INDIA in F1

Category: Racing

  • Alwin Sundar takes pole position in Novice category

    Alwin Sundar takes pole position in Novice category

    Chennai, September 9: Local collegian Alwin Sundar (AS Motorsports) grabbed pole position in the Novice (Stock 165cc) category as the second round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship commenced at the MMRT, here on Friday.

    Sundar, who leads the championship after his double in the previous round last month, clocked a best of 02 minutes, 07.596 seconds, followed by two riders from Thrissur, Allwin Xavier (Sparks Racing) (02:08.911) with Anfal A (Rockstar Racing) (02:09.069). The trio will head a 38-bike grid for the first race tomorrow.

    Earlier, Bengaluru-based Anish Damodar Shetty (Race Concepts), who is placed second in the championship astride a KTM RC 390, topped the practice session in the premier Pro-Stock 301-400cc category, clocking a best lap of 01:53.332, ahead of Hyderabad’s Rahil Shetty (Gusto Racing, 01:53.469), also on a KTM, and Soorya PM (Rockers Racing, 01:53.876) on a Yamaha.

    Championship leader, Rajini Krishnan (RACR, 01:54.126), who won both the races in Round-1 last month, was slightly off the pace in fifth position on his Yamaha R3, behind Jagadeesh N (Sparks Racing, 01:53.968).  

    In the other premier category, the Pro-Stock 165cc, Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing’s Rajiv Sethu (01:56.899) was the quickest in the practice session, with two TVS Racing riders, defending champion and arch-rival Jagan Kumar (01:57.132) and Deepak Ravikumar (01:57.773) trailing in second and third spots.

    The qualifying session for both the Pro-Stock category will be held tomorrow followed by first of the two races.

    The Girls (Stock 165cc) too warmed up for tomorrow’s qualifying session with title holder Ann Jennifer (Sparks Racing) emerging quickest in practice run with a 02:10.097, followed by Round-1 race winner Ryhana Bee (RACR, 02:10.277) and Puducherry’s Lani Zena Fernandez (Speed Up Racing, 02:10.578).

    In the One-Make Championships organized by the Madras Motor Sports Club, Navaneeth Kumar from Puducherry (TVS Open), Hyderabad’s Baddam Deepika Reddy (TVS Girls) and Prakash Kamath from Bokaro Steel City (Idemistu Honda CBR 150) qualified for pole positions in their respective categories. 

  • UAE-based Indian Anshul Gandhi to race in Spanish F4

    UAE-based Indian Anshul Gandhi to race in Spanish F4

    By David Bodapati

    Bengaluru, 8 Sept 2021: Jodhpur-born Indian racing teen, Anshul Gandhi, all of sweet 16, has joined GRS Team and is scheduled to make his single-seater debut in the Round 5 of Formula 4 Spanish Championship, which takes place from September 18 to 19 in Ricardo Tormo Circuit, Valencia, just a few kilometres away from his new team’s base, the GRS team said today.

    The Rajasthani currently living in UAE, had earlier qualified for the IAME X30 one-make karting World Juniors, after winning the 2019-20 UAE IAME X30 Junior championship, which unfortunately were cancelled due to the world-wide COVID travel restrictions.

    This year he made it to the two Karting World Finals winning 2020-21 UAE Rotax Max Challenge DD2 Championship and as a runner-up in UAE IAME X 30 Senior Championship. World finals are scheduled later in the year in October for IAME in Italy, and in December for Rotax in Bahrain.

    Anshul recently took part in Rotax Max Challenge International Trophy at Le Mans, France and was the only Indian among 216 drivers from 30 countries, making sure that the Tri-colour was on display at the venue along with other major motorsporting giants.

    The GRS team in a statement on Wednesday said: “It is with great pleasure for GRS Team to announce the arrival of Indian driver Anshul Gandhi to the team. The young driver will make his single-seater debut in the Formula 4 Spanish Championship season at Ricardo Tormo Circuit, in Valencia”. His teammate at the F4 Spanish event will be Ryabov.

    “Throughout the year, Gandhi has participated in testing sessions with GRS Team, allowing him to know team and to prepare his racing debut. The job done so far has been satisfactory and the team is looking forward to welcoming Gandhi in Valencia and to offering him the best service on his maiden formula race,” the team added.

    Anshul Gandhi with team GRS. Photo courtesy Twitter @GRSteam_

    “I have been testing with GRS for the last few months and the progress has been really promising. The team’s support and guidance really helped me smoothly transition from Karting to single seater. I am really excited and looking forward to my debut race in Formula 4 at Valencia in the ongoing Spanish F4 Championship. I would like to take this opportunity to thank GRS Team Principal, Josep, his team and my coach, Álvaro Barba for their continued support and guidance,” said Anshul Gandhi.

    Eldest of the two Barba Lopez brothers, the former Spanish F3 race winner is an accomplished racing driver with high credentials and experience in high-performance coaching required at this level and the Indian, who moved to UAE looking for better pastures in Motorsports, is expected to shift gears and move up to competition in Europe, generally considered as a breeding ground for budding `speed’ aspirants.

    Josep Trinidad, CEO & Team Principal said:  “We are very excited to receive and welcome Anshul into the team. Having two cars on track will help us to improve the overall performance. The relationship and the job done with Gandhi have been positive since Day, so we are convinced we will perform really well in Valencia”.

    GRS will face the next round of Formula 4 Spanish Championship with two cars on track, something that will definitely be helpful for both competitors. The team is evolving and improving at a fantastic rate throughout the season and the presence of a new driver proves that a good job is being done.

    You can follow Anshul on Instagram at @anshul_g18 and Twitter @anshulg_18

    or at INDIAinF1.com, your website for all Indian motorsports activities.

  • India’s top racers vie for top honours in MMSC 2w Nationals: Round 2

    India’s top racers vie for top honours in MMSC 2w Nationals: Round 2

    Chennai, 8 Sept 2021: If the action-packed lung-opener a fortnight back is any guide, then more fireworks are in the offing in the second round of the MRF MMSC fmscil Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2021, commencing on Friday, September 10, at the MMRT circuit behind closed doors due to the ongoing Covid-19 related restrictions.

    There is much to enthuse about the National championship whose growing popularity is reflected in the 100-plus entries across all categories. The National championship comprises Pro-Stock 301-400cc, Pro-Stock 165cc, Novice (Stock 165cc) and Girls (Stock 165cc) classes with all bikes running on MRF tyres which have received thumbs up from the competitors.

    The 18-race card also includes TVS and Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup One-Make Championships organised by the Madras Motor Sports Club. TVS are showcasing their Apache machines in the Open (RR 310), Rookie (Under-19 age group) and Girls (both RTR 200) categories, all of which have attracted sizeable entries.

    In the first round last month, Honda introduced the Hornet 2.0 via a double-header as a support event to their top-end NSF 250R which is of World Championship Moto3 spec, and the CBR 150.

    KTM and Yamaha too have sizeable presence while offering support in a variety of ways to some 17 teams that are in the fray across all categories. Thus, the championship is a confluence of leading manufacturers and the best of Indian racing talent.

    MMSC president Ajit Thomas said: “The response to the championship this year has been quite extraordinary considering the challenging times we are in due to the Covid-19 situation and consequent restrictions. One notable feature is that the riders are not only getting more competitive, but also younger with the numbers growing steadily year-on-year. As always we are grateful to our title sponsors MRF Tyres while we also acknowledge the significant contributions by the two-wheeler manufacturers who are leaving no stone unturned to spot and nurture young talent from grassroot level up.”

    The competition in Round 2 is expected to be even more sharper with front-runners looking to add to their tally of points. Veterans Rajini Krishnan (RACR) and Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing) put on brilliant exhibition of their undoubted riding skills with a double apiece in the premier Pro-Stock classes, 301-400cc and 165cc, respectively. The duo will again be the cynosure this weekend.

    The Novice category has been an eye-opener with entries filling up well ahead of the deadline for submission. As such, the double-header last month boasted of a 39-bike grid, the biggest in the championship with Alwin Sundar winning both the races. The Girls category, an initiative launched by MMSC a few seasons ago, has improved in quality with lap times going down with Ryhana Bee (RACR) winning the race last month.

    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.

  • Double delight for Rajini Krishnan, Jagan Kumar

    Double delight for Rajini Krishnan, Jagan Kumar

    Chennai, 22 August 2021: Chennai veterans Rajini Krishnan and Jagan Kumar stamped their class with a double each in the two premium categories as did young Alwin Sundar in the Novice class while Ryhana Bee staged a winning comeback in the Girls section as the first round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship concluded at the MMRT, here on Sunday.

    Rajini, 41, who made his National Championship debut back in 2003 and also forayed abroad for stints in Superbike racing, rolled back the years with two stunning performances while winning both the races in the Pro-Stock 301-400cc category for his team RACR Castrol Power Racing astride a Yamaha R3.

    In both races, Rajini was in a league of his own. This morning, in Race-1, despite a poor start when he dropped from P2 to P7 in the first lap, he carved through the field in quick time and eventually won comfortably ahead of Hyderabad’s Rahil Shetty (Gusto Racing) and Bengaluru-based Anish Damodara Shetty (Race Concepts). In the next outing, Rajini was even more dominating while winning easily from last year’s champion KY Ahamed (TVS Racing) and Anish Shetty.

    Similarly, Jagan, 31, winner of cumulative nine National titles, was outstanding in repeating his Saturday’s victory in the Pro-Stock 165cc class by taking the top honours in Race-2 today, though he had to work hard for it. Fellow-international, Rajiv Sethu (Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing) chased Jagan all through the eight laps in a futile bid to overtake and the two crossed the line in that order, followed by TVS Racing’s Deepak Ravikumar.

    Jagan Kumar (3) and Rajiv Sethu (80) locked in a tight battle in the Pro-Stock 165cc Race-2 on Sunday in the Motorcycle Racing Nationals at MMRT on Sunday. Photo by Anand Philar

    In between, Chennai collegian Alwin Sundar (AS Motorsports) also completed a double in the Novice (Stock 165cc) category with yet another dominating ride in a race that was marred by multiple crashes. Finishing behind the 18-year old were Anfal A (Rockstar Racing) from Thrissur and Jinendra Kiran Sangave, a private entrant from Kolhapur, the youngest competitor at just 12 years.

    Ryhana Bee, centre, wins the Girls class with Baddam Deepika Reddy, left, takes 2nd and Jagruti Kiran, 3rd at MMRT on Sunday. Photo by Anand Philar.
    Ryhana Bee, wins the Girls race with Baddam Deepika Reddy, left, taking 2nd and Jagruti Kiran, 3rd on Sunday. Photo by Anand Philar.

    Earlier, another Chennai rider, Ryhana Bee (RACR Castrol Power Racing), returning to racing after a year’s gap following injury, topped the Girls race (Stock 165cc). The victory in the five-lapper was hers for the taking after defending champion Ann Jennifer (Sparks Racing) and Lani Zena Fernandez (Speed Up Racing) got tangled and crashed in the third lap. Thereafter, it was a fairly easy run for Ryhana who won from Baddam Deepika Reddy (Gusto Racing, Hyderabad) and Jagruthi Kiran (Sparks Racing, Mumbai).

    Kavin Quintal (NSF 250R), Rakshith S Dave (CBR 150) and Kevin Kannan (Hornet 2.0), all from Chennai, finished with a double apiece in the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup One-Make Championship while Kolhapur’s Jinendra Kiran Sangave, also won both the races in the Rookie category of the TVS One-Make Championship.

    The results (Provisional – all 6 laps unless mentioned):

    National Championship – Pro-Stock 301-400cc (Race-1): 1. Rajini Krishnan (RACR Castrol Power Racing, Chennai) (11mins, 28.636secs); 2. Rahil Shetty (Gusto Racing, Hyderabad) (11:30.050); 3. Anish Damodara Shetty (Race Concepts, Hubballi) (11:30.267). Race-2 (8 laps): 1. Rajini Krishnan (15:15.580); 2. KY Ahamed (TVS Racing, Chennai) (15:17.169); 3. Anish Damodara Shetty (15:17.977).

    Pro-Stock 165cc Open (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing, Chennai) (15:48.429); 2. Rajiv Sethu (Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing, Chennai) (15:48.476); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (TVS Racing, Chennai) (15:54.822).

    Novice (Stock, 165cc Race-2): 1. Alwin Sundar (AS Motorsports, Chennai) (13:04.324); 2. Anfal A (Rockstar Racing, Thrissur) (13:05.899); 3. JInendra Kiran Sangave (Pvt, Kolhapur).

    Girls (Stock 165cc, 5 laps): 1. Ryhana Bee (RACR, Chennai) (10:59.842); 2. Baddam Deepika Reddy (Gusto Racing, Hyderabad) (11:21.426); 3. Jagruthi Kiran (Sparks Racing, Mumbai) (11:21.647).

    One-Make Championships:

    Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup – NSF 250 Open (Race-2, 8 laps): 1. Kavin Quintal (Chennai) (14:51.472); 2. Sartak Chavan (Pune) (15:01.335); 3. Samuel Martin (Bengaluru) (15:09.450).

    Honda CBR 150 (Race-2): 1. Rakshith S Dave (Chennai) (13:20.170); 2. Prakash Kamath (Bokaro Steel City) (13:26.483); 3. Shyam Babu (Chennai) (13:55.118).

    Honda Hornet 2.0 (Race-2): 1. Kevin Kannan (Chennai) (13:28.307); 2. Sudheer Sudhakar (New Delhi) (13:28.317); 3. Alwin Sundar (Chennai) (13:28.696).

    TVS Apache RR 310 Open (Race-2): 1. Yashas RL (Bengaluru) (11:54.802); 2. Manoj Yesudiyan (Chennai) (11:57.307); 3. Amarnath Menon (Calicut) (11:57.376).

    TVS Rookie (RTR 200, Race-2): 1. Jinendra Kiran Sangave (Kolhapur) (12:58.183); 2. Jagathishree (Chennai) (13:09.244); 3. Zenas Bailey (Auroville) (13:09.286).

    TVS Media (RTR 200, 5 laps): 1. Soham Thakur (Mumbai) (11:56.577); 2. Ajinkya Lad (Mumbai) (12:26.279); 3. Vishal Joshi (Pune) (12:28.684).

  • Rakshith & Rakshitha, the Chennai twins blossom at MMSC bike races

    Rakshith & Rakshitha, the Chennai twins blossom at MMSC bike races

    Irungattukottai, 21 August 2021: Talented teenage twins, Rakshith and Rakshitha, from Chennai, blossomed together to notch-up easy maiden victories in their respective one-make Championships at the MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship, 70-km from Chennai, here on Saturday.

    The 8th Standard students of Chettinad Harishree Vidyalayam, Chennai, gave themselves a belated birthday gift as they took the top spot on the podium today. The talented duo, who completed 13 years on August 8, made their debut in the first round last December, and are only in their second season.

    It was Rakshith Srihari Dave, who took the stage first, dominating the Idimetsu Honda CBR 150 Novice Class Race 1 as he clocked 13 minutes, 12.373 seconds over six laps. Taking the lead at the first corner into the second lap, he soon increased the gap and put in consistent laps with steady riding to grab an easy win beating Prakash Kamath of Bokaro Steel City by a huge 4.8 second margin even as Theopaul Leander, also from Chennai, finished third. “I enjoyed my race and feel happy to get my first victory. I thank my team and my parents,” said Rakhsith in the pitlane after the win.

    Rakshita Srihari Dave, the 13-year Chennai lass, follows suit his twin brother to a maiden race victory on Saturday. A screen grab of MMSC live streaming

    In the third race of the day, the TVS RTR200 for Girls Race 1, Rakshitha S Dave also took a thrilling victory defeating Baddam Deepika Reddy and Adlin Seles. Later, Deepika was penalised 10-seconds for a jump start. Thus, Adlin came second and Nishita Palani took the final podium place ahead of Deepika in fourth. “I am very happy with my victory as I gave a good fight. I am also glad because this is my maiden win which was made possible by my bike. I thank TVS racing for giving me this wonderful platform to perform,” quipped Rakshitha, who made her Debut on 11th December last year and got a podium the very next day in the Girls Stock 165cc class of the National Championship. She also partnered with Deepika and won a second place in the girls section of the Endurance event conducted by Madras Motors Sports Club in March this year sharing a tiring-47 laps with the Hyderabad lass, before the pandemic stopped all sports activity. She says, she enjoys riding and is looking forward for more racing, says the youngest participant on the grid.

    Rakshith Srihari Dave, who won his maiden race at MMRT on Saturday.

    The kids get their inspiration from their dad Srihari R Dave, who used to race for fun and turned his passion into profession as he continues in the automobile business. “I feel blessed and proud of my twins,” he said after the double delight today. Their mom, Vidya Srihari, is visibly pleased too. Though she was reluctant initially, to allow the kids go racing bikes for fear of injuries, she was convinced by all the three, and now understands the safe environment at MMRT for racing. “I don’t watch the race as I am still afraid but am happy and thrilled that they both won today. My husband convinced me. Also, it is not just racing, they learn how to take failures in equal stride, that helps them grow in life,” she said.

    Currently, Rakshitha is coached by Mohamed Haneef of Speed Demon Motorsports, Chennai and Rakshit is under the umbrella of Idemitsu Honda Racing India. Both the riders underwent Level I training by Ramji at the basic camp at Ten10 Racing Academy in Bengaluru in 2018. They had a few podiums last season but this is their maiden victory and both are the youngest on their respective grids. This year, both were shortlisted for the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup, which was scheduled for October 2021 in Malaysia, before the pandemic played spoilsport and the event was put-off. If groomed and nurtured properly, the kids would `go places’…

  • Jagan Kumar scores imperious win: 2w Racing Nationals

    Jagan Kumar scores imperious win: 2w Racing Nationals

    Chennai, 21 August 2021: Defending champion Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing) did as he pleased on his super quick Apache RTR 160 bike to win the premium Pro-Stock 165cc Open race in the first round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2021 at the MMRT, here on Saturday.

    Earlier, Alwin Sundar (AS Motorsports), the English Literature student from Chennai’s Guru Nanak college, and who turns 19 in a week’s time, gave himself an advance birthday gift by winning the Novice (Stock 165cc) race that he started from P5.

    Chennai’s Jagan, 31, winner of nine National titles, set such a hot pace after starting from pole position that it virtually destroyed a classy field to finish well ahead of arch-rival and fellow-international Rajiv Sethu (Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing) who, in turn, held off TVS Racing’s Deepak Ravikumar after a cat-and-mouse battle through the six-lapper.

    “The bike was just brilliant today. I really pushed in the early part of the race and, in the end, it was fairly comfortable,” said Jagan who even kept looking behind as he approached the finish line at the end of the race.

    In contrast, the pole-sitter in the Novice race run earlier in the day, Allwin Xavier (Sparks Racing), crashed in the last lap when in lead which allowed Alwin Sundar to get a jump and post his maiden win at the National level.

    Running third in the last lap, Sundar, racing in just his third season, moved to the front after couple of riders in front, including Xavier, crashed in the final lap. Also benefitting from the incident were Thrissur’s Anfal A (Rockstar Racing) and Teja TVR Namburu (Gusto Racing) from Hyderabad, who finished second and third, respectively.

    Another notable winner on the day was 16-year old Kavin Quintal from Chennai in the high-end NSF 250R class of the Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup. He had to ward off defending champion 14-year old Sartak Chavan (Pune) who crashed in the fourth lap when hotly challenging for the lead. Quintal finished ahead of Varoon Sadasivam and Geoffrey Reviven Emmanuel, both also from Chennai.

    The results (Provisional – all 6 laps unless mentioned):

    National Championship – Pro-Stock 165cc Open (Race-1): 1. Jagan Kumar (TVS Racing) (11mins, 50.845secs); 2. Rajiv Sethu (Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing) (11:55.312); 3. Deepak Ravikumar (TVS Racing) (11:57.519).

    Novice (Stock, 165cc, Race-1): 1. Alwin Sundar (AS Motorsports) (13:09.026); 2. Anfal A (Rockstar Racing) (13:09.157); 3. Teja TVR Namburu (Gusto Racing) (13:09.335).

    One-Make Championships:

    Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup – NSF 250 Open (Race-1): 1. Kavin Quintal (Chennai) (11:04.310); 2. Varoon Sadasivam (Chennai) (11:15.762); 3. Geoffrey Reviven Emmanuel (Chennai) (11:16.398).

    Honda CBR 150 (Race-1): 1. Rakshith S Dave (Chennai) (13:12.373); 2. Prakash Kamath (Bokharo Steel City) (13:17.189); 3. Theopaul Leander (Chennai) (13:21.759).

    Honda Hornet 2.0 (Race-1): 1. Kevin Kannan (Chennai) (13:28.543); 2. Veera Ashwin Lal (Madurai) (13:49.116); 3. Sudheer Sudhakar (New Delhi) (13:52.208).

    TVS Apache RR 310 Open (Race-1): 1. Amarnath Menon (Kerala) (12:18.421); 2. Yashas RL (Bengaluru) (12:19.175); 3. Jagadeesh N (Bengaluru) (12:19.737)

    TVS Rookie (RTR 200, Race-1): 1. Jinendra Kiran Sangave (Kolhapur) (13:00.501); 2. Zenas Zhotan Bailey (Auroville) (13:21.271); 3, Jagathishree (Chennai) (13:21.432).

    TVS Girls (RTR 200, 5 laps): 1. Rakshita Srihari Dave (Chennai) (11:21.305); 2. Adlin Seles (Chennai) (11:25.725); 3. Nishita Palani (Chennai) (11:32.585).

  • Flamboyant Kapil Dev, fastest Indian Karthikeyan star in glittering launch

    Flamboyant Kapil Dev, fastest Indian Karthikeyan star in glittering launch

    Mumbai, 19 August 2021: A whiff of fresh air is expected to make Indian motorsports vibrant with the arrival of Formula Regional Indian Championship and Formula 4 Indian Championship announced through a glittering launch with promises to bring brand new Formula cars.

    The good news, in these difficult times of COVID, can pump some high-octane upgrades into the dying motorsport machines in India. That requires loads of money and Indian motorsport should be thankful that the two ace Indian racing stars, Aditya Patel and Armaan Ebrahim, found and roped in two other Good Samaritans. The arrival of these goodies from Europe as promised would be a historic milestone and a turning point in the history of Indian motorsports. We fervently hope, this partnership lasts long… without any hiccups and the duo seem keen to sort out the flaws that cropped up earlier.

    INDIAinF1.com would like to present a simple gist of points given by respected senior motorsport journalist Vinayak Pande. The official press release follows:

    Cricket’s legedendary fast bowler & `sixer’ Kapil Dev, left, and Narain Karthikeyan (India’s first F1 driver dubbed as the fastest Indian in the world) right, during the Press Conference of Formula Regional Indian Championship Launch in Mumbai. Popular sports anchor Suhail Chandhok, brother of Karun Chandhok, the only other F1 driver from India is next to Kapil.

    Vinayak Pande (Instgram) post: Oh I’m going to post more about this, you can take that to the bank. But for the time being, salient points which many would already know of.

    – FIA (global motorsport’s governing body) sanctioned Regional F3 (not the same spec as FIA F3) and F4 championships to be held in India over five rounds from late February to late March of 2022.

    – An FIA superlicense is the golden ticket for a driver to be eligible to race in Formula 1 (no guarantee of it). These two championships will give drivers the chance to score points towards that goal. Forty points over a period of three years gets you that FIA superlicense.

    – Indian F4 superlicense points spread over the top seven places in the final points standings: 12, 10, 7, 5, 3, 2, 1.

    – Formula Regional India superlicense points across the top nine places in the final points standings: 18, 14, 12, 10, 6, 4, 3, 2, 1.

    – Cars for both championships built to FIA global standards for Formula Regional and Formula 4.

    – F4 India champion gets free seat in Formula Regional India and F-Regional India champion gets a free seat in F3 Asia (same spec car as F-Regional India).

    – Pre-season testing at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) near Greater Noida on February 23-24, 2022. Five round season starts on February 25-27 at the BIC, concludes at an FIA grade 2 street circuit in Hyderabad on 25-27 March.

    – The majority of the drivers in Formula Regional India will be foreign drivers including from Europe while the majority of the grid in Formula 4 India will feature Indian drivers.

    – More details to come soon, but so far it can be confirmed that the budget for Formula Regional India will be around 150,000 euros. (INR 1.3 crore)

    I wish I can produce the speeds of this rubber with my cherry! Kapil seems to be thinking… before he reveals the car along with the co-mastermind of the whole show, Aditya Patel, at the Press Conference of Formula Regional Indian Championship Launch held at Taj lands End in Mumbai on 19th August 2021. Photo from IRL

    – Akhilesh Reddy and Navjeet Ghadoke are equal partners in Racing Promotions Private Limited, which will be promoter of the two series. Reddy said the commitment to the two series is for five years at least. Would be cool if it lasts even that long.

    Official Press Release

    Promoted by Navjeet Gadhoke of Roadway Solutions India Infra Ltd and Akhilesh Reddy of Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Ltd, RPPL plans to invest towards manufacturing cars, assets and street circuit infrastructure, along with the operational cost of the formula regional Indian championship and formula 4 Indian championship, and relaunching the city-based league as Indian Racing League.

    The new innings of Racing Promotions herald the new era of long-term racing culture in India with races planned across the country. In the coming months, Racing Promotions Pvt Ltd would host Formula Regional Indian Championship and Formula 4 Indian Championship, certified by the FIA. RPPL is also looking forward to relaunching the city-based league as the “Indian Racing League” in Q1 2022. Also on the schedule is India’s First-Ever FIA Graded Street Circuit in Hyderabad!

    With Navjeet Gadhoke and Akhilesh Reddy committed to investing in the long-term development of motorsports and creating a platform for aspiring racing drivers in India, the first season of racing would kick off on Feb-March 22 in New Delhi, Chennai, Coimbatore and Hyderabad, and attract global racing talents as well.

    Speaking about the Racing Promotions current endeavours Mr Akhilesh Reddy, Chairman, Racing Promotions stated “Monaco being a sovereign city-state has produced F1 drivers, and we as a country of a billion-plus now have the platform to give aspiring racing drivers the opportunity to compete with the best in the world and potentially a stepping stone to the apex of motorsports which is F1”

    While Mr Navjeet Gadoke, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, RPPL added “Our investment will revolutionize Indian motorsports, and the objective is to build a world-class, holistic ecosystem for motorsports which will become a force to reckon with, not just for this sport, but Indian sports in general.”

    Present on the launch, Joint MD, RPPL, Armaan Ebrahim reflected “It is great to finally have world-class equipment and race cars on our home soil. We welcome Akhilesh and Navjeet to our company, and look forward to building a series of championships that enable Indian drivers to compete at the highest level globally and will make Indians a force to reckon with in the motorsport world.”

    Commenting on the launch FMSCI, President said “The introduction of the Formula Regional India certified by the FIA to be followed by the F4 India certified by the FIA is certainly a landmark moment for Indian Motorsport, the FMSCI and the promoters, Racing Promotions Pvt Ltd. (RPPL). The FIA Single Seater Commission and the FIA World Motorsport Council approved the two championships last month. Not only will both these championships provide a truly International platform for Indian drivers who can now race at the International level competing against International drivers in their own country, but it also comes with a huge bonus package which is the FIA Driver points. The FMSCI would like to congratulate Mr. Akhilesh Reddy, Chairman RPPL, Mr Navjeet Gadhoke, Vice Chairman, RPPL and the entire Racing Promotions team for putting together such a phenomenal package which will take Indian Motorsport to much higher echelons.”

    Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Ltd
    (MEIL) is a 30-year behemoth in manufacturing and infrastructure, headquartered in Hyderabad, and operating in 8 other countries outside India. MEIL has an order book of ~$15Bn and net revenue of $3Bn. The organization has diversified to five other verticals namely Irrigation, Drinking Water, Power, Hydrocarbons, Transportation and General Infrastructure.

    Roadway Solution India Infra Ltd (RSIPL) is part of the Gadhoke Group, an infrastructure conglomerate with over 50 years of experience and $1.5Bn Enterprise Value.

    Racing Promotions Private Limited is the exclusive rights holder of 4W motorsports in India and launched a city-based league in 2019. 

  • Moto Racing National season begins at new-look MMSC

    Moto Racing National season begins at new-look MMSC

    Chennai, 19 August 2021: A fully sanitised MMRT will witness another grand congregation of country’s top talent and two-wheeler manufacturers when the first round of the 2021 MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship commences on Friday, August 20, with over 100 entries in fray in a card of 19 races that will be held behind closed doors, while strictly complying with the Covid-19 safety protocols.

    TVS, Honda, KTM and Yamaha will be competing in four categories of the National championships – the Pro-Stock 301-400cc, Pro-Stock 165cc, Novice (Stock 165cc) and Girls (Stock 165cc) – which also boasts of record 17 private teams. Also in the mix are the two One-Make Championships organised by MMSC for Honda and TVS.

    Honda, as part of their highly-acclaimed Idemitsu Honda India Talent Cup, will again parade their Moto3-spec NSF 250R ridden by a clutch of talented teenagers, all under 19 years of age, besides races in the CBR 150 while Hornet 2.0 will be seen in action for the first time as a support event.

    TVS will be showcasing their popular Apache RR 310 in the highly competitive Open class besides the RTR 200 in the Rookie (restricted to those below 19 years of age) which was earlier known as Novice, Girls and Media categories.

    MMSC president Ajit Thomas said: “We again welcome the two-wheeler racing fraternity to the MMRT with all the Covid-19 safety protocols in place. In these troubling and uncertain times, it is extremely heartening that we have India’s top riders and the leading bike manufacturers competing after overcoming all the challenges. We are also very grateful to MRF Tyres who continue to support our championships which, as in the past, is expected to be a humdinger.”

    The Pro-Stock 301-400cc class will headline the weekend programme. In the fray are several international riders led by National champion KY Ahamed, Jagan Kumar and Deepak Ravikumar (all TVS Racing), Anish Shetty (Race Concepts, KTM) and veteran Rajini Krishnan (RACR, Yamaha R3).

    The popular Pro-Stock 165cc which is set to witness the return of Pacer Yamaha team after a long gap, boasts of a very competitive field. TVS Racing’s Ahamed, Jagan and Ravikumar will be up against Idemitsu Honda SK69 Racing’s Rajiv Sethu and Senthil Kumar, and Pacer Yamaha riders.

    The Novice category (under-23) has yet again proved to be extremely popular with the organisers forced to close the entries ahead of schedule, while the Girls grid will be headed by defending champion Ann Jennifer (Sparks Racing).

    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.

  • Akhil Rabindra makes it to Aston Martin Academy again

    Akhil Rabindra makes it to Aston Martin Academy again

    Bangalore,19 May 2021: Bengaluru based 24-year-old GT4 racer Akhil Rabindra, today made it to the coveted list of the Aston Martin Racing Driver Academy third time in a row for the 2021 class. Akhil who is currently competing for AGS Events Racing team at the European GT4 Championships, is the only Asian to have made it to the prestigious AMR driving academy along with 14 others from across the world. The British luxury sportscar manufacturer made this important announcement today. Aston Martin through their driver academy aim to search for the next generation of GT4 endurance superstars and the 2021 class has only 15 elite drivers ( all between 17-26 years) from around the world competing with the hope to land up with an Aston Martin Junior drivers contract a year later. Akhil currently drives an Aston Martin Vantage GT4 for AGS Events Racing team.

    Akhil will be racing the second round of the 2021 season at the European GT4 Championships from 28th-30th May,2021. The race would be hosted at the Paul Ricard circuit.

    A thrilled and excited Akhil reacted after the announcement saying, “I am extremely excited and delighted to be on the AMR Driver Academy again this season. This year I have all the experience gathered from the past two years and no excuses to perform to the best to my ability to prove to myself and AMR. I would like to thank my sponsors, AGS Events Racing Team for their continued support and faith in my dream.”

    The selection criteria to this elite program are based on a wide range of criteria including pace, consistency and technical feedback. The judging panel included AMR President David King, Managing Director John Gaw, two-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Jonny Adam (GB), works star Ross Gunn (GB), and Hasse-Clot. The judging panel also evaluate each drivers’ ability to manage the strategic,teamwork, commercial and public relations aspects of their role.

    Rabindra is the only Asian to have made it to the highly respected AMR Driver Academy for consecutive years in 2019-20 & 2020-2021. The 24 year old racer will also the only Indian driver in the European GT4 Championship this season.

  • It is a good learning process for me, says Arjun Maini ahead of DTM season

    It is a good learning process for me, says Arjun Maini ahead of DTM season

    Lausitzring, 6 May 2021: Arjun Maini, who is set to race for the Mercedes-AMG Performance Team GetSpeed in the upcoming 2021 DTM season at the wheel of the Mercedes-AMG GT3 expressed that he is looking forward to seeing how he goes up against the best, during an official DTM virtual media conference on Thursday, “One thing that I have had to get used to is the small margin for error. Even a small mistake can cost you and of course the level of the drivers is extremely incredible, like it always is in DTM. And I think the main thing is going to be that we cannot afford to make any mistakes throughout the season. I am looking forward to seeing how I can go up against the best.”  


    Maini, who is backed by JK Racing and Mumbai Falcons so far , has completed  a three-day pre-season test in Lausitzring, Germany from May 4 to 6, further added that he has shown a lot of improvement since the first time he drove a DTM car, “It’s been a really good learning process for me. The team has been absolutely great while helping me get up to speed with the car and the way everything works, and also adjusting the car a bit to my driving style. I have shown a lot of improvement since the first time I drove. We have been focussing on our own program so far and it’s going really well.” 


    Maini posted the fastest time in testing over the two and a half days so far but when asked about it said that the real times will come out in Qualifying at the First Race in Monza.  


    The 23-year-old expressed that it’s a privilege for him to be a part of DTM and the Mercedes AMG family with the support from the GetSpeed team, “I first saw the DTM atmosphere when I was racing in Formula 3 in 2015 and you could realize how big it was already back then. It’s a massive privilege for me to be a part of DTM and the Mercedes AMG family with the support from the GetSpeed team. I am really looking forward to getting the season going with a lot of support coming in from home.” 


    The racer, who will be taking part in eight rounds (16 races) in the series, which will be held across Europe from June 2021 to October 2021, said that he is looking forward to making the DTM series more popular in India. 


    “It’ll be great to have a race in India sometime in the future. With me in the race, I think a lot of Indians will start following the DTM series and I think this series will be quite interesting and different for them. This type of racing is not quite well known as of now in India, so I am looking forward to making it popular for the Indian people and hopefully entertain them,” said Maini.