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Category: Racing
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Yash Aradhya to race in French F4
Bengaluru, 30 Sept 2020: Multiple National racing champion Yash Aradhya is all set to race in the French Formula 4 this week-end at Paul Ricardo circuit in Le Castellet, France.
He will be the only Indian in the FIA FFSA French Formula 4 for this season. Yash is also the first Indian motorsport talent to receive the prestigious `Pradhan Mantri Bal Shakthi Puraskar’ in January 2020.
The FIA Formula 4 French is organized by the French Federation of Motor Sport Auto Sport Academy known as `FFSA Academy’ under the aegis of the International Federation, the FIA, world Motorsports governing body.
The 18-year old Aradhya will be participating in the Open Category of the FIA Formula 4 French. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the championship calendar was rescheduled multiple times and finally kick started in August 2020. While Yash hasn’t been able to compete in the first three rounds of the Championship due to Visa related delays, he is all set to participate in the remaining four rounds, thereby, gaining a strong footing for the next year in Europe.
Looking forward to the weekend, Yash said, “Finally the wait is over, I am thankful to my sponsors who stood by me even at this time of adversity and made this a possibility. I am all excited to race in these tracks for the first time, I will focus and learn the tracks, adapt to the car as quickly as possible, I am confident that I will make them and my country proud.”
Sanjay Sharma, Head-Motorsport, JK Tyre said, “Though the entire world is crippled with the pandemic, it is important to see opportunity even in this adversity, that’s how champions are made. However, as the world is slowly regaining feet and so are the sporting events, I’m happy that our boys from India are geared up to make an impression in the global arena. Yash has time and again proved his mettle both in domestic and international racing and we wish him luck for this outing.”
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Prithvi, Kothadiya take top honours
Mumbai, 25 August 2020: Chennai’s Sai Prithvi and Pune’s Oshan Kothadiya won a race each in the Pro Class of the fourth round of the Mumbai Falcons Indian eRacing Championship, in association with Volkswagen Motorsport. The duo picked up their first wins this season, at the Daytona International Speedway on Sunday.
Qualifying saw Pune’s Muhammad Ibrahim post a laptime of 1:43.924, a mere 0.021 seconds ahead of defending champion – Amith Kutti. Championship leader Sai Prithvi from Chennai was third.
As the lights went out, Ibrahim made a good start to lead race 1, but a few corners later, Kutti outbraked the leader to grab the lead. The duo fought for a couple of laps, before Ibrahim attempted to retake the lead, resulting in both spectacularly crashing out of the race. Prithvi comfortably won ahead of Raghav Budhiraja (New Delhi). Ujjwal Belwariar (Bangalore) graduated from Junior to Pro Class and had a dream debut with a podium. Mumbai’s Raiden Samervel and Ooty’s Niranjan Kumar were fourth and fifth.
The top 12 from race 1, are reversed for the start of Race 2. Kaushick Mohanraja started from pole and the entire field had a clean start. Unfortunately he spun and a few cars hit him. Eventually Former Volkswagen Polo Cup Runner Up, Oshan Kothadiya (Pune) won the race after an excellent drive from seventh on the grid. Mumbai’s Prathamesh Yedre and Lucknow’s Siddharth Mehdiratta earned their maiden podiums with second and third, ahead of Kumar and Kutti.
“After 4 rounds we have 4 different race winners in the Pro Class. It’s really competitive at the top. The champions now have the best opportunity possible to transition from this, into real world racing.” said Moid Tungekar, CEO of Mumbai Falcons.
Gurgaon’s Garvit Agarwal started on pole and ran away, to win the Junior Race. Mumbai’s Janak Panchal and Tej Patel earned their maiden podiums, ahead of Jahaan Noble and Yash Khare. This weekend saw the commencement of the Amateur category with Deepak Raj, Guru Vishal & Deepak Walvekar finishing in the top three.
Pune’s Oshan Kothadiya Sirish Vissa, Head of Volkswagen Motorsport India said, “It is exciting to see a former Volkswagen Polo Cup runner up battling with and giving his competitors a tough fight. This shows how well the competitors are driving. Both the races were exhilarating to watch, we hope that this close battle continues for the rest of the championship.”
8 Time Champion and Founder of IR eSports, Rayomand Banajee added “We are happy with the excellent response that the Amateur category has received. We are confident that the entry-level classes will grow further, as we add on the Amateur PS4 category and a Women’s category.
Pro Race 1 Position Car No Name City Start Pos. 1 12 Sai Prithvi Chennai 3 2 63 Raghav Budhiraja New Delhi 6 3 9 Ujjwal Belwariar Bangalore 12 4 64 Raiden Samervel Mumbai 11 5 98 Niranjan Kumar Ooty 7 Pro Race 2 Position Car No Name City Start Pos. 1 14 Oshan Kothadiya Pune 7 2 45 Prathamesh Yedre Mumbai 2 3 41 Siddharth Mehdiratta Lucknow 6 4 98 Niranjan Kumar Ooty 8 5 16 Amith Kutti Chennai 18 Junior Race Position Car No Name City Start Pos. 1 13 Garvit Agarwal Gurgaon 1 2 21 Janak Panchal Mumbai 9 3 11 Tej Patel Mumbai 6 4 15 Jahaan Noble Mumbai 10 5 25 Yash Khare Mumbai 12 Amateur Race Position Name City 1 Deepak Raj Chennai 2 Guru Vishal Chennai 3 Deepak Walvekar Bangalore 4 Anish Joshi Kolkata 5 Anish Kumar New Delhi Pro Championship Position Car No Name City Points 1 57/12 Sai Prithvi Chennai 265 2 33 Muhammad Ibrahim Pune* 261 3 9/12/11/16 Amith Kutti Chennai 242 4 777/98 Niranjan Kumar Ooty 211 5 20 Chevlyn Fernandes Mumbai 176 Junior Championship Position Car No Name City Points 1 16/13 Garvit Agarwal Munich 161 2 7 / 19 Ujjwal Belwariar Bangalore 123 3 10 Aditya Iyer Pune 118 4 5 / 30 Avinash Gupta Kalimpong 118 5 21 Janak Panchal Mumbai 94 *
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Ibrahim continues domination in IeRC; Agarwal wins Junior Class
Mumbai, 16 August 2020: Pune’s Muhammad Ibrahim continued his winning streak in the Mumbai Falcons Indian eRacing Championship, in association with Volkswagen Motorsport. The accomplished karter had a near-perfect run, to once again demolish the competition and win both races of the Pro Class here.
Ibrahim started the event on the right note, qualifying on pole with a laptime of 1:22.010. Amith Kutti (Chennai) bagged second on the grid, qualifying 0.48 seconds behind. Sai Prithvi, also from Chennai, was third.
Race 1 saw championship leader Kutti, make a rare mistake to crash out of contention while Ibrahim took advantage of a good start to pull away and win the race. Prithvi had an intense battle with Sohil Shah for many laps before managing to overtake, to finish second. Shah, a former National Formula 1300 Champion, finished third, ahead of Niranjan Kumar and Raiden Samervel.
The starting order for Race 2 is based on the top 12 finishers of Race 1 being reversed. Coimbatore’s Kaushick Mohanraja started on pole and drove a sensible race, but could not keep Ibrahim behind him. Ibrahim won, ahead of Mohanraja, while Bhanu Teja from Hyderabad was third.
The Junior Class saw Sayee Saran (Chennai) lead after starting from pole. A back marker swerved into him, and Saran fell down the order. Debjit Adak from second, got involved in multiple crashes but still managed to finish fourth. Gurgaon boys – Garvit Agarwal picked up his maiden victory, while Amitesh Rao took his maiden podium, with second. Mumbai’s Veer Sheth also earned his maiden podium with a fine third place, ahead of Adak and Ritesh Rai.
“It’s good to see the Championship quite close in both classes. We are coming up with numerous opportunities for youngsters in motorsport & the Mumbai Falcons Indian eRacing Championship, is the ideal avenue for youngsters to start with motorsport.” said Moid Tungekar, CEO of Mumbai Falcons
Sirish Vissa, Head of Volkswagen Motorsport India said, “It is exciting to witness the competition for every position in the championship – this shows the dedication and effort that these young drivers are putting in to battle each other. With five more races to go, the racing is going to be intense as the drivers fight for the top spot.”
“Next round will see the addition of the Amateur Class followed by the Women’s Class. We are confident that this will expand the entry level opportunities and youngsters can register by visiting any social media platform of IReSportsIN.” said 8 Time National Racing and Karting Champion and founder of IR eSports.
The Championship standings in the Pro Class saw a major reshuffle thanks to poor results from Amith Kutti. Sai Prthivi grabbed the lead while, Ibrahim moves into second. After a significant lead, Kutti falls to third. Bangalore’s Ujjwal Belwariar stays in the lead of the Junior Class.
Pro Race 1 Position Car No Name City Start Pos. 1 33 Muhammad Ibrahim Pune 1 2 12 Sai Prithvi Chennai 3 3 24 Sohail Shah Bangalore 5 4 98 Niranjan Kumar Ooty 4 5 64 Raiden Samervel Mumbai 6 Pro Race 2 Position Car No Name City Start Pos. 1 33 Muhammad Ibrahim Pune 12 2 6 Kaushick Mohanraja Coimbatore 1 3 99 Bhanu Teja Hyderabad 5 4 12 Sai Prithvi Chennai 11 5 98 Niranjan Kumar Ooty 9 Junior Race Position Car No Name City Start Pos. 1 13 Garvit Agarwal Gurgaon 4 2 17 Amitesh Rao Gurgaon 6 3 44 Veer Sheth Mumbai 8 4 8 Debjit Adak Bangalore 2 5 12 Ritesh Rai Chennai 7 Pro Championship Position Car No Name City Points 1 57/12 Sai Prithvi Chennai 215 2 33 Muhammad Ibrahim Pune 212 3 9/12/11/16 Amith Kutti Chennai 204 4 16 / 11 / 19 Bhanu Teja Hyderabad 155 5 20 Chevlyn Fernandes Mumbai 151 Junior Championship Position Car No Name City Points 1 43647 Ujjwal Belwariar Bangalore 123 2 16/13 Garvit Agarwal Gurgaon 107 3 10 Aditya Iyer Pune 103 4 11079 Avinash Gupta Kalimpong 99 5 68/44 Veer Sheth Mumbai 83 -
Pune’s Ibrahim dominates Indian eRacing Round 2
Mumbai, 4 August 2020: Pune’s Muhammad Ibrahim sparkled in Round 2 of the Mumbai Falcons Indian Racing Championship, in association with Volkswagen Motorsport India, stunning Amith Kutti of Chennai and winning both his Pro Class races here on Sunday.
Ibrahim, who is currently competing from Kuala Lumpur and famously ran in the top five of the World Rotax Karting Finals recently and was a runner-up in the Asian Rotax Championship too, stamped his authority right from the word go.
He bagged pole, with a lap-time of 1:47.778, ahead of Ooty’s Niranjan Kumar. Season 2 Champion Sai Prithvi was third while Kutti could manage only fourth on the grid, ahead of Ankit Tyagi.
As the lights went out for Race 1 at the famed Nurburgring Circuit, Ibrahim made an excellent start to hold on to his lead. Kutti, from fourth, made a daring lunge into Corner 1 to jump to second place. Ibrahim pulled away and cruised to victory ahead of Kutti and Prithvi. Raghav Budhiraja (Delhi) and Abdul Hadi (Thrissur) drove smartly to move up from 14th & 15th to complete the Top Five.
Race 2 saw carnage on the first corner after pole-sitter Viswas Vijayraj turned into Niranjan Kumar, causing over 8 cars to suffer damage, and deployment of the safety car. Ibrahim took full advantage of this to win ahead of Kutti and Chevlyn Fernandes (Mumbai). Sai Prithvi & Niranjan Kumar completed the top five.
Sirish Vissa, Head of Volkswagen Motorsport India said, “The series has been remarkable with strong performance from Muhammad Ibrahim and the racers leading on the point table. The fight for the first spot was most exciting and enthralling.”
He further added, “It is our conscious effort to provide a level playing field even virtually. The cut-throat competition witnessed throughout the championship is a testimony to that fact.”
For the second round in a row in the Junior Class, Sayee Saran (Chennai) started from pole. He made a good start to lead the race ahead of Ujjwal Belwarier (Bangalore) & Garvit Agrawal (Gurgaon). A thrilling three-car battle for the lead ensued for most of the race, before Saran lost the lead. Belwarier won ahead of Avinash Gupta (Kalimpong) and Agrawal.
Six-time World Guinness record holder and winner of 11 motorsport titles, Ronny Wechselberger was one of the guest racers. A technical issue saw him skip Race 1 and he moved up from twentieth on the grid to finish a creditable ninth in Race 2. Macau’s Frederico Joaquin finished ninth in Race 1.
“The Mumbai Falcons Indian Racing Championship got a tremendous boost with acclaimed kart-racer Muhammad Ibrahim taking part. He got the better of Amith Kutti and Sai Prithvi which shows his class,” Moid Tungekar, CEO of Mumbai Falcons, said.
“We are happy to see strong viewership growth of the live races on our IR eSports social media channels. In addition to our existing sponsors, Mumbai Falcons & Volkswagen Motorsport India, we welcome Gamer Connect on board,” Rayomand Banajee, the organiser and karting king, said.
Pro Race 1 Position Car No Name City Start Pos. 1 33 Muhammad Ibrahim Pune 1 2 11 Amith Kutti Chennai 4 3 12 Sai Prithvi Chennai 3 4 63 Raghav Budhiraja New Delhi 14 5 17 Abdul Hadi Thrissur 15 Pro Race 2 Position Car No Name City Start Pos. 1 33 Muhammad Ibrahim Pune 11 2 16 Amith Kutti Chennai 10 3 20 Chevlyn Fernandes Mumbai 5 4 12 Sai Prithvi Chennai 9 5 98 Niranjan Kumar Ooty 2 Junior Race Position Car No Name City Start Pos. 1 19 Ujjwal Belwarier Bangalore 2 2 30 Avinash Gupta Kalimpong 4 3 13 Garvit Agrawal Munich 3 4 10 Aditya Iyer Pune 11 5 7 Jahaan Noble Mumbai 9 Pro Championship Position Car No Name City Points 1 16 Amith Kutti Chennai 194 2 12 Sai Prithvi Chennai 135 3 20 Chevlyn Fernandes Mumbai 113 4 46 Ankit Tyagi Sonipat 111 5 33 Muhammad Ibrahim Pune 106 Junior Championship Position Car No Name City Start Pos. 1 19 Ujjwal Belwarier Bangalore 104 2 30 Avinash Gupta Kalimpong 88 3 10 Aditya Iyer Pune 76 4 33 Sayee Saran Chennai 70 5 13 Garvit Agrawal Gurgaon 57 -
Defending champion Amith Kutti begins with a bang
Mumbai, 27 July 2020: Chennai’s Amith Kutti launched his campaign in the fourth edition of the Mumbai Falcons Indian eRacing Championship, in association with Volkswagen Motorsport, in style, winning both the Pro races on Sunday.
The defending champion warded off Season 2 winner Sai Prithvi’s challenge to take a commanding lead after Round 1. Bangalore’s Ujjwal Belwariar won the Junior race, edging past Sayee Saran who had taken pole position.
Reigning champion Amith Kutti and Sai Prithvi were engaged in a keen battle for pole on the Spa Francorchamps Circuit, with the former finishing ahead in 2:13.718. Prithvi was a close 0.13 seconds behind while Niranjan Kumar was third.
The latest season of the Indian eRacing Championship (earlier ISRL) extends to eight rounds and will see multiple new classes as the season progresses. A women’s class along with two separate amateur classes are also set to be introduced soon.
“We are proud to be associated with the Indian eRacing Championship. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the IR eSports team has done a stellar job in keeping the spirit of motorsport flying in the minds of racers,” Ameet Gadhoke, owner of Mumbai Falcons, said.
Sirish Vissa, Head Volkswagen Motorsport India added “The Indian eRacing Championship is making motorsport racing fun, exciting and a unique learning experience for our young and aspirational racers in India. With the continuous development of this platform, it intends to offer a near realistic experience along with reaching out to a wider audience of potential race drivers.”
Race 1 began on a furious note with three cars attempting to enter a corner side by side in the first lap itself before Kutti and Prithvi pulled away. However, a massive crash in the midfield saw multiple cars suffering severe damage.
Kutti eventually won just 0.75 seconds ahead of Prithvi while Hyderabad’s Bhanu Teja was third. Sonipat’s Ankit Tyagi was fourth.
With the reverse grid coming into play for the top 12, Ankit Roy started with the advantage of pole. But after just a few corners, he made a mistake and went off-track, setting off a chain reaction of incidents, resulting in numerous cars suffering damage. Ankit Tyagi took the lead while Kutti made his way up to fourth.
Kutti was on a charge though, and eventually grabbed the lead as also the race ahead of Tyagi & Teja.
F3 Asia Race winner & guest racer for the weekend, Sri Lanka’s Eshan Pieris, representing the CMSC, suffered technical issues and an accident in Race 1. The highly rated racer started seventeenth in Race 2 and made some excellent moves to finish fifth.
Macau’s Frederico Joaquin finished fourteenth, climbing from 21st, after missing Race 1.
“We have created the Junior Class to help newcomers adapt to the sport in slower cars. We are thankful to Mumbai Falcons and Volkswagen Motorsport for their continued support. We also welcome and thank Red Bull for their support,” 8-time champion and founder of IR eSports Rayomand Banajee said.
Results (Top 5):
Pro Race 1 Position Car No. Name City Start Pos. 1 9 Amith Kutti Chennai 1 2 57 Sai Prithvi Chennai 2 3 16 Bhanu Teja Hyderabad 4 4 46 Ankit Tyagi Sonipat 7 5 75 Sunil Kukde Bangalore 17 Pro Race 2 Position Car No. Name City Start Pos. 1 12 Amith Kutti Chennai 12 2 46 Ankit Tyagi Sonipat 9 3 11 Bhanu Teja Hyderabad 10 4 20 Chevlyn Fernandes Mumbai 13 5 21 Eshan Pieris Colombo 17 Junior Race 1 Position Car No. Name City Start Pos. 1 7 Ujjwal Belwariar Bangalore 2 2 5 Avinash Gupta Kalimpong 4 3 10 Aditya Iyer Pune 5 4 3 Sayee Saran Chennai 1 5 21 Janak Panchal Mumbai 7 -
NK Racing Academy Signs up India’s Fastest Gamer
Chennai, 22 May 2020: In an important move in Indian motorsports, NK Racing Academy and Ultimate E have partnered on Friday to find out the Fastest Gamer in India, in the days of COVID as almost all the drivers and riders are restricted to their homes due to lockdown.
NK Racing Academy, founded in 2006 and operated by Narain Karthikeyan, India’s first Formula 1 driver, bounces back in 2020 to help the next set of young talent in India. Aditya Patel, one of India’s foremost racing drivers, who spent his formative years with NK Racing Academy has won his National championship under the academy. The academy has taken a different view this time, identifying India’s `Fastest Gamer’ and has decided to take him under its wings.
Ultimate E is an eSports organisation that focuses on gaming events as well as promoting and managing gaming talent. Co-founded by Aditya Patel and Armaan Ebrahim, Ultimate E brings together Pros and Amateur gamers from around the country to compete in various disciplines at various levels.
Aditya Patel, co-founder of UltimateE: A file photo. NK Racing Academy aims at developing motorsports talent within the country. With Narain Karthikeyan providing hands-on training, the drivers can expect nothing but the best. The academy helps drivers in various aspects of motorsports varying from driving techniques, mental and physical fitness and media training. Drivers who excel in the academy will have the chance of gaining scholarships from the academy for their future racing endeavours.
This collaboration with Ultimate E will provide the best eSports racing driver a chance to make a
career in motorsports. “We are extremely happy and positive about this collaboration with ultimate E. It aims at expanding horizons in Indian motorsport and promoting young talent. eRacing has become more relevant now with the Covid19 situation.
“In the first edition of this collaboration, Amith Kutti, who has excelled in multiple eSports leagues and has easily come on top as the fastest gamer in India, is signed up by the Academy. Amith will be testing for NK Racing Academy in the Karting programme, in the near future, once the lockdown is lifted. Then the Academy will evaluate his capabilities, train him and ultimately push him to a race seat in the Rotax Max National Championship.” said Narain Karthikeyan, Founder of NK Racing Academy.
“We are happy to be collaborating with one of the best training grounds in India, the NK Racing Academy and with Narain’s guidance we feel this is the best opportunity for the all-round development of the eSports drivers. As a product of the academy myself, I know Amith is in a great place to give his career a boost,” said Aditya Patel, co-founder of Ultimate E.
“I’m really happy to be guided by Narain Karthikeyan. It’s an honour and a huge opportunity to be guided by him and moving from the virtual world to real-world racing, I’m really excited and I hope to impress him with my skills,” said Amith Kutty.
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Chennai’s Amith Kutti wins Indian Sim Racing League 3
Abdul Malik and Sai Prithvi finish runners up
Mumbai, 19 May 2020: Chennai’s Amith Kutti was crowned champion in the Mumbai Falcons Indian Sim Racing League that concluded, after a thrilling finale, on Sunday. The Indian SIM Racing League (ISRL) has been growing in leaps and bounds. Its wide success has seen Mumbai Falcons step up to sponsor the ISRL, while Volkswagen Motorsport continues their association, taking the ISRL to newer heights.
Amidst a close competition, the speedy Kutti amassed 377 points, winning six out of the ten races over five rounds to pip Thrissur’s Abdul Malik (345 points; one win and four podiums) and another Chennai lad Sai Prithvi (341 points; six podium finishes) to the title.
Start of the MUmbai Falcons ISRL .The Season 3 winners received cash prizes from Mumbai Falcons, with the champion getting Rs 15,000, the first runner-up Rs 10,000 and the second runner-up Rs 5,000. In addition, the title winner Kutti also earned a fully paid testing and training session for a day from Volkswagen Motorsport India, who have been part of the ISRL from the first edition. Second-placed Malik won a training session with Rayo Racing while Prithvi, third, got a race entry from IndiKarting.
Top racers from across the country took part in the competition, with Kutti dominating the first 2 rounds and winning all 4 races; UK based Muhammad Ibrahim snatched pole and won Race 1 of Round 3. Round 4 was dominated by the lads from Thrissur; and saw Abdul Malik earn his maiden victory in Race 1 while Abdul Fattah won Race 2.
Entering the final round, 3 racers were in a close fight for the title. Kutti had a narrow lead and secured his position by winning Race 1 after Malik had a relatively poor race by his standards. Former International racer and India’s representative to the Volkswagen Scirocco Cup in Europe, Oshan Kothadiya, currently based in the Netherlands, won his final race of the season.
Ameet Gadhoke owner of Mumbai Falcons commented “We at Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited are proud to associate with the Indian Sim Racing Challenge. There was a lot of great racing by the competitors which shows the potential and talent available in our great nation. During these trying times of the Covid-19 pandemic, SIM racing has offered an alternate platform for racing aspirants to continue to hone their talents.”
Sirish Vissa, Head of Volkswagen Motorsport India, said “I am glad that ISRL is making racing fun and exciting for the young racers. It is great to see the enthusiasm and traction for Mumbai Falcon ISRL in its third season. Basis the continuous development of the ISRL platform, I believe, it is offering a near realistic experience to the racers on the way we run our national racing championships in India. I look forward to meeting these young champions and train them in one of our Polo Cup cars in the near future. Till then, I urge you all to stay safe, stay at home and keep honing your racing skills on your SIMS.”
“Season 3 has been a big step up. We are grateful to Mumbai Falcons showing faith in our progress and would also like to thank Volkswagen Motorsport for their continued support,” Rayomand Banajee, of IR eSports, organisers of the ISRL, said.
Season 4 dates and format will be announced shortly, with the new schedule promising to increase the duration of the season.
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Sai Prithvi crowned champion of IR eSports ISRL2
Abdul Fattah and Raiden Samervel finish second and third respectively.
Mumbai, 2 May 2020: For the new generation of India’s racers, its practice arena has turned into a battlefield in the lockdown era.
Cooped up inside homes and missing out on valuable wheel time, racers from 14 cities took part in the country’s most popular competition: the Indian Sim Racing League (ISRL) in association with Volkswagen Motorsport.
Chennai’s Sai Prithvi garnered the maximum points, 252 over the five rounds, with the final one held on Friday night, to emerge Season 2’s undisputed champion.
Thrissur’s Abdul Fattah collected 191 points over the five rounds, to claim second position. Raiden Samervel from Mumbai managed 172 points to take the third position.
The Indian Sim Racing League receives good response. An INDIAinF1 image Incidentally, following innumerable queries, the ISRL announced that the third season would begin on May 8, with the promise of upgrades, a more viewer-friendly format and an attractive prize pool. Registrations are already open.
In the final race on the Laguna Seca track, Chennai’s Amith Kutti grabbed pole in qualifying, a mere eight-thousandth of a second ahead of points leader, Sai Prithvi. As the lights went out, a determined Prithvi went breathing down the tail of the leader pressurising him into an error.
Kutti and Prithvi exchanged fastest laps before Kutti tragically hit a back-marker. The resulting suspension damage forced him to retire. Title challenger Abdul Fattah (Thrissur) then crashed and pitted, losing valuable time and any hopes of winning the title. Jessie Jakhar (Thrissur) was the star of the race, climbing from seventeenth to finish fourth.
Sai Prithvi’s four victories in the five rounds were sufficient to crown him champion. He earns himself testing in a Volkswagen Motorsport race car. Abdul Fattah eventually finished eleventh to secure second in the final standings earns himself kart training sessions with Rayo Racing. Raiden Samervel, and gets a free race entry courtesy IndiKarting.
Organised by 8-time national karting champion Rayomand Banajee and his IR eSports, in association with Volkswagen Motorsport India, the championship pits India’s best online racers against real world racers: held on the popular online iRacing platform, each competes in an FIA homologated Dallara Formula 3 car, with identical setups, using his or her own simulator.
Mr. Sirish Vissa, Head Motorsports at Volkswagen India, said: “We are proud to associate with IR eSports and the Indian Sim Racing League. This gives a different dimension to our motorsport program in India. With this association we look forward to expanding our footprint in terms of accessibility to the sport.”
“We have always been looking at growing motorsport at the grassroots level. We gained a lot of knowledge organising India’s largest eSports Racing Championship last year. The lockdown created a perfect opportunity for the sport to grow and we are happy to create a competitive avenue for motorsport to grow in India via iRacing,” Rayomand added.
In this season, watched live by thousands on multiple social media channels, the five rounds saw the competitors racing on some of the world’s most iconic circuits, including Silverstone, Daytona and Laguna Seca.
The ISRL follows all the racing norms, with a proper rule book and experienced officials overseeing the conduct of the racers. Each round consists of two practice sessions totalling 90 minutes, a 10 minute qualifying and a 20 minute race. Points are awarded as per the Volkswagen India Championship, with additional points for pole position and fastest lap.
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MRF Challenge set for exciting finish; MRF MMSC National car racing season begins
File photo of MRF Challenge in action. Photo by Anand Philar Chennai, 13 Feb 2020: A clutch of hungry teenagers from across the globe, besides a couple of veterans, will be again going head-to-head as the third and final round of FIA-approved MRF Challenge, organised by the Madras Motor Sports Club, gets underway at the MMRT here on Friday, February 14, with a card of six races.
The weekend racing bouquet also includes the first round of MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship for saloon cars (ITC, IJTC and Super Stock) besides two support events, the MRF F1600 and Volkswagen Ameo Super Race. In all, 12 races have been scheduled for this weekend.
The previous two rounds witnessed thrilling battles while throwing up some exciting young talent like championship leader Belgium’s 17-year old Michaelangelo Amendola, Britain’s Joshua Mason, and first-timers in MRF Challenge Indian-American Yuven Sunderamoorthy, 16, who chalked up a fine win in Dubai, and Japanese-American Reece Ushijima who clocked two fastest laps, also in Dubai.
A newcomer to the MRF Challenge is England’s 16-year old Louis Foster who enjoyed a tremendous run in the British F4 Championship last year to finish third overall with six wins and 13 podiums. In 2018, he emerged “Champion Rookie” in the Ginetta Junior Championship with nine wins.
MRF Tyres Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, Mr. Arun Mammen said: “We have had some exciting races in the previous two rounds in Dubai and Bahrain. Now, with the championship still wide open, we expect more of close and thrilling competition up and down the grid, here in the final round at Chennai. Over the years, MRF Challenge, India’s only FIA-approved Formula racing championship which is also one of the best in Asia, has thrown up a clutch of talented youngsters who have utilized the MRF Challenge, run in the off-season winter months, as a platform to achieve their racing goals, and it has been no different this season too with drivers from the United States, Europe and Australia lining up. MRF Tyres’ commitment to motorsports is evident by our strong presence in various championships across the globe, be it racing or rally.”
After two rounds, Amendola, with three wins in Dubai, is well-placed at the top with 143 points. He is followed by Australia’s 30-year old Dylan Young (127) who notched his first and only win so far in seven MRF Challenge seasons. Behind the pair is Mason (115) who notched four podium finishes in the Dubai round.
The top three title contenders, however, have to watch out for Danish teenager Valdemar Eriksen and Jordanian Manaf Hijjawi, tied on 87 points, but well clear of Ushijima and Sunderamoorthy who have 70 apiece. Denmark’s Largim Ali (43) and the lone Indian in fray and Chennai native, Chetan Korada (19) close out the grid.
With six races to be run, there are plenty of points on offer and it puts premium on consistency given the close competition.
ABOUT MRF TYRES
Motorsports in India is synonymous with MRF. In fact, the development and popularity of various forms of the sport could be directly attributed to the pioneering efforts of the company, be it racing, rallying, motocross or karting. To encourage motorsport enthusiasts MRF has spared no resources in offering World-class facilities. Being the largest promoters of motorsports in India, MRF has the added advantage of being able to use the racetrack to test the tyres. MRF also supplies tyres to various other championships in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
MRF is the only tyre company in India to have developed Formula car tyres, world- class rally tyres for tarmac and dirt, motocross tyres and also karting tyres. Today, the company caters to almost all segments of the tyre industry and is proud to be the manufacturer of the largest range of tyres. Heavy-duty truck and bus tyres, passenger car tyres, two-wheeler tyres and farm tyres are just some of the tyres that MRF manufactures.
The one thing that puts MRF head and shoulders above its competition is the fact that MRF is the only tyre company in India without any foreign technical collaboration. The company is where it is today, thanks mainly to its know-how and its ability to develop indigenous technology. With this technology, MRF now supplies original equipment tyres to multinational manufacturers such as Honda, Hyundai, Renault, Nissan, Mahindra, Tata, Volkswagen, Toyota, Suzuki and Ford. In total, MRF exports to more than 90 countries. MRF has been the undisputed leader in the tyre industry for more than three decades now, notwithstanding the competition from various multinational and Indian tyre brands.
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Kush Maini to race with 3-time Formula Renault Eurocup Champions R-ace GP
File photo of Kush Maini: INDIAinF1 Bengaluru, 12 Feb 2020: Ace Indian driver Kush Maini will continue in Formula Renault EuroCup Series 2020 and has signed up with R-ace GP.
Backed by JK Racing, Kush finished 2nd in the Rookie standings in 2019 and was 6th overall. He is looking to make a strong come back in 2020. His team R-ace GP have consistently won this Championship for the last 3 years.
The 2020 Formula Renault Eurocup is a multi-event motor racing championship for open wheel, formula racing cars held across Europe. The championship features drivers competing in 1.8 litre Formula Renault single seat race cars that conform to the technical regulations for the championship. The 2020 season is the 30th Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 season organized by the Renault Sport. The series is run over 10 weekends at 10 different Formula 1 circuits including Monaco and Abu Dhabi making it a very important and Competitive F1 Feeder series.
With a reasonable amount of experience on single seater racing at Europe over the last 4 years, Kush now feels ready to fight at the front of Championship.
Kush is extremely excited to be part of the R-ace GP line up. “Really happy to announce that I will be racing with reigning champions R-ace GP in Formula Renault Eurocup in 2020. We have tested together in Abu Dhabi and in Europe and I am extremely comfortable and confident with the team. Very happy also to be continuing my partnership with JK Racing who have supported me for several years. Can’t wait to get started,” Maini said
Thibault De Merindol team principal of R-ace GP said: “I am extremely satisfied to be able to count on Kush’s performances to defend R-ace GP’s driver and team Formula Renault Eurocup titles. Respectively 6th and 2nd of the 2019 general and rookie classifications, Kush proved himself to be one of the men to watch in 2020. Already at work since November, I am pleased with Kush’s team integration and with our preparation in progress. I want to thank Kush and all his partners for their faith in R-ace GP and I am looking forward to a great season together.”
The car Kush Maini will be racing in 2020.
