Your basket is currently empty!
Category: Non-F1
-
Jagan Kumar, Sarthak Chavan in historic dead-tie at MIC on Sunday
Chennai, 7 July 2024: History was scripted at the Madras International Circuit here on Sunday when a dead-heat finish, involving two TVS Racing team-mates Jagan Kumar and Sarthak Chavan, was decided in favour of the former on the basis of the fastest lap of the race as the second round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2024 – Powered by STORM came to a thrilling finish.
Old-timers believe that it is the first time in the Indian racing history that two competitors had the same timing at the finish, requiring the fastest lap provision to be implemented to decide the winner. The incident occurred in the Pro-Stock 165cc Open race when veteran Jagan Kumar, a 10-time National champion, and his TVS Racing team-mate 17-year-old Sarthak Chavan crossed the finish line together, clocking the same timing. Jagan was declared winner because he had posted the fastest lap of the six-lap race.
The result denied Sarthak an all-win record across both Pro-Stock categories, the 301-400cc Open and the 165cc Open. Earlier today, Sarthak had achieved a double in the higher class and looked set for a clean sweep before the photo-finish which went in Jagan’s favour.
Meanwhile, Chennai’s Jagathishree Kumaresan (One Racing) completed a double in the Girls (Stock 165cc) category as did another local rider, Abdul Basim (Rockers Racing) in the Novice (Stock 165cc) class while Pradeep C from Bengaluru notched his maiden win in the National Championship with a P1 finish in the Stock 301-400cc (Novice) race.
Bengaluru’s Chiranth Vishwanath (TVS Racing) won the Indian Oil award for the fastest lap on Sunday across all categories for clocking a blistering 01:48.648 in the Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open category, but he lost the race to Sarthak when he missed a gear on the back sweep on the last lap to concede the slender lead.
In an innovative move, promoters Madras Motor Sports Club decided to present trophies to the top five finishers in a race instead of the top three.
Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup: Mohsin Paramban from Malappuram completed a fine double in the NSF 250R category to open up a 37-point lead in the provisional standings. Two Bengaluru riders Savion Sabu and AS James finished second and third respectively in the eight-lap race.
TVS One-Make Championship:
Sarthak Chavan extended his domination with a second consecutive win in the TVS Electric RTE race that was reduced to three laps following an on-track incident. Chiranth Vishwanath came in second ahead of Alwin Sundar (Chennai).
Provisional results (all 6 laps unless mentioned):
National Championship – Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open (Race-2): 1. Sarthak Chavan (Pune, TVS Racing) (11min, 06.298sec); 2. Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru, TVS Racing) (11:06.388); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, TVS Racing) (11:10.557).
Pro-Stock 165cc Open (Race-2): 1. Jagan Kumar (Chennai, TVS Racing) (11:37.786); 2. Sarthak Chavan (Pune, TVS Racing) (11:37.786); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, TVS Racing) (11:44.162).
Girls (Stock 165cc) Race-2 (5 laps): 1. Jagathishree Kumaresan (Chennai, One Racing) (11:04.106); 2. Ryhana Bee (Chennai, Motul Sparks Racing) (11:04.182); 3. Ann Jennifer AS (Chennai, Alpha Racing India) (11:04.327).
Novice (Stock165cc) Race-2: 1. Abdul Basim (Chennai, Rockers Racing) (12:56.217); 2. Tasmai Cariappa (Mysuru, Motul Sparks Racing) (13:07.206); 3. Lal Nunsanga (Aizawl, Motul Sparks Racing) (13:07.502).
Stock 301-400cc (Novice) Race-2: 1. Pradeep C (Bengaluru, Pvt) (12:20.775); 2. Raj Kumar (Coimbatore, RDX Torque Racing) (12:27.930); 3. Varun Nanjundegowda (Chennai, Gusto Racing India) (02:03.803).
Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup – Open (NSF 250R) Race-2 (8 laps): 1. Mohsin Paramban (Malappuram) (15:07.015); 2. Savion Sabu (Bengaluru) (15:10.965); 3. AS James (Bengaluru) (15:15.953).
TVS One-Make Championship: Open (Apache RR310) Race-2: 1. Manoj Yesuadiyan (Chennai) (11:47.555); 2. Jayanth P (Chennai) (11:53.712); 3. Lokesh V (Bengaluru) (11:55.233).
Rookie (Apache RTR 200) Race-2: 1. Harshit V Bogar (Bengaluru) (13:20.972); 2. CS Kedarnath (Tirupati) (13:26.089); 3. Rajivsham AS (Tirpur) (13:44.946).
TVS Electric RTE (3 laps): 1. Sarthak Chavan (Pune) (05:34.704); 2. Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru) (05:35.877); 3. Alwin Sundar (Chennai) (05:42.046).
-
Ahamed beats mentor Jagan in a photo-finish; Dave twins hog limelight
Chennai, 15 June 2024: Two sets of siblings from Chennai hogged the limelight by winning four of the nine races on Saturday at the Madras International Circuit to light up the first round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2024.
The 15-year-old Dave twins, Rakshith and Rakshitha took the honours in the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup (NSF 250R) and the National Championship Girls (Stock 165cc) races. It was a maiden win for both of them, in their respective categories.
Two other siblings, 28-year-old KY Ahamed (Pro-Stock 165cc Open) and his 17-year-old brother Abdul Basim (Novice 165cc), also won a race apiece to set off celebrations in both families.
Elsewhere, Sarthak Chavan, the 17-year-old from Pune, led a 1-2 finish for TVS Racing along with Bengaluru’s Chiranth Vishwanath, also 17, in the premier Pro-Stock 301-400cc category. The race was cut to four laps from scheduled six after a red flag stoppage following a Turn-3 crash (riders ok) and Sarthak, starting from pole, virtually destroyed the field on restart. Chiranth came in second, ahead of Hyderabad’s Sairahil Pillarisetty (Gusto Racing).
Sarthak, however, had a disastrous outing in the Pro-Stock 165cc Open race as he crashed when in the lead. On his exit, Sathak’s two TVS Racing team-mates, KY Ahamed and multiple National champion Jagan Kumar, were involved in a tight finish. Ahamed pipped his mentor Jagan in a photo-finish with another TVS Racing ace, Deepak Ravikumar, who had started the race from the pit lane, completing the podium. Chiranth, who was running second, also crashed, but resumed to finish fourth.
Also finishing on top step of the podium was Chennai’s Kaushik Subbiah Ganesan (RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate) who won as he pleased in the Novice 301-400cc class that gained National championship status from this season.
Earlier, pole-sitter Abdul Basim, held off a strong challenge from Mysuru’s Tasmai Cariappa (Motul Sparks Racing) who led briefly in the penultimate lap but conceded the advantage. Basim went on to win with Tasmai and Coimbatore’s Abhinav G (Chandra LGE Racing) finishing second and third, respectively.
Rakshitha Dave, starting from P2, moved in front by Turn-2, deftly avoiding any jostling that was happening behind her, and enjoyed a trouble-free run for a commanding win. Another Chennai rider, Jagathishee Kumaresan (One Racing) and Ryhana Bee (Motul Sparks Racing) settled for second and third spots, respectively, while pole-sitter Ann Jennifer (Alpha Racing) came in a disappointing fourth.
“I am very happy to score my first-ever win in the National championship. I had a good start today and a trouble-free run after going into the lead early in the first lap. The bike too performed very well,” said a delighted Rakshitha.
Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup: Rakshith Dave reigned supreme in the NSF 250R race after initial battle with the more experienced Mohsin Paramban (Mallapuram) with Bengaluru’s AS James finishing third. It was Rakshith’s first-ever win in this class. Incidentally, Rakshith’s twin sister, Rakshitha made her debut in this class and finished 13th.
TVS One-Make Championship: Coimbatore’s Senthilkumar C took the honours in the truncated Open (Apache RR 310) race that was reduced to three laps from six due to a red flag stoppage following an on-track incident. Jayanth Pratipathi (Chennai) came in second, ahead of Nagercoil’s Ajai Xavier M.
Harshith V Bogar from Bengaluru notched a dominating win in the Rookie category with second-placed Saranjith KM (Thrissur) finishing some 10 seconds behind. Vijayawada’s Akarsh Jangam was a distant third.
Mumbai’s Sarah Khan won the Girls (RTR 200) race untroubled from Pune’s Saimah Ajaz Baig and Aisvarya V (Coimbatore).
The results (Provisional, all 6 laps unless mentioned):
National Championship – Pro-Stock 301-400cc Open (Race-1, 4 laps): 1. Sarthak Chavan (Pune, TVS Racing) (7mins, 36.007secs); 2. Chiranth Vishwanath (Bengaluru, TVS Racing) (07:39.254); 3. Sairahil Pillarisetty (Hyderabad, Gusto Racing India) (07:41.470).
Pro-Stock 165cc Open (Race-1): 1. Ahamed KY (Chennai, TVS Racing) (12:04.178); 2. Jagan Kumar (Chennai, TVS Racing) (12:04.192); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (Chennai, TVS Racing) (12:14.569).
Novice (Stock 165cc) Race-1: 1. Abdul Basim RS (Chennai, Rockers Racing) (12:55.808); 2. Tasmai Cariappa (Mysuru, Motul Sparks Racing) (12:56.136); 3. Abhinav G (Coimbatore, Chandra LGE Racing team) (13:04.554).
Girls (Stock 165cc) Race-1 (5 laps): 1. Rakshitha Dave (Chennai, RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate) (10:58.183); 2. Jagathishree Kumaresan (Chennai, One Racing) (11:03.012); 3. Ryhana Bee (Chennai, Motul Sparks Racing) (11:03.150).
Novice (Stock 301-400cc) Race-1: 1. Kaushik Subbiah Ganesan (Chennai, RACR Castrol Power 1 Ultimate) (12:17.257); 2. Lokesh V (Bengaluru, Pvt.) (12:23.458); 3. Varun Nanjundegowda (Mysuru, Gusto Racing India) (12:27.927).
Idemitsu Honda India Cup (NSF 250R) Race-1: 1. Rakshith S Dave (Chennai) (11:12.157); 2. Mohsin Paramban (Malappuram) (11:16.226); 3. AS James (Bengaluru) (11:16.669)
TVS One-Make Championship – Open (Apache RR 310) Race-1 (3 laps): 1. Senthilkumar C (Coimbatore) (05:56.457); 2. Jayanth Pratipathi (Chennai) (05:59.277); 3. Ajai Xavier (Nagercoil) (06:02.953).
Rookie (Apache RTR 200) Race-1: 1. Harshith V Bogar (Bengaluru) (13:43.666); 2. Saranjith KM (Thrissur) (13:53.770); 3. Akarsh Jangam (Vijayawada) (14:07.100).
Girls (Apache RTR 200) Race-1 (5 laps): 1. Sarah Khan (Mumbai) (11:19.075); 2. Saimah Ajaz Baig (Pune) (11:21.156); 3. Aisvariya V (Coimbatore) (11:23.221).
-
Two-wheeler Racing Nationals to begin from Friday at MIC, sans Amit Arora
Chennai, 12 June 2024: There is plenty of hot action in store with 19 races scheduled for the first round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2024 at the Madras International Circuit, Irungattukottai, near here, from June 13 to 16. The event attracted over 100 entries from across India, representing 16 teams.
However, this the first event after General Manager (Operations) of Madras Motor Sports Club, the promoters, has left the club. Amit Arora, parted ways with MMSC as of May 30. He has been at the helm of affairs for over a decade and has been the trusted lieutenant of the club.
Coming back to the event, the two Pro-Stock classes – 301-400cc Open and 165cc Open – will yet again headline the card, while pitching the country’s top riders on TVS, Honda, Yamaha and KTM machines against one another.
Further down the grid are the Novice categories for Stock bikes –165cc (under-23), Girls (165cc) and 301-400cc which have attracted a sizable number of entries.
Also part of the programme are the two One-Make Championships (OMC) organized by the promoters Madras Motor Sports Club – TVS (Open, Rookie, Girls and Media), showcasing the RR 310 and Apache RTR 200 bikes, and the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup which will witness the super-quick NSF 250R machines. TVS also have one race for their Electric RTE bikes.
As in the previous years, both TVS and Honda conducted a series of trials across India to shortlist the riders for their respective categories with emphasis on youth and talent. Based on their performance, select riders have been sent to participate at the Asian level.
Meanwhile, the 301-400cc Novice category has been upgraded to National Championship status after hitherto being a support event.
In another initiative, the number of races in the National championship Girls category has been increased from the existing five to 10 with a double-header in each of the five rounds.
MMSC president Ajit Thomas said: “We are extremely pleased to have received well over 100 entries for the two-wheeler National Racing Championship which will commence this weekend. We extend a warm welcome to the competitors, our long-time sponsors MRF Tyres, the manufacturers and the Media for the 2024 season which, we are certain, will dish out its share of wheel-to-wheel racing, given the very competitive grids. The Championship has been a stepping stone for aspiring young riders who have competed in international races and won accolades. We are hopeful that the new season will throw up fresh talent.”
-
Vamcy Merla Sports Foundation supports tribals in Tiger Reserve hamlets
Hyderabad, 11 June 2024: The 2w Rally Nationals had a surprising tilt that the tribal villagers around the route of the rally welcomed, with thankful hearts, and enjoyed not just the rally but the good tidings that came along, thanks to Vamcy Merla, the founder and director of VM Sports Foundation.
At the conclusion of the MRF MoGrip fmsci Indian National Rally Championship for two-wheelers near Hyderabad on Sunday, the VM Sports Foundation arranged an outing with the tribals of the Amrabad Tiger Reserve. It was a pleasant surprise for the villagers, who suffer with excess mosquitoes and the cold nights in the jungles, when bundles and bundles of blankets and bed sheets arrived in their village and an array of biking stars descended on the hamlet, led by Vamcy Merla in the presence of the ranger, Ravi Kumar, who was in-charge of the forest.
“Mr. Merla has been supporting the tribals for over nine years now with blankets, buckets and ration when in need. It was especially helpful during the Covid times. He has also been providing jackets to the forest guards. We are glad that the relationship is now formalised with VM Sports Foundation,” added ranger Kumar, who was instrumental in garnering support for the tribals.
Children in playful mood after receiving the gifts from VM Sports Foundation. “When the ranger brought to the notice of the foundation about the plight of the villagers, Vamcy Merla, immediately responded with a gesture and arranged for the needy things,” said Abijith Shetty, Manager, VMSF, who took the initiative to organise the outing along with VMSF riders. “After a good performance, the riders are in their elements and the free service in the villages is an icing on the cake,” said Nataraj, a top athlete and former National champion.
The efforts were appreciated by the local MLA Dr. Chikkudu Vamsikrushna, Achampet, forest department officials and the Superintendent of Police. VM Sports Foundation riders notched up several podiums in the just concluded Rally Nationals.
Riders of VM Sports Foundation who took part in the 2w Rally Nationals visit the tribal villages and spend time in charity. -
Karna Kadur-Musa Sherif duo clinches Rally of Maharashtra in style: INRC Round 2
Nashik, 2 June 2024: Bengaluru’s Karna Kadur, a two-time Overall National champion, along with experienced co-driver Musa Sherif, switched up gears and annexed the Rally of Maharashtra in style, as the second round of the Blueband Sports fmsci Indian National Rally Championship for four-wheelers successfully concluded here on Sunday.
With seven-time National co-driver champion Musa Sherif calling the pace notes, Karna Kadur, trailing in third place by a good two minutes on Saturday, focussed on consistency and gained advantage with skilful driving to win the Overall honours on Sunday. Overnight leaderd, Fabid Ahmer and co-driver Milen George of Chettinad Sporting, lost over five minutes in Special Stage 9 which pushed them down to overall 8th place in the final standings.
Karna Kadur, left, and Musa Sherif of Arka Motorsports, after winning the Rally of Maharashtra in Nashik on Sunday. INDIAinF1 photo by arrangement Kolkata-Mangaluru pair of Amittrajit Ghosh and Ashwin Naik, a former two-time National champions, also managed to secure a well-deserved second place ahead of young guns Arnav Pratap Singh and Rohit N. Apart from a noteworthy Overall third, the New Delhi-Bengaluru duo from SNAP Racing topped their Class, INRC3.
Kerala’s Fabid Ahmer and George Milen of Chettinad Sporting won the INRC2 class while talented lady driver Pragathi Gowda came second. Pragathi roped in co-driver Sujith Kumar BS, a veteran multiple National champion and sports administrator, who sat for stand-alone rally. Pragathi’s regular navigator, Trisha Alonkar, is recovering after a surgery. Privateers Shaik Hussain Pasha and co-driver Roshan Claver Crasta won the Classic class while Arnav Pratap Singh also bagged the Junior INRC. Nikeeta Takkale of Pune and co-driver Shivani Parmar of Mumbai won the Ladies class while Baljinder Singh Dhillon and Goutham CP clinched the Gypsy Challenge.
The four stages today were completed by 11 O’clock and provided enough challenges for the drivers on the tarmac roads which were broken and narrow at many places. Of the 53 cars, 13 logged DNF.
From left: Premnath K Promoter presenting trophy to Karna Kadur while Ashwin Pandit, right, CoC and founder of WISA presenting trophy to Musa Sherif, co-driver. Provisional Unaudited Overall classification (final)
1. #3 Karna Kadur/ Musa Sherif (Arka Motorsports) 01hours, 47 minutes; 52.9seconds;
2. #11 Amittrajit Ghosh/ Ashwin Naik (AART) 01:49:08.0;
3. #43 Arnav Pratap Singh/ Rohit N (SNAP Racing) 01:49:29.2;
4. #5 Jeet Jabhakh/ V Sekar (Chettinad Sporting) 01:49:45.5;
5. #17 Daraius Shroff /Arjun Dheerendra (Chettinad Sporting) 01:49:53.6;
6. #21 Dean Mascarenhas/ Gagan Karubaiah (DB Motorsport) 01:50:08.7;
7. #40 Abhin Rai/ Moideen Jasher (IDR) 01:50:14.9;
8. #29 Fabid Ahmer/ George Milen (Chettinad Sporting) 01:51:10.7;
9. #49 Nikhil J/ Arvind Dheerendra (Pvt.) 01:54:23.5;
10. #23 Pragathi Gowda/ Sujith BS (Chettinad Sporting) 1:59:32.1;
INRC 2
1. #29 Fabid Ahmer/ George Milen (Chettinad Sporting) 01:51:10.7;
2. #23 Pragathi Gowda /Sujith Kumar BS (Chettinad Sporting) 01:59:32.1;
3. #16 Yashas M Nayaka/ Sudhindra BG (Pvt.) 01:59:40.5;
Pragathi Gowda and co-driver Sujith Kumar in action at Nashik. Photo courtesy Sujith FB INRC3
Arnav Pratap Singh and co-driver Rohit N, who won INRC3 in action. Photo by Srinivasa Krishnan 1. #43 Arnav Pratap Singh/ Rohit N (SNAP Racing) 01:49:29.2;
2. #5 Jeet Jabhakh/ V Sekar (Chettinad Sporting) 01:49:45.5;
3. #17 Daraius Shroff /Arjun Dheerendra (Chettinad Sporting) 01:49:53.6;
Gypsy Challenge
1 #45 Baljinder Singh Dhillon/ Goutham CP (Pvt.) 01:58:12.3;
2. #52 Dr Akarsh Sundar/ Ravi Kumar (A & A Motorsports) 01:59:07.7;
3. #37 Sachin Singh/ Prakash M(Pvt.) 02:04:25.5;
Classic
1. #55 Shaik Hussain Pasha/ Roshan Claver Crasta (Pvt.) 02:27:50.9;
2. #45 Aneeshnath S/ Amitha Aneesh (A&A Motorsports) 02:42:22.5;
Junior INRC
1. #43 Arnav Pratap Singh/ Rohit N (SNAP Racing) 01:49:29.2;
2. #40 Abhin Rai/ Moideen Jasher (IDR) 01:50:14.9;
3. #42 Nikeeta Takkale/ Shivani Parmar (Pvt.) 02:00.17.5;
Ladies Class
1. #42 Nikeeta Takkale/ Shivani Parmar (Pvt.) 02:00.07.5;
2. #34 Phoebe Nongrum/ Rahul Sancheti (SNAP Racing) 02:05:24.4;
3. #14 Harshitha Gowda/ M Srivatsa (A & A Motorsports) 02:19:26.7;
eom
-
Fabid Ahmer steals the lead on Day 2: INRC Round 2, Nashik
Nashik, 1 June 2024: Ace Kerala driver Fabid Ahmer and co-driver Milen George of Chettinad Sporting, shod on MRF Tyres, stormed to the front after a tough day that saw Arjuna Awardee Gaurav Gill and defending champion Aroor Arjun Rao suffer casualties in the Rally of Maharashtra, the second round of the Blueband fmsci Indian National Rally Championship here on Saturday.
Fabid Ahmer, a talented driver, who lost course in the last couple of years due to mechanical failures and punctures, is back on track with a measured performance in Red colours, to take the Overall lead on Day 1. The Kerala duo also topped their class INRC2. With a healthy lead of over one minute, Fabid, who narrowly missed the national championship, a couple of years back, looks good to challenge the title this year.
Aroor Arjun Rao was fastest in the first stage of the Day (SS2) but soon he went out. Then Fabid Ahmer was fastest in three stages today. While Harkrishan Wadi set the fastest time in SS5, the fourth stage today, Amittrajit Ghosh, topped the timesheets in the last stage of the day.
Crowds watching the Rally of Maharashtra. INDIAinF1 photo Fast-improving Sardarji, Harkrishan Wadi and Kunal Kashyap of Arka Motorsports, who were threatening to topple the best, clocked the second best Overall time once again and will fight for the win till the end, with four more stages left on Sunday. Former Overall champions Karna Kadur, who had the privilege of the best navigator in the field, Musa Sherif, notched up a hard-fought Overall third placing with four stages still to go. Following Fabid, Harkrishan is trailing in second place in INRC 2 class and Ramcharan is in third place. If Ramcharan can retain his place on the last day tomorrow, it would be a good maiden result for him and experienced navigator Jeevarathinam.
Pragathi Gowda to trail behind Nikeetaa (not in pic) in Ladies Class. She had co-driver Sujith Kumar, who is making a comeback after several years. Her regular co-driver Trisha Alonkar recently underwent a surgery and is still recovering. Photo courtesy Sujith BS In INRC 3 class, Ajay Sankar and Nitharshan (Mandovi Racing) were leading the class. Hyderabad’s racing driver, who shifted to rallying recently, Jeet Jabhakh and co-driver V Sekar from Chettinad Sporting are placed second. Skilled youngster Arjun Rajiv is trailing in third behind. Along with Mysore’s Vinay Padmashali as co-driver, the Bengaluru driver needs to up the game tomorrow as the three are within 10 seconds. Arnav Paratp Singh, Abin Rai and Daraious Shroff are all behind them within 30 seconds..
Baljinder Singh Dhillon and co-driver Goutham CP topped the Gypsy class at the end of Day 2 followed by Dr Akarsh Sundar and Ravi Kumar. Privateer veteran Sanjay Agarwal and Dheeraj Manae are placed third after Leg 1. The Classic class saw only two finishers on the day.
A rare photo of three cars of a rally in one frame. INDIAinF1 image Of the 53 cars that took the start on Day 2 on Saturday, 23 cars suffered retirements. However, 17 will take the restart on the final day on Sunday. Gaurav Gill, Jehaan Gill, Aditya Thakur, Anushriya Gulati, Naveen Puligilla and Praveen Dwarakanath logged DNF (Did Not Finish). Chandan Gowda was out dut to MPL.
The Rally of Maharashtra run on tarmac and broken tarmac roads provided a completely virgin stages that were not run previously in the INRC which ran till 2016. The stages were run in Nashik and Palghar Districts, close to the areas of Jyotirlinga temple and Trimbakeshwar. These new stages offered extremely challenging terrain and put the crews and machines to the highest test. The scorching heat also exhausted the man and machines and high competition is set for Sunday.
A vantage point for spectators to watch cars perform from close quarters. Provisional Results: Overall: After Leg 1 (Day 2):
1. #29 Fabid Ahmer/ George Milen (Chettinad Sporting) 01hours, 07 minutes; 05.8seconds;
2. #69 Harkrishan Wadia/ Kunal Kashyap (Arka Motorsports) 01:08:08.8;
3. #3 Karna Kadur/ Musa Sherif (Arka Motorsports) 01:09:20.1;
4. #11 Amittrajit Ghosh/ Ashwin Naik (AART) 01:09:55.6;
5. #36 Ajay Sankar/ Nitharshan (Mandovi Racing) 01:10:00.0;
6. #5 Jeet Jabhakh/ V Sekar (Chettinad Sporting) 01:10:09.8;
7. #7 Arjun Rajiv/ Vinay Padmashali (Chettinad Sporting) 01:10:13.8;
8. #43 Arnav Pratap Singh/ Rohit N (SNAP Racing) 01:10:38.4;
9. #40 Abhin Rai/ Moideen Jasher (IDR) 01:10:46.0;
10. #17 Daraius Shroff /Arjun Dheerendra (Chettinad Sporting) 01:11:05.0;
INRC 2
1. #29 Fabid Ahmer/ George Milen (Chettinad Sporting) 01: 07: 05.8;
2. #69 Harkrishan Wadia/ Kunal Kashyap (Arka Motorsports) 01:08:08.8;
3. #33 Ramcharan C/ Jeevarathinam (Pvt.) 01:15:09.0;
INRC3
1. #36 Ajay Sankar/ Nitharshan (Mandovi Racing) 01:10:00.0;
2. #5 Jeet Jabhakh/ V Sekar (Chettinad Sporting) 01:10:09.8;
3. #7 Arjun Rajiv/ Vinay Padmashali (Chettinad Sporting) 01:10:13.8;
Junior INRC
1. #36 Ajay Sankar/ Nitharshan (Mandovi Racing) 01:10:00.0;
2. #7 Arjun Rajiv/ Vinay Padmashali (Chettinad Sporting) 01:10:13.8;
3. #43 Arnav Pratap Singh/ Rohit N (SNAP Racing) 01:10:38.4;
Ladies Class
1. #42 Nikeeta Takkale/ Shivani Parmar (Pvt.) 01:16.33.7;
2. Pragathi Gowda /Sujith Kumar BS (Chettinad Sporting) 01:19:07.6;
3. Phoebe Nongrum/ Rahul Sancheti (SNAP Racing) 01:20:52.6
Gypsy Challenge
1. #45 Baljinder Singh Dhillon/ Goutham CP (Pvt.) 01:15:44.7;
2. #52 Dr Akarsh Sundar/ Ravi Kumar (A & A Motorsports) 01:15:48.4;
3. #37 Sanjay Agarwal / Dheeraj Manae (Pvt.) 01:16:11.9;
Classic
1. #55 Shaik Hussain Pasha/ Roshan Claver Crasta (Pvt.) 01:33:06.3;
2. #45 Aneeshnath S/ Amitha Aneesh (A&A Motorsports) 01:45:51.5;
(Note: Car number is given after position number)
-
Gaurav Gill tops time-sheets on tarmac Super Special: INRC Nashik rally
Nashik, 31 May 2024: Arjuna Awardee and three-time APRC winner Gaurav Gill, along with co-driver Aniruddh Rangnekar topped the timesheets with a blistering run in the Super Special Stage in the Rally of Maharashtra, the second round of the Blueband fmsci Indian National Rally Championship here on Friday.
A total of 53 cars, including a guest driver in Daksh Gill, took the start in Triple S. There are six cars led by Gaurav Gill in the top INRC class. Western Indian Sports Association, popular as WISA, is conducting an INRC round after 2016. The outfit headed by Ashwin Pandit boasts of a dedicated team and is known to excel in good organisation and conduct of the rally both for the drivers and spectators.
The Delhi daredevil, Gill, has been going through a difficult period for want of a well-prepared machine, has recently partnered with a new co-driver in Pune’s Aniruddh Rangnekar and is raring to go in one of his favourite destinations on tarmac at the Nashik rally, which is held on picturesque foothills of Sahayadri hill ranges. Backed by JK Tyre, the seven-time INRC overall champion, Gill, showed glimpses of his prowess on tarmac clocking more than six seconds faster time than the nearest rival Mangalore’s Aroor Arjun Rao and co-driver Satish Rajagopal of Bengaluru, the defending champions. Rao and Rajagopal of Mandovi Racing team, did well to beat seasoned Amittrajit Ghosh and Ashwin Naik to third, while INRC 3 driver Arnav Pratap Singh along with Rohit N came a stunning fourth in the Overall classification and first in his class, INRC 3.
Jason Saldanha and Thimmu Uddapanda topped the INRC 2 class and also came a creditable sixth in Overall classification after the 2.10km Super Special Stage. Pragathi Gowda in MRF colours, along with new co-driver Sujith Kumar BS came second in the INRC2 class. Trisha Alonkar, her regular navigator, who underwent a surgery recently is still under recovery and rehab. Delhi’s Philippos Matthai and PVS Murthy, also in MRF colours, were third today, but are expected to give a fight on the actual stages from tomorrow.
Defending champions Aroor Arjun Rao and Satish Rajagopal were second fastest in the Super Special Stage at Nashik on Friday. Photos by Srinivasa Krishnan Arnav Pratap Singh and Rohit N were a creditable overall fourth and also topped their class INRC 3. Super Special Stage is a short 2.10km tarmac sprint that is designed to attract spectators. In INRC3, Arnav Pratap Singh and co-driver Rohit N came out triumphant setting the top time while another youngster Arjun Rajiv along with Vinay Padmashali were second. Venunath V and Arun V were third fastest in the Super Special.
Veteran Sanjay Agarwal and co-driver Dheeraj Manae clocked the top time in the Gypsy class.
Former champions Aditya Thakur and Virender Kashyap during SSS. Philippos Matthai and PVS Murthy, overall 8th in Triple S. Including a liaison distance of about 263 km, the total rally distance will be 384.35km. There will be three Special Stages namely, Amboli which is 5.96km long, Dandwal, 22.25km, the longest stage and Poshera stage of 9.31km. All the three stages will be run twice on Saturday. On Sunday, Amboli will be run twice and the two other stages will be run once each making it 10 special stages. This year, there will be no INRC 4 category but NR4 class is included. Since the wear and tear is expected to be negligible on a tarmac stage, Amboli will be run four times with special permission. That will make the rally meet the required distance of Special Stages.
As the real test begins tomorrow, another 118.52km of Special Stage distance needs to be conquered on Saturday and Sunday to claim the honours.
Pragathi Gowda and Sujith Kumar BS, who is sitting for injured Trisha Alonkar, did well in MRF Colours to take the 7th spot in Triple S. The times are only ornamental in nature as real battles start on Saturday. PHOTOS by Srinivasa Krishnan Dean Mascarenhas and Gagan Karumbaiah during SSS. Provisional SSS Results: Overall:
1. #4 Gaurav Gill/Aniruddh Rangnekar 1min, 34.5seconds;
2. #1 Aroor Arjun Rao/Satish Kumar Rajagopal 1:40.7;
3. #11 Amittrajit Ghosh/ Ashwin Naik 1:42.3;
4. #43 Arnav Pratap Singh/ Rohit N 1:44.8;
5.#31 Younus Ilyas/ Nitin Jacob 1:44.9;
6. #9 Jason Saldanha/ Thimmu Uddapanda 1:45.9;
7. #23 Pragathi Gowda/ Sujith Kumar 1:46.0;
8. #64 Philippos Matthai/ PVS Murthy 1:46.8;
9. #7 Arjun Rajiv/ Vinay Padmashali 1:47.0;
10. #26 Jahaan Singh Gill/ Suraj Keshav Prasad 1:47.2;
INRC
1. #4 Gaurav Gill/Aniruddh Rangnekar 1min, 34.5seconds;
2. #1 Aroor Arjun Rao/Satish Kumar Rajagopal 1:40.7;
3. #11 Amittrajit Ghosh/ Ashwin Naik 1:42.3;
INRC 2
1. #9 Jason Saldanha/ Thimmu Uddapanda 1:45.9;
2. #23 Pragathi Gowda/ Sujith Kumar 1:46.0;
3. #64 Philippos Matthai/ PVS Murthy 1:46.8;
INRC3
1. #43 Arnav Pratap Singh/ Rohit N 1:44.8;
2. #7 Arjun Rajiv/ Vinay Padmashali 1:47.0;
3. #41 Venunath V/ Arun V 1:47.7;
Gypsy Challenge
1. #47 Sanjay Agarwal/ Dheeraj Manae 2:00.3;
2. #52 Dr Akarsh Sundar/ Ravi Kumar 2:03.4;
3. #45 Baljinder Singh Dhillon/ Goutham CP 2:04.5;
Classic
1. #44 Praveen Dwarakanath/ Kariappa KB 2:05.0;
2. #45 Aneeshnath S/ Amitha Aneesh 2:08.4;
3. #55 Shaik Hussain Pasha/ Roshan Claver Crasta 2:13.3;
ends
-
Hemanth Muddappa set National record at Taneja air strip: 10th Vroom Drag event
Bengaluru, 19 May 2024: Indian drag star Hemanth Muddappa, a 12-time National champion, was in his elements once again becoming the fastest quarter-miler in India as he broke the record at the 10th edition of the Vroom Drag meet, on way to a grand triple in the Bikes Open event which is held along with the Round 1 of the fmsci Indian National 4w Drag Championship at the Taneja air strip, near Hosur on Sunday.
Muddappa of Mantra Racing set a time of 09.264seconds in the Super Sport 4stroke 1051 to 1650cc class to break the previous record of 9.298sec set at the same Taneja track by Jordanian Fahim Zahrani in 2023. The Bengaluru-based champion put the 2016 Suzuki Hayabusa built by Mantra Racing to good use touching top speeds of 270kph. Foreign riders are allowed in the Open events by fmsci, the Indian federation. Hemanth also broke his own record in the Super sport 851 to 1050cc class with a 9.415sec run that erased the 9.480sec, he set at Amby Valley in 2024 astride a BMW S1000RR.
He won the ‘Unrestricted 551cc and above’ class to complete the grand treble as he brought the Indian flag to the mast once again with two records on the final day of the event. Muddappa’s next outing will be at the Drag Nationals at Chennai.
Provisional Results (Vroom Bikes Open):
D2: 4s Super Sport 4stroke 1051cc to 1650cc: 1. Hemanth Muddappa (09.264 seconds); 2. Alimon Saidalvi (09.815); 3. Faraz Ahmed (09.879).
E3: Unrestricted 551cc and above: 1. Hemanth Muddappa (09.372); 2. Ataulla Baig (09.647); 3. Aymaan Baig (09.734).
D1: Super Sport 4stroke 851 to 1050cc: 1. Hemanth Muddappa (09.415); 2. Niranjan R Kumar (10.404); 3. Saurabh Parab (10.471).
-
Abdul Waheed Tanveer of TVS Racing wins Round 2: 2w Rally Nationals
Chikkamagaluru, 5 May 2024: In a battle between Petronas TVS Racing teammates, Abdul Waheed Tanveer hogged the limelight taking full honours ahead of Samuel Jacob in the Superbike Pro-Expert class of the MRF MoGrip fmsci National Rally Championship for 2-wheelers 2024 here on Sunday.
The Round 2 of the Rally Nationals was well organised by the Motor Sports Club of Chikmagalur (MSCC) around the coffee estates.
Samuel Jacob of Udupi, who won the first round in Nashik, fell short by about 39 seconds and Rajendra RE, a multiple champion, came behind in third in the four-bike field completed by lady driver Aishwarya Pissay in fourth.
In the Superbike Expert class, Asad Khan of Chikkamagaluru, who came third in the first round upped the game and defeated fancied Nataraj R, a former TVS rider who is now supported by VM Sports Foundation. GS Amogh Nag, also from Bengaluru, finished third.
Bengaluru Yogesh P, astride a Hero Impulse won the Super Sport 165cc Group B class while Hero Motosports T Arun of Hassan won the Super Sport 260cc Group B class. Raigad’s Rajesh Naranjan Swami, astride a KTM Duke 390 won the Super Sport 400cc class while the Super Sport 550cc class was won by Mohammed Zaheer of Bengaluru on a Royal Enfield Himalayan.
Karthik Naidu of Petronas TVS Racing, a former champion, who missed the podium in the first round, came back with a bang winning the Scooter class while Satara’s Tanika Shanbagh won the Ladies class again, beating Tanaya Singh of Pune. Shivam Thakur of Kullu won the Super Sport upto 450cc Gourp D class while Ashwin Anantha Raju of Bengaluru became the Star of Karnataka, a non-championship class for local riders.
The back-to-back third round will be held next Sunday (12 May 2024) at Tribal Adventure Café, Devanahalli, near Bengaluru.
Provisional Final Results: (#Bike number) (All privateers unless mentioned)
Class 1: Superbike Pro-Expert Group A:
1. #82 Abdul Waheed Tanveer (Bengaluru, Petronas TVS Racing) (1hour, 0min, 42.944seconds);
2. #3 Samuel Jacob (Udupi, Petronas TVS Racing) (1:01:21.958);
3. #1 Rajendra RE (Bengaluru, Petronas TVS Racing) (1:02:14.855);
4. #11 Aishwarya Pissay (Bengaluru, Petronas TVS Racing) (1:13:07.787).
Class 2 Superbike Expert Group A:
1. #20 Asad Khan (Chikkamagaluru) (1:03:38.687);
2. #16 Nataraj R (Bengaluru) 1:03:41.818);
3. #13 GS Amogh Nag (Bengaluru) (1:06:53.696);
Class 3 Super Sport 165cc Group B:
1. #30 Yogesh P (Bengaluru, Hero Impulse) (1:08:08.356);
2. #68 Abdul Reheman (Shivamogga, Hero Impuse) (1:09:57.565);
3. #77 Chalass K Bose (Kottayam, Hero Impulse) (1:10:12.007).
Classs 4: Super Sport 260 Group B:
1. #37 T Arun (Hassan, Hero Motosports) (1:02:11.006);
2. #72 Imran Pasha (Mysore, TVS) (1:03:05.941);
3. #8 Karan Kumar (Coimbatore, Hero Motosports) (1:04:14.670).
Class 5: Super Sport 400cc Group B:
1. #42 Rajesh Narajan Swami (Raigad, KTM Duke 390) (01:07:06.384);
2. #74 Anish Shetty (Bengaluru, KTM Duke 390) (01:07:46.151);
3. #47 Akhand Pratap Singh (Rorkee, Uttarakhand, KTM Duke 390) (01:10:51.754).
Class 6: Super Sport 550 Group B:
1. #103 Mohammed Zaheer (Bengaluru, RE Himalayan) (01:10:01.851);
2. #4 Arun Joy (Ernakulam, RE Himalayan) (01:10:43.403);
3. #10 Suhail Ahmed (Bengaluru, RE Himalayan) (01:10:57.792);
Class 7: Scooters up to 210cc Group B:
1. #23 Karthik Naidu (Bengaluru, TVS NTorq) (01:12:38.434);
2 #54 Syed Asif Ali (Bengaluru, TVS NTorq) (01:12:54.945);
3. #70 Goutham N (Bengaluru, TVS) (01:21:25.074).
Class 8: Women’s Class Group B:
1. #24 Tanika Shanbhagh (Satara, Hero MotoSports, Xpulse) (01:14:19.223);
2. #49 Tanaya Singh (Pune, Hero Xpulse) (01:16:58.905);
3. #83 Bani Dabholkar (Goa, Hero Xpulse) (01:43:38.422).
Class 9: Super Stock up to 450cc Group D:
1. #94 Shivam Thakur (Kullu, Hero XPulse) (01:09:31.223);
2. #85 Mohammed Arshad (Thrissur, TVS Apache) (01:12:00.621);
3. #66 Pradeep C (Bengaluru, Hero XPulse) (01:12:50.367).
Class 10 Star of Karnataka:
1. #29 Ashwin Anantha Raju (Bengaluru, Hero XPulse) (01:13:34.656);
2. #61 Abrar Ahmed (Mysuru, Hero XPulse) (01:14:15.004);
3. #98 Madhusudhan Suresh (Shivamogga, Hero XPulse) (01:14:57.575).
Overall: (top-10 riders)
1. #82 Abdul Waheed Tanveer (Bengaluru, Petronas TVS Racing) (1hour, 0min, 42.944seconds);
2. #3 Samuel Jacob (Udupi, Petronas TVS Racing) (1:01:21.958);
3. #37 T Arun (Hassan, Hero Motosports) (1:02:11.006);
4. #1 Rajendra RE (Bengaluru, Petronas TVS Racing) (1:02:14.855);
5. #72 Imran Pasha (Mysore, TVS) (1:03:05.941);
6. #20 Asad Khan (Chikkamagaluru) (1:03:38.687);
7. #16 Nataraj R (Bengaluru) 1:03:41.818);
8. #8 Karan Kumar (Coimbatore, Hero Motosports) (1:04:14.670).
9. #40 Sachin I D (Bengaluru, Petronas TVS Racing, RTR 200) (01:04:31.980);
10. #27 Banteilang Jyrwa (Shillong, Petronas TVS Racing, RTR 200) (01:05:26.714).
Top in Ladies class
Overall 35. #11 Aishwarya Pissay (Bengaluru, Petronas TVS Racing, RTR450) (1:13:07.787).
-
Samuel Jacob begins 2024 campaign on a winning note; Tanika tops Ladies class
Nashik, 7 April 2024: Samuel Sajan Jacob of Petronas TVS Racing began the season on a winning note snatching the Overall victory from teammate Rajendra RE in the MRF Rally of Nashik, the first round of the MRF Mogrip fmsci Indian National Rally Championship for two-wheelers here on Sunday.
“I am feeling really happy wining the first round of Indian National Rally Championship. A winning beginning after a long break is always welcome and I thanks all the Petronas TVS Racing team for all the support and specially for the wonderful bike. I have trained very hard for this win and am happy to get the overall victory. The stages were full of tarmac, yes for about 60 per cent of the terrain and the rest is broken tarmac and I like it as it was a fast track,” said Jacob after the rally.
Samuel Jacob with the Overall trophy in Nashik. While Petronas TVS Racing riders bagged three classes, with Imran Pasha (Supersport 260 Group B) and Syed Asif Ali (Scooters) also winning their classes, the lady rider from Satara, Tanika Shanbagh, kept the flag flying for Hero Motosports. Apart from winning the Ladies class, the two-time National champion finished Overall 30 in the field of 90 bikes. The TVS riders, however, swept the top class winning all the podium places in the Superbike Pro-Expert Group A with multiple national champion Aishwarya Pissay finishing fourth after the boys.
The first round of the bike Nationals organised by AW Events and promoted by Godspeed Racing attracted 90 entries and 85 bikes finished the rally with five logging a DNF which included Arjun Joy and Karthik Naidu. Zeitmesser provided the live timings to the thousandth of a second.
Former champion R Nataraj of Bengaluru won the Superbike Expert Group A Class 2 defeating compatriot Amogh Nag while Asad Khan of Chikkamagaluru finished third.
Shivamogga’s Abdul Reheman won the Supersport 165cc Group B class while Rajesh Narajan Swamy won the Supersport 400cc class. Bengaluru’s Suhail Ahmed won the SS 550cc class and Arshad Muhammed of Thrissur won the 450cc Group D class. Amarendra Sathe of Pune won the Star of Karnataka local class.
VS Naresh took a podium in the Supersport 550 Group B class on Sunday. Provisional Final Results: (#Bike number) (All privateers unless mentioned)
Class 1: Superbike Pro-Expert Group A:
1. #2 Samuel Jacob (Udupi, Petronas TVS Racing) (25 minutes, 03.831 seconds);
2. #3 Rajendra RE (Bengaluru, Petronas TVS Racing) (25:12.092);
3. #1 Abdul Waheed Tanveer (Bengaluru, Petronas TVS Racing) (25:32.225);
4. #4 Aishwarya Pissay (Bengaluru, Petronas TVS Racing) 29:41.198.
Class 2 Superbike Expert Group A:
1. #5 Nataraj R (Bengaluru) (26:53.905);
2. #6 GS Amogh Nag (Bengaluru) (27:43.780);
3. #7 Asad Khan (Chikkamagaluru) (27:51.600).
Class 3 Supersport 165cc Group B:
1. #15 Abdul Reheman (Shivamogga) (29:29.776);
2. #14 Bharat L (Bengaluru) (29:31.202);
3. #89 Arshad Ali AT (Kannur) (29:41.877).
Classs 4: Supersport 260 Group B:
1. #26 Imran Pasha (Mysore, TVS) (26:07.655);
2. #30 T Arun (Hassan, Hero Motosports) (26:34.469);
3. #29 Yuva Kumar (Bengaluru, Hero Motosports) 26:45.720.
Class 5: Supersport 400cc Group B:
1. #42 Rajesh Narajan Swami (Pen) (28:03.998);
2. #45 Anish Shetty (Bengaluru) (28:58.518);
3. #41 Akhand Pratap Singh (Rorkee) (29:29.648).
Class 6: Supersport 550 Group B:
1. #52 Suhail Ahmed (Bengaluru) (28:44.853);
2. #47 Naresh VS (Bengaluru) (29:40.304);
3. #48 Darshan Chaure (Nashik) (30:52.412);
Class 7: Scooters up to 210cc Group B:
1. #56 Syed Asif Ali (Bengaluru, TVS) (29:59.732);
2. #59 Venkatesh Shetty (Mumbai, Aprilia SR 150) (32:11.799);
3. #60 Goutham N (Bengaluru) (32:27.604).
Class 8: Women’s Class Group B:
1. #62 Tanika Shanbhagh (Hero MotoSports, Satara) (30:11.762);
2. #65 Somyya Chaudhary A (New Delhi) (31:31.733);
3. #64 Remya Ravi (Thiruvananthapuram) (35:10.889).
Class 9: Super Stock up to 450cc Group D:
1. #69 Arshad Muhammed (Thrissur) (29:53.709);
2. #72 Udayakumar M (Coimbatore) (30:15.197);
3. #68 Shivam Thakur (Kullu) (30:30.249).
Class 10 Star of Karnataka:
1. #85 Amarendra Sathe (Pune) (31:59.690);
2. #83 Lokesh Anik Bhosale (Pune) (32:29.292);
3. #84 Kishore Jadhav (Pune) (32:36.992).
Overall: (top-10 riders)
1. #2 Samuel Jacob (Udupi, Petronas TVS Racing) (25 minutes, 03.831 seconds);
2. #3 Rajendra RE (Bengaluru, Petronas TVS Racing) (25:12.092);
3. #1 Abdul Waheed Tanveer (Bengaluru, Petronas TVS Racing) (25:32.225);
4. #26 Imran Pasha (Mysore, TVS) (26:07.655);
5. #30 T Arun (Hassan, Hero Motosports) (26:34.469);
6. #29 Yuva Kumar (Bengaluru, Hero Motosports) 26:45.720.
7. #5 Nataraj R (Bengaluru) (26:53.905);
8. #27 Sachin D (Bengaluru, TVS) 926:56.007);
9. #32 Banteilang Jyrwa (TVS) (26:56.905);
10. #28 Sabarish R (Coimbatore) (27:32.179).
