INDIA in F1

Category: Non-F1

  • Ruhaan Alva, Rohaan Madesh and Nikhilesh Raju bag maiden National titles: X30 karting

    Ruhaan Alva, Rohaan Madesh and Nikhilesh Raju bag maiden National titles: X30 karting

    Bengaluru, 19 Sept 2021: Ruhaan Alva, Rohaan Madesh and Nikhilesh Raju bagged their maiden National Championship title in their respective classes in the Meco FMSCI Indian National Karting Championship X30 classes 2021 which concluded here on Sunday.

    Talented 15-year Ruhaan Alva dominated the depleted Senior class winning all the rounds, and will be graduating to the Formula cars where he already tested waters winning the Meco Formula Junior races at Coimbatore. The 11-year Nikhilesh, also from the Garden city, had to stave off a tough fight from in the Cadet section from 9-year Arafath Sheikh. Nikhilesh, the Vibgyor student put in consistent performances and took the title in the final round today.

    But it was the Junior section which saw some fierce battles between Bengaluru brothers and Jaden R Pariat from Guwahati, who were involved in fierce triangular battles in the final round that saw the lap times dip multiple times below the 57-seconds, with the younger Ishaan Madesh becoming the fastest driver on the final day.

    Winner all: Podium finishers in the Meco Indian Karting X30 Nationals.

    But championship leader Rohaan Madesh, displayed controlled aggression and clean driving skills to closely guard his lead with two crucial wins and sealed the championship with a race to spare to bag his maiden National title after finishing vice-champion four times in both Junior and Cadet classes.

    Meco Motorsports became the first promoter to complete one of the 12 FMSCI National Championships in different disciplines following strict COVID19 protocols. The other karting Nationals, Rotax Max will begin in October.

    Championship Standings after fifth and final round: Seniors: 1. Ruhaan Alva (Bengaluru) 190, 2. Nigel Abraham Thomas (Bengaluru) 120; 3. Nirmal Umashankar (Chennai) 92.

    Juniors: 1. Rohaan Madesh (Bengaluru) 146; 2. Jaden R Pariat (Guwahati) 134; 3. Ishaan Madesh (Bengaluru) 130.

    Cadet: 1. Nikhilesh Raju (Bengaluru) 167; Arafath Sheikh (Pune) 157; 3. Zarah Misra (Bengaluru) 76.

  • Rohaan Madesh wins Junior X30 National title in style

    Rohaan Madesh wins Junior X30 National title in style

    Bengaluru, 18 Sept. 2021: Fourteen-year old Bengaluru racer Rohaan Madesh for once showed plenty of early signs of stability and maturity, as he conquered his maiden Junior National Championship in style, with a race to spare, in the fifth and final round of the X30 Class of the Meco fmsci Indian National Karting Championship title at the Meco Kartopia here on Saturday.

    Jaden R Pariat of Guwahati, fought the battle till the end but conceded the title, with both Madesh brothers winning two races apiece. But the honour of clocking a series of fast times went to 12-year old Ishaan, the younger of the Madesh brothers, who hogged the limelight, with the ‘Fastest Driver of the Day’ tag.

    Not the one to display his moods or emotions, Rohaan broke into a rare smile, for once, and soon disappeared into his own self. Jaden, who almost upset the apple cart of the Bengaluru school student, was disappointed, but was not out. He held his composure, digested the result, sat in silence for a while, but soon recovered and walked to the other end of the straight and found Rohaan, near the car parking and congratulated him. Jaden, a student of  Pathways International School in Gurgaon, showed that the camaraderie prevails and “vowed silently” to come back and win the Championship next year.

    Jaden R Partiat, after a tough battle at Meco Kartopia becomes vice-champion in Junior Class of the X30 Karting Nationals on Saturday.

    Clinching the National title in the Junior X30 Class Championship after his second win in Race 3 today, Rohaan Madesh took an unbeatable lead and won with a race to sapre. A confident Jaden R Pariat, scored 134 points in the end and fell short by a whisker as Rohaan posted 146 points while the “little hero” Ishaan Madesh, who belted fast lap after lap in the morning, shod on cool MRF tyres, did make-up for the disappointment of Thursday, but had to be content with a third place in the championship in his Junior debut year with 130 points.

    On a tense Saturday that made everyone at Meco Kartopia to be on their toes, the day began with two practice sessions and the qualifiers for Cadet and Junior Class. With the Championship interestingly poised in both the classes, Juniors had a menu of all four races while the Cadet’s played two races today and need to take to the track on Sunday to finish two more. Pune’s Nikhilesh has nothing to lose and need only to finish both the races to clinch the Championship, but he says, “I am going for it. I want to win every race and I am game for it,” he told this writer. Only a silly mistake or a DNF can provide an unlikely chance to young challenger Arafath Sheikh, only 9, but has enough experience, as he started karting at the age of 5 in UAE. Fearless Arafath had, in fact, topped the time sheets and posted the fastest time in the Cadet class going under the 63-sec mark, at this level.

    Likewise, in the Junior section, it is Ishaan Madesh, the little bundle of joy, who is the hero of the day was on a song. He bagged more points than the big boys today. The knowledgeable karter, pelted out lap after quick lap for three laps in the free practice session and qualifying and some lap times were better than what the Seniors did yesterday. The two-feet 3″ karter, 3 years back, whom this writer watched, having fun on a skate board, had brute speed and is set to go places, if nurtured properly and if he keeps himself away from distractions while graduating to the senior level. Even in Race 3, he logged another point.111sec but the magic mark of going under the 56-sec just did not happen today. The track record by Yash Aradhya, 54.117sec, set in 2018 did take a beating a year later, but it will take some time for the records to be broken as the karts, tyres and tack temperatures need to be ideal.

    Saturday’s Junior Class Provisional Results: (1.2km Meco Kartopia)

    Race 1 (12 laps): 1. #15 Ishaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (11:18.748); 2. #18 Jaden R Pariat (Guwahati) (11:25.312); 3. #17 Sai Shiva Makesh (Pune) (11:26.817); 4. #12 Rohaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (11:26.979); 5. #11 Abhay M (Bengaluru) (11:27.768).

    Fastest lap: Ishaan Madesh 56.215. Grid: 10.

    Race 2 (9 laps): 1. #15 Rohaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (08:36.413); 2. #15 Ishaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (08:36.522; 3. #18 Jaden R Pariat (Guwahati) (08:37.820); 4. #16 Sai Shiva Makesh (Pune) (12:06.690); 5. #12 Akshat Misra (Bengaluru) (12:07.252); 6. #11 Abhay M (Bengaluru) (12:06.220); 7. Tarun M (Bengaluru) (11:39.0516);

    Fastest lap: Ishaan Madesh 56.192. Grid: 10.

    Race 3 (12 laps): 1. #15 Rohaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (11:23.385); 2. #15 Ishaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (11:29.617; 3. Jaden R Pariat (Guwahati) (11:30.922); 4. #16 Sai Shiva Makesh (Pune) (11:32.327); 5. #12 Akshat Misra (Bengaluru) (11:32.129); 6. Tarun M (Bengaluru) (11:37.001);

    Fastest lap: Ishaan Madesh 56.111. Grid: 10.

    Race 4 (12 laps): 1. #17 Ishaan Madesh (Bengaluru) ( 11:19.882); 2. #15 Rohaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (11:22.130); 3. #18 Jaden R Pariat (Guwahati) (11:26.967; 4. #16 Sai Shiva Makesh (Pune) (11:27.283); 5. #12 Akshat Misra (Bengaluru) (11:28.262); 6. #14 Tarun M (Bengaluru) (11:37.131);

    Fastest Lap:   Ishaan Madesh 55.972. Grid: Ten karters.

  • Ruhaan Alva clinches Senior title with a round to spare: X30

    Ruhaan Alva clinches Senior title with a round to spare: X30

    Bengaluru, 17 Sept. 2021: Ruhaan Alva clinched the Senior National Championship in his debut with 5 races to spare as he continued his domination in the Meco FMSCI Indian National Karting Championship X30 Class at Meco Kartopia on Friday. Ruhaan also won the Junior National title before graduating to Seniors.

    In the Cadet Class, the baby of the grid at 9 years, Arafath Sheikh, the 4th class student of Bishop School, Pune won two races but Nikhilesh Raju kept himself in the lead, also winning two races and bagging two second-place podiums. With equal points in the this penultimate round, Nikhilesh extended his lead to 25-points going into the final round and needs to win at least two races or just play cool as a second place in all the four races is good enough to seal him the Cadet Championship. “But I want to win the races and I will go for it,” said the 11-year Bengaluru student of Vibgyor School.

    The 15-year Ruhaan faced no challenge from the depleted field and got so bored that he ‘deliberately’ fell back in the last race, at the start, and had some fun overtaking and winning the inconsequential final race of Round 4, the penultimate round. For the lanky teenager who came into the day with 113 points, bagged all the first three races to post an unbeatable 143 on board at that stage. With five races and 50 points to fight for, another Bengaluru karter Nigel Abraham Thomas had only 90 points in second place.

    Due to COVID19, among other reasons, the Grids have taken a toss this year but Ruhaan continued with dedication with an eye to graduate into Formula cars and tested waters at the Meco Formula Junior races (FJRS) in Coimbatore this year. With the MMSC fmsci Racing Nationals beckoning, the youngster who gained experience in Europe at an young age of 11, will shift focus to single seaters and gain the much-needed seat time before going for the F4 Championship in 2022.

    Saturday will be the D Day for the Juniors, with four races of the final round on cards, and the Junior championship wide open with both local lad Rohaan Madesh and Jaden R Pariat from Guwahati gunning for the gold.

    Round 4 X30 Provisional Results (At 1.2km Meco Kartopia, Bengaluru)

    Cadet Class: (All 10 laps – Grid 6)

    Race 3: 1. #4 Nikhilesh Raju (Bengaluru) (10:41.642); 2. #5 Arafath Sheikh (Pune) (10:41.720); 3. #2 Vedha Vishnu (Gujarat) (10:59.814); 4. #7 Rohaan Reddy (Gujarat) 11:03.567; 5. #1 Zarah Mishra (11:08.074); 6. #3 Anuj A (Madurai) (11:09.592); Fastest lap: Arafath Sheikh 1:02.922;

    Race 4: 1. #5 Arafath Sheikh (Pune) (10:35.079); 2. #4 Nikhilesh Raju (Bengaluru) (10:47.254); 3. #2 Vedha Vishnu (Gujarat) (10:50.282) 4. #3 Anuj A (Madurai) (11:00.300); 5. #7 Rohaan Reddy (Gujarat) (11:00.747); 6. #1 Zaarah Misra (Bengaluru) (11:06.341); Fastest Lap: 1:02.921 by Arafath.

    Senior Class: (All 15 laps – Grid 5)

    Race 1: 1. #27 Ruhaan Alva (Bengaluru) (14:22.589); 2. #28 Nigel Abraham Thomas (Bengaluru) (14:29.291); 3. #25 Nirmal Umashankar (Chennai) (14: 30.304); 4. #32 Tarun M (Mumbai) (14:33.311); 5. Vidyali Reddy (Bengaluru) (15:04.763). Best lap: Ruhaan 56.605sec.

    Race 2: 1. #27 Ruhaan Alva (Bengaluru) (14:35.117); 2. #28 Nigel Abraham Thomas (Bengaluru) (15:02.725); DNF: Vidyali Reddy (Bengaluru) (9:11.327 -9 laps); #25 Nirmal Umashankar (Chennai) (1:47.323 -1 lap); #32 Tarun M (Mumbai) (1.269 DNF before completing one lap); Best lap: Ruhaan 56.974.

    Race 3: 1. #27 Ruhaan Alva (Bengaluru) (14:19.883); 2. #25 Nirmal Umashankar (Chennai) (14: 24.039); 3. #32 Tarun M (Mumbai) (14:29.388); 4. #28 Nigel Abraham Thomas (Bengaluru) (14:34.113); 5. Vidyali Reddy (Bengaluru) (14:41.539). Best lap: Ruhaan 56.555sec.

    Race 4: 1. #27 Ruhaan Alva (Bengaluru) (14:18.474); 2. #25 Nirmal Umashankar (Chennai) (14: 19.938); 3. #32 Tarun M (Mumbai) (14:25.993); 4. #28 Nigel Abraham Thomas (Bengaluru) (14:33.528); 5. Vidyali Reddy (Bengaluru) (14:34.710). Best lap: Ruhaan 56.667sec.

  • Big-time Motorsport returns to Kolkata with 2w Sprint Rally Nationals

    Big-time Motorsport returns to Kolkata with 2w Sprint Rally Nationals

    Kolkata, 17 Sept. 2021: Two-wheeler rally returns to the City of Joy after a gap of 18 years with the MotorsportsInc FMSCI Indian National Rally Sprint Championship 2021 for two-wheelers set for the two-day East Zone qualifiers in the mixed-tarmac and murram dirt terrain of the jungles in Bardhaman district, about 180 km, from here on Saturday and Sunday. The South Zone rounds were held in August and two more rounds in North and West Zone would culminate in the Grand Finale at Goa from November 6 to 7.

    Locals stalwarts Vishal Das, Uday Ganguli and Jayaraj will spearhead the competition with the `Flying Lady’ Buli Nath providing the North-East edge with a bevy of young riders and fans descending from Assam. A veteran of 20 years riding in different disciplines of motorsports including Desert Storm, the 42-year young Vishal Das, is a Stock class winner of the Holy Grail, the Raid de Himalaya, blazing his KTM390 on the dangerous terrain when it was last held in 2018. Uday Ganguli is also a popular name in these parts with his motorsports exploits being second to none. He too has taken part in cross country rallies and other disciplines including Desert Storm. “These veterans will be challenged by a host of youngsters, some of whom have high skills but no platform to showcase their talent and have to travel to north or south of the country. Many of them will ride in multiple classes with a handful of bikes in the special stage which is closed to road traffic, said Sandeep Sardar, who received 72 entries as Treasurer of BMSC.

    “It is our endeavour to bring back the popular sport to the riding fraternity of Kolkata and North East region. We are organising this with strict respect to all the COVID protocols and it is a good chance for riders to win medals at the National level again,” said Jaidas Menon of Motorsports INC, the promoter and the brain behind the concept of Sprint. Menon has multiple INRC wins as navigator in four-wheelers and now runs the Dakshin Dare and the Sprint Nationals.

    File photo of veteran rider Vishal Das, who has over 20 years of experience in various disciplines of motorsports including victories in big events like Raid de Himalaya and Desert Storm, not to mention the 2-wheeler Indian National Rally Championship. INDIAinF1 photo by arrangement.

    Organised by Bengal Motorsports Club and promoted by Motorsports INC, the Federation of Motor Sports Club Sprint Nationals for 2w stage rally is a recent concept on the lines of T20 cricket to provide a thrilling shorter version where an 8-km stage is run twice, once in the forward direction on Saturday and once in the reverse direction on Sunday. The top-five qualifiers in each of the 9 classes will make it to the Finals in Goa. The sponsorship from Hero Moto Corp has not only helped their two star riders Yuva and Satyaraj from Bengaluru take part and provide the impetus to motorsports in East and North-East but also to bring back a big-ticket event to this region with the Kavi Guru rally being the last held here 2019 by BMSC.

    Overnight rains can make the red murram slushy and interesting for the 10 classes which will showcase a plethora of machines, in the picturesque forest backdrop, with Group A upto 600cc class for motocross tuned bikes and the Open Class upto 600cc class being the feature events. The scooter class, Bullet class among the ten categories add spice as they provide intense competition and the response is overwhelming with over 70 entries expected to fight for honours. The presence of Buli Nath adds spice to the ladies event as the `Flying Lady’ from Assam coming to the Sprint Nationals within two months of delivering a baby had inspired a few other bikers from Assam to take part.

    “To bring rich-man’s sport to the commoners, the Bengal Motor Sports Club was born in 1998 and is taking the initiative to organise the Sprint Rally Nationals. The club regularly runs events and has a team of motorsports enthusiasts and veterans who volunteer to maintain high standards while running the events, said Pratim Chowdhury, Secretary of BMSC. The Rally Headquarters will be at the Deul Park Eco Resort, near Durgapur, and the terrain is famous for the INRC four-wheeler round, last held in 2011.

    The 2w Sprint Rally Nationals is one of the 10 different motorsports disciplines that were given the National Championship status by the FMSCI and nine National Champions for 2021 will emerge after the final round.

    Championship classes: Class 1. Group A upto 600cc (Foreign bikes only) 2. Group B upto 130cc 3. Group B 131cc to 165cc 4. Group B 166cc to 260cc 5. Group B 261cc to 400cc 6. Group D upto 260cc 7. Scooter Class 8. Bullet Class 9. Open Class upto 600cc.

  • Jaden takes Round 4 honours in Junior class; Rohaan leads title fight with stunning Race 4 win

    Jaden takes Round 4 honours in Junior class; Rohaan leads title fight with stunning Race 4 win

    Bengaluru, 16 Sept. 2021: Talented Jaden R Pariat from Guwahati took the day’s honours and topped Round 4 as he pipped Rohaan Madesh by two points on Thursday but the Bengaluru school student took a fantastic victory in the final race today to take the fight into the final round and kept the lead in the Junior Championship table after four rounds in the Meco fmsci Indian National Karting Championship X30 Class which is poised for an interesting battle finale in the fifth and final round at Meco Kartopia on Saturday.

    On Thursday, two races were also held in the Cadet class and championship leader Nikhilesh Raju and challenger Arafath Sheikh shared a race win each. The other two races of the penultimate Round 4 will be held on Friday, before the fifth and final round on Saturday and Sunday. All the four races of Juniors will decide the title on Saturday, while the Senior section final four races will be on Sunday.

    Jaden, congratulated his rival after Rohaan posted a stunning win in Race 4, the last race of the day, after playing a wait-and-watch game, which was very much unlike his style. Through the day, with four races on the menu for the fourth round in Junior section, the talented duo fought tooth and nail displaying some fierce competition on the track. Rohaan, who is leading the championship, won the first race after starting on pole, but had to start P6 in the reverse order grid for Race 2 and retrieved 7 points with a second place as Jaden made no mistake and kept his position intact despite fortunes fluctuating either way for the 12-lap race. Ishaan, the younger of the Madesh brothers, who was leading second in the points table before the start of Round 4, did well to take the third place on the podium in Race 1.

    With honours even, in the first two races, the top-three who all have a chance to go at the title, pushed the title fight into the final round with Jaden bagging Race 3. In the second corner of the first lap, Bengaluru karter Abhay M made contact, and both the Rohaan brothers spun and suffered loss of positions but with Abhay getting a 10-second penalty for “avoidable collision” Rohaan, managed a fourth place but lost two valuable points in the process.

    File photo of Jaden R Pariat at the Meco Kartopia track. Photo by Shajahan

    In Race 4, Jaden by virtue of his second best time in the qualifier, took the pole and Rohaan started on P2 but played a brilliant game, patiently driving a consistent race for almost ten laps before overtaking ahead of the blind left and managed to keep at bay, a marauding Jaden to retrieve a victory and 10 points. Going into the final round on Saturday, both Jaden and Rohaan will be fighting for the title, with Ishaan Madesh eyeing for a rare outside chance.

    Jaden clocked the fastest lap of the day posting a 56.506 to pip Rohaan (56.514) both in Race 4 for the Driver of the day honours on the 1.2km Meco Kartopia tarmac. With four races and 40 points on offer, Rohan is ahead by five points at 114 while Jaden has 109 points. Ishaan slipped to third place and has 96 points after four rounds.

    “”Despite all the fight, it was a very good race, so I felt I have to congratulate him,” said a sportive Jaden, who wants to go with a clean mind and focus on the qualifying session. “I will take it race by race rather than think too much about the championship.” he added. “I am confident and well prepared for the final round and am eagerly looking forward to clinch the title,” said Rohaan.

    Clerk of the Course and young open-wheel formula racer Sandeep Kumar, has been doing a professional job attracting some kind comments from the parents, and his words of caution in the drivers’ briefing stressing the safety aspects at the beginning of the week-end double-header, keeping in mind the incident in Round 3, seems to have brought some sanity at the track. Despite less number of karters, the intense competition has made the job of stewards tough, as usual, and Sanjeev Shah too had a word of advice to the young racers and their parents along with Pandey and Chidanand, the FMSCI Stewards. “Yes it has been a difficult two days and the parents’ peer-pressure makes it more difficult for the young drivers. We are only trying to make it an even-playing field and safe and intense racing for all with due respect to rules and safety,” said Shah, the former rallyist and current Hon. Secretary of Karnataka Motor Sports Club.

    Round 4 (At 1.2km Meco Kartopia, Bengaluru)

    Cadet Class:

    Race 1 (10 laps): 1. #5 Arafath Sheikh (Pune) (11:12.669); 2. #4 Nikhilesh Raju (Bengaluru) (11:14.490); 3. #2 Vedha Vishnu (Gujarat) (11:26.755) 4. #3 Anuj A (Madurai) (11:33.753); 5. #7 Rohaan Reddy (Gujarat) 11:43.738; 6. #1 Zarah Mishra (11:15.476 lapped)

    Fastest lap: Arafath Sheikh 1:03.307; Grid 6 karters.

    Race 2 (10 laps): 1. #4 Nikhilesh Raju (Bengaluru) (10:44.070); 2. #5 Arafath Sheikh (Pune) (10:55.877); 3. #3 Anuj A (Madurai) (10:56.214); 4. #1 Zaarah Misra (Bengaluru) (11:09.769); 5. #2 Vedha Vishnu (Gujarat) (11:20.298) 6. #7 Rohaan Reddy (Gujarat) (11:40.651 including 10-sec penalty). Fastest Lap: 1:03.190 by Arafath Sheikh. Grid 6 karters.  

    Junior Class

    Race 1 (12 laps): 1. #15 Rohaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (11:29.203); 2. #18 Jaden R Pariat (Guwahati) (11:29.706); 3. #17 Ishaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (11:32.336); 4. #12 Akshat Misra (Bengaluru) (11:39.308); 5. #11 Abhay M (Bengaluru) (11:41.020).

    Fastest lap: Ishaan Madesh 56.777. Grid: 10.

    Race 2 (12 laps): 1. #18 Jaden R Pariat (Guwahati) (12:00.062); 2. #15 Rohaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (12:06.107); 3. #11 Abhay M (Bengaluru) (12:06.220); 4. #16 Sai Shiva Makesh (Pune) (12:06.690); 5. #12 Akshat Misra (Bengaluru) (12:07.252); 6. #17 Ishaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (12:09.806 including 3-sec penalty for false start);

    Fastest lap: Jaden R Pariat 56.563. Grid: 10.

    Race 3 (12 laps): 1. #18 Jaden R Pariat (Guwahati) (11:26.489); 2. #12 Akshat Misra (Bengaluru) (11:30.846); 3. #16 Sai Shiva Makesh (Pune) (11:32.354); 4. #15 Rohaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (11:33.803); 5. #17 Ishaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (11:34.651);

    Fastest lap: Jaden R Pariat 56.643. Grid: 10.

    Race 4 (12 laps): 1. #15 Rohaan Madesh (Bengaluru) (11:30.530); 2. #18 Jaden R Pariat (Guwahati) (11:30.592); 3. #12 Akshat Misra (Bengaluru) (11:32.287); 4. #16 Sai Shiva Makesh (Pune) (11:32.731); 5. Ishaan Madesh (Bengaluru) ( 11:33.854).

    Fastest Lap:   Jaden R Pariat 56.506. Grid: Ten karters.

  • Anish Shetty, Deepak Ravikumar post maiden wins

    Anish Shetty, Deepak Ravikumar post maiden wins

    Chennai, 12 Sept 2021: Bengaluru-based Anish Damodara Shetty (Race Concepts) pulled off a well-deserved win, if a bit fortuitous, his first of the season in the premier Prostock 301-400cc category as the second round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2021 concluded at the MMRT, here on Sunday.

    Also scoring his maiden win of the 2021 season was Deepak Ravikumar who led a 1-2 finish for TVS Racing with championship leader Jagan Kumar in tow ahead of Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing’s Senthil Kumar. The lead Honda rider, Rajiv Sethu, who was eyeing a possible win, crashed after making contact with Senthil in the last lap and eventually finished a distant ninth which fetched him one point.

    Earlier, Chennai’s Ryhana Bee (RACR) and Thrissur lad Allwin Xavier (Sparks Racing) won in the Girls and Novice (Stock 165cc) categories, respectively.

    The Prostock 301-400cc race was action-packed. With several front-runners, including championship leader Rajini Krishnan (RACR) crashing out in the latter part of the eight-lap race, the door was open for Anish Shetty, astride a KTM RC390, to seize the opportunity to win from TVS Racing’s KY Ahamed, the defending champion, and Hyderabad’s Rahil Shetty (Gusto Racing).

    Rajini, winner of three consecutive races, crashed at the last corner on the sixth lap soon after surviving a contact on the back sweep with TVS Racing’s Deepak Ravikumar whose challenge thus ended.

    Despite the poor result, Rajini continues to occupy the top spot in the championship stakes with 75 points while Anish Shetty (63) moved to second position, followed by Rahil Shetty (58).

    The expected TVS vs Honda battle in the Prostock 165cc race flickered for a while with Jagan, Rajiv and Ravikumar swapping lead. The trio was bunched close together with Senthil lurking in their shadow. With a couple of the eight laps left, Ravikumar forged ahead while behind him, Rajiv and Senthil tangled which took out the former, leaving Jagan to snatch P2 while Senthil completed the podium.

    The result still left Jagan in the championship lead with a tally of 93 points, well clear of Ravikumar (67) and Rajiv Sethu (56).

    Earlier, Ryhana Bee chalked up her second consecutive win in the Girls category, while pushing front-runner Lani Zena Fernandez (Speed Up Racing) from Puducherry to second place. Mumbai’s Jagruthi Penkar (Sparks Racing) completed the podium. Defending champion Ann Jennifer (Sparks Racing), who had won all four races last season, crashed again as she did in last month’s first round and is still to open her account.

    Meanwhile, Chennai riders Kavin Quintal (NSF 250R) and Kevin Kannan (Hornet 2.0) notched their fourth straight win while Bokaro Steel City’s Prakash Kamath (Honda CBR 150) achieved a double  in the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup One-make Championship organised by the MMSC.

    Kolhapur’s 12-year old Jinendra Kiran Sangave also recorded his fourth consecutive win in the TVS Rookie category.

    The results (Provisional – all 6 laps unless mentioned):

    National Championship:

    Prostock 301-400cc (Race-2 – 8 laps): 1. Anish Damodara Shetty (Race Concepts, Bengaluru) (15mins, 09.769secs); 2. Ahmed KY (TVS Racing, Chennai) (15:10.171); 3. Rahil Shetty (Gusto Racing, Hyderabad) (15:10.310).

    Pro-Stock 165cc (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. Deepak Ravikumar (TVS Racing, Chennai) (15:51.435); 2. Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing, Chennai) (15:51.828); 3. Senthil Kumar (Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing) (16:10.248, incl 15-sec penalty for jump start).

    Novice (Stock 165cc) Race-2: 1. Allwin Xavier (Sparks Racing, Thrissur) (13:01.182); 2. Alwin Sundar (AS Motorsports, Chennai) (13:01.218); 3. Anfal Akdhar (Rockstar Racing, Thrissur) (13:03.516).

    Girls (Stock 165cc, 5 laps): 1. Ryhana Bee (RACR, Chennai) (10:58.929); 2. Lani Zena Fernandez (Speed Up Racing, Puducherry) (11:01.217); 3. Jagruti Penkar (Sparks Racing, Mumbai) (11:18.622).

    One-Make Championship organized by Madras Motor Sports Club:

    Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup – NSF 250R (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. Kavin Quintal (Chennai) (14:52.563); 2. Sarthak Chavan (Pune) (15:01.558); 3. Geoffrey Reviven Emmanuel (Chennai) (15:08.141).­­

    CBR 150 (Race-2): 1. Prakash Kamath (Bokaro Steel City) (13:15.766); 2. Johann Reeves Emmanuel (Chennai) (13:28.042); 3. Theopaul Leander (Chennai) (13:28.204).

    Hornet 2.0 (Race-2): 1. Kevin Kannan (Chennai) (13:28.694); 2. Balaji G (Chennai) (13:29.169); 3. Alwin Sundar (Chennai) (13:29.435).

    TVS Apache Open (RR310, Race-2): 1. Amarnath Menon (Calicut) (11:51.317); 2. Navaneeth Kumar (Puducherry) (11:51.778); 3. KK Anandhu (Chennai) (11:52.872).

    Rookie (RTR 200, Race-2): 1. Jinendra Kiran Sangave (Kolhapur) (12:56.019); 2. Vignesh Gowd (Hyderabad) (13:02.618); 3. Jagathishree (Chennai) (13:02.922).

  • Third win for Rajini Krishnan, Jagan Kumar

    Third win for Rajini Krishnan, Jagan Kumar

    Chennai, 11 Sept 2021: Veterans Rajini Krishnan (RACR) and Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing) posted brilliant but contrasting victories in their respective categories to light up the second round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship at the MMRT, here on Saturday.

    Rajini, 41, stamped his authority and class while winning the race in the premier Prostock 301-400cc category after starting from P6 while Jagan Kumar, 31, exchanged leads with arch-rival and pole-sitter Rajiv Sethu (Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing) before clinching the cliff-hanger with a last-lap overtake as the two crossed the finish line with little separating them. Both Rajini and Jagan thus notched their third consecutive wins in the championship having scored a double apiece in Round-1 last month.

    Also scoring maximum points was 20-year old from Thrissur, Anfal Akdhar (Rockstar Racing) in the Novice (Stock 165cc) category.

    Rajini, 41, rode his Yamaha R3 with craft and guile that reflected his vast experience as he bided his time after starting from P6 before making a decisive move, to move to the front of the pack and stayed there with ease. The local star, who had won both the races in Round-1 last month, was confident personified to finish ahead of Rockers Racing’s Soorya PM from Chennai, who could not defend his pole position, and Hyderabad’s Rahil Shetty (Gusto Racing).

    Prakash Kamath of Bokaro Steel City celebrates after his CBR150 victory on Saturday.

    “At the start, I avoided getting caught up in the bunch, but gradually, I made my through the field,” said Rajini after the six-lapper.

    Later, Jagan and Sethu battled hard but fair. Starting from pole position, Sethu yielded ground to Jagan but midway through the six-lapper, the Honda ace regained the lead to set up a last-lap humdinger. The pair took the last corner of the last lap in tandem and raced side-by-side to the finish line where Jagan just about got his nose in front for a thrilling win as Sethu, for the third race in a row finished second. Behind the pair, KY Ahamed finished third after close fight with his TVS Racing team-mate Deepak Ravikumar who ran wide entering the home straight on the last lap.  

    Earlier, starting the six-lap race from P3 on the 38-bike grid, Anfal Akdhar had to fight hard for his victory as he received close attention from pole-sitter Allwin Sundar (AS Motorsports) and Alwin Xavier (Sparks Racing), also from Thrissur. Sundar, winner of both races in Round-1 last month, eventually fell out of contention due to some issues with his bike, leaving Akdhar and Xavier to fight for the top honours. Akdhar managed to keep his wheel in front as he crossed the finish line just ahead of Xavier.

    The One-Make Championships organized by MMSC also witnessed dominating rides. In the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup, Kavin Quintal (NSF 250R) and Kevin Kannan (Honda Hornet 2.0) posted their third victory apiece.

    Jinendra Kiran Sangave, the 12-year old from Kolhapur (TVS Rookie) won the Rookie RTR 200 Race 1 clocking 12:48.856 for a comfortable victory as he was streets ahead of the fied. Chiranth V of Bengaluru time 13:04.132 to put compatriot Shreyas Copparam Hareesh at bay and managed a narrow second with Shreyas, the baby of the grid, clocking 13:04.992 for the third.

    Jinendra Kiran Sangave, a 7th class, Kolhapur government school student, posed for medea after his win on Saturday at MMRT.

    In the Girls’ RTR Race 1 over five laps, it was a battle between Youth and and Experience and the Chennai school girl Rakshitha Dave maintained her unbeaten run clocking 11:15.447 for another win even as Renuka Gajendran (Bengaluru), an Aviation specialist currently with Infosys took second on the podium with Zigna Pamnani (Kalyan) in third place.

    In the CBR150 class Race 1, Prakash Kamath from Bokaro Steel city clocked 3:14.859 to beat Shubankar Joshi of Pune (13:23.925) and Johann local rider Reeves Emmanuel (13:27.157) came third.

    Rakshitha Dave

    The results (Provisional – all 6 laps unless mentioned):

    National Championship:

    Prostock 301-400cc (Race-1): 1. Rajini Krishnan (RACR, Chennai) (11mins, 21.868secs); 2. Soorya PM (Rockers Racing, Chennai) (11:23.279); 3. Rahil Shetty (Gusto Racing, Hyderabad) (11:23.414).

    Pro-Stock 165cc (Race-1): 1. Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing, Chennai) (11:46.731); 2. Rajiv Sethu (Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing) (11:46.778); 3. KY Ahamed (TVS Racing) (11:47.691).

    Novice (Stock 165cc) Race-1: 1. Anfal Akdhar (Rockstar Racing, Thrissur) (13:05.852); 2. Allwin Xavier (Sparks Racing, Thrissur) (13:05.980); 3. Sarvesh Balappa (Sparks Racing, Hubballi) (13:17.967).

    One-Make Championship organized by Madras Motor Sports Club:

    Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup – NSF 250R (Race-1): 1. Kavin Quintal (Chennai) (11:08.113); 2. Mohsin Peramban (Valanchery) (11:22.860); 3. Sarthak Chavan (Pune) (11:22.959 – incl 10-sec penalty for jump start).

    CBR 150 (Race-1): 1. Prakash Kamath (Bokaro Steel city) (13:14.859); 2. Shubankar Joshi (Pune) (13:23.925); 3. Johann Reeves Emmanuel (Chennai) (13:27.157).

    Hornet 2.0 (Race-1): 1. Kevin Kannan (Chennai) (13:26.735); 2. Alwin Sundar (Chennai) (13:35.033); 3. Rajkumar C (Coimbatore) (13:35.134).

    TVS Apache Open (RR310, Race-1): 1. Navaneeth Kumar (Puducherry) (11:49.658); 2. Amarnath Menon (Calicut) (11:50.606); 3. Vivek Pillai (Chennai) (11:50.729).

    Rookie (RTR 200, Race-1): 1. Jinendra Kiran Sangave (Kolhapur) (12:48.856); 2. Chiranth V (Bengaluru) (13:04.132); 3. Shreyas Copparam Hareesh (Bengaluru) (13:04.992).

    Girls (RTR 200, Race-1, 5 laps): 1. Rakshitha Dave (Chennai) (11:15.447); 2. Renuka Gajendran (Bengaluru) (11:30.442); 3. Zigna Pamnani (Kalyan) (11:39.959).

    • Photo courtesy Anand Philar @Facebook
    • Rahil Pillari Shetty Photo courtesy Anand Philar @Facebook
    • Jagan Kumar Photo courtesy Anand Philar @Facebook
    • Champ Rajinikrishnan Photo courtesy Anand Philar @Facebook
    Are you a rider or a driver? Want your profile in this website contact editor at 98455 69496

    About Madras Motor Sports Club

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

  • Kavin Quintal emerges as fastest rider on Friday

    Kavin Quintal emerges as fastest rider on Friday

    Irungattukottai (Kanchipuram District, TN), 10 Sept. 2021: Talented teen racer Kavin Samaar Quintal emerged as the fastest rider of the day on the opening day of the Round 2 of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship which began at the Madras Motor Race Track here on Friday.

    Coached by Tadayuki Okada san, the 16-year Kavin, astride a Honda NSF250R, the best bike on the day with a racing pedigree, blazed the MMSC track with ease and grace to notch up the quickest lap of the day, 1min, 50.085sec in the 30-minute practice session on the 3.717-km tarmac that saw temperatures of over 30 degree centigrade on a “not-so-hot day”, about 70-km from Chennai here.

    Another talented teen, Sartak Chavan from Pune did his best lap in 1:50.700, about half a second behind Kavin’s second-best time of 1:51.079. Geoffrey Revival Emmanuel of Chennai was the third quickest clocking 1:52.809 in a grid of 12 riders who were selected for this One-Make Championship by Honda India.

    Kavin Quintal, fastest rider of the day on Friday. Photo David Bodapati

    In the first round held on August 22, Kavin won the Race 2 with  a best lap of 1min 49.793sec followed by Sartak (best lap 1:50.595) in second place and Bengaluru’s Samuel Martin took third on the podium (Best lap 1:52.177). Earlier he also won Race 1, and made it a double for the Round 1 week-end.

    Promoted and organised by Madras Motor Sports Club, at MMRT, the best active facility in India for riders and drivers, the National Championship saw top riders like Rajini Krishnan, Rajiv Sethu, Jagan and other young and veteran riders, including a bevy of woman riders take part under strict COVID19 restrictions and the new-look Grand Stand which gave the appearance of a Big Sporting Facility for the laymen on the Highway for the first time, was dotted with colourful chairs begging for guests to be seated, but alas that has to wait till the pandemic is tamed.

    Blissfully cool and calm, the 11th Class student of Sir Matha School in Chennai said: “I was testing old tyres and suspension. I had fun today and I thank my team for giving a good bike,” before rushing to watch and cheer the rookies taking part in the CBR150 Novice class.

    NSF250R is a racing machine for the new era. Powered by 4-stroke engine with 249cc displacement specially designed for racing, it’s light, compact, high output and high in performance. It is a perfect bike to provide integration of high power and rider-friendliness.

  • Alwin Sundar takes pole position in Novice category

    Alwin Sundar takes pole position in Novice category

    Chennai, September 9: Local collegian Alwin Sundar (AS Motorsports) grabbed pole position in the Novice (Stock 165cc) category as the second round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship commenced at the MMRT, here on Friday.

    Sundar, who leads the championship after his double in the previous round last month, clocked a best of 02 minutes, 07.596 seconds, followed by two riders from Thrissur, Allwin Xavier (Sparks Racing) (02:08.911) with Anfal A (Rockstar Racing) (02:09.069). The trio will head a 38-bike grid for the first race tomorrow.

    Earlier, Bengaluru-based Anish Damodar Shetty (Race Concepts), who is placed second in the championship astride a KTM RC 390, topped the practice session in the premier Pro-Stock 301-400cc category, clocking a best lap of 01:53.332, ahead of Hyderabad’s Rahil Shetty (Gusto Racing, 01:53.469), also on a KTM, and Soorya PM (Rockers Racing, 01:53.876) on a Yamaha.

    Championship leader, Rajini Krishnan (RACR, 01:54.126), who won both the races in Round-1 last month, was slightly off the pace in fifth position on his Yamaha R3, behind Jagadeesh N (Sparks Racing, 01:53.968).  

    In the other premier category, the Pro-Stock 165cc, Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing’s Rajiv Sethu (01:56.899) was the quickest in the practice session, with two TVS Racing riders, defending champion and arch-rival Jagan Kumar (01:57.132) and Deepak Ravikumar (01:57.773) trailing in second and third spots.

    The qualifying session for both the Pro-Stock category will be held tomorrow followed by first of the two races.

    The Girls (Stock 165cc) too warmed up for tomorrow’s qualifying session with title holder Ann Jennifer (Sparks Racing) emerging quickest in practice run with a 02:10.097, followed by Round-1 race winner Ryhana Bee (RACR, 02:10.277) and Puducherry’s Lani Zena Fernandez (Speed Up Racing, 02:10.578).

    In the One-Make Championships organized by the Madras Motor Sports Club, Navaneeth Kumar from Puducherry (TVS Open), Hyderabad’s Baddam Deepika Reddy (TVS Girls) and Prakash Kamath from Bokaro Steel City (Idemistu Honda CBR 150) qualified for pole positions in their respective categories. 

  • Ruhaan, Rohaan, Nikhilesh continue their exploits

    Ruhaan, Rohaan, Nikhilesh continue their exploits

    Bengaluru, 27 August 2021: Talented Bengaluru teenage pilot Ruhaan Alva once again dominated the proceedings with complete authority to take overall honours as ‘fastest driver’ in Round 2 winning all the four races on the menu in the Senior class of the Meco FMSCI National Karting Championship NC Racing MSport IAME X30 India races at the 1.2-km Meco Kartopia, about 20 km from here on Friday.

    In the Junior section, Rohaan Madesh stamped his class once again dominating with controlled aggression to bag three victories after a surprise loss in Race 1 where Guwahati karter Jaden R Pariat won to take 31 points from this round for a total of 50 points and is now 2nd on the leaderboard. Rohaan Madesh, with 65 points (32+33) is the deserving leader with another round of 4 races scheduled for Saturday. Younger of the two Madesh brothers, Ishaan, the reigning Cadet champion, fetched 23 points to add to the 20 (Round 1) for a total 43 points is in third place after two rounds. The third of the five rounds will be held on Saturday.

    Nikhilesh Raju, the 11-year 6th Class student of Vibgyor School, Bengaluru won the Round 2 in Cadet Class winning three of the four Round 2 races to garner 34 points to add to the 34 from Round 1. He is leading the championship table with 64 points. Arafath Sheikh, the baby of the grid at 10 years, a 4th class student of Bishop School in Pune, won Race 2 to bag 31 valuable points (to add to the 26 from Round 1) and jumped to second place in the standings with 57 points. Local rookie, a 12-year 7th Standard girl, Zarah Mishra, who has managed 23 points is third in the championship with a total of 39 points from two rounds. Three newcomers from Gujarat Shrili Manish Mistry (19 points), Hrydan S Patel (16) and Ateev Khandelval (11) helped retain the 6-kart grid as Aditya Suresh Kamat and Vedha Vishnu from Chennai did not turn up for this round.

    Ruhaan, the 15-year-old champion performed a classic act once again conquering everything that came his way taking four victories, four fastest laps, best qualifying and second best qualifying times for pole and became the fastest man on the grid with a best lap time of 56.530 in Round 2 qualifying session. Earlier on August 1, he won three races in Round 1 and is currently leading the championship. He also clocked a best race time of 14min, 22.799seconds in Race 3 over 15 laps of 1.2 km Meco Kartopia tarmac run clockwise.

    Former champion Ameya Bafna, who made a surprise visit in Round 1, failed to turn up for the two rounds this weekend, thus reducing whatever competition Alva had. Another Bengaluru karter, Nigel Abraham Thomas, took full advantage of the depleted grid to showcase his talent, taking three silver after his bronze in the first race behind former champion from Chennai Nirmal Umashankar. After his second in the first race, Nirmal could not beat Nigel and had to be satisfied with three bronze in the rest of the three races.

    Raaj Bakhru from Mumbai was consistent, after he overcame a bad first race which he `Did Not Finish’ (DNF) to improve steadily in the next three races. He came 5th in Race 2, 4th in Race 3 before finally taking a bronze in the final race. Another rookie from Garden City, Sawan Sathyarayan, finished 4th in the first two races.

    Cadets will have two races on Saturday and two more on Sunday to complete Round 3 while Juniors will complete all four races of Round 3 on Saturday.

    Round 2 Final (provisional) classification :

    Seniors (15 laps) Friday Grid: 6

    Race 1: 1. #27 Ruhaan Alva (Bengaluru) (14:29.122); 2. #25 Nirmal Umashankar (Chennai) (14:31.631); 3. #28 Nigel Abraham Thomas (Bengluru) (14:34.483); 4.  #31 Sawan Sathyanarayan (Bengaluru) (14:45.525); 5.  #30 Vidyali Reddy (Bengaluru) (15:17.922); DNF Lap 1 #32 Raaj Bakhru (Mumbai) (1:11.022). Best lap: Ruhaan Alva 56.892. Best Speed: 75.9 kmph. Margin of win: 2.509sec.

    Race 2: 1. #27 Ruhaan Alva (Bengaluru) (14:37.013); 2. #28 Nigel Abraham Thomas (Bengaluru) (14:38.755); 3. #25 Nirmal Umashankar (Chennai) (14:39.737); 4.  #31 Sawan Sathyanarayan (Bengaluru) (14:43.322); 5. #32 Raaj Bakhru (Mumbai) (14:43.636); 6. #30 Vidyali Reddy (Bengaluru) (14:54.725); Best lap: Ruhaan Alva 57.174. Best Speed: 75.5 kmph. Margin of win: 1.742sec.

    Race 3: 1. #27 Ruhaan Alva (Bengaluru) (14:22.799); 2. #28 Nigel Abraham Thomas (Bengaluru) (14:25.169); 3. #25 Nirmal Umashankar (Chennai) (14:28.438); 4.  #32 Raaj Bakhru (Mumbai) (14:32.912); 5. #31 Sawan Sathyanarayan (Bengaluru) (14:45.760); 6. #30 Vidyali Reddy (Bengaluru) (14:48.863); Best lap: Ruhaan Alva 57.131 Best Speed: 75.616 kmph. Margin of win: 2.370sec.

    Race 4 (Restart): 1. #27 Ruhaan Alva (Bengaluru) (18:57.927); 2. #28 Nigel Abraham Thomas (Bengaluru) (19:09.296); 3. #32 Raaj Bakhru (Mumbai) (19:41.131); 4. #25 Nirmal Umashankar (Chennai) (19:53.111); 5. #31 Sawan Sathyanarayan (Bengaluru) (19:20.087 – 14laps); 6. #30 Vidyali Reddy (Bengaluru) (19:42.753 -14laps); Best lap: Ruhaan Alva 1:14.544 Best Speed: 57.952 kmph. Margin of win: 11.369sec.

    Friday’s Juniors and Cadet results of Ro2 to be updated!