INDIA in F1

Category: Non-F1

  • Fluent win for Ashish Ramaswamy in saloon car race; Felipe Drugovich seals MRF Challenge title

    Fluent win for Ashish Ramaswamy in saloon car race; Felipe Drugovich seals MRF Challenge title

    MRF Challenge 2017 Champion Felipe Drugovich. An MRF image

    Chennai, 3 Feb 2018: Bengaluru lad Ashish Ramaswamy (Arka Motorsports) destroyed the field in the saloon car race to launch his campaign in the MRF MMSC fmsci I

    Ashish Ramawamy of Bengaluru, winner of Saloon car race at MMRT on 3Feb2018. Image by Anand Philar

    ndian National Racing Championship 2018 in style at the MMRT circuit, here on Friday.

    The day’s focus, however, was on the fourth and final round of MRF Challenge. Championship leader Felipe Drugovich, the 17-year old from Brazil was not the fastest man on the track as he finished third and sixth in the double-header which was enough for him to seal the 2017 title with still two more races to be run on Sunday.

    While Drugovich sealed the championship, Rinus van Kalmthout from the Netherland and Indonesian Presley Martono won the day’s first and second race, respectively. The results took Drugovich’s tally to 283, well ahead of Martono (219) and Kalmthout (212).

    Starting third on the grid behind pole-sitter Martono and Drugovich in the first race, Kalmthout was off to a brilliant start as he slipped past the front runners to take the lead in the very first lap. Thereafter, it was a virtual procession as the Dutchman scored his third win of the season ahead of Martono and Drugovich who was subsequently docked 10 grid positions for the next race due to “fuel infringement”.

    The second race was red-flagged after just one lap following three different incidents, including that involving reverse grid pole-sitter Alex Karkosik (Poland) who spun off the track. On re-start, Singapore’s Danial Frost led much of the race, reduced to 15 laps before he went off and dropped to third while Martono won from Kalmthout.

    The saloon car race was a one-horse affair as pole-sitter Ashish Ramaswamy never looked back after a flying start and finished some 30 seconds ahead of veteran B Vijaya Kumar (Prime Racing) and V Nikanth Ram (Arka Motorsports) who kept exchanging track positions in the latter part of the 12-lap race.

    Even as Ashish pulled away into the distance, Nikanth Ram opened a good lead over Vijaya Kumar. However, in the second half of the race, Nikanth Ram spun, conceding his advantage to Vijaya Kumar who caught up and moved into second spot. Ram then barely held on to his podium position with another veteran Vidya Prakash sitting on his tail on the last lap.

    Prabhu AS (Arka Motorsports), RP Rajarajan and Raghul Rangasamy, both Performance Racing, took the honours in the Indian Junior Touring Cars, Super Stock and Esteem categories, respectively, of the saloon car race.

    The results (Provisional):

    MRF Challenge – Race 1 (20 laps): 1. Rinus van Kalmthout (Netherlands) (30mins, 22.676secs); 2. Presley Martono (Indonesia) (30:29.174); 3. Felipe Drugovich (Brazil) (30:31.552). Race 2 (15 laps): 1. Presley Martono (Indonesia) (22:50.733); 2. Rinus Van Kalmthout (Netherlands) (22:52.713); 3. Danial Frost (Singapore) (22:54.318).

    National Championship (Saloon cars, 12 laps): Indian Touring Cars – 1. Ashish Ramaswamy (Arka Motorsports) (23:18.381); 2. B Vijaya Kumar (Prime Racing) (23:48.765); 3. V Nikanth Ram (Arka Motorsports) (23:56.477).

    Indian Junior Touring Cars: 1. Prabhu AS (Arka Motorsports) (23:48.082); 2. Kamlesh Parmar (Team N1) (24:08.005); 3. Nikunj D Vagh (Team N1) (24:48.633).

    Super Stock: 1. RP Rajarajan (Performance Racing) (25:04.844); 2. Srinivas Teja K (Performance Racing) (23:23.023 +1 lap); 3. Swajit Acharaker (Team N1) (23:42.600 +1 lap).

    Esteem Cup: 1. Raghul Rangasamy (Performance Racing) (24:46.448); 2. Vinod S (Team N1) (24:58.109).

    Vidiem Superbikes (Support Race, 8 laps) – 600cc: 1. Siddhanth Koundiya (Bengaluru) (15:32.243); 2. Vishwadev Muraleedharan (Coimbatore) (15:46.550); 3. Arthur Fernando (Tuticorin) (15:46.887).  1000cc: 1. Rish Agarwal (Bengaluru) (15:06.577); 2. Himanish Amla (Bengaluru) (15:32.545); 3. Yokeshwaran K (Coimbatore) (16:03.838).

    About Madras Motor Sports Club

    The Madras Motor Sports Club has been the pioneer in developing and promoting motorsport in India since 1953, and we look to further improve in the years to come. It is the club’s endeavor to provide more opportunities for competitors, and to this end, it has chalked out various progressive programmes. From the days of Sholavaram , MMSC built its own racetrack which was inaugurated in 1979 and secured its FIA Grade-2 international certification in 2014, making it the only club which owns such a facility that has been further upgraded with international-standard Paddock, complete with VIP hospitality suites, 20 spacious garages and a separate Paddock on the western side with its own circuit. The club has organised the Porsche Super Cup, Formula Campos, Formula Asia, Asian touring car championships, Formula 3, Tata Prima Truck racing championship, the FIM Asia Road Racing Championships (2-wheelers) besides a host of other motorsport events over the years. The club also has active participation for its events from vehicle manufacturers who also use the Madras Motor Race Track (MMRT) extensively for testing their products.

    eom/MMSC release

  • Madras Motor Sports Club upgraded paddocks inaugurated

    Madras Motor Sports Club upgraded paddocks inaugurated

    • L to R – Khushru Madan, Ajit Thomas, Indu Chandhok, Gopal Madhavan, Vicky Chandhok and Akbar Ebrahim. Image by Anand Philar

      Upgraded Paddock complex unveiled at MMRT

    • Second Paddock on western side with own circuit
    • MMSC VIP Hospitality suites, 20 spacious garages

    Chennai, February 2: The trip around the Madras Motor Race Track (MMRT) taking the mediapersons to the new Paddock Building on the West was a nostalgic tour for the two `grand daddies’ of Madras Motor Sports Club.

    Two founding members, Indu Chandhok and Gopal Madhavan, were excited to talk about their days. The passion, the commitment and burning desire for motorsport resulted in the duo along with a few others procuring 300 acres of farm land. “We have to negotiate with hundreds of people including the 67 farmers who sold us the land. We had to purchase in small bits and pieces and for some bits there were more than a dozen heirs who had to be the signatories for the registration. We bought the land for Rs.12 lakh, which was a huge amount and we could not sustain the loans and we sold off 100 acres after a year or so for Rs.12 lakh,” revealed Mr Chandhok, who is also one of the founding fathers of FMSCI, the Indian Federation.

    In keeping with its reputation as an institution always on the move and in step with the swiftly changing times, the Madras Motor Sports Club on Friday unveiled a significant upgrade to the Paddock and related facilities. A new pit complex with garages and hospitality suites has been developed at a cost of over Rs 20 Crore, at India’s first FIA-licensed track here.

    In a matter of a year, the MMSC carried out massive development work with 20 pit garages, a spectator viewing terrace and VIP hospitality suites that can accommodate up to 400 people along the the pit-lane on the eastern side, thereby creating a truly international-standard facility at the MMRT in Irrangattukottai, near Sriperumbudur.

    The development work has already received rave reviews from the competitors and aficionados. The spacious garages for the teams allow the competitors and their teams to have plenty of space to work on their cars and bikes.

    The new pit complex follows on from the upgrade done to the race control room with state-of-the-art hardware installed last year as well as India’s first and only bespoke a drag strip. A second paddock on the western side with its own short circuit allows the MMSC to effectively split the track into two and host two separate events concurrently.

    Also being developed is a full-fledged, permanent rally track measuring 7.5 Kms. The MMSC is working closely with triple Asia-Pacific Rally champion Gaurav Gill to start a driving academy in the near future.

    Earlier, work on widening of the run-off areas and resurfacing of a few sections of the track was also carried out as the circuit received FIA Grade-2 certification. The MMSC is thus the only private motorsport club in India owning an international race track.

    Reviewing the development work, MMSC president Ajit Thomas said: “It has been a long journey for MMSC from its humble beginnings 66 years ago. Even after we moved our racing activities from Sholavaram to the new track near Sriperumbudur, we constantly strove to improve, not just in terms of conducting events, but also upgrading facilities over a period of time.

    “In 2014, the track received FIA Grade-2 certification, but in keeping with our philosophy of ever onward, we decided to refurbish and upgrade the existing facilities at considerable expense. The new paddock and facilities will allow us to host not just racing events but also create a venue that auto manufacturers, sponsors and agencies would be proud to use for their events.”

    Speaking on the occasion, Indu Chandhok, one of the founder-members of the Madras Motor Sports Club and the Trust, said it was due to the largesse of the late Chief Minister Dr MGR, who was a regular visitor to the Sholavaram Races, that the MMRT project was made possible.

    The Sholavaram track belonged to the Army and the Navy who wouldn’t allow any upgrading nor resurface the surface which was being used for testing tanks. Indu approached the CM informally who immediately granted permission to the MMSC to buy the land after first offering it free which the club declined, said Indu Chandhok.

    FMSCI president Akbar Ebrahim recalled his first race at the MMRT in 1990, driving for Wallace Sports managed by Vicky Chandhok while Gopal Madhavan who was in charge of the project was felicitated along with Indu Chandhok.

    About Madras Motor Sports Club

    The Madras Motor Sports Club has been the pioneer in developing and promoting motorsport in India since 1953, and we look to further improve in the years to come. It is the club’s endeavor to provide more opportunities for competitors, and to this end, it has chalked out various progressive programmes. From the days of Sholavaram , MMSC built its own racetrack which was inaugurated in 1979 and secured its FIA Grade-2 international certification in 2014, making it the only club which owns such a facility that has been further upgraded with international-standard Paddock, complete with VIP hospitality suites, 20 spacious garages and a separate Paddock on the western side with its own circuit. The club has organised the Porsche Super Cup, Formula Campos, Formula Asia, Asian touring car championships, Formula 3, Tata Prima Truck racing championship, the FIM Asia Road Racing Championships (2-wheelers) besides a host of other motorsport events over the years. The club also has active participation for its events from vehicle manufacturers who also use the Madras Motor Race Track (MMRT) extensively for testing their products.

    eom/with inputs from MMSC press release

  • Toyota Gazoo Racing confirms Alonso for Le Mans 24 Hours and Endurance Worlds

    Toyota Gazoo Racing confirms Alonso for Le Mans 24 Hours and Endurance Worlds

    Alonso image courtesy Toyota Gazoo Racing team

    TOYOTA GAZOO Racing confirmed the name of Formula One double champion Fernando Alonso in the line-up as it announced its drivers for the 2018-19 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) season on Tuesday.

    The team has officially submitted its entry to the Automobile Club de l’Ouest and will participate in all eight rounds of the 2018-19 season with two hybrid-powered race cars as it targets victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours and the WEC World Championships.

    TOYOTA GAZOO Racing will again utilise its 1,000hp TS050 HYBRID car, which won five of nine races in 2017. Development of hybrid technology remains an integral element of TOYOTA’s participation in endurance racing as part of the company’s commitment to making ever-better road cars.

    The driver line-ups for the two TS050 HYBRIDs are now confirmed, with the #7 car competing with an unchanged line-up of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, and José María López.

    The #8 TS050 HYBRID features a revised driver line-up, with Sébastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima joined by two-time Formula 1 World Champion Fernando Alonso.

    Fernando, 36, will make his LMP1 race debut at Spa-Francorchamps in May and will compete in all rounds of the 2018-19 season which do not conflict with his existing Formula 1 obligations.

    Anthony Davidson, who won five races in 2017 alongside Sébastien and Kazuki, will remain an important member of the team, bringing his World Championship-winning experience to a new role as Reserve and Development Driver.

    Two-time Le Mans winner Alex Wurz will continue as Team Advisor and Ambassador having made a significant contribution since taking the position in 2016.

    Akio Toyoda（President, TOYOTA Motor Corporation） 
    “I am looking forward to seeing how much TOYOTA GAZOO Racing will grow when our drivers and all team members take what they have learned thus far in endurance racing and add to it what they will gain from Fernando’s experience. The entire team is excited about this opportunity for growth. Through the challenge of WEC endurance races and, among those, on the grueling roads of the Le Mans 24 Hours, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing will do its best, together with Fernando, to outdrive the competition.”

    Hisatake Murata（Team President） 
    “This WEC season is unique because it features two editions of the Le Mans 24 Hours so we are all looking forward to it. I believe we have an extremely strong driver line-up with real strength in depth. Fernando is a rookie in WEC but he brings speed and experience gained from many years at the top of his sport. We are all excited to work with him but endurance racing is a team effort and we know all of our drivers are performing to a very high level. I would like to thank Anthony for his professional approach in difficult circumstances; he remains a strong part of our driving line-up and he will be busy this season.”

    Fernando Alonso 
    “I am very excited to participate in the Le Mans 24 Hours for the first time. It is a race which I have followed closely for a long time and it has always been an ambition of mine to participate. Endurance racing is a different discipline compared to single-seaters and I enjoyed my first taste of it at Daytona. I am looking forward to working together with, and learning from, Sébastien and Kazuki, who are both very experienced endurance drivers. It will be a steep learning curve for me but I am ready for this challenge and I can’t wait to get started.”


    Fernando Alonso in TS050 HYBRID

    Full text of Akio Toyoda statement: 
    “I want to drive an LMP1 car…”
    “I want to race in Le Mans…”
    “I want to win…”

    To Fernando Alonso, I say thank you so much for choosing Toyota as a partner for making your Le Mans dream come true.

    I am extremely thrilled that Fernando, who has battled it out in numerous races and seen things that nobody on our team has ever experienced, will be driving for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing.

    I believe that having Fernando get behind the wheel for our team will only make our cars better.

    I am looking forward to seeing how much TOYOTA GAZOO Racing will grow when our drivers and all team members take what they have learned thus far in endurance racing and add to it what they will gain from Fernando’s experience. The entire team is excited about this opportunity for growth.

    Through the challenge of WEC endurance races and, among those, on the grueling roads of the Le Mans 24 Hours, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing will do its best, together with Fernando, to outdrive the competition.

    And, toward our ultimate aim of providing our customers with ever-better cars, I hope we will be able to race with shared aspirations at heart.

    We welcome Fernando and, together with Sebastien, Kazuki, Mike, Kamui and José for a total of six drivers, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing will go all out toward achieving all of our goals.

    I look forward to everyone’s support of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing this season as well.

    Thank you.

    Driver Profiles: 

    Sébastien Buemi 
    Born 31 October 1988, Aigle, Switzerland
    Le Mans debut 2012
    Le Mans starts 6
    Le Mans best result 2nd (2013)
    WEC starts 43
    WEC wins 10
    WEC best season 1st (2014)

    Kazuki Nakajima
    Born 11 January 1985, Okazaki, Japan
    Le Mans debut 2012
    Le Mans starts 6
    Le Mans best result 4th (2013)
    WEC starts 37
    WEC wins 7
    WEC best season 2nd (2017)

    Fernando Alonso
    Born 29 July 1981, Oviedo, Spain
    Le Mans debut 2018
    Le Mans starts 0
    Le Mans best result n/a
    WEC starts 0
    WEC wins 0
    WEC best season n/a

    Mike Conway
    Born 19 August 1983, Sevenoaks, Great Britain
    Le Mans debut 2013
    Le Mans starts 4
    Le Mans best result 2nd (2016)
    WEC starts 37
    WEC wins 2
    WEC best season 3rd (2016)

    Kamui Kobayashi
    Born 13 September 1986, Hyogo, Japan
    Le Mans debut 2013
    Le Mans starts 3
    Le Mans best result 2nd (2016)
    WEC starts 26
    WEC wins 1
    WEC best season 3rd (2016)

    José María López
    Born 26 April 1983, Río Tercero, Argentina
    Le Mans debut 2017
    Le Mans starts 1
    Le Mans best result n/a
    WEC starts 8
    WEC wins 0
    WEC best season 6th (2017)

    About TOYOTA GAZOO Racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship: Toyota first competed in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) in 1983, marking the start of a long period of participation in endurance racing. Since 1985, Toyota cars have raced in 19 Le Mans 24 Hours races, achieving a best result of second place on five occasions. Toyota entered the revived WEC in 2012, combining the expertise from Toyota Higashi-Fuji Technical Centre, where the hybrid powertrain is developed, with Toyota Motorsport GmbH’s support and facilities for chassis development. The multi-national team includes engineers from Toyota’s motorsport and hybrid department, who deliver technology and know-how back into road car development. Since 2012, Toyota, the 2014 manufacturers’ and drivers’ World Champion, has participated in 48 WEC races since its debut in 2012, earning 14 pole positions, winning 16 times and finishing on the podium a total of 41 times.

    eom/Toyota Motor Corporation release

  • Reigning champions from top motorsport series all over the world join ROC Riyadh line-up

    Reigning champions from top motorsport series all over the world join ROC Riyadh line-up

    • File photo from Race of Champions organisers.

      The field of driving royalty competing in next week’s Race Of Champions has been boosted by a host of drivers who dominated top motorsport series in 2017

    • Reigning champions joining the ROC Riyadh line-up include 2017 Le Mans winner and FIA World Endurance Champion Timo Bernhard, DTM Champion René Rast and FIA World Rallycross Champion Johan Kristoffersson
    • Mexico’s 2017 European Le Mans Series Champion Memo Rojas will take to the track too, alongside 2017 NASCAR Mexico Champion Abraham Calderon and young Swedish charger Joel Eriksson
    • They join a stunning ROC field featuring F1 stars, Indy 500 winners, Le Mans legends and rallycross aces such as David Coulthard, Juan Pablo Montoya, Tom Kristensen, Petter Solberg, Lando Norris, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Josef Newgarden and Helio Castroneves
    • ROC Riyadh will take place inside the King Fahad International Stadium on February 2-3. For more info see www.raceofchampions.com
     Many of the reigning champions who dominated motorsport series all over the world in 2017 have joined the field of driving royalty assembling for next week’s Race Of Champions – to be held on February 2-3, 2018 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at Riyadh’s King Fahad International Stadium.

    The ROC Riyadh field already includes some of the greatest names in the history of motorsport such as Formula 1 stars, Indianapolis 500 winners and Le Mans legends. Now they will be joined by a host of current stars who are at the top of their game in everything from rallycross to touring cars to endurance racing to NASCAR.

    Germany’s Timo Bernhard will make his ROC debut after a stunning year for Porsche in which he took his second win at the Le Mans 24 Hours (alongside Brendon Hartley and Earl Bamber) before adding the overall FIA World Endurance Championship. He will be joined in Riyadh by his fellow countryman René Rast, who stunned the tin-top world by sealing the 2017 DTM crown in a Team Rosberg Audi in his first full year.

    Sweden will also be well represented in Riyadh, starting with another ROC debutant: 2017 FIA World Rallycross Champion Johan Kristoffersson had a dazzling year, at one point taking five successive wins to see off a star-studded field and romp to the crown. Young Swedish charger Joel Eriksson will be in action too, after a season in which he took seven FIA European F3 Championship wins and was pipped to the title by British ace Lando Norris. The pair can now resume hostilities next week…

    There will also be two Mexican drivers making their Race Of Champions debuts in Riyadh after sealing championships in 2017. Triple Daytona 24 Hours winner and four-time Grand-Am Champion Memo Rojas added the European Le Mans Series title to his impressive racing roll of honour, and he will now be joined on the ROC parallel track by newly-crowned NASCAR Mexico champion Abraham Calderon.

    > Watch Rojas, Calderon and the VUHL 05 ROC Edition prepare for Race Of Champions in Riyadh 

    ROC Miami

    The new arrivals will have their work cut out against a line-up of motorsport legends including double Indianapolis 500 winner and F1 veteran Juan Pablo Montoya, who will defend the ROC Champion of Champions crown he won on his debut in Miami last year. Fellow Indy 500 winners Helio Castroneves and Ryan Hunter-Reay will be in action too, alongside reigning IndyCar champion Josef Newgarden.

    ‘Mr Le Mans’ Tom Kristensen and double FIA World Rallycross Champion Petter Solberg.will compete alongside 13-time F1 grand prix winner David Coulthard and newly-crowned 2017 FIA Formula 3 European Champion Lando Norris. ROC Factor winners from Saudi Arabia and the Middle East will also earn the chance to take on this illustrious line-up of driving superstars.

    Bernhard said: “Believe it or not I visited the Race Of Champions way back in 1989 when it came to the Nürburgring. That day I was just watching with my Dad but ever since I’ve been waiting for my chance to compete – and now that day has arrived! I’m really looking forward to racing on the famous ROC parallel track, and it will be a true privilege to take on such an amazing field of great drivers from all over the world who are all experts in their own fields. Bring it on…”

    Kristoffersson added: “I’m thrilled to be competing at the Race Of Champions for the first time in Riyadh next week. I’ve long been a fan of the event and I’ve learned even more this year because my WRX team-mate Petter Solberg won’t stop talking about how great it is! Now I can finally experience ROC first-hand. It’s an honour to represent Sweden together with Joel Eriksson. Of course it will be a big challenge as a rookie, but I used to race touring cars so I hope that mix of experience can help me adapt quickly to all the different cars. Either way I look forward to putting on a great show for all the fans watching in the stadium and all over the world.”

    The Race Of Champions is an annual contest which is now in its 30th year. It brings together some of the world’s greatest drivers from motor sport’s major disciplines – including Formula 1, IndyCar, Le Mans, World Rally and the X Games – and sets them free to battle head-to-head in identical machinery.

    In recent years ROC has visited some of the world’s best stadiums: the Stade de France in Paris (2004-2006), London’s Wembley Stadium (2007-2008), the ‘Bird’s Nest’ Olympic Stadium in Beijing (2009), Düsseldorf’s Esprit Arena (2010-2011), the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok (2012), Bushy Park Barbados (2014), London’s Olympic Stadium (2015) and Miami’s Marlins Park (2017).

    Now the event is heading to the Middle East for the first time to soak up the heat of Riyadh. Saudi motorsport fans – including women for the first time at an international event – have a chance to watch the speediest action the city has ever seen as many of the world’s greatest drivers push to the absolute limit on a brand new parallel track winding its way around the confines of the King Fahad International Stadium.

    The Race Of Champions is run over two days: first comes the ROC Nations Cup (on Friday February 2) when drivers pair up in teams based on nationality – including the hosts Saudi Arabia – to bid for the title of ‘World’s Fastest Nation’. Then on Saturday February 3 it’s time for the Race Of Champions itself, when teamwork goes out of the window and it’s a flat-out battle for individual glory.

    The competitors will take to the track in a stunning range of supercars that have been specially prepared for the event to test them to the absolute limit. Vehicles in action include the Vuhl 05 ROC Edition, Ariel Atom Cup, Xtreme Pickup, Whelen NASCAR, KTM X-Bow Comp R and the ROC Car. To prevail, drivers will have to master this mix of machinery that will put all their hard-earned skills to the test, forcing them to adapt their driving style as they make regular switches between cars.

    But that’s not all. The Race Of Champions is a non-stop show from start to finish and also features stunt shows on four wheels and two plus plenty of other entertainment to keep the race fans on the edge of their seats

    ROC President Fredrik Johnsson said: “At the Race Of Champions we have always loved to take drivers from all sorts of different disciplines and throw them together in identical machinery to see who comes out on top. This year is no exception, and we have assembled another line-up of driving greats from all over the world.

    “Our field now contains a mix of legends and current champions from Le Mans, IndyCar, Rally X, Formula 1, Touring Cars, NASCAR and more. If you’ve ever wondered which type of motorsport really has the best drivers of all, next week’s ROC Riyadh will give you the perfect chance to find out!”

    For access to rights-free high-resolution imagery and to keep up with all the latest news ahead of this year’s event please visit www.raceofchampions.com, Race Of Champions on Facebook plus @raceofchampions and #ROCRiyadh on Twitter.

    ROC Miami driver line-up

    eom/posted by David Bodapati, a press release from RoC

  • TVS road-racing champs to hone the riding skills of Apache owners

    National champions in their respective classes Aiswarya Pissay (left), Jagan Kumar (4th from left) listen as Pradeep (right, TVS Motorsports) explains to the Apache riders in Bangalore recently. A TVS image
    Apache riding skills training (ACE) participants in Bengaluru recently. A TVS Racing image

    Bangalore, 23 Jan 2018: TVS Motor Company kickstarted the Apache Racing Experience (ARE) 2018, for the owners of the TVS Apache series recently. The TVS Apache series first-round saw racing enthusiasts experience the full range of Apache motorcycles on the Meco Kartopia race track recently.

    After a detailed theory session on track riding by National champions Jagan Kumar, Harry Sylvester, KY Ahmed, Kannan Subramaniam and Aishwarya Pissay, they were taught technique and riding skills on the race track. Track riding techniques, braking and cornering were taught before timed laps for each category of Apache RTR 160, 180 and 200 were recorded to declare the winners.

    Apache Racing Experience is a platform for TVS Apache owners will be held across 24 cities in 2018-19, ARE will culminate at MMRT in Chennai. The final round will see winners across the cities compete in their respective categories – Apache RTR 160, 180 and 200 – to become the ARE Winner (category wise). TVS Racing will support the activity with necessary gear and ensure that the riders undergo professional training at the race track astride TVS Racing motorcycles, prior to the final race.

    eom/posted by david bodapati/bng/TVS release

    Caption: National champions in their respective classes Aiswarya Pissay (left), Jagan Kumar (4th from left) listen as Pradeep (right, TVS Motorsports) explains to the Apache riders in Bangalore recently. A TVS image

  • Gaurav Gill wins MRF fmsci K-1000, clinches fifth National title: Indian National Rally Championship

    Gaurav Gill wins MRF fmsci K-1000, clinches fifth National title: Indian National Rally Championship

    Gill finally opens up a spray as his co-driver is late in getting off the podium to avoid the champagne attack from the champ. K1000
    PD on 21jan2018 . Image by David Bodapati

    Tumakuru (Karnataka), 21 Jan 2018: King of Indian Motorsports, Gaurav Gill of Mahindra Adventure annexed his fifth National title winning the premier class of the MRF Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) 2017 at the MRF 43rd K-1000 Rally, the sixth and final round of the INRC here, about 100 km from Bengaluru, on Sunday. The two-day National Championship round was organised by Karnataka Motor Sports Club (KMSC) under the aegis of Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (fmsci) and is promoted by Ramakrishna Race Performance Management (RRPM) of Kolkata. Incidentally this is also the fifth K1000 title for both Gill and Sherif.

    The Chennai round of the INRC was canceled due to inclement weather and the Rally of Arunachal was postponed thereby pushing the K1000 round and the championship in 2018.

    The New Delhi based, Gill, a three-time APRC champion underlined his class and control once again, winning all the five Special Stages recording an overall timing of 00:55:41.6 minutes, a 2 minute-45 second lead ahead of second finisher Arjun Rao Aroor, to take his final tally to a perfect 100 points.

    Gill, along with co-driver Musa Sherif (110 points), has been unbeaten in the MRF INRC 2017, romping home in each of the four rounds that they had taken part in. He missed Round 4, the Rally of Chikmagalur, as it coincided with his assault on the APRC title, but that didn’t stop him from being crowned the undisputed king in the domestic arena. “It was a perfect day, a perfect finish for us,” Gill said, shortly after his coronation once again. “The first couple of stages were slippery but we managed to handle them well; we controlled the rally thereafter,” he added talking about the controlled aggression he displayed to conquer the fast and speedy terrain which was also tricky due to the pebbles, ditches, and grass. N Leelakrishnan with seven National titles and Naren Kumar with six are the only other drivers who have won INRC more times.

    INRC 3 champion Dean Mascarenhas, despite rolling into a ditch in the first run of the Alpha Special Stage and falling behind by over 27 minutes, managed to take the second place in the overall standings by 16 minutes.

    Dean (and Shruptha Padival), who entered the sixth and final round with a slim outside chance of upsetting Gill, picked up a puncture in SS2 too but hung on to keep pace with the rest of the field in the remaining stages. But the initial meltdown meant that he finished 8th (3rd in this category) and could add only 4 points to his final tally. It didn’t affect him in this category though, as he had already sealed the INRC 3 trophy in the last round itself.

    Defending INRC champion Karna Kadur, however, took advantage of Dean’s bad luck and familiar home conditions to force his way to the third position in the K-1000. It ensured him two podium finishes too, the second place in his INRC 2 category and the third place in the overall  Championship.

    Arjun Rao finally showed his true class, taking the second place in the rally but he had to be content with a sixth-place finish in the Championship thanks to DNFs in three rounds.

    As expected, Rahul Kanthraj and co-driver Vivek Bhat claimed the INRC 2 trophy, despite finishing third (fourth overall) in this category.

    The only one who could have upstaged him, Younus Ilyas, pulled out during SS4 to fade out of his Championship battle with Rahul. He eventually had to settle for the third place, with Karna jumping a place to take the second position.

    The FMSCI 2WD Cup was taken by Chetan Shivram and Rupesh Kholay, as they posted one more victory here.

    Defending K-1000 champion Amittrajit Ghosh, who was hovering in the 3rd to 5th position all the way, crashed at the finish, in the sixth and final stage to take the overall fifth place. His car got completely smashed but he and his co-driver, Ashwin Naik, got away with minor injuries. Ghosh was stuck between the seat and the steering wheel and had to be extricated after an hour or so. He escaped with minor bruises and knees pains. The full medical report is awaited.

    INRC Ranking for the National title: INRC Drivers: 1. Gaurav Gill (100 points) & Musa Sherif (110); 2. Dean Mascarenhas (67) & Shruptha Padival (69); 3. Karna Kadur (58) & Nikhil Vittal Pai (58).

    INRC 2 Drivers: 1. Rahul Kanthraj & Vivek Y Bhatt (97) 2. Karna Kadur  & Nikhil Vittal Pai (75); 3. Younus Ilyas & Harish K.N. (58)

    INRC 3 Drivers: 1. Dean Mascarenhas (115) & Shruptha Padival (118); 2. Saddam Ali Sheikh (54) ; 3. Daraius N Shroff (51).

    INRC 3 co-drivers: 1. Shruptha Padival (118); 2. Nitin Jacob (54) and  3. Mrinmoy Saha (53)

    FMSCI 2WD Cup Drivers: 1. Chetan Shivram (75); 2. Fabid Ahmer (61); 3. Suraj Thomas (48).

    FMSCI 2WD Cup Co-Drivers: 1. Rupesh Koley (75); 2. Suraj M (66) and 3. Thomas Paul (33).

    K-1000 Provisional Unaudited Results: INRC: 1. Gaurav Gill & Musa Sherif (00:48:14.1); 2. Arjuna Rao & Satish Rajagopal (00:50:18.2); 3. Karna Kadur & Nikhil Pai (00:51:10.3)

    INRC 2: Karna Kadur  & Nikhil V Pai (00:51:10.3); 2. G.B. Girijashankar Joshy & Chandramouli M (00:52:03.6); 3. Rahul Kanthraj & Vivek Y Bhatt (00:52:54.2)

    INRC 3: 1. Vikram Rao Aroor & Somayya (00:52:55.2); 2. Saddam Ali Saikh & Abhijeet Singh (00:56:22.8); 3. Chandan M Gowda & Vinay P.M. (01:03:43.5)

    FMSCI 2WD Cup: 1. Chetan Shivram & Rupesh Koley (00:55:19.2); 2. Fabid Ahmer & Sanath G (00:55:35.8); 3. Asad Khan  & Gautam C.P. (00:56:08.8).

    eom/posted by David Bodapati

  • K1000 preview: KMSC all-set to conduct 43rd edition; INRC final round on Sunday

    K1000 preview: KMSC all-set to conduct 43rd edition; INRC final round on Sunday

    K1000 KMSC logo. Courtesy KMSC facebook account
    Standings courtesy promoters RRPM, Kolkota (twitter)

    David Bodapati

    Bengaluru, 20 Jan 2018: King of Indian Motorsports, Gaurav Gill of Team Mahindra Adventure and his co-driver Musa Sherif will once again be the favourites to win the Indian National Rally championship final leg, the popular K1000 (Karnataka 1000) which began its 43rd edition with the recce on Saturday morning at a terrain about 70kms from here.

    The K1000 rally, a regular part of the Indian National Rally Championship is being organised by Karnataka Motor Sports Club (KMSC) one of the oldest active clubs in India. Except for a year or two, K1000 was continuously held for over forty years. It is also a founder member of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (fmsci). The INRC is being promoted by Kolkota-based Ramakrishna Race Performance Managment (RRPM) headed by a veteran rally ace, who was on of the winners of K1000 in its early years. Along with Amittrajit Ghosh, they are the only father-son who have taken part in INRC rallies.

    The number of entries for the popular K1000 this year is a luke-warm 28 which is one of the lowest in the recent years.

    Fresh from their victory in the fifth round at Arunachal Pradesh, the top duo who are leading the INRC class will be followed by young gun Dean Mascarenhas and Shruptha Padival of Mangalore and another seeded pair of Amittrajit Ghosh and Ashwin Naik, who finished in that order in the overall standings of Rally of Arunachal. However, Dean and Shruptha are leading their class INRC3.

    Experienced stalwarts Rahul Kantharaj and Vivek Bhat who won the INRC2 class will be gunning for a closing bang to win the championship but their job will not be easy with stiff competition coming from the likes of Younus Ilyas and Karna Kadur. The strong pair of talented Kadur and Nikhil Pai had an unfortunate DNF (did not finish) in Arunachal Pradesh, but the youngster will also be a strong favourite to win his class INRC2 besides the leading pair. Kadur slipped on the table standings after that DNF.

    In the INRC overall rankings for the season, Delhi’s Gaurav Gill is leading with 75 points with Dean Mascarenhas on 63 in second and Rahul Kantharaj on 47. Karna Kadur is only four points behind at 43 while Amittrajit Ghosh slipped to 5th place with 40 points. Musa Sherif and Shruptha Padival lead the co-driver rankings with 85 and 63 points respectively. Mahindra Adventure tops with 125 points in the team championship with ARKA motorsports in second place at 90.

    In the INRC2, Rahul Kantharaj (79), Younus Ilyas (58) and Karna Kadur (50) are leading the table in the Drivers’ championship with Vivek Bhat topping the co-drivers’ with 79 points over Harish KN (58) and Nikhil V Pai (50) in that order. ARKA is leading team standings in this class over Snap Racing.

    In the INRC3, Dean Mascarenhas with a century is leading the Driver’s Championship and has already clinched the title in the class but is found wanting in terms of sponsors to show his talent on a better platform. Darius N Shroff, Punyabrata Barma are on 51 and 46 respectively to fight for second and third positions. Likewise, Dean’s navigator Shruptha won the co-drivers title in this class. Nitin Jacob and Mrinmoy Saha will fight for the second position.

    Chettinad Sporting had won the team title in this class beating the only other team entry Snap Racing. They garnered 117 points.

    Stage Distance

    The total distance of the Rally will be 97.26 km. The Special Stage distance will be 69.15 km while the liaison distance will be 28.11km. The two stages Alpha and Beta will be run thrice. Alpha is 14.95 km long while Beta covers a distance of only 8.10km. The first car starts at Alpha 1 at 9 am on Sunday. The one-day rally will not have a spectator-friendly Super Special Stage this year.

    “It has been another exciting season of Indian rallying. I want to thank MRF Tyres, Mahindra Adventure, CARTAir, Isuzu, Arunachal Tourism, York, Arya and Century Club for their support” Arindam Ghosh, RRPM’s Director, the promoters of the MRF FMSCI INRC, said on the eve of the rally. “Gill has dominated despite missing out on one round. He has won the other three rounds but he must bring it to the finish here to win the championship”, he added.

    Supplementary Regulations on INRCindia site

    The MRF 43rd K1000 Rally is round 6 of the MRF FMSCI INDIAN NATIONAL RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP (INRC) 2017 will run in compliance with the International Sporting Code of the FIA (and its appendices), the General Prescriptions of The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), the relevant Regulations concerning IRC championship or cup, the Supplementary Regulations and bulletins issued by the FMSCI can be found at www.inrcindia.com,

    The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) is the ASN of FIA in India. This rally is inscribed on the FIA Calendar under Asia Zone. Asia Zone competitors may take part in this rally and accrue points.

    There will be two Mahindra XUVs in fray with Gill and Ghosh behind the wheels of the Team Mahindra Adventure factory team. There will be six Mitsubishi Cedias competing for the honours in different classes but all of them will be privateers. The Kodagu team of Gagan Karumbaiah and co-driver Amrith Thimmaiah will be the lone entry in the fmsci 4w Cup in a Maruti Gypsy.

    eom/David Bodapati

  • Karter Akshay passes away in a road accident; Aaroh excels in Pro-Sr class: Pune IndiKarting

    Karter Akshay passes away in a road accident; Aaroh excels in Pro-Sr class: Pune IndiKarting

    Pune: Overwhelming response saw 119 karters take part in India’s last karting race of the season, the IndiKarting Go-Kart Race as participants from across all categories revved up their engines and showcased their talent here on Tuesday.

    The successful event was, however, marred by some sad news, later that night put the entire racing community into grief. A pal of gloom engulfed as news came in that Akshay Patil passed away in a road accident. Akshay finished runner-up in the Pro-Senior Category. In case of any type of accidents, it is important to first contact motorcycle accident lawyers in Green, Waters Ogle and McCarter, who can help us proceed with the legal procedures.

    The Pro-Junior and Senior classes saw some refreshing new faces. Reigning National Champion Aaroh Ravindra, had technical issues and qualified well down the order in 8th. Akshay Patil from Pune drove a brilliant Race 1 to climb from fifth to win the race while Jonathan Kuriakose and Aaroh Ravindra came second and third respectively. Race 2 was the reverse grid, where Aaroh showed his class starting from seventh, steadily climbed up the order in the 16 laps to win the race ahead of Rahul Deshpande and Monish Jain. In case of accidents, click here now to get legal help. There are ways to get legal help even after bowling injury and other accident cases.

    Eventually, it was Aaroh who received the overall winner’s trophy, with Akshay Patil and Rahul Deshpande runner-up & third respectively, in the Pro Senior. Jonathan Kuriakose won the Pro Junior followed by Neil Gandhi from Mumbai. The personal injury lawyers from Malloy Law Offices, LLC can assist with injury cases.

    The Pro-Cadet witnessed intense competition and very exciting racing across all three races. So close were the overall results that the three racers were tied on points at the top. Pune’s Sai Shiva Sankaran with a victory in the last race was first, ahead of Pune’s Ranvir Singh, who also won a race. Mumbai’s Hoshmand Elavia came in third. The injury lawyers located in Framingham area is what one needs to deal with the legalities of any injury related case.

    The Senior Amateur category meant for racers without prior success was as usual hotly contested. Sarvesh Bode from Pune, Mumbai’s Sujosh Sen, and Mohd. Raza Sheikh from Pune sealed the podium.

    The Senior Open witnessed the highest number of entries with 21 participants. Karthik Muthuswamy from Bangalore won a really close race ahead of the Bhui brothers from Mumbai – Aman, and Suraj.

    Aman Singh Bhui (Chandrabhan Sharma College) won the Inter-College category ahead of Akshay More (Bandodkar College) and Asad Kadegaongar (Coplen University, Singapore). Pratham Chaoudhary (Fountain Gate) won the Inter School category ahead of Rohaan Aggarwal (Cathedral and John Connon, Mumbai). Kshitij Mahajani (Bishops) was third.

    Suraj Bhui of Amrit Elastomers won the Corporate Category ahead of Jatin Vora of Jet Airways and Arish Daver from Indigo Airlines. Mayank Kundu won the Senior Plus category ahead of Mohd. Raza Shaikh and Kejas Shah. Mithlesh Jain won the Women’s Category ahead of Aishwarya Dhumal and Naomi Aggarwal. The Master Category saw a close fight too with Arish Daver emerging winner ahead of Clive Joshua and Kejas Shah.

    The entire racing fraternity was shocked with grief, when early next morning news came in, of the tragic passing away of Akshay Patil in a road accident. Akshay finished runner-up

    IndiKarting races at Pune attracted 119 entries. A photo by Rayo Racing

    in the Pro Senior Category and was a much loved and popular racer who will always be fondly remembered by the racing fraternity.

    eom/Rayo Racing Release

  • Gill rules the night stages of Rally of Arunachal: INRC

    Itanagar, (Arunachal Pradesh), 23 Dec 2017: King of Indian motorsports and reigning Asia Pacific Rally Championship, Gaurav Gill of Team Mahindra Adventure moved closer to another National title as he won along with long-time co-driver Musa Sherif, the Rally of Arunachal, the fifth and penultimate round of the MRF fmsci Indian National Rally Championship at Ziro on Saturday. With three wins, Gill has 75 points and is leading the table with Dean Mascarenhas in second place with 63 points.

    Fresh from his victory at the APRC championship victory at Chikkamagaluru, where he could not take part in the INRC which were held simultaneously. With the Mangalorean Musa Sherif making the calls, Gill was at this best speeding away through the Special Stages, as night stages made a comeback to add flavour to the first rally in the North East in the INRC on Friday.

    Young Turk Dean Mascarenhas of Mangalore came overall second and won his class, INRC3. Amittrajit Ghosh (co-driver Ashwin Naik) came third.

    Younus Ilyas and Harish Kumar won the INRC2 class edging out Rahul Kanthraj and Vivek Y Bhatt, who finished fifth overall, were leading the championship table in their class with only K-1000 round remaining in January. The South India Rally in Chennai is not likely to happen for want of calendar time as K1000 in Bengaluru is already pushed to the New Year.

    Karna Kadur and Arjun Rao failed to finish the rally due to mechanical problems.

    Provisional Results:
    INRC: 1. Gaurav Gill (Musa Sherif); 2. Dean Mascarenhas (Shruptha Padival); 3. Amittrajit Ghosh (Ashwin Naik);
    INRC 2: 1. Younus Ilyas (Harish Kumar); 2. Rahul Kanthraj (Vivek Y Bhatt); 3. Jacob KJ (Venu Ramesh Kumar);
    INRC 3: 1. Dean Mascarenhas (Shruptha Padival); 2. Daraius Shroff (Nitin Jacob); 3. Dr Punyabrata Barma (Mrinmoy Saha).

    eom/

  • Drugovich wins all races, takes 71-point lead: MRF Challenge

    Drugovich wins all races, takes 71-point lead: MRF Challenge

    Abu Dhabi, 15 Dec 2017: Brazilian driver Felipe Drugovich continued his unbelievable run at the M

    From Left: Vicky Chandhok, Falchero, Drugovich, Kalmthout. An MRF image by Aditya Bedre

    RF Challenge in Abu Dhabi by winning the first three races of the weekend. GP3 French driver Julien Falchero finished 2nd in two races and 3rd in the other but was no match for the flying Brazilian. Drugovich has a 71 point lead with 5 races still to go.

    Race 1: Starting on pole position, Drugovich got the perfect start with Falchero losing out to Presley Martono. Rinus van Kalmthout’s weekend went from bad to worse when he collided with Robert Wagner putting both drivers out on the spot. This brought out the safety car. When the safety car went in on lap 4, Drugovich easily pulled away while Martono had his hands full with Falchero.

    Behind them Louis Gachot and Alex Karkosik fought for 4th place. The safety car came out again when Michael Amendalo stopped in turn 9. With just two laps remaining, Drugovich coasted to an easy win with Martono holding off Falchero for 2nd. Gachot finished in 4th ahead of Karkosik and Danial Frost.

    Race 2: In the reverse grid based Race 2, Frost made the perfect getaway with Gachot slotting into 2nd, ahead of Falchero and fast starting Drugovich. On lap 2 Gachot tried to pass Frost but ended up hitting him and putting him out at the spot. Falchero tried to take advantage and pass Gachot only for Drugovich to get past both drivers and storm into the lead. The safety car came out as Frost’s car was taken out of harm’s way.

    Martono got past a recovering Gachot for 4th place, who was later given a 20 second penalty for his collision with Frost.. At the front there was no stopping Drugovich who took his second win of the weekend. Falchero finished in 2nd place ahead of Karkosik and Martono. Nazim Azman got his best finish of the season in 5th while van Kalmthout came from 17th place to finish 6th.

    Race 3: For the third race in succession, Drugovich made the perfect start and led into turn 1 while Falchero lost out to Karkosik and Martono. On lap 3 Martono tried to pass Karkosik but both drivers collided, allowing Falchero to get past in to 2nd place. Karkosik was forced to retire and Martono, who suffered front wing damage, also retired later in the race. Van Kalmthout, who started in 16th place, was amazingly upto 3rd after 4 laps.

    Drugovich pulled away to another win while Falchero came in 2nd, just ahead of a charging van Kalmthout. Amendalo came in 4th place ahead of Manuel Maldonado and Azman.

    Championship leader Felipe Drugovich, commented, “The car just suits this circuit and I love driving here. The second race was more challenging than the other as I took advantage of the chaos in front of me and got to the front. After that it was all about maintaining the pace and ensuring we finished in front. A big thank you to my engineer and mechanics for making this happen.”

    Julien Falchero was happy to finish on the podium in all the races. He commented, “Congratulations to Felipe (Drugovich) as he was the quickest this weekend. Our races were not as straight forward but we managed to get the maximum. There is one more race to go this weekend so hope I can get to the top step to finish off what has been a good weekend for me.”

    For more information please visit: www.mrfracing.in

    MRF Challenge 2017, Round 3, Abu Dhabi, Race 1:

    S.No. Driver Name Total Time
    1. Felipe DRUGOVICH 25:50.742
    2. Presley MARTONO 25:53.085
    3. Julien FALCHERO 25:53.605
    4. Louis GACHOT 25:54.448
    5. Alex KARKOSIK 25:54.885

     

    MRF Challenge 2017, Round 3, Abu Dhabi, Race 2:

     

    S.No. Driver Name Total Time
    1. Felipe DRUGOVICH 25:52.221
    2. Julien FALCHERO 25:54.098
    3. Alex KARKOSIK 25:56.089
    4. Presley MARTONO 25:57.277
    5. Nazim AZMAN 26:00.283

     

    MRF Challenge 2017, Round 3, Abu Dhabi, Race 3:

    S.No. Driver Name Total Time
    1. Felipe DRUGOVICH 21:58.696
    2. Julien FALCHERO 22:12.174
    3. Rinus van KALMTHOUT 22:13.195
    4. Michael AMENDALO 22:26.080
    5. Manuel MALDONADO 22:31.418