INDIA in F1

Category: Non-F1

  • Deepak Chinnapa pulls off a dramatic win: MRF MMSC Indian Racing Nationals

    Chennai, 22 Aug 2015; Deepak Paul Chinnapa of Race Concepts team, Bengaluru, pulled off a dramatic win in the top-end Indian Touring Cars race which witnessed several on-track incidents leading to an investigation in the fifth and concluding round of the MMSC-Fmsci Indian National Racing Championship, at the MMRT track on Saturday.

    Also tasting success was Mohit Aryan of Anish Racing in the Formula LGB 1300 category who started from pole position and saw off early challenge for his fifth win in nine starts to increase his championship tally to 113 for a 13-point lead over Chetan Korada who came in third in the race behind his Wallace Racing team-mate Raghul Rangasamy.

    Deepak Paul, son of yesteryear two-wheeler legend CK Chinnapa, started third on the grid, but squeezed out a win after pole-sitter Arjun Narendran (Red Rooster Racing), who has already sealed the championship, went off the track soon after the start following a contact with Ashish Ramaswamy, and later retired with mechanical problems.

    Chinnapa subsequently eased past race leader Sivaramakrishnan whose car lost power with two of the eight laps remaining to notch a deserving win. The two were involved in a close dog-fight that saw the cars making contact when Sivaramakrishnan’s car lost the drive exiting the Bridge Complex and Chinnapa pulled ahead.

    Meanwhile, the battle for the championship in the MRF Formula Ford 1600 heated up as Karthik Tharanisingh, second on the leaderboard behind Goutham Parekh, grabbed the pole position for the first of two races to be run on Sunday.

    Parekh, who enjoys a 12-point lead in the championship standings, will start second on the grid ahead of CS Tejasram.

    Fahad Kutty of Team Game Over and Varun Anekar (Race Concepts) also qualified for pole position in the Indian Junior Touring Cars and Super Stock categories.

    Provisional results:

    Indian Touring Cars (8 Laps): Deepak Paul Chinnapa (Race Concepts) 1 (15 min. 38.170 seconds); C Rajaram (Prime Racing) 2 (15:41.295); B Vijay Kumar (Prime Racing) 3 (15:51.890).

    Formula LGB 1300 (10 Laps): Mohit Aryan (Anish Racing) 1 (19:42.841); Raghul Rangasamy (Wallace Sports) 2 (19:46.841); Chetan Korada (Wallace Racing) 3 (19:49.748).

    Qualifying – MRF FF1600: Karthik Tharanisingh (Chennai) 1 (1:41.301); Goutham Parekh (Chennai) 2 (1:41.876); CS Tejasram  (Chennai) 3 (1: 43.065).

    Indian Junior Touring Cars: Fahad Kutty (Team Game Over) 1 (2:04.926); Anant Pithawalla (Team N1) 2 (2:05.313); Sidharth B (Red Rooster Racing) 3 (2:05.335).

    Super Stock: Varun Anekar (Race Concepts) 1 (2:07.154); Kashif Kapadia (Team Game Over) 2 (2:07.701); Sudanand Daniel (Performance Racing) 3 (2:07.773).

    ===eom

     

     

    Finishing second behind Chinnapa was veteran C Rajaram (Prime Racing) ahead of team-mate B Vijay Kumar who was elevated from fourth to third. KE Kumar, also of Prime Racing, had originally finished third, but received a 20-second penalty for jump start, pushing him to sixth spot.

    “I am happy that I took my second win of the season. We worked very hard on the car and everything fell into place, though it was a bit of a mess at the start. However, I will take this win,” said Chinnapa who moved to second spot in the championship.

    The LGB race too was marred by on-track incidents with Sudanand Daniel (Anish Racing) suffering the most. Daniel, who was third in the championship going into the final round, finished eighth from where he had started.

  • Le Mans winner and F1 star Nico Hülkenberg to race at ROC 2015 in London

      • 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours winner Nico Hülkenberg has signed up for the Race Of Champions at London’s former Olympic Stadium on November 20-21
      • Hülkenberg, who races in Formula 1 for Sahara Force India, became the first current F1 driver to win Le Mans for over 20 years with victory for Porsche in June
      • The German will now make his ROC debut and partner four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel for Team Germany
      • The ROC 2015 field also features ‘Mr Le Mans’ Tom Kristensen, rallycross ace Petter Solberg, F1’s Daniel Ricciardo, MotoGP greats Mick Doohan and Jorge Lorenzo plus reigning Champion of Champions David Coulthard
    • File photo by raceofchampions.com
      File photo by raceofchampions.com

      Even more of the world’s greatest drivers will join the line-up ahead of the November event, with tickets now available from www.raceofchampions.com

     

    2015 Le Mans 24 Hours winner Nico Hülkenberg has signed up for this year’s Race Of Champions on November 20-21 at the Stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the iconic home of the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games.

    Hülkenberg became the first current Formula 1 driver in over 20 years to win the Le Mans 24 Hours with his 2015 victory on his debut for Porsche alongside team-mates Nick Tandy and Earl Bamber. The win has earned Hülkenberg the wider recognition he earned long ago in motor racing circles with a collection of titles in Formula BMW, A1 Grand Prix, the F3 Euro Series and GP2 on his way up through the ranks.

    Since his Formula 1 debut in 2010 the German has shown consistently fine racecraft, not least his outstanding pole position by a full second for Williams in Brazil. He now races for Sahara Force India, for whom he scored 15 points finishes last year. Ever since June’s Le Mans win, Hülkenberg has been consistently in the points yet again.

    Now Hülkenberg will make his Race Of Champions debut this November at London’s former Olympic Stadium. He will also partner four-time F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel for Team Germany in the ROC Nations Cup. Vettel is also a six-time winner of the event in partnership with F1 legend Michael Schumacher, who is recovering from his serious skiing accident. Hülkenberg knows that’s a hard act for anyone to follow.

    Hülkenberg said: “I’ve had a very good year so far and I’m very excited to be making my Race Of Champions debut. I’ve always wanted to take part but it never worked out so now I’m really happy to be a part of it and looking forward to it. I’m obviously stepping into big shoes to replace Michael Schumacher, which is a huge honour as well. I feel very happy and positive about that and it will be fun to team up with Seb and race and fight for Team Germany.

    “The ROC track is very narrow and tight, a bit like racing on a street circuit. But it’s still quick and dynamic and entertaining to watch. There’s going to be quite a bit of car-hopping, adapting and adjusting from one machine to another. They’re all quite different so I don’t really know what to expect. But I guess I’ll get dumped into the cold water and then I’ll have to figure out how to swim…”

    Hülkenberg’s new team-mate Sebastian Vettel added: “It’s obviously very sad that Michael can’t join us again but in his absence it’s great to have Nico as a partner on Team Germany this year. I have massive respect for what he did in the Le Mans 24 Hours – to win it on his first attempt is very impressive. That’s a great race to watch because the race is long yet they race flat out from the first lap for the whole of the race. The Race Of Champions is at the other end of the scale in terms of distance but I can assure Nico we push just as hard!”

    The Race Of Champions is an annual end-of-season contest which has been held for over 25 years. It brings together some of the world’s greatest drivers from motor sport’s major disciplines – including Formula 1, World Rally, Le Mans, MotoGP and the X-Games – and sets them free to battle head-to-head in identical machinery.

    The event is run over two days: first comes the ROC Nations Cup (on the evening of Friday November 20) when drivers pair up in teams based on nationality to bid for the title of ‘World’s Fastest Nation’. Then on the afternoon of Saturday November 21 it’s time for the Race Of Champions itself, when teamwork goes out of the window and it’s a flat-out battle for individual glory.

    Along with Hülkenberg and Vettel, drivers already confirmed for ROC 2015 include fellow F1 star Daniel Ricciardo, nine-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Tom Kristensen, reigning FIA World Rallycross Champion Petter Solberg, current ROC Champion of Champions David Coulthard plus MotoGP greats Mick Doohan and Jorge Lorenzo.

    ROC president Fredrik Johnsson said: “Nico’s win on his Le Mans debut shows what an outstanding driver he is, but Formula 1 fans have known that for years. He has a winning record going back throughout his career and he consistently makes the most of whatever equipment he has. Now we are delighted to offer Nico a chance to show what he can really do in ROC’s range of identical machinery.

    “If Nico was from any other country he would have made his ROC debut long before now, but of course Team Germany has long been about Michael and Seb. Everyone at ROC is sad that Michael will be missing as he continues his recuperation from his skiing accident but Nico is a first-rate replacement. Now we hope to fill out London’s former Olympic Stadium so as many race fans as possible can enjoy all the action as we find out if Nico and Seb can take their country back to the top.”

    In recent years ROC has visited the Stade de France in Paris (2004-2006), London’s Wembley Stadium (2007-2008), the ‘Bird’s Nest’ Olympic Stadium in Beijing (2009), Düsseldorf’s Esprit Arena (2010-2011), the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok (2012) and Bushy Park Barbados (2014). Now the contest is returning to its European roots at the iconic home of the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games.

    The former Olympic Stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park was the backdrop to some of the most memorable action of London 2012, plus the opening and closing ceremonies. Now it is being transformed into a year-round multi-use venue that will deliver a lasting sporting, cultural and community legacy in east London. The works will be paused this autumn for a range of international sporting events – including its fastest ever race as ROC comes to town – before it closes for further refurbishment ahead of its full re-opening in 2016.

    Tickets for ROC 2015 in London are now available via www.raceofchampions.com. For access to rights-free high-resolution imagery and to keep up with all the latest news ahead of this year’s event please visitwww.raceofchampions.com, Race Of Champions on Facebook plus @raceofchampions and #ROCLondon on Twitter.

    Drivers already announced for the 2015 Race Of Champions:

    • Sebastian VETTEL, four-time Formula 1 World Champion
    • Tom KRISTENSEN, nine-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner
    • Petter SOLBERG, World Rallycross Champion 2014, World Rally Champion 2003
    • David COULTHARD, reigning ROC Champion of Champions
    • Mick DOOHAN, five-time 500cc MotoGP World Champion
    • Daniel RICCIARDO, three-time Formula 1 grand prix winner
    • Jorge LORENZO, double MotoGP World Champion
    • Nico HÜLKENBERG, F1 star and 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours winner

  • Gaurav Gill and Musa Sherif claim overall title at INRC Nashik leg

    Nashik, 15 June 2015: As expected, reigning National champion Gaurav Gill and co-driver Musa Sherif claimed the Overall title by a sizeable margin in the Mahindra Adventure Rally of Maharashtra, the second round of the FMSCI Indian Rally Championship which concluded here on Sunday.

    Gill, the 33-year old Delhi-based 2013 Asia Pacific champion sealed his fifth Rally of Maharashtra title after the two concluding rounds of the Spectator Special Stage that were run on Sunday, winning by a margin of three minutes, 59 seconds.

    While Gill cruised to victory in the Rally organized by the Western India Sports Association, the drive of the day came from Mangaluru’s Arjun Rao Aroor (co-driver Sathish Rajagopal) who, piloting the Volkswagen Polo R2 made up a 10-second overnight deficit and pipped Mahindra Adventure’s Amittrajit Ghosh (Ashwin Naik) by just one second to finish second Overall.

    Ghosh and Aroor were tied going into the final run of the Spectator Special Stage. “I just didn’t think how much time I had to make up, but drove the car to its limits. I am extremely happy that I managed to make one place to finish second,” said Aroor.

    Gill was pleased as punch in scoring his 21st win with Sherif over the past eight years. “I just love the Rally of Maharashtra. The Special Stages are very technical and fast which suit my driving style.

    Obviously, it is great to start the domestic season on a winning note and we hope to carry forward the momentum,” said Gill.

    Finishing behind the top three was Mysuru’s Lohitt Urs (Srikant Gowda) in a Mitsubisihi EVO VIII that arrived in Nashik barely hours before the Rally commenced on Friday.

    “Our spares and tyres came only after we completed the first loop of the Stages on Friday. Until then, we were running on street tyres with just 50 litres of fuel to play with. It was tough, but we will do much better in the remaining four rounds of the IRC,” said Urs who came back to rallying after a year’s break.

    Meanwhile, Bengaluru’s Rahul Kanthraj and his co-driver of 15 seasons, Vivek Bhatt, driving a Mitsubishi Cedia for Team Yokohama, comfortably won the IRC 2000cc class where he faced little or no competition.

    “We had an excellent outing here in Nashik. Hopefully, we will continue to perform for the rest of the season. The car was superb and so were the Yokohama tyres,” said Kanthraj.

    Topping the IRC 1600cc class was 21-year old Dean Mascarenas from Mangaluru and co-driver Sudipta Padival in a VW Polo.

    “We are extremely happy to have won the title here and a great start to the new season. We had no issues with our car and except for the mistake in Friday’s Spectator Special Stage when due to an under-steer I crashed into the barriers, everything was just perfect,” said Mascarenhas.

    In the FMSCI 1600 Cup, Dhruva C (Jeeva Rathinam) took the honours in the Honda City V-Tec, as he easily held on to a big overnight lead.

    Provisional, Final classification:

    IRC Overall: Gaurva Gill / Musa Sherif (Mahindra Adventure, Mahindra XUV 500) 1 (01 Hr, 31mins, 28secs); Arjun Rao Aroor / Sathish Rajagopal  (Volkswagen Polo R2) 2 (01:35:27); Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Mahindra Adventure, Mahindra XUV 500) 3 (01:35:28).

    IRC 2000cc: Rahul Kanthraj / Vivek Bhatt (Team Yokohama, Cedia) 1 (01:38:06); Hrishikesh Thackersey / Ninad Mirajgaonkar (VW Polo) 2 (01:41:52); Sumit Panjabi / Sagar M (Cedia) 3 (01:43:36).

    IRC 1600cc: Dean Mascarenhas / Sudipta Padiwal (VW Polo) 1 (01:38:17); Dr Biku Babu / George Milen (VW Polo) 2 (01:42:12); Vikram Rao Aroor / AG Somayya (VW Polo) 3 (01:44:44).

    FMSCI 1600 Cup: Dhruva C /Jeeva Rathinam (Honda City V-Tec) 1 (01:44:49); Ashwin Reddy Daram / Salman Shahid (Rally Cross, Honda City V-Tec) 2 (01:45:43); Adith KC / Harish KN (Kari Sports, Honda City V-Tec) 3 (01:46:10).

    eom/FMSCI

    Overall winners in the Mahindra Adventure Rally of Maharashtra which concluded in Nashik on Sunday Gaurav Gill and co-driver Musa Sherif (middle) flanked by second placed Arjun Rao Aroor (extreme left) and Sathish Rajagopal, and third placed Amittrajit Ghosh and Ashwin Naik (right). Image by Anand Philar
    Overall winners in the Mahindra Adventure Rally of Maharashtra which concluded in Nashik on Sunday Gaurav Gill and co-driver Musa Sherif (middle) flanked by second placed Arjun Rao Aroor (extreme left) and Sathish Rajagopal, and third placed Amittrajit Ghosh and Ashwin Naik (right). Image by Anand Philar

    press release

  • Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif lead Mahindra Adventure Rally: INRC

    NASHIK: Reigning National champion Gaurav Gill (co-driver Musa Sherif) stamped his authority on the Mahindra Adventure Rally of Maharashtra, the second round of the FMSCI Indian Rally Championship, as he all but sealed the Overall title here on Saturday with just 4.06 Kms of the Spectator Special Stage to be run on Sunday.

    Although enjoying an overnight advantage of over three minutes, 33-year old Delhi-based Gill, the 2013 champion, representing Team Mahindra Adventure, continued his relentless onslaught to extend his lead to four minutes, two seconds, over team-mate Amittrajit Ghosh (Ashwin Naik).

    Gill came up with another near-flawless drive in the Mahindra XUV 500 as he won all the three Special Stages run on Saturday to move closer to retaining his Rally of Maharashtra title.

    Ghosh, also piloting the XUV 500, was in second place ahead of Arjun Rao (Satish Naik) in a Volkswagen Polo (R2) who thrilled the crowd by posting tied fastest timing in the first of the three loops of the Spectator Special Stage along with Lohitt Urs (Srikant Gowda) who was in fourth Overall position.

    The event concludes on Sunday when two more rounds of the Spectator Special Stage will be run and it is more than likely that the crews will aim to hold their positions to the finish.

    Gill said: “Everything went off well for us today. In fact, I think I was faster than yesterday. I also did a bit of R and D on the vehicle, played around with the set-up trying to find more time. We found something new, but obviously I can’t talk about it!”

    Ghosh, the 2013 National champion from Kolkata, who had to overcome mechanical problems on Friday, said: “We had no problems today after sorting out the brakes and the gearbox. We had some 25-second lead over Sunny (Sidhu) and I pushed just enough to keep that advantage.”

    Mangaluru-based Arjun Rao too was quite satisfied that he could move up a place from fourth to third, edging past Mahindra Adventure’s Sunny Sidhu (PVS Murthy).

    “I happy that we had no problems today, except for the fag end of the third Stage when it was drizzling and the surface was a bit slippery. But otherwise, everything went fine for us.”

    Bengaluru’s Rahul Kanthraj (Vivek Bhatt) who encountered little or no opposition, consolidated his overnight lead in the IRC 2000cc class, but was fortunate to survive a head-on crash with a mini-van that slid into his Mitsubishi Cedia in the slushy transport section after the day’s final Special Stage.

    Kantraj said: “I did not drive very hard since there was nobody to push us. But I think we clocked the same timing as yesterday. We had a close call in the transport run to the Service Park when a mini-van slid into us. Luckily, there was not much damage to our car.”

    Mangaluru’s Dean Mascarenhas (Sudipta Padiwal) nursed his sizeable overnight lead in the IRC 1600cc class despite crashing into the barrier during the Spectator Special Stage while Dhruva C (Jeeva Rathinam) continued to head the FMSCI 1600 Cup.

    Classification (Partial, Leg-2, Unofficial): IRC Overall: Gaurav Gill / Musa Sherif (Mahindra Adventure, Mahindra XUV 500) 1 (01 Hr, 28mins, 03secs); Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Mahindra Adventure, Mahindra XUV 500) 2 (01:32:05); Arjun Rao Aroor / Satish Rajagopal  (Volkswagen Polo R2) 3 (01:32:15).

    IRC 2000cc: Rahul Kanthraj / Vivek Bhatt (Team Yokohama, Cedia) 1 (01:34:43); Hrishikesh Thackersey / Ninad Mirajgaonkar (VW Polo) 2 (01:38:18); Sumit Panjabi / Sagar M (Cedia) 3 (01:40:01).

    IRC 1600cc: Dean Mascarenhas / Sudipta Padiwal (VW Polo) 1 (01:34:57); Dr Biku Babu / George Milen (VW Polo) 2 (01:38:40); Vikram Rao Aroor / AG Somayya (VW Polo) 3 (01:41:11).

    FMSCI 1600 Cup: Dhruva C /Jeeva Rathinam (Honda City V-Tec) 1 (01:44:49); Ashwin Reddy Daram / Salman Shahid (Rally Cross, Honda City V-Tec) 2 (01:45:43); Adith KC / Harish KN (Kari Sports, Honda City V-Tec) 3 (01:46:10).

    ends/

    Gaurav Gill (co-driver Musa Sherif) lead on Sat at Nashik leg of the INRC. Image by Anand Philar
    Gaurav Gill (co-driver Musa Sherif) lead on Sat at Nashik leg of the INRC. Image by Anand Philar
  • Yokohama to enter INRC 2015 with Rahul Kantharaj, Karna Kadur

    Yokohama to enter INRC 2015 with Rahul Kantharaj, Karna Kadur

    Bangalore, 13 June 2015: In order to strengthen its Motorsports activities in India and further gain a stronger footing for future car rallies, Yokohama India Private Limited, the wholly owned arm of Japanese tyre major Yokohama has announced its team for Motorsports 2015 India.

    A press release from Yokohama said: “Team Yokohama will compete in the 1600 and 2000cc categories of the Indian Rally Championships. The team consists of experienced rallyists Rahul Kanthraj and Co-Driver Vivek Bhatt driving a Mitsubishi Cedia, competing in 2000cc and Karna Kadur and Co-Driver M Chandrashekar driving in 1600cc on a Volkswagen Polo. Yokohma also supports Prithvi Domnic and Co-Driver Pruthvi Ithal in 2000cc. Domnic is a Yokohama YCN dealer in Bangalore as well as a regular Motorsports rally enthusiast.

    Takeshi Harada, Director (Sales and Marketing), Yokohama India, while introducing the team said: “Yokohama has been part of Motorsports events the world over. I would also like to mention the completion of 10 years as a sole Tyre supplier to WTCC, an FIA World Championship, this is a proud moment. Therefore, for us participating in the IRC was a foregone conclusion as Motorsports is today part of the Yokohama philosophy.”

    “The launch of Team Yokohama is a proud moment, we have been providing Tyre support and participating for various Motorsports events in India since 2008 and excellent results have encouraged us to continue in this course,” Sanjay Chatterjee, General Manager, Yokohama India added.

    From 2008 -2010 Yokohama had been the official tyre partner to Red Rooster racing for INRC events. The results during that partnership were encouraging. Since 2008 year after year Yokohama Tyre supported cars have always found place on the Podium at Raid De Himalaya, one of the toughest Rallies. Yokohama’s IRC 2014 results have also been encouraging with the Team winner 2000cc, Team winner 1600cc and Rahul Kanthraj as Best driver 2000cc.

    Rahul Kanthraj and Vivek Bhatt duo started rallying in the year 2000 and has participated in over 75 rallies. Together they have won 4 Group and National championships and finished runners up on 4 other occasions. They will participate in the 2000cc category.

    Participating in the 1600cc category, Karna Kadur, who has been part of over 95 (2& 4 Wheel) events and has won two National Championship titles and 12 National event wins. He has had 80 podium finishes with his co-driver M Chandrashekar.

    The three cars: from left: Rahul Kantharaj & Vivek Bhatt, Karna Kadur & Chandrasekhar, Dominic Pruthvi and Prithvi Ithal.

    The FMSCI was founded in the year 1971. The Indian rally championship (IRC) was renamed in 2014 but started had way back in the year 1978 and ran as the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC).

    Globally other than replacement tyres business, Yokohama tyres is original equipment suppliers to many top of the line car manufacturers like Audi, Honda, Mercedes Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, Suzuki and Toyota.

    Yokohama India is 100% subsidiary of The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. Yokohama Rubber Company(YRC) is already running in to 10th decade of its establishment in Japan, under its management plan GD100 (Grand Design 100, on completion of 100 years of operations in 2017) decided to foray in to Indian market in 2007. India being one of the fastest growing automobile markets got Yokohama India to invest in land for its manufacturing unit.

    Note: Updated from archives

  • Arvind KP emerges overall winner in Nashik: MRF MoGrip 2w nationals

    Nashik, 1 June 2015:

    Yashraj Rathod. Image courtesy FMSCI media office
    Yashraj Rathod. Image courtesy FMSCI media office

    Arvind KP emerged overall winner in the first round of the MRF MOGRIP FMSCI National Rally Championship (2W) – 2015 that was conducted here on Sunday. NareshVS finished overall second, while Abdul Wahid emerged third overall.

    Arvind and Naresh won in their respective categories as well.

    A total of 48 riders entered the event, while 38 finished. The total distance of the rally was 170 Km with four competitive stages. The stages were mostly broken tarmac with some dirt sections thrown in.

    This was the first of the five-round championship and the other rounds will be conducted in Coimbatore, Chikkamagaluru, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. This championship has been revived after a gap of eight years.

    Results:
    Overall winners: 1. Arvind KP (43 min, 36 sec penalty); 2. Naresh VS (45 min, 56 sec); 3.Abdul Wahid (45 min, 56 sec).

    Class 1: Motorcycles Group A: 1. Arvind KP (43min, 36sec); 2. Dhaval Toke (56min, 36sec); 3.Ashish Raorane (57min, 52sec).

    Class 2: Motorcycles Group B, upto 130cc (M1): 1. Rohit Gowda (1 hr, 14mins, 48 sec).

    Class 3: Motorcycles Group B, 131cc to 165cc (M2): 1. Suhail Ahmed (47min, 49sec); 2. Sachin D(51min, 37sec); 3.NishitJhaveri (51min, 40sec).

    Class 4: Motorcycles Group B, 166cc to 260cc (M3+M4): 1. Naresh VS (45min, 56sec); 2. Abdul Wahid (45min, 56sec); 3.Yuva Kumar (47min, 42sec).

    Class 5: Motorcycles Group B, 261cc to 500cc (M5): 1. YashrajRathod (51min, 58sec); 2. Vishwas SD (54min, 39 sec).

    Star of Nashik: 1.AdityaThakkar (50min, 20sec); 2. Parvinder Singh Hunjan (52min, 26sec); 3.AmitSuryawanshi (54min, 15sec).

    Scooters: 1.Shamim Khan (53min, 13sec); 2. HitenThakkar (56min, 18 sec); 3. Syed Asaf Ali (56min, 22sec).

     

    Ends

     

  • Nashik to kick start MRF MOGRIP 2-Wheeler Nationals with Round 1 today

    Nashik, 30 May 2015: Pit Stop Motorsports Club, Nashik will host ‘MRF MOGRIP FMSCI National Rally Championship (2-W) – 2015’ in Nashik on Sunday, 31/May/2015. The rally, to be flagged off fromHotel Express Inn (Nashik), will cover a total distance of 170 kms and will run on the Ghoti – Vaitarana route upto Dharnoli – Valvihir and back to Hotel Express Inn.

    The first leg of the competition will begin from the flag-off point to Dharnoli (37 kms) and is expected to be covered in an ideal time of 50 minutes. The competitive section has been demarcated from Dharnoli to Valvihir (15 kms) and the riders’ skills & experience will be tested in the four laps of this competitive section (total 60 kms).

    Spectators will be treated to spectacular speeds, thrilling turns, bumps & riding acrobatics at close quarters in this section. Last year’s record timing of 12 minutes for covering one lap (15 kms) over this route is expected to be broken in this year’s competition. The judges’ panel consisting of Shrikant Karani (Mumbai), Ravi Shamdasani (Nashik) & Prashant Gadkari (Nashik) has been appointed by the Federation of Motor Sports’ Club of India (FMSCI) while Sarvesh Chitko’s ‘Crazy Coders’ team will take care of individual competitor timings and also complete & comprehensive results for the event. Amod Mhaskar will coordinate the overall event. Pradeep Mhaskar, Clerk-Of-the-Course for the event, briefed the reporters at a specially organized press conference.

    FMSCI had discontinued organizing 2-wheeler rallies for the past five years. Despite this, Pit Stop Motorsports Club had continued hosting this annual 2-wheeler event to encourage rally enthusiasts in the region. In 2014, the event was renamed in memory of Late Anjali Mhaskar, the driving force behind Pit Stop. Encouraged by the consistent response to Pit Stop events since 2010, FMSCI has revived the 2-Wheeler Rally Championship and has designated Nashik event as one of the five legs in the series. Coimbatore, Bengaluru, Hyderabad & Chennai will host remaining four legs of the championship and the overall national winner will be declared on points won by the competitors in all these five events. The first three podium-finishers at each round will earn 20, 18 & 15 points, respectively.

    The organizers have secured valuable sponsorship support for this event from MRF Ltd., the tyre-manufacturer giant in the country, through the good offices of Shyam Kothari, former national champion in 2-wheeler category. Apache RTR-180has also extended valuable support in organizing this rally.Hotel Express Inn has graciously agreed to host the rally event (including the flag-off & prize distribution) and extend inclusive hospitality to the rally officials.

    Additionally, Thane Janata Sahakari Bank Ltd. has also chipped in with sponsorship support.

    The rally event will be held in the following eight categories –

    I. 2-Wheelers upto 130 cc engine capacity

    II. 2-Wheelers from 131 – 165 cc engine capacity

    III. 2-Wheelers from 166 – 260 cc engine capacity

    IV. 2-Wheelers from 261 – 500 cc engine capacity

    V. Scooters

    VI. Royal Enfield Bullet

    VII. ‘Star of Nashik’ – Special group for amateur 2-stroke motorcycles

    VIII. Imported Foreign Made Motorcycles

    The first three winners in the rally will be awarded with a trophy & a cash award of Rs 10,000/-, Rs 7,500/- & Rs 5,000/-, respectively. Besides these awards, the best amongst first-time participants in the rally (Novice) will also be felicitated with Late Anjali Mhaskar Trophy.

    Explaining the regulations & modalities for the event, Ravindra Waghchaure, Member Technical Coordination Committee, further elaborated that, it is mandatory for all competitors to wear rally-specified helmets, safety-dress, and hand gloves. Alongwith R Natarajan (current national champion), KP Aravind, R Venugopal, the star 2-wheeler riders nationally, Nashik’s own Shamim Khan, Nilesh Thakre, Hiten Thakker have confirmed their participation in the rally and approx.

    40 riders have already entered their names. The competitors & their vehicles were subjected to documentation & technical scrutiny on 30/May/2015 at Hotel Express Inn and then were taken through city’s main roads in a ceremonial procession.

    All requisite safety precautions have been arranged for this exciting event and four ‘Trauma Ambulances’ will be deployed on the rally route, added Sudheer Joshi, the chief safety officer for the event and a former rally participant himself.

    A special contest for press photographers has also been announced on the sidelines of this event. The four best photographs published in the newspapers will earn a cash award of Rs 2,100/-, Rs 1,500/-, Rs 1,000/- & Rs 500/-, respectively. The original photograph in size 8”x12” alongwith the cutting of the published newspaper needs to be submitted to the organizers latest by 04/June/2015 for being eligible to participate in the contest.

    MRF MOGRIP FMSCI National Rally Championship (2-W) – 2015 will be flagged off from Hotel Express Inn on 31/May/2015 at 9.00 am at the hands of Mr. Murali, Mr. Muralidharan, Mr. Prashant (all from MRF Ltd.) & Mr. Darryl Blenkley (Gen. Manager, Hotel Express Inn, Nashik). Mr. Pranit Perumal, Chairman, 2-Wheeler Rally Committee, FMSCI, will also bepresent on this occasion as a special observer.

    eom/FMSCI press release

  • Shell powered Vettel to drive Ferrari F1 car in Hungaroring on June 28

    Four-time Formula One World Champion and current Scuderia Ferrari Driver Sebastian Vettel will take to the Hungarian Grand Prix circuit in a Scuderia Ferrari Formula One car for the first time on Sunday 28th June.
    Vettel will thrill thousands of fans by demonstrating laps in a Formula One car, powered by Shell V-Power Nitro+, to showcase Shell’s Technical Partnership with Scuderia Ferrari atFerrari Filming Day the Ferrari Racing Days event in Budapest.
    The German driver claimed his first victory for Scuderia Ferrari in only his second race for the team at this year’s Malaysia Grand Prix, and it was Shell V-Power fuel and Shell Helix Ultra with PurePlus Technology lubricant that helped power him to the top step of the podium.
                                                                                              
    “It is an honor to have Sebastian Vettel joining us at the Ferrari Racing Days event in Budapest, a region where we have many passionate Shell customers. We are all excited to have Sebastian with us to help demonstrate the power of our high-performance Shell V-Power Nitro+ fuel on track. I would like to extend the invite to all Shell, Sebastian and Scuderia Ferrari fans to join us for what will be a fantastic racing festival.”,
    Petr Prazsky, General Manager, Shell Retail CEE.
    Shell will be running ticket promotions for the event at selected Shell filling stations throughout the Central and Eastern European region, so make sure you stop by a participating station to take advantage. For more information about the Budapest Ferrari Racing Days event, as well as ticket information, please visit www.shell.hu.
    To view an event preview video featuring Sebastian Vettel, click here.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsjK5bY_A18&feature=youtu.be&
    eom/Shell motorsports release

  • FIA President Jean Todt appointed as UN Special Envoy for road safety

    Paris, 29 April 2015: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has appointed FIA President Jean Todt as his Special Envoy for Road Safety at a meeting held today in Paris.

    In this capacity, he will assist the UN Secretary General in mobilizing sustained political commitment towards road safety. Mr. Todt will also advocate and raise awareness about the United Nations road safety legal instruments, and share established road safety good practices, through his participations in global and regional conferences on road safety. In addition, the Special Envoy for Road Safety will generate funding for advocacy efforts through strategic partnerships between the public, private and non-governmental sectors.

    FIA President Jean Todt said: “The road safety challenge is too often ignored, but road injuries are the number one killer of young people aged 15-29. That being the case, it deserves much more attention on the global political agenda.” adding “This appointment will bring greater visibility to efforts to tackle this health and development crisis, as well as new leadership and renewed momentum”.

    “In my position as FIA President, with the backing of our members, road safety has become a key priority. I have been committed to bringing together all stakeholders fighting for this cause. This new role will help build an even stronger coalition for road safety worldwide” he said.

    Road fatalities account for almost 1.3 million deaths every year with a further 50 million left seriously injured. 90 per cent of fatalities take place in developing and emerging countries, despite only accounting for half the world’s vehicles. The UN Road Safety Week which begins on 4 May draws attention to the 500 children that lose their lives every day on the road. At the end of the year, Brazil will host the Second Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety on 18-19 November to review progress in the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020.

    Jean Todt

    Jean Todt is President of the FIA (Fédération Internationale de L’Automobile) – the governing body for world motor sport and the federation of the world’s motoring organisations. He was elected to the position in October 2009 and re-elected in December 2013. He is also President of eSafety Aware and a Member of the Board of Trustees of the FIA Foundation for the Automobile and Society. Jean Todt began his career in 1966 as a world championship rally co-driver, before joining Peugeot as Sporting Director in 1981. In 1993, he joined Ferrari Racing, later taking responsibility for all motor sport activity for the Ferrari-Maserati Group. He was appointed General Manager of Ferrari in 2004 and at the end of 2006 became Chief Executive Officer of the company until 2008. In 2011, Jean Todt was named Grand Croix de la Légion d’Honneur, the highest honour of the French Republic. He is Chairman of the Board of the Suu Foundation, a humanitarian organization dedicated to advancing the health and education of the people of Myanmar founded by Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. He is also one of the Founders and the Vice-President of ICM, an institute devoted to medical research for brain and spinal cord disorders.

    Jean Todt, FIA president, poses with UN secretary general Ban-ki Moon in Paris on Wednesday. An FIA pic
    Jean Todt, FIA president, poses with UN secretary general Ban-ki Moon in Paris on Wednesday. An FIA pic

    eom/FIA press release

  • Indians set to compete at IBSA World Games in Seoul next month

    Bangalore: This article by Laura first appeared in www.parasport-news.com India in F1 dot com publishes interesting and special non-F1 stories occasionally. 

    After some scattered reports in the Indian media that the country may not be allowed to send a national delegation to the upcoming IBSA World Games in Seoul, the organizers have confirmed that India is eligible to compete as the event is being run by the IBSA, not the International Paralympic Committee.

    The  Indian Blind Sport Association (InBSA) is in charge of naming and sending the country’s delegation for the event that officially kicks off May 10.  In a phone call with morning with them, InBSA said in response to a question about how the IPC suspension of the PCI impacted their participation, “We are participating, because this game is organised by the IBSA. So it is not really a problem.”

    India is expected to be fielding a 17 member strong team that will be competing in four sports: swimming, athletics, powerlifting and judo.  In addition, India is sending 9 officials, and their official delegation total is supposed to be 26.

    When asked about the situation with Kenya and Costa Rica, both also recently suspended by the IPC, organizers said they were still awaiting confirmation from Kenya to find out of if they will be sending a team.  Like the Indians, they are not prohibited from sending one. ParaSport News is awaiting future confirmation about this.  While Costa Rica is a member of the IBSA, they were never among the nations expected to participate in the IBSA World Games, regardless of their status with the IPC.

    eom/Article by by Laura Hale  (@purplepopple) first appeared in www.parasport-news.com, with inputs from EJ Monica Kim

    Actor Kim Bo-sung (left) and actress Ku Hye-sun (right) pose with Sohn Byung-doo, president of the Seoul 2015 IBSA World Games organizing committee, after being named goodwill ambassadors for the games in a ceremony at Seoul City Club in Seoul on Tuesday. Image courtesy: Seoul 2015 IBSA World Games Organising Committee)
    Actor Kim Bo-sung (left) and actress Ku Hye-sun (right) pose with Sohn Byung-doo, president of the Seoul 2015 IBSA World Games organizing committee, after being named goodwill ambassadors for the games in a ceremony at Seoul City Club in Seoul on Tuesday. Image courtesy: Seoul 2015 IBSA World Games Organising Committee)