INDIA in F1

Category: Non-F1

  • Caterham launches Asian motorsport arm; Supersport series comes to KL

    Kuala Lumpur, 14 Oct 2013: Caterham has launched Caterham Motorsport Asia with a view to replicating its hugely successful European one-make racing ‘ladder’ in the Far East.

    Based in Malaysia, Caterham Motorsport Asia will be headed up by Campbell Tupling and will initially introduce the acclaimed Supersport series to the region, with further championships also being considered for roll-out in future, including Caterham’s kart series for 13-16 year olds, a press release from Caterham said.Caterham pic 14oct2013 Supersport series

    Caterham Group Chairman, Tony Fernandes, identified South East Asia as the single most important growth market for the brand as it continues to expand its international reach and product range.

    The Caterham Motorsport family of single-make championships is both famously accessible and affordable as well as being renowned for some of the closest, most exciting racing on the domestic spectrum.

    In the UK, the Caterham racing ‘ladder’ comprises series for Superlight R300, Supersport, Tracksport and Roadsport plus Caterham’s grassroots Academy, which has created hundreds of new racing drivers since its inception in 1995.

    While Caterham Motorsport Asia will focus initially on the 140bhp, 1.6-litre Ford Sigma-powered Supersport category in Malaysia alone, Tupling hopes for a range of championships across several countries, mirroring the operation in Europe.

    Tupling said: “The core philosophy of Caterham has always been about making a thrilling driving experience accessible to all. With Caterham’s road car range expanding rapidly in the coming years, it makes sense to also cater to the growing Asian appetite for motorsport so that a new audience can be awoken to affordable thrills on both road and track.”

    The new Supersport championship will be a 10-round series, held over five race weekends at Malaysian Grand Prix circuit, Sepang International. Limited modifications will ensure a truly level playing field and professional team support, including factory-trained mechanics, will also be available to participants.

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  • Arjun Maini wins Race 1: Round 3 of JK Racing India Series

    Greater Noida, 28 Sept 2013: Thousands of motorsports fans got their fill as they witnessed top-quality racing as the Round 3 of 16th JK Tyre Racing Championship got underway in right earnest at the Buddh International Circuit under clear blue skies. For the first time this year, the country’s premier most racing championship brought together India’s best young racing talent to the 5.14km Formula One track much to the delight of fans and the public.

    Those who braved the hot and humid conditions were rewarded with high-speed action, precision driving, breathtaking overtaking manoeuvres and edge of the seat fights for track positions. The 60 drivers from across the country are taking part in this speed fest, according to a JK Tyre press release.

    The highlight of the day, of course, was the newly introduced JK Racing India Series, which uses international spec FB02 cars built around Mygale chassis and powered by 1.2-litre BMW engine. All eyes were on young Mahavir Rangunathan, who claimed pole in the qualifying races held earlier in the day by a mere 1/100thof a second ahead of Arjun Mani and championship leader Vishnu Prasad among other.

    As the five red lights went out, Mahavir made a clean getaway with Arjun, Vishnu and the rest of the pack in hot pursuit. The Chennai driver managed to keep Maini behind him for a couple of opening laps, but “in an epic overtaking manoeuvre” Maini overtook the pole man. Once ahead, the 15-year-old racer of Bangalore controlled the pace brilliantly ahead even as Vishnu and Karminder, who started from third and sixth place on the start grid made their moves on Mahavir.

    “It was quite frustrating to be stuck behind Mahavir for the first few laps, but then I would say it was an epic moment when I finally managed to overtake him. Once I got in front, I just kept my head down to string together as many consistent laps as possible. I am happy to win the first race of the weekend of the JK FB02 and my aim is to win the remaining two races on Sunday,” said Arjun looking back on his win in the gruelling 10 lap race, who also claimed the fastest lap of the race with the best time of 2:12:509.

    Vishnu, who cleaned up the opposition by taking all three wins in the second round at Coimbatore, had to be satisfied with second place. “I did what I could, but Arjun had good pace and I couldn’t overtake him. Still I am satisfied with today’s result and it gives me motivation to better the result in the second and third races of JK FB02,” said Vishnu.

    Despite finishing third, Karminder Singh, sported the biggest grin among the podium finishers. This was the maiden podium for Karminder in JK FB02 and to sweeten things, it came in front of home fans of the Delhi based racing driver. “I didn’t make the best of starts, but I realised that I needed to keep things clean and consistent. In the end, it paid off and I am thrilled that my first podium came on my home track,” said Karminder recalling his race.

    In the JK Tyre Volkswagen Polo R Cup, South African driver, Jeffery Kruger, claimed the top step of the podium with a total time of 20:15.281. Mumbai-based Rahil Noorani finished in second place, while the last step of the podium was claimed by Angad Matharoo from Chandigarh.

    In the FLGB Formula 4, it was a Saraosh Hataria show all the way. The Dark Don Racing driver from Coimbatore, who is leading the championship with 106 points, claimed the first golden three of the weekend. Sarosh first claimed pole and then went on to dominate the race and went further to post the fastest lap of the race. Sarosh took the eight lap race with a total time of 20:58:845. The remaining two places on the podium were also swept by Dark Don Racing drivers. Karthik Krishna claimed second place with a time of 21:00.035 and Advait Deodhar finished in third place. “It was a very satisfying victory for me. As a team we have been working very hard right from the start of the season, so when it pays off you feel very motivated and charged. This was a very good race for us as we claimed all the three places on the podium,” said Sarosh.

    JK Racing India Series (JK FB02): Race-1: 1. Arjun Maini 22:15:289 2. Vishnu Prasad (22:18:835) 3. Karminder Singh (22:35:686).

    FLGB Formula 4: Race 1: 1. Sarosh Hataria (20:58:845) 2. Kartik Krishna (21:00:035) 3. Advit Deodhar (21:00:827)

    September 29, Greater Noida: Thousands of motorsports fans got their fill as they witnessed top-quality racing as the Round 3 of 16th JK Tyre Racing Championship got underway in right earnest at the Buddh International Circuit under clear blue skies. For the first time this year, the country’s premier most racing championship brought together India’s best young racing talent to the 5.14km Formula One track much to the delight of fans and the public.

    Those who braved the hot and humid conditions were rewarded with high-speed action, precision driving, breathtaking overtaking manoeuvres and edge of the seat fights for track positions. The 60 drivers from across the country taking part in this speed fest put their best foot forward.

    The highlight of the day, of course, was the newly introduced JK Racing India Series, which uses international spec FB02 cars built around Mygale chassis and powered by 1.2-litre BMW engine. All eyes were on young Mahavir Rangunathan, who claimed pole in the qualifying races held earlier in the day by a mere 1/100thof a second ahead of Arjun Mani and championship leader Vishnu Prasad among other.

    As the five red lights went out, Mahavir made a clean getaway with Arjun, Vishnu and the rest of the pack in hot pursuit. The Chennai driver managed to keep Maini behind him for a couple of opening laps, but “in an epic overtaking manoeuvre” Maini overtook the pole man. Once ahead, the 15-year-old racer of Bangalore controlled the pace brilliantly ahead even as Vishnu and Karminder, who started from third and sixth place on the start grid made their moves on Mahavir.

    “It was quite frustrating to be stuck behind Mahavir for the first few laps, but then I would say it was an epic moment when I finally managed to overtake him. Once I got in front, I just kept my head down to string together as many consistent laps as possible. I am happy to win the first race of the weekend of the JK FB02 and my aim is to win the remaining two races on Sunday,” said Arjun looking back on his win in the gruelling 10 lap race, who also claimed the fastest lap of the race with the best time of 2:12:509.

    Vishnu, who cleaned up the opposition by taking all three wins in the second round at Coimbatore, had to be satisfied with second place. “I did what I could, but Arjun had good pace and I couldn’t overtake him. Still I am satisfied with today’s result and it gives me motivation to better the result in the second and third races of JK FB02,” said Vishnu.

    Despite finishing third, Karminder Singh, sported the biggest grin among the podium finishers. This was the maiden podium for Karminder in JK FB02 and to sweeten things, it came in front of home fans of the Delhi based racing driver. “I didn’t make the best of starts, but I realised that I needed to keep things clean and consistent. In the end, it paid off and I am thrilled that my first podium came on my home track,” said Karminder recalling his race.

    In the JK Tyre Volkswagen Polo R Cup, South African driver, Jeffery Kruger, claimed the top step of the podium with a total time of 20:15.281. Mumbai-based Rahil Noorani finished in second place, while the last step of the podium was claimed by Angad Matharoo from Chandigarh.

    In the FLGB Formula 4, it was a Saraosh Hataria show all the way. The Dark Don Racing driver from Coimbatore, who is leading the championship with 106 points, claimed the first golden three of the weekend. Sarosh first claimed pole and then went on to dominate the race and went further to post the fastest lap of the race. Sarosh took the eight lap race with a total time of 20:58:845. The remaining two places on the podium were also swept by Dark Don Racing drivers. Karthik Krishna claimed second place with a time of 21:00.035 and Advait Deodhar finished in third place. “It was a very satisfying victory for me. As a team we have been working very hard right from the start of the season, so when it pays off you feel very motivated and charged. This was a very good race for us as we claimed all the three places on the podium,” said Sarosh.

    JK Racing India Series (JK FB02): Race-1: 1. Arjun Maini 22:15:289 2. Vishnu Prasad (22:18:835) 3. Karminder Singh (22:35:686).

    FLGB Formula 4: Race 1: 1. Sarosh Hataria (20:58:845) 2. Kartik Krishna (21:00:035) 3. Advit Deodhar (21:00:827)

    JK Tyre Volkswagen Polo R Cup- Race1: 1. Jeffery Kruger (20:15:281) 2. Rahil Noorani (20:26:251) 3. Angad Matharoo (20:27:352)

    1. Jeffery Kruger (20:15:281) 2. Rahil Noorani (20:26:251) 3. Angad Matharoo (20:27:352)

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  • Leela wins ITC National title

    Leela wins ITC National title

    Noida (New Delhi), 19 Sept 2013: N Leelakrishnan was crowned champion in the Indian Touring Cars (ITC) class in the fifth and final round of the National Racing Championship for cars at the Buddh International Circuit here Sunday.

    Leelakrishnan started on pole and convincingly led from start to finish. Arjun Balu starting second, also had a good start and was followed by Sivaramakrishnan and V Ramnarayan.

    Despite a hard chase from Sivaramkrishnan who was all over him, Balu stayed put in second place. Sivaramkrishnan made his move on the third lap and passed Arjun Balu with Ramnarayan also getting ahead of him in the next lap.

    Meanwhile, Leelakrishnan took the flag first and crosssed the finish line only to be slapped a penalty which pushed him down to third place. However, his third position in the race was good enough to clinch the National title in ITC class. Arjun Balu came second in the championship ahead of Ramnarayan in third.

    N. Leelakrishnan, also known as Leela in Indian motorsport circles, is a seven-time National Rally Champion and one time Formula 3(India) champion from Coimbatore.

  • Vikash Anand wins his first-ever MRF 1600 race in style

    Buddh International Circuit, 15 Sept 2013: Indian driver Vikash Anand

    Vikash Anand wins his first-ever MRF 1600 race at BIC on Sunday. An Adrenna photo
    Vikash Anand wins his first-ever MRF 1600 race at BIC on Sunday. An Adrenna photo

    won his first ever MRF 1600 race in style of the season ahead of 15yr old Tarun Reddy at the final round of the MMSC-FMSCI National Racing Championship at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida. M Sivaramakrishnan won the Indian Touring Car race after 2013 Champion and winner N Leelakrishnan was given a 15 second penalty for jumping the start. The BIC was bustling with 15000 fans present  for the MMSC NRC special weekend for both cars and bikes. MMSC prize money of over 60 lakhs for the 2013 MMSC NRC is the highest of its kind for Indian motorsport, a press release said.

    The opening race, the Toyota EMR Trophy had Diljith, who started on pole position, again lead from start to finish win with ease. Akhil Rabindra was again his main competition finishing in second place, 6.686 seconds behind the leader. Dean Mascarenhas finished in a distant third, 13.187 seconds behind the leader.    

    In the ITC race, Leelakrishnan started on pole and convincingly led from start to finish. Arjun Balu startting in second, also had a good start and was followed by M Sivaramakrishnan and V Ramnarayan. Arjun managed to stay in second with Sivaramkrishnan all over him. On lap 3 Sivaramkrishnan made his move and passed Arjun with Ramnarayan also getting past a lap later. Leelakrishnan crossed the finish line in 1st place but was later given a 15 second penalty for jumping the start. He eventually finished in 3rd position while Sivaramakrishnan was adjudged the winner. Ramnarayan finished in third place to take the final step of the podium. Leelakrishnan was crowned 2013 ITC Champion with 2012 Champion Arjun Balu finishing in second and V Ramnarayan in third position in the overall championship standings. Newly crowned Indian Junior Touring Car champion Feroze Khan signed off in style with victory in the IJTC race. Charen Chandran finished in second place ahead of Race 1 winner Ananth Pitawala.

    The MRF 1600 race was up next with Japanese driver Kizuka Hirota on reverse-grid pole position. Vikash Anand had a great start from fourth on the grid and was upto second place after the first corner behind Hirota. Behind him Yudai Jinkawa, Advait Deodhar and Tarun Reddy followed. Tarun passed Advait on the long straight to move into 4th place behind Yudai. Vikash started putting pressure on Hirota and passed him on lap 2 with a brilliant move around the outside on Turn 4 at the end of the long straight. Tarun passed Hirota and Yudai over the next two laps to move into second place. At the front Vikash continued to put in fastest laps and pull away from the rest of the pack. He crossed the line in first place to take a well deserved win. tarun finished in second place with Hirota in third after Yudai suffered a puncture. 2013 Championship winner Ashwin Sundar did not race and was crowned MRF 1600 Champion in the last round. Vikash Anand finished in second place with Tarun Reddy in third place in the Championship.

    With the championship still on the line, the final race of the day was Race 4 of the Toyota EMR Trophy. Varun Anekar started on pole in the reverse grid race. Varun led from the start and took his first ever win ahead of Akshay Gupta and Binoy John Maddela. Diljith finished in 4th place but that was enough for him to be crowned the first ever Toyota EMR Trophy winner with Akshil Rabindra in second and Varun Anekar in third place in the standings. All the three will get the opportunity to race internationally in the Vios Cup that will take place in Thailand later this year, which is conducted by Toyota Racing Development (TRD) in Thailand.

    Results:

    Race 1, Toyota EMR

    1. Diljith
    2. Akhil Rabindra
    3. Dean Mascarenhas

    Race 2, ITC

    1. M Sivaramakrishnan
    2. V Ramnarayan
    3. N Leelakrishnan

    Race 2, Indian Junior Touring Cars

    1. Feroze Khan
    2. Charen Chandran
    3. Ananth Pitawala

    Race 3, MRF 1600

    1. Vikash Anand
    2. Tarun Reddy
    3. Kizuka Hirota

    Race 4, Toyota EMR

    1. Varun Anekar
    2. Akshay Gupta
    3. Binoy John Maddela

    National Racing Championship winners:

    INDIAN TOURING CARS

    1. N Leelakrishnan
    2. Arjun Balu
    3. V Ramnarayan

    INDIAN JUNIOR TOURING CARS

    1. Feroze Khan
    2. Charen Chandran
    3. VJ Senthil

    MRF 1600

    1. Ashwin Sundar
    2. Vikash Anand
    3. Tarun Reddy

    TOYOTA EMR TROPHY

    1. Diljith
    2. Akhil Rabindra
    3. Varun Anekar

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  • Rajini Krishnan steals the show in Round 3 Moto Racing Nationals

    Buddh International Circuit, 15 Sept 2013: K Rajini Krishnan stole the show with a win and runner-up place at Round 3 of the 2013 Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship at the Buddh International Circuit on S

    Rajini leads the race in round 3 on Sunday at BIC. Photo by Adrenna Communications.
    Rajini leads the race in round 3 on Sunday at BIC. Photo by Adrenna Communications.

    unday. Both Honda CBR 250R and NRC Experts categories saw some close racing all weekend with a crowd of 15000 fans present in the grandstand at the BIC, according to an Adrenna press release.

    First race of the day saw the TVS-Apache RTR180 in action and Mathana Kumar took the honours with another convincing win to complete a perfect weekend for the young rider. The battle for second was a five-way scrap with Ananth Raj finishing in second just ahead of SK Prakash. Arvind Ganesh finished in 4th position ahead of Mizoram rider B Lalrutsanga.

    The second race of the day, the Yamaha-Y2F R15, saw Arun Muthukrishnan crossing the finish line ahead of Ramesh by a mere 0.448 seconds. Race 1 winner Shyam Shankar finished in 3rd place ahead of Vivek Pillai. The difference in time between 3rd position and 7th position was 3 tenths off a second as they crossed the finish line showing how close the racing was.

    The CBR 250R race once again was highlight of the day with 7 riders all in position to win for the entire race. There was frantic trading of places for the entire race. Sarath Kumar, who started on pole, lost out at the start to Race 1 winner K Rajini Krishnan. Rajini led for the first two laps with Sarath, Sumit Lucas Toppo, Harshit Rao, A Prabhu all following. Prabhu and Sarath took over the lead for a brief while before Rajini was back in front. Heading into the last lap Rajini led followed by Prabhu and Sarath. As they came out of the last corner Prabhu and Sarath collided with both crashing out of the race. Rajini held on for another great win with Sumit finishing in second and Harshit Rao in third place.

    The last race of the day saw the NRC Experts 165cc take to the track. If the previous race was close the NRC Experts category provided even more action with some great wheel-to-wheel racing. Rajini was once again in the thick of things as he led from the start followed by K Jagan and Sumit Lucas Toppo. Right behind them was Deepak R and Vivek Pillai with all 6 riders in with a chance to win. In the end Jagan overtook race leader Rajini on the final lap to finish 0.183 seconds behind. Deepak R finished in 3rd place, 0.265 seconds behind. The top 5 were separate by 0.765 seconds at the end of the race.

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  • Leelakrishnan dominates ITC; Jinkawa wins thrilling MRF 1600 race

    Buddh International Circuit, 14 Sept 2013: Japanese driver Yudai Jinkawa won a thrilling MRF 1600 race ahead of Vikash Anand and Tarun Reddy (later given a jumpstart penalty) with the top 3 being separated by 3 tenths off a second at the chequered flag. The final round of the MMSC-FMSCI National Racing Championship took place at the Buddh International Circuit at Greater Noida with most drivers driving here for the first time. N Leelakrishnan held off reigning champion Arjun Balu to win by 3.030seconds in the Indian Touring Car category while Ananth Pitawala claimed his first ever win in the Indian Junior Touring Car category. Diljith won Race 1 while youngster Akhil Rabindra won Race 2 of the Toyota EMR Trophy.

    The opening race, the Toyota EMR Trophy had Diljith, who started on pole position, lead from start to finish to take a dominant win. Akhil Rabindra managed to hold off Abhinay Bikkani to finish in second place, 7.716 seconds behind the leader. Varun Anekar finished in 4th place after a race long battle with Akhil and Abhinay.  

    In the ITC race, Leelakrishnan started on pole and had a good start off the line. Arjun Balu started slow but just managed to hold off a charging M Sivaramakrishnan behind him. Leelakrishnan pulled a 2 second lead in the first two laps and managed to keep the gap for the rest of the race. Arjun went faster as the race went on setting his fastest lap off the race on the second last lap. Sivaramakrishnan had a lonely race in third as he finished 13.317 seconds behind the leader.

    The next race was the most exciting with the MRF 1600 on track. Yudai, starting on pole, had a great start and went into the lead with Tarun and Vikash right behind him. Tarun and Vikash had a great battle for the first 3 laps with the latter finally getting past in the mid-sector. Vikash then started to reel Yudai in bringing Tarun with him and was right on his tail with three laps to go. Vikash drove brilliantly and tried to pass Yudai several times but could not find a way past. The top three finally finished within a mere 0.307 seconds separating them. Tarun was later given a penalty for jumping the start and ended up in 5th place with Advait Deodhar moving up to the final podium spot. Adavit, Kizuka Hirota and Masaki Fujimura had their own battle trading places throughout the race.

    The final race of the day was Race 2 of the Toyota EMR Trophy with Akhil Rabindra taking his first victory. It was the closest Toyota race with 1 second separating the top 4 at the chequered flag. Akhil and Diljith started in 7th & 8th position and worked their way through field. Akhil had a better start and was upto 4th position by lap 3. He then passed Varun Aneakr to move into 2nd place before passing Farhan Ahmed to take the lead. Diljith moved up to 3rd position and tried hard to pass Farhan for 2nd place but ran out of laps.

    Results: Race 1, Toyota EMR: 1. Diljith; 2. Akhil Rabindra; 3. Varun Anekar.

    Race 2, ITC: 1. N Leelakrishnan; 2. Arjun Balu; 3. M Sivaramakrishnan.

    Race 3, Indian Junior Touring Cars: 1. Ananth Pitawala; 2. VJ Senthil; 3. Charen Chandran.

    Race 4, MRF 1600: 1. Yudai Jinkawa; 2. Vikash Anand; 3. Advait Deodhar.

    Race 5, Toyota EMR: 1. Akhil Rabindra; 2. Farhan Ahmed; 3. Diljith.

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    Leelakrishnan wins ITC race at BIC on Saturday. An Adrenna photo
    Leelakrishnan wins ITC race at BIC on Saturday. An Adrenna photo

  • Rajini pips Sarath in the final corner

    Buddh International Circuit (Greater Noida), 14 Sept 2013: India’s top two riders Sarath Kumar and K Rajini Krishnan in the Honda CBR 250 category fought tooth and nail in the 3rd Round of the 2013 Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship which kicked off at the Buddh International Circuit here on Saturday. Four4 races were held today.

    Rajini got past Sarath on the final corner in the final lap to win by 0.0157 seconds.

    The National championship created history by becoming the first-ever competitive bike championship to race at the BIC with leading motorcycle manufacturers Honda, Yamaha and TVS participating.

    First race of the day saw the TVS-Apache RTR180 in action and Mathana Kumar took the honours with a convincing win. He was followed across the finish line by Ananth P Raj, who finished 5.898 seconds behind. The battle for third went down to the wire with a three-way-battle between Arvind Ganesh, SK Prakash and Alwyn Jebaz. Arvind came out in front to take the final step of the podium.

    The second race of the day, the Yamaha-Y2F R15, provided some more nail biting action with Shyam Shankar and Vivek Pillai trading placed all through the race. Shyam and Vivek came out of the last corner side-by-side with Shyam just edging ahead as they crossed the finish line 0.083 seconds ahead.

    The action resumed with the CBR 250R with India’s two top riders Sarath Kumar & Rajini Krishnan going head-to-head once again. Last time out in Chennai both collided and it looked like it might happen again but both riders put on a scintillating performance to show their class. Sarath, who started on pole, led off the line followed by Abhishek V and Rajini. Rajini soon passed Abhishek and had a race long battle with Sarath. At the start of the last lap it looked like Sarath had done enough but Rajini came hard at him and they were side-by-side coming into the fast corner. Rajini dived down the inside of Sarath and made the move stick and crossed the line in first place ahead of Sarath. Abhishek V finished in the third place.

    The last race of the day saw the NRC Experts 165cc take to the track. K Jagan took a victory ahead of Harry Sylvester and Deepak R. Jagan started well and led from start to finish easily. Harry and Deepak behind him battled each other the whole race with almost nothing between them.

    Races will resume Sunday morning at 10

    K Rajini wins the first race at BIC on Saturday in the National Championship. Photo by Adrenna Communications
    K Rajini wins the first race at BIC on Saturday in the National Championship. Photo by Adrenna Communications

    am. 

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  • BIC to host National Racing events for both bikes, 4-wheelers

    Greater Noida, 13 Sept 2013: For the first time in the history of Indian motorsports, both 2-Wheelers and 4-Wheelers of the National Racing Championship under the aegis of Federation of Motor Sports Clubs in India (FMSCI) will race together in a special weekend at the Buddh International Circuit in here this weekend.

    According to a press release from Adrenna Communications, both the National Racing Championship and Indian National Motorcycle Championship will take place on Saturday and Sunday bringing together the biggest manufacturers in the world. Toyota, Honda, Yamaha will bring the international manufacturers together while MRF Tyres and TVS Racing will keep the Indian flag flying high. This will also mark the first time that a motorcycle race will be held at the BIC since the circuit opened in 2011.

    The launch saw the 160+ participants standing on the main straight of the BIC under the start-finish lights along with various racing categories that will take place this weekend. The five partners (MRF, TVS, Toyota, Yamaha, Honda) all addressed the media and stressed on the need to develop motorsports in the country and this weekend being one little step.

    Speaking on the main straight of the Circuit Vicky Chandhok, President, FMSCI, said: “This is truly a great moment for us to have both 2-wheelers and 4-wheelers racing on the same weekend. We would like to do this in a more regular basis depending on the outcome of the weekend. The home of the Indian GP is a great place to host this event for the first time ever. It is great to see manufacturers like Toyota, Honda, Yamaha, TVS and of course MRF Racing all coming together for one simple goal – develop the sport in India. To have the first ever motorcycle race at the BIC is truly a great feeling and I am confident that this is the first of many. We will have motorcycle racing, single-seater racing, sportscar racing, what more could a racing fan ask for?”

    The historic weekend will feature the MRF 1600 category, Toyota EMR Trophy and the Indian Touring Cars and Indian Junior Touring Cars Championship in the 4-Wheeler category. The 2-Wheeler races will include the the TVS Apache RTR-180 category, Yamaha Y2F R15 One Make Championship, Honda CBR 250 One Make Championship and NRC Experts, Group C upto 165cc.

    Ajit Thomas, President, MMSC, was thrilled at the prospect of both cars and bikes racing on the same weekend. “This is the 17th year of the National Racing Championship and we are really excited about this special weekend that will see both bikes and cars running together. In our 60th year I am extremely proud of the great work done by everyone at the MMSC and all our esteemed partner. We are keen to take this unique initiative to the BIC and looking to make this a constant fixture in the coming years. We have only one objective in mind and that is to develop motorsports in the country and do everything in our power to make it a success,” he said.  

    MRF Racing, will unleash their MRF 1600 category  on the BIC for only the second time, after being the support race for the Formula One Indian GP in 2011. Ashwin Sundar wrapped up the championship in the last round in Chennai but young pretenders Tarun Reddy, Advait Deodhar and Vikash Anand will be looking to make their mark at this challenging circuit. The international drivers have been impressive with Yudai Jinkawa taking three wins and Kizuki Hirota taking one win.

    Arun Mammen, Managing Director, MRF Tyres, said: “Coming to the BIC is always a special feeling and we can’t wait to see our cars go around this great circuit. Since the lap is longer and harder on the tyres we have had to push the envelope to ensure the driver’s can push the cars to the limit. We are extremely proud of the entire MRF 1600 season and a special thank you to the entire team who have made this possible. At the beginning of the season we were clear that we wanted to have a competitive series and am glad to see that we have achieved this. There is no better way to end the season that letting these young drivers fight it out at the BIC.”

    The Indian Touring Car championship will see championship leader looking to close out the title as heads to the BIC with a 34 point lead. Last year’s champion Arjun Balu has seen his title hopes fade over the last two rounds as he has struggled to finish on the podium. He is level on points with V Ramnarayan as they will battle for the second place this weekend.

    The Toyota Etios Motor Racing (EMR) Trophy will continue their participation in the 2013 NRC with 4 races being held at the BIC for the race weekend. This will be the first time that the Toyota EMR cars will race at the BIC. The winners will get an opportunity to race outside India to further hone their skills. The Toyota EMR had a great first round in Chennai and will give their young drivers the opportunity to impress at the BIC. Diljith was dominant at the earlier round in Chennai winning 2 out of the 3 races and will be the favourite to win again.

    Commenting on this occasion, Sanjay Gupta, General Manager, Marketing, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, said, “After a fun & excitement filled exhibition race season last year, the inaugural round of EMR Trophy took place in July in Chennai this year. This is our second participation in the National Racing Championship and the first time that the EMR cars will be driven at the BIC. Racing at the BIC will be a huge boost for all our drivers as they are all geared to take on the EMR Trophy. The best three EMR drivers of both Trophy I & II will also get the opportunity to race at the Vios Cup scheduled to take place in Thailand this year. It is a single make racing conducted by Toyota Racing Development (TRD) in Thailand.”

    The races from the FMSCI 2013 FMSCI Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship will include the TVS Apache RTR-180 category, Yamaha Y2F R15 One Make Championship, Honda CBR 250 One Make Championship and NRC Experts, Group C upto 165cc.

    The TVS Apache RTR-180 category has Ananth Raj in the lead with 93 points, with second placed SK Prakash 20 points behind him and Arun M further behind. Arvind Pangaonkar, Head, TVS Racing and Advisor R&D, TVS Motor Company, commented, “TVS Racing’s commitment to motorsport is evident in the fact that TVS Motor Company has for more than 25 years participated in, supported and excelled in various types of motorsports events held across the country. Such platforms help us get practical, hands on learning and insights.  This wealth of knowledge subsequently gets translated into our stock motorcycles to enhance customer delight.”

    The Yamaha Y2F R15 One Make Championship is much closer with the top 5 riders separated by only 20 points. Shyam Shankar leads the championship ahead of Mathana Kumar. Behind them there is a five point difference separating M Sudhakar, P Ananth Raj and Dinesh Kumar.

    Speaking on the occasion Mr. Ravinder Singh, VP- Sales Strategy Planning, Yamaha Motor India Sales Pvt. Ltd. said, “Motorsports has always been an integral part of our corporate philosophy. We’ve always given special importance to motorcycle racing in India as we consider it a way of expressing the ‘Spirit of Challenge’ that we value so highly. We’ve really come a long way since 2010 when we first started the R15 One Make Race Championships in India. Through the R15 One Make race Championship, which is one of our key initiatives to connect with our customers, we aspire to take the motorcycle racing culture to newer heights in the country. This is the first time the race involving national level riders is being hosted at the Buddh International Circuit, a step which will help increase awareness on the Indian racing culture in this part of the country as well. We are very happy with this development as it is very much in line with our endeavor to take the racing culture to newer heights in the country.”

    India’s only MotoGP rider Sarath Kumar leads the charge in the Honda CBR 250 One Make Championship with 73 points. The battle behind him is extremely close with upcoming rider Sumit Lucas Toppo in second place ahead of international race winner K Rajni Krishnan.

    “This is the first time that HMSI is conducting Honda One Make Race at Buddh International Circuit. As a responsible member of society, Honda will continue to expand safe fun biking culture in India. With the CBR 250R under Team Championship, Honda will promote its global legacy of providing advanced motor-sports experience of expert riders.”, said Mr. Y S Guleria- Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India.

    The NRC Experts Group C upto 165cc category is the closest of all with K Jagan and Vivek Pillai tied for first place with Sumit Lucas Toppo in third place, just 8 points away.

    For all the live action go to www.madrasmotorsports.in

    Participants in all categories who will be racing this weekend at BiC. An Adrenna photo

    Participants in all categories who will be racing this weekend at BiC. An Adrenna photo

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  • 5-round Indian National TSD Rally calendar released

    Chennai, 11 Sept 2013: The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) on Wednesday announced the calendar for the 2nd year of the highly popular Indian National TSD Rally Championship 2013. This championship will be run under the TSD (Time, Speed, Distance) format of rallying, with the objective being to maintain precise times and average speeds on various segments of a predefined route. Leading Indian manufacturer Mahindra have already confirmed their support by supplying 6 cars for the season, a press release from Adrenna Communications said.

    Last year, JK Tyre entered the rally scene after a long gap and sponsored the TSD championship which soon became a popular event.

    File photo of 2012 winners of Indian National TSD Rally championship. Photo by JK Tyre
    File photo of 2012 winners of Indian National TSD Rally championship. Photo by JK Tyre

    TSD rallying in india is extremely popular as you don’t have to prepare a Special vehicle for this all it needs is a good navigator and coordination between driver and navigator. Any cars/SUV having a valid registration in India (RTO) may participate. The total distance of the rally is set at a distance of minimum 175 Km and maximum of 200 Km.

    FMSCI President Vicky Chandhok said that the Federation is excited about the second year of the TSD Rallying championship after a successful first year. He said, “Our first year of the TSD Rallying Championship was received very well and that is why we are keen to promote it again this year. The interesting thing about TSD is that it is the only form of motorsport where speed is not a priority but rather precision and is a great stepping stone for rally enthusiasts. We had good manufacturers support last year and we hope to get more of them involved this year as well.

    “The beauty of this championship is that any car can participate and no modification is necessary. It connects with the grassroots level of the sport and is hugely popular. We are keen to continue to promote awareness of the sport and confident that this will reach a completely new audience. We would like to thank the organizing clubs for stepping in and taking on the responsibility to ensure we have another successful year.” added Chandhok.

    The 2013 Indian National (TSD) Rally Championship will consist of 5 rounds with the first round taking place in Nashik. There will be two main categories, namely, Pro Expert and Pro Stock. The cars need not be altered or modified as it is a TSD format. Each car will be fitted with Transponders, GPS, Trip Meter and digital cameras for backup times and verification etc.

    Round 1 of the 2013 TSD championship will be held in Nashik on September 28-29. This will be followed by rallies in Chikmagalur, Coimbatore and Bangalore. 

    The calendar for the 2013 TSD Championship will be as follows:

    Round 1    :       September 28-29      :           Nashik

    Round 2    :       October 19-20           :           Chikmagalur

    Round 2    :       November 16-17       :           Coimbatore

    Round 3    :       December 7-8            :           Bangalore

    Round 1    :       December 20-21        :          Coimbatore

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  • Parth Ghorpade finishes 5th in Formula Renault 2.0 ALPS at Mugello

    Mugello, 9 Sept 2013: Young Indian racer Parth Ghorpade finished in a brilliant 5th position to record his best finish of the season in the Formula Renault 2.0 ALPS race at Mugello, Italy. Parth had his best weekend of the series with a solid qualifying and race performance at the challenging Mugello Circuit in the Tuscany region of Italy. Parth finished in 9th position in the second race, an Adrenna release said

    Parth Ghorpade finishes 5th at Mugello on Sunday. An Adrenna Communications photo
    Parth Ghorpade finishes 5th at Mugello on Sunday. An Adrenna Communications photo

    .

    For the first time this season Parth had a great start to the weekend with competitive times in all 3 free practice sessions. This was followed by an even better qualifying session where he finished P5 in a very strong Group A . He missed  P4 by 0.003 of a second to Piers Gasly,  who is currently running 2nd in the Formula Renault Eurocup series. There were a number of Eurocup drivers for this race to form  one of the strongest grids this season. Parth qualified overall in position for Race 1 P9 for Race.

    In Race 1, Parth had a great start and he moved up to 5th position at the first corner. He held this position till the end , but to do so he had to set some consistently fast times as in front of him was Vermont of Team ARTA and behind him was Silva of Koirannen GP. Parth was all over Vermont for P4 throughout the race but could not find a way past. He had the 4th fastest lap of the race even recording the fastest time in sector 3 giving him a strong finish.

    Race 2 was tougher for the Indian as he lost couple of positions at the start. Parth got stuck in a 3 way battle for 8th place behind his teammate Dario Capitanio and Sahara of Euronova. The last lap saw Parth battling with his team-mate Capitanio for P9, with Parth pulling off a brave move on the inside of the last corner. The two cars were side by side from halfway through the corner right to the finish line, with Parth managing to nose ahead by a few centimeters. It was a thrilling finish in a race where he had the pace to finish in a higher position.

    Parth was confident of a strong end to the season after his ability to fight with the top guys on a challenging circuit. He commented, “It was great to finally fight with the top guys especially at a great challenging track like Mugello. From the first practice session the car has been really good and we have been competitive. Race 1 was perfect but due to overtaking being tough over here we just could not get past Vermont. Race 2 was tougher as I did not have a great start and then got stuck behind slower cars. It was nice to finish wheel-to-wheel with Dario (Capitanio) as I just nudged ahead. I am confident heading into the last round at Imola and hope to fight with the top guys again.”.

    The Formula Renault 2.0 ALPS, is one of the most competitive feeder series for the Formula Renault 3.5 championship. The Formula Renault 2.0 ALPS, powered by the Clio III Renault Sport engine, has a paddle-operated 7-speed sequential gearbox, with 250bhp and push rod suspension.

    The ALPS series will have 36 drivers for the 2013 season with 7 rounds consisting of two races each. The 2013 Formula Renault 2.0 ALPS calendar includes visits to the historic Spa-Francorrchamps, Monza, Imola and Vallelunga. Each race weekend has three 60 minute practice sessions on Friday, with qualifying and Race 1 on Saturday and Race 2 on Sunday.

    19 year-old Ghorpade is the 2012 Formula Pilota Asian Champion, a five-time National Karting Champion, and runner-up in the inaugural 2010 Volkswagen Polo Cup India.

    Calendar for the 2013 Formula Renault 2.0 ALPS
    1 April 7 Vallelunga
    2 May 12 Imola
    3 June 9 Spa-Francorchamps
    4 July 7 Monza
    5 July 28 Misano
    6 September 8 Mugello
    7 October 6 Imola

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