INDIA in F1

Category: Non-F1

  • Reigning champion Grosjean and Kristensen back at Race of Champions (ROC) again; now in Barbados

    • ROC Champion of Champions Romain Grosjean and Le Mans legend Tom Kristensen are the first drivers lined up for this year’s Race Of Champions
    • French Formula 1 star Grosjean will now defend the title he won by defeating Denmark’s Kristensen in the ROC 2012 Grand Final in Bangkok
    • A host of driving legends from the major forms of motor sport will join the pair at the 2014 Race Of Champions to discover who’s the fastest of them all
    • Tickets are now available for ROC 2014, which will take place at the Bushy Park Circuit in Barbados on December 13-14 The 2014 Race Of Champions – to be held at the Bushy Park Circuit in Barbados on December 13-14 – will feature Romain Grosjean and Tom Kristensen, who battled for glory in the last ROC Grand Final.

      Grosjean made his Formula 1 debut in 2009 and has already secured nine podiums in motor sport’s highest echelon. But one of his finest hours came on a hot evening in Bangkok in 2012 when he took the ROC Champion of Champions crown. En route to his stunning victory over Kristensen, the Frenchman also defeated multiple F1 world champions Sebastian Vettel (quarter-final) and Michael Schumacher (semi-final).

      Denmark’s Kristensen is acknowledged as the finest endurance racer in motor sport history. He has a record nine wins at the Le Mans 24-Hours in addition to his record six wins at the Sebring 12-Hour race, an American Le Mans Series title and his first FIA World Endurance Championship title last year. Kristensen has also appeared at every Race Of Champions since 2001 – yet another record – and has reached the last two individual Grand Finals.

      Now Grosjean and Kristensen will bid for yet more glory at ROC 2014 in Barbados, with the rest of the field due to be announced in the run-up to the event. Drivers will pair up for the ROC Nations Cup on December 13 ahead of the individual Race Of Champions the next day.

    File photo from Race of Champions organisers.
    File photo from Race of Champions organisers.

    Grosjean said: “I’m very happy to be back at the Race Of Champions once more! It’s such a pleasant event where all the drivers race at 100 percent but we can also have a lot of fun off the track. Coming back this year is even more special to me as I won the ‘Champion of Champions’ title at the last race. I’m looking forward to racing in Barbados as I know they are huge fans of motor sport. This year we will also do all we can to win the ROC Nations Cup as it’s always special to race for your country.”

    Kristensen added: “I keep coming back to the Race Of Champions because it is such a special event and a unique chance to race such a wide range of drivers from all the different types of motor sport. We enjoy ourselves off the track but give everything on it – and it seems I’m getting closer to winning every year. No doubt we’ll all enjoy the warmth of Barbados so I’ll look forward to putting on a good show for all the race fans from the Caribbean and elsewhere. Who knows, maybe this will be my year…”

    ROC organiser Fredrik Johnsson said: “We’re delighted to begin our line-up for ROC 2014 with our top two from the last Race Of Champions. Romain showed his ability in Bangkok by beating Sebastian, Michael and Tom – three of the world’s greatest ever drivers – in quick succession to become Champion of Champions.

    “Of course Tom has an unmatched roll of honour in endurance racing and Le Mans but he is always a mean competitor at ROC too, as proved by his determined runs to the last two Grand Finals. No doubt both Romain and Tom will be giving everything to repeat their success so the rest of the field had better watch out. Now we hope to see a big crowd in Barbados savouring the chance to watch these greats in action.”

    The Race Of Champions, which has been held for over 25 years, brings together the world’s greatest drivers from motor sport’s major disciplines – including Formula 1, World Rally, Le Mans, MotoGP, Nascar, IndyCar, Touring Cars and the X-Games – and sets them free to battle head-to-head in identical machinery on a unique tarmac track with two parallel lanes linked by a crossover bridge.

    Tickets for ROC 2014 are now available from http://www.bushyparkcircuitinc.com/roc-tickets.

    Race Of Champions on Facebook or @raceofchampions on Twitter.

    eom/RoC Press Release

  • World Motor Sport Council approves the proposal of Historic Motor Sport Commission

    On the proposal of the Historic Motor Sport Commission, the World Motor Sport Council approved the eligibility of cars from Period J2 for the 2015 FIA European Historic Sporting Rally Championship. These cars dating from 1986 to 1990 will be part of Category 4. Cars with a supercharged engine from Period J2 will need to have restrictors of 36 or 38 mm, depending on whether they are entered in Group N or Group A. The nominal cylinder capacity of cars up to and including Period J1 with a supercharged engine will be multiplied by a coefficient of 1.4 and that of Period J2 cars by a coefficient of 1.7.

    This same Category 4 will also include two new classes – E7 and E8 – for Group N cars under and over 1600 cm3.

    For the FIA European Historic Sporting Rally Championship itself, the system of coefficients (1, 2 or 3) applied to competitions will be abandoned and replaced by a calendar divided up into three sections. The first section, called “A”, will include the first five competitions of the season; section “B” will comprise the following five and section “C” will comprise all remaining rallies. To be classified in the Championship, each driver or co-driver must have taken part in at least two competitions of each section, i.e. six rallies in total. He will be allowed to count a maximum of three results per section, i.e. a maximum of nine scores. The 2015 Championship calendar will be revealed at the next World Council meeting, on 3 December 2014.

    For the FIA Historic Regularity Rally Trophy, it was decided to open the competition to Period I cars (1977-1981). Cars of Periods J1 and J2 will be allowed to participate, but without scoring points in the Trophy.

    From 2015, the FIA Historic Hill Climb Championship will be open to Period J2 cars. The 2015 calendar will be split into two sections and the drivers will retain all their results obtained in each section, less one.

    Four amendments to Appendix VII to Appendix K were approved and concern the Lotus Elan, Lancia Stratos and Morgan (ROPS for each of them) and the Opel Kadett C GT/E of Period H1 (radiator). To see the updated version of Appendix K, click  http://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/regulation/file/2014_Appendix%20K_WEB%20%28140918%29.pdf

     

  • Formula E makes history with spectacular first ePrix; Lucas Di Grassi first winner

    Lucas Di Grassi, first winner of the e-prix at Beijing on 13th Sept 2014. An FIA image
    Lucas Di Grassi, first winner of the e-prix at Beijing on 13th Sept 2014. An FIA image

    History was made this weekend as the world’s first ever fully-electric single-seater race took place in Beijing, marking the successful season opener of the FIA Formula E Championship.

    Beijing, 13 Sept 2014: The race, or Beijing Evergrande ePrix, was held on a spectacular temporary race track built around the city’s iconic Olympic ‘Bird’s Nest’ Stadium and was won by Audi Sport ABT’s Lucas di Grassi.

    Some 40 million are believed to have watched the race worldwide on television with 75,000 attending on site and one billion social interactions recorded around the race.

    Brazilian Di Grassi stole victory after race-leader Nicolas Prost (e.dams-Renault) and Venturi’s Nick Heidfeld touched on the final corner of the final lap in the battle for the lead, sending Heidfeld into a spectacular crash which he walked away from unharmed.

    Andretti driver Franck Montagny finished runner-up nearly three seconds adrift of di Grassi with team-mate Daniel Abt crossing the line third, only to later have it taken away from him after failing short of the required 28kw power consumption usage. Virgin Racing’s Sam Bird was eventually promoted to claim the final place on the podium.

    Lucas di Grassi said: “Firstly, I’m happy Nick [Heidfeld] is ok and it shows how safe these cars are. I didn’t see what happened myself but it’s like a dream come true. I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time. The team did a great job all through practice and qualifying, yes we made a few mistakes but overall I’m extremely happy to be the first ever winner of a Formula E race.”

    Round two of the new Formula E series takes place in Putrajaya, Malaysia, on November 22 2014.

  • Chidananda Murthy-BS Sujith Kumar gear up for a hat-trick in Coimbatore

    Coimbatore, 6 Sept 2014: Buoyed by the success in the Rally of Bangalore, the Team Tata Motors lead pair of Chidananda Murthy and BS Sujith Kumar is eyeing a hat-trick of wins in the Pro Stock category in the Rally of Coimbatore, the fourth round of the 2014 Indian National TSD Rally Championship, here on September 7.

    The Bangalore duo won the second round in Jaipur and the third round at home last month and are leading the points tally with 56, while their nearest rivals are Saurav Chatterjee and Ashoke Kumar Basu.

    The other entrants from Team Tata Motors will be Srikanth Gowda-M Chandrashekar and Amul Satoskar-Nataraj. Both pairs will be competing in the Pro Expert category. Gowda and Chandrashekar are fourth in the standings with 40 points. The leaders in the Pro Expert category are SK Ajgar Ali and MK Mohammad Musthafa with 53 points. 

    Two-time and reigning champions Murthy and Sujith Kumar are all excited about their prospects of making it a hat-trick of wins in the Rally of Coimbatore. A win would boost their confidence and also put them right on track to clinch a third successive National title.

    “It was great to have won the Rally of Bangalore last month. Obviously, winning the home event is very special. Thanks to that, we are charged up and hope to make it three in a row. We are going to give it more than 100 per cent in Coimbatore,” said Chidananda Murthy.

    “After two wins, we will be giving it all we have got in Coimbatore. A third consecutive win will be a big boost for us in our bid to take our third successive National title. Also, with Coimbatore being the hotbed for rallying, it will be nice to win there,” added Sujith Kumar.

    ends

    For Media queries contact: Vivek Phadnis
    Mobile: +919620959687; phadnisvivek@gmail.com
    www.bhpmania.com

     

  • “Mercedes Benz is a family and we are dominating, says Hamilton at Laureus Charity Gala

    • Hamilton at Laureus Charity Gala in Italy on 5 Sept 2014. A Laureus Sport for Good image
      Hamilton at Laureus Charity Gala in Italy on 5 Sept 2014. A Laureus Sport for Good image

      Hamilton applauds the team’s number of 1-2 finishes

    • Stars of F1 attend Laureus Charity Gala to support Laureus Foundation Italy
    • Inter Milan Javier Zanetti honoured with first Laureus Foundation Italy Award
    • Charity auction raises over €200,000 for Laureus projects


    ITALY, September 5, 2014     – Lewis Hamilton has hailed the success of his Mercedes-Benz “family” in the run up to the Italian Monza Grand Prix this weekend.

    Talking to Laureus.com, the F1 star said: “The season has been amazing, we have lots of 1-2s, and we are dominating as a team. You feel very much part of the family. I don’t think you have that anywhere else in F1.”

    Hamilton was speaking at a star-studded gala charity night yesterday in Milan to raise funds for the Italian Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary.

    The event, staged at the Mercedes-Benz Centre, had a strong Formula One focus, ahead of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on Sunday.

    Among the guests were Formula One legends Emerson Fittipaldi (Laureus World Sports Academy Member), David Coulthard and Nico Rosberg (Laureus Ambassadors), Lewis Hamilton, winner of the 2008 Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award, and French favourite Jean Alesi.

    Edwin Moses, Chairman of the Laureus World Sports Academy, also attended the event with fellow Academy Members Giacomo Agostini, Franz Klammer, Mike Horn and Alberto Tomba. Other guests included Miki Biasion, Davide Cassani, Marco Bortolami, Antonio Rossi, Daniel Fontana, Alessandro Fabian, Alessandro Troncon, Alessia Trost, Aldo Montano and Garret McNamara.

    Laureus Chairman Edwin Moses said: “Ten years is an important milestone and we are here tonight to help shape the next 10 years of the Italian Laureus Foundation.”

    The Formula One charity night raised substantial funds to support Italian projects which have helped more than 2,000 disadvantaged young people in its ten years of life.

    A fundraising auction on the night raised the remarkable total of € 200,000. Conducted by Clarice Pecori Giraldi, Senior Director of Christie’s Europe, items were sold for the benefit of Laureus, included: a Mercedes-Benz Proton 220a from 1955, restored by the Mercedes-Benz Centre in Milan; the IWC Portuguese Tourbillon hand-wound watch in Platinum, a unique piece for the Laureus Charity Night; the Aprilia RSV4 factory motor bike autographed by two motor cycling champions Marco Melandri and Sylvain Guintoli; Fabian Cancellara’s bicycle; and a Leica M ‘100 years’ with Summcrion 50mm lens.

    The items in the auction were the result of generous donations by Italian and international companies, who, together with Pirelli, the event partner, showed their backing for Laureus. There was also considerable support from Mercedes-Benz and IWC Schaffhausen, global partners of Laureus.

    Also present on the night was Javier Zanetti, former Inter Milan captain and now Vice-president of the club, who won the very first Italian Laureus Foundation award.

    For further information please contact:
    Website: www.laureus.com
    Follow on Twitter @LaureusSport

    NOTES TO EDITORS
    Laureus is a universal movement that celebrates the power of sport to bring people together as a force for good.  Laureus is composed of three core elements – the Laureus World Sports Academy, the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation and the Laureus World Sports Awards – which collectively celebrate sporting excellence and use sport as the means to promote social change.

    The first Patron of Laureus was Nelson Mandela.  At the inaugural Laureus World Sports Awards in 2000, he said: “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair.” This has become the philosophy of Laureus; the driving force behind its work.

    The members of the Laureus World Sports Academy are: Giacomo Agostini, Marcus Allen, Franz Beckenbauer, Boris Becker, Ian Botham, Sergey Bubka, Bobby Charlton, Sebastian Coe, Nadia Comaneci, Yaping Deng, Marcel Desailly, Kapil Dev, Mick Doohan, David Douillet, Rahul Dravid, Emerson Fittipaldi, Sean Fitzpatrick, Dawn Fraser, Cathy Freeman, Tanni Grey-Thompson, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Mika Häkkinen, Tony Hawk, Mike Horn, Miguel Indurain, Michael Johnson, Kip Keino, Franz Klammer, Dan Marino, Edwin Moses (Chairman), Nawal El Moutawakel, Robby Naish, Ilie Nastase, Martina Navratilova, Alexey Nemov, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Morné du Plessis, Hugo Porta, Steve Redgrave, Vivian Richards, Monica Seles, Mark Spitz, Daley Thompson, Alberto Tomba, Steve Waugh and Katarina Witt.

    The Laureus Academy Members volunteer their services as global ambassadors for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, which was set up to promote the use of sport as a tool for social change. The Foundation addresses social challenges through a worldwide programme of sports related community development initiatives. Since its inception, Laureus has raised over €60 million for projects which have helped to improve the lives of millions of young people. The mission of the Laureus Foundation is to use sport as the means to combat some of the world’s toughest social challenges facing young people today such as juvenile crime, gangs, HIV/AIDS, discrimination, social exclusion, landmines awareness and health problems like obesity.

    The Laureus World Sports Awards is the premier global sports awards honouring the greatest sportsmen and women across all sports each year.  The winners are selected by the ultimate sports jury – the 47 members of the Laureus World Sports Academy, the living legends of sport honouring the great athletes of today.  The Awards are presented at an annual Awards Ceremony, attended by global figures from sport and entertainment, which is broadcast to 120 countries and territories.

    Proceeds from the Laureus World Sports Awards directly benefit and underpin the work of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation which supports over 150 community sports projects around the world.  The 2014 Laureus World Sports Awards were held in Kuala Lumpur on March 26.

    Laureus was founded by its Patrons Richemont and Daimler and is supported by its Global Partners Mercedes-Benz and IWC Schaffhausen.

    Mercedes-Benz
    Mercedes-Benz is the inventor of the automobile – and has been passionately shaping its future since 1886. As pioneers in automotive engineering, it is both our inspiration and responsibility to continue the tradition of the brand with trailblazing technologies and high-quality products. Like no other trademark in the automotive world, Mercedes-Benz appeals to both the hearts and minds of its customers. We give our very best for customers who expect the very best.  Since the founding fathers Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz, our corporate history has been one of innovation and pioneering achievements. Many technical innovations that are nowadays standard in automobiles first entered the market in a Mercedes-Benz. This is the basis for our claim to leadership in automotive engineering. The brand stands for Modern Luxury, and enjoys an outstanding reputation for quality, safety, comfort, design and comprehensive, sustainable mobility.

    IWC Schaffhausen
    With a clear focus on technology and development, the Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen has been producing timepieces of lasting value since 1868. The company has gained an international reputation based on a passion for innovative solutions and technical ingenuity. One of the world’s leading brands in the luxury watch segment, IWC crafts masterpieces of haute horlogerie at their finest, combining supreme precision with exclusive design. As an ecologically and socially responsible company, IWC is committed to sustainable production, supports institutions around the globe in their work with children and young people and maintains partnerships with organisations dedicated to climate and environmental protection.

    eom

  • Kari Motor Speedway all set for JK Tyre Drag Nationals

    Coimbatore, August 27, 2014: When the lights turn green, it is a dash to the finish between two cars or bikes in drag racing. These fantastic duels will be what motor racing fans will get to see when the first two rounds of the JK Tyre-FMSCI Indian National Drag Racing Championship 2014 are held at the famed Kari Motor Speedway, near here, from August 28-31.

    The participant needs split second reaction to get off the line as soon as the light turns green. In drag racing, one will not get a chance again like in track racing where there is always the next corner or lap to overtake. The operative part is 402 metres, or the quartermile, for which the vehicles will be timed.

    The event is being conducted by Spitfire Motorsports Pvt. Ltd. (Coimbatore) in association with Speedway Motorsports (Hyderabad). The practice sessions will be on Thursday and Saturday for the first and second rounds respectively, while the two rounds of the championship will be conducted on Friday and Sunday. On Saturday, an autocross event will be held and many of the vehicles entered for the drag races are also expected to participate.

    Naturally, the glamour quotient will be there with all the big cars and bikes assembling from places like Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Madurai, Tuticorin, Nagercoil and from Kerala. The big boys among the four wheelers that will be seen in action are the Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Mercedes SLK, Audi R8 and Porsche. Among the two-wheelers, the attractions will be the machines from BMW, Yamaha, Honda and others. The bikes will race in the morning session, while the big cars will be seen in action in the post-lunch session.

    The prominent names in the fray for top honours include Hyderabad racers Prabhu (four-wheeler Open champion) and Arun (four-wheeler Indian Open and Foreign class champion) and Bangalore’s Khalim Pasha (champion last year in the Indian Open and imported bikes categories) among others. About 250 entries are expected for each round in the two and four-wheeler classes, while about 150 are expected for the autocross event. The entries have been kept open till Thursday.

    The cars and bikes can take part in the Open or Championship event. The participants for the Championship event will be considered for the National Championship titles. For the Indian Open championship, the vehicles have to be Indian with Indian engines. In the Unrestricted class, it is open to Indian cars with foreign engines, foreign cars, Specials, single seaters and non-production vehicles. For bikes in the Unrestricted class, participants can use Indian bikes with foreign engines, foreign bikes and Specials (internal combustion engines only).

     

    ends

     

  • Ali-Musthafa win as table toppers, Satish-Savera, suffer mechanical failure; Chidu-Sujith move to top

    By Vivek Phadnis

    Bangalore, 17 Aug 2014: SK Ajgar Ali and his navigator MK Mohammad Musthafa, with a total penalty of 27 seconds, won the Pro Expert class in the Rally of Bangalore, the third round of the Indian National TSD Rally Championship, here on Sunday. They also emerged as the Overall winners. Sachin Singh and Prakash M finished second and KP Karthik Maruthi and S Sankar Anand finished second and third respectively.

    Ali-Musthafa took the lead in the championship (53 points). Championship leaders before Sunday’s event Satish Gopalkrishnan and Savera D’Souza (50 points) did not finish the Rally due to a mechanical problem.

    In the Pro Stock class, Team Tata Motors scored a 1-2-3 finish. Chidananda Murthy and BS Sujith Kumar, with a penalty of one minute, 35 seconds, won and took the lead in the championship table. They are now on 56 points. Their teammates Vikas Puttur and Sagar M finished second with a penalty of 1:36. Another Tata Motors pair of Saurav Chatterjee and Ashoke Kumar Basu clinched the third spot.

    “It feels great to have won the rally at home and that too for the third year in succession. Moreover, now that we have taken the lead in the championship, it has served as a big encouragement for us and we will continue to give our best in the fourth round in Coimbatore next month,” said Murthy and Sujith Kumar.

    They added: “As is the trend in the event in Bangalore, the route was good and it challenged us quite a bit. It feels good to win a challenging rally.”

    The Rally route traversed through Anjanapura, Bannerghatta, Maralawadi, Kanakapura and surrounding areas before culminating at The Club (also the starting point) on Mysore Road. The route was made very challenging and there were rough sections, uphill, downhill and winding roads. Tricky time controls were set up and it proved to be a challenge for the drivers and navigators.

    The Rally route was about 70 per cent tarmac and 30 per cent dirt. Out of a total of 43 entries, eight did not finish the Rally.

    In the Green Run Rally, Ravindra HD and Murugan won the Pro Expert class title, while Vinay Kumar BP and Ravi Kumar BM won the Pro Stock class. Dinky Varghese and C Shakthivel triumphed in the Motorbike class.

    Results (provisional):

    Rally of Bangalore:

    Pro Expert: 1. SK Ajgar Ali-MK Mohammad Musthafa (00:27 seconds time penalty); 2. Sachin Singh-Prakash M (00:30); 3. KP Karthik Maruthi-S Sankar Anand (00:34).

    Pro Stock: 1. Chidananda Murthy-BS Sujith Kumar (01:35 minutes, Team Tata Motors); 2. Vikas Puttur-Sagar M (01:36, Team Tata Motors); 3. Saurav Chatterjee-Ashoke Kumar Basu (02:35, Team Tata Motors).

    Green Run Rally:

    Pro Expert: 1. Ravindra HD-Murugan (01:30); 2. Abhijeet Pai-Chandramouli (01:38); 3. Harish Ranjan-E Velumurugan (02:05).

    Pro Stock: 1. Vinay Kumar BP-Ravi Kumar BM (06:02 minutes); 2. R Sai Prasad-Veerakumar (07:29); 3. Bharadwaj Rao-Anil Kumar (11:42).

    Motorbike Class: 1. Dinky Varghese-C Shakthivel (01:03 min); 2. A Dhanpal-Sankar S (06:39); 3. V Suresh-alamurugan S (07:09).

    Couple Class: 1. Harish M-Aswini (35:50 minutes).

    eom/VivekPhadnis for Tata Motors/KMSC

    Bangalore pair Chidanand Murthy and Sujith Kumar, ther reighning champions took the lead after the third round in the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC-TSD) in Bangalore on Sunday. Photo by Vivek Phadnis
    Bangalore pair Chidanand Murthy and Sujith Kumar, ther reighning champions took the lead after the third round in the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC-TSD) in Bangalore on Sunday. Photo by Vivek Phadnis

     

  • Sarath Kumar ends winless run beating Sumit Toppo: Motorcycle Nationals

    Chennai, 3 Aug 2014: Round 3 of 2014 MMSC- FMSCI Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship finished with India’s young riders showing why they provide the most entertaining form of motorsport at the MMRT in Irungattukottai this weekend. While Race 1 of all the categories were held yesterday, Race 2 took place today which included 2-wheeler giants TVS Racing, Honda Racing & Yamaha Racing one make championships.

    This time it was Sarath Kumar’s turn to end his winless run when he beat Sumit Lucas Toppo by 0.087secs in the Honda CBR 250 race. While Sarath managed to win the race it was Toppo who impressed by trying every possible way to beat his rival. He even set the fastest lap of the race as the two riders finished side-by-side in the Honda CBR 250 race. Ramesh Kumar finished in a distant 3rd to take the final step on the podium.

    K Rajnikrishnan took his second win of the weekend in the Group C 165CC after finishing ahead of K Jagan. Rajni’s main rival and Honda CBR 250 winner Sarath Kumar managed to finish in 3rd position after a holding off Deepak R.  

    The Yamaha One Make Championship, which returned to the MMSC-INMRC this weekend, saw Shyam Shankar winning in Race 2 of the Yamaha One Make Open. Dinesh Kumar in 2nd place while Ananth Raj finished in 3rd place. In the Yamaha One Make Novice race, Vivian Gladwin David took his first ever win after a race long battle with Naresh Babu with Piyush Ranjan in 3rd place.

    KY Ahamed and SK Prakash had a great battle in the TVS One Make Open race in the TVS One Make Championship. Ahamed held off Prakash by 0.087secs to win the race with Ananth Raj in a distant 3rd position. The TVS Apache Novice race was another closely fought affair with S Kannan beating Naresh Babu and K Kannan with the top 3 riders being covered by 0.282secs.

    In the Honda – MMSC One Make Championship with the Honda CBR 150 Novice category, Vivian Gladwin David took his second win of the day after finishing ahead of S Rajiv and Shreyas Sannake.

    Mithun Kumar took two wins in the day with victories in both Group D 130CC Novice & Group D 165CC Novice categories.

    RESULTS:

    Honda CBR 250 Open – R2

    1. Sarath Kumar
    2. Sumit Lucas Toppo
    3. Ramesh Kumar

    Honda CBR 150 Novice – R2

    1. Vivian Gladwin David
    2. S Rajiv
    3. Shreyas Sannake

    TVS Apache Open – R2

    1. KY Ahamed
    2. SK Prakash
    3. Ananth Raj

    TVS Apache Novice – R2

    1. S Kannan
    2. Naresh Babu
    3. K Kannan

    Yamaha Open – R2

    1. Shyam Shankar
    2. Dinesh Kumar
    3. Ananth Raj

    Yamaha Novice – R2

    1. Vivian Gladwin David
    2. Naresh Babu
    3. Piyush Ranjan

    Group C 165CC – R2

    1. K Rajnikrishnan
    2. K Jagan
    3. Sarath Kumar

    Group D 130CC Novice – R2

    1. Mithun Kumar
    2. S Kannan
    3. K Kannan

    Group D 165CC – R2

    1. Mithun Kumar
    2. R Harikrishnan
    3. Shreyas Sannake

    For more information please do visit www.madrasmotorsports.inSarat wins on Sun 3 round channai 3aug2014

  • Sumit Lucas Toppo beats Prabhu, Sarath Kumar in a thriller: 3rd round Motorcycle Nationals

    Chennai Moto Natls 3 round 2Aug2014Chennai, 1 Aug 2014: Round 3 of 2014 MMSC– FMSCI Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship got off to a great start with some more close races at the MMRT in Irungattukottai this weekend. The Honda CBR 250 race once again proved to be a thriller with Sumit Lucas Toppo beating A Prabhu by 0.003secs with Sarath Kumar a further 0.096secs in a close battle.

    In the Honda CBR 250 race provided Sumit, Prabhu and Sarath were exchanging the lead severall times before Sumit just managed to beat his rivals. It was a replay of the last round when Sumit beat A Prabhu by 0.002secs. It was the same this time as well with absolutely nothing to choose from the two riders with Sarath also joining in the action.

    Sarath Kumar was engaged in another tight battle in the Group C 165CC but came out 2nd behind K Rajnikrishnan in yet another thriller. India’s top two riders gave it all but Rajni managed to pip ahead to take the win. Sumit Toppo finished in 3rd place, a further 3 secs behind.

    The Yamaha One Make Championship returned to the MMSC-INMRC with Vivek Pillai returning to the top step of the podium in the Yamaha One Make Open race. Ananth Raj finished in 2nd place with Dinesh Kumar in 3rd place. In the Yamaha One Make Novice race, Mithun Kumar comfortably won ahead of E Saravanan and S Siva.

    Mathana Kumar continued his fine run with another win in the TVS One Make Open race in the TVS One Make Championship. SK Prakash finished in 2nd place with Abhishek Vasudev finishing in 3rd place. In the TVS Apache Novice category S Kannan beat Naresh Babu and K Kannan with the top 3 riders being covered by 0.717secs.

    In the Honda – MMSC One Make Championship with the Honda CBR 150 Novice category, R Rajanikanth took another win after a race long battle with S Rajiv.  Vimochana Gadusu finished in 3rd place to take the final podium spot.

    RESULTS: Honda CBR 250 Open – R1

    1. Sumit Lucas Toppo
    2. A Prabhu
    3. Sarath Kumar

     Honda CBR 150 Novice – R1

    1. R Rajanikanth
    2. S Rajiv
    3. Vimochana Gadusu

    TVS RTR 180 Open – R1

    1. Mathana Kumar
    2. SK Prakash
    3. Abhishek Vasudev

     TVS Apache Novice – R1

    1. S Kannan
    2. Naresh Babu
    3. K Kannan

    Yamaha Open – R1

    1. Vivek Pillai
    2. Ananth Raj
    3. Dinesh Kumar

    Yamaha Novice – R1

    1. Mithun Kumar
    2. E Saravanan
    3. S Siva

    Group C 165CC

    1. K Rajnikrishnan
    2. Sarath Kumar
    3. Sumit Lucas Toppo

    Group D 130CC Novice – R1

    1. S Kannan
    2. E Saravanan
    3. R Harikrishnan

    Group D 165CC – R1

    1. Mithun Kumar
    2. R Harikrishnan
    3. Harshit Rao

    For more information please do visit www.madrasmotorsports.in

    eom/Adernna release

  • Mahadik, Aradhya, Donison emerge JK Tyre Karting Nationals 2nd round champs

    Hyderabad, 27 July 2014: Krishnaraaj Mahadik of Mohites Racing, Kolhapur drove an aggressive race to upstage his more illustrious teammates and emerge winner in the Senior Max category of the 11th JK Tyre-FMSC National Rotax Max Karting Championship’s second 2nd round and leapfrog to the top of the points table at the Airport Karting track, Hyderabad on Sunday.

    After two rounds, Mahadik is leading the championship points table with 71 points, followed by Ameya Bafna of Rayo Racing with 69 and Vishnu Prasad of Meco Racing tied with Dhruv Mohite on 65.

    The Junior Max category saw a renewed tough battle between Ricky R Donison of BPC Racing and Kush Maini of Dark Don Racing. Maini was leading throughout the race, before Donison, displaying superb control and composure squeezed past at the last corner to take the chequered flag. Aaroh Ravindra also flew past a rattled Maini, who had to settle for third place.

    Maini, however, can take solace from the fact that he is leading the points tally with 73, followed by Aaroh Ravindra and Akash Gowda (both Meco Racing) on 71.

    The Micro Max category also saw a close battle between Meco Racing teammates Yash Aradhya and Shahan Ali Mohsin, before the 11-year-old Yash prevailed for his second back to back victory. Chirag Ghorpade of BPC celebrated his ninth birthday in style, finishing in third place.

    However, Shahan’s second place finishes in the pre-final and the final races saw him go to the top of the points table with 75, followed by Yash on 73 and Paul Francis on 72.

    Yash Aradhya, who was a little slower on the start and was trailing Shahan initially was elated with his second win on the trot and said, “I pressed the throttle a little later than Shahan and hence slipped into second spot. I planned to take him on the next corner but after two more corners I got the lead and then just aimed to keep safe.”

    Mahadik, starting the race in in sixth position was off in a flash when the green flag was waved, moving into second place behind teammate Chittesh Mandody, the pre-final winner. Keeping the pressure on Mandody through the tight corners, Mahadik forced Mandody to crash out in the 10th lap, after which it was a one-horse race, with the battle for second and third spot hotting up between Dhruv Mohite, Vishnu Prasad and Nayan Chatterjee. Mohite was no match for the canny Vishnu and the determined Chatterjee, who finished second and third respectively.

    “I struggled a lot with my car. Was not there in the race in the initial stages, but later pulled it through,” said Mahadik

    Donison and Maini, placed one and two on the grid, were quickly into the thick of things at the flag off, roaring around the corners in their quest to outdo each other. Though Donison did manage to wrest the lead for short periods a couple of times, it was Maini who led for prolonged periods. It was the relentless pressure kept up by Donison that seemed to have finally unsettled Maini and at the last corner, Maini seemed to be standing still as Donison charged past, followed closely by Ravindra.

    “I started second after Kush Maini and it was really a tough race. He made a move in the first corner and then he started defending very well. I couldn’t get past him through I tried very hard. In last corner I saw a gap and I went for it,” said Donison after his hard fought win.

    To 5 Results:

    Senior Max: Krishnaraaj Mahadik (Mohites) 18:38.865; Vishnu Prasad (Meco) 18:42.684; Nayan Chatterjee (Rayo) 18:42.975; Arya Gandhi (Rayo) 18:46.779; Dhruv Mohite (Mohites) 18:45.694

    Junior Max: Ricky R Donison (BPC) 16:01.613; Aaroh Ravindra (Rayo) 16:01.628; Kush Maini (Dark Don) 16:02.243; Mira Erda (Dark Don) 16:05.651; Akash Gowda (Meco) 16:12.589

    Micro Max: Yash Aradhya (Meco) 12:11.002; Shahan Ali Mohsin (Meco) 12:13.785; Chirag Ghorpade (BPC) 12:13.933; Paul Francis (Meco) 12:25.714; Arjun Nair (Meco) 12:28.235

    Captions:

    Ricky Donison (No. 27) takes the chequered flag inches ahead of Aaroh Ravindra in the Junior Max final of the JK Tyre Rotax Max Karting Nationals 2nd round at Hyderabad on Sunday. Image courtesy JK Tyre

     

    ends

     

    Ricky Donison (No. 27) takes the chequered flag inches ahead of Aaroh Ravindra in the Junior Max final of the JK Tyre Rotax Max Karting Nationals 2nd round at Hyderabad on Sunday. Image courtesy JK Tyre
    Ricky Donison (No. 27) takes the chequered flag inches ahead of Aaroh Ravindra in the Junior Max final of the JK Tyre Rotax Max Karting Nationals 2nd round at Hyderabad on Sunday. Image courtesy JK Tyre