INDIA in F1

Category: Racing

  • Volkswagen Motorsport call for aspiring drivers for the Polo Cup 2020

    Volkswagen Motorsport call for aspiring drivers for the Polo Cup 2020

    Pune, 14 January 2020: Volkswagen Motorsport India has announced the Polo Cup for 2020. The drivers’ selection process for the 11th Edition of the Volkswagen Championship has already begun. Aspiring drivers with a keen interest in Motorsport can register themselves for the selection process on or before 20th January. This edition of the Volkswagen Championship has already witnessed 1,300 registration entries and counting.

    The two-day driver selection process scheduled on January, 25 & 26 at Ajmera Indi Karting Track, Mumbai will have Sirish Vissa, Head of Volkswagen Motorsport India, Rayomand Banajee, Driver Coach and former multiple National Champion, Steve Hodges, Karting Expert as the member of the Jury. The process will comprise of judging drivers on their overall driving skills which includes consistency in performance, understanding of racing lines, lap times, driving attitude and ability to learn. The selection process will also include a fitness test that will focus on the overall capabilities of race drivers to secure their position on the grid of the One-make series.

    Steffen Knapp, Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars said: “The Volkswagen Polo is synonymous to a fun-to-drive experience, equipped with highest safety standards and build quality that is needed on the race track. We’re extremely delighted to bring back this carline for the 11th edition of Volkswagen Motorsport’s One Make Championship. The team has made relentless efforts in training young talent and providing opportunities of global Volkswagen Motorsport standards. We encourage all those interested participants to come witness the Race Polo at the upcoming Auto Expo 2020.

    Sirish Vissa, Head of Volkswagen Motorsport India said, “It is a proud moment for us to mention that with a decade’s presence in India, Volkswagen Motorsport continues to be the only OEM directly involved in Motorsport. Aspiring drivers from within the country and neighbouring countries have been trained by our program and have gone on to race internationally. With the 11th edition of this championship, Volkswagen would like to reiterate its continued commitment in promoting Motorsport in India.”

    With over 1,600 registrations in 2019, Volkswagen Motorsport received the highest number of registrations for drivers’ selection in Indian history. Such great numbers is a testimony of growing popularity of the Motorsports in India and Volkswagen Motorsport’s continued efforts to provide a great platform to budding race drivers in India.

    Registration Link :: https://www.volkswagen.co.in/en/volkswagen-motorsportindia/ championship.html

    About Volkswagen Motorsport India: Taking ahead more than 50 years of enriching global motorsport legacy of Volkswagen, Volkswagen Motorsport India commenced operations with the Polo Cup India in 2010. The vast global expertise, coupled with rich dynamic history of the Group has enabled Volkswagen Motorsport India to progress swiftly and become the best one make series in a short span of time. The Volkswagen Polo R Cup enhanced awareness as well as underlined the technological advancement of Volkswagen in India. In 2015, Volkswagen Motorsport India shifted to Vento Cup and continued to provide a vital platform for the talented young racers to demonstrate their capabilities nationally and internationally by nurturing them. In the one-make series, all participating cars are technically identical with the same performance making it possible for only the most skilled drivers to leave an impact. Since 2017, Volkswagen Motorsport India has been running the Ameo Cup in the same format with a car that has been completely developed and built with local talent at Volkswagen plant in Pune. Successes in Indian Rallying: Under the Customer Sport Initiative, Volkswagen Motorsport India started providing teams and individuals running Volkswagen Polo rally cars in the Indian Rally Championship (IRC) with technical assistance and spares support from 2013. The Volkswagen Polo since then has won several championships and is has become popular in national rallying to the extent that more than half the competing grid in 2018 comprised of Volkswagen Polo cars.

  • Dylan Young, Bent Viscaal share honours: MRF Challenge

    Dylan Young, Bent Viscaal share honours: MRF Challenge

    Dylan Young on way to winning Race-4 at Bahrain on 4 Dec 2019. Photos by Anand Philar

    Sakhir (Bahrain), 14 Dec 2019: Dylan Young of Australia showcased his vast experience to chalk up a fluent win in the final race of the second round of MRF Challenge, a support-event for the FIA World Endurance Championship, at the Bahrain International Circuit, here today.

    The 30-year old Young, a regular in the MRF Challenge, while scoring his second win in the championship following his success in the first round at Dubai last month, ended the Bent Viscaal-David Schumacher domination. Viscaal, from the Netherlands, had won the first and third races while Germany’s Schumacher, son of former F1 driver Ralf, had taken the honours in Race-2 under lights late last night.

    The results notwithstanding, championship leader Michelangelo Amendola of Belgium, who had won three of the five races in Dubai, maintained his top position on the leaderboard despite a poor run here in Bahrain when he finished no higher than sixth. He took his tally to 143 points, followed by Young (127) and Joshua Mason (Britain, 115). The title will be decided in Chennai which will host the final round at the MMRT on February 14-16 next year with a six-race card.

    The last race of the round today saw Viscaal and pole-sitter Amendola colliding. Viscaal was forced into retirement while Amendola limped home in seventh.

    Up ahead, Young shot off the blocks as the lights went out to pass Amendola and kept his position for a victory. Behind him, battles raged up and down the field with positions being swapped on almost every lap. Eventually, Schumacher, who had started fifth on the reverse grid, came in third behind Jordan’s Manaf Hijjawi who gained two spots to finish behind Young.

    Earlier, it was a comfortable win, his second in three outings, for Viscaal in Race-3 as he slipped past pole-sitter Schumacher immediately after the start and then put in two back-to-back fastest laps to effectively seal his win. He then clocked the fastest lap of the race in Lap-5 to further extend his lead over Schumacher who had to be content with a second place finish.

    Behind the duo, 16-year old Indian-American Yuven Sundaramoorthy made good progress from P5 to P3 while Young who shot up from eighth to fourth eventually finished fifth behind Hijjawi who is in his first single-seater season.

    Race-4 winner Dylan Young (centre) flanked by second-placed Manaf Hijjawi (left) and third-placed David Schumacher on 14 Dec 2019

    “I had a pretty good start today and moved to P3, but couldn’t get past David (Schumacher). Overall, I am quite happy with my second podium of the championship. It’s been a good learning experience, especially racing with experienced F3 drivers. Everyone has been improving and so, the grid is getting more competitive,” said Sundaramoorthy who has his roots in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.

    Late last night, in Race-2 that was run under lights and on reverse grid, Schumacher came out on top after having started fifth, in a hectic, nerve-wracking three-car finish as he took the chequered flag just ahead of Viscaal and Young. The trio went wheel-to-wheel to set up a thrilling finish with leader Young dropping two places in the last lap as first Viscaal and then Schumacher passing him. The two front-row starters, pole-sitter Reece Ushijima and Joshua Mason, eventually finished fifth and fourth, respectively, unable to match the pace of the top three.

    The results (all 10 laps unless mentioned):

    Race-2 (10 laps): 1. David Schumacher (Germany) (20mins, 24.266secs); 2. Bent  Viscaal (Netherlands) (20:25.968); 3. Dylan Young (Australia) (20:25.994). Fastest Lap: Schumacher (02:00.732).

    Race-3: 1. Viscaal (20:16.541); 2. Schumacher (20:17.306); 3. Yuven Sundaramoorthy (USA) (20:23.243). Fastest Lap: Viscaal (02:00.896).

    Race-4: 1. Young (20:27.236); 2. Manaf Hijjawi (Jordan) (20:28.071); 3. Schumacher (20:29.810). Fastest Lap: Schumacher (02:01.302).

  • Bent Viscaal, David Schumacher set early pace in Free Practice: MRF Challenge

    Bent Viscaal, David Schumacher set early pace in Free Practice: MRF Challenge

    David Schumacher during free practice. Photo by Anand Philar

    Sakhir (Bahrain), 12 Dec 2019: Debutants Bent Viscaal and David Schumacher set the early pace in Free Practice session as the second round of the MRF Challenge, organized by the Madras Motor Sports Club and a support-event for FIA World Endurance Championship, got underway at the Bahrain International Circuit, here today.

    Viscaal, the 20-year old from the Netherlands, fresh from his debut season in the Formula 3 championship, was the quickest in the first Free Practice session, clocking a best of two minutes, 01.191 seconds while Germany’s 18-year old Schumacher, son of former Formula 1 driver Ralf, was second best in 02:01.256, ahead of Denmark’s 16-year old Valdemar Eriksen (02:01.850).

    In fact, the top five in the session, including fourth-placed Aussie Dylan Young (02:01.901) and championship leader Michelangelo Amendola from Belgium (02:01.915), winner of three races in the first round at Dubai last month, were covered by less than one second.

    Viscaal, who was second Overall in 2018 Euroformula Open Championship, was quite pleased with his pace today, though he refrained from any predictions on his performance over the next two days when the qualifying and four races would be run.

    “It went very well for me today. First time in MRF Challenge, first time in this car and learning the track. It’s been nearly two months since I drove a racing car. So, MRF Challenge will provide me with some winter mileage. The car is good and so also the tyres, I am really enjoying it here. I was quite happy with the pace, though you never know with quali (qualifying session) and races still to be run,” said Viscaal.

    Schumacher said he enjoyed the outing. “New car, new tyres and it was quite fun to drive. It was one of the best cars I have driven in practice session. I was missing half-a-tenths in the quickest laps. The track is really difficult and the temperatures were quite high. This car is pretty easy to drive compared to others. I chose the MRF Challenge to learn the track for next season. This week, I want to win all the races of course!”

    The top five were followed by 16-year old Indian-American Yuven Sundaramoorthy (02:02.352), Jordanian Manaf Hijjawi (02:02.439), Japanese-American Reece Ushijima (02:02.507), Denmark’s Largim Ali (02:02.739), Britain Joshua Mason (02:03.146) and lone Indian entrant Chetan Korada (02:04.991).

  • David Schumacher to race in MRF Challenge Round 2 at Bahrain

    David Schumacher to race in MRF Challenge Round 2 at Bahrain

    David Schumacher in Sakhir Bahrain on Wednesday. Photos by Anand Philar

    Sakhir (Bahrain), 11 Dec 2019: David Schumacher, son of former F1 driver Ralf, is the latest addition to India’s only FIA-approved international series, the MRF Challenge which moves to the Bahrain International Circuit here with a total of four races spread over two days – December 13 and 14.

    The 18-year old David Schumacher from Germany, has been in tremendous form in the past year, having emerged Rookie Champion with eight wins in his category while finishing ninth Overall in the 2018 Formula 4 ADAC Championship, followed by fourth Overall with four wins in the 2019 Formula 3 Regional European Championship.

    David Schumacher is the latest among high-profile drivers who have utilised the MRF Challenge, organised by the Madras Motor Sports Club, as a stepping stone to further their racing careers. Mick Schumacher, Harrison Newey, son of Formula 1 designer ace Adrian Newey, Formula 1 test driver with Alfa Romeo Racing Tatiana Calderon and last season’s winner Jamie Chadwick, who is also the champion of the inaugural W Series this year, are some of the big names to have participated in the MRF Challenge, organised by the Madras Motor Sports Club.

    David Schumacher said: “I am really excited to race with the MRF Challenge in Bahrain. The series is a good platform to race in the winter break. I am looking forward to get the chance to do my first race in Bahrain and to prepare for the season 2020.”

    Looking ahead to Round 2, Mr Arun Mammen, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, MRF Ltd., said: “At the outset, we would like to welcome David Schumacher to MRF Challenge. He follows his cousin, Mick, son of multiple F1 champion Michael Schumacher, and who participated in the championship couple of seasons ago and is now looking to break into F1. David joins other teenagers from Europe and the United States who showcased their talent in the first round at Dubai last month with some very competitive racing. I am sure, these youngsters are looking forward to racing at the iconic Bahrain F1 circuit in Sakhir.”

    File photo of MRF Challenge race.

    The first round of the MRF Challenge last month in Dubai, comprising five races saw Belgian teenager Michelangelo Amendola dominating with three wins, besides topping the qualifying session and posting three fastest laps to pocket 119 points. The other two races were won by veteran Australian Dylan Young and 16-year old Indian-American Yuven Sundaramoorthy. Trailing Amendola on the points table is British teenager Joshua Mason (77), ahead of Young (65).

    Interestingly, 16-year old Japanese-American Reece Ushijima, though failing to win and placed seventh in the championship behind Valdemar Erikson (Denmark), Sunderamoorthy and Jordanian Manaf Hijjawi, showed impressive pace by posting two fastest laps in his debut single-seater season, and would be the one to watch here in Bahrain.

    Danish youngster Largim Ali is currently eighth in the championship after finishing fourth in two races while Chennai-based Chetan Korada, India’s lone entry, brings up the rear, having picked up points in all the five outings in Dubai.

    Another new entrant for Round 2 is 20-year old Brent Viscaal from the Netherlands who took part in the FIA F3 Championship this year after having finished runner-up in the 2018 Euroformula Open Championship.

    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.

  • Mumbai Falcons soar high with a double; Bangalore Racing Stars top in Race 1

    Mumbai Falcons soar high with a double; Bangalore Racing Stars top in Race 1

    Mumbai Falcons pair of Kush Maini (right) and Mikkel Jensen who scored a double in the X1 Racing League on Sunday. 

    Chennai, 8 Dec 2019: Mumbai Falcons, represented by Kush Maini and Mikkel Jensen (Denmark), won two of the three races while Bangalore Racing Stars tandem of Arjun Maini and Oliver Webb (England) took the honours in the other outing as the curtains came down on the inaugural franchise-based XI Racing League at the MMRT, here today.

    The first race of the day, won by Bangalore, took a heavy toll with six cars packing up due to mechanical reasons. It left a six-car grid for the second and third races, but that did not take anything away from Mumbai’s double.

    The Race-1 was interrupted by a Safety Car period after one of the cars blew the engine. Bangalore started fourth on the grid behind Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad, but with some smart tactics managed to pull ahead. The teams were required to make a mandatory driver change between ninth and 14th minutes window and Bangalore, powered by Arjun Maini and England’s Oliver Webb got it spot on and then held off a late charging Mumbai (Kush Maini and Mikkel Jensen) to win the race. Hyderabad (Vitantonio Liuzzi-Gosia Rdest) completed the podium.

    The second race began on reverse grid of the previous race standings. As such, Delhi’s Gaurav Gill, the three times Asia Pacific Rally champion, started from pole and led until he pitted for Raghul Rangasamy to take over. Rangasamy maintained the track position to finish second behind Mumbai Falcons (Kush Maini and Jensen). Bangalore Racing Stars who had started fifth, came in third.

    Mumbai Falcons went on to complete a double later in the evening, finishing on top in Race-3 ahead of Bangalore Racing Stars and Blackbirds Hyderabad.

    Kush Maini (No.1) on a charge in Race 2 on Sunday. Photos by Anand Philar

    The results (Provisional):

    Race-1: 1. Bengaluru Racing Stars (Arjun Maini / Oliver Webb) (27mins, 23.458secs); 2. Mumbai Falcons (Kush Maini / Michel Jensen) (27:24.018); 3. Blackbirds Hyderabad (Vitantonio Liuzzi / Gosia Rdest) (27:28.969).

    Race-2: 1. Mumbai Falcons (28:02.222); 2. AD Racing Delhi (Gaurav Gill / Raghul Rangasamy) (28:21.637); 3. Bangalore Racing Stars (28:25.847).

    Race-3: 1. Mumbai Falcons (27:59.175); 2. Bangalore Racing Stars (28:03.838); 3. Blackbirds Hyderabad (Luizzi / Akhil Rabindra) (28:28.382).

    About X1Racing League

    X1Racing League, promoted by Racing Promotions Private Limited, is a hybrid motorsport media business creating, developing and commercializing IPs via live events, experiences and ecosystem. X1Racing League intends to reimagine, reinvent and redefine motorsport. X1Racing League is built on three pillars namely X1Racing League, X1Racing eSports and X1Racing Speed Summits. The X1Racing League powered by JK Tyre takes place in November-December in Delhi and Chennai represented by six franchise teams of 24 race drivers including international and domestic men and women. The X1Racing eSports Season 1 is being held in collaboration with global technology leader OnePlus across each of these six cities prior to the professional league to involve fans in a participative simulator-racing format. Winners will win rewards as well as have an opportunity to be trained by professional race drivers. Additionally, in their attempt to make motorsport a part of a larger lifestyle, the X1Racing Speed Summits will bring about exclusive weekenders in the form of VIP corporate experiences. All these pillars bring together a robust calendar of motorsport activity across India touching fans and talent alike to truly make motorsport much more than a sport, but a lifestyle.

  • XI Motorsport League comes to Chennai for 2nd and final round

    XI Motorsport League comes to Chennai for 2nd and final round

    First round action in Delhi at Buddh International Circuit on 1st Dec 2019. An INDIAinF1 image

    Chennai, 7 Dec 2019: The cream of Indian racing talent, along with their foreign counterparts, including three former Formula One drivers, will re-assemble at the MMRT, here on Sunday for the second round of the path-breaking, franchise-based X1Racing League, being conducted by the Madras Motor Sports Club.

    The three races, scheduled for Sunday, promise high-quality racing with the three ex-F1 drivers, India’s Narain Karthikeyan, Malaysian Alex Yoong and Italian Vitantonio Luizzi, competing against hand-picked racers, both foreign and Indian, with rich international experience, besides domestic talent. Also in the fray is Gaurav Gill, the three-times FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship winner, WRC2 participant and reigning National rally champion who has also competed in single-seater races in India.

    The brain-child of two of India’s finest racers, Aditya Patel and Armaan Ebrahim, and promoted by Racing Promotions Private Limited, the X1Racing League, comprises six city-based teams – Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Delhi. The first round was held at the Buddh International Circuit, Delhi, last weekend.

    The uniqueness of the X1Racing League lies in its structure that calls for mixed teams of male and female drivers. It also brings together under one umbrella a clutch of Indian racers like the Maini brothers, Arjun and Kush, Akhil Rabindra and Krishnaraaj Mahadik who have been active in various international series with some success.

    Also on the grid are drivers with a proven track record in Indian championships, such as young guns Yash Aradhya, Sohil Shah, Arjun Datta, Nayan Chatterjee, Anindith Reddy, besides experienced Ameya Walavalkar, Vishnu Prasad, Raghul Rangasamy, Chittesh Mandody, Karthik Tharani, Arjun Narendran, and Arjun Balu.

    The foreign talent includes England’s Oliver Webb, Mikkel Jensen from Denmark and Australian Mitch Gilbert, all with exposure to Touring car championships and Formula racing.

    Headlining the female talent is England’s 36-year old Pippa Mann who has been racing internationally for over a decade, including the iconic Indy series in the United States. She will be up against compatriot Alice Powell who finished third overall in the inaugural W Series for women earlier this year, Poland’s Gosia Rdest, Denmark’s Michelle Gatting and Rahel Frey from Switzerland.

    The Delhi round of the X1Racing League saw Bengaluru Racing Stars, comprising Arjun Maini, Webb, Gatting, Chatterjee, and Vishnu Prasad, winning two of the four races, while Mumbai Falcons (Kush Maini, Jensen, Mann, Shah and Tharani) topping the other two.

    The teams:

    Hyderabad Black Birds: Vitantonio Luizzi (Italy), Gosia Rdest (Poland), Akhil Rabindra (IND), Arjun Narendran (IND) and Anindith Reddy (IND).

    Bengaluru Racing Stars: Oliver Webb (England), Michelle Gatting (England), Arjun Maini (IND), Nayan Chatterjee (IND) and Vishnu Prasad (IND).

    Mumbai Falcons: Mikkel Jensen (Denmark), Pippa Mann (England), Kush Maini (IND), Sohil Shah (IND), Karthik Tharani (IND).

    DG Racing Ahmedabad: Alex Yoong (Malaysia), Rahel Frey (Switzerland), Krishna Mahadik (IND), Chittesh Mandody (IND) and Ameya Walavalkar (IND).

    AD Racing, Delhi: Gaurav Gill (IND), Raghul Rangaswamy (IND), Ashwin Datta (IND), Mira Erda (IND) and Sandeep Kumar (IND).

    Superspeed Racing, Chennai: Narain Karthikeyan (IND), Mitch Gilbert (Australia), Alice Powell (England), Arjun Balu (IND), Yash Aradhya (IND) and Parthiva Sureshwaren (IND).

    About X1Racing League

    X1Racing League, promoted by Racing Promotions Private Limited, is a hybrid motorsport media business creating, developing and commercializing IPs via live events, experiences and ecosystem. X1Racing League intends to reimagine, reinvent and redefine motorsport. X1Racing League is built on three pillars namely X1Racing League, X1Racing eSports, and X1Racing Speed Summits. The X1Racing League powered by JK Tyre takes place in November-December in Delhi and Chennai represented by six franchise teams of 24 race drivers including international and domestic men and women. The X1Racing eSports Season 1 is being held in collaboration with global technology leader OnePlus across each of these six cities prior to the professional league to involve fans in a participative simulator-racing format. Winners will win rewards as well as have an opportunity to be trained by professional race drivers. Additionally, in their attempt to make motorsport a part of a larger lifestyle, the X1Racing Speed Summits will bring about exclusive weekenders in the form of VIP corporate experiences. All these pillars bring together a robust calendar of motorsport activity across India touching fans and talent alike to truly make motorsport much more than a sport, but a lifestyle.

  • Rajini Krishnan bags superbike win for Ducati

    New Delhi, 2 Dec 2019: Ducati, swept the 1st and 2nd position at the 23rd edition of JK Tyre FMSCI Indian National Racing Championship 2019 at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) in Noida, Delhi-NCR, securing the championship it won in 2018.

    Ducati India’s pilots Rajini Krishnan and Dilip Lalwani successfully bagged the 1st and 2nd position in race 2, in the superbike category aboard the Ducati Panigale V4 S with both bikes running on OEM stock fitments respectively. Also, Neharika Yadav, India’s only woman to race in the 1000cc category, successfully finished the race on her 899 Panigale.

    This year’s championship races witnessed over 11 Ducati superbikes on the track making Ducati the biggest superbike manufacturer on the grid. Additionally, Bhumik Lalwani – official pilot of Ducati India’s dealer partner team, Ducati North Star Automotive, secured the championship on Ducati Panigale V4 S, finishing in P1 and P4 in race 1 and 2 respectively and Dilip Lalwani, riding for team Ducati India, came 2nd overall in the championship.

    On this occasion, Sergi Canovas Managing Director of Ducati India said, “We are extremely proud of our riders’ performance at this year’s JK Tyre National Racing Championships which is not only one of the biggest but also one of the most competitive racing events in the country. I heartily congratulate Rajini Krishnan, Dilip Lalwani and Bhumik Lalwani for a stellar performance with the supremely capable Panigale V4 S being their weapon of choice. Personally, it feels great to witness and interact with the growing motor-sporting community in India. I am confident that next year will be even bigger and we can’t wait!”

    With a legacy of over 90 years, Ducati has strived to reincarnate the racing identity in biking, cultivate an unparalleled riding culture and strive to build the motorsport community in India through various initiatives such as Track Days, Individual Track Riding Academy, etc.

    The JK Racing India Series is the premium category in the JK Tyre Racing Championship. Launched in 1997, JK Tyre has now become the revered launch pad for budding motorsport talents in the country. JK Tyre took upon itself to package and design the Championship to suit the masses, which was earlier regarded for the elite. Despite raising the bar each time, the JKNRC remains the most cost-effective programs not only in India but in the world.

  • Vishnu Prasad pips Raghul to win Formula LGB-4 title: JK Tyre Nationals

    Vishnu Prasad pips Raghul to win Formula LGB-4 title: JK Tyre Nationals

    Chennai’s Vishnu Prasad on way to hi championship crown in the LGB4 class of the JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship at BIC, Greater Noida. A JK Tyre photo

    Greater Noida, 1 Dec 2019: Chennai’s Vishnu Prasad and Bengaluru’s Syed Muzammil Ali demonstrated nerves of steel to emerge as the heroes of the thrill-a-minute JK Tyre Festival of Speed here on Sunday.

    Over 35,000 excited and screaming fans had the time of their lives at the Buddh International Circuit, enjoying a wholesome entertainment package topped up by tense races, close finishes and a couple of spectacular crashes too.

    Eventually, Vishnu of MSport pipped his friend, team-mate and rival, Raghul Rangaswamy, to the crown in the coveted Formula LGB-4 category of the JK Tyre FMSCI National Racing Championship.

    Going into the final day with 73 points apiece, Vishnu and Raghul knew that, for once, they didn’t have to chase victory; they just had to finish ahead of the other to claim the championship.

    But, true to their reputation, they went all out, providing for a thrilling race, with Vishnu winning in dramatic fashion; Raghul finished third to take the second position in the championship.

    The Suzuki Gixxer Cup too followed the script of the season, with Syed Muzammil Ali and Tanay Gaikwad locked in one last fight. Tanay, however, began with a huge disadvantage following a DNF on Saturday.

    He began from the back of the grid and valiantly fought his way up but could only manage a third-place finish to settle for the second position in the championship. Muzammil, who had an overnight 2-point lead, made sure that he hit the post ahead of Tanay to clinch the Cup.

    The inaugural X1 Racing competition, Powered by JK Tyre, too proved to be with an instant hit, with its mix of top international and domestic drivers in an exciting new format.

    Bangalore Racing Stars, with Arjun Maini, Oliver Webb, Vishnu Prasad and Michelle Gatting, claimed Round 1 in style, thanks to their two wins on Day 1. They also won the last race of the round, the relay race, to emerge clear victors.

    Mumbai Falcons, (Kush Maini, Mikkel Jensen, Karthik Tharani and Pippa Mann) won one of the two races of the day and had to settle for the second position.

    Rajini Krishnan (JK Tyre Superbike 1000cc), P. Sai Rahil Shetty (JK Tyre Superbike Cup 600cc) and Japan’s Karen Ogura (Asia Cup Road Racing) were the other heroes of the day, winning their respective races on Sunday.

    Car stunts at the JK Tyre Festival of Speed.

    RESULTS (Championship winners):

    JK Tyre LGB Formula 4: 1. Vishnu Prasad (83); 2. Raghul Rangasamy (79); Diljith T S (68)

    JK Tyre LGB Formula 4 Rookie: 1.Megaa K. S. (85); 2. Mihir Barve (73); 3. Akshay Kapoor (62)

    JK Tyre Suzuki Gixxer Cup: 1. Syed Muzammil Ali (64); Tanay Gaikwad (60); Sidharth Sajan (36)

    Provisional Results:

    JK LGB Formula 4: 1. Vishnu Prasad (23:16.961); 2. Ashwin Datta (23:18.060); 3. Raghul Rangasamy (23:18.675)

    JK Tyre Suzuki Gixxer Cup: 1. Sanjeev Mhatre (23:28.022); 2. Syed Muzammil Ali (23:29.287); 3. Tanay Gaikwad (23:35.746)

    Asia Cup Road Racing: 1. Karen Ogura (20:51.318); 2. Eane Jaye Sobretodo (20:51.478); 3. Mei Sakurai (21:01.006)

    JK Tyre Superbike 1000cc: 1. Rajini Krishnan (11:49.834); 2. Dilip Lalwani (11:51.070); 3. Simranjeet Singh (11:53.166)

    JK Tyre Superbike Cup 600cc: 1. P. Sai Rahil Shetty (12:21.241); 2. Gurvinder Singh (12:26.929); 3. Vishal Khubchandani (12:41.629)

    X1 Racing Powered by JK Tyre:

    Race 1: 1. Mumbai Falcons; 2. Bangalore Racing Stars; 3. DGR Ahmedabad

    Race 2: 1. Bangalore Racing Stars; 2. Mumbai Falcons; 3. NK Racing Chennai

  • Rajiv Sethu, Senthil ready for ARRC final round in Buriram; Kritik Habib for Talent Cup

    Rajiv Sethu, Senthil ready for ARRC final round in Buriram; Kritik Habib for Talent Cup

    Rajiv Sethu after completing another win in the Indian domestic races at MMRT recently. Photo by Anand Philar 

    Buriram (Thailand), 28 Nov 2019: The fight for Asia Production 250cc class title has now reached Thai soil for the finale round of 2019 Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) at Chang International Circuit, Thailand. After winning points in each of the 6 rounds till now, ‘Idemitsu Honda Racing India’- the only Indian team in Asia Production 250 class enters the finale round firmly in Top 9 out of 20 teams. 

    Honda’s Indian riders, Rajiv and Senthil, are looking forward to the final round. In his third ARRC season, Rajiv enters last round of AP 250 class with 33 points under his belt. For the 21-year-old, Chang International Circuit holds a history of good performances. In 2018, he scored his maiden international point here. In 2019, Rajiv upped his game during the 3rd ARRC round becoming the first Indian rider to qualify in top-7, new fastest lap time (1:53:573) and over 33% reduction in total race time gap with lead rider from 18 seconds to just 5 seconds within the 10-lap race. Rajiv is already in top 16 out of the 40 riders in AP 250 class, which is an improvement from his overall 27th position in 2018. But he is determined for a repeat top-10 finish this weekend. Meanwhile, Senthil is gunning for a top-25 finish in his maiden ARRC season.

    Prabhu Nagaraj, Vice President, Brand and Communication, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Private Limited said, “This year has been a great year for Idemitsu Honda Racing India team. With two top-10 and eight top-15 finishes, Rajiv is now consistently riding with the top bunch. It was at Chang only that Rajiv had qualified in 7th earlier this year. Now we are confident that Rajiv is ready to better his record and close the 2019 season with a good performance. Senthil too has improved his race-craft and gained points in his debut season itself. As the 2019 season wraps up this weekend, we are looking for a strong finish.”

    This weekend, it will be a clash of titans as the AP250 class grid will see 32 riders from 8 Asia Oceania nations (Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taipei, HongKong, India). Expect fireworks this weekend with 5 of the top-8 under equalizer rule. With 4 of the top-5 riders chasing title coming from Honda stables, the Indonesian rider Irfan Ardiansyah must finish second to be crowned the 2019 AP250 FIM Asian Champion. The AP 250 title fight heads for a tie-breaker as Indonesian riders Irfan Ardiansyah and Andy Muhammad are both tied at the top with 176 points each. But with the double equaliser cut of 1000rpm on the top runners, the championship may see new challenge from the next 3 riders on the scoreboard (Awhin Sanjaya, Muklada Sarapuech and Aiki Iyoshi).

    Looking forward to last round of ARRC, Rajiv Sethu, said, “Chang International Circuit is like a second home to me. This circuit has brought good fortune for my team and me in the past. I’m much more confident of my riding style here. This weekend is about being in prime form, strategically moving ahead on the grid and avoiding any riding mistake which can push me back. While Thai riders have the home-ground advantage here and 6 wildcards will heat up the competition even more, my aim is to be in top 10 here.”

    Sharing his thoughts, Senthil Kumar said, “I am excited to return to Buriram (Thailand). In my last visit, I finished in Top 20. As I feel much more comfortable on this track and my machine, I now aim to go full throttle and aim for points for the solo Indian team once again.”

    Parallelly, the marquee Asia SuperBike 1000cc (ASB) class of ARRC 2019 will see the podium contender Malaysian rider Zaqhwan Zaidi of Honda Asia-Dream Racing with SHOWA team (ranked 4th) return in full form. The team has top personnel from Honda subsidiaries across Asia & Oceania, including a race technician from India.

    The final round of Thailand Talent Cup, Honda’s development program for Asian riders, will also be held this weekend. Representing the next breed of Indian young racers going global with Honda will be Kritik Habib from Gadag, Karnataka. He is ranked 21.

    In its 24th year, the FIM Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC) is Asia’s most competitive motorcycle road racing championship. The 2019 season sees the battle play out in 7 rounds across 5 countries (Malaysia* 2, Australia, Thailand * 2, Japan & China) in 4 classes ASB1000, SuperSports 600 (SS600), AP250 and Underbone (UB150).

  • Dominant victory on Asian Le Mans Series debut for Arjun Maini’s team

    Dominant victory on Asian Le Mans Series debut for Arjun Maini’s team

    Arjun Maini in Shanghai. Photo from JK Tyre

    Shanghai, 25 Nov 2019: Superlative race performances from India’s JK Racing backed Arjun Maini, Canada’s John Farano and New Zealand’s Andy Higgins assured RLR MSport of the LMP2 Am Trophy victory in the season-opening 4 Hours of Shanghai that places the British team at the head of the fight for an automatic entry to the 88th 24 Hours of Le Mans in June 2020.

    Arjun Maini of RLR MSport topped the charts in private testing and maintained a significant advantage over its LMP2 Am rivals in free practice to go into qualifying as the favourite for pole position.

    However, a string of track limits infringements prompted stewards to delete the team’s best qualification times, and a 1m57.841s, set by Maini on a cautious banker lap, resigned the squad to second in class.

    From the front row of the LMP2 Am grid, Maini made a clean start and quickly relieved the #4 ARC Bratislava entry of the lead.

    The young Indian racer made good on his escape, consistently lapping between two and four seconds quicker than his nearest rival to build a massive advantage and break ranks by getting in among the LMP2 Pro runners.

    Having risen to third place overall during an extraordinary 50-minute stint, Maini gave way to Farano in the first round of scheduled stops.

    The Canadian Am managed the race well and breached the 2m05s barrier during a fault-free stint to keep RLR MSport at the top, but the team’s 40-second lead turned into a 40-second deficit after the second round of driver-changes.

    The 3-member RLR MSport team, including Arjun Maini, which won the race at Shanghai.

    RLR MSport switched Farano for Higgins under green-flag conditions shortly before a protracted Full Course Yellow-Safety Car period, which presented ARC Bratislava with an opportunity to minimise its time in the pits and take the lead.

    In an attempt to recover the lost ground, RLR MSport reinstalled Maini and fitted the #59 ORECA 05 with fresh tyres, only for the #4 car to grind to a halt with one hour remaining.

    From there, the team had a clear run at the top step of the podium; Maini and Higgins drove consistently during outstanding stints to finish seventh overall and take a dominant LMP2 Am victory on RLR MSport’s maiden outing in the burgeoning Asian Le Mans Series

    Maini said:“I’m quite happy with the result and my performance, although the victory came harder than expected. We were unlucky with the timing of the first Full Course Yellow, but I was actually disappointed that ARC Bratislava retired – I wanted to pass them on-track, because we were in a strong position to do so with our pace and strategy. However, it was a good fight, Andy (Higgins) did a great job in his maiden LMP2 race and John (Farano) performed brilliantly in his first competitive outing with the ORECA 05, and it’s comforting to know that we can make more progress with the car next time out in Australia.”