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Category: Rally
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Team MRF Tyres ropes in Italian legend Paolo Andreucci
Chennai, 1 March 2021: Team MRF Tyres is excited to announce that Paolo Andreucci, 11 times Italian Rally Champion, will compete in the Italian Gravel Championship (CIR-Terra) with Team MRF Tyres. Paolo Andreucci’s car will be shod by the Indian tyres for the 2021 Six-round Italian Gravel Rally Championship and he will drive a Citroen C3 Rally 2, on the latest generation of MRF Tyres.
Paolo Andreucci who has more than 20 years of experience in tyre development will be a valued asset as he also takes on the mantle of tyre development for Team MRF Tyres along with Fiore Brivio – renowned for his Rally tyre development. Team MRF Tyres has an aggressive 2021 testing schedule and Paolo Andreucci will play an important role in this program.
Andreucci’s signing comes after a successful 2020 season with Team MRF Tyres taking stage wins in the team’s first-ever season in top-level European Rally competition. The strengthening of their test driving team signals MRF Tyres’ commitment to International motorsport and their desire to be strong contenders for the World’s best championships. This is the next step as MRF Tyres continues to develop and build on a strong 2020 campaign.
The 2021 season started well for MRF Tyres with Emil Lindholm/Mikael Korhonen taking a podium spot in the opening round of the Finnish Championship at Artic Rally. It became two podiums from two outings on snow and ice after Craig Breen and Paul Nagle achieved a podium in 2020 in Finland.
MRF Tyres has proven pace and experience on gravel rallying around the world, producing perfect tyres for national and regional rallying. Further announcements for the 2021 campaigns will be made in due course. The next outing for Team MRF Tyres will be the SM OK Auto Ralli, the second round of the Finnish Rally Championship with Lindholm/Korhonen on March 5th and 6th.
Paolo Andreucci (Driver, Team MRF Tyres, Italian Gravel Rally Championship) said: “MRF Tyres is a very competitive team in motorsport. We have common and converging objectives, and this commitment is what has drawn me to this program. I like to challenge myself with new opportunities, and I am excited about this one. It is thanks to the passion and technical knowledge of the entire team at MRF Tyres that I believe together we can do a good job. For 2021, we want to be as competitive as possible in the Italian Gravel Rally Championship and above all to help MRF in developing the best of competition tyres.”
Arun Mammen, MRF Tyres Vice-Chairman & Managing Director, said: “We are proud of how competitive Team MRF Tyres was in the 2020 European Rally Championship season. Everyone at MRF Tyres is working hard and we are happy to be present competitively on a world stage like this. To be able to attract an 11-time national champion to MRF Tyres speaks about our commitment to rallying in Europe and the continued development of our rally tyre. We are dedicated to further our success and we look forward to the Italian Gravel Rally Championship. I would like to welcome Paolo to the team and wish him the best of luck for the 2021 season.”
About MRF Tyres
MRF Tyres was established in 1946 and now employs over 16,000 people and has revenue of around US$2.5 billion making it the biggest tyre supplier in India. MRF Tyres supplies rally and race tyres around the world. MRF Tyres entered the European Rally Championship for the first time in 2020 taking stage wins and took a podium position in the team’s first snow rally in the Finnish Rally Championship. It is part of a long motorsport heritage for the company that has seen multiple Asia Pacific Rally Championship titles, open wheeler success, national rally and racing success.
About Paolo Andreucci
Paolo Andruecci is an Italian rally stalwart, having broken onto the scene in the late 1980s. It didn’t take him long to make his mark, taking a top 10 in Rally Portugal in 1989, taking second in class in the Production WRC class. He has made his career in Italy on gravel and tarmac, starting over 330 rallies and taking 80 wins. Incredibly, he has taken 11 Italian titles overall and a further five class titles. He brings a wealth of experience to MRF Tyres and our aggressive development campaign into Europe.
Andreucci’s Championship titles:
2020 –Italy 2WD class (Tarmac), 2018 – Italian Championship, 2017 – Italian Championship, 2015 – Italian Championship, 2014 – Italian Championship, 2012 – Italian Championship, 2011 – Italian Championship, 2010 – Italian Championship, 2009 – Italian Championship, 2006 – Italian Championship, 2005 – Italian S1600 class, 2004 – Italian S1600 class, 2003 – Italian Championship, 2003 – Italian S1600 class, 2001 – Italian Championship, 1998 – Italian 2WD Championship, 1997 – Italian 2WD Championship
About the Italian Gravel Rally Championship (Campionato Italiano Rally Terra)
Formed in 2017, the Italian Gravel Rally Championship allows the finest rally drivers to take on the best gravel roads across Italy. Sanctioned by the national ASN, ACI Sport, tallies typically take place over a single day of competition with around 70km of competitive action (except for the Rally Italia Sardegna which supports the WRC round). The fields are highly competitive with more than 20 Rally 2 cars, producing exciting finishes – to the point that the 2020 Rally San Marino was tied with 0.0 between the first two cars! The 2020 Champion was WRC2 front runners Bulacia Wilkinson Marco/Marcelo Der Ohannesian. Andreucci took second with two victories with codrivers Francesco Pinelli and Anna Andreussi.
2021 Italian Gravel Rally Championship Calendar
1. Rally Adriatico 2021 (24-25 April);
2. Rally Italia Sardegna 2021 (3-6 June);
3. San Marino Rally 2021 (26-27 June);
4. Rally Città di Arezzo – Valtiberina 2021 (30 July – 1 August);
5. Rally dei Nuraghi e del Vermentino 2021 (11-12 September);
6. Liburna Rally Terra 2021 (6-7 November).
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Aishwarya Pissay successfully completes SS1 in 18th place, in her class
Dubai, 19 Feb 2021: World Cup Baja winner and ace Indian rider Aishwarya Pissay of TVS Racing successfully completed the Leg 1 finishing 18th in her Group 1, Class 1, and overall 23rd in the FIM 2021 Dubai International Baja here in the Deserts of Al Qudra on Friday.
After a complicated year for the motorcycle world, the Dubai International Baja which attracted 43 competitors (37 motorcycles and six quads) returned to with its tough cross-country section of two stages and a total of 427.2 competitive kilometres.
Taking part in Group 1 for bikes and in the Ladies Moto class, Aishwarya clocked a creditable 4 hours, 31 minutes and 17 seconds for the 202.43km Selective Section 1 (SS1), with a competitive distance of 192.23km, that is part of Leg 1 on Friday. She finished 23rd in the timed stage and in overall timings, and second in the Ladies class which saw three out of four registered riders finish the day. In her Group, she finished 18th.
This year, the ladies should take part in at least one of the 10 FIM 2021 Baja World Cup rounds to be eligible for the finals, which will have a coefficient of 2. Along with the final rankings, two other best event rankings will be counted for the World Cup Baja title. The rounds will have a coefficient of 1.
South African Aaron Mare (Honda) sports the #1 ranked rider, finished first in the overall category ahead of compatriot Marck Ackerman (the second ranke on #2 Husqvarna). While Englishman Smith, on his #4 bike was ahead of Emirati Sultan Al-Balooshi (#3), who saw his brother Mohammed (#7) finish ninth on a Husqvarna, after SS1. Mare clocked 3:06:14.0 to top the time charts after Leg 1 (SS1).
Of the four riders in the female category Pol M finished on top clocking 3:49:44.0 while Aishwarya Pissay of India came second in SS1 with a time of 4:28:18.0 as she had to overcome mid-way hiccups navigating the tough dunes and managed to complete the day successfully. Llobera Farre M was a further 11 minutes behind in third place. The second leg SS2 of 204.75km is yet to be completed for the two-day cross-country rally which is a round of the FIM Baja World Cup.
Konrad Dabrowski (KTM) who, at 19-years-old, has just finished 28th at the Dakar Rally, did not find her name in the finishers list for Day 1.
The 25-year Bengaluru rider, Aishwarya Pissay, is the brand ambassador for Scott and Sidvin, the first two sponsors who supported her entry into the big world of Cross-Country rallying from July 2019. Run by former biker and Indian motorsports officionado Mohan, Sidvin Core Tech, is a customer focused Engineering Service provider for Oil & Gas, Petrochemical & Process Industry. She is also supported by Scott Sports India, CutGear, K&N Engineering and Pepsico, who recognised her talent and hardwork and have been sponsoring her as she backed by TVS Racing and Sherco.
Centred around the city of Dubai, the event got underway with administrative and technical checks at the Innovation Center for international riders on Thursday.
To access the bivouac and all the technical and administration checks, riders and their assistance teams had to undergo a Covid-19 test in a tent located in front of the entrance to the bivouac.
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Aishwarya back at the Dubai Baja, to begin the season
Dubai (UAE), 18 Feb, 2021: India’s Aishwarya Pissay, who became the first ever Indian athlete to win a World title in motorsports, winning the Baja World Cup in women’s category, will be making her second appearance in the Dubai International Baja this year.
The Dubai Baja has a habit of showing what World Cup winners are made of, and expectations are high again this weekend as the fourth edition of the event unfolds in the Al Qudra desert.
The 25-year Bengaluru-based rider will be among the four lady riders at the first cross-country event of the season. TVS Racing’s Aishwarya, first won her major international cross country win here in Dubai in 2019, and went on to win the Baja World Cup in women’s class. Kuwaiti, Sarah Khuraibet, along with Andorra’s Margot Llobera Farre and the Netherlands’ Mirjam Pol will be the other three.
The 2021 FIA World Cup for Cross Country Bajas for cars is already up and running, and top-seed Denis Krotov arrived in Dubai from the sub-zero temperatures of the Baja – Northern Forest, where his challenge in this season’s opener ended when he became stuck in a snowdrift.
Aishwarya Pissay with Fahad Al Musallam of Kuwait as she prepares for the Dubai International Baja. Fahad is chasing a third quads success while Aishwarya is looking for a second win in her second attempt in Dubai. Photo by Edoardo Bauer for ©RallyZone Partnering Krotov in an X-raid MINI John Cooper Works Rally is Konstantin Zhiltsov, who has twice guided Vladimir Vasilyev, the first round winner, to victory in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.
The first three editions of the Dubai Baja brought wins for competitors who went on to take World Cup titles that year. The 2018 bikes champion, Emirati Mohammed Al Balooshi, is seeded seventh this time, such is the strength of the 43-rider line-up for the first round of this year’s FIM Bajas World Cup.
Taking place under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai, the Dubai International Baja is sponsored by Dubai Electricity & Water Authority, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park and Arabian Automobiles Nissan.
Based at DEWA’s Innovation Centre located at the Solar Park, the rally enters the record books as the first FIA World Cup cross-country event to be run on solar power.
“We’re very happy to be setting a trend towards sustainability in rallying, and we’re expecting another classic baja event,” said Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the Emirates Motorsports Organization and FIA Vice President for Sport.
Nissan’s sponsorship of the event for a fourth year extends a long standing partnership between the manufacturer and the EMSO, the national motor sport authority.
Michel Ayat, Chief Executive Officer – AWR Automotive, said: “The Dubai International Baja is another exemplary event that further consolidates the emirate’s leading global position in the world of sports. As the official automotive sponsor, AW Rostamani Group consistently supports events of this caliber and is grateful to Mohammed Ben Sulayem for his unwavering drive and ambition.
“2021 is a year of recovery and a return to life as we know it, and it gives us great honour and privilege at Arabian Automobiles to be once again sponsoring the rally. We are grateful for all the initiatives that our wise leadership introduce and for all the support they offer to international events of this nature that strengthen Dubai’s influence on a regional and global scale.”
Friday’s 192km DEWA’s Innovation Centre Special Stage, carving through the Al Qudra dunes, presents a big test of desert driving skill and mechanical muscle. After an overnight halt, the survivors tackle Saturday’s 194 kms Arabian Automobiles Nissan.Special Stage leading to the finish at the Innovation Centre.
Following successive Dubai victories by Poland’s Jakub Przygonski, two of the Arab world’s leading drivers aim to prevent a third successive overseas victory.
This could mean a big duel between the UAE’s Khalid Al Qassimi, twice a runner-up and partnered by German Dirk Von Zitzewitz in an Abu Dhabi Racing Peugeot 3008 DKR, and Saudi Arabia’s Yazeed Al Rajhi, joined by British co-driver Michael Orr in a Toyota Hilux Overdrive.
Czech Miroslav Zapletal with Slovakian Marek Sykora in a Ford F150 Evo, the UAE’s Yahya Al Helei and Khalid Al Kendi in a Nissan Pick-up, and fellow Emiratis Khalid Al Jafla and Mirza Ali in a Toyota Hilux, complete the top six out of 29 car entries.
With 15 buggies on show, Britain’s Conrad Rautenbach in a Zephyr heads the T3 class. Top seed in T4, Saudi Saleh Alsaif in a Maverick X3, is up against France’s first round winner, Claude Fournier, and Spanish bikes star Laia Sainz, 13-time Trials World Champion, who moves from two wheels to four.
Two UAE-based South Africans lead the charge in the opening round of this year’s FIM Bajas World Cup for bikes. Last year’s winner Aaron Mare on a Honda and 2017 champion Mark Ackerman riding a Husqvarna, top the seeds ahead of the UAE’s Sultan Al Balooshi and British KTM rider Sam Smith.
Lithuanian Arunas Gelazninkas and Saudi Mishal Alghuneim complete the top six.
A quartet of Saudi riders, Haitham Altuwayjiri, Faisal Alsuwayh, Abdulmajeed Aakhulaifi and Hani Al Nomsi, are out to block a third Dubai Baja win for Kuwait’s Fahad Al Musallam whose hat-trick attempt in 2019 was halted by first leg mechanical failure.
A hardworking and dedicated motorsport athlete, Miss Pissay, who started the sport at a late age, gave up road racing after winning the National title in 2017 to focus on Cross Country rallying. She has topped many events in India in the women’s category which included Raid De Himalaya 2017, and Dakshin Dare for two years in 2016 and 2017. She also won the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) for bikes in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. She started with circuit racing winning the TVS Apache Ladies One Make Championship 2017 and then the top honours in the MRF MMSC Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship 2017, when the women’s category was recognised as a national event by FMSCI, the Indian federation for the sport.
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FIA World Cup Dubai Baja to run on solar power
Dubai, UAE, 16 Feb, 2021: The Dubai International Baja will enter the record books this weekend as the first FIA World Cup cross-country event to be run on solar power.
As the result of a new partnership between the Emirates Motorsports Organisation and Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), the rally will be based at DEWA’s Innovation Centre located at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park from February 18 to 20.
“DEWA supports the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 that was launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and aims to diversify the energy mix and to provide 75% of Dubai’s total power capacity from clean energy sources by 2050,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.
“We are glad to support the first FIA World Cup cross-country event to be run on solar power at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. The Innovation Centre is a global hub for renewable and clean energy innovation that is expected to contribute to shaping the future of sustainable energy in Dubai and externally.”
“Our cooperation with the Emirates Motorsports Organization and the International Automobile Federation comes in line with our ongoing efforts to enhance Dubai’s position as an international pioneer in developing the clean and renewable energy sector, and in finding alternative solutions to conventional energy. This supports the sustainable development of the Emirate.”
“The use of this facility means that electrical power provided to Rally HQ and the Service Park to run the event is generated from sustainable solar power,” said EMSO President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the FIA Vice President for Sport.
“None of this would have been possible without the support of the Government of Dubai for our sport, and its leadership in sustainability. We’re setting an important trend, and hope other motor sport events in the region and overseas will follow.”
Taking place under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai, the Dubai International Baja is sponsored by Dubai Electricity & Water Authority, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park and Arabian Automobiles Nissan.
Partnered by German co-driver Dirk Von Zitzewitz in an Abu Dhabi Racing Peugeot 3008 DKR, the UAE’s Khalid Al Qassimi has set his sights on victory in the second round of the 2021 FIA World Cup for Cross Country Bajas after finishing runner up in 2017 and 2019./
The winners of the bikes title for the first three editions of the event, UAE-based South Africans Aaron Mare and Mark Ackerman, along with Emirati Mohammed Al Balooshi, are among the contenders again in the opening round of this year’s FIM Bajas World Cup.
The rally will be held from 18 to 20 February at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest single-site solar park in the world based on the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model. It has a planned production capacity of 5,000 MW by 2030, with investments totalling AED 50 billion.
When completed, it will save over 6.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually. HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has launched the Solar Park and DEWA is implementing the project.
The EMSO’s new partnership with DEWA is a big step forward for the national motor sport authority (ASN) as an organisation committed to sustainable development of the sport.
In 2015, it became only the third ASN in the world, and first in the Middle East, to receive the highest official recognition available for sustainable development initiatives in line with environmental goals of the FIA, motor sport’s governing body.
The EMSO has since increased efforts to minimise waste, promote recycling and use of recycled materials, and use resources more efficiently to reduce consumption at events like the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
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Ghosh leaves MRF and joins JK Tyre to partner Gill in #INRC2020
New Delhi, 3 Dec 2020: Former INRC champion and K1000 champion Amittrajit Ghosh left the Reds and joined Yellow on Thursday as the famed Yellow team, JK Tyre unveiled it’s team for the FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship to begin at Itanagar for the first two rounds. The King of Indian motorsports, Gaurav Gill, will now have his long-time Mahindra teammate in yellow colours too.
Gaurav Gill with experienced Musa Sherif as co-driver and Ghosh with trusted Ashwin Naik will still be driving XUV300 vehicles, but the factory team entry from Mahindra is missing this year. The thrilling, new compact #MahindraXUV300, then gave some initial hiccups to Gill, the multiple National champion, came back from the blues of Jodhpur, and asserted his supremacy once again, winning the Popular Rally in Kerala. Mahindras have allowed both the top drivers to rally with their vehicles this INRC.
Amittrajit Ghosh of Kolkata leaves MRF and turns out in JK colours for INRC 2020. A JK Tyre image Arjuna Awardee Gill, will lead the team’s challenge once again as Yellows will be alone with their long-time rivals, Reds missing in action this year.
“Gill and Ghosh are two of the country’s finest drivers. Their testing and feedback of our products and development will add tremendous value in our endeavor to return to Indian rallying bigger and better,” Sanjay Sharma, Head of Motorsport, JK Tyre, said.
“We are happy to have them lead our challenge. Not just that, even in these unprecedented difficult times, India’s finest talent have found support of JK Tyre, country’s biggest patron of motorsport, adding up to 24 members who will be sporting our colors in the event.”
Among the accomplished drivers who will turn out in JK Tyre’s canary yellow colours are Dean Mascarenhas from Mangalore (former INRC champion; with navigator Shruptha Padival), Suhem Kabir from Coorg, Fabid Ahmer from Cochin and Syed Salman from Mysore amongst others.
Besides the above, standing true to their ethos of promoting and nurturing young and local talent, JK Tyre is also supporting 4 local teams from North East which includes an all-girls team.
Phurpa Tsering (with Yashwardhan Kumar), Ms Nabam Asha (Ms Dinky Varghese), Hage Naku (Hage Bitu) and Pem Sonam(with Lenin Joseph) are sure to get a lot of support from the fans in Arunachal Pradesh.
The INRC season gets underway in Arunachal Pradesh on December 16, with two back to back rounds. The third round will be held in Coimbatore and the final one in Bangalore.
They will be competing in various INRC categories in different cars but will have only one common theme: JK Tyre.
“We are looking forward to an interesting competition in the challenging terrains of Arunachal,” Gill said, revealing that he has been preparing for the season with renewed vigour. “I am happy to be back with JK after a brief hiatus,” Ghosh added.
About JK Tyre Motorsport:
JK Tyre has been closely associated with the world of motorsports for almost three decades back. The company laid down a long term plan to popularise and promote the sport in the country. Its first target was to change the notion that this was a sport for the elite. So it packaged and redesigned it in a spectator-friendly way, drawing the masses to the sport.
The company then endeavored to spot, nurture and sharpen the drivers to turn them into world champions. With this goal in mind, we conceptualized the JK Tyre National Racing Champion in 1997. Our efforts started paying dividends in just a few years’ time, with the likes of Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandok going all the way to the F1 rung, the highest level of single-seat racing in the world. Since then, a number of stars emerged, including Armaan Ebrahim, the Maini brothers (Kush and Arjun), Anindith Reddy Konda, amongst many others.
Before all this, JK Tyre had a successful stint in rallying too, conquering the scene in the early 90s. At the same time, gradually, we moved on to various disciplines, including cross-country rallying and off-roading, leaving a mark in each of them with their unique and innovative ways.
JK Tyre Motorsports is also very proud of the role it has played in bringing women into motorsports in a big way. Apart from encouraging them to get into the sport through karting as kids, we also gave them opportunities in various national championships. Last year was particularly rewarding for us as an All-Women Racing team was introduced for the first time in the LGB 4 category. In addition, the company also undertook various other initiatives to encourage them to try motorsports, even if for fun to begin with.
To supplement JK Tyre’s entry into the two-wheeler market, the JKNRC hosted the Suzuki Gixxer Cup and the Red Bull Road to Rookies Cup categories and saw enthusiastic participation from across the country.
Today, the company is synonymous with motorsports, and even more so with racing, creating a lot of goodwill for the brand. Right from budding racers to accomplished drivers in the country, everybody owes their rise and success to JK Tyre.
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Data and development the focus on challenging day for MRF team: ERC
Gran Canaria, 28 Nov 2020: The weather was the deciding factor in the Friday running of the FIA European Rally Championship and the Rally Islas Canarias. For Team MRF Tyres and driving duo, Craig Breen and Paul Nagle it provided an ideal opportunity to test and develop the tyres.
The day’s running saw nine stages and 98.78km of action with Breen/Nagle starting in 15th after their very strong time in qualifying.
However, the weather became a lottery with very strong winds affecting the stages and each competitor experiencing a different version of weather, some wet, some dry and some with something in-between.
The Gran Canarias tarmac was always going to be a different and new experience for MRF Tyres. With this rally ending the first year for the team in the FIA ERC, the tarmac on the island is very different to what the Championship has experienced earlier in the season.
Normally the flowing roads would offer a very high grip and high abrasion test. In the wet, the surface was greasy. The changed conditions meant that the opportunity to test and develop for these conditions could not be missed and that is where attention turned.
At the end of the day Breen/Nagle sat in 15th position 2:14.3 off the lead. To prove the challenging conditions, Breen/Nagle spent much of the day in a battle with fellow WRC star Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jaeger and fastest qualifier Mikolaj Marczyk/Szymon Gospodarczyk.
There were highlights, when the conditions allowed the team to show the true potential, particularly on SS7, the 11.75km Artenara test where Breen/Nagle took the third fastest time.
Attention now turns to the 102.10km and eight stages that make up the Saturday running of Rally Islas Canarias.
It is the final competitive day of the 2020 FIA European Rally Championship season.
Team MRF Tyres came to the European Rally Championship to test, develop and measure ourselves against the best rally outfits in Europe. It has allowed aggressive data collection and development and has shown that MRF Tyres can come into a world-class competition and be competitive.
The final day of the season gets underway at 9:56 local time with the 14.17km Valleseco-Disa test. That takes place at 15:26 if you are in India. SS11 and SS17 will be livestreamed.
Follow Team MRF Tyres’ progress on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Quotes
Craig Breen (Driver, Hyundai i20 R5)
“The conditions were very challenging today with some parts of the stages being wet and some being dry. It would change so quickly which meant getting the right setup was a difficult task.”“That meant that we turned our attention to getting data for the tyres. This is the first time that we have rallied on Gran Canarias and, for us, testing and getting data for the development for MRF Tyres is more important than an outright result.”
“Tomorrow it looks like the weather will be difficult to predict as well. We will continue to concentrate on our program of data collection.”
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2-wheeler Rally Nationals (INRC) to begin with Puttur round: TVS raring to go
By David Bodapati
Puttur (Mangaluru), 27 Nov 2020: With four National champions under its colours, Team TVS Racing, a giant in the two-wheeler motorsports in the country, both rallying and racing, is raring to go as the MRF fmsci Indian Natioinal Rally Championship which begins here with the first round Special Stages (SS) organised at Panja, about 40km from here on Sunday.
A record number of entries of 67 including 4 ladies from across India have confirmed their participation. The 115.59km rally distance includes 57.39km special stage sections on the winding dirt roads, going up and down the lush-green rubber-estate hills in and around the scenic Panja. For other details and last year, Championship results read the build-up article here.
Rajendra RE, the star campaigner of TVS racing and the current National champion in the top class, the Group A Pro-Experts class will spearhead the challenge astride an Apache RTR450. He will have teammate Nataraj to deal with first to retain his title this year along with others as he goes for another title. Last year, he began with a bang winning the first three rounds before TVS pulled out of the Coimbatore leg for want of time to produce the homologation papers for their new bikes. However, Rajendra won again at the 5th round here, with Puttur turning out to be one of his favourites tracks as he sealed the title before the championship went to K1000, which he missed again.
Bengaluru’s Aishwarya Pissay, the Baja World Cup champion, will be defending her ladies title on an Apache RTR 200 4V, with Ryhana Bee astride a Hero Impulse and local star Arpita Bhat also on an Impulse, will be fighting for the minor slots but only time will tell if they spring a surprise. There are five entries and Tanika Shanbhag from Satara in Maharashtra, who beat favourite Ryhana in the Sprint Nationals Round 4 last Sunday, can throw a surprise or two. Aishwarya, who is multiple National champion in circuit racing after making her debut in 2016 has sacrificed racing to focus on the off-road event and made a stunning resilience rising like a phoenix from a life-threatening accident that made her bed-ridden for a few months last year.
Promoted by God Speed Racing, organisers Ace Events, who put Puttur in the motorsports map of India four years back, will be hosting the event for the fourth year running and the man behind the club, ace rider Akash Aithal, will be the Clerk of the Course. “The terrain is technical and tricky and at the same time provides a challenge to the riders who will surely enjoy the mix of dirt and gravel track, winding up and down with two physical stages named Karkala and Palangaya,” Akash said. God Speed Racing which also promotes the Supercross Nationals is headed by another giant, Shyam Kothari, who was a multiple champion in his heydays not just in supercross but also in rally and motocross. This reporter still remembers when Kothari last won his National title at the football stadium in Bengaluru. A truly stunning achievement to win seven National titles. Kothari said: “The pandemic has delayed the season but we are well prepared with all the safety measures in place. And ACE Events of Puttur has done extremely well in organising the event and all the riders are eager to get back to the track.”
“Team TVS Racing has fielded the same team as last year which has four champions. Though much of our time is lost due to the pandemic, we are well prepared and I am confident our champions will continue to keep the TVS colours flying once again,” said Team Principal, Selvaraj, who took over a couple of years back, from the legendary Arvind Padgaonkar, who led the TVS team for over two decades.
Aishwarya Pissay 2019 file photo by Ace Events, organiser of INRC for 2w Apart from Rajendra and Aishwarya, Imran Pasha and Syed Asif Ali. Pasha won the championship in the Class 4 for Super Sport 260cc bikes leaving Samuel Jacob (2nd in the championship) to fight with Sachin D last year. Asif Ali had won the National title in the Scooters upto 210cc class with ease as he took a huge lead in points as his teammates from TVS, Shamim Khan beat Pinkesh Thakur for the first runners-up in the championship battle. All the top-three riders in both these classes were trained and nurtured by Team TVS Racing and the factory team completed a championship sweep in these two classes.
Jatin Jain, a privateer from Nagpur, will defend his title in the Class 1A for Superbikes (Expert) and M Srikanth won the 2019 title in the Super Sport 130cc class while local star Ishan Chandra clinched Super Sport 165cc class. Mangaluru’s Sudeep Kottary in Super Sport 400 cc and Suhail Ahmed, who last Sunday won both the rounds of Sprint Nationals, will defend his title in the Super Sport 550cc Class 6. The other class left is Star of Karnataka for local riders, which is not counted for the National Championship points.
Sanjeev Matandoor, MLA Puttur, will be the Chief guest at the Ceremonial flag-off at the Puttur Club at 4.30 pm on Saturday. The PD (Prize Distribution) will be on Sunday.
Aakash Aithal will be the Clerk of the Course with the current Indian Rally Champion of four wheelers Chetan Shivaram, being the Assistant CoC. His co-driver Dilip Sharan is the CRO. Bhaskar Gupta of Karnataka Motor Sports Club is the Chief Steward. Chidananda NC and D Uday Kumar are the other stewards while experienced Yogesh Kalro will be the Technical Delegate.
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Breen and Nagle qualify 2nd behind Marczyk-Gospodarczyk
Gran Canarias, 26 Nov 2020: It was a great start to the final round of the FIA European Rally Championship for Team MRF Tyres with Craig Breen and Paul Nagle qualifying second at Rally Islas Canarias.
For this rally, the fastest 15 drivers get to select their starting position, always important in rallying.
The qualifying stage was held on the 3.45km Guia stage with strong and gusting winds making the stage more challenging than expected.
For Team MRF Tyres, a long day of testing on the preceding Monday proved beneficial with the Hyundai i20 R5.
Breen and Nagle set a time of 1:55.184, just 0.752 behind Miko Marczyk and Szymon Gospodarczyk.
Later, the top drivers were able to choose their starting positions in an event that took place in the Las Palmas Football Stadium on the island of Gran Canarias.
Due to his top qualifying time, Breen was second to choose and will start from 15th on the road. Given the nature of this rally, the road should get better after the top competitors go through.
The Friday stages see just over 99km of competitive action and nine stages with one opportunity for service.
The Saturday stages see another 101km of competition over eight stages in the north of Gran Canarias. In total, 201.79km will be driven at speed in the 2020 season finale.
The first stage gets underway with the 11.91km Valsequillo stage which will be live streamed. It gets underway at 10:19 local time or 15:49 if you are in India.
Stage eight will also be live streamed with the 12.95km Tejeda stage due to commence at 16:10 local time or 21:40 in India.
All nine stages of the loop are due to be covered by live radio and live timing available at www.fiaerc.com.
Follow Team MRF Tyres’ progress on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Quotes:
Craig Breen (Driver, Hyundai i20 R5)
“It was so nice on the stage. The testing and setup work that we did earlier this week worked well and I am glad that we were able to test the MRF Tyres on this smooth but abrasive surface.”“I have not driven on anything so smooth in ages. I am really looking forward to this rally. Again we are looking for data and development for Team MRF Tyres and we will push as much as we can.”
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MRF Mogrip 2w INRC Round 1 at Puttur on Nov 29
Bengaluru, 26 Nov 2020: The first round of the MRF Mogrip fmsci Indian National Rally Championship for two-wheelers will begin the 2020 calendar at Puttur in Dakshina Kannada district on November 28 and 29.
A total number of 67 entries were received at the regular close of entries time on Nov 23 with only 8 more slots left for late entries (till Friday) as the organisers, Ace Events, restricted the number of bikes to 75 for safety and logistics convenience. Promoted by God Speed Racing of Pune, under the able guidance of former 7-time National champion, Shyam Kothari, the rally offers two Special Stages, a 9.7-km Karkala stage and 9.43-km Palangaya stage, which are run three times each on Sunday, making it six Special Stages for a total stage distance of 57.39km and along with 58.2km of transport, the first-round covers 115.59km.
TVS Racing is expected to dominate the proceedings once again in the top class but the huge number of privateers will make their presence in many other classes. Defending champion Rajendra RE in the Group A Pro-Expert SuperBike class is expected to spearhead the TVS Racing challenge once again but the other Group A class Super Bike (expert) is likely to witness stiff competition with reigning champion Jatin Jain having to deal with the likes of strong contenders Badal Doshi of Mumbai and Bengaluru’s Vishwas SD in this class. Last year, Rajendra began with a bang and won all the first three rounds before missing the fourth round at Coimbatore as Team TVS Racing pulled out, but one more win at Mangalore in the 5th round sealed the championship for him with 100 points and he did not take part in the last round, the K1000 in Bengaluru.
The Ladies class with Open Indian Motorcycles will see the presence of Aishwarya PM, the 2019 champion along with Ryhana Bee, who is fresh from the Sprint Nationals, where is she is leading the title race, and Dimpy.
Rajendra, the defending champ in the top class. Many riders like Sachin D, Suhail Ahmed, Sudeep Kottary and Sinan Francis have taken part in the Sprint Nationals to gain some valuable bike time on similar terrain and have won podium places. All of them will be raring to go in their respective classes.
Aakash Aithal will be the Clerk of the Course with the current Indian Rally Champion of four wheelers Chetan Shivaram, being the Assistant CoC. His co-driver Dilip Sharan is the CRO. Bhaskar Gupta of Karnataka Motor Sports Club is the Chief Steward. Chidananda NC and D Uday Kumar are the other stewards while Yogesh Kalro is nomiated as Technical Delegate.
You can watch a video produced by autotrack.ind.in for MRF Racing of last year’s action here.
INRC 2-W final Championship table 2019:
Class 1: Superbike (Pro-Expert):
1. Rajendra RE, TVS Racing, 100
2. R Nataraj, TVS Racing, 51
3. Nikhil Balakrishna, Privateer, 36
Class 1A: Superbike (Expert):
1. Jatain Jain, 101
2. Badal S Doshi, 65
3. Venu Ramesh Kumar, 33
Class 2 – Super Sport 130:
1. M Srikanth, 95
2. Azeeb Mohammed, 86
3. Santhosh Kour, 53
Class 3: Super Sport 165:
1. Ishan Chandra, 126
2. Francis PV, 90
3. Akshay Siddharamaaiyah, 53
Class 4: Super Sport 260:
1. Imran Pasha, TVS Racing, 118,
2. Samuel Jacob, TVS Racing, 91
3. Sachin D, TVS Racing, 90
Class 5: Super Sport 400:
1. Sudeep Kottary, 118
2. Vikram K, 58,
3. Shivan Wani, 48
Class 6: Super Sport 550:
1. Suhail Ahmed, 125
2. Arun Joy, 66
3. Devraj Venkatesh, 59
Class 7: S0 to S3 Scooters upto 210cc (S0 to S3):
1. Syed Asif Ali, TVS Racing, 143
2. Shamim Khan, TVS Racing, 102
3. Pinkesh Thakkar, TVS Racing, 93
Class 8 – Ladies Class: Ladies Class (Open Indian Motorcycles):
1. Aishwarya Pissay, TVS Racing, 150
2. Ryhana Bee, 48
3. Fazeela, 36.
ends
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MSCC gears up for Rally of Chikmagalur, a National-level TSD event
Chikmagalur, 18 Nov 2020: Motor Sports Club of Chikmagalur (MSCC) will host the Rally of Chikmagalur, a National-level event in Time, Speed, Distance (TSD) format for 4-Wheelers in the Coffee town on December 11 and 12. The rally will offer night sections reminding the good-old long-distance rallies which used to run day-and-night on the hilly treacherous terrain near Baba Budangiri hillocks.
The 250-km rally will begin in Chikkamagaluru around 5pm and will end the next day morning at Horanadu, where the Prize Giving function will be held, after breakfast.
Most of the core team members of MSCC are seen in this file photo. One of the oldest and prestigious motorsports clubs in India, MSCC has a chequered history hosting the ‘Coffee 500′ rally that began in 1982 and used to run in the `closed roads’ with ABC being a vantage point for briefings, parc ferme and PD (Prizegiving ceremony). Many years it ran on the narrow and steep ghat terrain and during nights, usually at the foothills of Sahayadri mountain ranges. The current ‘Indian National Rally Championship’ round which happens annually began with Special Stages that are run in private Coffee Estates from 1996.
Farooq Ahmed, multiple national champion co-driver and current FMSCI vice-president The blend of the scenic beauty and the sounds of the screeching tyres make the fans eagerly look forward to the most-awaited rally. Not just the features mentioned above but the meticulous efforts by the organisers, a bunch of die-hard fans, working as a team day-in and day-out, make it a special event for the participants and the fans alike. It is also one of the rallies in the National Calendar which attracts a huge number of media, usually more than 50 reporters and photographers thronging to the ceremonial start and the PD. In recent years, the Super Special Stage in private school premises has attracted the attention of huge fan following, and is one of the highlights of the event, making it an annual festival.
So much so, the Coffee which 500 became Coffee Day Rally from 1997, after the sponsors started Coffee Day chain in 1996, got the FIA recognition for their good efforts and a Candidate Rally was awarded and the round of Asia Cup was approved and ran in 2015, christened as the Coffee Day India Rally. Ably led by Farooq Ahmed, a champion rallyist himself, the team works like a well-oiled machine.
The FIA later awarded the MSCC a prestigious round of APRC for the year 2016. The MSCC now looks forward to hosting a successful final round of APRC and to cement a permanent spot in the FIA APRC calendar and even look ahead in the coming years but due to the unfortunate demise of the long-standing sponsor’s key man behind the promotion of motorsports, late VG Siddhartha in July 2019, and the arrival of COVID 19 in 2020, the club had to skip the INRC rounds for both the years for different reasons.
However, the club kept their track record clean, of conducting national-level events by organising the South Zone Gymkhana, a qualifying event for entry into the Nationals and for Indian teams. Leaving the coffee estates, MSCC even hosted the event in December 2019 at Meco Kartopia in Bengaluru. But the popular one as ever, is their TSD event.
File photo of Marshals and other volunteers of MSCC, courtesy MSCC With a keen motive to go back to roots and spread motorsports at grassroots level, the club officials decided to organise, this year too, the national-level TSD rally, which are now called as time-regulated rallies. The TSDs are famous for the challenges they offer in navigation and are often seen as a gateway to bigger things in motorsports because they lay a good foundation of basics and nurtures drivers and navigators to graduate smoothly into stage rallies.
A 2018 group photo after the successful conduct of the fourth round of INRC. The following Categories are on offer:
1.Pro-expert
2.Pro-stock
3.All ladies
4.Couple class
5.Corporate class*
6.Veterans class*
7.Novice Class*
8. Star of Chikamaglur*
(* Terms and conditions apply please refer to Supplementary Regulations)
(The entry fee Rs. 7,500 per Car for 2 persons and Rs.11,250 for 3 persons, plus GST)
For details call or WhatsApp Dilip Doshi 9902211792 since the entries are limited on a first-come-first-serve basis. https://www.facebook.com/motorsportsclubofckm/
