INDIA in F1

Category: Rally

  • CS Santosh

    “As a kid, while growing up, I remember being fascinated by adventure, and that fascination continues to this day. Whether it’s on my motorcycle or in my everyday life, I’m always trying to address my fears and step outside my comfort zone.”

    Those are the words of India’s most accomplished offroad racer, CS Santosh. He’s won everything in his homeland in multiple disciplines across Supercross, Motocross, Dirt Track and Rally Raid. He’s also the first rider from India to finish in the top five of the Asian MX championship (2010), and the top 10 of the WCCRC (2014).

    Offroad racing is still a niche sport in India, so Santosh is currently looking to expand his abilities into more disciplines of motorsports around the world. Right now he’s determined to make inroads into some of the globe’s top rallying events. And he’s managed to overcome a series of unfortunate injuries to become the first Indian to compete and finish the Dakar Rally (2015).

    Santosh had to retire from the 2016 edition of the Dakar due to technical difficulties, but he learned from the experience and went on to win some big rally events in his homeland. His victories at the Indian Baja and Desert Storm helped earn him a place on the newly formed Hero MotoSports Team Rally outfit alongside Portuguese rider Joaquim Rodrigues.

    In 2018, he became the only Indian to finish the Dakar Rally thrice. He had his best-ever finish at the Dakar, coming in 34th position in the bike category of the world’s toughest rally raid.

    Source: Red Bull, Santosh’s sponsor

     

  • Gaurav Gill suffers mechanical problems again; Karna Kadur leads Coffee Day Rally: INRC

    Gaurav Gill suffers mechanical problems again; Karna Kadur leads Coffee Day Rally: INRC

    Karna Kadur in action as he took the overall lead on Saturday. Photo by Anand Philar

    Chikkamagaluru, 1 Dec 2018: Local star Karna Kadur along with co-driver Nikhil Vittal Pai of Arka Motorsports emerged as overall leader with a 59.7 seconds advantage at the end of Leg-1 in the Coffee Day India Rally, the fourth round of the MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship, here on Saturday. While favourite Gaurav Gill, assisted by navigator Musa Sherif, of Mahindra Adventure team suffered mechanical problems after leading four stages in the coffee estates of Malnad.

    However, the surpirse of the day was Bopaiah, who emerged as the best of the rest with a brilliant run on Saturday to stand second overall in the INRC standings.

    On a day of drama with 11 casualities, Gill, who was enjoying a comfortable lead, met with disaster as the lower arm of his XUV 500 broke, forcing him to stop in SS-6. He will re-join the competition tomorrow in a bid to score leg points. “A bad day in the office. We had a good morning, winning all the Stages, but on the fifth Stage (of the day), we had an issue with the lower arm with the ball joint completely shearing off. A case of metal fatigue perhaps. We are driving tomorrow and take whatever points we can and stay in the championship. So, maximum attack tomorrow,” said Gill.

    Bopaiah (Gagan Karumbaiah) speeding in SS4 on Friday. Photo by David Bodapati

    While Gill packed up for the day, Bopaiah KM, with co-driver Gagan Karumbaiah, eased into Overall second spot, just 16.5 seconds ahead of an ailing Amittrajit Ghosh (Ashwin Naik) of Mahindra Adventure. Ghosh, battling an allergy and suffering from breathing problems, strove manfully to finish the day without any mishap.

    The Special-Stage rallying took its toll as 11 of 46 competitors retired due to reasons ranging from mechanical problems to crashes, because the surface deteriorated as the day wore on. The day’s last Stage was cancelled after Aroor Vikram Rao crashed and only three cars passing the stage ahead of him.

    Reflecting on his performance today, Karna Kadur said: “I think the day went pretty well and we got more than what we bargained for. We were concentrating only on our category (INRC-2). In the Super Special Stage, we were the quickest in our category and so we knew how we wanted this rally to be. We took one Stage at a time. We trailed Gaurav (Gill) by 20 seconds after the first Stage today and so, we pushed in the next, and improved. In the process, we got past (Amittrajit) Ghosh which was part of our strategy. Unfortunately, Gaurav packed up as he was our benchmark. Tomorrow, we will try to keep our position as we have a comfortable lead.”

    For Ghosh, it was a huge task to even drive the XUV 500, given his indisposition following a “shell fish allergy” that he caught on the flight from London earlier this week. “It is the toughest drive of my rally career. I couldn’t push to my limits. I am just forcing myself to drive. I am not looking at the timings and if we can make a place tomorrow, then we will. Even as I am talking now, I am gasping. I have not had any solid food the whole of this week. Tomorrow, I will drive at the pace I am comfortable with and take whatever points I can from this Rally,” said Ghosh.

    Mujeeb Rahman, navigated by Moideen Sharfali in a Maruti Esteem topped the time sheets in the FMSCI 2-wheel drive Cup category and privateers were followed by Vikram Gowda and Sudheendhra BG of Team Champions in a Honda City while another privateer Prakhyat H Shirole was third, also in a Honda City.

    In the FMSCI 4-wheel drive Cup class, Team Champions Sanjay Agarwal and Smitha Prasad were leading after Saturday’s Leg 1 by over a minute with Sachin Murthy and Nikhil J running in second and third place respectively.

    The results (Provisional):

    Overall: 1. Karna Kadur / Nikhil Pai (Arka Motorsports) (01hr, 12mins, 50.0secs); 2. Bopaiah / Gagan Karumbaiah (Team Champions) (01:13:49.7); 3. Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Mahindra Adventure) (01:14.06.2).

    INRC-1: 1. Ghosh / Naik; 2. Michu Ganapathy / Venu Rameshkumar (Team Champions) (01:16:30.8); 3. Harshita Gowda / Vidhya M (Pvt) (01:24:20.6).

    INRC-2: 1. Kadur / Pai; 2. Bopaiah / Gagan Karumbaiah; 3. Younus Ilyas / Harish KN (Pvt) (01:14:52.4).

    INRC-3: 1. Arjun Rao / Milen George (Chettinad Sporting)(01:15:17.2); 2. Fabid Ahmer / Shahid Salman (Chettinad Sporting) (01:16:33.0); 3. Darius Shroff / Nitin Jacob (Pvt) (01:18:22.8).

    FMSCI 2WD Cup: 1.Mujeeb Rahman / Moideen Sharfali (Pvt) (01:19:19.8); 2.Vikram Gowda / Sudheendhra BG (Team Champions) (01:19:42.2); 3. Prakhyat H Shirole / Bharath SM (Pvt) (01:20:13.4).

    FMSCI 4WD Cup: 1. Sanjay Agarwal /Smitha Prasad M (Team Champions) (01:19:52.4); 2. Sachin Murthy / Sathyapal (Pvt) (01:21:07.9) 3. Nikhil J / Arjun Dheerendra (Pvt) (01:26:07.1).

  • Off-road event added to JK Tyre Hornbill motor rally at Kohima

    Off-road event added to JK Tyre Hornbill motor rally at Kohima

    File photo of Hornbill Rally. Photo courtesy JK Tyre

    Kohima (Nagaland), 1 Dec 2018: The picturesque hills in Kohima will reverberate with the sounds of roaring cars as the JK Tyre Hornbill Motor Rally returns to the annual Hornbill Festival of Nagaland in a bigger and more exciting format.

    The three-day event, beginning on Sunday, will see some of the country’s top rallyists battle for honours even as the entire town turns into party mode.

    The annual rally which is in its 9th year of existence have added the off-road challenge which takes place on December 4.

    The exciting off-roading is expected to see top drivers from the region and a few from all over the country, traversing through a course of 1.5 kms negotiating six gruelling obstacles in their bid to win the crown.

    Popular as an exotic Northeast state, Nagaland is also organising a World War 2 Peace Rally to pay homage to its martyrs during the Battle of Kohima. Family members of the heroes will be part of a very touching rally, as they will be taken on a parade in vintage cars and jeeps towards the cemetery.

    All three events coincide with the famous Hornbill Festival of Nagaland, a seven-day fest cultural performances, ethnic food courts, handlooms and handicrafts bazaars, film and art festivals, fashion shows and a national rock contest.

    “We are extremely delighted to be part of the Hornbill Motor Rally once again. JK Tyre has always been keen on tapping motorsport talents from every corner of the country. The Northeast has a number of motorsports enthusiasts and I am sure this year’s competitions will be exciting,” Sanjay Sharma, Head of JK Tyre & Motorsports, said.

    The Time, Speed and Distance (TSD) rally will be run over a distance of 55 kilometres, starting from the IG Stadium. Day 1 will come to an end at the Kisama Heritage village. Day 2 will see the Off Road Challenge while Day 3 will be marked by the WW2 Peace Rally.

    About JK Tyre Motorsport:

    JK Tyre has always been closely associated with the world of sports. Almost three decades back the company laid down a long term and sustained approach to promote Motorsport. Participating in this form of the sport has helped the company in continuously updating its products to meet the challenges of gruelling Indian conditions. The sport at that time in India was perceived for elite but JK Tyre took upon itself to package and redesign the sport to suit the masses. The company not only made the sport affordable but also equivalent to International operating standards. JK Tyre’s foray into Motorsport was a well thought out strategic decision to not only use and develop this virgin branding platform but also to realize the dreams of making India a force in the field of motor sport.

    In 2011, the company acquired the Formula BMW Series and rechristened it as the JK Racing Asia Series (JKRAS). With this acquisition, JK Tyre created history in Indian Motorsport by becoming the first Indian company to acquire an FIA accredited series. By taking over the series, JK Tyre promises to utilize it as a platform to encourage and support the world’s best racing drivers and promote India as one of Asia’s motorsport capitals.

    Thus, JK Tyre has conquered two steps in the motorsport program where the new racing aspirants first establish themselves in

    India, then graduate to Asian level i.e. to Formula BMW, which is now JKRAS and then they move to higher levels of racing. JK Tyre now stands closer to achieving its mission of bringing world-class motorsport to the Indian masses. The Racing and Karting programme by JK Tyre has been the breeding ground for the country’s  motorsport talents like Narain Karthikeyan, Armaan Ebrahim, Karun Chandhok, Aditya Patel and other emerging talent.

    Another pioneering initiative was the launch of the Truck Racing Championship in India in partnership with Tata Motors. The company developed & designed “JetRacing”-the new generation truck racing tyres especially for this application. With this, JK Tyre became the first tyre company to produce truck racing tyres in India. The combination of the Prima trucks fitted with Jet Racing received an overwhelming response from participants and has definitely brought in a revolution in the Indian racing scenario.

  • Gaurav Gill thrills crowds with fastest time in Super Special Stage: INRC Coffee Day India Rally

    Gaurav Gill thrills crowds with fastest time in Super Special Stage: INRC Coffee Day India Rally

    Gaurav Gill tops SSS on Friday in the Coffee Day India Rally Photo: Anand Philar

    Chikkamagaluru, 30 Nov 2018: Reigning champion Gaurav Gill (co-driver Musa Sherif) drove with controlled aggression to top the timesheets in the Super Special Stage which launched the Coffee Day India Rally, the fourth round of the MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship, promoted by Ramakrishna Race Performance Management, at the Amber Valley school grounds, here on Friday.

    Driving the XUV 500 for Mahindra Adventure team, Gill, a virtual cult figure in this coffee town, did not look as spectacular as some of the drivers before him, but the clean lines through the corner saw him clock two minutes, 34.7 seconds for the 2.12 Kms run as he led a 1-2 for his team, ahead of Amittrajit Ghosh (Ashwin Naik) who did 02:35.1. Local lad Karna Kadur (Nikhil Pai) of Arka Motorsports, piloting a Volkswagen Polo, was overall third quickest in 02:36.1.

    The thousands of spectators who thronged the school grounds, were treated to an action-packed afternoon as Kadur topped in the INRC-2 category while Dhruva Chandrasekar (Arjun SSB) was the fastest in the INRC-3 class with a time of 02:36.6.

    The action will shift to the nearby coffee estates on Saturday when six Special Stages will be run. The rally will conclude on Sunday afternoon after the competitors complete one loop of the three Special Stages in the reverse direction.

    The results:

    Overall: 1. Gaurav Gill / Musa Sherif (Mahindra Adventure) (02mins, 34.7secs); 2. Amittrajit Ghosh / Ashwin Naik (Mahindra Adventure) (02:35.1); 3. Karna Kadur / Nikhil Pai (Arka Motorsports) (02:36.1).

    INRC-1: Gill / Sherif; 2. Ghosh / Naik; 3. Michu Ganapathy / Venu Rameshkumar (Team Champions) (02:45.9).

    INRC-2: 1, Kadur / Pai; 2. Younus Ilyas / Harish KN (02:38.8); 3. Phalguna Urs / Srikanth Gowda (SNAP Racing) (02:39.2).

    INRC-3: 1. Dhruva Chandrasekar / Arjun SSB (Team Champions) (02:36.6); 2. Dean Mascarenhas / Shruptha Padival (Team Champions) (02:37.5); 3. Aroor Vikram Rao / Somayya (Team Falkon) (02:39.7).

    FMSCI 2WD Cup: 1. Adith KC / Suraj Keshava Prasad (Team Champions) (02:40.1); 2. Vikram Gowda / Sudheendra BG (Team Champions) (02:41.1); 3. Prakhyat Shirole / Bharath SM (02:43.2).

    FMSCI 4WD Cup: 1. Sanjay Agarwal / Smitha Prasad (Team Champions) (02:46.5); 2 (Tie). Satish P Naidu / Sheraz Ahmed (Team Champions) (02:56.7) and Sachin Murthy / Satyapal (02:56.7).    

  • Gaurav Gill confident that an Indian driver in an Indian-made tyre will deliver at the world stage

    Gaurav Gill confident that an Indian driver in an Indian-made tyre will deliver at the world stage

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    Chikkamagaluru, 30 Nov 2018: Gaurav Gill looked relaxed and confident and as mature as ever. The King of Indian Rallyng, with 50 points, however, is trailing in overall points and is in second place behind Amittrajit Ghosh. “It was a rare mechanical failure,’’ the A seeded driver brushed off the Arunachal Pradesh DNF, in the last rally, after comfortably leading for the better part of the Rally. But Ghosh, who won the fourth round in the North East, dismissed the lead saying the format is such that in N minus One, Gill still leads the points table if, Ghosh’s 18 points from his low-scoring is given up. Every entry has the comfort of removing one event at the end of all rounds and Gill still is better-placed and is favourite to retain the INRC title with one Round to be held in Kerala, the Popular Rally from Dec 14 to 16.

    Gill was cool with the challenging terrain in the coffee land which had good rains and the vegetation making it difficult and technical for drivers but “we will believe and trust our pace notes and the navigators,” said Ghosh. Gill agreed that it is all rallying and the best driver may win. Gill also added that soon an Indian driver with Indian-made MRF tyre has the potential to become the fastest driver in the world.

    The Speed Master, Gill, is the current reigning Asia Pacific Rally Champion and not just the Indian National Rally Champion for year 2017. He is gunning for another Indian title, but with the Delhi-based MRF driver moving to World Rally Championship this year, the Chikmagalur leg of APRC had taken a beating with many cars not able to make it to the last round and eventually, the APRC round is cancelled.

    The MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) is the premier rallying series in India run under the aegis of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), which is the Governing Body or ASN of India recognised by the FIA, culminating with the Indian National Rally Champion Driver, Co-Driver and Team. The championship is based on a point system. The championship first received its National Championship title status in 1988. Indian drivers in Indian cars are eligible to take part in the 2018 INRC which is promoted by RRPM, the Ramakrishna Race Performance Management, as it purchased the rights from FMSCI for three years from 2016.

    Another A seeded driver young Mangalorean Dean Mascarenhas who was the runner-up in Overall INRC and INRC3 title winner last year, was also trailing Vikram Rao Aroor in INRC3 after three rounds by three points. Vikram has 28 points and Dean garnered 25.

    Karna Kadur, the A Seed who won the Coffee Day India Rally last year is competing with Rahul Kantharaj, another A seeded driver, and has taken a lead of 14 points bagging 42 points to 28 points for Rahul. Both are from Team Arka Motorsports.

    The three-day Coffee Day India Rally 2018, which is also the fourth round of the National Championship, will witness some of the best names in motorsports battle it out for the top honours. Over the past couple of decades, the three-day event, has grown in stature and popularity among both participants and spectators, thanks to Coffee Day Group’s significant support and constant involvement.

    The Championship, promoted by Ramakrishna Race Performance Management (RRPM), kicked off earlier this year in Chennai before moving on to Coimbatore and Arunachal Pradesh. After three rounds, Mahindra Adventure team’s Amittrajit Ghosh and co-driver Ashwin Naik head the leaderboard with 61 points, followed by team-mates Gaurav Gill and Musa Sherif (50).

    The duo driving the Mahindra XUV 500 will headline the three-day event which commences on Friday with the popular Super Special Stage (2.2 kms) at Amber Valley school grounds. The competitors will then head to the twisty Special Stage located in the nearby Coffee Day Group estates on Saturday and Sunday.

    The other big team, apart from Mahindra Adventure is Arka Motorsports that boasts of seasoned, Rahul Kanthraj (co-driver Vivek Bhatt) and talented, Karna Kadur (Nikhil Pai) as the standard-bearers. Kadur and Kanthraj are placed third and fourth in the Overall classification behind Ghosh and Gill after three rounds and also head the INRC-2 category, while two young guns from Mangaluru, Aroor Vikram Rao (Falkon Motorsports, 68 points) and Dean Mascarenhas (Chettinad Sporting, 53) are in the lead in INRC-3.

    This season’s INRC has seen the entry of a new outfit, Team Champions that was born out of a desire to support talented drivers in need of financial assistance. Team Champions will have a seven-car line-up besides a few more crews they will be supporting. “It is our aim to facilitate the participation of deserving drivers and hopefully, unearth fresh talent. The 2018 is our debut year in INRC and next season, we might be entering more cars,” said Vamcy Merla who manages Team Champions.

    Venkatesh M, Director, Coffee Day Hotels and Resorts said, “Coffee Day is amongst the first few corporates to cultivate the concept of racing in India with Coffee Day India Rally in 2002. This is our 16th edition and we’re proud to see the love for motorsport grow in our country. Coffee Day India Rally is truly unique given its uncanny combination of a rugged terrain with scenic beauty. It is one of the most challenging races in the calendar, filled with twisty and narrow tracks amidst the coffee plantations. The challenging rally will witness some of the best rally drivers tackle tough terrains, set for a thrilling performance in Chikmagalur. Our team at Coffee Day Group and Motor Sports Club of Chikmagalur have relentlessly worked to make the rally one of the most awaited motorsports event in the country. We at Coffee Day are pleased to work towards the continued endeavour and success of the rally.”   

    The Coffee Day India Rally adorns the INRC scene as the most popular event attracting thousands of spectators from near and far. The enthusiasm of the spectators inspire the participants to raise their game by several notches. It is hardly a surprise then that Coffee Day India Rally 2018 edition has attracted 40-plus entries across various categories – the IRC, IRC-2, IRC-3 and FMSCI 2W Drive Cup.

     Additionally, the organisers have included a separate category for Maruti Gypsy vehicles while Volkswagen has provided two VW Polos in Rally trim as the two forward cars – “Zero” and “Double Zero”.

    The Special Stages are located as before, in Chettanahalli, Chandrapura and Kumaragode estates. Each of the three stages will be run twice on Saturday and once in the reverse direction on Sunday. The total competitive section is 122.77 kms and 229 kms of liaison for a total distance of 351.77 kms.

  • Gaurav Gill comes to Chikkamagaluru for INRC, despite the withdrawal of APRC: 4th round

    Gaurav Gill comes to Chikkamagaluru for INRC, despite the withdrawal of APRC: 4th round

    • 48 entries for Coffee Day India Rally 2018
    Chikmagalur Coffee Day INRC rally round is known for huge crowds. A file photo of 2017 by Anand Philar

    Chikkamagaluru, 27 Nov 2018: The MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship convoy rolls into the coffee town this weekend for the Coffee Day Rally which has attracted 48 entries. The action-packed event, sponsored by Coffee Day Group and organised by the Chikmagalur Motor Sports Club, will be held from November 30 to December 2. The thrill and excitement that motorsports garners in India especially amongst the youth fits well with Coffee Day considering the strong youth connect that the brand holds.

    The Coffee Day India Rally, which is also the fourth round of the National Championship, will witness some of the best names in Indian motorsport battle it out for top honours. Over the past couple of decades, the three-day event, has grown in stature and popularity among both participants and spectators, thanks to Coffee Day Group’s significant support and constant involvement.

    The Championship, promoted by the Ramakrishna Race Performance Management (RRPM), kicked off earlier this year in Chennai before moving on to Coimbatore and Arunachal Pradesh. After three rounds, Mahindra Adventure team’s Amittrajit Ghosh and co-driver Ashwin Naik head the leaderboard with 61 points, followed by team-mates Gaurav Gill and Musa Sherif (50).

    The duo, driving the Mahindra XUV 500, will headline the three-day event which commences on Friday with the popular Super Special Stage (2.2 Kms) at the Amber Valley school grounds. The competitors will then head to the twisty Special Stages located in the nearby Coffee Day Group’s estates on Saturday and Sunday.

    The other big team, apart from Mahindra Adventure, is the Arka Motorsports that boasts of seasoned Rahul Kanthraj (co-driver Vivek Bhatt) and talented Karna Kadur (Nikhil Pai) as the standard-bearers. Kadur and Kanthraj are placed third and fourth in the Overall classification behind Ghosh and Gill after three rounds and also head the INRC-2 category, while two young guns from Mangaluru, Aroor Vikram Rao (Falkon Motorsports, 68 points) and Dean Mascarenhas (Chettinad Sporting, 53) are in the lead in INRC-3.

    This season’s INRC has seen the entry of a new outfit, Team Champions that was born out of a desire to support talented drivers in need of financial assistance. Team Champions will have a seven-car line-up besides a few more crews they will be supporting. “It is our aim to facilitate the participation of deserving drivers and hopefully, unearth fresh talent. The 2018 is our debut year in INRC and next season, we might be entering more cars,” said Vamcy Merla who manages Team Champions.

    Mr. Venkatesh M, Director, Coffee Day Hotels and Resorts said: “Coffee Day is amongst the first few corporates to cultivate the concept of racing in India with Coffee Day India Rally in 2002. This is our 16th edition and we’re proud to see the love for motorsport grow in our country. Coffee Day India Rally is truly unique given its uncanny combination of a rugged terrain with scenic beauty. It is one of the most challenging races in the calendar, filled with twisty and narrow tracks amidst the coffee plantations. The challenging rally will witness some of the best rally drivers tackle tough terrains, set for a thrilling performance in Chikmagaluru. Our team at Coffee Day Group and Motor Sports Club of Chikmagalur have relentlessly worked to make the rally one of the most awaited motorsports event in the country. We at Coffee Day are pleased to work towards the continued endeavour and success of the rally.”

    The Coffee Day Rally adorns the INRC scene as the most popular event attracting knowledgeable spectators, from near and far, in their thousands, and who inspire the competitors to raise their game by several notches. It is hardly a surprise then that this year’s Coffee Day Rally has attracted 48 entries across various categories – the IRC, IRC-2, IRC-3 and FMSCI 2W Drive Cup.

    Additionally, the organisers have included a separate category for the Maruti Gypsy vehicles while Volkaswagen have provided two VW Polos in Rally trim as the two forward cars – “Zero” and “Double Zero”.

    The Special Stages are located, as before, in Chettanahalli, Chandrapura and Kumaragode estates. Each of the three Stages will be run twice on Saturday and once in the reverse direction on Sunday. The total competitive section is 122.77 Kms and 229 Kms of liaison for a total distance of 351.77 Kms.

  • Nataraj wins overall title in MRF Mogrip 2w INRC Rally of Baroda

    Baroda, 4 May 2018: Rajendra RE, Aishwarya and Syed Asif Ali of team TVS Racing win their respective classes in the Indian National Rally Championship for two-wheelers (INRC) here on Sunday.

    Blazing sun failed to douse their spirits as two-wheeler riders set the tone for the season opener with defending champion R Natraj of TVS racing winning the overall title in the Round 1 of the MRF MOGRIP FMSCI National rally championship 2 wheeler on Sunday.

    The Rally of Baroda saw as many as 55 riders taking the start at Jarod Village near Baroda over a course of 75 km. in four competitive stages of 50 kilometres.

    The Rally of Baroda which opened the 2018 season yet again proved that Team TVS Racing had no match with Natraj leading the charge on a powerful TVS RTR 450FX on which he logged 47 minutes 42 seconds to win Class 1.

    Natraj’s poor show in the second stage was due to problem in his disc-brake that resulted in him falling twice. Nonetheless he picked up his bike and continued running to complete the stage.

    “There was service after two stages and the problem was rectified by TVS mechanics which allowed me to ride better in the last two stages and win the rally,” said Natraj, who had won the opening round in Baroda last year too.

    “The win is always a morale booster and after this win I am ready for the challenge of the Round 2 scheduled next weekend in Indore,” said Natraj.

    “The rally went off smoothly and without any hiccups.  What more can I ask for as a promoter.” Said Shyam Kothari, Director of Godspeed Racing, the promoters of the 2-wheeler rally championship.

    “Besides more entries this year as compared to last year shows that this sport is spreading at the grassroot levels.  Moreover, the response from motorsports enthusiast was also enthralling,” said Kothari.

    “We had marked the course on rugged ground, which was quite testing while competing in temperatures hovering over 43 degrees Celsius,” said Amit Waghchoure of AW Events.

    Aishwarya wins  – riding her TVS RTR 2004V, Aishwarya Pissay won the Ladies class by a good one-minute beating Palakkad privateer Fazeela, who rode a Hero Impulse.  Local girl Gurmail Kaur finished third, also on Hero Impulse.

    The scooter class title went to champion TVS Racing rider Syed Asif Ali, who rode TVS Wego and clocked 59 minutes 55 seconds beating Aprillia Racing’s Pinkesh Thakkar (1:01:40), who rode Aprilia SR150.

  • Lohit Urs, Srikanth Gowda win Coimbatore rally

    Coimbatore, 2 August 2015: Mysore businessman Lohit Urs and long-time winning navigator Srikanth Gowda of Bangalore won the IRC class and Overall title in the Rally of Coimbatore, the second round of the FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship here on Sunday. Gaurav Gill and Musa Sherif retired due to technical problems.

    They were in a Mitsubishi Evo VIII car and timed a total of one hour, 34 minutes, 59.1 seconds.

    Mahindra Adventure’s Sunny Sidhu-PVS Murthy (01:39:27.6) finished second Overall, while their teammates Amittrajit Ghosh-Ashwin Naik (01:39:59.0) were third. Karna Kadur-Vivek Ponnusamy (01:40:30.5) finished fourth Overall and also won the IRC 1600 title here.

    Defending National Overall champion Gaurav Gill (Musa Sherif) retired with car problems on Friday and started Leg 2 on Saturday. However, Urs and Gowda had put themselves in a good position and clinched the title.

    An elated Urs said: “The road was rough but we managed to do good times today. We were faster than yesterday. There were niggling problems with the car and we had to ease off.

    “All our efforts have paid off and our main target is to do well in the Asia Cup in Chikkamagaluru this year. The IRC is going to be good practice for us as we continuously aim to improve the car and our driving.”

    Co-driver Gowda said: “I am happy with the win. With the Evo being a much faster car than the others I have rallied in, it was a big leap in terms of learning. Basically, the calls had to be much faster and Lohitt has helped me cope up with the new challenge. It is good that we got this win.
    Bengalureans Rahul Kanthraj-Vivek Bhatt (Team Yokohama), in a Mitsubishi Cedia, wrapped up the IRC 2000 title with a total time of 01:43:06.5. They retained the Rally of Coimbatore title and made it two in a row this season after winning in Nashik. Second was the combine of Hrishikesh Thackersey-Ninad Mirajgaonkar, while Sumit Panjabi-Nitin Jacob finished third.

    Kanthraj stated: “The lead we now have in the championship is heartening. We have been winning and are settling into a nice rhythm. The team has done an excellent job.”

    It was a mix of joy and relief for Karna Kadur (co-driver Vivek Ponnusamy), who clinched the IRC 1600 title.

    “There was a lot of pressure on me and this win has come in good time. It is a relief and I am happy as well. We drove clean today and made up a lot of time. We now have to begin work for the next tarmac rally,” said Kadur.

    Last year’s champions Adith KC-Harish KN won the FMSCI Cup with a total time of 01:43:53.2.

    There were five retirements from the 30 who started the rally on Saturday. Prominent among them were Arjun Rao Aroor-Satish Rajagopal with car problems.

    Results (provisional):

    Overall IRC: 1. Lohit Urs & Srikanth Gowda 01:34:59.1s; 2. Sunny Sidhu & P.V. Srinivas Murthy 01:39:27.6s; 3. Amittrajit Ghosh & Ashwin Naik 01:39:59.0s.

    IRC 2000: 1. Rahul Kantharaj & Vivek Y. Bhatt 01:43:06.5s; 2. Hrishikesh Thackersey & Ninad Mirajgaonkar 01:44:00.8s; 3. Sumit Panjabi & Nitin Jacob 01:46:10.7s.

    IRC 1600: Karna P. Kadur & Vivek Ponnusamy 01:40:30.5s; 2. Bikku Babu & Milen George Cherian 01:42:15.4s; 3. Aroor Vikram Rao & A.G. Somayya 01:42:41.4s.

    FMSCI Cup: 1. K.C. Adith & K.N. Harish 01:43:53.2s; 2. D. Ashwin Reddy & M. Suraj 01:44:49.7s; 3. Habib Mohammed & Shahid Salman 01:45:21.0s.

  • 7th JK Tyre Hornbill Motor Rally flagged off

    7th JK Tyre Hornbill Motor Rally flagged off

    DIMAPUR, 4 Dec 2014: The 7th JK Tyre Hornbill Motor Rally was flagged-off here on Thursday with Mr Tovihoto Ayemi, Parliamentary Secretary Information Technology & Communication, Technical Education, Science & Technology and Taxes, doing the honours.

    The JK Tyre Hornbill Motor Rally is organized by the Nagaland Adventure and Motor Sports Association (NAMSA) and coincides with the famous Hornbill Festival of Nagaland, a seven-day extravaganza of cultural performances, ethnic food courts, handlooms and handicrafts bazaars, film and art festivals, fashion shows and National rock music contest.

    The JK Tyre Hornbill Rally will conclude on Friday at the Heritage Village, Kasima, the hub of the Festival with Mr TR Zeliang, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Nagaland, giving away the prizes.

    JK Tyre nurtured and developed the Hornbill Rally in a bid to provide opportunity to regional motorsports enthusiasts to express their talent and skill, be it driving or navigation. The Rally is now an integral part of the Hornbill Festival.

    Over the years, the Hornbill Festival as evolved into a global tourist destination and the event received a massive boost and profile upgrade when Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself inaugurated the 2014 Festival earlier this week. In the past, the Hornbill Festival received endorsement from the President of India.

    National championship leaders SK Ajgar Ali and navigator MK Mohammed Musthafa headline the JK Tyre Hornbill Rally which will be run on Friday after Thursday’s ceremonial flag-off.

    Ali and Musthafa are the defending champions in the JK Tyre Hornbill Rally which they will start as the hot favourites and currently, they also are heading the FMSCI Indian National TSD Rally Championship.

    The JK Tyre Hornbill Rally has attracted over 40 pan-India entries and that include last year’s champions in the amateur class, Nitoka N Chophy and navigator Philip Lam, one of the three entries sponsored by Spearhead Initiative.

    TSD (Time Speed Distance) Rally is usually conducted on public roads and following Traffic Rules, but sometimes including off-road and track sections, testing both driving and navigational skill of the crew members.

    The objective of the TSD Rally is to maintain precise times and average speeds on various segments of a predefined route. Each team consists of a rider/driver and navigator. The route instructions, known as the Tulip, also provide assigned speeds. As such, participating vehicles do not require any special upgrade by way of safety features such as a roll cage.

    Hence, any roadworthy vehicle is eligible to enter a TSD Rally and the crew is not required to don special gear such as fireproof overalls, gloves and helmets, as in a Stage Rally.

  • K1000 at Gubbi, Tumkur on Nov 9, 10

    Tumkur, 8 Nov 2013: 39th K1000, the fourth round of Indian National Rally Championship of 2013 is scheduled for this weekend. After a long hiatus the rally returns back to its older territory, famous for the car breaking mining stages near Gubbi, Tumkur.

    As year the rally moves from the previous few years’ Sidlaghatta‘s forest stages to the age old mining area near Kibbanahalli cross, the transport section is much bigger and makes most of the rally’s cumulative distance. The weather is mostly dry and dusty, and temperature is expected to hover around 30+ °Celsius, but must confess to its spectacularly scenic countryside around the stages.

    There are three physical stages, in which are run totally thrice for each of them. Total distance of the rally is 562.48 km, total liaison distance is 453.37 km and a total SS distance at 109.11 km. There are six stages for Saturday, 9th November 2013 and third loop of 3 stages for the final day on Sunday, 10th November 2013.

    That being the difference of venue, coming to the rally cars in India which are finally evolving to the much modern day models like Volkswagen Polo, Mitsubishi Evo X in the top level competition makes the championship much more exciting.Day one starts with a long liaison of 88.96 from the rally HQ to the service park. Rally starts on Saturday with the opening stage, at 10:13 hrs with the Alpha Stage [14.50 km], quickly followed with the Beta Stage [14.55 km] and later the India Mines Stage [7.32 km]. This completes the morning set of stages, and the much battered cars and crews head to the service are for the much needed pampering for the both.Post a mid-day service, at the service park located near to the stages adjacent to NH-206, and the repetition of morning’s loop of stages starts at 13:12 hrs, for the first car pass. Day’s action with the total six special stages of the day and the return liaison to the Rally HQ will conclude the day’s action.

    The final day’s action on Sunday, will start with the same long liaison and the remaining third loop of the stages, with service breaks before and after the specials. The final return liaison will end the rally back at the Rally HQ, with the announcement of results and Podium ceremony.

    Edditor’s note: to be edited

    Source: ralliheart.com