Category: Supercross

  • Indian Supercross/Motocross Archives: Hall of Fame

    Motocross and Supercross are the popular disciplines of motorsports which enjoyed huge fan following in India. The motocross events attract huge crowds, especially in Bengaluru, Pune and Coimbatore for many years now.

    From 2005 onwards, the motocross events gave way to the new nomen clature when the arrival of MRF National Supercross Championships.

    Here INDIAinF1 attempts to pool all the articles in one place. It is work in progress and we aim to put together a Hall of Fame for Supercross by the end of the year 2023:

    2018:

    Round 4: Jaipur: 10 September 2018: In rain Jinan beats Harith Noah.

    2017:

    Round 4: Kolhapur: 24 August 2017: Karan wins Round 4

    Round 5: Goa: 14 October:

    Round 6: Bengaluru: 9 December 2017:

    2013 – MRF National Supercross Championship

    Final, Round 5: Coimbatore: 21 November 2013: TVS Racing’s Aravind KP wins MRF National Supercross Championship

    2012 – MRF National Supercross Championship

    2011 – MRF National Supercross Championship

    Round 1: Bengaluru: 15 May 2011: HK Pradeep bags top honours in MRF Supercross Round 1

    Round 2: Coimbatore: 22 May 2011: KP Arvind leads TVS domination in Round 2

    2010 – MRF National Supercross Championship

    Final Round : Pune: 13 December 2010: CS Santosh blazes away to National Supercross title

    2009 – MRF Supercross Challenge

    Round 1: Goa: 24 May 2009: Team TVS Racing Sweep First Round Of MRF Supercross Challenge 2009

    Round 2: Hyderabad: 31 May 2009: TK Vishwanath, Veer Patel share honours in Foreign Class

    2008 – MRF National Supercross Championship

    Round 1: Hyderabad: 20 July 2008: CS Santosh wins battles with Veer, crowned champ

    2007 – MRF National Supercross Championship

    Round 1:

    Round 2:

    Round 3: Baroda: 10 June 2007: C S Santosh of TVS Racing capture’s glory

    Round 4: Kolhapur: 9 October 2007: TVS’ Karan Kadam ‘best rider of the day’

    Round 5: Bangalore: 9 December 2007: Karan Kadam crowned 2007 MRF Motocross champion

    2006 – MRF National Supercross Championship

    TVS Awards in 2006.

    Round 1: Pune: 14 May 2006: Vijaykumar claims honours in Round 1

    Round 2: Chennai: 20 August 2006: Vijaykumar, Karan Kadam win a moto each; Vijay, best rider

    Round 3: Coimbatore: 8 October 2006: TVS’ Karan Kadam takes honours at Round 3

    Round 4: Goa: 29 October 2006: Karan Kadam of TVS Racing declared best rider.

    2005 – MRF National Supercross Championship

    Round 1: Goa: 8 May 2005: Vijaykumar bags double in top class; TVS Racing Sweeps MRF National Supercross

    Round 2: Pune: 15 May 2005: CS Santosh, Eathasham share honours; Vijaykumar keeps lead

    Round 3: Vadodara: 23 October 2005: Vijaykumar falls to CS Santosh; Bengalurean wins both motos

    Round 4: Chandigarh: 5 Nov 2005: CS Santosh hogs limelight winning ‘Best Rider’.

    2004:

    Round 1: Chandigarh: 29 Feb 2004: C. Vijay Kumar of TVS Racing excels, awarded ‘Best Rider Of The Day’

    Round 2:

    Round 3: Chennai: 1 August 2004: Vijaykumar enthralls Chennai, bags best rider award

    Round 4: Pune: 26 September 2004: C Vijaykumar consolidates position in Foreign Open class

    Round 5:

    2003;

    Round 6: Bangalore: 23 Dec 2003: C Vijaykumar rated best; TVS Racing wins National Motocross

  • Pune’s Akshat Hupale crowned Junior National Champion: Supercross

    Pune’s Akshat Hupale crowned Junior National Champion: Supercross

    Pune, 29 Nov 2022: Akshat Hupale, a 7th standard student of PICT Model school in Balewadi here was crowned National champion in the Junior section (Class 8) after the conclusion of the five-round MRF Mogrip Indian National Supercross championship recently.

    A few years ago the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), the governing body for motorsports in India, introduced Class 8 junior SX2 to provide an opportunity for young riders in the age group of 8 to 12 years to compete at the national level on the same terrain and courses, that top-class riders take part. This bold step to catch them young saw the Nationals blood many youngsters and it helped prepare riders for the international competitions at an early age, which is the norm abroad.

    Akshat Hupale (Photo AH team)

    The 2022 season comprised six rounds—Nashik, Pune, Coimbatore, Vadodara, Goa, Bangalore. Akshat, who practices at his private facility in Wai in Satara on weekends with Russian trainers Georgy Gusev and, Vitaly Gusev and Dustin Phares from the United States and India’s Dakar Hero Ashish Raorane, aims to ride at Asian and international level in the coming years. Akshat’s total points at the end of six rounds were 225 and his championship winning lead over C. Bhairav was 42 points, which was maximum across all the eight classes.

    After a victory in Class 8…

    The 12-year school boy, Akshat said, Goa Round was most challenging as he was battling with Viral Fever and nursing a bad throat. Having the championship lead was my mantra,” said Hupale.

    “Going into last round and virtually sealing championship was great feeling. I just wanted to Win the championship and then consolidate the lead over the nearest competitor. Happy to have done it in style and sign off under-12 category with a victory. Consistency was key as I am the only rider across categories in 2022 to have won all six rounds with highest points,” is how the Champion narrated his 2022 season.

    Incidentally, after the final round , which completed in bangalore on Sunday last, Thursday was an apt occasion here in Pune when Akshat was felicitated in presence of the top officials of the FMSCI, for his crowning glory. The occasion was the announcement of the first ever franchise-based Supercross league in India. 

  • Rugved Barguje sparkles in Goa Round 5: Supercross Nationals

    Rugved Barguje sparkles in Goa Round 5: Supercross Nationals

    Mapusa (Goa),13 Nov 2022: Braving a dislocated shoulder that is yet to heal, Pune’s Rugved Barguje from Petronas TVS Racing team won a golden double to win the Best Rider tag and reclaimed the championship lead in the premier class from veteran CD Jinan in the fifth and penultimate round of the MRF Mogrip National Supercross Championship promoted by Godspeed Racing at the Carnival grounds, Opposite to Bodgeshwar Temple in Mapusa here on Sunday.

    Going into the Goa round trailing by a point to CD Jinan, Rugved won both the motos comfortably on Sunday to take a five-point lead ahead of the last round in Bengaluru next Sunday. Jinan finished second in both the motos of Group A SX1 class, the feature event of the day. Rugved leads the championship with 172 points to Jinan’s 167. Originally slated as the fifth round on Nov 6 but put off due to rains, Bengaluru will now be the sixth and final round on Nov 20.

    In Moto 1 of the Group A SX1, the 21-year rider from Pune, Rugved, did not get the best of starts he is known for, but still got the hole-shot and quickly squeezed into the lead at the first corner pushing veteran rider and championship contender CD Jinan to second and rode a steady and consistent race on a tight and technical track to win by about seven bike lengths. Jinan, the 47-year stalwart from Thrissur, who started on the far-side behind the gates, endured the disadvantage to follow the leader and reduced the gap towards the end. But it was Rugved’s day as he took a comfortable victory despite the pain he endured at every jump and jerk. In the fourth round in Vadodara, Rugved Barguje had a nasty fall and dislocated his right shoulder. The braveheart, got up and finished fifth, for a valuable 11 points and came back to win Moto2 in severe pain with his shoulder heavily taped after shots of painkillers.

    “I had an amazing day and I am very happy to get two race wins under my belt. Hoping for the best next weekend,” said Rugved.

    In the 12-lap second moto, boxed by the top two riders Prajwal V took a ‘fall’ at the first corner affecting Jinan and Rugved wasted no time to zoom into the lead. Jinan trailed in third behind Ajay Srinivas, who crashed later in the opening lap itself, but Jinan played safe later, and retained his second position. Rugved, meanwhile, slowly increased the gap managing the hoops in quick time with good technique and was careful on the long jumps to protect his lead. Jinan, made a couple of mistakes and lost some time with two laps to go, and the Pune lad won with ease to reclaim the title-lead in the top class.

    Triple for Sarthak Chavan; Jinendra leads Class 2

    Pune’s Sarthak Chavan won both the SX2 motos in Class 2 and added one more moto winning the Junior SX1 first race. But Jinendra Sangave, who represented India in the MiniGP World finals recently, recovered to a third place in the first Moto and took a second in the next, to increase his Championship lead to a comfortable 157 points with Shlok Ghorpade and Ajay Srinivas fighting behind him, more than 20 points adrift.

    Indian Experts class goes to wire – Arun sparkles

    Popular privateer Arun T from Hassan won the  Indian Experts Group C Class 6 but it was Petronas TVS star Sachin D who took a slender one-point championship lead from teammate Imran Pasha as the Championship battle goes to the wire.  Arun also won the Private Experts Class 5 ahead of Yogesh and Shabuddin Syed, a popular local rider from Goa Racing team.

    Akshat Hupale virtually seals the Junior SX2 title

    Another Pune rider Akshat  Hupale virtually sealed the Junior SX2 championship winning the first moto in Class 8 while Bengaluru school boy Bhaiarav C upset the applecart of the champion astride a Gasgas machine in Moto2 and in the process displayed enough skills to defend a marauding Sujan in the last two laps with a mature ride. Way behind, Akshat made sure he took the third, which was enough to seal the championship.

    Podium for Ananstya Pol

    Shlok Ghorpade and Sarthak Chavan shared the honours in the Junior SX1 but it was Bengaluru lass Anastya Pol, who stole the limelight with a podium in the second Moto, competing on equal terms with boys.

    Provisional Results – Round 5:

    (Results are NOT official and will be updated soon with official version)

    Class 1: SX1 Moto1: 1. #9 Rugved Barguje (Petronas TVS Racing-RTR300); 2. #50 CD Jinan (Petronas TVS Racing-RTR300); 3. #75 Sarthak Chavan (Pune, Kawasaki KX).

    Class 1: SX1 Moto2: 1. Rugved Barguje (Petronas TVS Racing-RTR300); 2. CD Jinan (Petronas TVS Racing-RTR300); 3. Shlok Ghorpade (KTM150 Satara).

    Class 2: SX2 Moto1: 1. Sarthak Chavan (KX250F- Pune); 2. Ajay Srinivas (KX250F- Bengaluru); 3. Jinendra Sangave (KX250F- Ichalakaranji, Kolhapur);.

    Class 2: SX2 Moto2: 1. Sarthak Chavan (KX250F- Pune); 2. Jinendra Sangave (KX250F- Ichalakaranji); 3. Shlok Ghorpade (KTM150 – Satara).

    Class 4: Locals: 1. Tanweer Shaikh; 2. Sarvesh Korgonkar; 3. Mayur Kolekar; (All Goa, on Impuse).

    Class 5: Indian Experts: 1. Arun T (Hassan) 2. Sachin D (Bengaluru – TVS Racing) 3. Imran Pasha (Mysore – TVS Racing).

    Class 6: Private Experts: 1. Arun T (Hassan, Xpulse); 2. Yogesh PD (Bengaluru) 3. Shabuddin Syed ().

    Class 7: Junior SX1 Moto1: Sarthak Chavan (Pune); 2. Shlok Ghorpade (Satara); 3. Jinendra Sangave (Kolhapur);

    Class 7: Junior SX1 Moto2: 1. Shlok Ghorpade (Satara); 2. Sarthak Chavan (Pune); 3. Ananstya Pol (Bengaluru).

    Class 8: Junior SX2 Moto1: 1. Akshat Hupale (KTM SX 85 -Pune); 2. Sujan J (KTM65-  Coimbatore).

    Class 8: Junior SX2 Moto2: 1. Bhairav C (Gasgas – Bengaluru); 2. Sujan J (KTM65-  Coimbatore); 3. Akshat Hupale (KTM SX85 -Pune);

  • Supercross Nationals: Jinan reclaims title-lead with a grand double

    Supercross Nationals: Jinan reclaims title-lead with a grand double

    Coimbatore, 19 June 2022: Evergreen rider from Kerala, CD Jinan of Petronas TVS Racing captured both the motos in the Feature event to reclaim the Championship lead in the third round of the MRF MoGrip fmsci National Supercross Championship 2022 at the CODISSIA ground which attracted over 15,000 crowd, here on Sunday. TVS hoisted their flag winning all the podium places in both the motos and Jinan bagged the Rider of the Day honours.

    Jinan won Moto1 of the prestigious SX1 Foreign Open class in the morning and backed it up winning Moto2 too, making clever use of the Joker lane and put paid to the hopes of youngster Rugved Burguje, who got boxed and tipped over a berm midway through the 8-lap Moto2.

    However, the Pune champion quickly recovered and joined back to take the final place on the podium redeeming some valuable points. But it was Jinan’s day as the 46-year old multiple National champion bagged a grand double on his factory-prepared TVS RTR 300on a track that saw the return of Jokerlane this year. The Kerala star began on the left side and was found wanting as Barguje took the hole shot in the second Moto but after the initial dilly-dally, he took the lead and later had an easy outing with Barguje suffering a fall. Making the most of the fight between the table-toppers, Prajwal Vishwanath, the talented youngster bagged a creditable second place to pool in good points with a double podium. Prajwal earlier came third behind Satara’s Ikshaan Shanbagh who exhibited fine riding skills in the first moto.

    “With the nature of the track prompted me to be careful and was very cautious. I managed to take the lead and later on I just had to bring the bike home,” said the veteran rider. Earlier in the morning, the current championship leader Barguje could only finish fourth and that paved the way for Jinan to take back the lead which he enjoyed after the first round.

    Another youngster from Pune, fresh from 2w Road Racing last week, Sarthak Chavan, also clinched a grand double in the SX2 class while another Pune talent Akshat Hupale, continued his dominance in the Junior SX2, winning both the races.

    Petronas TVS Racing made a clean sweep of the Indian Experts class with Imran Pasha taking a fine victory beating teammate from Mizoram Banteilang J while Nataraj R, also from TVS, had to be content with a third place. In Class 4 for Locals, Karankumar M won with Asaruddin S in second followed by Shailesh Kumar in third.

    Promoters GodSpeed Racing pulled off another successful round with a huge crowd witnessing the popular event and seven-time National champion Shyam Kothari who spread out a technical track for the Coimbatore round was immensely happy. “Supercross remains ever popular and the crowds today are a testimony. Safety is our first priority and we are happy to finish another successful round,” he concluded.

    Provisional Results – Round 3:

    Class 1: SX1 Moto1: 1. CD Jinan (Petronas TVS Racing-RTR300); 2. Ikshaan Shanbagh (Petronas TVS Racing-RTR300); 3. Prajwal V (Petronas TVS Racing-RTR300).

    Class 1: SX1 Moto2: 1. CD Jinan (Petronas TVS Racing-RTR300); 2. Prajwal V (Petronas TVS Racing-RTR300); 3. Rugved Barguje (Petronas TVS Racing-RTR300).

    Class 2: SX2 Moto1: 1. Sarthak Chavan (KX250F- Pune); 2. Shlok Ghorpade (KTM150- Satara); 3. Jinendra Sangave (KX250F- Ichalakaranji);.

    Class 2: SX2 Moto2: 1. Sarthak Chavan (KX250F- Pune); 2. Jinendra Sangave (KX250F- Ichalakaranji); 3. Ajay Srinivas (KX250F- Bengaluru).

    Class 3: Novice Upto 260cc: 1. Jinendra Sangave (TVS Racing – RTR200); 2. Sachin D (TVS Racing – RTR 200); 3. Arun T (Impulse – Privateer/ Hassan).

    Class 4: Locals: 1. Karan Kumar M; 2. Asaruddin S; 3. Sailesh Kumar (All on Impulse from Coimbatore).

    Class 5: Indian Experts: 1. Imran Pasha; 2. Banteilang J; 3. Nataraj R (All from TVS on RTR 200).

    Class 6: Private Experts: 1. Karan Kumar M (Cbe); 2. Arun T (Hassan); 3. Asaruddin (Cbe). All on Impulse.

    Class 7: Junior SX1 Moto1: 1. Sarthak Chavan (Pune); 2. Shlok Ghorpade (Satara); 3. Jinendra Sangave (Ichalakaranji).

    Class 7: Junior SX1 Moto2: 1. Sarthak Chavan (Pune); 2. Shlok Ghorpade (Satara); 3. Jinendra Sangave (Ichalakaranji).

    Class 8: Junior SX2 Moto1: 1. Akshat Hupale (KTM85 -Pune); 2. Yash Shinde (KTM85 -Pune);  3. Sujan J (KTM65-  Coimbatore).

    Class 8: Junior SX2 Moto2: 1. Akshat Hupale (KTM85 -Pune); 2. Aleena Shaikh (Husqvarna -Bengaluru); 3. Agastya (KTM65 – Bengaluru).

  • Rugved Barguje wins a double, claims ‘Rider of the Day’ award

    Rugved Barguje wins a double, claims ‘Rider of the Day’ award

    Pune, 7 May 2022: Talented youngster Rugved Barguje of Petronas TVS Racing was in flowing form as he conquered both the motos to win the ‘Rider of Day’ trophy in the second round of the MRF MoGrip fmsci National Supercross Championship 2022 here on Saturday.

    In a huge achievement, popular privateer Arun D of Hassan achieved a double astride an Impulse. He won the prestigious Indian Experts class beating celebrated factory rider and former National champion Nataraj R and his teammate Sachin D of TVS Racing took third place. He won the Private Experts class too beating Shailesh Kumar and Yogesh P came third. All the riders were on Impulse bikes.

    Promoted by GodSpeed Racing with TVS Racing, Servo, Sidvin and FXR as sponsors, the Supercross Nationals are back with a bang in Nashik last Sunday attracting huge crowd after a two-year haitus due to COVID19. Pune too welcomed the popular sport with huge crowds gracing the artificial gallery for vantage spot and watched the riding daredevils in action. The daring feats, stunning jumps and the fast bikes did not disappoint them. The Freestyle Motocross riders and their stunts were a bonus for an evening of entertainment as many turned up with families.

    CD Jinan, who dominated the proceedings in the first round, had to play second fiddle to the local hero Rugved Barguje, who took the championship lead in the top Foreign Experts class, (the SX1 Group A upto 500cc bikes) from the Kerala master. Barguje, inherited the biking skills and talent from his father, Dhyaneswar, the senior Barguje, who was popular as Bala in his hey days. He also has brothers who raced bikes but with today’s riding it was Rugved, who hogged all the limelight with a dominating show. He took the hole shot in the first moto and by the end of the first lap, the 22-year old opened up a huge gap of over 20 bike-lengths and never looked back, making the victory look so cool.

    In the second moto too, Barguje was ahead into the first corner, a low right, but was boxed in by TK Prajwal, who took the hole shot and CD Jinan, who sneaked into second. Not the one to easily give up, the youngster launched an all out attack from the third position and near the third corner he sensed the chance and launched himself with clever use of the berm and overtook both Prajwal and Jinan, to regain the lead. Thereon, he shrewdly managed his lead, controlling his pace and jumps, and extended the gap for another comfortable win. With a straight back and balanced approach, hitting the whoops with his rear tyre at the same spot, Barguje seems to have gained the extra time managing the ten whoops to his advantage.

    Behind him it was the Satara youngster, Ikshaan, son of another former racing star, Shanbhag, who clinched a creditable second place in the second moto. Jinan, had a forgettable week-end as he fell in the second moto and injured his leg. But the rider running 50, puts to shame many youngsters with his fitness mantra. He got up and finished the moto, and only during the podium ceremony one could notice a slight limp. Jinan got a third in the other moto and kept himself at a striking distance in the title race. Watchout for the master blaster in the remaining rounds.

    “I am so thrilled. It is definitely a very big feeling to win in the home town. The effort and hard work I put in for the past two months had paid off. Now I got the championship lead and with more rounds to go, my focus is to be consistent and I will take it round by round,” said a beaming Rugved Barguje to INDIAinF1 from Pune.

    Coimbatore’s Manikandan K won the SX2 ahead of Bhumik Lalwani of Mount Abu and first round winner Ajay Srinivas of Bengaluru. Shillong’s rising star Banteilang Jerwa of TVS Racing, astride a RTR 200 won the Novice class again to take the championship lead. Teammate Sachin D came second ahead of Arun T. Jinendra Sangave of Kolhapur pocketed the Locals class while Shlok Ghorpade won the Junior SX1. Another home-town talent Akshat Hupale bagged the Junior SX2 and is leading the championship after two rounds.

    Results: Round 2 – 2022 (provisional):

    Rider of the Day: Rugved Barguje (Pune)

    1. Class 1 SX 1 (A&B) Group A Stroke 2/4 Upto 500CC (Foreign Experts Class) (2 motos):

    1. #9 Rugved Barguje (Pune); TVS RTR 300;

    2. #36 Ikshan Shanbhag (Satara) TVS RTR 300;

    3. #50 CD Jinnan (Thrissur); TVS RTR 300;

    2. Class 2 SX 2 (A&B) Group A: Stroke 2/4 Upto 500CC (2 motos):

    1.  # Manikandan K (Coimbatore) KX250;

    2. # Bhumik Lalwani (Mount Abu); KX250;

    3. #12 Ajay Srinivas (Bengaluru); KX250;

    3. Class 3 NOVICE Group C:  Stroke 2/4 Upto 260CC:

    1. #27 Banteilang Jerwa (TVS Racing – Shillong, Meghalaya) TVS RTR 200;

    2. #40 Sachin D (Petronas TVS Racing) (Bengaluru); TVS RTR 200;

    3. #73 Arun T (Hassan); Impulse;

    4. Class 4 LOCALS Group B: Stroke 2/4 Upto 260CC:

    1. #90 Jinendra S (Kolhapur) TVS RTR 200;

    2. # Rajesh Swami, Impulse;

    3. #6 Russel Jossy (Goa) Impulse;

    5. Class 5 INDIAN EXPERTS Group C: Stroke 2/4 Upto 260CC:

    1. #73 Arun T (Impulse) (Hassan); Impulse;

    2. # Nataraj R (Petronas TVS Racing – Bengaluru) TVS RTR 200;

    3. #40 Sachin D (Petronas TVS Racing- Bengaluru) TVS RTR 200;

    6. Class 6 PRIVATE EXPERTS Group C: Stroke 2/4 Upto 260CC:

    1. #73 Arun T (Impulse) (Hassan);

    2. # Shailesh Kumar; Impulse;

    3. # Yogesh P () Impulse;

    7. Class 7 JR SX 1 Group A: Stroke 2/4 Upto 250CC (2 motos):

    1. #33 Shlok Ghorpade (Satara) KTM 150;

    2. #97  Jinendra Sangave (Kolhapur) KX250;

    3. #52 Srujan J () KX100;

    8. Class 8 JR SX 2 Group A: Stroke 2/4 Upto 100CC (for riders under-12 years):

    1. #34 Akshat Hupale (Pune) KTM SX85;

    2. #5 Bhairav C () Husqvarna;

    3. # Srujan J () KTM SX65;

    Official results from GodSpeed Racing
  • CD Jinan crowned Rider of the Day at Supercross Round 1

    CD Jinan crowned Rider of the Day at Supercross Round 1

    Nashik, 1 May 2022: Supercross stalwart from Kerala who had thrilled the fans for over two decades, CD Jinan of Petronas TVS Racing, continues to showcase his exhilarating skills and talent, astride an RTR 300 as he won “the Best Rider” tag once again. On a hot Sunday with searing temparatures, he had mixed results but came out on top in a hard-fought Group A SX1 Foreign Experts Class 1 with a win and a podium to garner higher points than teammate and young challenger Rugved Barguje in the first round of the MRF MoGrip fmsci National Supercross Championship 2022 here on Sunday.

    Another feature event, the Indian Experts Group C Class 5, saw TVS champion, Sachin D clinch the issue for his team, Petronas TVS Racing, which dominated the proceedings once again with multiple wins and podiums for their riders.

    Missing the hole-shot in the first Moto, the six-time National Supercross champion, CD Jinnan, had to be content with a second place which was won by youngster Rugved Barguje of Pune, who defended well. Jinan, despite his initial issues on the track, fought tooth and nail and did overtake Barguje in the penultimate lap but the youngster quickly regained the position with a clever pass and held on till the chequered flag for a deserving win. However, Moto 2 saw the veteran Jinnan restore the order as Barguje suffered a fall in the early stages in a reversal of fortunes, and could only recover to take a fourth. Though he missed the podium, he vowed to come back and his senior TVS mate took the honours in the Round 1.

    Meanwhile, Sachin D, who is coming back from an injury, showed that he is back in form winning the honours in the Class 5 Indian Experts Group C Upto 260cc category ahead of Asaruddin and Karan Kumar. Sachin, a soft-spoken maestro, is a different rider on the track when he is on attack-mode, but his soft nature costed him many a victory. Last season saw him do all that he is known for on the track but the Sprint National champion 2020 saw his hard-fought title elude him due to off-track decisions. He is not the one to crib, for he prefers his bike to do the talking and he is back in the news with a well-deserved victory that launches his 2022 Supercross season. Watch out for his skilled antics on the track.

    Young talent Jinendra Sangave of Kolhapur won the Locals class ahead of Pinkesh Thakkar and Russell Jossy finished third. Jinendra, the rider to look out for, took part in four races astride a Kawasaki KX250 in the SX2 and also raced in the Junior SX1 on a TVS RTR 200. Apart from the victory, the teen talent also had two second-place finishes in Junior SX and SX2, where he was punching above his weight with some seniors.

    Ajay Srinivas of Bengaluru won SX2 moto while Arun D of Hassan in Karnataka, a popular rider with fans, won the Private Experts class. Banteilang Jarwa of Meghalaya, who represents the motorsports dreams of the North East, made up for his fall in the higher class to clinch the honours in the Novice Group C class.

    Young and upcoming talent Akshat Hupale found his wonted form and showcased glimpses of his talent conquering the Junior SX2, the lowest age-group competition for riders below 14 years. He the rider to count on a dull day. He displays a cool mind and exhibits good riding skills, be his corner negotiation or sudden acceleration… If groomed well, this boy has the ability and talent to go places.

    Shyam Kothari, the head of GodSpeed Racing, the promoter said: “I am very happy to welcome all the riders to the MRF National Supercross after the COVID-induced two-year break. The response is overwhelming with 105 entries in eight different classes and everybody is raring to go. We had a 650-metre long track with 23 double jumps, a table top and the usual terrain but this Nashik track is technical that provided challenging races and some keen battles. It was nice to see the galleries full with fans and families and I wish all the riders, all the best for the season with Round 2 in Pune coming up next Sunday.”

    With the delayed calendar of 2021 completing only in March 2022, the fmsci Nationals are back on track once again with COVID19 travel restrictions coming to an end. The pandemic which ruined the schedule of many a National championship saw that no Supercross event was held for two years, 2020 and 2021. Supercross is one of the 13 Nationals of the Federation of Motorsports Clubs in India (fmsci) which is popular and attracts a huge fan following with the largest and most-impressive crowds adoring the riders. The skills of these riders and their feats are held at stadiums and open grounds that were brought closer to the spectators and fans with well-made tracks that provide all the exciting obstacles like double jumps, rumblers, bumps and amplifies the fun for the fan with an easy view from the galleries. Behind all this is the Promoter GodSpeed Racing, which is headed by none other than Shyam Kothari, a 7-time National champion in three different motorsports disciplines – 2w Rally, racing and motocross. The event sponsored by Title rights holder MRF gets support from SIDVIN and others.

    The fmsci 2022 season began with the Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) for 4-wheelers organised by MMSC at Chennai in April and this is the second Nationals which finished the Round 1 and a back-to-back second round happening in Pune on May 8. Next Sunday will witness Chikkamagalur hosting the INRC for two-wheelers with another back-to-back round in Mangalore the following Sunday, also promoted by GodSpeed.

    Results: Round 1 – 2022 (provisional – Unofficial):

    Rider of the Day: CD Jinnan

    1. Class 1 SX 1 (A&B) Group A Stroke 2/4 Upto 500CC (Foreign Experts Class) (2 motos):

    Day’s Winners (on points):

    Overall:

    1. #50 CD Jinnan (Thrissur);

    2. #9 Rugved Barguje (Pune);

    3. #2 Mahesh VM ()’

    Moto 1

    1. #9 Rugved Barguje (TVS RTR 300) (Pune);

    2. #50 CD Jinan (TVS RTR 300) (Kerala);

    3. #2 Mahesh VM (Kawasaki KX 250F);

    Moto 2

    1. #50 CD Jinan (TVS RTR 300) (Kerala);

    2. #37 Prajwal Vishwanath (TVS RTR 200 – Bengaluru)

    3. #2 Mahesh VM (Kawasaki KX 250F);

    2. Class 2 SX 2 (A&B) Group A: Stroke 2/4 Upto 500CC (2 motos):

    1. #12 Ajay Srinivas (Bengaluru);

    2. #97 Jinendra Sangave (Kolhapur);

    3. #93 Dwayne Johannes (Mumbai);

    Moto 2:

    1. #12 Ajay Srinivas (Bengaluru);

    2. #93 Dwayne Johannes (Mumbai);

    3. #30 Bumik Lalwani (

    3. Class 3 NOVICE Group C:  Stroke 2/4 Upto 260CC:

    1. #27 Banteilang Jerwa (TVS Racing – Shillong, Meghalaya);

    2. #68 Abhi S Nath (Thrissur);

    3. #73 Arun T (Hassan);

    4. Class 4 LOCALS Group B: Stroke 2/4 Upto 260CC:

    1. #90 Jinendra S;

    2. #99 Pinesh Thakkar;

    3. #6 Russel Jossy;

    5. Class 5 INDIAN EXPERTS Group C: Stroke 2/4 Upto 260CC:

    Moto 1

    1. #40 Sachin D (Petronas TVS Racing) (Bengaluru);

    2. #32 Asaruddin S (Coimbatore);

    3. #8 Karan Kumar M (Coimbatore);

    Moto 2 (Results awaited)

    6. Class 6 PRIVATE EXPERTS Group C: Stroke 2/4 Upto 260CC:

    1. #73 Arun T (Impulse) (Hassan);

    2. #32 Asaruddin S (Coimbatore);

    3. #68 Abhi S Nath (Thrissur);

    7. Class 7 JR SX 1 Group A: Stroke 2/4 Upto 250CC (2 motos):

    1. #33 Shlok Ghorpade (Satara) 40 points;

    2. #97  Jinendra Sangave 34;

    3. #47 Anastya Pol  (Bengaluru) 28 ;

    4. #52 Srujan 28 points

    Moto 1

    1. #33 Shlok Ghorpade (Satara);

    2. #97  Jinendra Sangave 34;

    3. #52 Srujan J.

    8. Class 8 JR SX 2 Group A: Stroke 2/4 Upto 100CC (for riders under-12 years):

    Moto1 (Results awaited)

    Moto2

    1. #34 Akshat Hupale (KTM SX85 – Pune);

    2. #17 Aleena Shaikh (Husqvarna) Bengaluru;

    3. #5 Bhairav C;

  • Rugved bags a golden double; Prajwal, Jinendra sparkle

    Rugved bags a golden double; Prajwal, Jinendra sparkle

    Raipur, 7 March 2022: Rugved Barguje of TVS Racing dominated the proceedings spearheading a successful TVS romp with a golden double in the feature event while young Jinendra Sangave and upcoming Prajwal, too, bagged a brace in the MRF National Supercross Bike Racing championship which attracted a crowd of over 30,000 at the Budha Para Outdoor Stadium here on Sunday under floodlights.

    Ably organised by Chhattisgarh Motor Sports Association (CGMSA) to promote tourism and adventure, the tiny state rose to the occasion and hosted a glittering gala as the cream of Supercross talent from all over the country descended on the State capital. The Chief Minister of Chhattisgrah, Bhupesh Baghel, who arrived on a motorcycle, into the packed stadium to a standing ovation, to inaugurate the mega event and, Supercross was back with a bang after a two-year haitus due to the pandemic.

    Astride a TVS RTR 300, the 21-year Barguje, took the hole shot in both the motos and withstood immense pressure from veteran CD Jinnan of Thrussur to bag the feature event with 40 points. The under-16 and 2016 Foreign Open champion, who graduated to the top class, won the first moto comfortably to lead the TVS campaign.

    TVS Racing also bagged the prestigious Indian Experts class with Imran Pasha of Mysuru beating teammate and former National champion R Nataraj. Arun (Hassan) took the bronze to make it an all-Karnataka affair. Jinendra Sangave, 12, from Kolhapur displayed his wares with superb bike control to not only win both the Junior SX1 but punched about his weight, getting a podium in the Foreign Open SX2 class.

    Bengaluru’s Prajval V, son of former bike champion TK Viswanath, got his golden double in the SX2, the Foreign Open class. Meanwhile, Akshat Hupale of Pune, making his debut in a major event, also claimed two gold in the Junior SX2 while Arun from Hassan, Banteiling (Shillong) and Kamendra Saho (Raipur) won their classes.

    Russian Freestyle Motocross experts and stunt riders thrilled the spectators with amazing acrobatics and super stunts jumping over 50 feet in the sky.

    Secretary, Chhattisgarh Motor Sports Association, Umesh Bansi said: “It is the endeavour of CGMSA to promote motorsports and, Supercross with freestyle jumps fitted the bill. Thanks to the support from the government, the event became a roaring success promoting tourism and adventure. We thank the Chief Minister, Tourism Department, MRF and all the riders and teams as Raipur establishes itself in the motorsports map of India.”

    “Indian motorsports has not seen an event of this magnitude. It was meticulously organised and the we are having Supercross in an outdoor stadium after many years. The huge crowds and the enormous support from the government, made it a huge success,” Shyam Kothari, a past legend The 7-time National champion is the brain behind the Supercross championships in India.

    Provisional Results: Class 1 – SX Foreign Open Class (2 motos): 1. Rigved Burguje (TVS Racing, Pune) 40 points; 2. CD Jinnan (TVS Racing, Thrissur) 34; 3.  Prajwal V (Privateer, Bengaluru) 28.

    Class 2 – Novice  Group C (1 Moto): 1. Banteilang Jerwa (TVS Racing, Shillong) 20; 2. Sachin D (TVS Racing, Bengaluru) 17; 3. Anthony L (Pvt. Shillong) 15.

    Class 3 – Junior SX2 (2 motos): 1. Akshat Hupale (Pune) 40; 2. Dev Agastya (Bengaluru) 28; 2. Yash Shinde (Pune) 28;  2. Aleena Shaikh (Bengaluru) 28 (All 3 tied on 28points).

    Class 4 – Local Class Group B: 1. Kamendra Saho 20; 2. Premnath Yadav 17; Praveen Yadav 15 (All Raipur).

    Class 5 – INDIAN EXPERTS Class C (1 moto): 1. Imran Pasha (TVS Racing, Mysore) 20; 2. R Nataraj (TVS Racing, Bengaluru) 17; 3. Arun (Hassan) 15.

    Class 6 – Private Experts Group C (1 moto): 1. Arun (Hassan) 20; 2. Jayden WN (Shillong) 17; 3. Darren DK (Shillong) 15.

    Class 7 – SX2 FOREIGN OPEN Class Group A (2 motos): 1. Prajwal V (Bengaluru) 40; 2. Jinendra Sangave (Kolhapur) 32; 3. Jatin Jain (Nagpur) 28.

    Class 8 – Junior SX1 (2 Motos): 1. Jinendra Sangave (Pvt. Kolhapur) 40; 2. Jayden WN (Pvt. Shillong) 34; 3. Mangal Patidar (Indore) 28.

  • Raipur to host National Supercross and scintillating stunts

    Raipur to host National Supercross and scintillating stunts

    Raipur (Chhattisgarh), 4 March 2021: Top Indian motorcycle racing talent is all set to descend in the Capital city to promote adventure sports and tourism as the much-awaited National Dirt Supercross Bike Racing Tournament organised by Chhattisgarh Motor Sports Association kicks off at the Budhapara Outdoor Stadium here on Saturday.

    Secretary, Chhattisgarh Motor Sports Association, Umesh Bansi said: “Top racing talent from all over the country will be here to take part in the National event. The practice sessions will start on Saturday at 1.30 pm. Some of the National champions and many talented Supercross riders will be seen in action as an event of this magnitude is being held in the State for the first time. “

    The tournament will be inaugurated on Sunday, the March 6th at 4 pm by the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh. Riders from all over the country have arrived in Raipur and will race under the floodlight for the next two days. One hundred and fifty trucks of mud track was used to create a motocross track and a huge man-made landing area was put in place for the two Russian bike riders to showcase their throbbing freestyle motocross feats in the air.

    Russians at Raipur displaying their freestyle motocross stunts. Photo by Faisal Khan

    The supercross bike racing event will be followed by a freestyle motorsport event by international riders from Russia in which riders will be seen tossing several feet of bikes to perform acrobatics. Younger riders will be a special attraction

    Dirt bike rider just 11 years old and has so far competed in many championships, many young people including Alina Mansoor Shaikh, 12-year-old bike rider Anastaya and 9-year-old Yash Shinde, one of the country’s youngest dirt bike riders. Riders will participate in this bike racing taking place on 6th March.

    Association’s media in-charge Atul Srivastava told that there will be 10 rounds under foreign open competition, five in class two under Novice, six under Indian in class three and five cycles under Chhattisgarh in class four. Only residents will be able to participate. Each class will have at least half a dozen bike riders. If there are 10 bike riders in a class then five will be awarded and less than 10 the best performing rider will be declared the winner. At the same time, photographers will also be rewarded for the best photography.

    According to the technical rules in the competition, three groups A, B and C have been made for all the players participating in it. Players will have to get personal accident insurance of Rs 5 lakh. Participants will also have to bring a medical certificate from a Registered Medical Practitioner.

    Registration for participating in the Supercross bike racing event has already started. After registration, a trial and practice session will be held on March 5.
    On March 5, spectators can enjoy this event without any pass. On March 6, only invited people will be allowed to enter the venue.

    After the program, prize distribution will be done at 9.30 pm. Prize distribution program Chief Guest will be Honourable Chief Minister of Chhattisgrah Shri Bhupesh Baghel ji.

  • Mahesh wins Red Bull Ace of Dirt 2021, gets a Hero bike

    Mahesh wins Red Bull Ace of Dirt 2021, gets a Hero bike

    Kolar, 19 March 2021:Red Bull Ace of Dirt, second edition, had 32 two-wheel racers who were invited to compete in multiple off-road disciplines. Of the 16 who qualified after the initial round, the riders battled each other eliminating half of them in each round of pre-quarters, quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals, on a specially-laid course which had six obstacles courses like motocross, dirt track and enduro sections having wooden logs, table top jumps, mud pits et al. The winner received a Hero bike and he will receive training at the facility.

    The winner of the first edition in 2019) of Red Bull Ace of Dirt Yuva Kumar could not make it to the final this year. But he got a lifetime opportunity to train with CS Santosh. The winner also received a bike from Hero. This year too, the winner gets these benefits.

    On Friday and Saturday, an endurance race was held at Big Rock Dirt Park, a facility created by Santosh to train and to spread his knowledge to the interested.

    Winners of the Red Bull Ace of Dirt on Friday. A Red Bull image

    Finally, over four laps of the 2.8km course, it was Mahesh VM, astride a Xpulse 200, who won the event after making through the semifinals and finals. A Sathyaraj, also on a Xpulse, came second followed by Sachin Ignatius (Apache RTR 200) and Gideon Benjamin (Implulse).

    Top riders including defending champion Yuva Kumar, Naresh VS, Arun T and Devaraj Venkatesh were eliminated in Semis 1 & 2. While Naresh did not start, Yuva had a DNF in the other semis.

    Pavan BK, Samuel Abraham, Shoeb, Ishaan Chandra, Trinesh, Salman Khan, Purab Gowda and Asad Khan lost in the quarterfinals.

    Final Results (Top-4): 1. Mahesh VM (Xpulse 200) 20: 29.734; 2. A Sathyaraj (Xpulse 200) 21: 09.578; 3. Sachin Ignatius (Apache RTR 200) 24: 20.031; 4. Gideon Benjamin (Impulse) 26: 22.207.

  • CS Santosh makes a rare appearance at Big Rock Dirt Park at Kolar

    CS Santosh makes a rare appearance at Big Rock Dirt Park at Kolar

    Kolar, 19 March 2021: Ace Indian cross country rider and accomplished supercross champion CS Santosh, made a comeback to a public event, after more than two months, following his serious crash at Dakar 2021, and subsequent hospitalisation.

    A strong fighter who has seen many obstabcles in his racing life, Santosh, made another comeback from a serious brain injury, and was seen at a Public event for the first time at his own Big Rock Dirt Park supercross track at Kolar, accompanied by his parents. The Hero rider, though, has been visiting the Kolar facility for the last couple of weeks with his parents.

    Taking part in his 7th Dakar, Santosh suffered a heavy crash in Stage 4 and was airlifted to a Riyadh hospital on Jan 6. A few days later, he was induced into medical coma and brought back to India. After getting treated in the ICU of a private hospital for many days, he then did his rehab at home and was said to have lost memory of how the accident happened.

    He again started talking and walking and is slowing getting back to do his fitness regime under controlled and very light conditions. Today, he was able to recognise people a bit but not like earlier, one of the participants said.

    On March 16, in an exclusive scoop, ESPN reporter Susan Ninan, quoted his father Shivshankar saying: “He still doesn’t recall the accident but through our conversations, he’s slowly grown to accept that it did take place. Now he asks questions like, ‘oh wow, that’s crazy, how did it happen?”

    Red Bull tweeted today about the Hero’s comeback!