INDIA in F1

Category: Non-F1

  • Abhilash PG-Anoop Kumar win IRC title in Horizon 41st K-1000 Rally; Vivek-Rahul champs in 2000cc class

    Bangalore, 22 Nov 2015: The Kochi-Bangalore pair of Abhilash PG-Anoop Kumar DS, of Team Rennoil R3A, cruised to a well-deserved win in the IRC category of the Horizon 41st K-1000 Rally here on Sunday. This is the third round of the FMSCI Indian Rally Championship 2015. Driving a Mitsubishi Evo VIII car, the winning time they clocked was one hour, 20 minutes, 57.2 seconds.

    The Rally was conducted by the Karnataka Motor Sports Club. The associate sponsors are Fairfield Marriott Hotel, Vijayachandra Motors and Turlube lubricants.

    Finishing second in the IRC category were Lohitt V Urs-Srikanth GM (Mysore-Bangalore) 1:22:44.0 (one minute, 46.8 seconds behind the winners) in a Mitsubishi Evo VIII. However, Urs will continue to keep the lead in the IRC category with one round of the championship to go. AR Racing’s Arjun Rao Aroor-Satish K Rajagopal (Mangalore-Bangalore) finished third with a time of 1:23:02:0. They were third after Saturday’s action but a controlled drive in their Volkswagen Polo R2 saw them pick up the third place.

    Overall K1000 winners Abhilash PG (L)-Anoop Kumar DS in Bangalore on Sunday. Image by Vivek Phadnis
    Overall K1000 winners Abhilash PG (L)-Anoop Kumar DS in Bangalore on Sunday. Images by Vivek Phadnis
    Rahul Kanthraj (L)-Vivek Bhatt who won the 2000 cc class in K1000 at Bengaluru on Sunday.
    Rahul Kanthraj (L)-Vivek Bhatt who won the 2000 cc class in K1000 at Bengaluru on Sunday.

    Winner Abhilash said: “I am very happy to have won the K-1000 this time around. We did not take too many risks but drove a controlled rally. There were small issues with the brakes but it did not prove to be too much of a problem.”

    Team Mahindra Adventure’s Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, the defending IRC champions, were going well till the last few stretches of the third and final Special Stage of the day. Sadly, their Mahindra XUV500 slid and suffered mechanical damage that saw them retire from the rally. Teammates Sunny Sidhu-PVS Murthy did not finish too.

    In the IRC2000cc class, Bangaloreans Rahul Kanthraj-Vivek Bhatt, entered as Team Yokohama and competing in a Mitsubishi Cedia, won the class and have virtually retained their title. On the second day, a clean run saw them win their class without too much fuss.

    Bangalore boys Dhruva Chandrashekar-Jeevarathinam J, with a time of 1:26:47.6, ended up being toppers in both the 1600cc and FMSCI 1600cc Cup classes. The two were also fifth fastest overall.

    Out of the 37 cars that entered, 23 finished the rally.

    Results (provisional): IRC: 1. Abhilash PG-Anoop Kumar DS (Team Rennoil R3A, 1:20:57.2); 2. Lohitt V Urs-Srikanth GM (1:22:44.0); 3. Arjun Rao Aroor-Satish K Rajagopal (AR Racing, 1:23:02.0); 4. Amittrajit Ghosh-Ashwin Naik (Team Mahindra Adventure, 1:23:48.9); 5. Dhruva Chandrashekar-Jeevarathinam J (1:26:47.6).

    IRC 2000cc:1. Rahul Kanthraj-Vivek Bhatt (Team Yokohama, 1:27:12.4); 2. Sumit Punjabi-Nitin Jacob (1:28:26.9); 3. Younus Ilyas-Thomas Paul (1:29:35.5).

    IRC 1600cc:Dhruva Chandrashekar-Jeevarathinam J (1:26:47.6); 2. Bikku Babu-Bonnie Thomas (1:28.18.9); 3. Ashwin Reddy Daram-Suraj M (1:28:23.8).

    FMSCI 1600cc Cup: 1. Dhruva Chandrashekar-Jeevarathinam J (1:26:47.6); 2. Ashwin Reddy Daram-Suraj M (1:28:23.8); 3. Lokesh Gowda V-Ashika Menezes (1:29.57.4).

    R Bharath Raj Trophy for Best Novice: Nayan Jyoti Sarma-Vinay BM.

    eom/KMSC-FMSCI press release and photos from Vivek Phadnis

  • Abhilash PG-Anoop Kumar pair leads 41st K-1000 Rally; Gill-Sherif fall back to 2nd

    Rahul Kanthraj-Vivek Bhatt duo lead after day1 in K1000 on Saturday. Image by Vivek Phadnis
    Rahul Kanthraj-Vivek Bhatt duo lead after day1 in K1000 on Saturday. Image by Vivek Phadnis

    Bangalore, 21 Nov 2015: Abhilash PG (co-driver Anoop Kumar DS), of team Rennoil-R3A, led in the Indian Rally Championship (IRC) category after the opening day’s action in the Horizon 41st K-1000 Rally on Saturday. The Kochi-Bangalore pair, driving a Mitsubishi Evo VIII, totalled a time of 53 minutes, 32.6 seconds.

    The stages for the third round of the 2015 FMSCI Indian Rally Championship being run near the areas surrounding the Big Banyan Tree tourist spot. The K-1000 returns to tarmac stages after more than a decade of pure dirt stages.

    Mahindra Adventure’s Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif(Mahindra XUV500) were in second place with a total time of 53:57.3 while AR Racing’s Arjun Rao Aroor and co-driver Satish Rajagopal in a Volkswagen Polo R2 were third with 55:14.2.

    The Rally is being conducted by the Karnataka Motor Sports Club. The associate sponsors are Fairfield Marriott Hotel, Vijayachandra Motors and Turlube lubricants.

    Abhilash said: “Despite having inter-cooler spray and overheating problems in the long stages, we managed to maintain a good lead which is good news as the conditions were difficult to drive because of the technicalities and changes in terrain. To have the right tyre choice was difficult and we managed to do well in Leg 1 and hope to finish with the same result tomorrow.”

    Team Yokohama’s Bangalore pair of Rahul Kanthraj-Vivek Bhatt (Mitsubishi Cedia) as the leader after the first day. Their total time was 57:14.6 with Sumit Panjabi-Nitin Jacob are second.

    Kanthraj said: “We took a gamble with gravel tyres but it worked out well. We took it easy in the first two stages but went flat out later. Tomorrow, we have to go for a decent finish and the championship should be sealed for us.”

    Druva Chandrashekar-Jeevarathinam J lead the IRC 1600cc class.

    The mix of tarmac, loose at places, and dirt made for interesting rallying. Due to this, it was a tricky decision… whether to use tarmac or gravel tyres. It was a test of skill for the drivers who had to manoeuvre through varying surfaces. However, the drivers seemed to enjoy the challenge and gave it their best.

    The opening Special Stage of the day saw a delayed start due to technical issues. Three out of the scheduled nine stages were cancelled due to various reasons.

    Results (provisional): IRC: 1. Abhilash P G/ Anoop Kumar D S (Team Rennoil-R3A, 00:53:32.6 min); 2. Gaurav Gill/ Musa Sherif (Team Mahindra Adventure, 00:53:57.3); 3.Arjun Rao Aroor/ Satish K Rajagopal (00:55:14.2); 4.Amittrajit Ghosh/ Ashwin Naik (Team Mahindra Adventure, 00:55:20.2); 5.Lohitt V Urs/ Srikanth G M (00:55:25.0).

    IRC 2000cc:1. Rahul Kantharaj/ Vivek Y Bhatt(Team Yokohama, 00:57:14.6); 2.Sumit Panjabi/ Nitin Jacob (00:58:43.2); 3.YounusIlyas M/ Paul Thomas(00:58:56.7).

    IRC 1600cc: 1. Druva Chandrasekhar/ Jeevarathinam J (00:57:25.0); 2.Bikku Babu/ Bonnie Thomas (00:57:53.0); 3. Raghu Nandan B/ Rupesh Kholay (00:57:58.0).

    FMSCI 1600cc Cup: 1. Druva Chandrasekhar/ Jeevarathinam J         (00:57:25.0); 2. Raghu Nandan B/ Rupesh Kholay     (00:57:58.0); 3.Ashwin Reddy Daram/ Suraj M (00:58:56.8).

    eom/FMSCI release by Vivek Phadnis

  • Rains and tarmac special stages dampen the spirits as Horizon K-1000 is flagged off

    Bangalore, 20 Nov 2015: The cloudy horizon sent in chills amongst the rally enthusiasts and the prospects of a thrilling K-1000 are dull what with the new tarmac surface proving the dampner, not just the rains. The Horizon 41st K-1000 was flagged off here on Friday, on a sombre note, and for many a veteran, the K-1000 without the late Bharat Raj was a painful excercise.

    File photo of Lohitt Urs-Srikanth Gowda courtesy Vivek Phadnis
    Lohitt Urs-Srikanth Gowda being flagged off in Bangalore on Friday. Image courtesy Vivek Phadnis

    The Rally is the third round of the 2015 FMSCI Indian Rally Championship was flagged off by Kannada actress Ragini Dwivedi at a city hotel on Rajkumar road.

    The Rally is being conducted by the Karnataka Motor Sports Club is sponsored by Fairfield Marriott Hotel, Vijaychandra Motors and Turlube lubricants.

    The Rally will be dedicated to KMSC’s late Chairman and former FMSCI President R Bharath Raj, who passed away on August 15.

    Moving away from tradition, the K-1000, this time, will be a tarmac rally. With wet weather prevailing, it should add a touch of drama though the rally is not on dirt. The recce was held in the morning and the drivers are not very happy with the Special Stages which are being run in a private lay-out near the Big Banyan tree off the Mysore Road.

    All top rally drivers in the country have confirmed participation for the event that will run from November 20-22. A total of 37 entries have been received. They will compete in the IRC, IRC 2000cc, IRC 1600cc and FMSCI 1600cc Cup categories.

    Mysore’s speedster Lohitt V Urs with co-driver Srikanth Gowda of Bangalore are the ones to watch out for. The duo will be on a Mitsubishi Evo VIII all-wheel drive. Lohitt is leading the championship with a total of 59 points while Mahindra Adventure driver from Kolkata Amittrajit Ghosh  with newly-maried Mangalore’s Ashwin Naik as co-driver is on 47 and will be driving a Mahindra XUV500.

    Reigning National champion in the IRC class, Mahindra Adventure’s Delhi driver Gaurav Gill  and Musa Sherif, also from Mangalore are the top pair in the country and former APRC champion is on 45 and so is his teammate from Chandigarh Sunny Sidhu (PVS Murthy, Bangalore).

    The other notable entries are AR Racing’s Arjun Rao Aroor (Mangalore)-Satish Rajagopal (Bangalore) in a Volkswagen Polo R2, JCT Rallying’s Samir Thapar (New Delhi)-Gurinder Mann (Chandigarh) in a Mitsubishi Evo X and Abhilash PG (Cochin)-Anoop Kumar (Bangalore) in a Mitsubishi Evo VIII. This is the premier class in the IRC and the top drivers will be fighting it out for the Overall National title.

    In the 2000cc class, Bangalore’s Rahul Kanthraj (Vivek Bhatt, Bangalore), from Team Yokohama, is the leader with 78 points, while Mumbai’s Chettinad Sporting entrant Hrishikesh Thackersey (Ninad Mirajgaonkar, Mumbai) is on 59. Kanthraj and Bhatt are the defending champions.

    In the 1600cc class, Kerala’s Chettinad Sporting driver Bikku Babu (Bonnie Thomas, Kerala) leads the classification with 60 points, while Bangalore’s Team Yokohama driver Karna Kadur (Vivek Ponnusamy, Melbourne) is within striking distance and on 58.

    In the 1600cc Cup class, Palakkad’s Adith KC (Harish KN, Bangalore) leads the table with 64 points. They are the defending champions. Second is Bangalore’s Ashwin Reddy (Suraj Shetti, Bangalore) on 58 points.

    There will be three physical stages of 14, 8, 5.5 km. Each stage will be run thrice on day one (Saturday) and once in reverse direction on the second day (Sunday). The gravel Super Special Stage will be held at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre on Tumkur Road on Sunday. The Special Stage distance is 112.08Km, Super Special Stage distance is three Km and total rally distance is 291.55Km.

    KMSC President Shivu Shivappa said: “With support from our rally fraternity, we have been able to put together this event. Our sponsors have been generous and without them, this rally would not have been possible.”

    Clerk of the Course Praneeth Perumal said: “We are having a tarmac rally after more than a decade and it should be entertaining. There will be a mix of terrain and though the average speeds may not be very high, the stages are going to be technical and highly competitive.”

    eom/FMSCI release

  • Motor sport legends prepare for this week’s Race Of Champions

    Image courtesy Race of Champions 2015
    Image courtesy Race of Champions 2015
    News image
    • London’s former Olympic Stadium was swarming with legends of motor sport today ahead of Friday and Saturday’s Race Of Champions
    • Champions from series including F1, Le Mans, IndyCar, Touring Cars and Rallycross put in their first (wet) practice laps of ROC’s all-new pursuit track
    • Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button said: “It will be awesome to race in the Olympic Stadium with the crowds so close to the track.”
    • ‘Mr Le Mans’ Tom Kristensen summed up the tactics: “We just smack it into the first corner and hope there’s grip…”
    • They’ll be joined in Saturday’s individual race by ROC Factor winner Bradley Philpot, who defeated Des Foley in today’s shootout
    • Tickets are still available from www.raceofchampions.com for the action on Friday and Saturday in London’s former Olympic Stadium but get in quick!

    Many of the world’s greatest drivers put in their first laps of London’s former Olympic Stadium today ahead of this weekend’s Race Of Champions.

    The annual end-of-season event, which has been running for over 25 years, brings together some of the world’s best drivers from motor sport’s major disciplines and sets them free to battle head-to-head in identical machinery.

    The ROC 2015 field features no less than six current F1 drivers plus greats of other motor sport series including Le Mans, IndyCar, Rallycross and Touring Cars. They have travelled to London from all over the world including South America, the USA and Australia. Now they will be joined in Saturday’s Race Of Champions by Bradley Philpot, who won today’s ROC Factor shootout against rival Des Foley for the chance of a lifetime to take on many of the world’s greatest drivers.

    Ahead of this weekend’s events the drivers faced the media at London’s former Olympic Stadium. Here’s a selection of what they’ve said so far:

     

    Jenson BUTTON, 2009 Formula 1 World Champion (Team England 2)

    “It’s been a few years since I’ve been at the Race Of Champions so it’s great to be here. It will be really nice to have the crowds so close by while we’re driving. It’s great to have it in the UK and it’s awesome being in the Olympic Stadium. I’m sure we all watched the Olympics in 2012 and we’ve all got very special memories of it. I raced at ROC at Wembley in 2007 and 2008, which was an awesome experience too, and we’ve been to the Bird’s Nest Stadium in China. But coming here is the best.”

     

    Sebastian VETTEL, four-time Formula 1 World Champion (Team Germany)

    “This is a fun event and everyone who has been here before likes to come back if they get an invite. The best thing is just to spend time with guys who share a common passion. So it’s an honour to be on the grid – and obviously fighting for your nation is a privilege. I’m with Nico for the first time on Team Germany this year so we’ll push very hard to get the silverware back tomorrow. Then on Saturday you try to do it on your own. I haven’t achieved that yet so I’ve still got some catching up to do. It’s a tough competition no matter who you’re standing next to on the startline. Anyone can win and two laps is not much time to get used to the car so the tricky bit is to get everything right.”

     

    Daniel RICCIARDO, three-time Formula 1 grand prix winner (Team Australia)

    “This is my first Race Of Champions so it’s like losing my virginity… Of course there are a lot of familiar faces from the F1 paddock but there are also lots of champions from other kinds of motor sport. As you can see, all of us drivers do get on but F1 is our business so other than the drivers parade we keep to ourselves a lot. But we all share a love of racing cars and it’s great to get together in a light-hearted atmosphere. It’s challenging to be jumping in and out of all the different cars but the guy who takes it most seriously probably won’t do that well…”

     

    David COULTHARD, reigning ROC Champion of Champions (Team Scotland)

    “I’m slightly embarrassed to be here among all these great competitors now that I’ve retired from racing but Fredrik Johnsson and his ROC team do such a great job. The fact that we have so many F1 drivers competing here one week ahead of the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi says everything you need to know about how this event is put together. This is a great celebration of motor sport and a great chance to hang out with guys who you’ve admired from other series. We’re all brought together by a common cause, which is a love of competition.”

    Race Of Champions at London's former Olympic Stadium

     

    Tom KRISTENSEN, nine-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner (Team Nordic)

    “Le Mans is 13.628km long whereas this track is 565 metres. You don’t have any real practice, you go out in the car, go to the starting grid and drive. Each heat lasts less than two minutes so it’s very different to what we normally do. It’s very much a sprint. This is full action. You go out in whatever car they put in front of you and you just do your best. It’s always a lot of fun – until you lose. Even if you go out early you can try to lead in the locker room instead. DC and I are both retired so we just try to smack it into the first corner and hope there’s grip…”

     

    Petter SOLBERG, reigning FIA World Rallycross Champion (Team Nordic)

    “This event is always really good fun. Last year we were in Barbados and I must say David did a fantastic job. He was laughing at us at night, saying it was easy. At least Tom and I won the ROC Nations Cup so we will fight hard to try to win it again. But these other guys are certainly very good, even if they claim they’re here just for fun. This event is quite close to rallycross with very short laps so it’s all about not making any mistakes. A lot of things can happen on the track but the spectators will love it if someone hits the wall…”

     

    Nico HÜLKENBERG, 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours winner (Team Germany)

    “This is my first time at the Race Of Champions so I’ll have to see how it pans out but it’s great to be here. I’ve been watching it for a few years and been keen to do it so I’m happy to finally have my chance. So far the Euro NASCAR and the buggies look the most fun but some of the cars look a real handful. There seems to be absolutely no grip out there so you just have to survive. But I’ll figure it out and see how far I get. I went to Le Mans for the first time this year and won that so if the same story could play out here, that sounds good to me…”

    Drivers in Thursday's press conference

     

    Felipe MASSA, 11-time Formula 1 grand prix winner (Team Brazil)

    “My last time here was ten years ago so I was still very young. So thanks for having me back. It’s fantastic to be here in London in this amazing place. I don’t know how it’s going to be if we have a very wet track like today but I’m sure I’m going to enjoy it and have a lot of fun racing. We all get on well together but unfortunately in the Formula 1 paddock we can’t enjoy as much time together as we do here. So I’m sure these three days will be a lot of fun. Maybe we need something a bit more like this in F1 as well…”

     

    Mick DOOHAN, five-time 500cc MotoGP World Champion (Team Australia)

    “I’d love Team Australia to be up there but while Daniel has the talent, unfortunately he’s carrying an old motorbike racer along with him. So I feel a bit sorry for him. I’ll try my best but it’s hard to compete against guys who compete in cars day in day out. Each car has its own issue with understeer and oversteer so you have to get to grips with that. I tapped the wall today – well, more than a tap really, a good hit. It was at the quickest part of the track and I went right in. Fortunately I didn’t injure myself or the passenger who came along for the ride. Still, it’s a hell of a lot of fun to be here.”

     

    Jolyon PALMER, 2014 GP2 Champion (Team Young Stars)

    “Barbados was great fun last year and it was a good challenge as well – the first time is always a bit of an eye-opener. That was actually my last real race too, so it’s been a while. Of course we don’t overtake anyone on this track but you get the competitive feeling I’ve been missing this year. So it will be good to get out there, hopefully knock some people out and progress. It’s a great fun event with a good friendly atmosphere but everyone’s quite keen to win as well. On this new pursuit track you’re definitely aware of the other car from the moment you get out. As you go through the checkpoints, if you’re down you throw caution to the wind, if you’re up you just make sure you bring it home.”

     

    Jason PLATO, double British Touring Car Champion (Team England 1)

    “Where do you ever get the chance to race against the best drivers in the world in a fantastic place like the former Olympic Stadium? Last time I was together with Andy we got to the final in Düsseldorf when we lost to Team Germany, so we want to go one better this year. All the cars have their own different challenges, especially in the wet weather. I think we’ll get some good crowds and the atmosphere will be amazing so I’m really looking forward to it. Whoever flirts best with the walls and gets away with it will do well.”

    Race Of Champions at London's former Olympic Stadium

     

    Andy PRIAULX, triple World Touring Car Champion (Team England 1)

    “I came here to watch Usain Bolt win the 200m at the Olympics and I can’t believe we’ve got a circuit here now. It’s an honour to drive in front of your own crowd and I remember coming to Wembley when the atmosphere was fantastic. The new format with cars chasing each other will work well and the track has a nice flow to it. The last time JP came to the Race Of Champions we hit it pretty hard the night before. So hopefully we’ll enjoy a bit more focus this weekend and be a bit more concentrated.”

     

    Susie WOLFF, Williams Martini Racing Official Test Driver (Team Scotland)

    “I had such a great time in Barbados last year so it’s fantastic to be here for my last race, and to go up against such brilliant drivers in lots of different cars. It’s a completely different challenge to go as quick as you can without much warm-up or testing. With the new asphalt on the track and cold tyres and brakes, just keeping the car on track was a challenge today. But being from Scotland of course I’m not used to driving in the wet… I went to bed early last year and my team-mate David did the exact opposite – and to quite an extreme. So this year I’m changing my tactics and going out in style…”

     

    Alex BUNCOMBE, Blancpain Endurance Series Champion (Team England 2)

    “To get the chance to race with these guys out there on the track is phenomenal for me. I couldn’t believe it when I got the call. The Race Of Champions has always been something I’ve wanted to do and now it’s been made possible. So that’s great. I’ve been lucky enough to drive quite a lot of different cars for Nissan so hopping from car to car here at the Race Of Champions shouldn’t be too much of an issue. I think that’s what it’s going to come down to – being able to hop out of the buggy and get into the Mercedes and get straight on it. It’s going to be tough but I’ll certainly be doing my best.”

     

    Pascal WEHRLEIN, 2015 DTM Champion (Team Young Stars)

    “This is my second Race Of Champions and it’s definitely an honour to be here. This year I wasn’t sure if I’d get invited. I asked Fredrik if I could come back again and he said I could have an invite if I won the DTM Championship. So here I am. I’m proud to be here going up against the world’s best drivers. Last year in Barbados I came second so I’ve still got one more place to improve. But it will be really tough. Everyone is really talented and in the end anyone could win.”

     

    Ryan HUNTER-REAY, 2014 Indianapolis 500 Winner (Team Americas)

    “It’s just great to be here in this company. These are the best drivers form around the world so it’s great to be here competing with them and getting to know them. Last year I got closer but that doesn’t cut it here, so hopefully this could be the year. But I learned last year that the guy you least suspect can be fast and put themselves right in the mix so you can’t count anyone out. In IndyCar we have a lot of tight street circuits so maybe that will help, but it will be very interesting if it’s wet…”

     

    ROC 2015 begins with tomorrow evening’s ROC Nations Cup, followed by the Race Of Champions itself on Saturday afternoon.

     

    Tickets for ROC 2015 are still available at ticketmaster.co.uk/roc. For access to hi-res imagery please visitwww.raceofchampions.com. You can sign up for all the latest updates at www.raceofchampions.com, Race Of Champions on Facebook or @raceofchampions and #ROCLondon on Twitter.

     

    Race Of Champions at London's former Olympic Stadium

  • MMSC ties-up with Road to Indy USF 2000 series; 2016 championship to commence in Jan

    • Incentives for 2016 MMSC Racing Championship 

    CHENNAI: The MMSC Racing Championship received a major boost as their six-round 2016 season, commencing in January, will provide an entry to the Mazda Road to Indy USF 2000 series scholarship shootout.

    Announcing this here on Monday, the Madras Motor Sports Club, one of the oldest motorsport clubs in India, said the topper of the MRF Formula Ford 1600 series will be sent for the Mazda Road to Indy shootout, the winner of which will receive a scholarship of USD 200,000.

    Besides the MRF FF 1600 category, the other proposed classes are: Formula LGB 1300, Indian Junior Touring Cars, Indian Touring Cars and Superstock, all part of the support races.

    In another move, MMSC, promoters of the National Racing Championship for the past 27 years, converted the Formula LGB 1300 into a rookie class, open to drivers below 25 years of age. The top performers in this series will be eligible for scholarship to the 2017 MRF FF 1600 championship.

    MMSC president Ajit Thomas said: “We are pleased to announce our tie-up with the Indy Racing League for the Mazda Road to Indy scholarship shootout which is further evidence to our commitment to develop talent in the sport.

    “We will continue the trend from this year to start our championship early in the year and stretch it over the year. The feedback from our partners and competitors has been positive and encouraging in starting early again next year.

    “More importantly, the cooler temperatures in the beginning of the year make it more enjoyable for all the competitors.”

    The Mazda Road to Indy is one of the most successful driver development programs in the world, providing a unique, scholarship-funded path to reach the Verizon IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500.

    MMSC will also conduct shootouts for scholarships in the 2016 championship at the iconic MMRT Circuit in Sriperumbudur, from December 8 to 11. Rookies and newcomers can take part in the scholarship shootout for the Formula LGB 1300 and existing drivers below 25 years of age participate in the shootout for the MRF FF1600.

    Details for the scholarship programme will be posted on the MMSC official website and their social Media page shortly. Interested competitors can also email to race@mmsc.in for details.

    Provisional calendar for 2016 Racing Championship:

    Round 1: January 29-31. Round 2: March 4-6. Round 3: June 17-19. Round 4: July 15– 17. Round 5: August 19-21. Round 6: September 6-18.

    About MMSC

    The MMSC has been the pioneer in developing motorsport in India since 1953 and we look to further improve in the years to come. It is our endeavor to provide more opportunities for our competitors and thus have chalked out a progressive program for 2016. From the days of Sholavaram , MMSC built its own racetrack which was inaugurated in 1979 and secured its FIA Grade-2 international certification in 2015, making it the only club which owns such a facility. The club has organised the Porsche Super Cup, Formula Campos, Formula Asia, Asian touring car championships, Formula 3, Tata Prima Truck racing championship, the Asian 2-wheeler racing championships 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 their testing.

    For Media queries, please contact:

    Anand Philar, AP Media Communications, at +91-94835 48185.

    or

    File photo of Karthik Tharanisingh, winner of the MRF Formula Ford 1600 championship in the MMSC-Fmsci Indian National Racing Championship 2015 in Chennai. Image by Anand Philar
    File photo of Karthik Tharanisingh, winner of the MRF Formula Ford 1600 championship in the MMSC-Fmsci Indian National Racing Championship 2015 in Chennai. Image by Anand Philar

    B David  +91-98455 69496.

  • Ananth Shanmugham takes the lead in the JK Racing India Series

    Konda Anindhith Reddy (centre) won the JK Racing India series at BIC on Saturday. A JK Tyre image
    Ananth Shanmugam (centre) won the JK Racing India series at BIC on Saturday. A JK Tyre image

    Greater Noida, 17 October 2015: Ananth Shanmugam of Bangalore won the 10-lap race in the JK Racing India Series as the Round 3 of the 18th JK Tyre Racing Championship at Buddh International Circuit here on Saturday. Two races of the Formula LGB 4 and a race each in the JK Racing India Series and JK Tyre-VW Vento Cup were held on Saturday, the first day of the two-day event.

    Shanmugam clocked 21 minutes 55.344 seconds while Vishnu Prasad came second in 22:06869 followed by Nayan Chatterjee (22:16.022) in third.

    In Race One of Formula LGB 4, Sandeep Kumar of Team Meco Racing came first. Diljith TS of Team Avalanche Racing was second and Vishnu Prasad was third. In Race 3 saw a different set of podium finishers in Sudarshana Rao Karwal of Team Dark Don Racing who came in first followed by teammate Ajay Kini and Raghul Rangaswamy of Team Meco Racing took third place.

    In the JK Tyre Volkswagen Vento Cup, Konda Anindith Reddy won the race in 15 minutes, 9.504 seconds while Ishaan Dodhiwala and Karminder Singh finished behind him in second and third respectively.

    In the JK Racing India Series, karting champion Ananth Shanmugam from Bangalore had a comfortable race as he lead from the start to finish. He ensured he kept a safe distance from his followers behind. The main action was for the second and third place. Karthik Tharani made his move to the third place after starting fourth. Two-times champion Vishnu Prasad was on attack mode and had a great battle with Akhil Rabindra so much that they exchanged positions thrice. Their fight went to the extreme and Akhil lost traction and went off the track and Vishnu managed a second place finish. Karthik fell back too and Nayan who was in fifth position moved ahead to take a surprise podium. For Nayan the hard work paid off as he started seventh and finished third.

    The day started with the qualifying sessions of each category. Karting champion Ananth Shanmugam lead in the JK Racing India Series, Chennai lad Ajay Kini lead in the Formula LGB 4 and Anindith Reddy Konda from Hyderabad lead in the JK- VW Vento Cup. In the qualifying race of the JK Super Bike Cup, Sandesh Prasanna finished first.

    Race 1 of the Formula LGB witnessed some bumper to bumper racing. It wasn’t a good start to the weekend for pole sitter and current championship leader Ajay Kini. The Chennai lad who is a pilot by profession, lost out in the first two corners of the race and he retired from the race due to a technical snag. It was a constant battle between Delhi boy Rohit Khanna (Team Dark Don Racing) and Kolhapur boy Krishnaraj Mahadik (Team Dark Don Racing) for the first place as they were constantly charging at each other lap after lap. Rohit managed to regain his lead but as Anshul Shah spun, the safety car had to come out and stayed for a lap. The safety car changed the entire race. Rohit was caught up by Sandeep Kumar (Team Meco Racing) who drove brilliantly well to catch up the race leader and finally took the lead. However, a wrong move cost Rohit his second place and it allowed Diljith to move in to the second position and five other cars overtook Rohit. The fight for the third place became a five way fight which has not been seen in the championship in a long time. Rohit got a tough fight from Sudarshana Rao, Krishnaraj, Vishnu Prasad, Raghul Rangaswamy fought hard for the third position but as the chequered flag came out Vishnu Prasad from Chennai crossed the line by just having the nose of his car ahead of Krishnaraj who finished fourth.

    Race 2 of the Formula LGB4, Ajay Kini was back in action and fought a tough race from start to finish. It was Ajay’s maiden race at the Buddh International Circuit and focused on finishing the race ahead of everyone. However, Sudarshana Rao Karwal from Bangalore was the surprise package and it was a roller coaster race for him as he kept swapping places with Ajay Kini on most of the laps. At the end it was Sudarshana who took the chequered flag followed by Ajay Kini. Raghul Rangaswamy from Chennai finished in the third place.

    JK Tyre- VW Vento Cup: Anindith Reddy from Hyderabad had a good start and ensured he stayed focused throughout the race to seal his first place finish. Last year’s runner-up Karminder Singh from Delhi who is vying for the overall champion title this year kept the pressure on. Nayan Chatterjee the podium finisher in the JK Racing India Series who was on his maiden outing in this category had a poor start and fell back to the tenth place. HarkisanWadia from Delhi got stuck on the home stretch due to which the race was stopped. When the race restarted, Anindith resumed his lead and despite getting a tough competition from Hyderabad boy Ishaan Dodhiwala, Anindith smoothly took the chequered flag. Karminder due to his usual aggressive start finished third. The experienced SaileshBolisetti and the rookie Raghav Sharma fought really hard for the fourth place and in the end, Sailesh managed to cross the line ahead of Raghav.

    The races are webcasted live on www.jktyremotorsport.com. The championship is run under the aegis of Federation of Motor Sport Clubs of India (FMSCI) and Motul is the official lubricant partner to the championship.

    Provisional Race Results: Formula LGB 4- Race 1 (8 laps): 1. Sandeep Kumar (Team Meco Racing) – 22:27.062; 2. Diljith TS (Team Avalanche Racing) – 22:30.554; 3. Vishnu Prasad (Team Meco Racing) – 22:34.904. Race 2: 1. Sudarshana Rao Karwal (Team Dark Don Racing) – 21:58.469; 2. Ajay Kini (Team Dark Don Racing) – 21:58.934; 3. Raghul Rangaswamy (Tea Meco Racing) – 22:01.164.

    JK Racing India Series (10 laps): 1, Ananth Shanmugam – 21:55.344; 2. Vishnu Prasad – 22:06869; bNayan Chatterjee – 22:16.022.

    JK Tyre -VW Vento Cup: 1. Anindith Reddy Konda – 15:09.504; 2. Ishaan Dodhiwala – 15:10.323; 3. Karminder Singh  -15:15.724.

    For JK racing updates visit: www.jktyremotorsport.com, www.twitter.com/JKTyreRacing, www.facebook.com/jktyremotorsport,

    eom/david/JK Tyre release

     

     

     

  • Agra talent Shahan Ali sparkles at Meco Kartopia in Bangalore: JK Tyre Rotax Nationals

    Bangalore, 27 Sept. 2015: Round 4 of the 12th JK Tyre-FMSCI Rotax National Karting Championship came to a thrilling end at Meco Kartopia here in Bangalore. Young lad from Agra, Shahan Ali Mohsin from Team Meco Racing continued his dominance in the Micro Max category,  Manav Sharma from Faridabad (Team BPC Racing) and Bangalore boy Ricky Donison (Team BPC Racing) emerged winners in the Junior & Senior Max categories.

    Meco Kartopia was hosting the National karting championship for the first time after hosting the JK Tyre-MMS Rotax Rookie Cup, which was held earlier this year. Spread over two days, the penultimate round was filled with speed and action, as the young karters from across the country put in their best efforts and fought hard to take the top three steps on the podium.

    Day 1 started with the practice session followed by the qualifying sessions in the Micro Max, Junior Max & Senior Max categories. Nikhil Bohra from Bangalore representing Team Meco Racing, Mohammed Nallwalla from Mumbai representing Team Rayo Racing & Ricky Donison from Bangalore representing Team BPC Racing lead in the qualifying round in the Micro Max, Junior Max & Senior Max categories respectively.

    Meco Kartopia was buzzing with excitement as the heat races in the Micro Max category began. The tiny tots battled it out fiercely to finish first. In the end, it was Shahan from Agra closing in first followed by Nikhil Bohra and Ruhaan Alva both from Bangalore in the second and third place respectively. After a bumper to bumper 15 laps in the Junior Max category, Mohammed Nallwalla from Mumbai took the lead and took the chequered flag. Nirmal Umashankar from Chennai crossed the finish line second and Abhirath A Shetty from Bangalore representing Team Meco Racing was placed third. In the Senior Max category, the experienced Ricky Donison from Bangalore showcased some excellent karting skills and finished first. He was followed by Ameya Bafna who secured second place and Dhruv Mohite finished third in the Senior Max category.

    Day 2 started off with the second set of heat races and Shahan yet again emerged first and clocked the best time yet again thereby sealing his first place on the grid for the pre-finals. . It was a tough fight between Nikhil and Ruhaan, however mid-way through the race Nikhil retired because of some technical snag and Ruhaan took over. He was placed second and was followed by Aditya Swaminathan from Bangalore in the Micro Max category. The excitement at the track soared when the Junior Max category race began. As the karters raced in full throttle, it was Mohammed Nallwalla who emerged first in the leader board. Nirmal Umashankar and Manav Sharma were placed second and third respectively. In the Senior Max category Ricky Donison put in his best efforts and his action packed performance placed him first. Dhruv Mohite crossed the chequered flag second and Nayan Chatterjee managed third place.

    The pre-finals race in the Micro Max category saw Shahan, Ruhaan and Nikhil battle it out for the top three places. Nikhil was dominating the race however he was imposed a two place penalty as he caused a collision which worked in Shahan’s favour and he was declared first. Ruhaan came second and Nikhil secured the third place.  It was interesting to see how the drivers battled it out in the Junior Max category. Manav Sharma and Nirmal Umashankar kept the spectators entertained with their superb racing skills. Manav crossed the finish line first and Nirmal second however the difference between them was less than a second. Abhirath A Shetty was placed third. In the Senior Max category, Ricky Donison put up a tough fight and his action packed performance left everyone thrilled. Nayan Chatterjee drove his place to second place and finishing third was Dhruv Mohite.

    In the final race of Micro Max category, Shahan Ali Mohsin had a comfortable race as he lead from start to finish. The real battle was behind him for the second and third place. Nikhil gave a tough fight to Shahan however he could only finish second behind him. Ruhaan Alva from Bangalore secured took the third step on the podium. The race amongst the Junior Max category was an intense one. All was good until the 12th lap when Akash Gowda and Nirmal Umashankar collided with each other because of which Nirmal went off the track and had a minor accident. Manav Sharma continued to show off his aggressive streak and crossed the finish line first. Akash Gowda was placed second and Mohammed Nallwalla finished third.

    The seasoned drivers in the Senior Max category raced wheel to wheel and in the end of 20 laps, Ricky Donison took away the chequered flag. He left the spectators wide eyed with his skills and it was an absolute treat to watch him race. Finishing second was Nayan Chatterjee and Ameya Bafna managed to cross the finish line third.

    The top three winners of each category were awarded in the podium ceremony which was held after all the races.

    The fifth and final round of 12th JK Tyre-FMSCI National Rotax Karting Championship will be held in Bangalore from October 10-11, 2015 at the Meco Kartopia track.

    Provisional results:

    Micro max – Heat 1 (10 laps)

    Shahan Ali Mohsin – 10:06.744

    Nikhil Bohra – 10:06.925

    Ruhaan Alva – 10:07.029

    Heat 2:

    Shahan Ali Mohsin – 10:05.516

    Ruhaan Alva – 10:05.708

    Aditya Swaminathan – 10:11.144

    PRE-FINALS:

    Shahan Ali Mohsin – 12:04.110

    Ruhaan Alva – 12:04.836

    Nikhil Bohra – 12:04.013

    FINAL RACE:

    Shahan Ali Mohsin – 15:05.027

    Nikhil Bohra – 15:05.194

    Ruhaan Alva – 15:05.516

    Junior Max – Heat 1 (15 laps)

    Mohammed Nallwalla – 13:42.613

    Nirmal Umashankar – 13:46.840

    Abirath A Shetty – 13:53.338

    Heat 2:

    Mohammed Nallwalla – 13:53.399

    Nirmal Umashankar – 13:54.180

    Manav Sharma – 13:55.677

    PRE-FINALS:

    Manav Sharma – 13:50.071

    Nirmal Umashankar – 13:50.988

    Abhirath A Shetty – 13:55.778

    FINAL RACE:

    Manav Sharma – 16:28.585

    Akash Gowda – 16:36.347

    Mohammed Nallwalla – 16:36.967

    Senior Max – Heat 1 (15 laps)

    Ricky Donison – 13:43.093

    Ameya Bafna – 13:45.032

    Dhruv Mohite – 13:46.217

    Heat 2

    Ricky Donison – 13:46.044

    Dhruv Mohite – 13:49.049

    Nayan Chatterjee – 13:50.221

    PRE-FINALS:

    Ricky Donison – 16:32.465

    Nayan Chatterjee – 16:35.433

    Dhruv Mohite – 16:39.695

    FINAL RACE:

    Ricky Donison – 18:15.306

    Nayan Chatterjee – 18:17.966

    Ameya Bafna – 18:21.433.

    ends/JK Tyre press release

    Ricky Donison chats with Ameya Bafna (left) while third placed Dhruv Mohite watches on in Bangalore on Sunday. Donison won the Senior Max category. A JK Tyre image
    Ricky Donison chats with Ameya Bafna (left) while third placed Dhruv Mohite watches on in Bangalore on Sunday. Donison won the Senior Max category. A JK Tyre image

     

  • Vishwadev double again at BIC; The MBA graduate aims to take a shot at Asian Road Racing next year

    New Delhi, 27 Sept 2015

    Meka Vidhuraj in full flow en route to winning the Suzuki Gixxer Cup (Open) race in the MMSC Race Fest held at the Buddh International Circuit, Greater Noida, on Sunday. Image by Anand Philar
    Meka Vidhuraj in full flow en route to winning the Suzuki Gixxer Cup (Open) race in the MMSC Race Fest held at the Buddh International Circuit, Greater Noida, on Sunday. Image by Anand Philar

    : Vishwadev Muraleedharan, a 23-year old MBA graduate from Coimbatore, completed a fine double to clinch the rider’s title in the Suzuki Gixxer Cup (Novice) category of the MMSC One-Make Championship at the Buddh International Circuit, Greater Noida, on Sunday, the concluding day of the MMSC Race Fest.

    Also clinching the championship in their respective categories were: Ananth Raj (Suzuki Gixxer Cup (Open), Kannan S (TVS Apache RTR 180, Open), Akhanda Pratap Singh (TVS Apache RTR 180 Novice) and Sarath Kumar of Ten10 Racing (Honda CBR 250).

    Muraleedharan, who topped both the races in his category this weekend, ended the season with six wins for a tally of 212 points, ahead of Kerala’s Amarnath Menon (184).

    “Obviously, I am extremely happy to win the championship in my very first full season of racing. It was very competitive right through the season, but I put in consistent performances to win the title.

    “I plan to move to the Asian Road Racing Championship next year, but a lot will depend on securing sponsorship,” said Muraleedharan who finished his first full season with six wins from 10 starts.

    Also achieving a double this weekend was Aravind Balakrishnan in the Honda CBR 150 (Novice) category as he caught up with championship leader Sivanesan S who, after finishing second in the first race on Saturday, crashed in the second outing. Going into the fifth and final round of the series to be run in December, Aravind and Sivanesan are tied on 141 points.

    Joining the list of double winners was Kannan S in the TVS Apache RTR 180 (Open) category as he finished the season with 116 points, just six ahead of Aravind Ganesh.

    Akanda Pratap Singh, despite finishing sixth in the truncated three-lap race for TVS Apache RTR 180 (Novice) class following an on-track incident, still won the championship with 110 points, pipping Satish Kumar by a mere three points.

    In the day’s last race, Sarath Kumar of Ten10 Racing sealed the championship by completing a double in the Honda CBR 250 category to stretch his lead to 65 points over Sumit Lucas Toppo (Prolap Racing) with a round to spare.

    Provisional results:

    Honda CBR 250 (Open) – 8 laps: Sarath Kumar (Ten10 Racing) 1 (12:53.191); Sumit Lucas Toppo (Prolap Racing) 2 (12:53.525); Dinesh Kumar D 3 (12:58.084). Honda CBR 150 (Novice) – 6 laps: Aravind Balakrishnan 1 (10:18.487); Piyush Ranjan 2 (10:18.655); Anish Shetty 3 (10:18.866).

    Suzuki Gixxer Cup (Open) – 8 laps: Meka Vidhuraj 1 (14:00.875); Kamlesh P Thakur 2 (14:01.098); Ananth Raj 3 (14:03.081). Championship winner: Ananth Raj (181 points). Novice – 6 laps: Vishwadev Muraleedharan 1 (10:35.468); Simranjeet Singh 2 (10:46.438); Sebastian J 3 (10:46.480). Championship winner: Vishwadev Muraleedharan (212 points).

    TVS Apache RTR 180 (Open) – 8 laps: Kannan S 1 (13:49.083); John Paul 2 (14:06.145); Arun Muthukrishnan 3 (14:08.589). Championship winner: Kannan S (116 points). TVS Apache RTR 180 (Novice) – 3 laps: Malsawmdawgliana 1 (05:20.345); Udipta Kumar Rath 2 (10:39.283); Satish Kumar L 3 (10:39.540). Championship winner: Akhanda Pratap Singh (110 points).

    Toyota Etios Motor Racing Trophy (9 laps): Hisham 1 (14:28.826); Mezaan Anees 2 (14:29.739); Hashim 3 (14:34.923). Race 2: Hisham 1 (15:10.433); Deepak Papineni 2 (15:14.209); Vibhav Parker 3 (15:18.205).

  • KP Karthick Maruthi-Sankar Anand win Pro Expert category in MRF Rally of Bangalore

    Bangalore, 27 Sept 2015: KP Karthick Maruthi and Sankar Anand (1)The Erode pair of KP KarthickMaruthi-Sankar Anand won the Pro Expert category in the MRF Rally of Bangalore, the fifth round of the 2015 FMSCI Indian National TSD Rally Championship, here on Sunday.

    The duo won the event by a total time penalty of 29 seconds, just two seconds ahead of the Kolkata-Erode pair of SK Ajgar Ali-Mohammad Musthafa MK. Arvind J-M Chandrashekar finished third with a total time of 32 seconds. Ali and Musthafa were leading the championship before this event but this second place has dealt a small blow to them.

    In the Pro Stock category, KolkatansSauravChatterjee-Ashoke Kumar Basuwon after attracting a total time penalty of three minutes, one second. Championship leaders before this event, V Sekar-G Natarajan, finished second with a total time penalty of three minutes, 16 seconds. Finishing third were Amarnath GJ and Mokthiyar Ahmed with a time of 05:16.

    In the Green Run Rally for local participants, Pramod Vig-Prakash M won the Pro Expert category with a total time penalty of one minute, 02 seconds. The Pro Stock category was won by V Darshan-Velumurgan with a total time penalty of 12 minutes, 26 seconds.

    The event was sponsored by MRF and conducted by the Karnataka Motor Sports Club.

    The areas that the competitors went through were Konasandra, Hemmigepura, Gollahalli, Gangasandra, Thittahalli, Nelaguli around Mysore Road and Kanakapura Road. The total distance covered by entrants of the Rally of Karnataka and Green Run Rally was 160Km.Approximately 90 per cent of the Rally was run on dirt and the remaining on tarmac. The start and finish points were The Club on Mysore Road.

    Out of a total of 28 cars that started, there was just one car that did not finish.

    Results:

    MRF Rally of Bangalore:
    Pro Expert: 1. KP KarthickMaruthi-Sankar Anand (00:00:29); 2. SK Ajgar Ali-Mohammad Musthafa MK (00:00:31); 3.Arvind J-M Chandrashekar (00:00:32).

    Pro Stock: 1. SauravChatterjee-Ashoke Kumar Basu (00:03:01); 2. V Sekar-G Natarajan (00:03:16); 3.Amarnath GJ-Mokthiyar Ahmed (00:05:16).

    Green Run Rally:
    Pro Expert: 1. Pramod Vig-Prakash M (00:01:02); 2. Ravee-Kumar M (00:01:06); 3.Jatin Kumar-Arjun SSB (00:01.50).

    Pro Stock: 1. V Darshan-Velumurugan (00:12:26); 2. A Vinodh-D Raghu Raman (00:12:52); 3.Mohammad Rafi-Balamurugan S (00:35:04).

    Ends

  • KMSC to conduct MRF Rally of Bangalore on Sunday: TSD Rally Nationals

    Bangalore, 24 Sept 2015: The Karnataka Motor Sports Club is happy to announce that it will conduct the MRF Rally of Bangalore, the fifth round of the 2015 FMSCI Indian National TSD Rally Championship, here on Sunday, September 27. The Green Run Rally 2015 will be run simultaneously and is for the local entries. The events are being conducted under the aegis of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India.

    The events will be tributes to the late Mr R Bharath Raj, who was our Chairman and FMSCI President.

    Tyre manufacturer MRF is the title sponsor for the event and the KMSC would like to express its gratitude to them for this. The KMSC hopes MRF will continue its support in the future. MRF has been doing a lot for the promotion of motorsport in the country.

    KMSC is one of the founder members of the FMSCI and is easily one of the most active clubs in the country. The club has been conducting events on a regular basis and conducted the 40th edition of the K-1000 Rally last year. Apart from the stage rally, KMSC has regularly conducted TSD rallies, both local and National Championship events.

    KMSC President Shivu Shivappa said: “The KMSC has always been in the forefront when it comes to organising quality events. We are expecting a good turnout for this event and I am sure many will come since the Rally is dedicated to our late Chairman R Bharath Raj.

    “The intention of the Green Run Rally is to educate people about the need to preserve the environment and also being safe on the road.”

    Around 30 entries are expected in all. For the National Championship category, 10 entries are expected. Entries from as far as Kolkata, Mumbai, Erode, Chennai, Coimbatore apart from the local ones will be vying for top honours in the Pro Expert and Pro Stock categories.

    The Club on Mysore Roadis the Rally Headquarters. The event will be flagged off from The Club at 0700 hours on September 27. The finish is also at The Club.

    The total distance of the Rally is about 160Km for both the National Championship and Green Run entrants. The areas that the Rally will cover are Kanakapura Road and Mysore Road.

    The top five places in the National Championship will receive, apart from trophies, Rs 40,000, Rs 30,000, Rs 20,000, Rs 10,000 and Rs 5,000 as cash prizes. In the Green Run Rally, the top three places will receive Rs 10,000, Rs 7,500 and Rs 5,000 respectively. The top five places will receive trophies.

    In the National Championship standings, SK Ajgar Ali-Mohammad Musthafa MK lead in the Pro Expert category with 83 points. Second are Subir Roy-Nirav Mehta and Sandip Mukherjee-Suvrajit Dutta are third. In the Pro Stock category, Sekar V-Natarajan G lead the table with 76 points.

    The Green Run Rally, formerly Picnic Rally, has been run for many years by the KMSC. The objective of the event is to educate citizens about the need for road safety and also to protect the environment.

    TSD stands for Time-Speed-Distance and this form of rallying emphasises on navigation and maintaining speeds to attract least time penalty. Thus, coordination between the driver and navigator is crucial. Since the speeds are low, usually never more than 45Kmph, it is a very safe kind of motorsport for anybody to take part.

    Please feel free to get in touch with Shivu Shivappa (9844015653) or Vivek Phadnis (9620959687) for more details or clarifications.

    Ends

    L-R) KMSC's Bhaskar Gupta, KMSC President Shivu Shivappa and KMSC's Shyam Gopinath at the press meet on Thursday. Photo by Vivek Phadnis
    L-R) KMSC’s Bhaskar Gupta, KMSC President Shivu Shivappa and KMSC’s Shyam Gopinath at the press meet on Thursday. Photo by Vivek Phadnis