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Category: Racing
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Bike racing stalwart Rajini Krishnan wins historic 10th National title
Irungattukottai (near Chennai), 5 Feb. 2022: Current Indian two-wheeler racing stalwart Rajini Krishnan scripted a piece of historic masterclass to create a milestone in the annals of Indian National Motorcylce Championship by winning a rare TENTH NATIONAL title on the concluding day of another season, of the MRF MMSC fmsci Motorcycle Racing Nationals at the 3.7-km MMRT track, here on Saturday.
The 41-year old, Chennai-born star’s first National crown in 10 years. The last came in 2012, which was his 9th title after his debut crown in 2003. Rajini started his RACR, a racing academy in 2017 and with a focus to attract attention to his new venture, he realised he had to ride again. And what a success, as he struggled and overcame all odds, to win a National Championship again at the age of 41 years, almost winning his final race starting from P12.
He took an unwarranted risk of going for a winning-end to his campaigan, and reached P2, but suffered a crash in the last lap. He was quick on his heels to pick-up his bike and rejoin the race to get on to the podium, lighting up the final few moments, but not before his fans skipped a beat or two, and the the fifth and final round of the Madras Motor Sports Club promoted Nationals came to a grand end.
Castrol Power1 Ultimate in the hands of a Powerful champion as Rajini Krishnan celebrates with a new T-shirt that proclaims his 1`0 National title in a span of two decades from 2003 (his debut) to 2022, his 10th National title. Photo by Anand Philar Another biking stalwart, Jagan Kumar of TVS Racing, had assured himself of the National title, his 10th, on Friday, after finishing third in the Pro-Stock 165cc category. In the second race today, he cruised to fourth. KY Ahamed led a 1-2 finish for TVS Racing with Deepak Ravikumar second, while Rajiv Sethu (Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing) came in third. Thus, the final round proved to be a good outing for the motorsport connossieur providing an op to witness two biking legends create history winning their 10th title each.
2021 Bike Racing Champions: from left: Ajith Thomas, President, Madras Motor Sport Club (MMSC), Alwin Sundar (Novice Stock 165cc class), Jagan Kumar (Pro-stock 165), Ryhana Bee (Girls stock 165cc), Rajini Krishnan (Pro-Stock 301-400cc) and Vicky Chandhok, Vice-President MMSC at Madras Motorsports Race Track (MMRT) on 5 Feb. 2022. Rajini Krishnan finished third in the premier Pro-Stock 301-400cc category. Also annexing the National Championship title was 19-year old Chennai collegian Alwin Sundar of AS (Anand-Sindy) Motorsports in the Novice (Stock 165cc) category despite finishing second behind Allwin Xavier of Sparks Racing. He thus completed a triple crown.
In the Girls category, Ryhana Bee (RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate), also from Chennai, marked her comeback season after a year’s absence in 2020 due to injury, by winning her fifth consecutive race. She had sealed the championship after Round 4, but ensured that she closed the season on a winning note. She swept all the rounds and kept her slate clean, a rare achievement on the track with high competition.
Rajini Krishnan, who needed just four points to annex the championship going into the final round, had a roller-coaster weekend, marked by crashes in both the races. In the first outing yesterday, he crashed before finishing 12th, and earned no point (only the first ten riders score points).
In the second race on Saturday, (Sunday’s races were advanced to Saturday due to COVID travel restrictions) starting from P12, he moved to second but hit an oil patch on the last lap. However, he jumped back on to the bike, to finish third behind Rahil Shetty of Gusto Racing and Anish Damodara Shetty of Race Concepts, to earn 15 valuable points. However, he needed just 4 points and an eight-place finish. Anish Shetty crossed the finish line first, but he dropped to second following a five-second penalty for an infringement, elevating Rahil to the top step of the podium.
Rajini, who had made his National Championship debut in 2003, topped the leaderboard with 183 points and six wins, followed by Anish Shetty (164) and Rahil Shetty (156).
Elsewhere, youngster Sarthak Chavan from Pune, dominated the NSF 250R category in the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup with a double which followed four consecutive wins over the previous two rounds. However, he finished second in the championship, seven points behind Chennai youngster Kavin Quintal who had won the first four races of the season.
Kozhikode’s Amarnath Menon took the title in the Open (Apache RR310) category of the TVS One-Make Championship with four wins from 10 starts.
Provisional results (all 6 laps unless mentioned):
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”14″ gal_title=”2021 Indian Bike Nationals Final day 5Feb2022″]Pro-Stock 301-400cc (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. Rahil Shetty (Gusto Racing, Hyderabad) (15mins, 12.661secs); 2. Anish Damodara Shetty (Race Concepts, Bengaluru) (15:17.595); 3. Rajini Krishnan (RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate, Chennai) (15:31.119). National champion: Rajini Krishnan. Team championship: TVS Racing. Manufacturer championship: KTM.
Pro-Stock 165cc Open (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. KY Ahamed (TVS Racing, Chennai) (15:41.370); 2. Deepak Ravikumar (TVS Racing, Chennai) (15:41.461); 3. Rajiv Sethu (Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing) (15:42.251). National champion: Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing, Chennai). Team championship: TVS Racing. Manufacturer championship: TVS.
Novice (Stock 165cc) (Race-3): 1. Allwin Xavier (Sparks Racing, Thrissur) (12:53.797); 2. Alwin Sundar (AS Motorsports, Chennai) (12:54.438); 3. Jinendra Kiran Sangave (Sparks Racing, Kolhapur) (13:03.099). National champion: Alwin Sundar. Team Championship: Sparks Racing.
Girls (Stock 165cc) 5 laps: 1. Ryhana Bee (RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate, Chennai) (10:53.980); 2. Lani Zena Fernandez (Speed Up Racing, Puducherry) (10:55.735); 3. Ann Jennifer (Sparks Racing, Chennai) (11:04.284). National champion: Ryhana Bee. Team Championship: RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate.
TVS One-Make Championship – Open (Apache RR310) Race-1: 1. Jagadeesh N (Bengaluru) (11:46.912); 2. Navaneeth Kumar S (Puducherry) (11:48.365); 3. Amarnath Menon (Kozhikode) (11:49.054). Race-2: 1. Amarnath Menon (11:50.667); 2. Ananthraj P (Chennai) (11:50.961); 3. Manoj Yesuadiyan (Chennai) (11:51.838). Champion: Amarnath Menon.
Rookie (Apache RTR 200) (Race-2): 1. Chiranth Viswanath (Bengaluru) (12:48.129); 2. Jinendra Kiran Sangave (Kolhapur) (12:48.443); 3. Shreyas Hareesh Cooparam (Bengaluru) (12:48.457). Race-3: 1. Chiranth Viswanath (12:42.924); 2. Jinendra Kiran Sangave (12:43.614); 3. KR Tamizhinian (Chennai) (12:44.221). Champion: Jinendra Kiran Sangave.
Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup – NSF 250R (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. Sarthak Chavan (Pune) (14:45.513); 2. Kavin Quintal (Chennai) (14:54.015); 3. Mohsin Paramban (Valancherry) (14:55.452). Champion: Kavin Quintal.
CBR 150 (Race-2): 1. Theopaul Leander (Chennai) (17:13.251); 2. Siddesh Sawant (Uttur) (17:13.492); 3. Raheesh Khatri (Mumbai) (17:14.100). Race-3: 1. Theopaul Leander (13:03.492); 2. Siddesh Sawant (13:04.026); 3. Vivek Gaurav (Patna) (13:04.517). Champion: Prakash Kamat (Bokaro Steel City).
Hornet 2.0 (Support class, Race-3): 1. G Balaji (Chennai) (13:33.889); 2. Udayi Prakash (Coimbatore) (13:34.521); 3. Shankar Guru (Chennai) (13:38.138). Champion: Kevin Kannan (Chennai).
TVS Media (Apache RTR 200, 5 laps): 1. Soham Thakur (11:46.045); 2. Manaal Mahatme (12:15.099); 3. Ajinkya Lad (12:16.537). Champion: Soham Thakur.
About Madras Motor Sports Club
Since its humble beginnings in 1953, the Madras Motor Sports Club has grown in stature as the hub of motorsport activity in India. Having moved its racing activities from Sholavaram to its present location, the MMRT circuit in Sriperumbudur in 1979, MMSC has kept pace with changing times by upgrading facilities. At a cost of about Rs 20 Crore, the MMSC built a pit complex comprising 20 garages, VIP hospitality suites and a viewing gallery, on the eastern side, apart from a second Paddock on the western side with its own short circuit. Parallelly, MMSC imported timing equipment specifically for Drag racing. The Control Room too was upgraded with state-of-the-art hardware while the track itself was improved to meet the exacting FIA standards for Grade-2 certification. MMSC also constructed a 500-capacity grand stand with provision for garages / storage below. In another upgrade, the MMSC purchased Digi flags from TAG Heuer Chronolec that will be positioned strategically around the track. The facilities are also extensively used by various vehicle manufacturers for testing their products, displays and corporate days.
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Jagan Kumar of TVS wins historic 10th Indian National title: Bike racing
Chennai, 4 Feb 2022: Road Racing champion and the most-decorated rider from the stables of TVS Racing, Jagan Kumar, 33, made a stunning statement in style conquering his tenth National crown with a race to spare in the fifth and final round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2021 at the MMRT, here on Friday.
From cycling house to house as a newspaper boy to grabbing regular headlines in all the newspapers winning astride his TVS machine year after year, the humble genius achieved a racing milestone in the history of Indian motorsports. With a handsome lead in the championship table, he just needed 10 points and a third in the premier Pro-Stock 165cc race was more than enough as he fetched 15 points. TVS Racing teammates, the mechs, and all in the camp, were ready to receive him with brand new No.1 T-shirts that proclaimed and celebrated Jagan’s success.
Earlier, Bengaluru-based Anish Damodara Shetty (Race Concepts), astride a KTM 390, shrugged off a hip injury that he suffered after a high-speed crash in the qualifying session a couple of hours earlier, to win a thrilling race in the Pro-Stock 301-400cc category that headlines the championship.
Also hogging the limelight on the day was Thrissur’s Allwin Xavier (Sparks Racing) who won both the races in the Novice (Stock 165cc) category to move to third spot on the championship leaderboard. Alwin Sundar (AS Motorsports), with two second-place finishes today, took a 16-point lead over another Thrissur rider Anfal Akdhar (Rockstar Racing) to head the championship standings in this category with one more race to be run tomorrow (Saturday).
Keeping the title in sight, 33-year old Jagan rode a conservative race and was content to finish third behind winner and team-mate KY Ahamed who broke the Honda hearts by passing race leader Rajiv Sethu (Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing) entering the start-finish straight on the final lap.
An ecstatic Jagan, said: “The No.10 title was always my goal. In fact, after I won title No.5, I said I would like to double it, but people laughed. Anyway, I am extremely happy to have sealed the championship and it has been a long and difficult journey for me. Today, I did not really push in the race as I wanted to pick up the points I needed for the championship.”
Jagan, who had started the season with a hat-trick of wins, moved to 174 points, well clear of Rajiv Sethu (134), Deepak Ravikumar (128) and Ahamed (124) with just one more race to be run tomorrow (Saturday) and a maximum of 25 points on offer.
Anish Shetty suffered a hit on the right side of the hip after a highspeed high-side crash during the qualifying session, but managed to scramble from a P3 start to the front after a battle with front-running pole-sitter Deepak Ravikumar (TVS Racing). Also in the mix was Rahil Shetty (Gusto Racing). As the six-lap race progressed, Ahamed made two places to tuck in behind Anish Shetty and Rahil as the trio crossed the finish line in that order.
“It was a tough race to win especially after my crash earlier in the day. In the qualifying a couple of hours before the race, I had a high-side crash on the back sweep on just my second hot lap. I must have been doing about 135-140Kmph. I landed on the right side of the hip. Luckily, I didn’t suffer any other injuries, but the team did a fantastic job in getting the bike ready for the race. I had a twitch on the right side and so I couldn’t lean much on the right-hand turns,” said Anish who thus moved within 22 points of leader Rajini Krishnan (RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate) for whom it was a disastrous outing as he crashed in the second lap and finished without a point in12th.
Provisional results (all 6 laps unless mentioned):
Pro-Stock 301-400cc (Race-1): 1. Anish Damodara Shetty (Race Concepts, Bengaluru) (11mins,19.140secs); 2. Ahmed KY (TVS Racing, Chennai) (11:19.332); 3. Rahil Shetty (Gusto Racing, Hyderabad) (11:19.636).
Pro-Stock 165cc (Race-1): 1. KY Ahmed (TVS Racing, Chennai) (11:45.710); 2. Rajiv Sethu (Idemitsu Honda, Chennai) (11:45.953); 3. Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing, Chennai) (11:48.726).
Novice (Stock 165cc – Race 1): 1. Allwin Xavier (Sparks Racing, Thrissur) (12:54.639); 2. Alwin Sundar (AS Motorsports, Chennai) (12:54.845); 3. Samrul Zubair (Raceists, Hyderabad) (13:03.969). Race-2: 1. Allwin Xavier (12:57.130); 2. Alwin Sundar (12:57.484); 3. Jinendra Kiran Sangave (Sparks Racing, Kolhapur) (13:02.255).
TVS One-Make Championship – Girls (Apache RTR 200) 5 laps: . Deepika Reddy (Hyderabad) (11:15.788); 2. Rakshita Dave (Chennai) (11:15.948); 3. Adlin Seles (Chennai) (11:18.401).
Rookie (Apache RTR 200, Race-1): 1. Jinendra Kiran Sangave (Kolhapur) (12:52.657); 2. Chiranth Viswanath (Bengaluru) (12:52.784); 3. Abdul Bhasim (Chennai) (12:52.877).
Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup – NSF 250 Open (Race-1, 4 laps): 1. Sarthak Chavan (Pune) (07:26.094); 2. Kavin Quintal (Chennai) (07:32.266); 3. Mohsin Paramban (Valancherry) (07:34.544).
CBR 150 (Race-1): 1. Vivek Gaurav (13:04.401); 2 Siddesh Sawant (13:06.114); 3. Raheesh Khatri (13:06.157).
Hornet 2.0 (Support class, Race-1): 1. Kevin Kannan (Chennai) (13:25.983); 2. G Balaji (Chennai) (13:26.336); 3. Ajai Xavier (Nagerkoil) (13:31.652).
Race-2: 1. G Balaji (13:29.763); 2. Ajai Xavier (13:37.493); 3. Prabhu V (Chennai) (13:43.956).
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KY Ahamed leads front row sweep for TVS Racing
Chennai, 3 Feb 2022: KY Ahamed led a front-row lockout for TVS Racing as he took pole position in the premier Pro-Stock 165cc Open category as the fifth and final round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2021 commenced at the MMRT, here on Thursday.
Ahamed clocked 01 minute, 54.353 seconds while his team-mates Deepak Ravikumar (01:54.988) and championship leader Jagan Kumar (01:55.179) filled the front row. Incidentally, Jagan, a nine-times National champion, needs a total of 10 points in this weekend’s double-header to seal the title.
Pacer Yamaha team, making a comeback to the championship after a dozen years, had two of their riders, Prabhu Arunagiri (P4) and Mithun Kumar (P6) in the second row along with Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing’s Rajiv Sethu qualified P5.
Earlier, Sparks Racing’s Allwin Xavier, a 22-year old engineering student from Thrissur, who is currently placed third on the leaderboard, grabbed the pole position, clocking 02:07.266.
Championship co-leader Alwin Sundar (AS Motorsports) from Chennai (02:07.466) was second while Mysuru rider, Varun Nanjundegowda (Sparks Racing), completed the front row on the grid for tomorrow’s first of three races, with a hot lap of 02:08.474. Anfal Akdhar (Rockstar Racing), also from Thrissur, who is tied on points with Alwin Sundar, will start from P9, some two seconds off the pace.
In the Girls (Stock 165cc) category, Lani Zena Fernandez (Speed Up Racing) from Puducherry qualified for pole position ahead of Ryhana Bee (RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate) who has already clinched the title in this category, and last year’s champion Ann Jennifer (Sparks Racing).
Lani Zena Fernandez (No.97), who qualified for pole position in the Girls (Stock 165cc) category on Feb 03, 2022. Photo by Anand Philar Meanwhile, Bengaluru’s Anish Damodara Shetty (Race Concepts), currently placed second in the championship behind veteran Rajini Krishnan (RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate), posted the quickest time during the free practice session in the Pro-Stock 301-400cc category, with a best lap of 01:50.614secs. TVS Racing’s Deepak Ravikumar (01:51.175) was the second quickest, ahead of Rajini (01:51.638).
Provisional results (Qualifying – best laps):
Pro-Stock 165cc: 1. KY Ahamed (TVS Racing, Chennai) (01min, 54.353secs); 2. Deepak Ravikumar (TVS Racing, Chennai) (01:54.988); 3. Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing, Chennai) (01:55.179).
Novice (Stock 165cc): 1. Allwin Xavier (Sparks Racing, Thrissur) (02:07.266); 2. Alwin Sundar (AS Motorsports, Chennai) (02:07.466); 3. Varun Nanjundegowda (Sparks Racing, Mysuru) (02:08.474).
Girls (Stock 165cc): 1. Lani Zena Fernandez (Speed Up Racing, Puducherry) (02:10.011); 2. Ryhana Bee (RACR Castrol Power1 Ultimate, Chennai) (02:10.213); 3. Ann Jennifer (Sparks Racing, Chennai) (02:11.052).
TVS One-Make Championship – Open (RR 310): 1. Ami Van (Auroville) (01:56.505); 2. Jagadeesh N (Bengaluru) (01:56.724); 3. Navaneeth Kumar (Puducherry) (01:56.836).
Girls (Apache RTR 200): 1. Deepika Reddy (Hyderabad) (02:12.895); 2. Rakishitha Dave (Chennai) (02:15.137); 3. Adlin Seles (Chennai) (02:15.206).
Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup – CBR 150: 1. Prakash Kamat (Bokaro Steel City) (02:08.265); 2. Vivek Gaurav (Patna) (02:08.559); 3. Theopaul Leander (Chennai) (02:09.128)
Hornet 2.0 (Support class): 1. Kevin Kannan (Chennai) (02:11.712); 2. G Balaji (Chennai) (02:13.053); 3. Shankar Guru (Chennai) (02:14.264).
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National 2W Championship poised for a grand climax
Chennai, 1 Feb 2022: The MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2021 reaches its grand climax this weekend when the fifth and final round, comprising 23 races, will be held at the MMRT over three days from Thursday, February 3.
Promoters Madras Motor Sports Club, now in their 70th year, have scheduled a massive card that also includes 10 free practice and 11 qualifying sessions, besides the four races held over from previous round. Thus, it makes for a mega, action-packed weekend that will also herald freshly-crowned National champions for the 2021 season which spilled into 2022 due to Covid-19-related delays. As in the previous rounds, the number of entries has far exceeded 100 with country’s top manufacturers – Honda, TVS, Yamaha and KTM – also in the mix.
While Ryhana Bee (RACR Castrol Power Ultimate) has already sealed the title in the Girls (Stock 165cc) category with a round to spare after winning all four out of four races for an unbeatable lead, two veterans, Rajini Krishnan, 41, and Jagan Kumar, 32, have one hand on the big trophy.
Multiple National champion Rajini (RACR Castrol Power Ultimate Racing), needs a mere four points from the double-header to seal the championship in the premier Pro-Stock 301-400cc category where he has won six races from eight starts. Likewise, Jagan (TVS Racing), who has won three races from eight starts, is 10 points shy of claiming the title in the Pro-Stock 165cc category, and if he does so, it will be his 10th cumulative National crown since his first in 2009.
In contrast, the situation in the Novice (Stock 165cc) category, has two riders, Thrissur’s Anfal Akdhar (Rockstar Racing, two wins) and local youngster Alwin Sundar (AS Motorsports, four wins) tied on 128 points. However, with three more races, including one held over from previous round, and a maximum of 75 points at stake, the National title in this category is up for grabs.
The card also includes one-make championships organized by the MMSC – the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup which has two categories in NSF 250 and CBR 150 besides a support class, the Hornet 2.0, and the TVS which comprises four classes in Open (Apache RR 310), Rookie, Girls and Media (all RTR 200) classes. The titles in all these categories is still to be decided, except in TVS Girls where local teenager Rakshita Dave has clinched the crown with a round to spare.
“The 2021 season has been long and challenging, but now, we are into the final round this weekend that should witness tough battles for championship positions. We have had some exciting races through the season with increasing number of young aspirants taking part in the championship. Through the challenging times, our sponsors, MRF Tyres, have stood by us, as also the other stakeholders like the riders, manufacturers and of course, the Media who have consistently extended us generous coverage. We remain indebted to all of them,” said MMSC president Ajit Thomas.
About Madras Motor Sports Club
Since its humble beginnings in 1953, the Madras Motor Sports Club has grown in stature as the hub of motorsport activity in India. Having moved its racing activities from Sholavaram to its present location, the MMRT circuit in Sriperumbudur in 1979, MMSC has kept pace with changing times by upgrading facilities. At a cost of about Rs 20 Crore, the MMSC built a pit complex comprising 20 garages, VIP hospitality suites and a viewing gallery, on the eastern side, apart from a second Paddock on the western side with its own short circuit. Parallelly, MMSC imported timing equipment specifically for Drag racing. The Control Room too was upgraded with state-of-the-art hardware while the track itself was improved to meet the exacting FIA standards for Grade-2 certification. MMSC also constructed a 500-capacity grand stand with provision for garages / storage below. In another upgrade, the MMSC purchased Digi flags from TAG Heuer Chronolec that will be positioned strategically around the track. The facilities are also extensively used by various vehicle manufacturers for testing their products, displays and corporate days.
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Sahan Ali cuts Chirag’s lead with commanding win; Ruhaan dominates F1300
Chennai, 21 Jan 2022: Agra’s Shahan Ali Mohsin won a battle of the teenagers while Rayo Racing’s Ishaan Dodhiwala from Hyderabad avoided a first-corner incident to triumph as the third round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2021 sparked to life at the MMRT, here on Friday.
The day began with some commanding display by 15-year old Bengalurean, Ruhaan Alva of MSport, who showed good racecraft while comfortably pocketing the pole position and was the only car to go under 1min 51-sec mark. He set the pace beginning with a best Sector I time before the Red Flag and went on to post the fastest lap of the day in F1300. Meanwhile, Tijil Rao, who had clutch issues jumped into the pits without setting his best time.
Later in the evening, the multiple-National karting champion, Ruhaan, won Race 1 with ease and grace leading from pole to flag in the Safety Car-interrupted race as he gave no chance to the Momentum Motorsports duo Deepak Ravikumar and Tijil Rao, who finished in that order. Tijil Rao, also from Bengaluru, however, made the most of the disadvantage in the morning, by zooming from 19th to podium in the 20-car field. Ruhaan logged the fastest lap, thus completing a triumphant treble on Friday. A pole, a win and the best lap.
Shahan, 17, enjoyed a good start from pole position and went on to pip two 16-year old Bengalureans Chirag Ghorpade and Rishon Rajiv, for his third win of the season. The victory took the Agra teenager’s tally to 109 points in the championship, just 14 short of leader Chirag. The Agra racer too is a multiple Indian Karting champion, who switched over to the Formula cars. Amidst board exams, he took part in the last round and lost points in two races as he had a puncture and technical issues and was trailing by 21 points to Chirag. Thus the victory helped him reduce the margin and with two more races on Saturday in this round, the MRF 1600 class, is interestingly poised. Rishon Rajiv, the reigning Junior National Karting champ, too graduated to cars and did well to complete the podium. Shahan too completed a treble, a pole, a win, and the fastest lap.
Earlier, in the Indian Touring Cars race, Dodhiwala steered clear of a Turn-1 incident involving championship leader Arjun Balu of Race Concepts and Jeet Jhabakh of Rayo Racing to chalk up a fluent win, his first of the season. Balu and Jhabakh, who tried to pass taking the inside line, came together and went off the track while Dodhiwala slipped through into the lead. Balu recovered quickly and all but caught up with Dodhiwala before being forced to ease off due to rising engine temperature each time he pushed.
Eventually, Dodhiwala, who came into this round as a replacement for absentee team-mate Anindith Reddy, won handily ahead of Balu who, however, continues to lead the championship table. The Stewards, after a post-race investigation, docked third-placed Jhabakh a 15-second penalty for “causing an avoidable collision”.
It was a lights-to-flag victory for Ruhaan who fully capitalized on his pole position start and was never really challenged through the eight-lapper which was interrupted by a Safety Car period due to an on-track incident.
Behind Ruhaan, who had missed the previous round due to an international karting commitment, raged a tight fight for the other podium spots. Viswas Vijayaraj (DTS Racing) and Mohd Ryan (MSport), running second and third, spun off after a contact. It allowed Deepak Ravikumar (Momentum Motorsport) to move into second position from fourth and defend his spot to the chequered flag, ahead of team-mate Tijil Rao, the teenager from Bengaluru who put in a great performance to move from P19 to P3. The victory took Ruhaan from eighth and fourth in the championship standings.
Also chalking up victories today were Bengaluru’s Varun Anekar of Race Concepts (Indian Junior Touring Cars) and Chennai’s Deepak Ravikumar of Performance Racing (Super Stock) while Oshan Kothadiya from Pune drove a near-flawless race for his maiden win of the season in the Volkswagen Polo category.
Haryana’s Justin Singh and Mumbai veteran Fahad Kutty, who started P11 on the reverse grid, won a race apiece, in the MRF Saloon Cars (Toyota Etios) category.
For live streaming of the races, please follow the link https://youtu.be/0OithC0iLLo
The results (provisional – all 8 laps unless mentioned):
MRF F1600 (Race-1): 1. Shahan Ali Mohsin (Agra) (13mins, 31.446secs); 2. Chirag Ghorpade (Bengaluru) (13:32.719); 3. Rishon Rajiv (Bengaluru) (13:33.917).
Indian Touring Cars (Race-1): 1. Ishaan Dodhiwala (Rayo Racing, Hyderabad) (15:26.029); 2. Arjun Balu (Race Concepts, Coimbatore) (15:42.328); 3. Jeet Jhabakh (Rayo Racing, Hyderabad) (16:06.177, incl 15-second penalty).
Indian Junior Touring Cars (Race-1): 1. Varun Anekar (Race Concepts, Bengaluru) (16:01.284); 2. K Srinivas Teja (Performance Racing, Chennai) (16:13.396); 3. Charen Chandran (Pvt, Coimbatore) (16:29.012).
Super Stock (Race-1): 1. Deepak Ravikumar (Performance Racing, Chennai) (16:11.010); 2. Rithvik Thomas (Race Concepts, Bengaluru) (16:19.707); 3. RP Raja Rajan (Performance Racing, Chennai) (16:23.196).
Formula LGB 1300 (Race-1): 1. Ruhaan Alva (MSport, Bengaluru) (19:08.955); 2. Deepak Ravikumar (Momentum Motorsport, Chennai) (19:14.841); 3. Tijil Rao (Momentum Motorsport, Bengaluru) (19:15.168).
Volkswagen Polo (Race-1): 1. Oshan Kothadiya (Pune) (15:57.549); 2. Sandeep Kumar (Chennai) (16:01.665); 3. Saurav Bandyopadhyay (Thane) (16:02.115).
MRF Saloon Cars (Toyota Etios – Race 1, 10 laps): 1. Justin Singh (Red Line Racing, Haryana) (16:47.458); 2. Fahad Kutty (Red Line Racing, Mumbai) (16:48.378); 3. Anand Prasad (Red Line Racing, Chennai) (16:49.775).
Race-2 (10 laps): 1. Fahad Kutty (Red Line Racing, Mumbai) (21:09.211); 2. Bala Prasath (Quest Motorsport, Coimbatore) (21:12.259); 3. Angad Matharoo (Red Line Racing, Chandigarh) (21:13.716).
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Arjun Balu leads ITC; Chirag, Shahan to fight it out in MRF 1600
Chennai, 18 Jan 2022: Coimbatatore ace and multi-faceted motorsport athlete, Arjun Balu, will be the cynosure of all eyes as he leads the championship with a slender 7-point even as a clutch of teenaged talent, will line-up on various grids in the third round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2021 commencing at the MMRT circuit near here on Thursday, with Covid-19 safety protocols in place.
Due to the Sunday lockdown in Tamil Nadu in the wake of the pandemic, the promoters, Madras Motor Sports Club, have rejigged the schedule for the programme to start a day earlier on Thursday, which will be devoted to practice sessions only, and conclude on Saturday afternoon with over 100 participants in fray at the Irangattukottai circuit near Sriperumbudur.
A card of 13 races will be gone through with triple-headers each in the premier MRF F1600, Volkswagen Polo and the MRF Saloon Cars (Toyota Etios) categories, while the popular saloon cars class (Indian Touring Cars, Indian Junior Touring Cars and the Super Stock) and the Formula LGB 1300 will have two races apiece.
File photo of Saloon cars in action of 2021 Round 2 at MMRT. Due to the pandemic-induced delays, the 2021 championship has spilled into the current year, but the challenging conditions have not deterred the racing enthusiasts if the number of entries is any indication.
If the second round in December was impacted by the monsoon rains, the going this week is expected to be fair in balmy winter sunshine.
Teenagers Chirag Ghorpade (Bengaluru) and Shahan Ali Mohsin (Agra) have dominated the MRF F1600 category with two wins each in six starts with the former heading the championship table with 105 points.
In contrast, veteran Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) from Coimbatore showcased his vast experience in wet conditions in the second round to notch a double in the ITC category where he enjoys a seven-point advantage over Rayo Racing’s Anindith Reddy (Hyderabad). In third spot and five points adrift is another Hyderabad racer, Jeet Jhabakh, also of Rayo Racing.
Privateer from Coimbatore, Charen Chandran, heads the IJTC category while the versatile local challenger Deepak Ravikumar tops two classes, the Super Stock for Performance Racing and Formula LGB 1300 for Momentum Motorsport.
The Volkswagen Polo category, with 22 cars on the grid, is extremely competitive as the four races so far has produced as many different winners with Chennai’s Sandeep Kumar heading the points table though not having won a race.
The experienced Fahad Kutty from Mumbai, with two wins in three starts, is comfortably perched on top in the MRF Saloon Cars category that boasts of 21 competitors.
MMSC president Ajit Thomas said: “We once again welcome the four-wheeler competitors have are attending the third round in good number. The championship has thrown up some exciting young talent which augurs well for the sport as also the continued support from our title sponsors MRF Tyres. We expect another round of close racing this week which should spread cheer among the racing aficionados.”
About Madras Motor Sports Club
Since its humble beginnings in 1953, the Madras Motor Sports Club has grown in stature as the hub of motorsport activity in India. Having moved its racing activities from Sholavaram to its present location, the MMRT circuit in Sriperumbudur in 1979, MMSC has kept pace with changing times by upgrading facilities. At a cost of about Rs 20 Crore, the MMSC built a pit complex comprising 20 garages, VIP hospitality suites and a viewing gallery, on the eastern side, apart from a second Paddock on the western side with its own short circuit. Parallelly, MMSC imported timing equipment specifically for Drag racing. The Control Room too was upgraded with state-of-the-art hardware while the track itself was improved to meet the exacting FIA standards for Grade-2 certification. MMSC also constructed a 500-capacity grand stand with provision for garages / storage below. In another upgrade, the MMSC purchased Digi flags from TAG Heuer Chronolec that will be positioned strategically around the track. The facilities are also extensively used by various vehicle manufacturers for testing their products, displays and corporate days.
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Jehan Daruvala to race with Prema in Formula 2
Mumbai, 14 Jan. 2022: India’s top racer Jehan Daruvala’s Formula 1 aspirations received a massive shot in the arm, with Italy’s three-time F2 champions Prema Racing signing him up for the 2022 season.
The 23-year-old from Mumbai will also remain a part of the Red Bull Junior Team for the third successive year. Red Bull has nurtured the likes of four-time F1 champion Sebastian Vettel, reigning F1 champion Max Verstappen, race winners Daniel Ricciardo and Pierre Gasly, among many others.
Jehan has already scored multiple victories and podiums in the Formula 2 championship. He will strive to consolidate on these performances, converting his raw speed into more wins to become Prema Racing’s third straight drivers’ champion.
“I am thrilled to join hands with Prema once again,” Jehan said in a press release. “Charles (Leclerc) and Mick (Schumacher) clinched F2 titles for Prema Racing and went on to race in F1 the very next year. I hope to follow in their footsteps,” he added.
Jehan will also have a broader role with Red Bull this year. He will not only drive the team’s Formula 1 simulator at its base in Milton Keynes but will also undergo regular evaluations at the team’s fitness facilities in Austria, just like Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
In Prema Racing, Jehan joins the most successful team to race in the Formula 2 championship. The Italian racing powerhouse has delivered three of the series’ five drivers’ champions, including Ferrari Formula 1 race winner Charles Leclerc and Mick Schumacher, son of seven-time world champion Michael.
Jehan will look to emulate this duo while also scoring a hat-trick of titles for Prema Racing, following Schumacher in 2020 and Australian Oscar Piastri last year.
During his earlier stint with Prema Racing in 2019, Jehan had finished third in the Formula 3 championship, after a season-long title battle with his teammates.
Prema Formula 2 team principal Rene Rosin said, “We have had a great relationship with Jehan when we raced together in FIA F3. We have deep respect for his skills and work ethics. He fits our team very well and I’m looking forward to see how much progress he has made in the last couple of years. He performed impressively in post-season testing. Together with the Red Bull Junior program, we will provide him with all the support he needs to pursue his goals.”
The FIA Formula 2 championship, which sits one rung below Formula 1, has served as the proving ground for many of today’s Formula 1 drivers.
Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Lando Norris, Mick Schumacher, Guanyu Zhou, Yuki Tsunoda and even Lewis Hamilton who won the series when it was run as GP2 made the step up to F1 after shining here.
The series this year will feature 14 rounds and 28 races starting on March 18, 2022 in Bahrain with the season-finale set for November 20, 2022, in Abu Dhabi. All races will be held as support events to Formula 1, including at iconic venues like Monaco, Silverstone, Spa and Monza.
About Jehan Daruvala
Jehan Daruvala is a racing driver from Mumbai, India. He began karting at the age of 10 in 2009. Two years later, he was picked as one of the three winners of Force India’s ‘One From a Billion’ talent hunt. In 2013, he became the first Asian to win the British KF3 karting championship. A proven winner, Jehan has won in every category he has competed in. He is currently racing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship, which is a feeder series to Formula 1 and takes place on the same week-ends. Already a multiple winner in the category, Jehan’s goal for the 2022 season is to annex the title which would boost his chances of becoming only the third Indian on the Formula One grid.
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Mumbai’s racer Manisha Kelkar, a step away from McLaren seat in GT Cup
Mumbai, 29 Dec. 2021: Mumbai’s Formula-4 racer Manisha Kelkar is one step away from becoming the first Indian woman to win a special McLaren driving seat for the year 2022.
The popular actress passed all the assessment tests organised a few weeks back in the United Kingdom by Formula Woman. The results were announced this weekend, a press release revealed.
‘I am the only Indian to qualify from the worldwide hunt held in the UK.800 women from 16 countries took part making it one of the biggest talent hunts,’ Manisha said. ‘We all had to first pass tough written and fitness tests. Then, I had to showcase my driving technique and skills to inch closer to my dream,’ she added.
Six ladies will earn fully-paid seats to compete in the prestigious McLaren GT Cup Championship in England. Two other Indian girls, who took part in a qualifying session in India itself, are likely to be part of the final round of selection.
Formula Woman founder and CEO Graeme Glew confirmed Manisha’s selection in a mail. ‘Congratulations on becoming one of the select successful finalists. The finals will be held in the UK on March 2 and 3,’ he said.
Manisha has been racing in the Indian National Racing Championship for the last three years. An avid motorsports lover, she has tried her hand at rallying too. She is keen on starting a racing academy to help other girls take up the exciting sport.
‘I have loved to race since I was a kid. It has opened many avenues for me and I want young girls to follow in my footsteps,’ she said, disclosing her future goals.
Manisha is a well-known face in Bollywood. She has acted in several Hindi and Marathi movies and serials and is all set to host a new show on television.
“It is good to see that more women are taking up motorsport seriously. Manisha is passionate about the sport & we wish her the best,” said Rayamond Banajee, former multiple National champion and the brain behind Rayo Racing Academy, where Manisha, sponsored by HPCL, will train in Mumbai for the next two months.
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Jehan Daruvala tops post-season testing in Prema colours
Yas Marina, 16 Dec 2021: Jehan Daruvala finished as the fastest driver on Day 1 of post-season testing at the Yas Marina Circuit, beating MP Motorsport’s Felipe Drugovich and Virtuosi rookie Jack Doohan, with a time of 1:35.793.
The Red Bull junior was making his return to PREMA Racing, the team he challenged for the Formula 3 title with in 2019. Having finished second fastest to Drugovich in the morning session, Daruvala edged out the Brazilian in the afternoon by more than three tenths. F3 vice-champion Doohan finished third in both sessions to continue his impressive start to life in Formula 2.
MORNING
On his return to MP Motorsport, after a season with Virtuosi, Drugovich set the benchmark during the opening 30 minutes, posting a 1:35.577. The Brazilian headed Daruvala on a cool morning in Yas Marina, with the Indian swapping Carlin for PREMA.
There were several Red Flags during the opening session, with Clément Novalak, Amaury Cordeel, Frederick Vesti and Théo Pourchaire all stopping on track at various points, as well as a coming together between Jüri Vips and Dennis Hauger.
Vips had briefly set the third fastest time, but fell to sixth following the collision, as Virtuosi’s Doohan jumped to third, ahead of Carlin’s Liam Lawson. Ralph Boschung completed the top five with Campos Racing, while also running the most laps of the morning, punching in a total of 47.
The second Carlin of Logan Sargeant finished seventh, with DAMS’ Roy Nissany, Van Amersfoort Racing’s Jake Hughes and Virtuosi’s Marino Sato completing the top 10.
AFTERNOON
There were two stoppages in the early stages of the afternoon, with Cordeel and Vips both requiring red flags, but overall, a lot more running time for the field. Sixteen drivers broke the 40-lap barrier, six set more than 50, and Carlin duo Sargeant and Lawson posted more than a 120 between them.
Olli Caldwell was the early pacesetter for Campos with a 1:40.217, before getting replaced by the Daruvala at the top of the order. ART Grand Prix’s Frederik Vesti took the times below 1m 38s for the first time, before seeing Daruvala drop a 1:36.063 to return to P1.
Drugovich and Pourchaire briefly bumped the PREMA down to second, but Daruvala managed to find a further three tenths to return to the top of the leaderboard. Doohan muscled his way into third to finish as the quickest rookie for the second session in a row.
Pourchaire held on to fourth, ahead of Boschung. Calan Williams was the second-highest rookie, running just under a second off the pace for Trident in P6.
A late lap from Nissany put him in seventh, ahead of Juan Manuel Correa, who was making his F2 return with Charouz Racing System.
Vesti finished in eighth, despite stopping on track at the end of the session. He beat out 2021 F3 champion Dennis Hauger.
Testing will resume at 9am local time on Friday.
2021 FIA FORMULA 2 CHAMPIONSHIP – YAS MARINA POST-SEASON TEST, DAY 1, MORNING SESSION
DRIVER TEAM LAPTIME LAPS 1 Felipe Drugovich MP Motorsport 1:35.577 31 2 Jehan Daruvala PREMA Racing 1:35.622 26 3 Jack Doohan UNI-Virtuosi 1:36.055 41 4 Liam Lawson Carlin 1:36.208 29 5 Ralph Boschung Campos Racing 1:36.482 47 6 Jüri Vips Hitech Grand Prix 1:36.571 19 7 Logan Sargeant Carlin 1:36.599 30 8 Roy Nissany DAMS 1:36.643 35 9 Jake Hughes Van Amersfoort Racing 1:36.708 23 10 Marino Sato UNI-Virtuosi 1:36.718 34 11 Marcus Armstrong Hitech Grand Prix 1:36.733 33 12 Ayumu Iwasa DAMS 1:37.018 42 13 Dennis Hauger PREMA Racing 1:37.023 20 14 Olli Caldwell Campos Racing 1:37.033 27 15 Clément Novalak MP Motorsport 1:37.069 26 16 Calan Williams Trident 1:37.070 26 17 Teppei Natori Trident 1:37.387 27 18 Juan Manuel Correa Charouz Racing System 1:37.472 37 19 Guilherme Samaia Charouz Racing System 1:37.566 27 20 Théo Pourchaire ART Grand Prix 1:37.677 12 21 Amaury Cordeel Van Amersfoort Racing 1:38.887 28 22 Frederik Vesti DAMS 1:39.694 13 2021 FIA FORMULA 2 CHAMPIONSHIP – YAS MARINA POST-SEASON TEST, DAY 1, AFTERNOON SESSION
DRIVER TEAM LAPTIME LAPS Jehan Daruvala PREMA Racing 1:35.435 46 Felipe Drugovich MP Motorsport 1:35.793 44 Jack Doohan Virtuosi 1:35.851 44 Théo Pourchaire ART Grand Prix 1:35.981 46 Ralph Boschung Campos Racing 1:36.340 33 Calan Williams Trident 1:36.705 48 Roy Nissany DAMS 1:36.859 41 Juan Manuel Correa Charouz Racing System 1:36.886 34 Frederik Vesti ART Grand Prix 1:36.912 45 Dennis Hauger PREMA Racing 1:36.960 44 Olli Caldwell Campos Racing 1:37.031 44 Guilherme Samaia Charouz Racing System 1:37.073 40 Jake Hughes Van Amersfoort Racing 1:37.077 52 Ayumu Iwasa DAMS 1:37.547 38 Teppei Natori Trident 1:37.660 51 Jüri Vips Hitech Grand Prix 1:38.464 28 Logan Sargeant Carlin 1:38.709 63 Liam Lawson Carlin 1:38.908 64 Clément Novalak MP Motorsport 1:39.096 36 Marcus Armstrong Hitech Grand Prix 1:39.344 52 Marino Sato Virtuosi 1:39.451 53 Amaury Cordeel Van Amersfoort Racing 1:40.973 13 -
Double for Arjun Balu, Charen Chandran; Ghorpade wins
Chennai, 12 Dec.2021: Coimbatore veteran Arjun Balu (Race Concepts) and Chirag Ghorpade, the schoolboy from Bengaluru, lit up the second round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2021 with dominating performances in their respective categories on a rain-marred Sunday at the MMRT here.
Chirag, who had won the first race in the MRF F1600 category on Saturday, topped the third today of the triple-header after local teenager Dillon Zacharaiah took the honours in the second outing for his maiden win in this class.
Balu, the 47-year old ace from Coimbatore, brought into play all his vast experience to complete a double in the premier Indian Touring Cars class after starting from P3 (reverse grid) in a “wet race” following a bout of heavy showers in the afternoon. Having won the first race yesterday, Balu, started behind two Rayo Racing polos of Anindith Reddy and Jeet Jhabakah and, played a waiting game before getting a jump on the two Hyderabad drivers for another brilliant win.
Earlier, Dillon, 18, drove a fine race starting from P2 on the reverse grid, to notch his maiden win in this class from a fast finishing Suriyavarathan (Coimbatore) and Viswas Vijayaraj (Nellore).
Late in the evening, with light fast fading, Ghorpade scored a lights-to-flag win to complete a double, in a race that was reduced to six laps from the scheduled eight. Agra’s Shahan Ali Mohsin, who finished second, was later docked a 10-second penalty for speeding in the pitlane which pushed him to sixth. The penalty moved Nellore’s Viswas Vijayaraj to second place and Ashwin Datta (Chennai) to third.
Reflecting on his double and scoring his third win in four starts, Balu said: “A very special drive today. The odds were against me with two VW Polo cars in front and the conditions very tricky. But I had the confidence that I could pass both the cars and I thought I read the track conditions very well. Yes, a textbook drive it was.”
Also achieving a double was Coimbatore’s private entrant Charen Chandran who won both the races in the Super Stock category while Rithvik Thomas (Race Concepts) from Bengaluru ended Deepak Ravikumar’s (Performance Racing) winning streak in the Indian Junior Touring Cars class by winning Race-2 today.
Salem’s Sai Sanjay and Ritesh Rai (Chennai) won a race apiece in the Volkswagen Polo category double-header after surviving tight finishes.
The seasoned Chennai driver Raghul Rangasamy (Quest Motorsport) took the honours in the Formula LGB 1300 race from P5 start ahead of Bengaluru’s Tijil Rao (Momentum Motorsport) and Viswas Vijayaraj (DTS Racing) from Nellore.
Mumbai’s Fahad Kutty completed a profitable weekend as he won two of the three races and finished on podium in the other in the MRF Saloon Cars category.
The day’s programme was delayed due to bursts of rains overnight and this morning, but the track dried up quickly later in bright sunshine. The post-lunch session too was affected by sudden showers leading to some races being declared as “wet race”.
The results (Provisional – all 8 laps unless mentioned):
MRF F1600 (Race-2): 1. Dillon Zacharaiah (Chennai) (16mins, 37.473secs); 2. Suriyavarathan (Coimbatore) (16:37.844); 3. Viswas Vijayaraj (Nellore) (16:38.344). Race-3 (6 laps): 1. Chirag Ghorpade (Bengaluru) (10:37.982); 2. Viswas Vijayaraj (Nellore) (10:45.318); 3. Ashwin Datta (Chennai) (10:45.995).
Indian Touring Cars (Race-2): 1. Arjun Balu (Race Concepts, Coimbatore) (17:00.366); 2. Jeet Jhabakh (Rayo Racing, Hyderabad) (17:09.508); 3. Anindith Reddy (Rayo Racing, Hyderabad) (17:09.774).
Super Stock (Race-2): 1. Rithvik Thomas (Race Concepts, Bengaluru) (18:32.647); 2. Deepak Ravikumar (Performance Racing, Chennai) (18:33.644); 3. RP Raja Rajan (Performance Racing, Chennai) (18:50.454).
Indian Junior Touring Cars (Race-2): 1. Charen Chandran (Pvt, Coimbatore) (18:03.480); 2. K Srinivas Teja (Performance Racing, Chennai) (18:07.131); 3. Hatim Shabbir Jamnagarwala (Performance Racing, Chennai) (18:11.507).
Formula LGB 1300 (Race-2): 1. Raghul Rangasamy (MSport, Chennai) (19:34.504); 2. Tijil Rao (Momentum Motorsport, Bengaluru) (19:36.053); 3. Viswas Vijayaraj (DTS Racing, Nellore) (19:40.848).
Volkswagen Polo (Race-1): 1. Sai Sanjay TS (Salem) (16:45.578); 2. Sandeep Kumar (Chennai) (16:46.427); 3. Sourav Bandyopadhyay (Thane) (16:53.278). Race-2: 1. Ritesh Rai (Chennai) (16:57.162); 2. Avik Anwar (Bangladesh) (16:57.729); 3. Sandeep Kumar (Chennai) (16:58.533).
MRF Saloon Cars (Toyota Etios – Race 3, 4 laps): 1. Fahad Kutty (Red Line Racing, Mumbai) (12:11.978); 2. Jamie Shaw (Red Line Racing, Mumbai) (12:16.327); 3. Jai Prashant Venkat (Red Line Racing, Coimbatore) (12:16.595).
