sport.

The company then endeavored to spot, nurture and sharpen the drivers to turn them into world champions. With this goal in mind, we conceptualized the JK Tyre National Racing Champion in 1997. Our efforts started paying dividends in just a few years’ time, with the likes of Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandok going all the way to the F1 rung, the highest level of single-seat racing in the world. Since then, a number of stars emerged, including Armaan Ebrahim, the Maini brothers (Kush and Arjun), Anindith Reddy Konda, amongst many others.

Before all this, JK Tyre had a successful stint in rallying too, conquering the scene in the early 90s. At the same time, gradually, we moved on to various disciplines, including cross-country rallying and off-roading, leaving a mark in each of them with their unique and innovative ways.

JK Tyre Motorsports is also very proud of the role it has played in bringing women into motorsports in a big way. Apart from encouraging them to get into the sport through karting as kids, we also gave them opportunities in various national championships. Last year was particularly rewarding for us as an All-Women Racing team was introduced for the first time in the LGB 4 category. In addition, the company also undertook various other initiatives to encourage them to try motorsports, even if for fun to begin with.

To supplement JK Tyre’s entry into the two-wheeler market, the JKNRC hosted the Suzuki Gixxer Cup and the Red Bull Road to Rookies Cup categories and saw enthusiastic participation from across the country.

Today, the company is synonymous with motorsports, and even more so with racing, creating a lot of goodwill for the brand. Right from budding racers to accomplished drivers in the country, everybody owes their rise and success to JK Tyre.

November 18, 2021
Kyle Kumaran, Rohaan Madesh dominate

Bengaluru, 16 November 2021: Kyle Aditya Kumaran of Peregrine Racing in Senior Class and Rohaan Madesh in Junior class, dominated the proceedings in the third round of the Meco FMSCI National Karting Championship 2021 Rotax Max Class which concluded at Meco Kartopia here on Sunday.

The 18-year old Chennai born Kumaran of Peregrine Racing won by a mile, in every race he took part, clocked fastest laps and is on top of the standings in Senior Class after three rounds. Ameya Bafna, the 2012 champion, of Rayo Racing and Suriya Varathan, also from Peregrine, shared the spoils behind Kumaran in the Senior class in Round 3. Kyle Kumaran is on top of the standings after three rounds followed by Ameya Bafna of Mumbai and K Suriya Varathan of Chennai.

In Junior Class, it was Rohaan Madesh, made a comeback winning a double in Round 3 after he suffered some mechanical issues in Round 2, held on Thursday and Friday. Defending champion Ruhaan Alva of MSport, who won the Round 2 suffered a rare loss in Round 3 but retrieved some crucial points with a podium in the Finals to lead the table in Junior Class. Ishaan Madesh, the Junior of Madesh brothers, took the pole but lost out to a jump-start penalty and had to be content with two fastest laps. Abhay M of Birel Art India is second in the standings with two second places in the third round. Rohaan Madesh and Abhay M are second and third on the points table after Round 3.

Aditya Suresh Kamat of Birel Art India and Madurai karter Anuj A of MSport shared honours in Micro Max class in Round 3 with Shrili Mistry of Erda’s Racing, Vadodara, throwing a spanner in the boys’ party with a second in Pre-Finals. Arafath Sheikh (MSport) of Pune came third in the Round 3 finals. Aditya leads the table followed by Anuj in second and Arafath in third after three rounds.

Final Classification: Round 3 – Pre Final

Senior Max (18 laps): 1. Kyle Kumaran (Peregrine Racing) (17:02.325); 2. Ameya Bafna (Rayo Racing) (17;04.130); 3. K Suriya Varathan (Peregrine) (17:04.719); 3. Fastest lap: Kyle Kumaran 55.962.

Junior Max (12 laps): 1. Rohaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing) (11:25.659); 2. Ishaan Madesh (Peregrine) 11:25.834; 3. Abhay M (Birel Art India) (11:31.304); Fastest lap: Ishaan Madesh 56.312.

Micro Max: (10 laps): 1. Anuj A (MSport, Madurai) (10:34.527); 2. Shrili Mistry (Erda’s Racing, Vadodara) (10:35.053); 3. Aditya Suresh Kamat (Birel Art India, Bengaluru) (10:35.866); Fastest lap: 1:01.895 by Shrili Mistry.

Round 3 – Final: Senior Max (15 laps): 1. Kyle Kumaran (Peregrine Racing) (14:12.658); 2. K Suriya Varathan (Peregrine) (14:13.668); 3. Ameya Bafna (Rayo Racing) (14;14.154); Fastest lap: Kyle Kumaran 55.987.

Junior Max (15 laps): 1. Rohaan Madesh (Peregrine Racing) (14:20.599); 2. Abhay M (Birel Art India) (14:21.655); 3. Ruhaan Alva (MSport) (14:24.125); Fastest lap: Ishaan Madesh 56.404.Micro Max: (12 laps): 1. Aditya Suresh Kamat (Birel Art India, Bengaluru) (12:35.033); 2. Anuj A (MSport, Madurai) (12:38.402); 3. Arafath Sheikh (MSport) (12:38.632); Fastest lap: 1:01.822 Anuj A.

November 16, 2021
Aishwarya overcomes Tanika threat to keep slate clean: INRC2w Ladies Class

Puttur (Near Mangaluru), 15 Nov. 2021: Young Tanika Shanbag of Satara put up a valiant fight against FIM World Cupper Aiswarya Pissay but the Bengaluru’s rider astride an Apache RTR bull-dozed her way back, to claim her third consecutive victory in Rally de Mangaluru, the third round of the MRF MoGrip FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) 2021 for two-wheelers here on Sunday. Aishwarya clocked 50minutes 38.849seconds for her third win.

Read the men’s overall report for all classes in Round 3 here.

Tanika Shanbagh, riding a Hero Xpulse 200, came second ahead of another privateer Anam Hashim on Hero Honda Karizma. The teenager clocked 51min, 32.182sec for her second place while Anam took 1hr, 9min, 07.720seconds.

After the win Aishwarya Pissay, the defending champ, said, “I thank my team, TVS Racing and the mechanics for giving me another winning bike. I also thank Hyperice, the equipment that helps me to recover and maintain my fitness levels. The terrain is challenging and it is good for the National Rally because only such difficult terrain can prepare Indians for the tougher International rallies,” felt the six-time National, champion supported by IIFL, Sidvin, Scott, Puma India, and Go Pro. Aishwarya finished Overall 20, among 55 bikers that took the start and was ahead of 29 men and six women, who all competed on different bikes in various classes.

The Rally de Mangaluru organised in Puttur by Ace Events, headed by former National Champion Akash Aithal had two physical Special Stages, namely Karambi, a short 5.2-km dirt stage and Karikala, the slippery 15.1-km longer stage. Both the stages were run three time alternately and with the overnight rains making the roads slushy, the riders once again faced technical challenges but unlike the treacherous Kanakapura mud-traps, the Round 3 proved to be a haven.

Tanika and Aishwarya shared spoils and won three of the six special stages but while the TVS Factory Rider controlled her pace cleverly to limit the damage on the slippery surface, Tanika, nursing an ankle injury sustained in the previous round in Bengaluru rally, had to stop and clear the sticky mud on her bike. “I suffered an injury and did not want to aggravate. So I did not risk too much and stopped to clean my bike in SS3 where I lost a huge chunk of over 30 seconds. But I enjoyed my rally thoroughly as the terrain provided a challenging ride and that is what makes me happy. It is a good learning experience,” quipped the Business Administration student.

Aishwarya, who began on a ferocious note registering a blistering pace in the Karambi Special Stage, lost crucial time in SS2,. But falling back on her vast experience she extracted the best from her bike in the next four stages to bounce back brilliantly and played safe thereon, with regulated aggression on the slippery track to emerge triumphant for a clean sweep of the first three rounds in the 2021 calendar.

Bengaluru’s FIM Baja World Cup champion, claimed a solid win at Hampi and went on to take another facile victory in Round 2 at Bengaluru, conquering the technically challenging slushy terrain, and now leads the table in the woman’s category after her third win from three rounds here.

The fourth round, the Rally of Chikmagalur is scheduled for next Sunday and after two more rounds in Coimbatore and Nashik, the topper with more points is declared as the National champion. Aishwarya is well on her way to bag her sixth bike rally National title. She also won two coveted Road Racing titles.

Note: Photo added on 15th Nov 2021 with inputs from a Wordswork Press Release.

November 14, 2021

Abdul Wahid Tanveer wins Overall honours; TVS sweep continues

Mangaluru, 14 Nov 2021: TVS Racing continued to dominate the MRF MoGrip Indian National Racing Championship for two-wheelers as Dakar-prospect Abdul Wahid Tanveer romped home with a stunning overall victory in Round 3 held here on Sunday.

Abdul Tanveer, who made his debut in 2014 for TVS,has been on the rise and the #2 Bengaluru rider clocked 40minutes, 55.728 seconds for the six Special Stages, as he defeated his nearest rival and defending champion Sarath Mohan of Mallapuram by over six seconds. However, Sarath Mohan, a privateer on Husqvarna FE450 won Class 1A with Tanveer taking Class 1 gold astride a TVS Apache RTR. Imran Pasha J, also of TVS Racing came overall third, another 14 seconds behind Mohan, but won Class 4 as well. TVS also made a sweep of the scooter class.

Tanveer, who won his class in his international rally year in Merzouga in 2017 has been preparing for Dakar but COVID19 postponed his dream run. Undaunted, the Mysore rider is pulling all stops to keep his fitness and win the domestic events. Teammate and former champion Nataraj R came second while privateer Gautham Rao R completed the podium pushing out another former champion and TVS giant Rajendra RE.

In the Class IA, Sarath Mohan of Mallapuram, astride a Husqvarna FE 450 beat the Rally of Himalayas winner Aman Prabhakar Pawde on a KTM EXCF 450 while Asad Khan took third on a Suzuki RMX 450Z as all privateers ruled the roost in this top class. Ajion Abraham, Dilip Raj and Prashanth R, all on a Honda CBR Stunner 130cc, won the Class 2 in that order.

Riding a Hero Impulse 150cc, Pavan won Class 3 ahead of Sashi Kumar and Abrar Pasha, all privateers and on similar bikes. Imran Pasha J upset champion Samuel Jacob and Sachin had to be content with a third in Class 4, the TVS Apache RTR category.

Venu Ramesh Kumar, continues to defy age, as the senior most rider once again stood on the second step of the podium. But this time, Sajeesh Reghunathan, also on a KTM Duke 390 beat the Riders’ Representative to take the gold and Sravan Kumar Kuttoor on a KTM ADV 390 claimed the third place.

Mohammed Zaheer won the Bullet Class with another Belgaum rider taking the second also on a Himalayan. Naresh and Devaraj Venkatesh of Tribal Cafe, finished in that order.

TVS Racing once again dominated the Scooter Class and made amends to last round loss of a podium place by sweeping all the top-three places. Syed Asif Ali won the gold while teammates Karthik and Shamim Khan followed him in second and third, all on TVS N Torque. Adnan Ahmed won the non-championship Star of Karnataka award.

Read Ladies Class report won by World Cupper Aishwarya is here.

Class-wise Provisional Results:

Class 1

RANK

COMP NO

COMPETITOR NAME

TEAM

VEHICLE

CITY

SS1

SS2

SS3

SS4

SS5

SS6

TOTAL STAGE TIME

LIAISON PENALTY

TOTAL RUN TIME

ABDUL WAHID TANVEER

TVS Racing

TVS APACHE RTR

BENGALURU

10:11.718

04:01.472

09:43.207

03:43.886

09:37.875

03:37.570

00:40:55.728

–

00:40:55.728

NATARAJ R

TVS Racing

TVS APACHE RTR

BENGALURU

11:00.945

04:26.429

10:36.121

04:02.156

10:18.675

03:54.152

00:44:18.478

–

00:44:18.478

GOUTHAM RAO R

Privateer

TVS APACHE RTR 200

BENGALURU

12:51.902

04:13.968

12:07.406

04:11.460

11:53.753

04:07.722

00:49:26.211

–

00:49:26.211

RAJENDRA R E

TVS Racing

TVS APACHE RTR

HOSUR

DNF

–

Class 1A

RANK

COMP NO

COMPETITOR NAME

TEAM

VEHICLE

CITY

SS1

SS2

SS3

SS4

SS5

SS6

TOTAL STAGE TIME

LIAISON PENALTY

TOTAL RUN TIME

SARATH MOHAN

Privateer

HUSQVARANA FE 450

MALLAPURAM

09:58.656

03:45.433

09:56.316

03:32.097

09:54.031

03:55.472

00:41:02.005

–

00:41:02.005

AMAN PRABHAKAR PAWDE

Privateer

KTM EXCF 450

NAGPUR

10:46.445

04:30.375

10:57.597

03:46.031

10:37.277

03:47.277

00:44:25.002

–

00:44:25.002

ASAD KHAN

Privateer

SUZUKI RMX 450Z

CHICKMAGALUR

11:23.011

04:11.164

11:12.753

04:00.054

10:48.074

03:54.027

00:45:29.083

–

00:45:29.083

JATIN JAIN

Privateer

KTM EXCF 250

NAGPUR

11:47.609

04:09.433

11:48.105

04:04.562

11:17.015

03:57.480

00:47:04.204

–

00:47:04.204

RAKESH NAGARAJA

Privateer

KTM EXCF 250

BANGALORE

13:00.613

04:37.371

12:04.226

04:16.148

11:42.281

04:14.539

00:49:55.178

–

00:49:55.178

PRAVITH PAVITHRAN

Privateer

KTM EXCF 450

THRISSUR

DNF

–

Class 2

RANK

COMP NO

COMPETITOR NAME

TEAM

VEHICLE

CITY

SS1

SS2

SS3

SS4

SS5

SS6

TOTAL STAGE TIME

LIAISON PENALTY

TOTAL RUN TIME

AJIN ABRAHAM

Privateer

HONDA CBR STUNNER 130 CC

KERALA

12:16.730

05:46.441

12:03.121

04:01.925

11:38.316

03:57.777

00:49:44.310

–

00:49:44.310

DILIP RAJ

Privateer

HONDA CBR STUNNER 130 CC

CHICKMAGALUR

13:57.636

04:34.554

13:13.273

04:33.996

13:25.222

04:26.480

00:54:11.161

–

00:54:11.161

PRASHANTH R

Privateer

HONDA CBR STUNNER 130 CC

BENGALURU

13:58.871

04:42.335

13:52.480

04:54.425

13:30.371

04:35.187

00:55:33.669

–

00:55:33.669

CHALASS K BOSE

Privateer

HONDA CBR STUNNER 130 CC

KOTTAYAM

12:12.558

04:09.226

22:15.210

04:54.757

12:00.195

04:06.230

00:59:38.176

–

00:59:38.176

RAHUL SHRIYAN

Privateer

HONDA STUNNER 130 CC

MANGALORE

21:59.417

04:44.367

14:46.605

04:30.753

13:47.335

04:33.425

01:04:21.902

–

01:04:21.902

DURGESH

Privateer

HONDA CBR STUNNER 130 CC

BENGALURU

DNF

–

NITESH G POOJARI

Privateer

HONDA STUNNER 130 CC

MANGALORE

14:56.894

04:28.687

13:02.425

04:14.246

DNF

04:27.152

–

DEEPAK NAIDU

Privateer

YAMAHA YBX 125

BENGALURU

14:13.190

04:19.880

13:08.730

08:23.113

12:05.175

DNF

–

Class 3

RANK

COMP NO

COMPETITOR NAME

TEAM

VEHICLE

CITY

SS1

SS2

SS3

SS4

SS5

SS6

TOTAL STAGE TIME

LIAISON PENALTY

TOTAL RUN TIME

PAVAN B K

Privateer

HERO IMPULSE 150

BENGALURU

11:24.148

04:01.898

11:07.148

03:49.562

11:14.800

03:52.453

00:45:30.009

–

00:45:30.009

SASIKUMAR K

Privateer

HERO IMPULSE 150

COIMBATORE

12:11.527

03:53.929

11:25.839

03:55.652

11:37.539

03:51.878

00:46:56.364

–

00:46:56.364

ABRAR PASHA

Privateer

HERO IMPULSE 150

SHIMOGA

12:53.019

03:56.343

12:00.562

03:52.746

12:08.433

04:01.210

00:48:52.313

–

00:48:52.313

ANOOP MANJAPPA

Privateer

HERO IMPULSE 150

BENGALURU

13:54.687

04:49.781

15:49.636

04:28.226

13:16.218

04:28.496

00:56:47.044

–

00:56:47.044

Class 4

RANK

COMP NO

COMPETITOR NAME

TEAM

VEHICLE

CITY

SS1

SS2

SS3

SS4

SS5

SS6

TOTAL STAGE TIME

LIAISON PENALTY

TOTAL RUN TIME

IMRAN PASHA J

TVS Racing

TVS APACHE RTR

MYSURU

10:07.988

03:53.003

09:56.621

03:41.617

09:54.613

03:42.253

00:41:16.095

–

00:41:16.095

SAMUEL JACOB

TVS Racing

TVS APACHE RTR

HOSUR

10:25.191

03:45.625

10:15.304

03:38.410

10:03.054

03:33.757

00:41:41.341

–

00:41:41.341

SACHIN D

TVS Racing

TVS APACHE RTR

HOSUR

11:00.480

03:47.906

10:30.687

03:44.191

10:12.238

03:47.617

00:43:03.119

–

00:43:03.119

TRINESH V

Privateer

TVS APACHE

HOSKOTE

12:08.812

04:02.011

11:21.968

03:48.289

11:05.972

03:43.363

00:46:10.415

–

00:46:10.415

ANAND JAYAKRISHNAN J C

Privateer

HERO XPULSE 200

TRIVANDRUM

13:04.382

04:29.117

12:34.968

04:26.828

12:51.695

04:29.210

00:51:56.200

–

00:51:56.200

Class 5

RANK

COMP NO

COMPETITOR NAME

TEAM

VEHICLE

CITY

SS1

SS2

SS3

SS4

SS5

SS6

TOTAL STAGE TIME

LIAISON PENALTY

TOTAL RUN TIME

SAJEESH REGHUNATHAN

Privateer

KTM DUKE 390

BENGALURU

14:12.757

04:45.207

14:18.949

04:27.500

12:09.425

04:17.394

00:54:11.232

–

00:54:11.232

VENU RAMESHKUMAR V

Privateer

KTM DUKE 390

COIMBATORE

15:12.984

04:46.640

13:36.808

05:07.339

13:42.515

04:37.957

00:57:04.243

–

00:57:04.243

SRAVAN KUMAR KUTTOOR

Privateer

KTM ADV 390

HYDERABAD

13:30.539

05:08.472

15:55.929

04:51.492

15:07.972

04:51.816

00:59:26.220

–

00:59:26.220

Class 6

RANK

COMP NO

COMPETITOR NAME

TEAM

VEHICLE

CITY

SS1

SS2

SS3

SS4

SS5

SS6

TOTAL STAGE TIME

LIAISON PENALTY

TOTAL RUN TIME

MOHAMMED ZAHEER

Privateer

ROYAL ENFIELD HIMALAYAN 411 CC

BENGALURU

12:44.613

04:41.621

12:45.578

04:27.679

11:48.929

04:20.277

00:50:48.697

–

00:50:48.697

NARESH V S

Privateer

ROYAL ENFIELD HIMALAYAN 411 CC

BENGALURU

12:50.660

04:32.980

12:25.035

04:19.839

12:20.546

04:33.011

00:51:02.071

–

00:51:02.071

DEVRAJ VENKATESH

Privateer

ROYAL ENFIELD HIMALAYAN 411 CC

BENGALURU

13:26.964

06:01.453

14:13.265

04:35.566

12:36.925

04:15.761

00:55:09.934

–

00:55:09.934

SHARATH KUMAR

Privateer

ROYAL ENFIELD HIMALAYAN 411 CC

BENGALURU

12:55.699

04:39.710

25:01.429

04:31.277

11:39.265

04:25.449

01:03:12.829

–

01:03:12.829

ABHIJITH SARKAR

Privateer

ROYAL ENFIELD HIMALAYAN 411 CC

BANGALORE

14:18.722

05:28.804

14:14.847

05:34.253

DNF

–

Class 7

RANK

COMP NO

COMPETITOR NAME

TEAM

VEHICLE

CITY

SS1

SS2

SS3

SS4

SS5

SS6

TOTAL STAGE TIME

LIAISON PENALTY

TOTAL RUN TIME

SYED ASIF ALI

TVS Racing

TVS N TORQ

BENGALURU

12:49.308

04:17.085

12:13.808

04:10.011

12:22.324

04:12.941

00:50:05.477

–

00:50:05.477

KARTHIK

TVS Racing

TVS N TORQ

BENGALURU

13:19.179

04:31.250

12:26.636

04:13.382

12:06.812

04:03.691

00:50:40.950

–

00:50:40.950

SHAMIM KHAN

TVS Racing

TVS N TORQ

HOSUR

13:19.082

04:23.835

12:51.464

04:14.757

12:36.476

04:19.781

00:51:45.395

–

00:51:45.395

SUBRAMANYA T

Privateer

TVS N TORQ

BENGALURU

16:08.207

04:37.117

13:19.578

04:23.843

12:52.921

04:13.238

00:55:34.904

–

00:55:34.904

ABHIJIT SHETTY

Privateer

TVS N TORQ

BENGALURU

DNF

–

Class 8

RANK

COMP NO

COMPETITOR NAME

TEAM

VEHICLE

CITY

SS1

SS2

SS3

SS4

SS5

SS6

TOTAL STAGE TIME

LIAISON PENALTY

TOTAL RUN TIME

AISHWARYA PISSAY M

Privateer

TVS APACHE RTR

BENGALURU

12:26.617

04:55.621

12:19.554

04:19.296

12:10.363

04:27.398

00:50:38.849

–

00:50:38.849

TANIKA SHANBHAG

Privateer

HERO XPULSE 200

BENGALURU

12:45.160

04:17.281

13:07.707

04:18.601

12:46.234

04:17.199

00:51:32.182

–

00:51:32.182

ANAM HASHIM

Privateer

HERO HONDA KARIZMA 223

PUNE

18:14.074

05:47.933

17:15.953

05:42.937

16:40.710

05:26.113

01:09:07.720

–

01:09:07.720

APOORVA B

Privateer

HERO IMPULSE 200

MANGALORE

21:05.773

05:32.093

18:31.214

05:17.285

17:37.468

05:07.605

01:13:11.438

–

01:13:11.438

SNEHA CC

Privateer

HERO XPULSE 200

THRISSUR

25:04.250

05:32.566

19:32.511

05:19.089

16:47.210

05:17.097

01:17:32.723

–

01:17:32.723

SUSHMITHA V

Privateer

TVS APACHE RTR

BENGALURU

22:55.480

07:49.667

25:57.230

06:02.550

23:49.714

06:15.679

01:32:50.320

–

01:32:50.320

STAR OF KARNATAKA

RANK

COMP NO

COMPETITOR NAME

TEAM

VEHICLE

CITY

SS1

SS2

SS3

SS4

SS5

SS6

TOTAL STAGE TIME

LIAISON PENALTY

TOTAL RUN TIME

ADNAN AHMED

Privateer

HERO XPULSE 200

MANGALORE

11:10.753

03:55.839

10:44.988

03:48.480

10:40.156

03:44.937

00:44:05.153

–

00:44:05.153

FRANCIS P V

Privateer

HERO IMPULSE 150

CHICKMAGALUR

13:01.347

03:59.753

12:04.097

04:04.023

11:49.035

03:54.968

00:48:53.223

–

00:48:53.223

BHARATH P

Privateer

HERO XPULSE 200

BANGALORE

13:17.718

04:33.273

12:37.632

04:48.742

12:45.031

04:36.437

00:52:38.833

–

00:52:38.833

NADEEM AHAMED

Privateer

HERO IMPULSE 150

MYSURU

14:35.292

05:50.257

13:25.593

04:18.453

12:30.242

04:14.035

00:54:53.872

–

00:54:53.872

MOHAMMAD IBRAHIM BAWA

Privateer

HERO IMPULSE 150

MANGALORE

14:56.503

04:35.867

13:43.628

05:16.445

14:54.886

04:36.679

00:58:04.008

–

00:58:04.008

SARATH P S

Privateer

HERO XPULSE 200

BENGALURU

27:37.867

06:34.105

22:47.976

07:45.777

18:08.687

06:24.839

01:29:19.251

–

01:29:19.251

AKSHAY RAJSHEKAR URS

Privateer

HERO XPULSE 200

MANGALORE

12:37.839

06:40.890

DNF

–

NAGA CHAITHANYA M G

Privateer

HERO XPULSE 200

BENGALURU

14:25.167

05:34.707

DNF

–

MOHAMMED ISRAR

Privateer

HERO IMPULSE 150

MYSURU

13:44.906

04:41.593

12:48.714

DNF

–

OVERALL PROVISIONAL/FINAL RESULTS

RANK

COMP NO

COMPETITOR NAME

TEAM

VEHICLE

CLASS

CITY

SS1

SS2

SS3

SS4

SS5

SS6

TOTAL STAGE TIME

LIAISON PENALTY

TOTAL RUN TIME

ABDUL WAHID TANVEER

TVS Racing

TVS APACHE RTR

Class 1

BENGALURU

10:11.718

04:01.472

09:43.207

03:43.886

09:37.875

03:37.570

00:40:55.728

–

00:40:55.728

SARATH MOHAN

Privateer

HUSQVARANA FE 450

Class 1A

MALLAPURAM

09:58.656

03:45.433

09:56.316

03:32.097

09:54.031

03:55.472

00:41:02.005

–

00:41:02.005

IMRAN PASHA J

TVS Racing

TVS APACHE RTR

Class 4

MYSURU

10:07.988

03:53.003

09:56.621

03:41.617

09:54.613

03:42.253

00:41:16.095

–

00:41:16.095

SAMUEL JACOB

TVS Racing

TVS APACHE RTR

Class 4

HOSUR

10:25.191

03:45.625

10:15.304

03:38.410

10:03.054

03:33.757

00:41:41.341

–

00:41:41.341

SACHIN D

TVS Racing

TVS APACHE RTR

Class 4

HOSUR

11:00.480

03:47.906

10:30.687

03:44.191

10:12.238

03:47.617

00:43:03.119

–

00:43:03.119

ADNAN AHMED

Privateer

HERO XPULSE 200

STAR OF KARNATAKA

MANGALORE

11:10.753

03:55.839

10:44.988

03:48.480

10:40.156

03:44.937

00:44:05.153

–

00:44:05.153

NATARAJ R

TVS Racing

TVS APACHE RTR

Class 1

BENGALURU

11:00.945

04:26.429

10:36.121

04:02.156

10:18.675

03:54.152

00:44:18.478

–

00:44:18.478

AMAN PRABHAKAR PAWDE

Privateer

KTM EXCF 450

Class 1A

NAGPUR

10:46.445

04:30.375

10:57.597

03:46.031

10:37.277

03:47.277

00:44:25.002

–

00:44:25.002

ASAD KHAN

Privateer

SUZUKI RMX 450Z

Class 1A

CHICKMAGALUR

11:23.011

04:11.164

11:12.753

04:00.054

10:48.074

03:54.027

00:45:29.083

–

00:45:29.083

PAVAN B K

Privateer

HERO IMPULSE 150

Class 3

BENGALURU

11:24.148

04:01.898

11:07.148

03:49.562

11:14.800

03:52.453

00:45:30.009

–

00:45:30.009

TRINESH V

Privateer

TVS APACHE

Class 4

HOSKOTE

12:08.812

04:02.011

11:21.968

03:48.289

11:05.972

03:43.363

00:46:10.415

–

00:46:10.415

SASIKUMAR K

Privateer

HERO IMPULSE 150

Class 3

COIMBATORE

12:11.527

03:53.929

11:25.839

03:55.652

11:37.539

03:51.878

00:46:56.364

–

00:46:56.364

JATIN JAIN

Privateer

KTM EXCF 250

Class 1A

NAGPUR

11:47.609

04:09.433

11:48.105

04:04.562

11:17.015

03:57.480

00:47:04.204

–

00:47:04.204

ABRAR PASHA

Privateer

HERO IMPULSE 150

Class 3

SHIMOGA

12:53.019

03:56.343

12:00.562

03:52.746

12:08.433

04:01.210

00:48:52.313

–

00:48:52.313

FRANCIS P V

Privateer

HERO IMPULSE 150

STAR OF KARNATAKA

CHICKMAGALUR

13:01.347

03:59.753

12:04.097

04:04.023

11:49.035

03:54.968

00:48:53.223

–

00:48:53.223

GOUTHAM RAO R

Privateer

TVS APACHE RTR 200

Class 1

BENGALURU

12:51.902

04:13.968

12:07.406

04:11.460

11:53.753

04:07.722

00:49:26.211

–

00:49:26.211

AJIN ABRAHAM

Privateer

HONDA CBR STUNNER 130 CC

Class 2

KERALA

12:16.730

05:46.441

12:03.121

04:01.925

11:38.316

03:57.777

00:49:44.310

–

00:49:44.310

RAKESH NAGARAJA

Privateer

KTM EXCF 250

Class 1A

BANGALORE

13:00.613

04:37.371

12:04.226

04:16.148

11:42.281

04:14.539

00:49:55.178

–

00:49:55.178

SYED ASIF ALI

TVS Racing

TVS N TORQ

Class 7

BENGALURU

12:49.308

04:17.085

12:13.808

04:10.011

12:22.324

04:12.941

00:50:05.477

–

00:50:05.477

AISHWARYA PISSAY M

Privateer

TVS APACHE RTR

Class 8

BENGALURU

12:26.617

04:55.621

12:19.554

04:19.296

12:10.363

04:27.398

00:50:38.849

–

00:50:38.849

KARTHIK

TVS Racing

TVS N TORQ

Class 7

BENGALURU

13:19.179

04:31.250

12:26.636

04:13.382

12:06.812

04:03.691

00:50:40.950

–

00:50:40.950

MOHAMMED ZAHEER

Privateer

ROYAL ENFIELD HIMALAYAN 411 CC

Class 6

BENGALURU

12:44.613

04:41.621

12:45.578

04:27.679

11:48.929

04:20.277

00:50:48.697

–

00:50:48.697

NARESH V S

Privateer

ROYAL ENFIELD HIMALAYAN 411 CC

Class 6

BENGALURU

12:50.660

04:32.980

12:25.035

04:19.839

12:20.546

04:33.011

00:51:02.071

–

00:51:02.071

TANIKA SHANBHAG

Privateer

HERO XPULSE 200

Class 8

BENGALURU

12:45.160

04:17.281

13:07.707

04:18.601

12:46.234

04:17.199

00:51:32.182

–

00:51:32.182

SHAMIM KHAN

TVS Racing

TVS N TORQ

Class 7

HOSUR

13:19.082

04:23.835

12:51.464

04:14.757

12:36.476

04:19.781

00:51:45.395

–

00:51:45.395

ANAND JAYAKRISHNAN J C

Privateer

HERO XPULSE 200

Class 4

TRIVANDRUM

13:04.382

04:29.117

12:34.968

04:26.828

12:51.695

04:29.210

00:51:56.200

–

00:51:56.200

BHARATH P

Privateer

HERO XPULSE 200

STAR OF KARNATAKA

BANGALORE

13:17.718

04:33.273

12:37.632

04:48.742

12:45.031

04:36.437

00:52:38.833

–

00:52:38.833

DILIP RAJ

Privateer

HONDA CBR STUNNER 130 CC

Class 2

CHICKMAGALUR

13:57.636

04:34.554

13:13.273

04:33.996

13:25.222

04:26.480

00:54:11.161

–

00:54:11.161

SAJEESH REGHUNATHAN

Privateer

KTM DUKE 390

Class 5

BENGALURU

14:12.757

04:45.207

14:18.949

04:27.500

12:09.425

04:17.394

00:54:11.232

–

00:54:11.232

NADEEM AHAMED

Privateer

HERO IMPULSE 150

STAR OF KARNATAKA

MYSURU

14:35.292

05:50.257

13:25.593

04:18.453

12:30.242

04:14.035

00:54:53.872

–

00:54:53.872

DEVRAJ VENKATESH

Privateer

ROYAL ENFIELD HIMALAYAN 411 CC

Class 6

BANGALORE

13:26.964

06:01.453

14:13.265

04:35.566

12:36.925

04:15.761

00:55:09.934

–

00:55:09.934

PRASHANTH R

Privateer

HONDA CBR STUNNER 130 CC

Class 2

BENGALURU

13:58.871

04:42.335

13:52.480

04:54.425

13:30.371

04:35.187

00:55:33.669

–

00:55:33.669

SUBRAMANYA T

Privateer

TVS N TORQ

Class 7

BENGALURU

16:08.207

04:37.117

13:19.578

04:23.843

12:52.921

04:13.238

00:55:34.904

–

00:55:34.904

ANOOP MANJAPPA

Privateer

HERO IMPULSE 150

Class 3

BENGALURU

13:54.687

04:49.781

15:49.636

04:28.226

13:16.218

04:28.496

00:56:47.044

–

00:56:47.044

VENU RAMESHKUMAR V

Privateer

KTM DUKE 390

Class 5

COIMBATORE

15:12.984

04:46.640

13:36.808

05:07.339

13:42.515

04:37.957

00:57:04.243

–

00:57:04.243

MOHAMMAD IBRAHIM BAWA

Privateer

HERO IMPULSE 150

STAR OF KARNATAKA

MANGALORE

14:56.503

04:35.867

13:43.628

05:16.445

14:54.886

04:36.679

00:58:04.008

–

00:58:04.008

SRAVAN KUMAR KUTTOOR

Privateer

KTM ADV 390

Class 5

HYDERABAD

13:30.539

05:08.472

15:55.929

04:51.492

15:07.972

04:51.816

00:59:26.220

–

00:59:26.220

CHALASS K BOSE

Privateer

HONDA CBR STUNNER 130 CC

Class 2

KOTTAYAM

12:12.558

04:09.226

22:15.210

04:54.757

12:00.195

04:06.230

00:59:38.176

–

00:59:38.176

SHARATH KUMAR

Privateer

ROYAL ENFIELD HIMALAYAN 411 CC

Class 6

BENGALURU

12:55.699

04:39.710

25:01.429

04:31.277

11:39.265

04:25.449

01:03:12.829

–

01:03:12.829

RAHUL SHRIYAN

Privateer

HONDA STUNNER 130 CC

Class 2

MANGALORE

21:59.417

04:44.367

14:46.605

04:30.753

13:47.335

04:33.425

01:04:21.902

–

01:04:21.902

ANAM HASHIM

Privateer

HERO HONDA KARIZMA 223

Class 8

PUNE

18:14.074

05:47.933

17:15.953

05:42.937

16:40.710

05:26.113

01:09:07.720

–

01:09:07.720

APOORVA B

Privateer

HERO IMPULSE 200

Class 8

MANGALORE

21:05.773

05:32.093

18:31.214

05:17.285

17:37.468

05:07.605

01:13:11.438

–

01:13:11.438

SNEHA CC

Privateer

HERO XPULSE 200

Class 8

THRISSUR

25:04.250

05:32.566

19:32.511

05:19.089

16:47.210

05:17.097

01:17:32.723

–

01:17:32.723

SARATH P S

Privateer

HERO XPULSE 200

STAR OF KARNATAKA

BENGALURU

27:37.867

06:34.105

22:47.976

07:45.777

18:08.687

06:24.839

01:29:19.251

–

01:29:19.251

SUSHMITHA V

Privateer

TVS APACHE RTR

Class 8

BENGALURU

22:55.480

07:49.667

25:57.230

06:02.550

23:49.714

06:15.679

01:32:50.320

–

01:32:50.320

NITESH G POOJARI

Privateer

HONDA STUNNER 130 CC

Class 2

MANGALORE

14:56.894

04:28.687

13:02.425

04:14.246

DNF

04:27.152

–

ABHIJIT SHETTY

Privateer

TVS N TORQ

Class 7

BENGALURU

DNF

–

DURGESH

Privateer

HONDA CBR STUNNER 130 CC

Class 2

BENGALURU

DNF

–

RAJENDRA R E

TVS Racing

TVS APACHE RTR

Class 1

HOSUR

DNF

–

PRAVITH PAVITHRAN

Privateer

KTM EXCF 450

Class 1A

THRISSUR

DNF

–

AKSHAY RAJSHEKAR URS

Privateer

HERO XPULSE 200

STAR OF KARNATAKA

MANGALORE

12:37.839

06:40.890

DNF

–

NAGA CHAITHANYA M G

Privateer

HERO XPULSE 200

STAR OF KARNATAKA

BENGALURU

14:25.167

05:34.707

DNF

–

MOHAMMED ISRAR

Privateer

HERO IMPULSE 150

STAR OF KARNATAKA

MYSURU

13:44.906

04:41.593

12:48.714

DNF

–

ABHIJITH SARKAR

Privateer

ROYAL ENFIELD HIMALAYAN 411 CC

Class 6

BANGALORE

14:18.722

05:28.804

14:14.847

05:34.253

DNF

–

DEEPAK NAIDU

Privateer

YAMAHA YBX 125

Class 2

BENGALURU

14:13.190

04:19.880

13:08.730

08:23.113

12:05.175

DNF

–

November 14, 2021

Athira Murali, the Kerala vlogger, dreams about McLaren GT4 races in UK

By Bodapati David

Bengaluru, 14 Nov 2021: Athira Murali, a Malayalam Vlogger and a National rally driver is looking forward to speed in Touring cars as well, a big road-racing event. She is selected for the India trials to race in ‘Formula Woman’ that will be held in Vadodara from Nov 22 to 24.

“Formula Woman UK has tied up with AutoGuru India to give women drivers in the country an opportunity to win McLaren driving seats next year and help them make a career in motorsport.”

“The two-day event, to be held at Erda’s Speedway in Vadodara, will see women drivers being assessed on five parameters — driving, go-karting, physical fitness, media, and written test. Three winners from India will progress to the UK leg where they will compete with 47 other women from across 28 participating countries,” according to Socialnews.xyz

Watch her YouTube video here.

Formula Woman, which was officially known as the Privilege Insurance Formula Woman Championship, is a female-only one-make racing series started in 2004 in the UK. It was inspired by the lack of female drivers in other series and was created, amongst other reasons, to boost the female audience of the sport. After an absence of 17 years, in March 2021 it was announced that The New Televised Formula Woman Competition prize will offer the finalists the opportunity to race a McLaren GT4 Race car in The British GT Cup Championship

INRC – Rally debut

Earlier, on 31st January this year, Athira Murali, 27, made her debut in the FMSCI motorsports rally Nationals at Coimbatore in INRC4 category for the delayed 2020 season third round of the Indian National Rally Championship for cars. The Kerala girl from Pampady, Kottayam district, exhibited rich driving skills to clock good timings and beat many male counterparts at the Windmill farms of Kethanoor.

Inspired and supported by her father, VN Muraleedharan, she fell in love with cars and took up the sport at a late stage but made an impressive debut and looks forward to continue her passion. Sponsored by JK Tyre for this season, the popular Malayalam vlogger is looking forward to the 2021 Rally calendar, which was announced last week. She is preparing for Round 1, a high-speed tarmac rally that will suit her style, in Visakhapatnam (Vizag), Andhra Pradesh, on the beaches of Bay of Bengal from Dec 17 to 19.

But before that she will be looking to take part and follow a dream of getting into McLaren GT4 races in UK. The India selection trials will be held at Vadodara from November 21 to 24.

Athira Murali is also a URF and India book of Records holder and a journalist with Kaumudy, with her popular weekly Automobile show aired on Tuesday at 8pm prime time in Malayalam. The ever-smiling Vblogger in Malayalam, commands a following of one lakh on YouTube, 25,000 on Instagram and more than 1.5 lakh followers on Facebook. Follow your dreams like her, on YouTube @AthiraMuraliOfficial.

You can contact Athira Murali from Kottayam, Kerala at athiramuraliwheelzflyer@gmail.com

November 14, 2021
Col. Kulbir Singh Chauhan recalls eighties’ Himalayan

New Delhi, 12 Nov 2021: One of Col (Retd) Kulbir Singh Chauhan’s most vivid memories of the great Nazir Hoosein revolves around a stage of the Himalayan Rally in 1989. Col Chauhan, a four-time winner of the Himalayan Rally was, along with co-driver Col (Retd) SS Sekhon, a part of the most competitive Indian team on the circuit at the time.

“The leg started from Lansdowne towards Mussoorie. I was perhaps the fifth car to flag off, and say after about 30 kilometres, I saw the cars ahead of me, driven by international rallyists, turning back,” he reminisces. “I didn’t really understand why that was happening, and with a true fauji mentality, went on anyway. There was a village, with some crowd and then I reached the checkpoint, where the time controller told me my time and asked me to move ahead. I refused because it felt unsportsmanlike. I’d seen drivers ahead of me turn back, and it played on my mind.”

Within a few hours an announcement cancelling the leg came through. The cars turning back had been scared by the crowds gathered at the village. Col Chauhan ended up being the only car that had braved through, even if he had refused to cross through the line and, technically, finish the stage. “Much later, when Mr. Hoosein met me, he admonished me, saying if I’d crossed the line, I’d have been the overall winner,” Col Chauhan says, “But in the same breath he also commended my sportsmanship, and in that moment, I truly understood what a great man he was — a true rallyist who understood competition but also understood motorsport ”

As the 100-car cavalcade of participants at the Nazir Hoosein Memorial Drive drove through Jalori Pass yesterday, Col Chauhan watched their progress with keen interest, regularly checking up with some friends who were taking part. Jalori offered them the best views of the Himalayas yet, with the Dhauladhar range spreading to the west and the Great Himalayas stretching off to the east, right into Tibet.

But despite the beauty that surrounds the pass, for most travellers the real joy is in driving through it — a test of mental fortitude and skill. A single, narrow, curving road is all there is and as you approach the pass, the climb gets steeper every 100m, making even the smallest mistakes cataclysmic — for the car and those inside.

“In my opinion, there were faster stages at the time in the Himalayan Rally. What made Jalori different was that you needed to have power to climb it efficiently, which few Indian cars did, at the time,” Col Chauhan says. “If you had guts, you could do it. It is a test of your endurance more than anything else.”

The fleet of cars participating in the NH Memorial Drive reached Manali, via Auth and Kulu to take in a well-deserved break from hard mountain driving over the past few days. The drivers will proceed to Koksar, via the Atal Tunnel, before being allowed a free run to Rohtang and return to Manali, for the final day of the Drive.

November 13, 2021
Vizag to kickstart INRC 2021 season on scenic beach tarmac

Visakhapatnam, 10 Nov 2021: Popular as INRC, the MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship for Cars will kick-start the delayed 2021 season with Vizag hosting the first round next month, announced Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao, Minister of Sports, Andhra Pradesh, here on Wednesday along with the Promoters.

“This is the first time we are bringing a high-profile motorsports event to Vizag, which last hosted a National karting event in 2012. While karting is an entry level sport, the historic National rally is a flagship discipline in motorsports and we are expecting huge crowds as an array of stars and fast race cars will be seen in action,” the minister added.

The Minister on behalf of the Promoters also released the four-round Calendar for 2021 season at a Press Conference here. “The Jewel of the East Coast will host the first round on the high-speed tarmac roads on the scenic Beach road from December 17 to 19. Many National rally champions including multiple Asia Pacific Rally champion and Arjuna Awardee Gaurav Gill have entered the fray,’’ said Merla Vamsi, the Promoter of Champions Yacht Club, which will jointly organise the Vizag round along with the Karnataka Motor Sports Club (KMSC), which runs the famous Karnataka-1000, the oldest rally in the 34-year history of INRC, that got the National status in 1988. The other rounds will be Bengaluru (K1000) in January, Coimbatore in February and Nagaland in March. A fifth round, the contender round is also expected in Hyderabad, subject to clearance from FMSCI.

The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India (FMSCI), the National Authority that governs motorsport and promotes safe, sustainable and accessible mobility for all road users across India, is affiliated to the Indian Olympic Association and the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA). FMSCI runs 12 Nationals in different motorsports disciplines like Rallying, Road Racing, Super Cross and Karting.

The beautiful Vizag-Bhimili beach road from Ramakrishna Beach to Kalinga, where the Special Stages will be held may not see Dolphins in the sea nor spotted deers crossing the road like they did in eighties when Navy used to conduct the Hill Climbs and TSD treasure hunts for motorsports lovers in this region, but the speed maestros like Gill, Karna Kadur, Dean Mascarenhas or Amittrajit Ghosh will be literally flying on the smooth tarmac, with road humps providing a visual treat to the crowds. “To cut the high-speeds we are creating artificial chicanes with soft tyres or tubes and the Stages will be cancelled if average speeds cross 110-kmph. But we are retaining the speed-breakers which will be negotiated with ease and the car jumps will provide a thrilling spectacle at high speeds for the crowds. Also the Police department is kind enough to provide over 400 police and we have trained marshals and local village safety volunteers to guard the route. The roads will be closed for traffic with windows to release the piled up traffic in intervals between the stages. A team of over 35 rally experts and 40 HAM station operators from KMSC Bengaluru, and 10 FMSCI officials will monitor the safety of the rally,” informed Vamsi.

The rally will have 12 Special Stages, eight to be run on Saturday and four on Sunday. The ceremonial start at Ramakrishna beach will be on Friday, Dec 17. All the cars from teams like MRF, JK Tyre, Mahindras, Yokohoma, Arka Motorsports, Chettinad Sporting, Snap Racing, among others will arrive on Thursday for scrutiny. Many lady drivers, who are provided free entries, will compete on equal footing with men. Bhaskar Gupta will be the Clerk of the Course and every car will have a co-driver who will give navigational calls to the driver based on the Road Book (tulip) provided by the organisers and the notes of the driver prepared during recce (reconnaissance), a practice run which is allowed at normal roads speeds on Thursday or Friday. The actual rally will be on Saturday and Sunday.

November 10, 2021
Mahindra joins sponsors for Nazir Hoosein memorial drive

New Delhi, 6 Nov 2021: The Nazir Hoosein Memorial Drive by Team Firefox today announced that Mahindra Adventure is the presenting sponsor of the drive. Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. has a long history of association with the Himalayan Rally, having been involved with the event right from its first edition in 1980. Taking this legacy forward, Mahindra Adventure, the experiential marketing vertical of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. has come onboard as the presenting sponsor. As a part of the association, the All-New Mahindra Thar, among others, will be a prominent SUV from the Mahindra stable in the drive. In addition, 15 Mahindra SUVs will also be seen supporting the execution and management of the drive.

The event received a further boost right before its flag off, with several former winners and winners confirming their participation in the event, set to flag off on November 8th.

Commenting on the association, Harish Lalchandani, Head of Marketing (PV & Pickup, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. said, “The Nazir Hoosein Memorial Drive has its deep-rooted legacy in motorsports and adventure. With our decades of experience in building authentic and capable SUVs that encourage people to explore the impossible, we are proud to be a part of this nostalgic journey.”

Mahindra Adventure will have two All-New Mahindra Thar, among others, at the NHMD, both in retro fitted colours of the original Himalayan Rally. The first car to be flagged off, on November 8th will be the All-New Mahindra Thar driven by Col (Retd.) SS Sekhon, a six-time winner of the Himalayan Rally. The second car will be driven by Surinder Thatthi, Vice President Sport at the FIA. Thatthi was involved hugely with the original event in the 1980s and in fact India coordinator for the Opel factory team that won the inaugural edition.

Among the participants are Colonel (Retd) SS Sekhon, one of the most experienced drivers in the field, who participated in nine of the eleven editions of the Himalayan Rally. Col Sekhon won the top Indian car award thrice and with his teammate Capt Chauhan, was a household name around the Himalayan Rally.

The drive will also see Manjeet Bhalla and Flory Roothaert in action, a major throwback to the 80s when the duo were the pair to beat at the Himalayan Rally. Bhalla was the first Indian co-driver to navigate a world class rally driver at the Himalayan Rally when he partnered Roothaert — a man with immense experience on the international stage. Roothaert’s driving style won him multiple individual podiums and endeared him to Indian fans, a feeling that was mutual.

NHMD is also privileged and thankful to Army Adventure for sending their all-ladies team in support of the drive. The team will comprise Lt Col Euthica and Major Tejal Parashare. Lt Col Euthica is widely regarded as one of the best women rally drivers in the Army, leading the first all-woman team by the Army in the Extreme category of the Raid de Himalaya 2018 and Desert Storm 2019. She won the Coupe de Dames in the Royal Rajasthan Rally 2019 and bagged the top place in T2 category in SJOBA 2019. The duo’s association with the drive is a huge boost for the event.

Other notable drivers participating in the NHMD include Kiran Mody, Rajiv Rai, Tutu Dahawan, Alak Raju, Farad Bhathena, Farokh Commissariat, Uday Esawaran.

Mahindra Adventure is a title sponsor of the event, in continuation of its association at the inaugural event. Other sponsors include Haridarshan, Sidvin, IARC, Hella, Motul and supported by Apollo Healthcare.

November 6, 2021
Ruhaan Alva completes clean sweep in Novice class; Vishnu, Sohil win a race each

Coimbatore, 24 October 2021: Young Ruhaan Alva of Bengaluru made it a memorable day as he completed a clean sweep in the Novice Class winning the third and final race in the first round of the 24^th JK Tyre FMSCI Indian National Racing Championship at the Kari Motor Speedway here on Sunday.

The talented Team MSport driver, steered his yellow #27 to another clinical finish and did it in style starting from 13^th on the grid. After winning the two rounds on the opening day of the season on Saturday in the Novice Class, the Bengaluru teenager changed his gear-box and suffered a 5-place grid penalty and along with the first-eight reverse grid, made him start on P13. Undaunted, the calm and lanky Ruhaan, overtook one by one and drove a fantastic race to claim another seemingly improbable victory.

He came out triumphant posting 30 out of 30 points and is leading the 4-round Championship table in his Class.

Behind him Chetan Surineni, who started on P5 had a consistent race as he made up a few places and defended his place even as another karting graduate Jaden R Pariat, was actually the ‘Driver of the Day’. Having started among the back benchers at P17, he exhibited good driving skills and made up postions one-by-one to get on to the top and took the final place on the podium for a well-deserved third place.

Meanwhile, in the Senior section, former champion and mentor Vishnu Prasad from Chennai and experienced youngster Sohil Shah of Bengaluru, also from MSport, won a race each in the premier LGB Formula 4 class.

A quick get-away from the lights saw, Vishnu Prasad take the lead from P3 as he was adept at his reflex timings won the first race, and after dilly dallying midway through with his ward, Amir Sayed of Ahura Racing. Amir, the Novice Cup 2020 champion graduated to F4 this season.

The experienced Vishnu, winner of several titles year after year, managed to break free towards the end for a place atop the podium. “I think we got a lucky break in the beginning when everyone else was fighting,” said the 28-year-old, who mentored Amir last season.

“Amir is doing really well and I am very happy for him. The guys are fighting it out in the middle with their teachers and are coming up the ranks,” explained Vishnu. Sohil Shash wh got a 10-second penalty finished 10th. But, Sohil came back strongly to take the chequered flag in the second race ahead of Vishnu.

Earlier, Anish Damodara Shetty of Hubli won the Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup’s second race too.

The results (provisional): FLGB4:

Race 1: Vishnu Prasad (MSport) 22:45.828; 2. Amir Sayed (Ahura Racing) 22:49.736; 3. Chirag Ghorpade (Momentum Motorsports) 22:53.650.

Race 2: 1. Sohil Shah 19:01.088; 2. Vishnu Prasad 19:02.222; 3. A. Sandeep Kumar 19:03.875.

Novice Cup: 1. Ruhaan Alva (MSport) 21:48.110; 2. Chetan Surineni (Quest Motorsports) 21:48.714; 3. Jaden R. Pariat (MSport) 21:48.985.

Royal Enfield Continental GT Cup: 1. Anish Damodara Shetty (Hubli) 13:57.731; 2. Allwin Xavier (Thrissur) 14:06.374; 3. Anfal Akdhar (Thrissur) 14:08.009.

Saturday results (revised): FLGB4: 1. Arya Singh (Dark Don Racing) 23:27.088; 2. Raghul Rangaswamy (MSport) 23:29.179; 3. Mohamed Ryan (MSport) 23:29.308.

October 25, 2021