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Category: Non-F1
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Borthers Chetan Shivram and Dilip Sharan, 2019 INRC National Champs; Gill, Musa win Popular Rally
Kottayam, Dec. 22: Brothers Chetan Shivram and Dilip Sharan are the National champions. They did not win the Poplular Rally but the experienced duo from Bengaluru conquered the Indian National Rally Championship 2019, thanks to their stunning victories in the second round at Combatore and fourth round in Bengaluru.
The MRF supported duo of Team Akshara, who had suffered a massive crash in the opening stage on Saturday, returned to complete Day 2’s three stages to protect their lead. They did get three valuable leg points, that put the title beyond Fabid and Dean.
They garnered enough points in the two previous rallies nurturing their car and negotiating the dangerous terrain when most of the top guns failed to finish. Both these rounds saw most of the experienced and talented drivers bite the dust one after the other. But Chetan, with Dilip calling the notes, carefully and skillfully negotiated to take the wins under these tricky circumstances and those points stood them in good stead and brought them the championship which they richly deserved.
In cheeful mood after the rally. After the K1000 rally, a veteran rally fan could not help remember an old saying: “To finish first, one has to first finish the rally.’’ Chetan’s rivals, Fabid Ahmer and Dean Mascarenhas, who had a chance to topple Chetan needing 25 and 29 points respectively before the start of the Kerala leg, could not do much on Sunday. While Dean along with co-driver Shruptha Padival finished overall second in the Popular Rally, Fabid, along with navigator Sanath Gopalanhad, missed the INRC3 title by a whisker as a late penalty at the last TC cost them the title by a point. However, the youngster from Palakkad had the consolation of winning the Junior INRC title for 2019.
Meanwhile, speed maestro Gaurav Gill and co-driver Musa Sherif, retained the Popular Rally title, as the final round of the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC), promoted by Champions Yacht Club and organised by Southern Adventure and Motorsports concluded here on Sunday. Gill won the Popular Rally for the fifth time.
The Team Mahindra Adventure driver, supported by JK Tyre won SS9 and finished second in SS10 and SS11 on Day 2 to regain his aura over the weekend. Gill’s teammates, Dean Mascarenhas and Suhem Kabeer, too did well, taking the third and fourth positions in Popular Rally’s overall category.
Overall Winners: From left: Dr Bikku Babu & Milen George (2nd place), Musa Sherif & Gaurav Gill (winners) and Dean Mascarenhas & Shrupta Padival (3rd). Photo: CYC release Chetan, along with Dilip, nursed his car smartly, taking the tenth position in SS9 but revved up to the fifth in the last two stages for a valiant show. Chetan and Dilip also won the INRC3 title for a double dhamaka as Fabid and Sanath, earned a lat penalty.
In INRC3, Fabid who finished second behind Aditya Thakur and co-driver Virender Kashyap, had been demoted and Jacob KJ and PVS Murthy came second. Kuber Sharma and Karan Aukta finished third.
Team Champions’ Dr Bikku Babu (Milen George), a local favourite, finished third in the overall category and first in his own INRC 2 for a highly-rewarding Popular Rally. Tied with JK Tyre’s Dean Mascarenhas (Shruptha Padival) on 72 points at the start of the round, his win surely fetched him the National title in INRC 2 class.
In the INRC 4 category was won by Suraj Thomas and co-driver Sob George while Vaibhav Marathe (Arjun SSB) and Rakshith Iyer/Chandrashekhar finished second and third respectively. Vaibhav and Arjun garnered the National title in this class.
(Note: The results and the report were edited and revised on Dec. 23 at 12 noon after the official results which penalised an INRC3 driver changed the top-3 places and the title winner)
Provisional Results (Round 5): INRC Overall: 1. Gaurav Gill/ Musa Sherif – 1hour, 25min, 01.7sec; 2. Dr Bikku Babu/ Milen George – 1:29:16.300; 3. Dean Mascarenhas/ Shrupta Padival – 1:31:02.600.
INRC 2: 1. Dr Bikku Babu/ Milen George – 1:29:16.300; 2. Dean Mascarenhas/ Shrupta Padivel – 1:31:02.600; 3. Suhem Kabeer/ Jeeva Rathinam – 1:31:22.000.
INRC 3: 1. Aditya Thakur/ Virender Kashyap – 1:34:11.300; 2) Jacob K.J/ PVS Murthy – 1:34:46.300; 3. Kuber Sharma / Karan Aukta xx:xx.
INRC 4: 1. Suraj Thomas/ Sob George – 1:35:02.500; 2. Vaibhav Marathe/ Arjun SSB – 1:37:55.000; 3. Rakshith Iyer/ Chandrashekhar – 1:38:51.400.
SUV Challenge: 1. Nikhil J / Arjun Dheerendra 1:41:10.200; 2. Abishek Gowda/ Dheeraj Manae 1:42:58.100; 3. Gagan Karumbaiah/ Thimmu Uddapanda 1:44:10.100.
Junior INRC: 1. Fabid Ahmer / Sanath Gopalan; 2. Rakshith Iyer/ Chandrashekar; 3. Chandan KM/ Suraj M.
Chetan Shivram and Dilip Sharan, who rejoined the rally on Sunday. Photo by Angel Mabel Action freeze of Fabid Ahmer and Sanath Gopalan (both Palakkad) of Team Champions who missed the INRC3 title by a point but won the National title in Junior INRC on Sunday. Photo by Anand Philar Vaibhav Marath (Goa) and Arjun SSB (Bengaluru), also of Team Champions, who won the National title in INRC4 class. Photo by Anand Philar John D Paul of Kuttukaran Group speaks at the PD as Vicky Chandhok, Chairman of APRC Rally Commission looks on, on Sunday. Photo by Anand Philar -
Gaurav Gill takes the lead; Chetan Shivram crashes out but still in contention for National title
Gaurav Gill in action on Saturday in Popular Rally. Photos CYC Kottayam, 21 Dec 2019: India’s top rally driver Gaurav Gill and co-driver Musa Sherif of Team Mahindra Adventure stole the honours on the opening day and are set to retain their Popular Rally title in the fourth and final round of the Champions Yacht Club promoted Indian National Rally Championship under the aegis of Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India (FMSCI) here on Saturday.
Organised by Southern Adventures and Motorsports Club, the stage rally had run eight stages today with three remaining for Sunday. There are three physical stages, all tarmac, run multiple times in the same direction and two stages in reverse direction too.
The JK Tyre supported duo, with Musa Sherif as co-driver, was trailing in the seventh position at the start of the round could well break into the podium if they manage to excel on the final day of the championship too. They have just 29 points after the first four rounds but could end up adding 39 points more if they remain unbeaten on Sunday as well. Despite his fightback, Gill would not be able to surpass the current overall leader, MRF’s Chetan Shivram (co-driver Dilip Sharan).
Bengaluru’s Chetan along with his brother Dilip a navigator, who were leading INRC 3 as well, endured a massive crash in the day’s first stage itself and failed to finish even one stage. But their 75 point put them on a safe place with only a mathematical chance still possible for Dean Mascarenhas and Fabid Ahmer to overthrow them for the National title, if they win tomorrow.
This Cunning Corner was the cause for four casualties including leader Chetan Shivram. Two cars toppled later. Another JK Tyre driver, Younus Ilyas (Harish Gowda) of Race Concepts team from Bengaluru, had a good day as they were the fastest in two of the special stages and Dr Bikku Babu, with co-driver Milen George, too posted good timings to stay on top of his class, INRC2. Younus and Bikku Babu are second and third in all the overall lead on Saturday.
INRC 3’s Fabid Ahmer supported by MRF Tyres, with Sanath Gopalan as navigator, with 51 points and INRC 2’s Dean Mascarenhas (Shruptha Padival) with 47 also remain in the fray for podium finishes in the overall category.
The INRC 2 seemed poised for the most thrilling ending as category leaders Dean Mascarenhas and Dr. Bikku Babu, both with 72 points, put up brave performances on Saturday. Dr Bikku took the first place in seven stages to steal a march over Dean, who chased him furiously. The winner of the two on Sunday could hope to emerge as the king in this class.
Fabid Ahmer took advantage of Chetan Shivram’s misfortune to give himself a good chance of claiming the INRC 3 title. Starting with 75 points, just 9 behind the leader, he would need to drive with the same care and hope that Chetan doesn’t start on Sunday to pull off a surprise victory. However, it was Aditya Thakur with co-driver Virender Kashyap who took the lead in this class on Saturday and will be gunning for their maiden Popular Rally title on Sunday.
Kerala duo Suraj Thomas and Sob George in action on Saturday. In INRC4, Suraj Thomas and Sob George took the lead in their home rally with the championship table topper Vaibhav Marathe and Arjun SSB lying in third place with three more stages to go on Sunday.
Provisional unaudited Results (after Leg 1/Day 1):
INRC Overall: 1. Gaurav Gill/ Musa Sherif – 1hour 2min 49.8sec; 2. Younus Ilyas/ Harish Gowda – 1:03:44.8; 3. Dr. Bikku Babu/Milen George – 1:05:37.9.
INRC 2: 1. Dr. Bikku Babu/ Milen George – 1:05:37.9; 2. Dean Mascarenhas/ Shrupta Padivel – 1:07:15.9; 3. Suhem Kabeer/ Jeeva Rathinam – 1:08:00.4.
INRC 3: 1. Aditya Thakur/ Virender Kashyap – 1:10:11.8; 2. Fabid Ahmer/ Sanath G – 1:10:33.7; 3. Jacob KS/ PVS Murthy – 1:10:38.4.
INRC 4: 1. Suraj Thomas/ Sob George – 1:10:40.3; 2. Shirole Prakhyat H /Bharath SM – 1:10:44.6; 3. Vaibhav Marate/ Arjun SSB – 1:12:45.3.
Younus Ilyas emerged as No.2 in the overall lead behind Gaurav Gill. -
Gaurav Gill exudes confidence; Popular Rally ceremonial start held on Thursday
Popular Rally flagged off on Thursday. Photo from Popular Rally team Kottayam, 19 Dec 2019: “The roads are beautiful. The amazing tarmac mountain roads are faster than last year. With the power of 200 BHP and special tyres from JK Tyres, I am looking forward for the stages to begin. I am very happy to be back at this Popular Rally,” said Gaurav Gill, who will defend his victory here last year as the stages begin on Saturday.
Popular Rally 2019, the fifth and final round of the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) promoted by Champions Yacht Club was flagged off by Kerala’s Transport Minister AK Saseendran and Managing Director of Kuttukaran Group John K Paul in the presence of Clerk of the Course and popular rallyist Girijashankar Joshy, who retired recently.
Defending champion Gaurav Gill, who first took part in the Popular Rally as a biker in 1999, will be aiming to end the year on a high after a barren run as the Popular Rallygets under way here on Satruday with the special stages, adds an official press release on Friday.
The JK Tyre driver, along with his navigator Musa Sherif, has had a difficult season with technical failures playing spoilsport for him throughout the season. He is currently in the seventh position with 29 points from four rounds.
Popular Rally press conference in progress. Photo by Anand Philar His team-mate Dean Mascarenhas (& co-driver Shruptha Padivel) is third on the overall tally with 47 points and is leading his INRC 2 class. He, however, faces an uphill task as MRF drivers Chetan Shivram (with co-driver Dilip Sharan) and Fabid Ahmer (& Sanath G) are sitting pretty on the 1st and 2nd places in the overall category.
Chetan had emerged victorious in the last two rounds and has 75 points, a handy lead of 24 points. He has been the surprise package this season, driving steadily and smartly to be in line for his biggest victory. Team Champions’ Fabid with a total of 51 points will start as a strong contender in this round and is expected to narrow the gap, if not topple Chetan from the top.
Team Champions’ Dr. Bikku Babu along with his co-driver Milen George will be another driver to watch out for. He is currently placed fourth overall with 41 points and is tied on points with Dean in the INRC 2 category. He has been the stand-out performer of this season, will be in the mix and fancy his chances in the final round. Race Concepts’ Younus Ilyas (& Harish Gowda) is in the third place in INRC 2 category and is separated from the top-2 by just 13 points. The JK Tyre backed driver has the speed and quality to give a tough fight to the leaders on his home turf and change the script of the championship. He had won the Popular Rally last year and will definitely will look to draw inspiration from it and aim to finish on a glorious note.
In the INRC 3 category, it will be a two way fight between Chetan and Fabid. They are separated by just nine points and their fight will not only determine the outcome in the category but also will have a huge bearing on the overall scheme of things.
In the INRC 4 category, Team Champions’ Vaibhav Marathe is on top of the table with 90 points and looks poised to end the year on a high. He however will be wary of Rakshith Iyer who is breathing down his neck in the second place with 79 points.
To be held in Kottayam, the final round of the championship will see over 35 teams fight it out for the top honours. The rally to run on asphalt will cover over 530 kms including 121.74 kms earmarked for 12 Special Stages
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Shaurya Kapani, Sarvesh stars of the day in Pro-Junior class: Ajmera IndiKarting 2nd Edition
Winners all: The second edition of the Ajmera IndiKarting winners in Mumbai on Wednesday. An INDIAinF1 photo Mumbai, 18 Dec 2019: The 2nd edition of the FMSCI approved, Ajmera IndiKarting Clash of Pros, was a spectacular affair of top level racing from some of the best racers in the region across 2 categories – Pro junior and Pro Senior. Shaurya Kapani was on top of the standings at the end of the day after winning 2 of the 3 races in the Pro Junior. Sarvesh Bode with a win and second place, took top honours in the Pro Senior category.
Qualifying was a close affair in both categories. Veer Sheth clocked 25.42 seconds, ahead Shaurya Kapani (25.44 seconds). Raiden Samervel and Nirvaan Chandna who recently made the move up into the Juniors were right behind posting laptimes of 25.46 and 25.63 seconds.
9 drivers in the Pro Senior clocked within 1 second. Tej Patel lapped the 400 meter Ajmera IndiKarting circuit in an impressive 25.87 seconds to bag pole position, a mere hundredth of a second, ahead of the highly rated Aaroh Ravindra (25.88 seconds) and Sarvesh Bode (25.91 seconds).
The Pro Junior Race 1 – Saw an exciting battle for the lead between Veer Sheth and Shaurya Kapani. Both racers with international experience under their belt, enthralled the crowd with multiple overtakes. Eventually Veer won the race ahead of Shaurya. Raiden Samervel came in third.
Tej had a good start in the Pro Senior Race 1. Behind him, Sarvesh and Aaroh were nose to tail, while Rahul Deshpande was under pressure from Jamie Shaw. Their karts touched and Jamie hit the barriers forcing him to retire. Tej won comfortably, followed by Sarvesh and Aaroh.
Race 2 in both categories started as a complete reverse grid of the entire field, based on the result of Race 1. In the Pro Junior, Nikhil Hariharn started on pole, followed by Aashi Hanspal – the only girl in the event. Shaurya made his way up the field and went on to win. Ashay Kadam started third, and drove fantastically to finish second ahead of Hoshmand Elavia.
The Pro Senior Race 2 started with Jamie on pole, followed by Paarth Damani, Neville Tata and Aashwath Chowta. Jamie quickly zoomed away to a comfortable lead. Behind him however, there was total chaos as quicker racers from behind had to contend with racers in front who refused to give up position. They defended aggressively and this proved to be a recipe for disaster. Multiple incidents followed and many racers crashed heavily. Jah Wadia who was unlucky in race 1 where he faced engine trouble, was unlucky a second time as he crashed just a few laps from the end. A few moments early Alyraza Beig and Aashwath crashed out. Jamie won, ahead of Rahul and Aaroh.Shaurya won Race 3 of the Pro Junior, followed by Veer and Raiden. The Senior race 3 was a fantastic display of fierce but clean competition. Five racers were locked in a battle for the lead for over half the race. Eventually Sarvesh triumphed ahead of Rahul and Aaroh.
The Pro Senior Plus category for heavier racers, was won by Raghav Vaishnav followed by Alyraza Beig and Parth Damani.
“It was fantastic to see such close racing. Both the Seniors and Juniors were within hundredths of a second and that speaks volumes of the level of competition. It was also good to see so many new faces. The future looks bright and I hope that many of these racers will soon compete internationally” said 8 Time champion and promoter of IndiKarting, Rayomand Banajee.
The next round will be conducted on January 11 and 12 with qualifying commencing from Dec 24.
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Mumbai Falcons soar high with a double; Bangalore Racing Stars top in Race 1
Mumbai Falcons pair of Kush Maini (right) and Mikkel Jensen who scored a double in the X1 Racing League on Sunday. Chennai, 8 Dec 2019: Mumbai Falcons, represented by Kush Maini and Mikkel Jensen (Denmark), won two of the three races while Bangalore Racing Stars tandem of Arjun Maini and Oliver Webb (England) took the honours in the other outing as the curtains came down on the inaugural franchise-based XI Racing League at the MMRT, here today.
The first race of the day, won by Bangalore, took a heavy toll with six cars packing up due to mechanical reasons. It left a six-car grid for the second and third races, but that did not take anything away from Mumbai’s double.
The Race-1 was interrupted by a Safety Car period after one of the cars blew the engine. Bangalore started fourth on the grid behind Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad, but with some smart tactics managed to pull ahead. The teams were required to make a mandatory driver change between ninth and 14th minutes window and Bangalore, powered by Arjun Maini and England’s Oliver Webb got it spot on and then held off a late charging Mumbai (Kush Maini and Mikkel Jensen) to win the race. Hyderabad (Vitantonio Liuzzi-Gosia Rdest) completed the podium.
The second race began on reverse grid of the previous race standings. As such, Delhi’s Gaurav Gill, the three times Asia Pacific Rally champion, started from pole and led until he pitted for Raghul Rangasamy to take over. Rangasamy maintained the track position to finish second behind Mumbai Falcons (Kush Maini and Jensen). Bangalore Racing Stars who had started fifth, came in third.
Mumbai Falcons went on to complete a double later in the evening, finishing on top in Race-3 ahead of Bangalore Racing Stars and Blackbirds Hyderabad.
Kush Maini (No.1) on a charge in Race 2 on Sunday. Photos by Anand Philar The results (Provisional):
Race-1: 1. Bengaluru Racing Stars (Arjun Maini / Oliver Webb) (27mins, 23.458secs); 2. Mumbai Falcons (Kush Maini / Michel Jensen) (27:24.018); 3. Blackbirds Hyderabad (Vitantonio Liuzzi / Gosia Rdest) (27:28.969).
Race-2: 1. Mumbai Falcons (28:02.222); 2. AD Racing Delhi (Gaurav Gill / Raghul Rangasamy) (28:21.637); 3. Bangalore Racing Stars (28:25.847).
Race-3: 1. Mumbai Falcons (27:59.175); 2. Bangalore Racing Stars (28:03.838); 3. Blackbirds Hyderabad (Luizzi / Akhil Rabindra) (28:28.382).
About X1Racing League
X1Racing League, promoted by Racing Promotions Private Limited, is a hybrid motorsport media business creating, developing and commercializing IPs via live events, experiences and ecosystem. X1Racing League intends to reimagine, reinvent and redefine motorsport. X1Racing League is built on three pillars namely X1Racing League, X1Racing eSports and X1Racing Speed Summits. The X1Racing League powered by JK Tyre takes place in November-December in Delhi and Chennai represented by six franchise teams of 24 race drivers including international and domestic men and women. The X1Racing eSports Season 1 is being held in collaboration with global technology leader OnePlus across each of these six cities prior to the professional league to involve fans in a participative simulator-racing format. Winners will win rewards as well as have an opportunity to be trained by professional race drivers. Additionally, in their attempt to make motorsport a part of a larger lifestyle, the X1Racing Speed Summits will bring about exclusive weekenders in the form of VIP corporate experiences. All these pillars bring together a robust calendar of motorsport activity across India touching fans and talent alike to truly make motorsport much more than a sport, but a lifestyle.
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XI Motorsport League comes to Chennai for 2nd and final round
First round action in Delhi at Buddh International Circuit on 1st Dec 2019. An INDIAinF1 image Chennai, 7 Dec 2019: The cream of Indian racing talent, along with their foreign counterparts, including three former Formula One drivers, will re-assemble at the MMRT, here on Sunday for the second round of the path-breaking, franchise-based X1Racing League, being conducted by the Madras Motor Sports Club.
The three races, scheduled for Sunday, promise high-quality racing with the three ex-F1 drivers, India’s Narain Karthikeyan, Malaysian Alex Yoong and Italian Vitantonio Luizzi, competing against hand-picked racers, both foreign and Indian, with rich international experience, besides domestic talent. Also in the fray is Gaurav Gill, the three-times FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship winner, WRC2 participant and reigning National rally champion who has also competed in single-seater races in India.
The brain-child of two of India’s finest racers, Aditya Patel and Armaan Ebrahim, and promoted by Racing Promotions Private Limited, the X1Racing League, comprises six city-based teams – Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Delhi. The first round was held at the Buddh International Circuit, Delhi, last weekend.
The uniqueness of the X1Racing League lies in its structure that calls for mixed teams of male and female drivers. It also brings together under one umbrella a clutch of Indian racers like the Maini brothers, Arjun and Kush, Akhil Rabindra and Krishnaraaj Mahadik who have been active in various international series with some success.
Also on the grid are drivers with a proven track record in Indian championships, such as young guns Yash Aradhya, Sohil Shah, Arjun Datta, Nayan Chatterjee, Anindith Reddy, besides experienced Ameya Walavalkar, Vishnu Prasad, Raghul Rangasamy, Chittesh Mandody, Karthik Tharani, Arjun Narendran, and Arjun Balu.
The foreign talent includes England’s Oliver Webb, Mikkel Jensen from Denmark and Australian Mitch Gilbert, all with exposure to Touring car championships and Formula racing.
Headlining the female talent is England’s 36-year old Pippa Mann who has been racing internationally for over a decade, including the iconic Indy series in the United States. She will be up against compatriot Alice Powell who finished third overall in the inaugural W Series for women earlier this year, Poland’s Gosia Rdest, Denmark’s Michelle Gatting and Rahel Frey from Switzerland.
The Delhi round of the X1Racing League saw Bengaluru Racing Stars, comprising Arjun Maini, Webb, Gatting, Chatterjee, and Vishnu Prasad, winning two of the four races, while Mumbai Falcons (Kush Maini, Jensen, Mann, Shah and Tharani) topping the other two.
The teams:
Hyderabad Black Birds: Vitantonio Luizzi (Italy), Gosia Rdest (Poland), Akhil Rabindra (IND), Arjun Narendran (IND) and Anindith Reddy (IND).
Bengaluru Racing Stars: Oliver Webb (England), Michelle Gatting (England), Arjun Maini (IND), Nayan Chatterjee (IND) and Vishnu Prasad (IND).
Mumbai Falcons: Mikkel Jensen (Denmark), Pippa Mann (England), Kush Maini (IND), Sohil Shah (IND), Karthik Tharani (IND).
DG Racing Ahmedabad: Alex Yoong (Malaysia), Rahel Frey (Switzerland), Krishna Mahadik (IND), Chittesh Mandody (IND) and Ameya Walavalkar (IND).
AD Racing, Delhi: Gaurav Gill (IND), Raghul Rangaswamy (IND), Ashwin Datta (IND), Mira Erda (IND) and Sandeep Kumar (IND).
Superspeed Racing, Chennai: Narain Karthikeyan (IND), Mitch Gilbert (Australia), Alice Powell (England), Arjun Balu (IND), Yash Aradhya (IND) and Parthiva Sureshwaren (IND).
About X1Racing League
X1Racing League, promoted by Racing Promotions Private Limited, is a hybrid motorsport media business creating, developing and commercializing IPs via live events, experiences and ecosystem. X1Racing League intends to reimagine, reinvent and redefine motorsport. X1Racing League is built on three pillars namely X1Racing League, X1Racing eSports, and X1Racing Speed Summits. The X1Racing League powered by JK Tyre takes place in November-December in Delhi and Chennai represented by six franchise teams of 24 race drivers including international and domestic men and women. The X1Racing eSports Season 1 is being held in collaboration with global technology leader OnePlus across each of these six cities prior to the professional league to involve fans in a participative simulator-racing format. Winners will win rewards as well as have an opportunity to be trained by professional race drivers. Additionally, in their attempt to make motorsport a part of a larger lifestyle, the X1Racing Speed Summits will bring about exclusive weekenders in the form of VIP corporate experiences. All these pillars bring together a robust calendar of motorsport activity across India touching fans and talent alike to truly make motorsport much more than a sport, but a lifestyle.
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Rajendra, Jatin Jain win their classes: 5th round INRC for 2w
Mangaluru, 2 Dec 2019: The following riders won their respective classes in the fifth round of the MRF Mogrip Indian National Rally Championship for 2-wheelers 2019 which concluded near here today. The sixth and final round will be held in Bengaluru.
In the Super Bike Pro Experts Category, Rajendra RE of TVS Racing dominated the proceedings astride his RTR 200 for a comfortable win with over 7 minutes lead against second-place Nikhil Balakrishna.
In Super Bike (Expert) class Group A, Jatin Jain managed to beat Vishwas SD and Badal S Doshi of Mumbai to assure himself of the Championship title taking the top step on the podium.
Provisional final Results: (Organisers and FMSCI failed to provide the results to the Media on time, timings will be updated as and when received)
GROUP A
Class 1 – Super Bike (Pro Expert): 1. Rajendra RE; 2. Nikhil Balakrishna.
Class 1A – Super Bike (Expert): 1. Jatin Jain; 2. Vishwas SD; 3. Badal S Doshi.
GROUP B
Class 2 – Super Sport 130: 1. Nitesh G Poojary; 2. M Srikanth; 3. Hari Krishnan KS.
Class 3 – Super Sport 165: 1. Ishan Chandra; 2. Arshad Ali; 3. Francis PV.
Class 4 – Super Sport 260: 1. Imran Pasha; 2. Samuel Shajan Jacob; 3. Adnaan Ahmed.
Class 5 – Super Sport 400: 1. Sudeep Kottary; 2. Karthikeyan Dhanabal; 3. KN Rohan.
Class 6 – Super Sport 550: 1. Suhail Ahmed; 2. Arun Joy M; 3. Aneesh CK.
Class 7 – S0 to S3 Scooters upto 210cc (S0 to S3): 1. Syed Asif Ali; 2. Shamim Islam Khan; 3. Pinkesh Kishor Thakkar.
Class 8 – Ladies Class (Open Indian Motorcycles): 1. Aishwarya PM; 2. Dimpy A;
Class 9 – Star of Karnataka – 2/4 Stroke Motorcycles up to 210cc: 1. Rohith RS; 2. Shoeb M Khan; 3. Durgesh J.
ends
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Rajini Krishnan bags superbike win for Ducati
New Delhi, 2 Dec 2019: Ducati, swept the 1st and 2nd position at the 23rd edition of JK Tyre FMSCI Indian National Racing Championship 2019 at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) in Noida, Delhi-NCR, securing the championship it won in 2018.
Ducati India’s pilots Rajini Krishnan and Dilip Lalwani successfully bagged the 1st and 2nd position in race 2, in the superbike category aboard the Ducati Panigale V4 S with both bikes running on OEM stock fitments respectively. Also, Neharika Yadav, India’s only woman to race in the 1000cc category, successfully finished the race on her 899 Panigale.
This year’s championship races witnessed over 11 Ducati superbikes on the track making Ducati the biggest superbike manufacturer on the grid. Additionally, Bhumik Lalwani – official pilot of Ducati India’s dealer partner team, Ducati North Star Automotive, secured the championship on Ducati Panigale V4 S, finishing in P1 and P4 in race 1 and 2 respectively and Dilip Lalwani, riding for team Ducati India, came 2nd overall in the championship.
On this occasion, Sergi Canovas Managing Director of Ducati India said, “We are extremely proud of our riders’ performance at this year’s JK Tyre National Racing Championships which is not only one of the biggest but also one of the most competitive racing events in the country. I heartily congratulate Rajini Krishnan, Dilip Lalwani and Bhumik Lalwani for a stellar performance with the supremely capable Panigale V4 S being their weapon of choice. Personally, it feels great to witness and interact with the growing motor-sporting community in India. I am confident that next year will be even bigger and we can’t wait!”
With a legacy of over 90 years, Ducati has strived to reincarnate the racing identity in biking, cultivate an unparalleled riding culture and strive to build the motorsport community in India through various initiatives such as Track Days, Individual Track Riding Academy, etc.
The JK Racing India Series is the premium category in the JK Tyre Racing Championship. Launched in 1997, JK Tyre has now become the revered launch pad for budding motorsport talents in the country. JK Tyre took upon itself to package and design the Championship to suit the masses, which was earlier regarded for the elite. Despite raising the bar each time, the JKNRC remains the most cost-effective programs not only in India but in the world.
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Vishnu Prasad pips Raghul to win Formula LGB-4 title: JK Tyre Nationals
Chennai’s Vishnu Prasad on way to hi championship crown in the LGB4 class of the JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship at BIC, Greater Noida. A JK Tyre photo Greater Noida, 1 Dec 2019: Chennai’s Vishnu Prasad and Bengaluru’s Syed Muzammil Ali demonstrated nerves of steel to emerge as the heroes of the thrill-a-minute JK Tyre Festival of Speed here on Sunday.
Over 35,000 excited and screaming fans had the time of their lives at the Buddh International Circuit, enjoying a wholesome entertainment package topped up by tense races, close finishes and a couple of spectacular crashes too.
Eventually, Vishnu of MSport pipped his friend, team-mate and rival, Raghul Rangaswamy, to the crown in the coveted Formula LGB-4 category of the JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship.
Going into the final day with 73 points apiece, Vishnu and Raghul knew that, for once, they didn’t have to chase victory; they just had to finish ahead of the other to claim the championship.
But, true to their reputation, they went all out, providing for a thrilling race, with Vishnu winning in dramatic fashion; Raghul finished third to take the second position in the championship.
The Suzuki Gixxer Cup too followed the script of the season, with Syed Muzammil Ali and Tanay Gaikwad locked in one last fight. Tanay, however, began with a huge disadvantage following a DNF on Saturday.
He began from the back of the grid and valiantly fought his way up but could only manage a third-place finish to settle for the second position in the championship. Muzammil, who had an overnight 2-point lead, made sure that he hit the post ahead of Tanay to clinch the Cup.
The inaugural X1 Racing competition, Powered by JK Tyre, too proved to be with an instant hit, with its mix of top international and domestic drivers in an exciting new format.
Bangalore Racing Stars, with Arjun Maini, Oliver Webb, Vishnu Prasad and Michelle Gatting, claimed Round 1 in style, thanks to their two wins on Day 1. They also won the last race of the round, the relay race, to emerge clear victors.
Mumbai Falcons, (Kush Maini, Mikkel Jensen, Karthik Tharani and Pippa Mann) won one of the two races of the day and had to settle for the second position.
Rajini Krishnan (JK Tyre Superbike 1000cc), P. Sai Rahil Shetty (JK Tyre Superbike Cup 600cc) and Japan’s Karen Ogura (Asia Cup Road Racing) were the other heroes of the day, winning their respective races on Sunday.
Car stunts at the JK Tyre Festival of Speed. RESULTS (Championship winners):
JK Tyre LGB Formula 4: 1. Vishnu Prasad (83); 2. Raghul Rangasamy (79); Diljith T S (68)
JK Tyre LGB Formula 4 Rookie: 1.Megaa K. S. (85); 2. Mihir Barve (73); 3. Akshay Kapoor (62)
JK Tyre Suzuki Gixxer Cup: 1. Syed Muzammil Ali (64); Tanay Gaikwad (60); Sidharth Sajan (36)
Provisional Results:
JK LGB Formula 4: 1. Vishnu Prasad (23:16.961); 2. Ashwin Datta (23:18.060); 3. Raghul Rangasamy (23:18.675)
JK Tyre Suzuki Gixxer Cup: 1. Sanjeev Mhatre (23:28.022); 2. Syed Muzammil Ali (23:29.287); 3. Tanay Gaikwad (23:35.746)
Asia Cup Road Racing: 1. Karen Ogura (20:51.318); 2. Eane Jaye Sobretodo (20:51.478); 3. Mei Sakurai (21:01.006)
JK Tyre Superbike 1000cc: 1. Rajini Krishnan (11:49.834); 2. Dilip Lalwani (11:51.070); 3. Simranjeet Singh (11:53.166)
JK Tyre Superbike Cup 600cc: 1. P. Sai Rahil Shetty (12:21.241); 2. Gurvinder Singh (12:26.929); 3. Vishal Khubchandani (12:41.629)
X1 Racing Powered by JK Tyre:
Race 1: 1. Mumbai Falcons; 2. Bangalore Racing Stars; 3. DGR Ahmedabad
Race 2: 1. Bangalore Racing Stars; 2. Mumbai Falcons; 3. NK Racing Chennai
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MRF MoGrip INRC two-wheeler championship at Mangaluru from today
Mangaluru, 30 Nov 2019: A record number of 63 entries were received for the Rally of Mangaluru, the fifth and final round of the MRF Mogrip Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) for two-wheelers being organised under the aegis of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India (fmsci) at Panja, near Puttur, on Saturday.
Reigning champions in the top class, RE Rajendra of TVS Racing, astride an Apache RTR 450, leads Class 1 with 75 points followed by teammate R Nataraj (51). Rajendra, will spearhead the rally with six bikes in the class, the Super Bike Expert class. The TVS duo will be in the Super Bike pro-expert class. In class 2, there are 26 entries with Azeeb Mohammed leading the Class 2 and Ishan Chandra on top of Class 3 table. Aishwarya Pissay is on top of the ladies’ category which has two entries.
TVS Racing’s riders Syed Asif Ali, Shamim Khan, and Pinkesh Thakkar are expected to fight between themselves in the Scooter class. The ceremonial flag-off will be on Saturday and the action begins at Panja on Sunday. The riders will have to negotiate a total stage distance is 60km, to be run over two different stages in Karkala and Jaake.
