INDIA in F1

Category: Non-F1

  • Prabhu Arunagiri takes Pro-Stock 301-400cc class pole: MRF Bike Racing Nationals

    Prabhu Arunagiri takes Pro-Stock 301-400cc class pole: MRF Bike Racing Nationals

    Prabhu Arunagiri takes Pro Stock 301-400 cc pole on Friday. Photo by Srinivasa Krishnan

    Coimbatore, 7 June 2019: Prabhu Arunagiri of Team Alisha Abdullah scorched the track at the Kari Motor Speedway as he qualified for pole position in the premium Pro-Stock 301-400cc class as the first round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship commenced here today.

    Arunagiri came up with the flier in his very second lap, clocking one minute, 09.241 seconds, while TVS Racing duo of Jagan Kumar (01:09.269) and KY Ahamed (01:09.270) completed the front row of the grid for tomorrow’s race. Finishing a close fourth was young Rahil Shetty (Sparks Racing) with a best of 01:10.130.

    TVS Racing’s Jagan Kumar yet again underlined his caliber and class with a brilliant performance to top the practice session in the Pro-Stock 165cc class with a flying lap of 01:13:529 ahead of Idemitsu Honda Ten10 Racing’s Sarath Kumar (01:13.544) and team-mate KY Ahamed (01:13.688). The trio was separated by less than a second, pointing to an exciting battle tomorrow when the qualifying and first of the two races are to be run.

    Jagan, who last season clinched his seventh National title in the Super Sport Indian 165cc class which was not in the first round here, has since moved to the Pro-Stock category, but adapted himself well to top the timesheets. Sarath and Ahamed also participated in the Super Sport category last year.

    There was plenty of action elsewhere with riders in the Honda and TVS One-Make Championships, and the Novice class entrants getting a feel of the conditions during the practice sessions that occupied much of the day’s programme.

    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 from Sholavaram to its present location 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. 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. The facilities are also extensively used by various vehicle manufacturers for testing their products, displays and corporate days.

  • 178 entries as new season set to begin in Coimbatore: Motorcycle Racing Nationals

    178 entries as new season set to begin in Coimbatore: Motorcycle Racing Nationals

    File photo of National Bike Championship at Coimbatore in 2018. Image by Anand Philar

    Coimbatore, 6 June 2019: The 2019 season of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship, commencing at the Kari Motor Speedway here on Friday, June 7, will move up a couple of notches in quality and competitiveness with country’s leading 2-wheeler manufacturers Honda and TVS, playing key roles in the process.

    With 178 entries and a record 15 teams, the highest-ever in the championship’s history, in the fray, the weekend card has 17 races scheduled. The National Championship will be headlined by the Pro-Stock 301-400cc class, besides Pro-Stock 165cc, Pro-Stock 201-300cc and Stock 165cc (Novice and Girls). That apart, the One-Make Championships by Honda (Idemitsu Honda Talent Cup, CBR 150) and TVS Racing (Apache RTR 310 Open, RTR 200 Novice, and Girls), will be run concurrently.

    Title sponsors MRF will provide slick tyres for Pro-Stock 165cc and Pro-Stock 301-400cc classes. The slicks were introduced for the 2018 season and met with immediate approval and appreciation from the riders for the better grip, especially through the corners.

    MMSC President Ajit Thomas said: “We at the MMSC have been actively working towards our vision of providing a strong platform for young riders to express their talent on the race track before moving on to the next level. In this regard, we acknowledge the active involvement of our long-time partners MRF Tyres who have spared no effort to provide us with high-quality racing tyres. The MMSC also have kept pace with changing times by constantly upgrading equipment and infrastructure to make racing more safer and competitive.”

    Over the past couple of seasons, the competition in every category has become sharper and closer, resulting in exciting fare, and there are pointers that it would be even more so in the new season.

    The two top manufacturers, Honda and TVS, have also contributed hugely to the National championship with their respective one-make series. This season, in a landmark move, Honda will be introducing FIM Moto3 spec NSF250R that will replace the CBR 250 in their One-Make Championship from the next round. It is part of the Honda India Talent Cup programme designed to unearth young talent that can be groomed for participation in various international events, including the World Championship.

    The Honda Novice class (CBR 150) will see a grid of 15 riders, all under 19 years of age, thus emphasising the focus on young talent with a long-term development programme.

    Similarly, TVS Racing, through their talent-spotting programme, have shortlisted riders for their Novice and Girls categories through an exhaustive selection process. The grid for the Girls race will have 16 riders who were chosen from 33 entrants who received training from TVS Racing’s experienced riders prior to the selection run.

    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 from Sholavaram to its present location 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-looped circuit. 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. The facilities are also extensively used by various vehicle manufacturers for testing their products, displays and corporate days.

  • Chennai’s Nirmal, Bengaluru’s Ishaan, Mihir star in X30 Round 1

    Chennai’s Nirmal, Bengaluru’s Ishaan, Mihir star in X30 Round 1

    Winners of Round 1 of JKNKC X30 Senior Class. From Left: Debarun Banerjee (2nd) Nirmal Umashankar (Winner) and MR Rishon (3rd). Photos: JK Tyre Motorsports

    Bengaluru, 26 May 2019: Chennai’s Nirmal Umashankar and Bengaluru’s Mihir Suman Avalakki emerged as the heroes of Round 1 of the JK Tyre-FMSCI National Karting Chamionship 2019, X-30 class, at the Meco Kartopia here on Sunday.

    Nirmal, a regular in the Euro JK category of JKNRC, proved to be the man with nerves of steel as he strolled into the lead in the Senior category. He finished third in the opening race of the day but won the next three to accumulate a total of 36 points.

    Delhi’s Debarun Banerjee surged to the second spot by picking up 24 points; thanks to his two second-place finishes in the last two races of the round. Another local boy M R Rishon is on their tail with 23 points with two third places and one second-place finish.

    In the Junior category, Mihir did not have the best of the starts, finishing sixth in the opening race. However, he won the next three races to register a total of 33 points to go atop the leaderboard. With three podium finishes and 24 points in his kitty, Mihir’s city-mate Arjun S Nair ended the round in the second spot.

    Another local boy and one of the favourites of the championship, Ruhaan Alva, is on the third spot with 23 points. He started the round on a glorious note winning the opening race and finishing second in the next race. It looked like it was going to be his day but a DNF in the third race cost him. He recovered well in the final race finishing third, to be pushed down to the third place.

    X30 Cadet Winners: From left: Saathvik Raju (2nd), Ishan Madesh (winner) and Shriya Lohia (3rd) at Meco Kartopia in Bengaluru on Sunday. A JK Tyre image

    In the Cadet category, Ishaan Madesh from Bengaluru took the first spot with three wins and one second-place finish with 37 points. Trailing on the second spot is Bengaluru’s Saathvik Raju (30 points) and 9-year-old Shriya Lohia (25 points) of Pune.

    Standings after Round 1 – X-30:

    Senior: Nirmal Umashankar (36 points); Debarun Banerjee (24 points); M R Rishon (23 points)

    Junior : Mihir Suman Avalakki (33 points); Arjun S Nair (24 points); Ruhaan Alva (23 points)

    Cadet : Ishaan Madesh (37 points); Saathvik Raju (30 points); Shriya Lohia (25 points.

    Results: (Unaudited results): X 30 Senior Class:  

    Race 1 (15 laps): 1. Aditya Swaminathan 14:30.208; 2. Mihir Suman Avalakki 14:30.316; 3, Nirmal Umashankar 14:31.455; Best lap: Debarun Banerjee 56.936 (4th place)

    Race 2 (15 laps): 1. Nirmal Umashankar 14:20.166; 2. MR Rishon 14:28.593; 3. Aditya Swaminathan 14:28593; Best lap: Debarun Banerjee 56.672 sec (4th place)

    Race 3 (15 laps): 1. Nirmal Umashankar 14:49.633; 2. Debarun Banerjee 14:50.891; 3. MR Rishon 14:52.133; Best lap: Mihir Suman Avalakki  56.362 secs (4th place)

    Race 4 (4 laps): 1. Nirmal Umashankar 3:50.159; 2. Debarun Banerjee 3:50626; MR Rishon 3:51.602; Best Lap: Debarun 56.649.

  • Aabhishek Mishra-Srikanth Gowda win Desert Storm Xtreme class

    Jaisalmer, 11 May 2019: Defending champion Aabhishek Mishra, along with co-driver Srikanth Gowda, proved to be in a league of his own as he dominated each leg of the grueling Desert Storm to claim the coveted title for the fourth time here on Saturday.
     
    The 30-year-old from Jaipur thus became only the third driver to defend the Storm, an FMSCI-approved event, along with six-time winner Sunny Sidhu and Suresh Rana. With co-driver Srikanth Gowda by his side, he conquered the heat, the desert and one of the strongest fields ever in 9 hours 21 minutes and 45 seconds for a commendable victory.
     
    In the Moto Category, Adrian Metge of Team TVS Racing was equally commanding, winning the country’s longest motorbike rally with a cumulative time of 6 hours 13 minutes and 25 seconds. Ankur Chauhan (and co-driver Prakash M) was the other big winner, taking the Endure Category.
     
    “This is an incredibly special win for us,” Aabhishek Mishra, who shepherded his Maruti Vitara smartly, said, shortly after his victory. “I have won the title in the four-wheel category four times and once in the motorbike category. But this year was the toughest due to the conditions as also because of the competition, which attracted all the top drivers, teams and manufacturers in the country,” he added.
     
    Driving a Toyota Fortuner for the first time in a rally, Chandigarh’s Samrat Yadav (and co-driver Kunal Kashyap) grabbed the second position in 09:41:34 by showing remarkable poise and consistency over the scorching four days. Arunachal Pradesh’s Lakhpa Tsering (co-driver V Venu Rameshkumar) overcame a slow start to corner the third position in his Polaris RZR 1000.
     
    The Army Team, returning to competitive rally after a long hiatus, will be proud of their show in the Thar Desert. Capt AVS Gill (co-driver Diwakar Kalia) claimed the fourth place in the Extreme Category while Aman Katoch (Siddhartha Nandal), Parth Bharadwaj (Mohit Bisht) and Sanjay Jadon (Sahil Dua) took the third, fourth and fifth places in the Endure Category.
     
    India’s Dakar star CS Santosh breathed fire down Adrian Metge’s neck in each of the stages, surpassing him a few times too, to finish second in the Moto Category. The Hero Motorsports frontman will rue the second day which handed Metge a huge lead and proved to be impossible to bridge in the final analysis. TVS Racing’s Abdul Wahid Tanveer, who clocked a cumulative timing of 06:35:28, took the other place on the podium.  
     
    Aabhishek Mishra and co-driver Srikanth Gowda from Team Sparky’s Garage have emerged as the ultimate champions of Xtreme Category (cross country rally for cars) at Rally Desert Storm 2019 with cumulative time of 9 hours 21 minutes 45 seconds. With this win, Aabhishek Mishra joined the likes of Suresh Rana and Sunny Sidhu to have successfully defended their Desert Storm Xtreme Title. 
     
    The three champions — Mishra, Metge and Chauhan – and other podium finishers, category winners and special award winners, were felicitated at a glittering prize distribution ceremony at the Jaisalmer Marriott Resorts & Spa late in the evening.
     
    Among the key awards won, the Team Trophy (Xtreme Category) went to Team Army Adventure Wing, Team Trophy (Moto) to TVS Racing, Team Trophy (Ndure) to Team Army Adventure Wing. The Coupe des Dames (Best Female Contender) Awards were claimed by Khyati Mody in the Xtreme category, Aishwarya Pissay in the Moto category and to Capt. Abhilasha Singh in the Ndure category.  

  • Younus Ilyas-Harish Gowda win Sprint de Bengaluru

    Chikkaballapura (near Bengaluru), 24 March 2019: Kerala’s Younus Ilyas survived a late attack from Bengaluru’s Dean Mascarenhas to win the INRC overall and INRC 2 categories in the Sprint de Bengaluru 2019, the non-championship event, a prelude to the FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) on Sunday.

    The two-day stage rally on dirt track was organised by Karnataka Motor Sports Club (KMSC) under the aegis of the new promoters of INRC, Champions Yacht Club.

    The Race Concepts driver, along with his navigator Harish Gowda, seemed to be in control after storming into a comfortable ten-second lead in the night stage on Saturday.

    But Mascarenhas, driving in the INRC 3 category, showed a glimpse of his speed and prowess on Sunday. Despite driving his stock car, he began day two with a bang, finishing just two seconds off Ilyas’ Cedia. He was equally brilliant in the next stage, clocking 4:58.30 which was just one second behind Ilyas.

    The two stages, at LG Tranquil, tested the drivers and cars thoroughly, with tarmac, gravel, loose soil, sharp climbs and steep falls marking the route.

    Mascarenhas then came into his own, winning the next two stages at the LG Champions County track handsomely. With only long straights and sharp curves and turns to conquer, he went all out and gained 9 and 8 seconds each to make up for his 10-second shortfall in the opening stage.

    Sadly for him, he was penalised six minutes for getting to the starting point on Saturday night late which proved to be too big a deficit to overcome. He slipped all the way to the bottom of the table.

    “It was just bad luck,” Mascarenhas said. “My car didn’t start so I got delayed. I am, however, very happy with the way I drove and I am looking forward to a good season,” he added.

    Ilyas expressed happiness at his performance and praised the stages. “It was a great outing, and I loved being out here. The stages were interesting and challenging at times. But I am really glad to have come out on top,” he said.

    Dhruva Chandrashekar, with his navigator Musa Sherif, quietly made his way up to take the second place in the INRC overall category. The duo clinched the INRC 3 category in the process.

    Provisional Unaudited Final Classification: INRC Overall: 1. Younus Ilyas / Harish KN; 2. Dhruva Chandrashekar / Musa Sherif; 3. Sanjay Agarwal / Smitha N

    INRC 1: Suhem Kabeer / J. Jeevarathinam; 2. Lokesh Gowda / D Uday Kumar

    INRC 2: 1. Younus Ilyas / Harish KN; 2. Ritesh Guttedar / Lokaranjan; 3. Lanusanen Pongener / Vinay Kmar PM

    INRC 3: 1. Dhruva Chandrashekar / Musa Sherif; 2. Chetan Shivram / Dilip Sharan; 3. Aroor Vikram Rao / Somayya AG

    FMSCI CUP / 4WD: 1. Sanjay Agarwal / Smitha N; 2. Avin Nanjappa / Darshan Nachappa; 3. Nikhil J / Arjun Dheerendra

    FMSCI CUP / 2WD: 1. Vaibhav Marathe / Arjun SSB; 2. Avinash DC / Kenith Harsha; 3. Adith KC / Venu Ramesh Kumar

    Ladies Class: 1. Shivani Pruthvi / Deepti Pruthvi; 2. Harshita Gowda / Vidya M

  • Younus Ilyas-Harish Gowda pair takes early lead in Sprint de Bengaluru; Dean-Kabir lead INRC3

    Younus Ilyas-Harish Gowda pair takes early lead in Sprint de Bengaluru; Dean-Kabir lead INRC3

    IGP Revanna flagging off a car at the ceremonial start of Sprint de Bengalore near Chikkaballapur on Saturday as Champions group Director Hemamalini looks on. An INDIAinF1 image

    Bengaluru, 23 March 2019: Kerala’s Younus Ilyas stormed into the early lead after the first stage of the Sprint de Bengaluru 2019, the curtain-raiser to the highly anticipated FMSC Indian National Rally Championship here on Saturday night.

     Aided by his navigator Harish Gowda from Bengaluru, Ilyas attacked the sharp turns and curves during the night stage with confidence and verve. He needed just 06:47.30 minutes to complete the 5.5 kilometres to the delight of a packed audience.

    Suhem Kabeer (and J Jeevarathnam) eased into the second position in the INRC 1 category, finishing just 10 seconds behind the leaders. They were quick in their Polo but missed out on a couple of turns that hurt them.

    The third place was taken by another INRC 1 entry, Lokesh Gowda (Uday Kumar) who took 7:03.10 minutes to complete their run.

    Younus and Harish naturally grabbed the lead in their own category too, the INRC 2 for a brilliant start to the season for the Race Concepts Motorsports Team.

    Ritesh Guttedar (Lokaranjan) took the second place while Lanusanen Pongener (Vinay Kumar) took the third place.

    Dean Mascarehnas, (Suhem Kabir) who finished a creditable fourth despite driving in his stock car, led his category, the INRC 3.

    The second stage will take place later in the night, followed by four day stages on Sunday.

    Models pose with the first car before the start of the Ceremonial Start at LG Champions Green County near Chikkaballapur on Saturday. An INDIAinF1 image

    Earlier in the evening, the event began with a bang, with all the 25 cars lining up for the ceremonial start. The state IGP K Revanna, Chairman of Champions Yacht Club Subhakar Rao and its Director Ms Hemamalini N flagged off the cars, cheered on by thousands of enthusiastic spectators.

    This was immediately followed by the shakedown, with the drivers giving the guests a taste of their skills and the route in their cars.

    Provisional Unaudited Results after Special Stage 1:

    INRC: 1 (INRC 2) Younus Ilyas | Harish K N (00:06:47.300); 2. (INRC 1) Suhem Kabeer | J. Jeevarathinam (00:06:57.600); 3. (INRC 1) Lokesh Gowda | D Uday Kumar (00:07:03.100)

    INRC 2: 1    Younus Ilyas; 2. Ritesh Guttedar; 3. Lanusanen Pongener

    INRC 3: 1    Dean Mascarenhas; 2. 2    Dhruva Chandrashekar; 3. 3    Chetan Shivram

  • Champions Yacht Club, KMSC present Sprint de Bengaluru as a prelude to INRC

    Bengaluru, 22 March 2019: Champions Yacht Club, the new promoters of the Indian National Rally Championship, presents the two-day Sprint de Bengaluru 2019, a mouth-watering curtain-raiser to the six-round rally calendar of the year. Organised by Karnataka Motor Sports Club (KMSC), the rally will be held at Champions Green County on the Bengaluru-Hyderabad highway on March 23 and 24.

    Over 40 entries have been received from all over the country and some of the top drivers and navigators are expected to compete for top laurels on dirt tracks in the rally approved by Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India (FMSCI). The rally has a special stage distance of 30 kms and along with a transport distance of 108.63 kms, the total distance will be 138.63 kms. There are two short stages which are run thrice each. The Alpha stage is 4.5-km long while the Beta stage is 5.5 km. The two stages are run once each on Saturday as a night stage and twice each on Sunday. The prize distribution and podium ceremony will be held at 3 pm on Sunday.

    Experienced and talented drivers like Chetan Shivaram, Dr Bikku Babu, Vikram Rao Aroor, Dean Mascarenhas, Dhruv Chandrasekhar, Fabid Ahmer and Sanjay Agarwal will be in the fray as the rally is run in the same format and same classes as INRC. There will be a separate ladies class and the Champions Group is supporting 17 teams. The Sprint organised by KMSC, one of the oldest and active motorsports clubs in India, is expected to provide a glimpse of the rally action to be held this year. The Champions Group is the new promoter and the season is expected to start in June after the election process is completed.

    “It is a huge responsibility but we are fully geared up to make INRC vibrant and popular and bring back the glory days of rallying. Champions Group wants to support talented drivers, including women, so that new champions can be spotted and nurtured,” said Merla Vamsi, Director, Champions Yacht Club.

    “The entry of Champions Group is a boon to the INRC and to many talented drivers. It has created a buzz and we hope to make rallying popular so that more competitors will enter motorsports. All the safety aspects are taken care of and the Sprint will usher in new rally season,” said Shivu Shivappa, president of the KMSC. He is also the vice-president of FMSCI and the Clerk of the Course (CoC) for the event.

    The rally will be run in the following classes: INRC (upto 3500cc including turbo factor), INRC 2 (upto 2000cc as per Rally Sport regulations), INRC3 (upto 2000cc as per Group N regulations), FMSCI 4WD (Group N, N4, T1 and T2 cars), FMSCI 2WD (Honda City VTech, Maruti Esteem, Maruti Baleno) and Ladies Class.

  • Ali Ajgar, Musthafa complete a hat-trick of wins at JK Tyre Himalayan Drive 7

    Ali Ajgar, Musthafa complete a hat-trick of wins at JK Tyre Himalayan Drive 7

    Ajgar Ali, Md. Mustafa win the JK Tyre Himalayan drive on Sunday for a hat-trick. A JK Tyre Motorsport file photo

    Siliguri, 10 March 2019: The country’s only multi-nation rally, the JK Tyre Himalayan Drive 7, culminated earlier this month, with the famed duo of Ajgar Ali and Md. Mustafa reigning supreme and retaining their crown.

    It was a particularly sweet triumph as the champions completed a rare hat-trick in this gruelling four-day event.

    Ali and Mustafa felt the heat on the second and third day but used their vast experience to emerge victorious with a total tally of 1110 penalty points.

    The team of Gagan Sethi and Rajkumar Mundra (with 1847 penalty points) and Jogendra Jaiswal and Nagarajan Thangaraj (with 2035 penalty points) secured the second and third positions in what proved to be a thrilling fight to the finish.

    In the open category, the team of Govind Dalmia and Anand Agarwal edged past category leader Rohit Agarwal and Kunal Joshi to finish with 9149 penalty points. The Agarwal-Joshi team scored 9691 penalty points. Finishing third in this category were the team of Suyash Raj and Mohammad Sharif with 10796 penalty points.

    This year’s battle for the big title saw a nail-biting finish. The team of Jogendra Jaiswal and Nagarajan Thangaraj, who started the final day (Day 4) as championship leaders, will rue their luck as the crown eluded them for missing the penultimate time control. They suffered a 900-penalty points blow for their faux pas which was enough to send them crashing down to the second place.

    “We are very happy to score this hattrick. It was a very exciting rally and I can say that the JK Tyre Himalayan Drive is the best TSD rally in the country. The competitive sections were superb and posed a tough challenge to drivers, navigators and our cars,” said Ajgar Ali.

    Ajgar, who led the cross-country drive in the first two stages, slipped to the second spot by the end of the third stage.

    With the fourth leg getting cancelled due to snowfall in Paro (Bhutan), they had a steep mountain to climb. Some brave driving, mixed with sheer luck, which saw the leaders picking up a huge penalty, saw them return to the top.

    This year’s victory takes the total winning tally of Ajgar Ali and Mohammed Musthafa to four titles (2013, 2017, 2018 and 2019) since the Himalayan Drive was first held in 2013. The team of Sudip Ghosh and navigator Arindam Ghosh were the only other team to have won more than one championship title at this event (2014 and 2016). Anubhav De and co-driver Chandan Sen won the title in 2015.

    The last leg of the rally was flagged off from the Kalimpong stadium and started with a steep climb on the road from Mungpoo to Jorebungalow that was lined with verdant forests and offered majestic views of snow-capped peaks of the eastern Himalayas for a few kilometres.

    This was followed by another competitive section downhill through winding mountain roads of Rohini. The third and last competitive section was a tough drive stretching over nearly 23 kilometers through the bed of the Mechi river that forms the border between India and Nepal.

    Ajgar Ali, Mustafa in action on Sunday. A JK Tyre photo

    “I would really like to congratulate Ali and Musthafa for their achievement. The way the entire drive panned, it only shows how the competition has increased over the years and I am sure it will keep getting better every year. I would also like to congratulate Just Sportz for their hard work and commitment for pulling off one more successful edition of the Himalayan Drive,” Mr. Sanjay Sharma, head of JK Motorsport, said.

    The 800-km JK Tyre Himalayan Drive 7, which was organised in association with Experience Bengal (West Bengal Tourism), sawt the competitors drive their mean machines for four days through majestic locations in North Bengal, scenic hills in Darjeeling and various picturesque routes in Bhutan.

    The TSD drive which draws inspiration from West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s vision of connecting Bengal to its neighbours and encouraging people to people connectivity in the region, covered a wide variety of terrain, ranging from tarmac, river beds, dirt tracks, forest paths to mountainous roads.

    The drivers took-off from Siliguri post the ceremonial flag-off and travelled all the way to Murti, driving past North Bengal’s lush forests, river banks and embankments and idyllic towns.

    The second leg saw the drivers start their journey from Murti to Paro, going through tea gardens and forests that are home to a rich variety of flora and fauna, including the Royal Bengal Tiger, the one-horned rhino and the Asiatic elephant before entering Bhutan through Phuentsholing.

    From Phuentsholing, the competitors hit the mountain roads filled with hairpin bends and steep gradients that offer spectacular views of the Himalayan heights, before entering the breathtaking Paro Valley.

    On the third day, they were supposed to drive back from Paro Valley through Dooars and cross the iconic Coronation Bridge over Teesta river to reach Kalimpong but the leg got cancelled due to snowfall in Bhutan.

    The final leg of this rally on Saturday had the competitors drive down from Kalimpong, cross the Teesta bridge, Mungpoo, Jorebunglow and Kurseong before descending into the plains through Rohini.

    After reaching the plains, they went through Dudhia and Panighata, the riverbeds of Menjha and Mechi, and touched Naxalbari before taking the Asian Highway 2 and then National Highway 27 to finish at the City Center at Siliguri, where the prize distribution was held at a gala function.

     

  • Ajgar-Musthafa hat-trick: JK Tyre Himalayan Drive

    Ajgar-Musthafa hat-trick: JK Tyre Himalayan Drive

    Ajgar and Mustafa in action. JK Tyre Photos

    Siliguri, 2 March 2019: After four days of cross-country rallying, the formidable team of Ajgar Ali and Mohammed Musthafa successfully defended their JK Tyre Himalayan Drive 7 crown.

     
    Hailing from the small port town of Haldia in West Bengal, Ajgar Ali, along with Erode’s Mohammed Musthafa, achieved the rare feat of winning their third successive title in the country’s only international TSD (Time, Speed, Distance) rally. 
     
    In the national category, Ajgar Ali and Mohammed Musthafa ended with a final tally of 1110 penalty points to emerge victorious. Securing the second position were the team of Gagan Sethi and Rajkumar Mundra with 1847 penalty points while Jogendra Jaiswal and Nagarajan Thangaraj ended their campaign in third position with 2035 penalty points. 
     
    In the open category, the team of Govind Dalmia and Anand Agarwal edged past category leader Rohit Agarwal and Kunal Joshi to finish with 9149 penalty points. The Agarwal-Joshi team scored 9691 penalty points. Finishing third in this category were the team of Suyash Raj and Mohammad Sharif with 10796 penalty points. 
     
    Ajgar & Mustafa

    This year’s title battle saw a nail-biting finish. The team of Jogendra Jaiswal and Nagarajan Thangaraj who started the final day (Day 4, Saturday) as championship leaders lost their bid to the crown in the very final moments by missing the penultimate time control and suffering a 900-penalty points blow.

     
    “We made a big mistake (by missing the second-last time control) and we handed the championship title to them (Ajgar and Musthafa). It is a disappointment for us, but the winners deserve the title,” Nagarajan Thangaraj said. 
     
    “We are very happy to score this hattrick. It was a very exciting rally and I can say that the seventh edition of JK Tyre Himalayan Drive is the best TSD rally in the country till date. The competitive sections were superb and posed a tough challenge to drivers, navigators and our cars,” said Ajgar Ali. 
     
    He was also all praise for Just Sportz, the rally organisers. “This rally is always well-organised and everything is transparent. The hospitality of the organisers is unparalleled,” Ali added. 
     
    This year’s victory takes the total winning tally of Ajgar Ali and Mohammed Musthafa to four titles (2013, 2017, 2018 and 2019) since the Himalayan Drive was first held in 2013. The team of Sudip Ghosh and navigator Arindam Ghosh were the only other team to have won more than one championship title at this event (2014 and 2016). Anubhav De and co-driver Chandan Sen won the title in 2015.
     
    The last leg of the rally was flagged off from the Kalimpong stadium and started with a steep climb on the road from Mungpoo to Jorebungalow that was lined with verdant forests and offered majestic views of snow-capped peaks of the eastern Himalayas for a few kilometres. This was followed by another competitive section downhill through winding mountain roads of Rohini. The third and last competitive section was a tough drive stretching over nearly 23 kilometers through the bed of the Mechi river that forms the border between India and Nepal. 

  • Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-VR team looks to rekindle magic with added firepower from Alonso

    Daytona Beach (Florida) 21 Jan 2019: The driver names on the racecar have changed, for the most part, since the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R team pulled out a thrilling and long-awaited victory in the 2017 Rolex 24 At Daytona. But the mission remains every bit the same this weekend when the sleek, black racecar returns to the 3.56-mile, 12-turn Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway road course for the 57th renewal of America’s most iconic endurance race.

    Full-time co-drivers Jordan Taylor and Renger van der Zande will be joined by two-time Formula One champion Fernando Alonso and former Formula One and current FIA World Endurance Championship regular Kamui Kobayashi as the team looks to rebound from an uncharacteristic DNF in last year’s Rolex 24 and rekindle the magic of its 2017 Daytona win at the hands of Taylor, his older brother Ricky, veteran Italian Max “The Ax” Angelelli, and four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon.

    Star power never seems to be in short supply when it comes to the Rolex 24 over its almost six decades of existence, and the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R team has featured its fair share. Some of the most recognizable names in racing not just in the U.S. but worldwide have strapped into its cockpit in search of a highly coveted victory at Daytona. Gordon first joined the team for a podium finish in the 2007 edition of the twice-around-the-clock event before returning 10 years later to score one of the most memorable race wins of his career. IndyCar Series champion and Indy 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay co-drove the No. 10 to a runner-up finish at Daytona in 2013 before last year’s disappointing turn of events. Former Formula One star Rubens Barrichello co-drove with the Taylor brothers and Angelelli to a runner-up finish in 2016.

    Alonso and Kobayashi hope to be the latest on its growing list of elite guest drivers to help bring success to the Konica Minolta Cadillac team in the Rolex 24. If their ability to instantly mesh with Taylor and van der Zande and the rest of the team during the three-day Roar Before the 24 test days at Daytona earlier this month is any indication, it could turn out to be another magical weekend. The four drivers logged virtually identical lap times with each taking his turn at or near the top of the timesheets during the three-day test three weekends ago. And as productive and helpful the four drivers were with each other and the team’s technical staff between on-track sessions, they were also as lighthearted and playful throughout the weekend as if the four had been friends all their lives. By weekend’s end, the team chemistry was incredible.

    Considering the remarkable consistency exhibited at Daytona by the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R camp over the years, those positive vibes exhibited at the Roar stand to go a long way toward generating another positive result when the checkered flag flies Sunday afternoon. Before last year’s retirement during the 17th hours of the race, the team scored five consecutive podium finishes from 2013 through its victorious run in 2017. In those five consecutive Rolex 24s, the No. 10 Prototype led 963 of 3,359 laps – 27.2 percent, the last three showing race-high totals of 265 laps in 2015, 152 in 2016, and 263 in 2017, preceded by 227 laps led in 2014 that was second-highest for that race. Even though the team’s third-place finish in 2015 was voided five days later due to a maximum drivetime violation, the team has certainly shown its ability to be in the hunt for a race win in the closing hours of this grueling event on a regular basis.

    Alonso, the 37-year-old Spaniard, and winner of 32 F1 races and back-to-back championships in 2005 and 2006, will be making just his second career Rolex 24 start, having debuted last year in the United Autosports LMP2 car that finished 13th with mechanical issues. Despite his relative inexperience in closed-cockpit racecars, he laid claim to victory in his first career 24 Hours of Le Mans last summer with Toyota Gazoo Racing and has another win and a pair of runner-up finishes with the team, which leads the 2018-19 FIA WEC super season standings. Kobayashi, the 32-year-old from Japan, has been a regular with Toyota Gazoo Racing on the WEC circuit the past three seasons after his Formula One run from 2009 through 2014. He is recognized as one of the consistently fastest drivers in sportscar racing.

    As the racing world casts its eyes on Daytona this weekend, the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R team certainly looks ready to bring back that winning feeling from just two short years ago.

    Practice for the 57th Rolex 24 At Daytona begins Thursday morning with DPi-class qualifying set for 4:25 p.m. EST. Race time is 2:35 p.m. Saturday with new broadcast partner NBCSN kicking off live television coverage at 2 p.m. Thursday’s live, two-hour qualifying show on NBCSN begins at 3 p.m., preceded by a one-hour season preview show at 2 p.m. Live timing and scoring during all on-track sessions is available at IMSA.com and via the IMSA smartphone app.